Chapter 56 The Paper Kite soars freely into the vast expanse, under its own complete and tender control...
As dawn broke and the light swallowed by darkness rose once more, the Prince's Palace still hadn't heard the first cry of the newborn.
Xun Shuheng fainted several times, and the bedchamber was filled with oppressive chaos.
The door to the inner room opened a crack, and Granny Ji squeezed out sideways through the gap. To prevent drafts from entering, she quickly closed the door, making a soft but not loud sound. Granny Ji wiped the sweat from her neck, her face grim. "There's too much bleeding. If the child isn't born by noon, the Princess may be in mortal danger."
Xie Yuan came to take a look in the evening, gave a few instructions, and then returned to the flower hall to discuss matters with the generals of the various armies.
Everyone in the prefecture stayed up all night.
Chen Liangyu wandered through the front and back gardens several times in one night. Xie Wenjun waited below the hall, watching as the dark circles under her eyes gradually deepened.
Xie Wenjun: "Please bring more midwives and doctors. We must ensure the Princess's life is safe!"
Granny Ji said, "Your Highness, Your Majesty, the best midwives and doctors were invited to stay at the residence early this morning and are all here now. When a woman gives birth, her mind and energy need to be calmed down. The Princess Consort is in a state of great turmoil and has been through a whole night of labor. She has no strength left and doesn't want to push. What should we do?"
The best midwives only knew how to deliver babies, but they didn't have the real skills to save lives or cure illnesses. The doctors were all men, so they could only wait outside the bedroom to ask questions. Xun Shuheng was delirious and could only ask the midwives and maids inside. The doctors were afraid of misdiagnosing her, so they didn't dare to prescribe any medicine. They just prepared a few mild prescriptions and brewed them.
Chen Liangyu stared intently at the door. As the sun rose high in the sky, Xun Shuheng's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost silent. She had some medical knowledge of treating external injuries and could identify medicinal herbs, but she could only bandage and stop bleeding on blood-soaked battlefields, which was of no use here.
Several doctors waited outside the door, asking questions incessantly. Each question was answered by a midwife inside. She then said, "Please, doctors, come in and examine me!"
"I wouldn't dare!"
"What kind of time is this to still be concerned about the separation of men and women? What is more important than human life?"
"Why don't we ask the female doctor to go inside and take a look?"
Who is speaking?
Chen Liangyu suddenly turned around, raised her eyelids, as if asking, "Why are you here?"
Bu Ping'er opened her eyes innocently. She had only found the Prince Shen's mansion after closing her stall yesterday at 7:45 PM, intending to report on the recruitment of female soldiers. Chen Liangyu said, "We'll talk about it later," and then put her out of his mind.
She followed Chen Liangyu back and forth between the front and back yards all night, like a shadow, and could be said to have done her part even if she didn't achieve anything. This busy and important person completely forgot about her existence and didn't even bother to look at whether the person following her all night was a human or a ghost.
"A female doctor?" Chen Liangyu said, "There is one in Liangxi City, but it's too late to invite her now."
Bu Ping'er said, "What a coincidence, there is one right now."
A dark figure passed through the hanging flower gate. Chen Liangyu recognized the figure from afar. She had just been searched by the maids of the Prince's mansion, and her veil had not yet been properly wrapped.
"Is it her?" Xie Wenjun asked.
Only now did Xie Wenjun see the other half of her face clearly. It was a dull red, mixed with a few almost white marks, like a strange red and white python coiled on her forehead and cheeks.
Zhu Ying was about to greet them when she recognized the faces of the two women before her and was immediately taken aback. "It's you?"
Chen Liangyu quickly raised his right hand and pointed to the inner room, "Please come in!"
Zhu Ying wrapped herself in a veil and plunged into the bedchamber. She placed her fingertips on Xun Shuheng's pulse, glanced at each eyelid, and then laid out her silver needles.
After a few needle pricks, Xun Shuheng's bluish-purple lips began to fade, slowly revealing a rosy red. About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a piercing scream rang out, and the midwives excitedly shouted, "She's given birth! She's given birth!"
The cheers quickly subsided.
Xie Wenjun also sensed something was wrong and suddenly stood up. "Why is there no crying?"
The child did not cry.
Chen Liangyu's heart skipped a beat. Ignoring the doctor's objections, she pushed open the door and entered the inner room with Xie Wenjun.
Chen Liangyu: "Aheng".
Xie Wenjun: "Imperial Sister-in-law."
Xun Shuheng lay there, her hair soaked with sweat, and silver needles gleaming in her body.
A group of maids and servants, their faces pale with fright, knelt before the bed.
"If a baby is born prematurely or for too long, it may not survive."
Zhu Ying held the child's weak feet upside down, patted and rubbed them for a while, then swept everything off the dressing table, scattering gold hairpins and other precious items on the floor. She snatched a clean cloth from the maid, covered the dressing table, and placed the child's tender body, now purplish-red, on it, slapping it repeatedly.
The child remained lying motionless.
Xun Shuheng half-opened her eyes, looking in the direction of the dressing table. The newborn baby was being turned over and over in Zhu Ying's hands, like a lump of mud, allowing her to knead and pat it.
"Several times that night, I felt like I was about to give up, and I even thought to myself, 'It's okay...it's okay that way.'"
She was extremely weak and spoke in a feeble voice.
"Jiangning..."
Xie Wenjun: "Imperial Sister-in-law."
"She should be rewarded well. If the child doesn't survive, there's no need to blame her; it's all fate..."
Chen Liangyu pressed on Xun Shuheng's left hand, kneading the acupoint to relieve the pain. "Yesterday, His Highness ascended the throne. This child was born into the imperial family and is blessed with good fortune and longevity. He will surely be safe and sound."
Xun Shuheng was exhausted and did not show the slightest joy upon hearing this.
Zhu Ying bent down, sucked some mucus from the child's mouth and nose, spat it into the copper basin held up by the maid, took two silver needles and stuck them into the child's tiger's mouth, and then patted the soles of the child's feet dozens of times.
Finally, her tightly clenched fist slowly opened, and her little hand groped haphazardly in the air.
After a few weak whimpers, a clear cry broke the deathly silence.
The servant ran quickly to the front hall to report the good news, and Xie Yuan arrived upon hearing the commotion.
Granny Ji wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes and brought her to Xie Yuan. "This servant congratulates Your Majesty on the birth of your princess. Your Highness is blessed with good fortune and a long life. Mother and daughter are safe and sound."
Xie Yuan took the child from Granny Ji's arms, carefully cradling it in his embrace. He gently touched her eyebrows and cheeks with his fingers and whispered, "This is my child. I have a child?"
His eyes were full of curiosity, and he smiled, which inexplicably revealed a bit of foolishness.
Chen Liangyu stepped forward and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty."
Congratulations poured in from both inside and outside the house. Xie Yuan asked, "How is the Princess?"
Chen Liangyu said, "Your Majesty is much better now, but she was just too tired and fell into a deep sleep again. The birth of the young prince was truly difficult, and it is all thanks to the great blessings of Your Majesty and the young prince."
Xie Wenjun appeared behind Chen Liangyu at some point, saying, "Why don't you bestow a title upon him, Third Brother? It would be a blessing, the more the better."
Although Princess Dalin was of noble status, she did not have her own fiefdom like the princes. However, even without a fiefdom, she was still supported by the people.
Once the title was bestowed, a fief was granted.
Princesses' titles were usually selected and proposed by the Ministry of Rites upon their coming-of-age ceremony and marriage, and then decided by the Emperor and Empress. However, when Empress Huixian gave birth to Xie Wenjun, Emperor Xuanyuan broke with tradition and immediately decided on the princess's title without consulting the Ministry of Rites. Jiangning County was a wealthy county with a population of over ten thousand households. Emperor Xuanyuan bestowed upon her a fiefdom of ten thousand households, named after the county. Later, Consort De repeatedly obstructed the process, and the fiefdom was revoked, leaving her with only the title. After the Crown Prince became regent, Xie Yu, acting on his behalf, returned the fiefdom to her.
"Very well." Xie Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Then I will bestow upon her the title 'Roujia'. This child looks like her mother, and I hope that in the future her character will be like her mother's—gentle, kind, and virtuous in speech and conduct. Is that alright?"
Xie Wenjun said, "Of course."
Xie Yuan returned the child to Granny Ji and instructed, "Take good care of the Princess and the young prince, and go collect your rewards!" As he was walking out, he suddenly remembered something and waved to the side, "Xingqian, bring the painting."
Chen Luan held the rolled-up scroll in both hands and handed the framed portrait to Xie Wenjun. Yuan Rong stepped forward to take it, and he then retreated to the outer courtyard.
Xie Yuan said, "Jiang Ning, I hope you will take good care of the Princess and Roujia."
"I know, my sister."
The crowd dispersed, and the inner garden returned to tranquility.
To the east of the Prince's Mansion, across a river, lies a vast meadow where the sounds of children playing can be faintly heard. A gentle breeze carries a kite with a broken string from beyond the high walls.
Rong Jun swiftly intercepted it from the air, examined it closely, and confirmed that it was just an ordinary paper kite with eagle wings painted on its wings and a colorful tail attached to its tail.
Xie Wenjun took it and looked at it; the thread was broken and not neat.
"Like you."
Chen Liangyu: "Like me?"
"Yes, just like you. We both have our own world to go. They seem to be right beside us, but we can't hold on to them. If we hold on too tightly, we'd rather break the string."
Chen Liangyu replied, "What I willingly entrust to others will not be broken." She tilted her head and jokingly said, "Or why don't you try to hold on tighter?"
Xie Wenjun's gaze inadvertently drifted towards her.
She took out a brocade handkerchief with flowing cloud patterns from her sleeve, lowered her head and slipped it through the leather belt at Chen Liangyu's side waist, tying a knot.
Chen Liangyu let her do as she pleased, but finally couldn't help asking, "Is there any explanation?"
Wearing a handkerchief around the waist—is this some kind of weird custom, like a willow wood hairpin, that might cause an embarrassing blunder?
"Just think of it as a kite string."
It wasn't some kind of strange custom, and Chen Liangyu felt a little down.
How could it not be?
Even something as mundane as carving hairpins could become a custom.
Kite string will also work.
Chen Liangyu always carried needles and thread, so she could mend her clothes whenever they tore while wielding swords and spears. The brocade was smooth, and knots were easy to untie; they would come undone after a few steps without anyone needing to untie them.
She untangled the thread and threaded the needle across the knot Xie Wenjun had tied, sewing the handkerchief securely to her belt. "Give me a message when you go to the Southern Border. Prince Qi won't launch a full-scale attack for now. He'll definitely send a vanguard to probe Linxia's forces first. Once I've dealt with their vanguard, I'll be free to deal with them. Even if I ride at top speed, it will take me a day to get from the front lines to Marquis Lu Ping's residence in the Southern Border. Although you have Rong Jun by your side, and Qing Ge and Zhao Mingqin also have troops, Heng Jinan has commanded troops in the Southern Border for many years and still holds considerable prestige in the army. Be sure to know when to advance and when to retreat, and don't push him too far."
"I'm a little confused."
"Don't panic, this is not the time to panic. You haven't let a word of such a big matter as establishing a new emperor slip from your lips. You're not the kind of person who gets flustered when things happen." Chen Liangyu tied a knot in the thread, put the needle and thread back into the cloth bag, and looked up to see Xie Wenjun's eyes shining like the bright moon.
Why are you looking at me like that?
She wanted to say something more, but then she suddenly remembered that the last time she asked that question, something happened that left her bewildered.
My cheeks felt slightly hot, but fortunately a passing breeze brushed against my face, taking away that barely perceptible flutter.
Chen Liangyu said, "I should go now."
Xie Wenjun said, "Be careful in everything you do. I'll take care of everything here."
Take care of yourself.
Chen Liangyu walked alone towards the hanging flower gate. The sunlight made her silhouette seem unreal. Her dark blue robe billowed and she disappeared outside the gate.
Soon, the horses neighed and galloped, leaving only the fading sound of hooves echoing beneath the high wall.
Xie Wenjun: "Rong Jun".
Rong Jun peeked out from outside the hanging flower gate and said, "Your subject is here."
"The new emperor has ascended the throne and is delighted to have acquired a precious pearl. It is a double celebration. Go and invite the esteemed officials of Linxia to the palace for tea."
Rong Jun: "Invite them all?"
"Please invite all those of the seventh rank and above."
Gu Xie said, "Those remaining in Linxia are mostly civil officials. Let Xingqian go to the residences of the various officials on behalf of Lord Rong."
"Right now, everyone is afraid that if they come to the Prince's mansion, they will not return. Those who can refuse will definitely find an excuse not to come. Chen Xingqian looks like a weak scholar and can't control the situation. After Rong Jun finishes this, there are plenty of people from other prefectures and counties waiting for him to invite them."
Xie Wenjun turned to Rong Jun and said, "Please invite them in properly, without resorting to violence. There's no need for formalities, lest they later criticize me behind my back for taking this opportunity to extort money from them."
Rong Jun: "Yes."
A calming incense stick was lit in the warm pavilion. The inner room smelled strongly of blood. Xun Shuheng had been moved to the warm pavilion to recuperate and was still asleep. Zhu Ying checked her pulse every hour that it took for one incense stick to burn. After checking her pulse again, she put Xun Shuheng's hand back under the brocade quilt. "Her pulse has stabilized."
Xie Wenjun sat in the hall below, her hands lightly resting on the armrests of her chair, and said, "Merit deserves reward. What reward do you desire?"
Zhu Ying didn't ask for any reward, her eyes wandering over Xie Wenjun's face. "Your health isn't suited for overexertion. If you live a leisurely life and take good care of yourself, you can live to be a hundred."
"Thank you for reminding me."
"I find it strange that there are signs of soul separation in the pulse of imperial relatives, Your Highness.
It turns out that Dongyin's harmful secret technique was called Soul Separation Technique.
Xie Wenjun said, "I was unlucky and ended up paying off someone else's wrongful debt."
"This Soul-Separating Incantation was created by the You family of Dongyin, specifically for raising assassins for high-ranking officials and nobles. The You family was originally a family of doctors, but later they became officials. The second emperor of Dongyin suddenly died, and a collateral relative seized the throne. It's hard to say whether the You family was involved, but it is known that the You family was highly favored by the new emperor. After the previous generation had almost all died, the descendants of the You family suddenly developed a conscience and destroyed this harmful thing themselves."
“When I was very young, children often went missing in Liangxi City. I even saw a Soul-Separating Assassin. He was probably an untrained assassin, but he was no longer human. He looked like he had escaped from somewhere, stealing food and hurting people. When he was caught, he was beaten half to death. My father wanted to save him, so he took him back to the manor for treatment. When he woke up, he almost stabbed my father in the throat. In the end, he still couldn't be saved.”
Zhu Ying moved over a long oil lamp with a crane's crest and legs. The crane's belly was the oil pot for adding oil. "Humans are like the oil in this oil pot. They need a wick to burn slowly. The Soul-Separating Agent is like lighting a fire in the oil pot. It burns out quickly. To prolong life, you can only rely on medicine. External things can't compare to the internal organs. Although your symptoms are mild, it's like a spark that can easily catch fire if you're not careful."
Xie Wenjun was not intimidated by her, and smiled, saying, "I am perfectly fine."
"not necessarily."
Dai Qing: "Bold!"
Zhu Ying: "I meant well by reminding you, but if you don't appreciate it, fine, I can't be bothered. The one in bed is alright now, just take the medicine as prescribed and rest for a while longer. If there are no other patients here, I'll take my leave."
Author's note: Thank you for reading this far!
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