Chapter 114 Startled into Premature Birth
Su Luoxue pointed at the lake, but before she could finish speaking, her face suddenly turned pale, and she clutched her stomach, bending over in pain: "Ah...it hurts so much..."
"Your Highness! What's wrong?" Zhang Mama and Fuling were terrified and quickly supported her on either side, helping her to sit down slowly on the stone bench next to them.
Su Luoxue leaned against Zhang Mama, tightly gripping Fuling's hand. Cold sweat instantly beaded on her forehead, her voice trembling with tears, "Ah... Mama... my stomach... my stomach hurts so much..."
Granny Zhang, being an experienced old woman, immediately realized something was wrong. She looked up and shouted sternly at the palace servants who were in a chaotic mess behind her, "What are you all standing there for! Go quickly! Bring the imperial physician and midwives to Guanju Palace immediately! Hurry! Her Highness is about to give birth! Go now!"
The palace servants snapped out of their daze, and several of the quickest ones immediately ran off.
Granny Zhang steadied herself and said to Fuling, "Fuling, quickly, let's help the Empress back!"
The two carefully helped Su Luoxue up, but as soon as she stood up, an even more intense pain struck her, causing her to cry out and almost collapse: "Ah...no...it hurts so much, it hurts so much...I can't walk..."
Granny Zhang held her tightly, and when she looked down, she was horrified to see a small patch of glaring bright red stain on Su Luoxue's light-colored skirt!
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! There's bleeding!" Zhang Mama's voice changed.
As Yuwen Che walked toward the Imperial Garden, he bumped into several palace maids and eunuchs who were running frantically out of the direction of the Imperial Garden.
His heart sank, and he stopped one of them, demanding, "What's the panic! Where's the Empress?!"
The young eunuch fell to his knees with a thud, stammering in terror, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The Empress...the Empress saw something unclean in the lake...and was frightened...and suddenly...her stomach hurts..."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Che was startled and had a stomachache. His mind went blank, his expression changed, and he could no longer care about anything else. He pushed the eunuch aside and used his lightness skill to head towards the lakeside of the Imperial Garden.
Chaos reigned in the Imperial Garden. Granny Zhang anxiously called to Fuling, "Quickly, have someone prepare a sedan chair..."
Before he could finish speaking, a figure in black robes swept over like the wind; it was Yuwen Che.
He immediately spotted Su Luoxue, who was being supported by the nanny and Fuling, her face pale and her skirt stained with blood. He rushed forward, pushed the nanny and Fuling aside, and gently took Su Luoxue's trembling body into his arms.
"Xue'er! Xue'er! Look at me!" His voice trembled without him even realizing it as he gently patted her face.
Su Luoxue was in so much pain that her mind was somewhat blurred. Hearing his voice, she barely opened her eyes, her finger weakly pointing to the lakeside, and cried out intermittently, "A-Che...she...she's dead...in the lake..."
Yuwen Che glanced in the direction she pointed, and the blurry figure in the lake made his eyes turn cold. He instantly understood that she was frightened by the sight. But he had no time to think about anything else. He immediately picked Su Luoxue up and said in a deep voice, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid... I'm here!"
He carried her in his arms and strode quickly toward Guanju Palace, yelling at the nanny and Fuling who followed, "What are you all standing there for! Keep up!"
The old woman and Fuling had to stumble and jog to keep up with his pace.
Su Luoxue, held in his arms, was in so much pain that it was impossible to tell whether her face was wet with tears or sweat. She gripped Yuwen Che's arm tightly. The intense pain was unbearable, and she suddenly lowered her head and bit Yuwen Che's shoulder, trying to share the excruciating pain.
Yuwen Che groaned, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder, but he tightened his grip on her, quickening his pace and soothingly saying, "Xue'er, just bear with it, we'll be there soon... Don't be afraid, I'm with you..."
Yuwen Che, carrying Su Luoxue, kicked open the palace door of Guanju Palace and strode into the inner room, carefully placing her on the bed where soft bedding had already been laid out.
The moment Su Luoxue touched the bed, an even more intense wave of pain swept over her. She curled up in agony, letting out an uncontrollable wail: "Ah—it hurts so much… A-Che…it hurts so much…"
Yuwen Che held her hand tightly, his face even paler than hers, and his voice was hoarse as he comforted her, "Xue'er, don't be afraid, I'm here with you, don't be afraid..."
At this moment, Zhang Mama disregarded social hierarchy and stepped forward to forcefully push Yuwen Che out: "Your Majesty! The delivery room is a place of bloodshed and misfortune! You must not stay here! Please wait outside!"
"I won't leave! I want to stay with her!" Yuwen Che struggled and refused to let go.
"Your Majesty!" Granny Zhang stamped her feet anxiously, "With you here, this old servant, the imperial physicians, and the midwives are all tied up, which only delays Her Majesty's treatment! Your presence outside is the greatest help you can give Her Majesty!"
Yuwen Che looked at Su Luoxue, who was in so much pain on the bed that she almost fainted, and had no choice but to let go of her hand. He was then pushed out of the inner room by the nanny.
The palace doors slammed shut in front of him. Yuwen Che paced back and forth outside like a trapped beast, his heart aching as he listened to Su Luoxue's increasingly loud cries of pain. He suddenly roared, "Where are the imperial physicians! Where are the midwives! Where are they all?! Why haven't they arrived yet!"
Inside the room, Fuling had never seen anything like this before. She was so frightened that her hands and feet went weak. She could only tightly grasp Su Luoxue's hand and say in a tearful voice, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please hold on..."
While quickly checking Su Luoxue's condition, Zhang Mama sternly directed the terrified Fuling and several senior palace maids: "Don't just stand there like idiots! Quickly! Help Her Highness change her outer garments, remove her hairpins and ornaments, and loosen her hair! Get to work!"
The palace maids, startled by the nanny's shout, rushed forward and, though somewhat clumsily, tried to be as gentle as possible, helped Su Luoxue change into comfortable nightgowns and remove the heavy jewelry from her head.
Outside the palace, Yuwen Che's roar and Su Luoxue's cries of pain mingled together, throwing Guanju Palace into chaos and creating an extremely tense atmosphere.
The imperial physician and several carefully selected midwives arrived at Guanju Palace as quickly as possible, all panting and looking tense.
Just as the imperial physician was about to bow in respect, Yuwen Che interrupted him, pointing to the inner room and growling, "What are you waiting for! Go in and see the Empress!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" the imperial physician replied repeatedly, and rushed inside with his medicine box.
Hearing the commotion outside, Zhang Mama quickly opened the door to the inner room. Seeing the imperial physician and the midwife, she was overjoyed, exclaiming, "Quick! Please come in! Her Highness's condition is not good; she's already bleeding!"
The imperial physicians and midwives filed in.
Yuwen Che instinctively wanted to follow him inside, but Li Dehai quickly stepped forward, opened his arms to stop him, and earnestly advised him:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please wait! The delivery room is a sacred place. As the Son of Heaven, it is truly inappropriate for you to enter! With you outside, the imperial physicians and midwives can work with peace of mind and without any worries! If you go in, they will have to be distracted by etiquette, which will make them feel constrained and delay the treatment of Her Majesty."
Yuwen Che stopped in his tracks, staring intently at the door that had closed again. From inside came Su Luoxue's suppressed moans of pain and the comforting instructions from the midwives. In the end, he forcibly suppressed the urge to rush in.
He turned around abruptly and slammed his fist into a nearby pillar, making a dull thud.
Li Dehai was horrified, but dared not offer any further advice.
With his back to the delivery room, Yuwen Che's voice was hoarse and filled with murderous intent: "Li Dehai, go and investigate! Investigate immediately! What exactly happened to that person in the lake...? Was it suicide or murder...? I want to see who dares to disturb the Empress at this time!"
"This old servant obeys the decree!" Li Dehai's heart skipped a beat, knowing that His Majesty was truly angry. He quickly bowed and withdrew, and went to investigate the matter personally.
Yuwen Che stood alone outside the palace, listening to his beloved wife's cries of pain inside. Each word felt like a whip lashing at his heart. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.
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