Chapter 115 On the Edge of Life and Death
Inside the room, Su Luoxue's screams grew louder and louder.
"Your Majesty! Stop calling out, save your energy! Breathe in rhythm with this old servant!" The midwife was sweating profusely with anxiety.
"Ah—I can't take it anymore...it hurts so much..." Su Luoxue shook her head desperately in pain, her hair soaked with sweat.
Zhang Mama and Fuling kept wiping the cold sweat from her forehead and neck with warm handkerchiefs. Seeing the Empress suffering so much, they were heartbroken and tears streamed down their faces.
Palace maids carried basins of hot water or blood-stained water, hurrying in and out; the glaring red color was terrifying to behold.
Outside the hall, Yuwen Che looked at the basins of blood being carried out and listened to Su Luoxue's heart-wrenching cries of pain inside. He felt as if his heart was being torn apart, his vision went black, and he staggered, almost unable to stand.
"Your Majesty!" Li Dehai quickly stepped forward to help him up.
Yuwen Che abruptly shook off his hand, and without saying a word, turned and strode into the side hall next door.
Li Dehai did not hesitate and immediately followed, closing the palace door tightly while he stood guard outside.
Inside the side hall, Yuwen Che, leaning against the cold table, barely managed to stand, his voice trembling with uncontrollable panic: "Han Ying!"
A dark figure appeared in response, kneeling on one knee: "My lord."
Yuwen Che urgently ordered, "Immediately... bring those renowned physicians I had you secretly seek out into the palace! Also... have Bai Xiao go to the Shadow Pavilion headquarters immediately and retrieve that life-extending pill from the secret vault! Immediately!"
Han Ying suddenly looked up, her eyes behind the mask filled with shock and resistance: "My lord! No! That pill was obtained by you through countless brushes with death... There is only one in the world, it was saved for you..."
"Shut up!" Yuwen Che interrupted him sharply, his eyes filled with unprecedented panic and determination. "Go now! If something happens to her... what use is this life-extending pill to me?!"
Looking at his lord's eyes, which were almost dripping with blood, Han Ying knew that further persuasion was useless, and gritted his teeth to reply, "Yes! Your subordinate obeys!"
The shadowy figure vanished instantly.
In the empty side hall, Yuwen Che leaned against the table, exhausted. Hearing the faint cries of pain coming from the direction of the main hall, he couldn't imagine how he would live alone if he lost her.
Inside the room, the blood beneath Su Luoxue spread more and more, her face was as pale as paper, her breath was weak, and even her cries of pain gradually subsided.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Wake up! You can't sleep!" The midwife's voice trembled with anxiety as she patted her cheeks.
Su Luoxue shook her head weakly, tears mingling with sweat as they slid down her temples, her voice barely a whisper: "I...I really...have no strength left..."
Fuling rushed to the bedside, tightly grasped her icy hand, and cried out in a sob, "Miss! Miss, please hold on! Think of Master, Madam, and Young Master! They are waiting for your safety every day outside the palace! Miss! You can't give up!"
Su Luoxue's eyes were unfocused, and tears streamed silently down her face: "Fuling... I really... can't go on..."
The imperial physician's face was grave. He hurriedly stepped forward to take the pulse again, his fingers trembling slightly. He quickly took out silver needles and inserted them into several vital acupoints, while shouting to the apprentice, "Ginseng soup! Quickly bring me the life-saving ginseng soup!"
Granny Zhang took the medicine bowl and, together with Fuling, carefully pried open Su Luoxue's jaw and fed her the warm ginseng soup little by little.
"Your Majesty, please swallow it, I beg you, please swallow it..." Zhang Mama's voice was filled with desperate pleading.
Outside the door, Li Dehai heard something amiss inside—the midwife's voice mingled with Fuling's cries. His heart pounded, and without thinking, he hurriedly knocked on the side hall door, his voice filled with terror:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened... Inside... the Empress's condition seems... seems very bad!"
The side hall door was flung open, and Yuwen Che rushed out, his face deathly pale. He heard the almost fading groans inside, his eyes bloodshot, and heard Su Luoxue's faint moans. He didn't care about anything else and tried to rush inside!
"Your Majesty! You mustn't!" Li Dehai and several eunuchs desperately tried to stop him.
"Get out of my way!" he shouted, about to swat away the person who was blocking his way.
Just then, a midwife's joyful cry came from inside the room: "Your Majesty! Push! I can see the head! Quick! Push one more time!"
With her last ounce of strength, Su Luoxue gripped the hands of the old woman and Fuling tightly, and with all her might, veins bulging on her forehead, she let out a hoarse scream: "Ah—!"
With that shout, the first child was finally born.
Su Luoxue felt as if all her bones had been removed, and she instantly went limp, even her breathing becoming weak.
The child cried out weakly once, and then fell silent.
The midwife quickly picked up the baby, glanced at him briefly, and exclaimed urgently, "It's a little prince!" She didn't dare delay and immediately handed the weak-breathing child to the imperial physician, "Imperial physician, quick!"
The imperial physician quickly took it and, along with his assistant, crowded around it, saying, "Give it to me right away!"
Su Luoxue was drenched in sweat. She turned her head and gazed intently in the direction where the imperial physicians were gathered, where her son, whom she had just given birth to at great risk, was. With extreme difficulty, she slightly raised one hand and reached out in that direction.
Seeing this, Granny Zhang tightly grasped her raised hand, her voice trembling with tears: "Your Highness! Your Highness! You can't sleep! You're still carrying another child! You can't give up! The little prince will be alright, the imperial physicians are saving him! Please give it your all, Your Highness!"
Su Luoxue shook her head very slowly, her gaze turning to Fuling, who was crying her eyes out beside her. Her voice was so weak it was barely audible: "Fuling... if... if His Majesty allows you to leave the palace... please... please fulfill your filial duties to Father and Mother for me..."
Fuling grabbed her hand tightly and shook her head desperately: "Miss! No way! Don't talk nonsense! Please hold on a little longer, just a little longer, okay?"
Su Luoxue simply shook her head again, her gaze returning to Zhang Mama's face, filled with endless entrustment and farewell: "Mama... from now on... from now on... I'll have to trouble you... to take care of... the little prince..."
"Your Majesty!" Fuling cried out in despair to the imperial physician and midwife beside her, "Please think of something! Save Her Majesty! Hurry!"
Upon hearing his beloved wife's words, Yuwen Che kicked aside Li Dehai and several eunuchs and stormed in. He immediately saw his wife on the bed, barely breathing, as if she would collapse and disappear at any moment. This sight tore his heart apart! "Xue'er..."
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