Inside the main courtyard of Prince Jing's residence, the air was stagnant, like water before it boiled, heavy and tense. The heavy stench of blood mingled with the bitter aroma of rising herbs, weaving an invisible net that enveloped them. Suppressed groans escaped intermittently from within the tightly closed bed curtains, each sound like a dull knife, scraping cruelly at the hearts of those guarding outside.
Xiao Chengjing stood ramrod straight, like a stone statue by the door, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. His eyes, usually as calm as a deep pool, now surged with an unprecedented turmoil. Each short cry of pain from his wife felt like a heavy punch to his heart. He pressed his lips together, his jaw a hard, taut line, his gaze fixed on the door separating life and death, as if he wanted to burn it through. So this was… the perilous and agonizing experience of childbirth! When An'an was born, he was in the capital, receiving only a joyous report of her safety. How could he have known that behind that peaceful news lay such heart-wrenching torment?
Father Shen sat in a grand chair to the side, a string of smooth Buddhist prayer beads in his hand. He appeared calm, but his fingers trembled slightly, the movement so rapid it was almost erratic. Mother Shen, however, was restless, pacing back and forth in the hall, stopping every now and then to listen intently to the sounds from the inner room, her brow furrowed in a deep, unresolved knot. She had witnessed the birth of her daughter An'an and the harrowing delivery of her daughter-in-law Lin Qingwan's twins, but now, hearing her daughter's cries of pain, beneath her feigned composure lay the same agonizing worry. She abruptly stopped and said to Lin Qingwan, who stood beside her, her face equally pale, "Qingwan, go check on the ginseng soup! It needs to be piping hot! And those life-saving old ginseng slices, keep them in the most convenient place!"
Lin Qingwan quickly replied, "Yes, Mother! Everything is ready!" She walked briskly toward the small kitchen, her steps a little unsteady.
In the outer warm room, An'an tightly gripped her wet nurse's hand, her little face deathly pale, her large eyes brimming with tears of fear. She heard her mother's painful cries and trembled with terror. "Granny... Mother... Mother, is it very painful? An'an is scared..." her voice trembled with sobs. The three-year-old twins, Shen Huaiyu and Shen Huaijin, were also frightened by the tense atmosphere. Jin'er pouted, about to cry, while Yu'er timidly nestled in the arms of another wet nurse.
Madam Chen strode into the warm chamber, suppressing her anxiety and forcing a gentle smile. She knelt down and gathered the three frightened children in front of her: "An'an, don't be afraid, Yu'er, Jin'er, don't be afraid either. Mother is giving birth to your little brothers or sisters, just like when you were born. It's a little tiring, but it will be over soon! Be good and go eat some sweet milk porridge with your nanny. You'll see your little babies soon, okay?" Her tone was gentle but firm, signaling the wet nurses to quickly take the children away from the suffocating atmosphere.
An'an wanted to say something, but the wet nurse gently coaxed her and took her away. Jin'er's crying gradually faded away.
The door to the inner room creaked open a crack, and Chunxing poked her head out, her face covered in sweat, her voice urgent: "Your Highness! Madam! Ginseng soup! Quickly! The Princess is exhausted!"
Madam Shen rushed forward to take the bowl of ginseng soup and carried it inside herself. Xiao Chengjing instinctively tried to follow, but Madam Shen grabbed his arm. Madam Shen's hand was steady and strong, carrying an irresistible force, and she said in a low voice, "Chengjing, stay calm! Yuewei needs you to stay calm!"
Xiao Chengjing was rooted to the spot, his chest heaving violently, the oppressive pain almost bursting out of his throat. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the surging emotions in his eyes were forcibly suppressed, leaving only an unfathomable calm and... a fragile plea.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. In the agonizing wait, a sharp, agonizing scream suddenly erupted from the inner room, followed immediately by a loud, life-filled cry of a newborn, like the first rays of dawn, abruptly tearing away all the gloom!
"Wow—wow—"
The loud and powerful cries penetrated the door and clearly reached the outside room.
Xiao Chengjing's tense body swayed violently, almost losing his balance. Shen's father's hand, which was fiddling with the prayer beads, suddenly stopped, and he let out a long, silent sigh.
The door was flung open, and the old midwife rushed out beaming with joy to announce the good news: "Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Grandfather and Madam! Her Highness the Princess has given birth to a healthy baby boy! Mother and child are safe and sound! Mother and child are safe and sound!"
"Peace! It's good that you're safe! It's good that you're safe!" Father Shen said repeatedly, his voice choked with barely perceptible sobs, and his tense shoulders finally relaxed.
Xiao Chengjing, however, disregarded everything else and, like an arrow released from a bow, shoved aside the person blocking his way and rushed into the inner room.
A strong stench of blood assaulted his nostrils, yet he remained oblivious. His gaze swept past the busy midwives and maids, landing squarely on the bed. Shen Yuewei lay weakly, her face as pale as paper, her hair soaked with sweat, clinging to her forehead and temples, looking as if she had just been pulled from the water. Her eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling weakly, her breath barely audible.
Xiao Chengjing felt as if his heart was being gripped by an icy hand. He staggered to the bedside, knelt on one knee, and carefully grasped his wife's cold, sweaty hand with trembling hands. His voice was hoarse and barely audible: "Yuewei... Yuewei..."
Shen Yuewei seemed to hear his call. Her long eyelashes trembled a few times, and she struggled to open her eyes a crack. Seeing him, a faint, yet incredibly gentle smile slowly spread across her utterly exhausted eyes. She moved her fingers, which he held, very slightly, her lips parted, and her voice was barely audible: "...The child...looks like you..." After saying that, she could no longer hold on and fell into a deep sleep.
"Good, good, just like me..." Xiao Chengjing held her hand tightly, pressing his forehead against the cool back of her hand, his shoulders trembling slightly. This Prince Jing, who could turn the world upside down in Jiangnan, was now just a husband who had survived a calamity and was still shaken. He felt her faint pulse and the warmth of her palm; the immense shock of regaining what he had lost left him speechless for a long time.
Mother Shen walked over, carrying the wailing, red-skinned baby in her swaddling clothes. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she said, "Chengjing, look at him! What a spirited little boy! Listen to his cry, it's even louder than An'an's back then!"
Xiao Chengjing then raised his head, his gaze falling on the tiny life waving its little fists and crying desperately with its eyes closed in the swaddling clothes. That wrinkled little face, that loud cry, was like a warm current, instantly flowing into his cold and fearful heart. He reached out his finger, extremely carefully, with an almost reverent tremor, and gently touched the baby's warm and tender cheek.
The little one seemed to sense his father's touch; his crying paused, he smacked his lips twice, and then quieted down.
"Your Highness, the young prince is recognizing his father!" the midwife said with a smile.
“It’s the Crown Prince…” Xiao Chengjing repeated softly, his gaze lingering on his wife’s pale, sleeping face and his infant son’s rosy cheeks in his swaddling clothes. In his deep eyes, there surged the ecstatic joy of regaining what was lost, the lingering fear, and a heavy, unwavering determination called responsibility and protection. He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on Shen Yuewei’s sweaty forehead, a kiss filled with boundless tenderness and a vow.
---
"Quickly! Brush and ink! Quickly!" Outside, Father Shen had regained his composure and ordered in a loud voice, "Immediately send good news to the capital! Send good news to the Emperor Emeritus and the Empress Dowager! Send a message to my eldest son as well!" His face was filled with undisguised pride and joy, "Our Shen family has gained another member! The Prince Jing's mansion has an heir!"
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