Chapter 66 Undercurrents are brewing, but they'll wait until you've safely given birth...
As Yecheng transitioned back to autumn and winter, Deng Jie's pregnancy became increasingly obvious, and she could finally openly share this joy with her sisters.
As a result, daily life at the Guo residence became even more lively.
The food box that Guo Yi brought originally contained soups and stews specially made for Guo Jia, but these were gradually replaced with nourishing soups specially made for Deng Jie. Although most of them ended up in Guo Jia's stomach, which made Deng Jie laugh and say that he was the main "nourishment" provider, it was still quite fitting considering that it was originally made by Guo Yi.
Upon learning this, Madam Du immediately prepared a jade disc as a return gift, laughing and saying, "Finally, I can return part of the gift." Madam Huan took advantage of the time when she came to Guo's residence with Zhou Buyi and Cao Chong to bring her a number of prescriptions for stabilizing pregnancy. Madam Bian, on the other hand, received a reward from Cao Cao and had her side room renovated to be more suitable for welcoming wet nurses and newborns.
Because Qingwu had no children of her own, just as Deng Jie had longed for the children of the other wives, he was even more enthusiastic towards her. He personally made new quilts and sent them to her. Her chapped hands made Deng Jie feel sorry for her, so he specially asked Li Shi for some fine hand cream to give to her and told her to take good care of them.
Guo Jia, naturally, couldn't contain his joy at becoming a father.
He had Huai Niang meticulously prepare a batch of pastries, with the shapes specially designed to resemble a mother holding her child, which was quite ingenious.
He brought the box of pastries to the Sikong Mansion, and during a break in the meeting, he shared them with his colleagues, taking the opportunity to show off his pride, which made Cao Cao laugh heartily, "Look at you, so smug."
Cao Hong bluntly remarked, "If you had said you could have children earlier, Fengxiao, you should have taken more concubines."
Before he could finish speaking, he was met with angry glares from Cao Cao and Guo Jia, and he covered his mouth in annoyance.
"General Zilian is talking nonsense." Guo Jia pretended to be angry and pretended to take the pastries from Cao Hong's hand. "These pastries are only for those who know how to offer congratulations."
"Fengxiao is so devoted and loyal to his wife, and he is even more so to me!"
Chen Qun was completely taken aback when the topic suddenly shifted to him, and he was even "praised" about his marital relationship in front of so many colleagues. He immediately blushed and hurriedly stood up, bowing to Cao Cao: "You flatter me, my lord! You flatter me!"
He deliberately dragged out his words, his eyes full of teasing amusement, "You all have never seen anything like it, but with just a light cough from Madam Xun, Brother Changwen's heart trembled three times, and he immediately bowed his head in submission! That's true skill!"
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. Chen Qun was so embarrassed by the teasing that he pushed Guo Jia away in shame and indignation, muttering, "Don't come to my house next time!"
Just as the room was filled with lighthearted laughter, a eunuch rushed in with a panicked expression, knelt down before Cao Cao with a thud, and exclaimed in alarm, "Reporting to the Minister of Works! Something terrible has happened! Young Master Chong... Young Master Chong has fallen ill again! He's vomiting incessantly and convulsing!"
"What?!" Cao Cao's smile froze instantly. He stood up abruptly, his voice rising sharply, "Where is Yuanhua?! Where is Hua Yuanhua?!"
The eunuch replied tremblingly, "Reporting to the Minister of Works... Master Hua... Master Hua asked for leave from you yesterday, saying he went outside the city to find some new medicinal ingredients, and has not yet returned..."
Cao Cao then remembered that Hua Tuo had indeed asked for leave, and his heart felt as if a thousand-pound boulder had been placed on it. With his beloved son critically ill and Hua Tuo not around, he felt dizzy and his head throbbing with pain. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead in agony.
"Brother, why don't we summon Madam Deng in first to take a look at Cang Shu? After all, he is a direct disciple," Cao Hong suggested eagerly. Originally, Deng Jie had always been taking care of Cao Chong's affairs.
Cao Cao frowned and looked up at Guo Jia, as if seeking his consent. This was already a great respect for Guo Jia, and he naturally could not refuse Cao Cao in public.
He hesitated for a moment, then called out to the eunuch, "Remember to clean up the medicine for Young Master Cang Shu first."
"Yes, sir." The eunuch acknowledged the order and hurriedly withdrew.
When Deng Jie was summoned, upon hearing of Cao Chong's emergency, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Coupled with the weight of her pregnant belly, her steps were heavier than usual.
Leading into a clean room that had been specially cleaned and had its incense changed, Deng Jie immediately saw Cao Chong curled up on the bed.
The boy's face was sallow, his eyelids were so swollen he could barely open them, and his thin body convulsed and trembled uncontrollably, emitting painful groans.
This situation was far more serious than any other time in Deng Jie's memory, causing her heart to sink suddenly.
Huan quickly led her closer and helped her undress Cao Chong, saying, "It's really unfortunate that Master Hua is not here. I'm sorry to trouble you to do this."
"Madam, please don't say such things," Deng Jie suppressed his shock and tried to calm himself down. He placed his fingers on Cao Chong's pulse, which was icy cold to the touch and had a deep, thready, and erratic pulse, indicating an extremely dangerous condition.
She pressed on Cao Chong's calf again, leaving deep, lingering marks, clearly indicating worsening edema. "I watched Prince Cang Shu grow up, how could I refuse?"
As she examined him, she asked anxiously, "Madam Huan, what prescription did Master give the young master recently? Could you show me the prescription or the dregs of the medicine? The young master's recent attack was dangerous; I wonder if it's related to the medication."
Upon hearing this, Huan moved behind her and said sadly, "They were all delivered by Master Hua himself... I don't know much about it."
This happened again, and Deng Jie's doubts deepened.
After Hua Tuo took over, he always used medicine in secrecy, and Madam Huan always seemed clueless when questioned. However, with lives at stake, she had no time to investigate further.
With Hua Tuo gone, she could only rely on the treatments she was familiar with: moxibustion, medicinal baths, and massage.
She hesitated for a moment, then saw Cao Chong's small face contorted in pain and his weak groans choked in pain. She gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and lit the moxa. She held her breath, tried to turn to the side to avoid the smoke, and silently reduced the number of acupoints and the duration of the moxibustion.
She tried her best not to overthink things, skillfully performing the massage and guiding exercises, while also instructing the maids to prepare a warm medicinal bath.
After the procedure, Cao Chong's violent convulsions gradually subsided. Although he was still weak, his breathing had finally become more stable.
The boy struggled to open his swollen eyelids, his pale lips parting slightly to force a heartbreaking smile: "Thank... thank... Mrs. Deng..."
This faint thank you instantly filled Deng Jie with sorrow. Looking at Cao Chong's bloodless face and feeling the slight pain in her abdomen from nervousness, she was overwhelmed by guilt and helplessness.
What exactly did I do that made him want to thank me?
She suppressed the urge to cry, hurriedly gave instructions to Madam Huan, and fled the room as if escaping.
Upon seeing Guo Jia, Deng Jie's long-suppressed nerves, along with his pent-up grievances, helplessness, and worry, burst forth like a flood from a breached dam, becoming uncontrollable.
The emotional fluctuations during her pregnancy, coupled with the helplessness she felt upon witnessing Cao Chong's tragic fate, caused her to completely break down.
She even forgot her surroundings and her own identity. Like a wronged child, she staggered into Guo Jia's arms, clutched his clothes tightly, buried her face in his chest, and her suppressed sobs finally turned into loud weeping.
Guo Jia held her tightly, asking no questions, simply letting her vent.
Only when Deng Jie's sobs gradually turned into choked sobs did he gently wipe away the tears on her face with a handkerchief. "I'm sorry, it's my fault. I couldn't help you get out of it. I shouldn't have let you go through this hardship with such a big belly. Seeing that scene... it was my mistake."
Deng Jie shook her head in his arms, choking back tears: "No...it's not because of this..."
She looked up at Guo Jia with teary eyes, "I'm angry at myself... I'm so useless, I can't cure him at all!"
I don't even know what medicine my master gave him. Seeing him in so much pain... all I can do is... all I can do is watch like this.
He even thanked me… Why should he thank me? I don’t deserve his thanks at all! I’m completely useless…” She burst into tears again.
Guo Jia clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, as if swallowing something, and then patted her back to continue comforting her, "No, you did a great job, you kept him calm."
Master... naturally there is a reason for Master's actions. Master will be back tomorrow and will take good care of Young Master Cang Shu, so don't worry.
But you, being so heavy-hearted, shouldn't worry too much and avoid harming yourself.
After finally calming Deng Jie down a bit, Guo Jia was about to help her home to rest.
At this moment, Zhou Buyi hurried over, followed by a military general with a solemn expression and looking travel-worn.
"Master!" Zhou Buyi greeted him with a bow, then, seeing Guo Jia embracing Deng Jie, he turned and cupped his hands in greeting, "Master's wife."
He just returned from Liucheng today to assist us in planning the northern expedition.
Deng Jie quickly wiped away his tears, straightened up, and bowed to Qian Zhao.
Qian Zhao bowed slightly and turned to Guo Jia, saying, "Master, I have brought back a map of the Youzhou area, but it is not yet fully clear. I need to discuss with you in detail about redrawing it based on my experience."
Seeing this, Deng Jie quickly took two steps back, saying, "I can go back by myself!"
Guo Jia hesitated for a moment, then took her hand and said, “It’s alright, it’s already late. Brother Zijing, Wenzhi, come back with me. I’ll trouble you two to stay at my humble abode for the night.”
On the way back, Deng Jie's still unsettled emotions were disrupted again by the two people behind her. She timidly tugged at Guo Jia's sleeve, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Are you... leaving again?"
Looking into his sincere eyes, Deng Jie felt relieved and nodded slightly, as it didn't seem like he was lying.
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