"Brother Qian, I'm here."
Gu Qian: "...Stubborn to the end, stubborn to the end!"
Qiu Yan had assumed that Gu Qian would lecture her.
Unexpectedly, Gu Qian pulled her into a tight embrace, gently kissed her hair, and looked at her with concern.
"Yan Yan, what can your husband say about you?"
"My husband doesn't need to say anything, just serve me well," Qiu Yan said, finding great joy in it.
At thirty-six years old, she was in her prime, still very young.
Her health has always been very good.
When her fetus was three months old...
Qin Susu is about to give birth.
That day, Qiu Yan brought some tonics to visit him.
It just so happened that Qin Susu was giving birth in her room.
Liang Yuchen waited anxiously outside the delivery room, while her eldest and second daughters were also outside, their expressions solemn.
When Liang Yuchen saw Qiu Yan arrive, he didn't forget to exchange pleasantries.
"Your Highness, you've arrived. Please have a seat."
"You all just go about your business, I'll do whatever I want."
Outside the delivery room, servants from the Liang household brought over a reclining chair.
Qiu Yan sat down.
During this time, she kept a close eye on Qin Susu's movements, hoping, like her, that Qin Susu would get what she wanted this time.
Hearing Qin Susu's cries of pain, Liang Yuchen, who originally wanted both a son and a daughter, now only thought about the safety of mother and child.
Qiu Yan gently stroked her lower abdomen, recalling the scene six months from now, filled with anticipation and nervousness.
She asked Liang Yuchen,
"Lord Liang, how long has Sister Susu been in the delivery room?"
"About an hour has passed," Liang Yuchen replied.
"It should be soon," Qiu Yan murmured.
Inside the delivery room, the midwife's voice was anxious and filled with worry.
"Madam, give it your all! If we keep trying, the baby will come out soon."
"It hurts...it hurts so much..." Qin Susu didn't know why she just couldn't give birth.
She was in unbearable pain and longed to end her life.
But thinking of her husband and four children outside the delivery room, she gritted her teeth and persevered.
Inside the delivery room, what else can you do but push yourself?
Hearing their mother's increasingly loud groans of pain, the Liang family daughters all burst into tears.
Liang Yuchen was restless and could only silently pray to himself.
"Susu, hang in there."
Susu's pregnancies have never been smooth.
She gave birth to four daughters; except for her first child, the remaining three were delivered breech.
Each time, it felt like she had walked through the gates of hell.
This time, it was the same, making Liang Yuchen anxious and uneasy.
"Susu, you absolutely cannot get hurt."
"Lord Liang, please don't be impatient," Qiu Yan comforted him, and together with Liang Yuchen, they waited through the long wait.
For Qiu Yan, giving birth went relatively smoothly.
But for Qin Susu, it was a long process.
Another quarter of an hour later,
Qin Susu is still giving birth.
She was in so much pain she was almost suffocating; she was soaked in sweat and her face was frighteningly pale.
Even the midwife inside the room was sweating profusely with anxiety, fearing that Qin Susu and her unborn child would die today.
"The fetus is too large, madam. Don't be discouraged. Once the baby is born, everything will be alright."
The midwife's words, "The fetus is too large," struck Liang Yuchen like a bolt from the blue.
"Susu, you can't be hurt."
"Yu Chen, it hurts so much... Xiao Yan... save me..." Qin Susu murmured from inside the room. As usual, Liang Yu Chen could do nothing but be anxious.
Qiu Yan listened anxiously, knowing that the situation was not good.
He immediately instructed Feng Hua, who was standing beside him, to return to the manor and retrieve his medicine box and tools.
Listening to Qiu Yan's words, Liang Yuchen hoped that Qiu Yan could help with the delivery, but since Qiu Yan was a female doctor, not a midwife, he did not have high expectations for her.
Another quarter of an hour later, Qin Susu had no strength left.
At this moment, Feng Hua finally retrieved the medicine box.
Qiu Yan immediately got up and went into the delivery room.
Her movements were so swift that those around her seemed to have barely seen them before she vanished.
"Your Highness, why have you come in?" the midwife asked, puzzled. She thought to herself, "Your Highness, what are you doing here at a time like this, causing trouble?"
She's already impatient enough.
However, when Qin Susu saw Qiu Yan, it was as if she had seen a savior.
"Xiaoyan, it hurts so much..." Her teeth chattered in pain, "I can't take it anymore..."
"Madam, hang in there," the midwife said, trying her best to calm herself down.
Qin Susu lay in bed, her consciousness fluctuating between clarity and confusion.
This pain, however, was etched into her memory forever.
Each childbirth was unforgettable for her, but her longing for a child overwhelmed everything else.
But this time, all that longing for a child, all that tender maternal love, was absent from her heart.
It was on its last breath.
She has a rather strong personality, but each time she gives birth, she's nearly killed by the ordeal.
No, this time, it's a life that's almost gone.
She was thinking about making arrangements for her affairs, but she had exhausted all her strength.
Thinking of all the unfulfilled wishes she had, tears welled up in her eyes and slowly streamed down her cheeks.
Finally, the pain caused her to faint, and she tightly closed her eyes.
"Sister Susu, you'll be alright." Qiu Yan had been preparing for the delivery ever since she entered the room.
"Madam, Madam, please wake up!" Seeing this, the midwife quickly approached Qin Susu's nose to check her breath.
However, because his hands were trembling uncontrollably, he had no idea whether Qin Susu was dead or alive.
"Madam, you can't die, Madam..." the midwife cried out, her sobs echoing one after another.
But then, with just one look from Qiu Yan, the crying stopped abruptly.
Qin Susu was completely dazed.
Qiu Yan didn't have time to explain much to the midwife.
Seeing the midwife tiptoeing away,
She said urgently,
"stop!"
The midwife stopped abruptly, startled, and knelt down with a thud.
"Your Highness, this has nothing to do with me. It was the lady who couldn't have children because her fetus was too big. Please let me go... Her death has nothing to do with me."
She kept rambling on, but Qiu Yan stopped her crying with a look.
"Stay and help."
"Help...help...Your Highness, the person is already dead, how...how can we help?"
Outside, Liang Yuchen and his daughters were instantly overwhelmed with grief upon hearing this.
Liang Yuchen reacted in an instant.
With a creak, he pushed the door open.
Qiu Yan spoke hastily,
"Everyone's alright, you can go outside and wait!"
However, Liang Yuchen ignored everything and charged forward.
Seeing the mess on the bed, his breathing became unsteady, but Qiu Yan's sharp words...
"Get out of here first!"
Liang Yuchen was startled and had no choice but to quickly leave the house and tightly close the door.
He silently prayed that with Qiu Yan around, Su Su would be alright.
The midwife wanted to come along.
But Qiu Yan said, "Come here and cut open her clothes."
She stepped forward shakily and gave the order to do as instructed...
…………………………
With a loud cry, a miraculous smile appeared on everyone's face in the Liang household.
Only Liang Yuchen was hiding in a corner, his eyes red and swollen.
...the next morning,
Qin Susu slowly opened her eyes.
Her first thought upon waking was...
"I'm not dead? I'm still alive?"
In a second thought, she touched her abdomen.
"Where's the baby? The baby's gone?"
After she finished speaking, she realized that Liang Yuchen was lying on the edge of her bed.
She moved her body carefully.
Even though I've lost my baby, my abdomen still hurts so much.
"Susu, you're awake." Liang Yuchen was startled awake by Qin Susu's movements, and a smile finally appeared on his face.
In fact, he had just fallen asleep.
The night felt like an eternity to him.
Where are the children?
Qin Susu lifted the blanket and checked her lower abdomen.
What a long scar...
“The child…” Liang Yuchen went to the suite to pick up the child.
"The baby is fine, and you and your child are safe and sound."
Having said that, he carried the youngest child to Qin Susu's side.
"This time, you've finally gotten what you wanted."
"Son, I have a son!" Qin Susu was so excited she almost jumped up, but in the end, she grimaced in pain because of the wound on her abdomen.
She looked at her son with excitement, overjoyed, before recalling the harrowing experience of the previous day.
"Did Xiaoyan cut open my stomach?"
Liang Yuchen: "………………"
Could you put it more tactfully?
"The princess will come over later to apply medicine to you. The princess has instructed that you should stay in bed and not get out of bed for the next few days."
...Qiu Yan was busy with Qin Susu's affairs, leaving Gu Qian aside.
Gu Qian, on the other hand, was worried every day because Qin Susu's childbirth was not going smoothly. Looking at his wife's small belly, which was not yet showing, he was afraid that something might go wrong during her delivery.
After all, childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell.
Qiu Yan didn't share Gu Qian's mindset.
She only needs to take care of her health and ensure a healthy pregnancy.
She cannot create panic for herself if others do not create panic.
One evening at dusk, the sun shone brightly.
Ling Ba was in the training ground, instructing Gu Chengyin, Gu Chengyun, and Gu Chengyue in martial arts.
Gu Qian and Qiu Yan looked at him from afar and suddenly remembered that Ling Ba was still unmarried.
So Qiu Yan stepped forward and asked Ling Ba for his opinion.
Basically, it's about what kind of woman he likes.
Although Ling Ba is getting older, his status is also rising, and he can choose any young girl he wants.
Upon their return to Tianjin, the four men surnamed Ling were personally appointed by His Majesty as generals of the four armies.
That is, General Ling Qi (Front General), General Ling Ba (Rear General), General Ling Yun (Left General), and General Ling Zhi (Right General).
These people will continue to directly obey the orders of Prince Gu Qian of Zhenbei.
When it comes to marriage, Ling Ba feels it doesn't matter who he marries.
As long as the future wife is gentle, not spoiled, and doesn't make unreasonable demands, it doesn't matter who she marries.
If it weren't for the prince and princess thinking of him, he probably wouldn't have even considered marriage by now.
Women, how should they choose?
Qiu Yan entrusted this matter entirely to the matchmaker from Shangjin.
For so many years, Ling Qi and Ling Ba have always treated her as their cousin.
And he has always been there to protect and support her.
To her surprise, at that moment, her cousin Bai Yangxia Minmin sent a message.
My aunt was in poor health, and Dr. Shen Yu was helpless. We had consulted all the doctors in Baiyang Shangjin, but none of them could cure her. In desperation, we thought of my cousin.
The letter did not describe her aunt's general symptoms. Qiu Yan, unaware of the severity of the condition, could not make any guesses. She simply asked someone to prepare a car immediately.
Gu Qian spoke up to stop him.
After all, his wife was pregnant.
As you can imagine, he failed to persuade him.
Qiu Yan disregarded everything else and returned home with Gu Qian by her side.
The couple didn't bring their son; he stayed in Shangjin to study. They had trustworthy servants and younger siblings to help out, so Qiu Yan was at ease.
There were only three people on the road.
Ling Ba drove the horses and acted as the coachman more than once.
The carriage traveled day and night, but fortunately, it was equipped with shock absorbers and had cotton padding inside, so the journey was relatively smooth.
Throughout the journey, Gu Qian took meticulous care of Qiu Yan.
Xiajia Village
Before Qiu Yan even arrived, she saw white sails hanging in front of the Xia family's gate.
Her heart sank, and her eyes reddened.
Her wrist suddenly tightened, as Gu Qian held it firmly.
"Yan Yan, please accept my condolences."
Gu Qian's heart sank as well.
Despite rushing as fast as they could, they were still unable to save their aunt's life as she lay dying.
Ling Ba followed behind.
Returning to this farmhouse courtyard once again, I felt deeply saddened.
He followed Qiu Yan and Gu Qian, stepping into the Xia family courtyard.
Although the original courtyard had long since changed, it still felt deeply familiar to him.
"Xiaoyan, you've arrived." Xia Minmin, along with her two younger sisters, the Xia brothers, and their respective husbands and wives, were all dressed in mourning clothes, and their eyes were red.
Xia Minmin, in particular, felt a pang of regret the moment she saw Qiu Yan; she realized she had sent her letter too late.
However, when she noticed Qiu Yan's pregnant belly, she also felt some regret.
She shouldn't have written the letter asking Xiaoyan to come back.
What should Xiaoyan do if something happens to the baby in her womb?
Qiu Yan, Gu Qian, and Ling Ba offered three sticks of incense before the spirit tablet to mourn the deceased.
"Cousin Minmin, what illness does Auntie have?" Qiu Yan asked sadly in front of the tomb.
She thought to herself, "If only I had been faster, much faster, on the road."
"She had qi deficiency, fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath. The doctor could only prescribe some tonics. That day, she was washing clothes in the yard when she suddenly clutched her chest... and then she was gone." Xia Minmin couldn't pinpoint the exact illness, but she was overcome with grief as she spoke of her mother's passing.
Qiu Yan realized her aunt's illness, but it was too late to say anything now.
She asked her uncle and learned that he had fallen ill after her aunt left and was currently lying alone in bed. So she and Gu Qian went into the house to visit him.
Ling Ba did not follow up.
Feeling like an outsider, he left the courtyard alone, intending to take a short rest in the carriage.
With nothing to do, he thought of the little girl he always met when he came here, and couldn't help but reminisce about the past.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, he heard a familiar voice calling out.
"Big brother, is that you?"
Ling Ba turned around, and even Xia Minxin, dressed in white, approached him.
Her eyes were also bloodshot.
Ling Ba hadn't been here for over ten years; the little girl I remembered had now grown into a graceful young woman.
No, she was already married.
Because her dark hair was piled up high.
Ling Ba couldn't help but think of the past, when he gave Xia Minxin some candy inside the carriage.
"I didn't expect you to still remember me."
"Of course I remember. Every time my big brother comes, he brings me delicious treats." Xia Minxin took the candy and, just like when she was a child, put it in her pocket.
"Big brother, did your sister-in-law come along?"
“Sister-in-law…” Ling Ba was slightly taken aback, then felt embarrassed, shook his head, and walked towards the carriage, preparing to rest there.
He was a little tired after traveling all the way.
Unexpectedly, Xia Minxin caught up with them.
"Big brother, it's so rare to see you again, aren't you going to say something to me?"
"Don't call me big brother anymore." Ling Ba shook his head. He was nearly forty years old, and that title was no longer appropriate for him.
"What should I call him?" Xia Minxin was momentarily at a loss for words when it came to addressing Ling Ba.
"Call me Ling Ba." Ling Ba sat in the hood of the car, raising his eyes to gaze at the faces of the crowd before the mausoleum. "Which of them is your husband?"
"Neither." Xia Minxin's eyes were slightly red, her face filled with helplessness.
"I've been kicked out of my husband's family's home."
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