Chapter 75 Countdown to Death If giving birth to a child is like having one foot...
If giving birth to one child is like stepping into the gates of hell with one foot, then giving birth to twins at the same time is practically like stepping in with both feet. She could try her best to deliver one child smoothly, but twins? She had absolutely no idea what to expect. If anything went wrong, she didn't know if the babies would survive, but the probability of her own death was almost 100%.
Take the simplest example, fetal position. If one fetus is breech, the nanny can give it a massage. But what if both are breech? What if one is breech and the other is breech? Can the nanny control both fetuses to be breech? The nanny isn't God! So if one of them doesn't come out headfirst during delivery, then she's doomed.
Even in modern times, if a woman experiences severe bleeding or amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth, she is almost certainly going to die. This is even more true in ancient times, where such events almost always meant certain death. The chances of encountering these problems while trying to save a twin pregnancy are at least several times higher than the chances of encountering misfortune while giving birth to a single child.
Cheng Qianyue felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about it, as if her life was already on a countdown.
What should we do? What can we do?
Cheng Qianyue was terrified and completely lost.
She thought that if she had a choice, she would rather lose the embryo in her womb to save her own life. She suddenly felt a jolt, and a sharp, piercing thought instantly arose in her mind.
It would be good if the baby could be miscarried; if the baby is gone, she will definitely be able to live.
Cheng Qianyue stood on the bridge, staring intently at the series of steps leading down. Because of her pregnancy, everyone watched her like the apple of their eye, scrutinizing her every need, from food and drink to daily necessities. Even going out, walking was fine, but if she ran or jumped, they would immediately try to stop her. So, without a normal method, she could only have an abortion through accident.
Cheng Qianyue inhaled and exhaled, thinking that if she could just shake off the person's hand and fall, perhaps the baby would be lost. But looking at the series of steps, her body stiffened. This bridge had never seemed so high and so steep to her before; she was terrified!
Ruoyun and Ruoxia, supporting Cheng Qianyue, were a little confused as to why their mistress wasn't moving. They'd been standing there for most of the day, and the sun would be up soon if they didn't leave. Ruoyun whispered a reminder, "Mistress?" If her mistress wanted to stand a little longer, she would have someone go back to Donglizhai to get a sun umbrella.
Cheng Qianyue suddenly came to her senses.
Her idea was incredibly foolish. Leaving aside the possibility of miscarriage, what about the risk of hitting her head if she fell? A head injury like that could kill her before she even gave birth. And what about breaking her leg or developing other health problems from the miscarriage? She couldn't afford to gamble!
Even if God were to bless her and she survived but lost her child as she wished, wouldn't the people around her be accused of negligence? Murdering a member of the royal bloodline would be a light punishment—being kicked out would be the least of their worries. Would they be punished with beatings or even beaten to death?
Cheng Qianyue cherished her own life, that's true, but she didn't want to implicate others because of it. She closed her eyes, let out a long breath, and steadily walked down the steps.
She wanted to have an abortion but couldn't, but she didn't want to die; she wanted to live.
So Cheng Qianyue continued to control her diet. Although she had previously thought that since the babies would all be lost anyway, it didn't matter how much she ate, now she was thinking of eating as little as possible. Even though twins' bellies wouldn't be small—for example, the Third Prince weighed 4.6 pounds at birth, so the two babies together would probably weigh 10 pounds or more—Cheng Qianyue thought that the smaller the babies were, the better her chances of a safe delivery and survival.
But this meant she had to endure hunger, a real hunger, her craving for food like parched roots yearning for a downpour, so intense that Cheng Qianyue was itching with hunger. She had only eaten her evening snack less than an hour ago, and she didn't want to order any more, so she had no choice but to endure it.
One night, she woke up hungry and couldn't help but look at the bed curtains embroidered with gourds, silently weeping. Her sobs startled Yinreng awake. In the darkness, he touched her wet face and asked, "What's wrong?"
What else could happen? Cheng Qianyue felt that living like this was meaningless.
Yinreng called for someone, and soon steaming hot buns were brought in from outside. The people in the garden's kitchen knew that she needed to eat in the evening, so they left an extra stove burning, with a steamer on it containing buns, and someone was always on duty watching over it, waiting for her to call for food.
Cheng Qianyue's eyes lit up when she saw the plate of steamed buns. She didn't even use her chopsticks, just picked one up and stuffed it into her mouth, crying as she did so.
While patting her back, Yinreng said, "Slow down, slow down. Are you hungry?" He couldn't help but laugh when he saw Cheng Qianyue pouncing like a hungry tiger. He said softly, "No wonder you're so hungry, you're carrying two babies inside."
These words immediately reminded Cheng Qianyue. She stopped eating after finishing one of the steamed buns, barely glancing at the plate with her eyes.
Yinreng was somewhat surprised, "You're not going to eat anymore? Have another one."
Cheng Qianyue didn't dare look him in the eye at all, lowering her gaze and saying, "I'm full, that's enough." She lay back down, facing the inside of the bed. Only after Yinreng lay down and his breathing became steady did Cheng Qianyue dare to continue crying. As she cried, she thought that she couldn't wake him up again, because she didn't dare tell him about her fear of childbirth.
As time went on, Cheng Qianyue's belly slowly swelled up, her appetite grew larger, and she got hungry faster and faster. Cheng Qianyue made up her mind; starving was better than dying! So she endured not eating, but this made those around her extremely anxious.
Ruoyun and Lin Quan'an were frantic, like ants on a hot pan. Their mistress was carrying twins! How could she keep going hungry? If it were just morning sickness and a poor appetite, it wouldn't be so bad, but their mistress had a great appetite. Yet, for some reason, she stubbornly refused to eat, only taking one bite and then stopping. The imperial physician had clearly said that once the pregnancy was stable, it would be the crucial time for the grandsons to grow. How could the grandsons thrive if their mistress was kept so hungry? What if something happened to their mistress and the unborn grandsons? Wouldn't the Crown Prince have them all executed?
Ruoyun and Lin Quan'an exchanged a glance, suppressing their worries for the time being. Later that evening, when they had some free time, they discussed it and decided to find an opportunity to ask him about it, hoping to offer some advice.
Only half an hour after lunch, Cheng Qianyue was hungry again. Not wanting to order snacks so early, she kept looking outside, irritably wondering why time was passing so slowly!
Ruoyun knew what she was hoping for just by looking at her, and winked at the person next to her. Then, in no time at all, two plates of snacks were brought to the kang table.
Cheng Qianyue glanced at the clock opposite her and frowned, saying, "Isn't it only one o'clock? Why did you bring over some snacks?"
Ruoyun said softly, "I noticed you were looking outside and I thought you might be hungry." She looked over cautiously and asked, "Master, don't worry about what others think. Just focus on your own comfort. If you're hungry or thirsty, just say so. We look forward to being at your beck and call every day."
Cheng Qianyue turned her head away from the kang table and said in a deep voice, "I'm not hungry, and I didn't care about anyone else."
Ruoyun thought to herself, "I don't believe it. Your eyes almost popped out when the snacks came. It's really strange. Why didn't you eat them?"
At this moment, Lin Quan'an stepped forward from the pillar and said, "Master, are these two dishes not to your liking? Please just name what you would like to eat, whether it is a famous dish or a country snack, as long as you want it, I guarantee I can get it to you."
Cheng Qianyue didn't hear a word they said because she didn't understand anything. Cheng Qianyue bit her lip, feeling a strange sadness.
Seeing that she remained silent and motionless, Ruoyun couldn't help but bring the plate to her and kindly advised, "Master, please have a few pieces. If you get hungry again later, I'll ask someone to get something else from the kitchen."
Cheng Qianyue's temper flared up as well. She resolutely pushed the plate away and said in a deep voice, "I said I'm not eating."
"Your Majesty!" Ruoyun knelt down with a thud. Her kneeling caused everyone in the room to follow suit. "Your Majesty, please eat something! Even if you don't care about yourself, you must think of the imperial grandson in your womb. If you don't eat when you're hungry, not only will you suffer, but the imperial grandsons won't grow properly either."
After Ruoyun finished speaking, everyone in the room looked up at her expectantly. Their gazes were so intense, it was as if they could see through her belly to the two babies. Cheng Qianyue felt a chill run down her spine, as if they were attempting to defame her. Yes, no matter how high her current status, she was still of commoner blood; it was the true royal blood in her womb.
Cheng Qianyue clenched her fists in an instant, then slid all the plates down. A series of crashing sounds filled the room. Everyone was immediately stunned; they hadn't expected Cheng Qianyue to throw such a tantrum, and they all stood there like wooden stakes.
Cheng Qianyue forced herself not to tremble and said sternly, "Get out, all of you! Get out!"
Ruoyun and Lin Quan'an knelt at the front, caught in a dilemma after realizing what was happening. Their master was angry, so they dared not move; besides, they had to confess and say a few conciliatory words! Just when they were in a predicament, someone came to their rescue.
As soon as Yinreng arrived at Donglizhai, he sensed that something was amiss in the atmosphere of the courtyard. Just as he was about to enter the room, he heard a loud crashing sound, as if a row of bottles and cups had been smashed on the ground. Upon entering, he saw a group of people kneeling, with pastries and porcelain shards scattered around them.
He frowned, strode over, and scooped Cheng Qianyue up in his arms, carrying her to the bed in the inner room. He asked, "What's wrong?"
Cheng Qianyue looked at him with teary eyes and didn't say anything. Yinreng hugged her and patted her here and there. Chen He just nodded his head and called everyone in the room out.
Once outside, Chen He asked with a sullen face, "What's wrong with Princess Cheng? Is it because the pastries aren't to her liking? Why are you so angry?" Although he asked this, he felt it couldn't be. The chefs in the kitchen had practically made all sorts of pastries, afraid she wouldn't like them. Could it be that even these couldn't please the Crown Princess? Was she taking advantage of her favor?
Ruoyun lowered her head and said only, "It is the fault of us servants. Perhaps we said something wrong, which made our master unhappy."
Seeing that he couldn't get any information from him, and after mentally estimating the time, Chen He asked, "Has Master Cheng eaten anything after noon?"
Ruoyun shook her head with a bitter expression.
Chen He chuckled and grew impatient. "Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and go to the kitchen to get more snacks and milk tea." He didn't bother ordering anyone from Donglizhai around, and kicked Jing Shun, saying, "Hurry up."
After a while, Jing Shun brought the things over. He brought seven or eight plates of steamed buns alone, as well as other snacks such as peach blossom pastries and fried dumplings. Jing Shun stood respectfully outside the inner room, listening to his instructions, while the young eunuchs followed behind him, carrying trays.
Yinreng thought about Cheng Qianyue's usual tastes, then ordered someone to bring over the milk cheese rolls and personally fed them to her. He figured that she hadn't spoken to him for a long time, so perhaps eating something would make her feel better.
Cheng Qianyue pursed her lips, feeling a little regretful for her outburst. She opened her mouth and took a bite of the cheese roll. After finishing one, she shook her head.
Seeing that her expression had softened, Yinreng ordered someone to bring over the steamed buns made of bean flour. He said softly, "What happened? If you were angered by your subordinates, no punishment would be too much, but you mustn't hurt yourself." He broke off a piece of the bun and fed it to Cheng Qianyue's mouth, continuing, "Anger hurts your health. You'll feel bad, and our child will feel bad too."
Cheng Qianyue's anger, which had just subsided, flared up again instantly because of his words. She raised her head, tears streaming down her face. She whispered, "Yinreng, will I die? Is it alright whether I live or die as long as the child is born?"
Her tears burst forth at the slightest question. Through her blurred vision, Cheng Qianyue sobbed uncontrollably, "Yinreng, I don't want to die, I want to live."
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