CHAPTER 525: CHAPTER 514: CHILDBIRTH

Cui Yun was steady and reliable; whenever Shen Hua felt lost, she need not worry as long as he was there. Yet Shen Hua realized belatedly that Cui Yun was actually more anxious than she was.

Many times, when she woke up during the night, he was not asleep. Holding a book in his hands, he was reading.

Shen Hua, resting her head on his arm, leaned over for a look and saw it was a book about childbirth. It was very thick; even the girl had taken it to weigh its heaviness.

The girl subtly rested her hand on his abdomen.

"Flat."

She could feel the stiffness in Cui Yun’s body. Thinking of something, her ears felt a bit hot. She grabbed his hand again, placing it on her round belly.

"It’s me giving birth."

Cui Yun’s expression was tender as he tucked the blanket neatly around the girl.

"Childbirth is difficult for a woman; it is suffering. I ought to be clear about these things, to be mentally prepared."

"When taking care of Rong before, I even read childcare books."

He kissed Shen Hua with restrained affection and was about to get up, but she pressed down on him with one hand.

"Where are you going?"

"You know and still you ask?"

Shen Hua embraced Cui Yun’s neck, refusing to let go.

Cui Yun’s hand feebly rested on her waist: "If you won’t let me leave, do you still care for your hand?"

Since she became pregnant, Cui Yun had restrained himself, only touching her once.

Different from the past, that time he was exceptionally gentle, entering slowly, taking it slow.

In the end, he propped her up, sitting her on top of himself.

"Afraid of hurting you, you should do it yourself."

This was Shen Hua’s first time experiencing such a thing.

That position, was very deep.

She was uncomfortably unskilled, so much so that she felt like crying.

When she was in discomfort, Cui Yun was also pained.

It was after that time that Cui Yun couldn’t bear to touch her again.

Shen Hua gradually loosened her grip and let go of him. Cui Yun headed towards the washroom, but behind him came the rustling sounds of motion.

Every step Shen Hua took was extremely cautious.

He turned around to look at her.

Shen Hua licked her lips.

"Can’t I follow you?"

Cui Yun pressed his brow and after a moment said faintly: "Go back."

"But yesterday when I wanted to listen to you sing, you sang for me, how come now when I want to watch you bathe, you won’t allow it."

Shen Hua pouted, feeling justified: "How can you be so distant with me."

Cui Yun imitated her subtle glance from just now, his gaze drifting towards the energetic hem of his robe. His voice carried a husky tone.

"Look carefully, do you still think it’s just bathing?"

Shen Hua did not respond, but her footsteps did not halt, she even brushed past him, stepping into the washroom first.

Cui Yun’s eyelid twitched.

He stood in place, watching as she settled herself on the small stool next to the bathtub. That stool was used to place various bottles of scented water needed for the girl’s bath.

It suited her well to sit there.

Shen Hua beckoned to Cui Yun.

"Come quickly."

Her smiling eyes were provocative: "Perhaps I haven’t seen it in a while."

Calm and composed, Cui Yun’s emotions in his eyes thickened as he walked over and removed his undergarments. His body was trim and toned, with smooth lines devoid of any excess flesh.

And below...

Shen Hua did not expect him to undress so abruptly, her hands instinctively covered up, but her fingertips inadvertently revealed a gap.

"Still looking?"

Cui Yun laughed and came towards her intentionally.

"Shouldn’t you then say hello?"

————

As the months passed, the girl’s belly grew larger and her movements became more inconvenient.

She needed people around her constantly, and all the responsibilities that could be given to Jiang Zhao, Cui Yun would hand over to him. To the Ministry of Justice, he went every day; anything official he could bring back, he would bring back home.

It was in mid-May when Shen Hua went into labor.

She was talking with Qiao Si, laughing and leaning on Yicui, but soon enough, the girl could laugh no longer.

"Sister-in-law."

She anxiously grabbed Yicui’s hand again: "I..."

Qiao Si suddenly stood up and strode outside.

"Ji Xin, go and invite the midwife and the medical woman whom my younger brother brought to the mansion a few months ago. Also, call for Ni Kang to stand guard outside. I’ll feel more at ease."

"Order the kitchen to boil water!"

"Scissors, hot water, cotton cloth, everything we need, Nanny Cheng you know what to do, hurry and get them."

Qiao Si looked at Yingwu.

"Quick, carry your Family Head to the birthing room."

"Rush to call the young master back, just say that the Second Young Madam is about to give birth."

Although it was her first childbirth, Shen Hua had been exceptionally well-nurtured, and her cervix was dilating faster than normal. Some women take as long as five or six two hours.

Drenched in heavy sweat from pain, she felt as though all her bones had been broken down and reconstructed. Her eyes bloodshot, she only now began to realize her fear.

There were five or six midwives in the room, not to mention the medical woman.

Qiao Si and the others wanted to stay inside, but were asked to leave.

"Today, the blueprint master sent a message, he said the coffin I ordered before has been completed."

She clenched Yicui’s hand tightly and never let go.

"Do you think this could be..."

"Madam!" Yicui cut her off.

She used a cotton cloth to wipe the girl’s sweat.

"Such ominous words must not be spoken."

"Conserve your strength for later. Don’t speak nonsense."

The midwife brought over an egg, coaxed Shen Hua into eating it, and then fed her ginseng soup.

Shen Hua had no appetite, but she reluctantly crammed it down.

Yicui’s voice was as gentle as ever.

"Everyone says you’re blessed with fortune. The good days are still ahead. Once the little master is born, you will have to take him back to Fengzhou and let Madam have a look."

"Your beloved Yangyang is a Mama now too."

Meanwhile,

Cui Yun was in the prison, his tone cold and indifferent: "Still not confessing?"

The bound prisoner was stubborn and refused to talk.

Cui Yun’s patience had run out. He brushed his robe: "Since you won’t talk, sew up your mouth tightly."

The prisoner was terrified: "You’re using torture!"

The executioner took a needle and sewed through the top and bottom lips.

"Even if you don’t confess, the Ministry of Justice has other ways to investigate."

"You should feel fortunate that these days, the officer doesn’t like taking lives, which is why you are still breathing."

Cui Yun walked out with a calm demeanor, his indifference as usual, oblivious to the grisly screams. His eyes lacked any hint of disturbance as he walked at an unhurried pace.

Until Ji Qing hurried over.

"Sir, there’s news from the mansion at night, the Princess Consort has gone into labor."

Cui Yun’s pupils shrank sharply. He strode outside.

The carriage was already prepared. The atmosphere around the man grew even tenser. He mounted the horse.

By the time he arrived, there were already quite a few people standing in the courtyard.

Inside the house, the midwife’s voice intermittently exclaimed: "Princess Consort, push hard."

Xie Xun paced back and forth, hands trembling beneath his sleeves.

Cui Yun felt faint when he saw Yicui bringing out a basin of bloody water.

He had returned from the Ministry of Justice’s prison dirtied, so he changed into clean clothing and tidied himself up properly. Following the medical prescriptions from "Jiyan Fang," he brought a large amount of astragalus, peony, and angelica to be decocted in a big pot of water for disinfection to prevent infection during childbirth. Only then did he dare to enter.

The room smelled of blood.

Other women screamed incessantly during childbirth.

But Shen Hua did not.

The tension triggered her condition again.

She shivered, fearing Yicui’s nagging, and recited softly under her breath.

"Stripe Embroidery, Point Embroidery, Bian Xiu, net embroidery, gauze embroidery..."

A wave of contractions hit her, she whimpered, bolstering her own spirit.

The sound was loud and filled with pride.

"Yangyang can do them all!"