As soon as Doctor Lin came out, he saw that the area outside was almost entirely filled with women from the inner quarters. He lowered his head and walked up to Fourth Master under the watchful eyes of the women.
"Your Majesty, Princess Wuya's water broke because she was too big and suddenly slipped. The baby inside is too big, and she can't be delivered no matter what. I'm afraid... I'm afraid the baby might not survive," Doctor Lin said, his head bowed and cold sweat dripping down his back.
The Fourth Master felt a buzzing sound, as if his head was about to explode. Wuya was not young anymore, and having finally conceived this child, he thought her later life would be settled.
"Find a way to save her child!" Fourth Master practically spat out these words through gritted teeth, his face so dark it was almost dripping with water.
"Oh dear, Sister Wuya finally got pregnant, how could this happen!" Madam Nian was only halfway through her sentence when she noticed the Fourth Master's sinister gaze sweeping over her, and she immediately fell silent.
"Your Majesty, I can only do my best." Doctor Lin knew that if he couldn't save Lady Wuya and her child, the consequences for him would be dire. In ancient times, being a doctor wasn't as prestigious as it is today; one was still merely a servant of the master, and a single mistake could lead to blame.
"Just how confident are you?" Fourth Master asked in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty," Doctor Lin said, "Lady Uya's water has broken, and the baby is trapped inside. If it's not delivered soon, it might suffocate. Furthermore, with this much bleeding, Lady Uya will succumb to the hemorrhage. Therefore, we must, we must deliver the baby as soon as possible." In truth, judging from Lady Uya's condition, he feared the baby's chances of survival were slim.
Upon hearing this, Lady Nian sneered inwardly: Originally, she only wanted to make things difficult for Lady Wuya in front of the Fourth Prince, but who knew she would end up like this? It's like killing two birds with one stone.
"You mean we can only save one of the adults and one of the children?" Fourth Master asked.
Doctor Lin knew that his words at that moment would determine the life or death of the two children inside. He also knew that Fourth Master must be in a terrible mood, and that if he was not careful, he would bring disaster upon himself.
"Yes, in my humble opinion, only one can be saved," Doctor Lin said tremblingly, his head bowed.
The Fourth Prince seemed unable to accept this outcome. He had always hoped to take care of Lady Uya, to give her someone to rely on. And for a woman, a child is more important than anything else. Everything had been gradually unfolding according to his wishes; how could it have turned out like this!
"No matter what method you use, you must save them!" Fourth Master said, refusing to agree with Doctor Lin's opinion.
Lanqin's mind was no longer on the present. If she could leave, she would want to leave now. Actually, when Dr. Lin said her water had broken, she knew that a cesarean section was the only option. The baby was too big to be delivered naturally, and with the amniotic fluid gone, a cesarean section was the only solution. However, Lanqin really didn't want to reveal such modern medical technology at this moment. Besides, this era lacked anesthesia, oxygen tanks, and a sterile environment. There were no doctors who had performed such surgeries, so Lanqin didn't want to arouse suspicion.
"Master, please don't get agitated. Why don't we go to the Buddhist hall to pray for Princess Wuya?" Madam Song said when she saw the Fourth Master's words.
Song's statement was actually quite reasonable in ancient times. Whenever a family member fell seriously ill and could not be cured, or when they encountered any intractable problems, they would often pray to Buddha.
However, the Fourth Prince was in a terrible mood at the moment. Hearing Song Shi say this, he felt that she was determined to do something sinister and intentionally wanted him to stay away from Wuya Shi. Because deep down, the Fourth Prince did not believe in Buddha at all.
"If praying to Buddha were effective, there would be no such thing as dying in childbirth. Foolish!" Fourth Master roared at Madam Song.
Song had always been obedient to the Fourth Master. She hadn't meant anything by her previous words, but now, after being yelled at like that, she froze on the spot, not knowing what to say.
Seeing Song Shi being reprimanded by the Fourth Prince on the spot, Lanqin felt a pang of pain in her heart and had no choice but to say, "Your Highness, you should make a decision as soon as possible. Every minute you delay, Princess Wuya will be in greater danger, and the child will also be in greater danger. If Your Highness does not trust Doctor Lin, you might as well ask another doctor to take a look."
Although Lanqin had no intention of kindly saving Wuya, she couldn't help but speak up in defense of Song when she saw Song being scolded.
The Fourth Prince glanced at Lanqin. In truth, he had been feeling irritated ever since she entered. Deep down, he didn't want to believe that Lanqin could be so vicious, but the fact was that it was Wuya who had been beaten, and her depressed mood had caused her to slip and fall, leading to this disaster.
"Then what do you think, according to the concubine's wishes?" the Fourth Prince asked.
Lanqin had never heard the Fourth Prince address her as "Secondary Consort" before, and her heart turned cold. She said, "I am not a doctor, so naturally I cannot help. As I just said, why don't we invite Doctor Yang over?"
Dr. Lin breathed a sigh of relief. Lanqin's words were undoubtedly a way of saving him. Wuya's condition was not good; if things went wrong, both of them might not survive.
"You say you don't want to waste time, but then you say you're going to invite Doctor Yang," Fourth Master said.
Seeing that the Fourth Prince was clearly dissatisfied with her, Lanqin became even more irritated and said, "I am just telling the truth. Doctor Lin just said that it was Your Highness who forced him to do something he couldn't do. I think Doctor Yang is a royal physician in the palace, and his skills are definitely better than Doctor Lin's."
Fourth Master paused, then, realizing that Lanqin's words were not unfounded, he had no choice but to say to Su Peisheng, "Go and find Doctor Yang immediately!"
Although Doctor Lin was grateful for Lan Qin's timely rescue, he knew that Wuya's condition meant she probably wouldn't have time to wait. So he said, "Your Highness, I'm afraid Princess Wuya won't be able to wait. It's so late, and I don't know if Physician Yang is at home. I'm afraid by the time he arrives, both mother and child will have already died."
Everyone stared at Doctor Lin in astonishment, including Lan Qin. Although she disliked Wuya Shi intensely, she couldn't help but lament the fickle nature of life. Just a daytime quarrel in the garden, and now she lay on the brink of death.
"Alas, Princess Wuya is so pitiful. How could the baby in her belly grow so big? She's only eight months pregnant. If she were full-term, she might not be able to give birth. What a tragedy!" Madam Nian raised her hands and chanted Amitabha.
These words perhaps angered the Fourth Master. He tried to suppress his discomfort and said to Doctor Lin, "Go in now and save her life. If the child cannot be saved, save the mother!"
These words shocked everyone present.
Save the mother! In ancient times, in an era that favored sons over daughters, the chances of this happening were extremely small. Even Empress Hesheli was abandoned.
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