Chapter Thirty-Four
On Lunar New Year's Eve, officials of all ranks in the capital city are given a holiday and can go home to celebrate the New Year.
Gu Leyao and Li Heng were to pack their things and go to the palace to have New Year's Eve dinner with the Emperor and his family, and celebrate the New Year together.
Because she was going to the palace, Gu Leyao specially changed into a slightly formal outfit: a gold-embroidered outer robe with cranes carrying auspicious grass, an eight-panel long skirt embroidered with flowers and birds, and a white, fluffy rabbit fur cloak over it, making her feel warm all over.
The Dingbei Prince's Mansion has strict rules, and the snow that fell in the morning was immediately swept clean by the servants.
Gu Leyao, wearing cashmere gloves, pushed Li Heng along the path. The snow had been cleared away, allowing the wheelchair to move freely. "We can't go into the palace for the New Year's Eve dinner empty-handed. My sister-in-law is pregnant, so I brought all the medicine from our palace to help with pregnancy and calm the nerves. I also made some sour jujube and yam cakes that pregnant women like. They're sweet and sour and very appetizing. I wonder if my sister-in-law will like them..."
Listening to Gu Leyao's rambling, Li Heng felt that he had been very peaceful this year. If every year could be like this year, peaceful and safe, with people by his side, that would be the best life.
Gu Leyao and Li Heng entered the imperial city with New Year's gifts. The last time Gu Leyao entered the imperial city was when she served tea after her wedding. At that time, it was the turn of spring and summer, and the plants in the imperial city were lush and green. This time when she entered the palace, she found that everything was covered with snow. The garden was covered in silver, which was a different kind of snow scene.
Gu Leyao led Li Heng down from the carriage, and from a distance they saw a golden ball of fluff running towards them.
She had been looking out the car window at the snow scene and felt dizzy from it. It wasn't until she was bumped by the golden dumpling that she stumbled and came to her senses. "Chong'er!"
The little prince's excited and joyful voice rang out, "Royal Aunt, Royal Aunt, I've missed you so much! I've missed you so much!"
Gu Leyao picked up the little prince and spun him around in the air. "Your royal aunt missed you too!" she said, kissing the little prince several times on the face.
Seeing the intimate interaction between Gu Leyao and the young crown prince, Li Heng couldn't help but cough beside him, "It's getting late, let's hurry to the inner palace. My brother and sister-in-law have been waiting for us, don't keep them waiting."
Gu Leyao made two "oh" sounds, put the little prince down, and pushed Li Heng away. The little prince clung tightly to Gu Leyao's side and started talking about what had happened recently. "Auntie, Mother's belly has gotten really big lately, and she keeps saying her back hurts. I've been very good, eating well, listening attentively in class, and not making Mother angry at all."
Gu Leyao freed one hand to pat the little prince's shoulder and praised, "Chong'er has really grown up, he's a big boy now, and he's so filial!"
The prince, wearing a rabbit fur hat, had chubby, rosy cheeks. "Of course! After all, I am the prince!"
The two of them chatted and laughed as they arrived at the inner palace. As the young prince had said, the empress was indeed heavily pregnant and dared not get up from her couch. The emperor was worried about the empress, so he sent only the young prince to fetch Li Heng and his wife.
Gu Leyao was slightly surprised when she saw how big the Empress's belly was. She had long suspected that the Empress was having twins, but why was her belly so big?
The Empress's face was also very pale, and it was clear that she had put on makeup. She had applied a thick layer of rouge to her face for the New Year, but even the rouge couldn't hide her haggard appearance.
On such a joyous occasion as the Lunar New Year, Gu Leyao couldn't possibly say anything that would spoil the mood. She planned to go home tonight and quietly tell Li Heng about it.
The young prince and Gu Leyao were talking intimately, while Li Heng chatted with the emperor and the empress.
"Le Yao prepared many gifts early this morning, saying she wanted to give them to you. She heard that the Empress Dowager's appetite has been poor since she became pregnant, so she specially made some jujube and yam cakes to strengthen the spleen and sent them over. If the Empress Dowager is interested, she can try them."
The Empress, supporting her pregnant belly, smiled slightly. "Le Yao is a good girl. It's kind of her to keep thinking of me. Chong'er also likes her very much. When he came back, he kept talking to me about how wonderful his aunt was. I was so envious that I kept pinching his ear."
Li Heng laughed too, "I finally managed to drive Chong'er away from Le Yao, but I won't let him come back. The two of them are stuck together, inseparable."
Upon hearing Li Heng's words, both the Emperor and Empress laughed.
They could tell that Li Heng was also jealous.
The Emperor said, “Chong’er is very clever. He knows who is good to him. Your sister-in-law is also a kind-hearted person, which is why she can play with children. With her by your side, I, as your elder brother, feel much more at ease.”
When it was time for dinner, the imperial kitchen laid out dozens of exquisite dishes: stir-fried quail with bamboo shoots, braised fish with Huai white sauce, braised venison, crab stuffed orange, lotus seedpod fish dumplings, and three-color crystal shreds. Everything that flies in the sky, swims in the water, and runs on the ground was on display, with everything from land to sea.
The Emperor personally helped the Empress to the dining table, while the young Crown Prince tiptoed along beside his mother, carefully keeping her company like a well-behaved child.
Gu Leyao pushed Li Heng to the dining table and sat down.
The group had a simple meal. The Empress ate only a few bites before feeling tired. The Emperor accompanied her back to her room, while the Crown Prince stayed up all night with Li Heng and Gu Leyao.
At midnight, the sound of fireworks went off outside. The young prince and Gu Leyao ran to the window and opened it to look outside.
Outside, the sky was filled with stars, and colorful fireworks lit up the entire sky.
The fireworks lasted for half an hour, and the young prince squatted by the window for half an hour until the fireworks faded away. Only then did he and Gu Leyao reluctantly return to Li Heng's side.
Li Heng handed each of them a red envelope. The young prince opened the envelope as soon as he received it and found several large silver notes inside. He immediately smiled, cupped his hands, and said a long auspicious phrase to Li Heng, "May the Imperial Uncle be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and peace. May the Imperial Uncle and Imperial Aunt grow old together, have many children, enjoy long life and good fortune, and have longevity as enduring as the pine trees of the Southern Mountain and blessings as flowing as the Eastern Sea." [1]
Li Heng tapped his head. "It's night, go to sleep."
The young prince, holding a large sum of silver notes, quietly waved goodbye to Gu Leyao, and left excitedly with Qingxi in tow.
The Emperor and Empress wouldn't skimp on his food, clothing, or daily necessities, but they wouldn't give him much pocket money.
Gu Leyao stuffed the large red envelope into her bosom and pushed Li Heng out of the palace, saying, "You still treat me like a child!"
Li Heng smiled and said, "Aren't you just a kid?"
Gu Leyao was also very happy. She liked being treated like a child. In both her past and present lives, she had been an adult for many years. Now, being treated like a child felt really good.
"Yeah, I'll only be seventeen after the New Year, and you'll be twenty-six. I'm a kid, you're too old!"
One sentence shut Li Heng up, and he deeply regretted sending out New Year's Eve red envelopes.
Gu Leyao and Li Heng returned to the Prince's Mansion overnight. Tomorrow, Li Heng would have to wear court robes and celebrate the New Year with the emperor along with the officials, so it would be better to go back to sleep early tonight.
Gu Leyao originally planned to tell Li Heng that the Empress's belly was unusually large, but she stayed up all night to welcome the New Year and was so dizzy and sleepy that she forgot about it.
Anyway, the Empress's due date is about a month away, so she's been looking around the capital to see if there are any suitable midwives.
Professional matters should be handled by professionals. There are some skilled midwives in the capital, whose skills are superb, but they just haven't made a name for themselves.
On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the Empress's belly grew even larger, like a swollen watermelon, as if it were about to burst open at any moment.
The Emperor dared not let the Empress continue walking, and handed over palace affairs to other female officials.
The Empress's health deteriorated further. She would sleep for five or six hours a day, spending almost half of her time in bed.
After finishing his lessons each day, the young prince would take his textbooks to the Empress's Phoenix Palace.
Unfortunately, the emperor was extremely busy with state affairs and always had to discuss important matters with his ministers in court, so he could only spare time to spend with the empress in the evenings.
The young prince has relatively more free time, so he can spend more time with the empress.
On this day, the young prince was sitting at his desk, reciting the lessons his teacher had given him.
He suddenly heard the Empress cry out "Oh dear!" He hurriedly took Qingxi to see her and found that the Empress was clutching her stomach, with bright red bloodstains spreading on her yellow phoenix robe.
The female official also heard the noise and came in. Seeing the scene, she immediately went to find the imperial physician.
The imperial physician and midwife were already prepared and rushed over.
Someone else went to inform the Emperor, who, upon hearing that the Empress had given birth, also dismissed his ministers.
The Emperor and the Crown Prince were anxiously pacing around outside the Phoenix Palace.
According to palace rules, when a woman is giving birth, a man cannot be in the same room as her, otherwise it is considered an ominous sign.
The Empress suppressed her pain and cried out softly, as if she were in extreme agony.
The young prince grabbed the emperor's trouser leg, crying, "Father, what should we do? Mother is in so much pain!"
The emperor was also sweating profusely with anxiety, and he didn't know what to do!
The Empress's cries lasted for an hour. The midwife and the female physician were covered in cold sweat, and their winter clothes were soaked through, but the baby just wouldn't come out.
The group exchanged glances, left the inner hall, and knelt at the emperor's feet. "Her Majesty the Empress has had a difficult pregnancy, carrying twins that have been difficult to deliver. We are truly unsure how to save both mother and child. We beg Your Majesty to make a decision."
The Emperor immediately exclaimed, "Save the Lord! Save the Lord!"
The young prince also said, "Protecting Mother is the most important thing."
The Queen's cries grew weaker and weaker, while the midwife inside cried out, "The baby can't be born, and the mother is afraid she'll suffocate! What can we do?"
The Emperor staggered a couple of steps, almost falling to the ground, but a eunuch beside him caught him, saying, "Her Majesty the Empress is blessed with good fortune. Your Majesty, you must take care of your health!"
The young prince's head was buzzing. He understood that these people were saying his mother's life was probably in danger.
How could this happen? Mother was perfectly fine before, how did she suddenly become so critically ill?
Is there any way? Is there really no way? He'd do anything to save his mother!
The young prince suddenly thought of his aunt, the lady he had met by the roadside last time who was having a difficult childbirth, and the doctor said she couldn't be saved.
But his aunt rescued that person, so he can go find his aunt. If he finds his aunt, his mother still has a chance to live. He must go find his aunt.
The young prince tugged at the emperor's sleeve, "Father, there's still a chance to save Mother! I'm going to find my imperial aunt to save Mother! Yes, yes, I'm going to find my imperial aunt!"
As long as my aunt is here, my mother can live!
The young prince ran ahead like the wind, and Qingxi quickly ordered a carriage to be prepared to catch up.
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