Chapter 280 The Third Princess's Difficult Childbirth...
Wen Zhongnan did not disappoint his friend's good intentions and spread the word everywhere—however, the effect seemed to be a little too good.
"Alright, alright, alright!" Qin Liusong was fed up with him. Even the toughest person couldn't stand being nagged like this for three days and five nights. Originally, he wanted to ask because of some connections he had in Liuzhou, but now it all turned into annoyance that made him want to avoid seeing him altogether.
Qin Liusong emphasized with a hint of bitterness, "His Majesty values you highly, which is why he allows you to continue your carefree life. His Majesty is such a kind and benevolent person—for example, how does he treat me? What merit or ability do I possess? I am quite young yet have won His Majesty's favor so deeply that I cannot leave His Majesty's presence even for a day, for I often receive complaints from His Majesty's wife when I return. Alas!"
Wen Zhongnan pretended not to notice the jealousy and comparison in his words, calmly clasped his sword and bowed, then said with an extremely dashing smile, "It's all thanks to the assistance of you gentlemen that I have no worries. Lord Qin has made great contributions! I will take my leave without disturbing you any longer."
Qin Liusong's expression relaxed as he dusted off the wrinkles in the hem of his official robes and watched him leave with satisfaction.
"Master." The servant hesitated before approaching and picking up the leftover tea meant for the guest. Unlike Master Mo, he had always served Qin Liusong personally and had never left his side. "...Did General Wen's final meaning imply that he was comparing himself to His Majesty's friend? So..."
Therefore, I thank them on behalf of His Majesty.
The servant didn't say the second half of his sentence, but Qin Liusong understood. He slammed his hand on the table and categorically denied it: "This fellow has such a thick skin! When it comes to closeness, who is closer to him than someone who's been away for several years?!"
He only exchanged a few letters with the new emperor back then, and now he considers himself a friend! He calls me "Worry-free" so affectionately, as if it's a unique honor. The new emperor still values and relies on me the most!
Despite saying that, Qin Liusong tossed and turned all night, unable to swallow his anger. He immediately got up, put on his clothes, lit a candle, and wrote a letter to the Wen family in Jiangnan, secretly plotting something.
"Lord Wen... you've been away for many years, you must be longing for home, and your family must be thinking of you too." He said softly, blowing away the ink, and ordered the post station to send him to Jiangnan with the fastest horses and the best men.
After that, Wen Zhongnan traveled south, righting wrongs along the way, but was eventually caught by his Wen family relatives, who gave him a thorough dressing-down. The chase was chaotic and messy. As a result, Wen Zhongnan had no time to write about his experiences in various places and present them to the new emperor. Correspondence was also temporarily suspended.
Qin Liusong had caused him a great deal of trouble. During this time, he had been communicating frequently with Master Mo of Yanshi County and had achieved many political accomplishments. The new emperor praised him, saying, "What would I be like without Mr. Qin?"
The praise finally eased the jealousy in Qin Liusong's heart.
"Your subject takes his leave." Qin Liusong, with a reserved yet composed demeanor, gracefully withdrew from the main hall, his every move displaying composure and competence.
Qi Chengming watched with amusement as the figure in the green robe strode away with great arrogance. He had heard about the feud between the figure and Wen Er these past few days. Xiao Dezi had never had such troubles. He and Xiao Chengzi held their positions in the imperial court with great security. Seeing this, he leaned over with a gloating smile and whispered, "Your Majesty, it seems that the other officials have also been making strange moves lately."
"Keep an eye on them, but don't overdo it." Qi Chengming sighed and covered his forehead, refusing Gan Tang's attempt to wipe his sweat. He couldn't help but complain, "Sigh... I only realized how fiercely they could fight after I became emperor!"
Before becoming emperor, Qi Chengming worried about the power struggles between the emperor and his ministers, and how the ministers could control the emperor's power. After becoming emperor, he was even more troubled by their inexplicable vying for favor. He had to worry that their struggles would develop into factional strife, and he also feared that their excessive flattery of the emperor would become a trend.
Qi Chengming simply pretended to be completely unaware and indifferent, letting his ministers vie for his favor on their own. However, he absolutely forbade them from going too far or crossing his bottom line. For example, he would turn a blind eye to minor annoyances.
"This is all because everyone admires His Majesty," Xiao Dezi said matter-of-factly. "His Majesty now shoulders the responsibility of the entire Ding Kingdom and holds a position above all others..."
Everyone is counting on His Majesty alone.
Qi Chengming saw that Gan Tang was also nodding silently. Xiao Chengzi had gone to rest today. Apart from a few familiar faces serving from afar, there were only the two of them leading the way in the main hall.
Having finished dealing with the memorials, Qi Chengming had nothing to do for the time being, so he dismissed everyone else in the hall and beckoned the two of them over. The three of them, as before, moved together to a secluded spot by the window and sat down on the couch—after so much time together, Xiao Dezi and Gan Tang were quite comfortable sitting there, already used to it. Xiao Dezi leaned forward slightly, ready for some small talk. His Majesty's rules were the absolute rules here.
Qi Chengming shared his new discovery with a quiet smile: "Don't you guys feel that the way these ministers are acting is somewhat familiar? Where have we seen them before? Let's talk about when we were still in the palace."
Xiao Dezi pondered for a long time without success, and scratched his head.
Gan Tang also frowned, and finally looked over with her gentle, inquisitive eyes; she was genuinely puzzled as well.
"This is how palace intrigues often happen," Qi Chengming said quietly. He now understood why the emperors in those TV dramas before his transmigration always pretended to be deaf and dumb, taking care of the big picture while letting their harems run rampant. These kinds of palace dramas are endlessly popular, with one after another being made.
Qi Chengming was unwilling to become like that, which is why he insisted on marrying only one wife and never having another.
Who knew that the officialdom of the previous dynasty was just as bad!
As a result, his response was similar to that of others; they both had to pretend to be deaf and dumb.
"This..." Gan Tang was speechless for a moment. Her first reaction was that His Majesty's idea was a bit shocking. How could he compare the adults to the concubines in the harem?
But after thinking it over a bit more, she gradually calmed her anxiety, and her heartbeat returned to normal. Based on what she had seen and heard this year while serving His Majesty closely… there really wasn't much difference between the two.
There's nothing to be alarmed about, but His Majesty's words must not be spread.
Thinking of this, Gan Tang got up and cautiously surveyed the surroundings.
As a palace attendant, Xiao Dezi was even less restrained and immediately agreed with a clear understanding: "That's right! If you ask me, their competition is much fiercer than that of the Emperor Emeritus's concubines back then. This is only human nature; His Majesty is exceptionally capable, so his subjects are naturally obedient and submissive."
"If that's the case, then I've finally gotten rid of a doubt that's been bothering me." Qi Chengming thought of those suspicious-looking officials and slowly stroked his chin in deep thought.
Perhaps he had been too careless along the way, and the things he revealed had already been overthought by those shrewd officials of ancient times? Now, Qi Chengming was only waiting for Xie Zhongyun's reply to confirm before he could finally put this matter behind him.
As the three were chatting, a young eunuch outside the palace knocked on the window and reported, "Eunuch De, the head steward of the princess's residence has arrived. She's in a hurry and her expression is quite unusual."
"Let her in quickly!" Qi Chengming ordered loudly. Judging by the time, the Third Princess's due date was fast approaching. Several months prior, imperial physicians specializing in obstetrics and gynecology had already arrived at the residence to prepare. Their arrival now...
He had a bad feeling.
The head stewardess, a woman in her early twenties, possessed a disciplined and composed demeanor honed by palace rules. Yet, as she knelt to report, her face betrayed a choked sob and a sense of dread born of shock.
"Your Majesty, the princess is in breech position and experiencing a difficult labor! The imperial physician says the baby might... might meet with misfortune, but the princess is adamant in her refusal. However, the female physician says... that a cesarean section is possible, but some anesthetic left in the palace by the divine physician is needed. The prince consort strongly agrees to a cesarean section, but the imperial physician and we from the princess's residence dare not act on our own initiative, so we have come to request Your Majesty's instructions!"
"Cesarean section? Go get the medicine quickly, I grant permission!" Qi Chengming said without thinking, urging Xiao Dezi to personally supervise the procedure.
He came to his senses and realized something was wrong. He questioned his aunt with a scrutinizing look: "The princess was breech, and you only found out when she was born?"
The aunt kowtowed heavily on the ground, prostrating herself and choking back sobs, "No..."
“We had previously discovered that, perhaps due to offending the spirit of the unborn child, the princess's baby was breech…”
The aunt uttered terrifying words: "The palace has knowledgeable aunts who massaged her for a while, but she still couldn't recover. With the delivery time fast approaching, the imperial physicians said a C-section was possible. With anesthesia, sutures, and that... Lin's divine medicine, Her Highness will surely be safe and sound. But..."
Qi Chengming's anger grew: "But what?"
He found it strange.
Even in ancient times, breech presentation, a cause of difficult labor, could be detected in advance. Some knowledgeable women already knew how to use massage techniques to correct the baby's position. Even if, by the time of delivery, the baby was still breech, Qi Chengming, starting with Bai Xuan's wife's difficult labor that year, investigated data on women in Liuzhou who died in childbirth or due to childbirth complications, and the results were shocking.
It's no wonder that people in ancient times said childbirth was like passing through the gates of hell for women...
Therefore, Qi Chengming carefully organized the relevant materials and trained two physicians from the prefecture.
Since returning to the capital, their status has risen dramatically, and they are now quite influential figures in the Imperial Medical Academy. Under Qi Chengming's direction, they continuously train apprentices, teaching them new knowledge. Starting with the recruitment of female officials, many women also flocked to the Imperial Medical Academy to try their luck, and the number of female physicians gradually increased.
With them around, even if the Third Princess is found to have breech presentation, she can still choose to have a cesarean section.
but--
Clearly, things didn't turn out that way. Qi Chengming could easily guess the possible twists and turns.
The aunt, her voice trembling, prostrated herself even more humbly. She had realized the fury contained in the young king's tone, and she remembered that it was His Majesty himself who had initially ordered the female physicians to learn this way.
“But… disembowelment is too horrifying.” Aunt stammered, “The imperial physicians had different opinions and argued endlessly, the prince consort hesitated, the princess was too scared to agree, and in the end… they decided to have him do it himself.”
In fact, if it weren't for the fact that several imperial physicians were among those who made the suggestion that day, anyone who dared to say such a thing would have been kicked out of the princess's residence long ago.
Since ancient times, opening the abdomen has been a last resort, a desperate measure taken only when the chances of survival are slim and the chances of survival are not even close.
Who would dare to offend the precious princess like this?
Who would request a cesarean section before the baby is even born? Even if there are new medicines or prescriptions arranged by His Majesty, and there are rumors of many people surviving using this method, how many powerful and wealthy people would dare to follow it?
They clung to a sliver of hope, planning to resort to that horrific method only as a last resort.
"Nonsense!" Qi Chengming couldn't help but shout angrily, then stood up and sighed.
Is it really the same difficulty to have a C-section planned from the beginning versus having a difficult vaginal delivery and then suddenly wanting to switch to a C-section?
Now that women are having difficult childbirths, and babies are having trouble being born, do you know to come and consult me?
Qi Chengming's anger only surged for a moment before he helplessly suppressed it.
There's no other reason than that since arriving in ancient times, he's encountered far too many similar incidents caused by differing values and perspectives, and he's just too angry to bear it. Now that Xiao Dezi has gone to oversee things and the medicine has been obtained, all he can do is wait for the outcome.
Qi Chengming endured a very difficult afternoon.
And then, someone else came to cause trouble amidst the chaos. Shishuang hurriedly bowed and entered the hall, reporting quietly:
"Your Majesty, that one... has started causing trouble."
Qi Chengming's expression darkened for only a moment before he realized what was going on and glanced at his aunt: "Go and pay your respects to the Third Princess."
This also shows a mother's loving heart.
When her daughter encountered danger during childbirth, the deposed empress herself was deeply distressed and naturally couldn't sit still. Even if it meant exposing her spies within the palace, she was determined to make a scene and demand an explanation.
Qi Chengming couldn't bring himself to criticize her.
-----------------------
Author's note: ...Like a special forces soldier, I traveled all the way to Chengdu, Chongqing, Henan, Hebei, and finally Hainan. From the day I took leave until now, I'm exhausted, but I've finally settled down.
The sun in Hainan is so strong... I've gotten a bit of heatstroke. These past two days I've been hiding in my dimly lit bedroom to avoid feeling nauseous; I even need to wear sunglasses in the living room. I hope I can adjust to the climate soon, then recuperate for a few months and get back to my best. [Please!]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com