As a woman herself, Su Yushan knew that childbirth was a brush with death, a gamble with one's life, and extremely dangerous. If any other maid were in such a situation, she would definitely urge Hongli to go and be with her immediately, but Jin Minjing was different.
Jin Minjing's actions were extremely vicious, each move could push her into an abyss of no return. If it weren't for Hongli's favoritism towards her, she would probably have died two or three times over. The two of them were sworn enemies, so how could Su Yushan possibly plead for her enemy?
She didn't speak, lowering her eyes and silently scooping a spoonful of shrimp porridge into her mouth. Hongli gripped his chopsticks tightly, his jawline taut, showing no intention of getting up. Granny Qi, standing beside him, earnestly advised:
"Fourth Master, Princess Jin's condition is very bad. No matter what she did wrong, she is still the maid that the Emperor bestowed upon you. Even if you don't care about her, you should go for the sake of the child, so as not to leave any regrets."
Before Granny Qi could finish speaking, a sharp sound of chopsticks hitting the table startled her. She quickly knelt down, lifting her skirt, and said, "Fourth Master, please calm down. This old servant is only thinking of the royal bloodline and only hopes that your child will be born safely!"
Staring angrily at the chess nanny at his feet, Hongli's eyes flashed with displeasure and indignation, but he said nothing in the end. He only turned his head to Su Yushan and said gently, "You eat first, I'm going out for a bit."
Su Yushan didn't even bother to look up, let alone reply, and continued stirring the porridge in her bowl.
His footsteps faded into the distance, and the old woman followed him out, leaving only the two of them, mistress and servant, inside the room.
Chang Yue, fearing that her master would be displeased, quickly advised from the side, "Fourth Master is only concerned about the child, he doesn't really care about Princess Jin, please don't take it to heart."
Does it matter who Hongli is doing this for? Su Yushan had long anticipated that the situation would reverse when Jin Minjing gave birth. She hadn't dared to open her heart to Hongli again because she wanted to see how he would treat Jin Minjing after she gave birth.
Fortunately, Su Yushan didn't have high hopes this time. She had already prepared for the worst. Even if Hongli really brought Jin Minjing back to the mansion, she wouldn't be angry or sad anymore. She would simply continue to keep her heart locked away, and that would be all.
Inside the villa, the midwives were frantic, constantly instructing Princess Jin on how to exert force, but she remained uncooperative, constantly glancing outside distractedly.
"Where is Fourth Master? Has Fourth Master arrived? I need to see Fourth Master!"
Hongli, who had already arrived, was too lazy to go inside. He stood in the outer room and mumbled, "I'm here."
Hearing the familiar voice, Jin Minjing was overjoyed. She forced a smile onto her pale and tired face. "Fourth Master, you've finally come! I was so scared. I wanted to see you. I was afraid I would never have the chance to see you again!"
The midwife advised, "Princess, childbirth is too bloody. Men are not allowed inside. Fourth Master is just outside, separated by a wall. You can rest assured."
This is the rule, and Hongli would never break it for her. Jin Minjing knows this, but it doesn't matter. As long as he's willing to come, it at least proves that he still cares about her a little bit.
Jin Minjing felt a little relieved and, enduring the pain, called out loudly, "Fourth Master, please don't leave! Stay with me forever, okay?"
It was already a great deal of effort for Hongli to come, and Jin Minjing's rambling only made him more impatient. He scoffed in a deep voice, "Stop talking. You should save your energy for having children."
To avoid upsetting the Fourth Prince, Granny Qi whispered, "Princess, don't worry. The Fourth Prince is in the outer room. Relax and give birth to the child as soon as possible. Staying cooped up for too long is not good for either the child or you!"
Upon hearing this, Kim Min-jung was terrified and dared not say another word. She obediently followed the midwife's instructions and waited until the contractions started before pushing. However, she was inexperienced and pushed incorrectly, causing the baby to get stuck and making her cry in pain.
She had never suffered like this in her life, and felt that she was about to collapse. Terrified, Kim Min-jung wailed repeatedly, and couldn't help but have extravagant thoughts again.
"Fourth Master, if... if I am lucky enough to survive this time, could you please take me and the child back to the manor?"
So she's already trying to negotiate with him? Does she really think she's some kind of tyrant just because she's pregnant? Hongli remained unmoved, coldly mocking, "A person on the verge of death still has the energy to say so much?"
He didn't agree and even said such harsh words to shut her up. Jin Minjing's heart sank, and she cried even harder, completely forgetting to continue trying. Granny Qi was extremely anxious and couldn't hear any of her attempts to persuade her. Helpless, Granny Qi had no choice but to go out and try to persuade the Fourth Master.
"Fourth Master, people always want to grasp at straws when they are in extreme danger. Please agree for now! At least give Princess Jin a glimmer of hope so she can concentrate on giving birth!"
The two women worked together in unison, and Hongli's eyes narrowed. He felt more and more that they had planned this all along. "They're threatening me with my life to make me agree, and then later they'll say I promised and can't go back on my word, forcing me to take her back to the manor? Granny Qi, you two have really got a good plan!"
Granny Qi's heart skipped a beat, her eyes flickered, and she said with an awkward smile, "Fourth Master is joking, how could this old servant dare to threaten you!"
They were indeed cunning, but Hongli was unmoved by either soft or hard tactics. "Life and death are predestined. Is she only now afraid? Too late! When she used those ruthless methods, did she ever think that she would suffer retribution?"
"Even at this point, you still want to play mind games with me? I won't fall for that! Whether she lives or dies, whether the child can be born, I don't care. She can give birth or not, so stop playing the victim!"
Hongli's words chilled Jin Minjing to the bone. He had already said that, what else could she do? She could only fight back, try her best to give birth to the child, and save her life.
Kim Min-jung prayed silently that she would give birth to a boy this time, because only in this way could she receive the protection of Consort Xi and change her fate of being neglected.
When another contraction came, Jin Minjing gripped the old woman's hand tightly, gritted her teeth and strained with all her might. Her hair was already soaked with sweat, and her strength was getting weaker and weaker. She wanted to sleep for a while, but when she thought that she had not yet seen Hongli and that her wish had not yet been fulfilled, she repeatedly told herself that she must not give up. She had endured the torment for the past six months and had been waiting for this day!
Her fate was about to change; she couldn't afford to have anything happen to her. She had to give birth to this child safely in order to gain Hongli's attention...
After much commotion, it was late at night, past midnight, when Hongli finally returned to his residence. The early summer night was still chilly, but Hongli's heart was restless and uneasy.
Su Yushan had already entered the tent and was about to fall asleep when she was awakened by footsteps.
Su Yushan opened her eyes groggily, knowing it might be him, then closed them again, pretending to be asleep, completely unaware. However, Hongli often stayed with her, and could tell whether she was asleep just by her breathing.
Although her back was to him, he was certain that Su Yushan was conscious at that moment. Even if she didn't pursue the matter, he still felt it necessary to explain things clearly.
With a soft sigh, Hongli said to himself, "The old nanny who came over just now is no ordinary person. Ordinary nannies wouldn't dare to speak to me like that, let alone use Father Emperor to pressure me. She was sent to the other courtyard by my mother."
"But I'm dining here, and if I don't go, Granny Qi will likely report it to my mother and blame you, saying you stopped me from going. Then my mother will definitely blame you. I don't want you to be resented by my mother again, so I have no choice but to go to the other courtyard against my will."
After saying this, Hongli slowly raised his head, gently patted her shoulder, and said with a voice full of guilt, "Yushan, that was not my intention. Don't be sad because of this."
Hongli didn't mention Jin Minjing's condition, but only explained the matter to her. His intuition told Su Yushan that Jin Minjing's child should have been born safely.
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