Master Ciyuan was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed."
"Your Majesty has been drawing blood from your heart for months on end to refine this life-saving elixir. Even with the protection of the gods, Your Majesty dares not draw any more. But rest assured, Your Majesty, there is enough blood now. Today is the last pill. Once it is made, have Consort Ming take it for forty-nine consecutive days, and her life will be safe."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang nodded slightly, signaling Master Ciyuan to take action.
Shen Mingzhuang lay on the couch, her expression unreadable. But the moment the knife cut in, she felt her body struggling. It was her body's instinct for survival. She took a deep breath and, for the first time, truly felt what excruciating pain was.
Perhaps it was a mother's connection with her child, but at this moment she felt as if the child in her womb was also aware of something, and suddenly became restless. She could even feel the little feet kicking her belly.
Thinking that this first meeting would be their last, Shen Mingzhuang suddenly burst into tears. The maidservant attending to her medicine quickly advised, "Your Highness, you mustn't cry. At this time, Your Highness must maintain a peaceful state of mind, otherwise, you might easily..."
She dared not utter any unlucky words, but Shen Mingzhuang understood what she meant. She nodded, suppressing the grief in her heart.
This was her own choice. Since she chose this path, she should be prepared to go all the way and not regret it halfway through!
The child might be better off without his mother by his side after he is born. After all, he is Jiang Wang's first child, and regardless of whether he is legitimate or illegitimate, his status is unshakeable. Now that the Empress Dowager can no longer cause trouble, what else is there for her to worry about?
Thinking of the kindness shown to her by the Rongguo Mansion in rescuing her today, Shen Mingzhuang believed that the child in her womb would be protected.
Having made up her mind, Shen Mingzhuang turned her face away, gripping the wooden edge of the bed tightly with both hands. Her knuckles turned white, and large beads of sweat fell from her fair skin. The initial stinging pain became increasingly sharp, and the cuts deepened. If it weren't for the power left behind by Shi Jiang supporting her, she probably would have fainted on the spot.
But this clarity of mind allowed the pain to seep into every part of his body. At this moment, Shen Mingzhuang realized that some things are so deeply ingrained that they are truly worse than death!
Fortunately, half an incense stick later, a faint cry of a child rang out, and cheers immediately erupted in the hall. She tried her best to see the child's face, but when she heard someone shout that it was a little prince, she could no longer hold on and fell into a deep sleep...
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Highness, you can't sleep! Open your eyes and look at the little prince, Your Highness..."
Amidst the cacophony of voices around her, Shen Mingzhuang remained conscious, sensing that many people were trying to wake her. However, she was utterly exhausted; her body was truly at its limit. She suddenly felt a sense of relief. If she had waited until the child was full-term before giving birth, her body might not have been able to withstand it. If the child had suffocated in her womb, she would never have been able to sever ties with Jiang Wang for the rest of her life.
She let out a long sigh, but could no longer lift her lips. At that moment, she saw a figure rushing towards the main hall. She saw someone holding her lifeless body, wailing in a pool of blood. It was... Jiang Wang?!
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