Great Zhou World
On an afternoon filled with the cacophony of cicadas, sunlight shimmered like gold foil outside the green gauze cabinet. The young palace maid, Liu Xu, held the gilded ice mirror and moved it closer to the imperial concubine's couch. The coiled dragon patterns on the mirror were blurred by the vapor, and melted snow snaked through the cracks in the blue bricks, like silver snakes slithering beneath the brick-red lichen.
The glazed tiles of Chonghua Palace shone white in the blazing sun, blinding the viewer. The bronze bells on the eaves had long since been sunburned, but the rosy red petals of the crabapple trees, now in full bloom, curled at the edges and rustled onto the soft, brocade pillow favored by the imperial concubine. Willow catkins saw the petals clinging to the dark pattern of the imperial concubine's amber nightgown, looking like bloodstains.
Even though Liu Xu's little face was scorching hot from the sun, she didn't dare to make any sound. This was the time for the imperial concubine to take an afternoon nap.
But when the forest was covered in blood, Yang Fangfei woke up from her dream, the pain in her lower abdomen surged again. Amidst the screams, the chaise longue where she had been resting suddenly turned into a delivery room.
The beloved Yang Guifei gave birth, and everyone in the small courtyard was bustling with activity. Amidst the cries and screams, a baby boy landed heavily on the ground, making no sound at all. Apart from his mother's efforts, the place was as quiet as a nap.
Nangong Yan, the gynecological expert of the Imperial Hospital, knelt tremblingly in front of the emperor. Facing the sudden miscarriage, he had already tried his best. Now he could only pray in his heart for the safety of mother and child.
The current emperor and Yang Guifei were childhood sweethearts, their lifelong companionship and deep affection. However, they were destined to have few children. Fortunately, with the help of heaven, she finally became pregnant, and he always took great care of her.
Emperor Xiao Wufan took the child from the midwife's arms. It was a boy, his eyes closed, his body flushed red, the skin between his legs completely ulcerated. A loud buzzing sound filled his head, as if the entire world had been drained away, leaving only the roar of his blood rushing to his head. He couldn't believe it! He refused to believe it! This was the child he had longed for half his life, the child Fangfei had poured all his love and anticipation into! He was the hope for the future of the Xiao royal family!
Almost instinctively, he stretched out his trembling fingers, carefully and with a last, almost imperceptible plea, he placed them beneath the baby's tiny, slightly open mouth and nose. His fingertips felt dead silence. Not a trace of warm breath, only cold, frozen air.
Nangong Yan pressed his forehead against the icy, bone-chilling blue brick floor, slightly damp with invisible blood and sweat. The touch felt like a massive tombstone, coldly announcing the end of him and the entire Nangong family. He maintained the most humble, crawling posture, but his body trembled uncontrollably, as if every bone was wailing and every muscle was cramping. The cold sweat didn't seep out, but like a broken glacier, it instantly soaked through his heavy official uniform, clinging to his back with a sticky, deathly chill. The stifling heat of the hall created a hellish torment.
The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims:
I have been granted the Mandate of Heaven, ruling over all realms. Yet, the Phoenix Palace mourns the passing of our Dragon Heir. Though the Imperial Concubine's heir has yet to be born, he is truly the flesh and blood of the royal family. I hereby posthumously confer the title of Prince Huai, and the posthumous name of Dao. I order the Ministry of Rites to enshrine him in the Imperial Mausoleum with the rites of a prince, to be worshipped in the Imperial Ancestral Temple for eternity. Each of the palace ladies who served the Imperial Concubine is given a gift of one hundred bolts of silk to console her for the loss of her father.
Nangong Yan, the chief judge of the Imperial Hospital, was granted the title of Doctor of Medicine by the Emperor's grace. He held the helm of a master, yet risked his life. Instead of pursuing his medical studies, he caused the loss of the Emperor's child. His crime deserves the extermination of all his clans. In memory of his three generations of service to the late Emperor, I have granted him a jar of poisoned wine, sparing his body. All underage males were exiled to the frontier, and all females were enslaved by the Jiaofang Bureau.
The laws of heaven are clear, and there are laws governing life and death. I have resolved this cause and effect today, and I hope that everyone in and outside the six palaces will live in peace and not betray the kindness of Heaven and Earth.
"The baby is coming, the baby is coming." Everyone in the Ning Mansion was spreading this great news.
Two major events unfolded simultaneously at the Ning Mansion: Ning Yangyang's life was hanging by a thread from food poisoning, and Hu Mi's imminent birth was in danger. Everyone in the mansion was frantically busy. Xiao Ziyi watched as Ning Yangyang was stabbed like a hedgehog, the red blotches on her face lingering. Her breathing was steady, yet as subtle as the distant ripples of a dragonfly skimming the water.
"Your Highness, Prince. This is a sign of poisoning, the toxin is too strong. I need to check the meals at that time before I can prescribe the right medicine. Otherwise, the princess might be in danger of death." Doctor Chen, who was originally resting at home, was hurriedly rushed from the wooden bed to Ning Yangyang's bedside. They just handed the half-dead nobleman to him, a lonely man. It turned out that the imperial doctors have always been the ones to take the blame from ancient times to the present.
"A quack!" Xiao Ziyi's face was as gloomy as water and he snorted coldly. Although the voice was not loud, it was like a thunderclap exploding in Doctor Chen's ears, scaring him so much that his legs were shaking and he was trembling on the ground like a fallen leaf in the wind.
Xiao Ziyi sat upright beside the bed, her figure as straight as a plum blossom standing proudly in the snow. Yet, even though this was clearly a woman's boudoir, the air was filled with a lingering fruity aroma. This scent became even stronger as one approached the bed, penetrating directly into one's nostrils.
Xiao Ziyi couldn't help but frown, wondering: Where did this smell come from? Could it be? He remembered that his sister, like their mother, was allergic to certain fruits. Even a simple bite would cause her body to break out in red spots and itch unbearably. Fortunately, this allergic reaction wasn't fatal and would heal with rest.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ziyi subconsciously tightened the blanket around him, as if trying to block out the smell. But the smell of mango continued to linger around him, and of course, around Xiao Yuhuan, who was also confused. He turned to look at Doctor Chen and said expressionlessly, "If you have time, you should go see the other patient." After that, he glanced at Ning Yangyang a few times, and seeing that her breathing gradually stabilized, he felt a little relieved and said lightly, "She's fine."
Doctor Chen, as a doctor, didn't understand his employer's request for a moment. Was this half-dead state really okay? But in the end, he was still urged to move from one battlefield to another.
The one pulling him along was a delicate young woman. She breathlessly recounted an emergency on another battlefield, "Doctor Chen, my sister-in-law is experiencing a difficult labor at home. The situation is extremely critical. I urgently need your assistance. Use acupuncture to help her induce labor."
Doctor Chen secretly thought that this was not good. He was not very proficient in gynecological matters. What should he do? However, human life was at stake, so he could only bite the bullet and try the method instructed by his senior brother.
Doctor Chen arrived at the delivery room and saw the woman's face pale as a sheet, with beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. She was clearly in great pain. He took a deep breath, gathered his composure, and then carefully inserted the silver needle into the woman's acupuncture point.
However, during the acupuncture, the pregnant woman suddenly lost consciousness without any warning, and her struggling body suddenly became limp. This sudden change caught Doctor Chen off guard, and his hands could not help but tremble.
Giving birth is an extremely physically demanding endeavor, and now that the pregnant woman has lost consciousness, she naturally has no strength left. What should be done? A thin layer of sweat broke out on Doctor Chen's forehead, and various possible causes and solutions flashed through his mind, but none of them could help.
Seeing the pregnant woman's life force gradually fading away, everyone present was too frightened to speak. "Save the mother or the child?" Doctor Chen finally asked the question.
The question of human life was laid bare before Xia Weiya. She remained silent, as if all her words had been exhausted by the previous events. At this moment, there seemed no other way but to pray silently.
Xia Weiya knew that this childbirth was a life-or-death test for Ning Xi, so she had already sent someone to inform Ning Xi in advance, hoping that he would come back as soon as possible. After all, no one wanted Ning Xi to see only the cold corpses of his wife and children when he returned.
However, at that moment, Ning Bihuan arrived in a hurry. She had just snatched Doctor Chen from Ning Duoyu and was extremely anxious. But fearing the scene inside the delivery room, she dared not step inside. After all, she had heard from her wet nurse that childbirth was an extremely dangerous thing, and the slightest mistake could result in two deaths.
"Mom, it's all because of this scourge Ning Duoyu! Ever since she came to our house, there hasn't been a single day of peace. My sister-in-law..." Ning Bihuan said breathlessly, her face full of resentment.
However, Xia Weiya had no time to consider Ning Bihuan's complaints. She knew that at this critical moment, any noise could disturb Hu Mi and the child in the delivery room. So, she decisively sent Ning Bihuan away, then knelt motionless in front of the delivery room like a statue, praying wholeheartedly.
Nangong Xi was practicing medicine in the clinic he had secretly opened, but there were only a few patients coming to see him today, and it could even be said that the clinic was deserted. The hot tea he had carefully prepared this morning hadn't even had a chance to be opened yet, and it was still steaming.
The doorman was leaning against the doorframe, bored, when suddenly, the sound of rapid horse hooves came from afar. Before he could react, a figure rushed over like a whirlwind, rushing before him in the blink of an eye.
Nangong Xi felt her vision blurry before her wrist was tightly gripped by a large, iron-like hand. She looked up in astonishment, only to see the face of a man with an extremely anxious expression.
"Come with me!" The man's voice was low and urgent, with an unquestionable tone.
Before Nangong Xi could say anything, she was dragged out of the clinic by the man. Her cry for help was lingering in her throat, but she couldn't make it out because of the man's great strength.
At this critical moment, a thought flashed through Nangong Xi's mind: her identity must not be exposed! So, she covered her veil tightly, fearing that her true identity would be recognized.
"I am the eldest son of Ning Mansion in the west of the city. My wife is having difficulties in childbirth. I beg you to rescue me, young lady. Time waits for no one!" Ning Xi hurriedly explained when he saw Nangong Xi struggling.
He spoke very quickly, as if the situation was truly critical. Nangong Xi's heart softened when she heard this. After all, doctors are compassionate, and she simply couldn't sit idly by and watch a woman in critical condition.
However, her hesitation lasted only a moment. The next moment, Ning Xi effortlessly carried her onto his horse like a chicken. "Excuse me! Make way!" He whipped aside the unopened tents of the Hu merchants in the West Market, and the horseshoes of the Jade Horse screeched on the bluestone slabs. A carriage suddenly rushed out from the corner of Huaiyuanfang. Ning Xi pulled the reins hard, and heard the silver bells at her waist cracking like ice. On horseback, Nangong Xi felt his stomach churning, and his mind was also thinking.
"The doctor invited by the young master has arrived." The servant at the door had no time to pass on the message and could only follow Ning Xi, shouting at the top of his voice.
Doctor Chen looked at another unfortunate person who had come to take the blame, and he had mourned in his heart for thousands of times, "What a sin! What a sin!"
The stench of blood in the delivery room was so thick it choked everyone. Madam Hu Mi lay sprawled on the couch, her face pale, her brocade quilt soaked in dark red. The midwife trembled as she spoke, "It's a transverse pregnancy! I really... "
Doctor Chen also echoed: "I just gave her the injection to induce labor and she lost her strength."
"Quack." Nangong Xiyuan disdained to argue with an uninformed man, but childbirth was a woman's most important event, and his rash actions would only harm the head of the family. "Take three grams of red ginseng and boil it into a thick soup. Fumigate the birth canal with white vinegar." She pulled a delicate vial from her sleeve and simply waved it at Hu Mi's nose a few times. The originally frail woman instantly regained her energy, giving the unborn child a chance to breathe.
"What are you standing there for? Go find some purple pearl grass." Doctor Chen was completely frightened by the aura of the young girl and crawled out of the door.
The wooden hairpin in Nangong Xi's hair had slipped out of her hair at some point. Her long, dark blue hair, snaking down to her waist, only made her eyes and eyebrows appear even darker. Her white fingertips were stained with blood, yet her grip was as steady as that of Guanyin holding a willow branch.
"Madam is awake!" The midwife continued to squat beside the bed, ready for delivery.
When Hu Mi awoke, her belly was still swollen, and every bone in her body ached with aching pain. "Push harder, my lady!" Ning Xi ignored the pedantic people outside. He had no business waiting outside while his lady was charging forward. With a wave of his hand, he pushed open the ceremonial wooden door, his large hands tightly grasping the delicate hands, now covered in sweat and blood.
Push hard. This was the only thought in Hu Mi's mind. Could she really overcome the current difficulty by simply exerting all her strength, sparing no effort? She had no doubts, instead concentrating all her strength in her lower abdomen.
When Hu Mi woke up again, her slightly swollen belly had flattened. She looked over to a baby boy wrapped in cotton, softly crying, lying in a rocking cot. Standing before her was a veiled woman, followed by her most familiar family.
"Mother and child are safe."
Ning Xi looked at the lively little guy in his arms, who had the same facial features as Hu Mi, and he was really happy the more he looked at him. Before the family could get over the joy of having a new baby, a group of armed imperial guards took advantage of the lack of people at the door and rushed into the backyard.
Nangong Xi, seeing she had nothing to do here, gathered the heavy silver ingots in her sleeves and was about to leave when she ran into the group. They snatched the veil from her face. "Nangong Xi, seventeen years old, exiled to the Jiaofangsi." As the commander of the imperial guards shook the portrait open, the sound of silk tearing pierced the eardrums. His hawk-like gaze swept across the girl's face. The figure in the portrait bore a striking resemblance to her, save for a cinnabar mole on her chin.
The moment the icy chain wrapped around her wrist, Nangong Xi didn't even flinch. The chill of the metal against her skin was strangely less intense than the chill rising from a corner of her heart. She simply stood there quietly, letting the heavy chain tighten, as if what was locked up wasn't her vibrant seventeen-year-old life, but a hollow shell whose end was already foreseeable.
Nangong Xi had a vague idea of the reason behind this. It must be... the turmoil surrounding the Imperial Concubine's childbirth. She hadn't expected it to come down so directly, so brutally, without even needing a proper accusation. A single portrait and an order would crush her life. The doctor's benevolent heart ultimately only harmed herself. She had finally come to understand the interdependence of fortune and misfortune.
A sudden draft picked up the backyard, and Nangong Xi suddenly thought of her grandfather. Is he okay? She heard the crisp sound of a porcelain cup falling to the floor in the delivery room, and the swaddled baby suddenly burst into tears. She seemed to foresee the scene at home to the east, and she would never forget the words hanging high in the ancestral hall: "Be sincere and cautious in the properties of medicine, and practice benevolence throughout your life." It seemed as if her life had been a life of its own.
"Take it away." The sound of armor clashing drowned out the clear sound of the jade bracelet falling to the ground from her sleeve, and the heavy silver ingot rolled into the moss under the screen wall.
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