Qi Zhenheng was quite surprised to hear that Shen Qing was going to give birth in Guangzhou.
In his mind, why not just have a midwife deliver the baby?
Why go through all that trouble to give birth in Guangzhou?
But then she thought about it again. Guangzhou has Western hospitals and more advanced delivery technology, so it's understandable that Shen Qing wants to give birth in Guangzhou.
He cared deeply about Shen Qing's health and feelings, so he was naturally willing to go along with her.
He said in a soft, indulgent voice, "Alright, let's set off as soon as possible. If we take a boat, we can get to Guangzhou in two days. The doctor said you need to stay in bed more, so it's better if we take a boat."
Shen Qing nodded: "Okay, let's take a boat."
The following day, Shen Qing and Qi Zhenheng, along with Chunju, He Fei, and several plainclothes soldiers, set off from Jiangzhou. They first took a carriage to Shanghai, then boarded a ship at the Shanghai dock, and disembarked in Guangzhou two days later.
They stayed at a guesthouse near the Western Hospital.
With about ten days left before her due date, Shen Qing sent He Fei to visit Zhu Min'an and inquire about Cheng Zhiwen's whereabouts.
Rationally, she held no hope, but mentally, she still clung to that one in a billion chance.
Just as He Fei left, Chunju brought in the freshly brewed medicine to help prevent miscarriage.
Shen Qing asked, "Where is the master?"
Chunju placed the medicine on the table to cool, then sat down beside Shen Qing's bed: "Master has gone to the Western Hospital."
Shen Qing nodded and chuckled, "I guess she's going to ask who has the best midwifery skills so she can deliver my baby."
"My master is so good to you. After you give birth to this baby, please give me another big, healthy boy soon!"
Shen Qing didn't dare to think about this question.
"Right now, all I want is to give birth to my baby safely, recover my health, and watch my child grow up. I'll think about everything else later."
Upon hearing this, Chunju immediately advised, "Your Excellency must have a child! And you must hurry up and have one! Otherwise, if you take a concubine in the future, and she gives birth to your eldest son before you, your heart will turn to the concubine!"
“I am willing for him to take a concubine, and I am also willing for other women to bear his children. He should have his own children. If at that time he wants to make his concubine his legal wife, I will accept it.”
Chunju was shocked and reached out to touch Shen Qing's forehead: "Madam, are you alright?"
She thought Shen Qing had a fever and that her brain had been damaged.
All the legal wives spend their entire lives defending their position as the principal wife and suppressing the arrogance of concubines and illegitimate children, but Shen Qing regards all of this as nothing.
Chunju looked at her mistress with concern and whispered, "I feel that you have changed completely since you came back."
Shen Qing smiled: "Really? What's changed?"
“You used to be very assertive, always saying, ‘What’s mine, nobody can have.’ But now you seem to have lost interest in everything, not even your husband!”
Shen Qing didn't say anything.
But she asked herself, if her husband today were Cheng Zhiwen, and Cheng Zhiwen wanted to take a concubine and have children with her, would she still be so indifferent?
Thinking of this, she felt as if something had ripped her heart apart, leaving her feeling both sour and painful.
"Knock knock," someone knocked on the door.
Shen Qing snapped out of his daze and sent Chunju to check on her.
Chunju walked to the door and asked, "Who is it?"
The soldiers guarding outside replied, "Miss Chunju, it is He Fei."
Chunju immediately opened the door.
Shen Qing looked over and saw He Fei looking anxious. Thinking something had happened, she asked, "What's wrong?"
He Fei stepped forward and said in a low voice, "The Zhu family's property has been confiscated!"
Shen Qing opened her eyes wide in shock, sat up, stared blankly into the void for a long time, before remembering to ask Chunju to leave.
Chunju closed the door and left.
Shen Qing lowered his voice and asked He Fei, "Why was your home raided?"
"When Zhu Min'an was discovered to be a revolutionary, dozens of members of the Zhu family were killed, except for his second daughter, Miss Zhu, who lived in England."
"Miss Zhu?"
Shen Qing recalled the Miss Zhu that Cheng Zhiwen brought back to Yongzhou a few years ago and asked He Fei, "Is she the Miss Zhu I met in England before?"
"Exactly."
Shen Qing was a little sad.
She lived in the Zhu family's house for more than half a year. Everyone in the Zhu family was kind and friendly and treated her very well.
The thought that everyone was no longer alive made Shen Qing very sad, and she couldn't help but shed tears.
He Fei whispered, "Boss Shen, there's news about Mr. Cheng."
Shen Qing asked urgently, "What news?"
"Following Mr. Zhu's lead, the Qing court traced it back to Mr. Cheng and issued a nationwide arrest warrant. I suspect..."
What do you suspect?
"Mr. Cheng did not die on his way to Japan; he may still be alive, which is why the Qing government issued an arrest warrant for him..."
Upon hearing He Fei's words, Shen Qing was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Quickly send people to find him! Find Mr. Cheng! We must find him before the Qing court arrests him!"
"Yes!" He Fei kowtowed and turned to leave.
Suddenly, a strong contraction exploded in Shen Qing's lower abdomen, as if dozens of hands were pulling her waist and abdomen in different directions at the same time, as if to tear Shen Qing's body into countless pieces.
"It hurts so much..." she groaned, sweating profusely. "It hurts so much... I think I'm going into labor... Call someone..."
Upon seeing this, He Fei quickly ran outside to call for help.
Shen Qing used the last of her strength to lie down on the bed.
She was afraid her water would break at any moment, and if she didn't lie properly, too much amniotic fluid would leak out, and the baby would be in trouble.
Chunju rushed in quickly, looking as anxious as a headless fly.
She had never dealt with childbirth before, and was not as experienced as Shen Qing.
Qi Zhenheng also rushed back, picked up Shen Qing and ran to the hospital.
Along the way, he kept reassuring Shen Qing: "I just went to the Western Hospital and ordered them to send their best doctor to deliver your baby! If anything goes wrong with you or the child, I will make sure their entire hospital is executed..."
Shen Qing's face was contorted in pain, and hearing his words made her feel even worse. She groaned, "Don't...don't take it out on innocent people..."
Qi Zhenheng frowned, remaining silent, and it was unclear whether he had listened or not.
Shen Qing was quickly taken to the delivery room to wait for cervical dilation.
Lying on the delivery bed, she could feel her heart beating faster and faster, and she felt so weak that she had no strength left, and her mind was getting increasingly foggy.
She looked weakly at Qi Zhenheng, who was standing guard beside her, and reached out her hand to him.
Qi Zhenheng immediately leaned over and hugged her: "Qing'er, I'm here, don't be afraid."
She whispered breathlessly in his ear, "If I have a difficult labor, find Dr. Sun Wen in the surgery department... and tell him... I want a C-section."
Qi Zhenheng nodded: "Okay! Dr. Sun Wen! Cesarean section!"
Even though he didn't know what a cesarean section was, he still chose to listen to Shen Qing.
Shen Qing gasped weakly, looking at him with despair: "Don't tell anyone, this is Cheng Zhiwen's child... no..."
She is preparing a way out for her child.
If she dies in childbirth and the child survives, Qi Zhenheng will inevitably raise him.
Now that Cheng Zhiwen is wanted by the Qing government, if people find out that this child is Cheng Zhiwen's, I'm afraid even the child...
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