Chapter 7: Childbirth

Chapter 7: Childbirth

Jiang Hui struggled in the birthing room for a day and a night, finally giving birth to a frail little prince. Only upon hearing a faint cry did she relax and fall into a deep, exhausted sleep.

The Empress Dowager had been escorted back to the Cining Palace by the Emperor as night deepened. Now, the Empress and other concubines accompanied the Emperor, anxiously waiting in Qionghua Hall after the conclusion of the congratulatory rites.

The Emperor couldn't stay in the birthing room until the end; his presence there for a while was already beyond protocol. Ultimately persuaded by the Empress Dowager, he stood outside the birthing room, his expression somber.

At the break of dawn, the baby's cry finally echoed from the birthing room.

The Empress glanced at Xu Xiuyuan's rigid expression, hearing the weak cry and realizing the child Jiang Hui bore must have some deficiencies, she breathed a sigh of relief. The Empress Dowager's reluctance to transfer the palace authority to her was likely due to fears of her harboring jealousy towards Jiang Hui and plotting in secret. Now it seemed unnecessary for her to do anything – fate had taken its course.

Stone Beauty remained expressionless, sitting dazedly to one side, while Consort Jia showed genuine joy, standing up with a beaming smile.

The Emperor, oblivious to the expressions of the consorts behind him, immediately approached as the midwife came out with the swaddled infant, asking anxiously, “How are the Noble Consort and the prince?”

Nanny Qian, sweaty and still with joy in her eyes, was not startled by the Emperor’s sudden approach. She curtsied and replied:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Consort has fainted from exhaustion, and the little prince, having been stifled in the womb for a long time, is somewhat frail. They both need further examination by the Imperial Physician."

She wasn’t an Imperial Household midwife and, despite having learned court etiquette upon entering the palace, she spoke honestly without mincing words, stating the stark reality.

Emperor Xiaosheng's expression faltered momentarily, but he didn't blame the midwife and rewarded her. He carefully adjusted his posture to hold his son and headed inside. Qing An, astute as ever, led the wet nurse and the ever-attendant Imperial Physicians Li and Liu to follow.

The room had been cleaned up; Jiang Hui, now in fresh clothes, lay on the bed, sound asleep.

The wet nurse took the little prince behind a screen to nurse him, and the two physicians first examined Jiang Hui before checking on the prince.

Seated aside, Emperor Xiaosheng asked after both physicians had finished, "How are they?"

Imperial Physician Liu stepped forward and said plainly without any pretense, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Consort was not robust to begin with, and the transverse delivery has exhausted her vitality and shortened her lifespan. She will need long-term recuperation and likely won't be able to conceive again for at least three years."

"Shortened lifespan?" Emperor Xiaosheng frowned, reining in his temper before turning to Physician Li, "Would her condition improve under your care?"

Physician Li, sweating slightly, replied, "Physician Liu has always been in charge of the Consort's medical records and is more familiar with her condition. If I were to take over, I could only do my best with my specially formulated nourishing pills."

Xiaosheng paused before inquiring about the newborn prince.

Physician Li, a bit out of his depth, suggested, "Your Majesty, while we are well-versed in adult medicine, our expertise in pediatrics is limited. It might be best to call upon Imperial Physician Lin Gui for the young prince."

Qing An discreetly left to summon his apprentice Qing Jing to fetch Physician Lin.

The Empress stopped Qing An as he was about to leave, asking about the situation inside before tidying her attire and entering the heated chamber.

After paying her respects, she held the little prince for a while before turning to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, you must attend the sacrificial rites at the funerary palace this morning. It’s already dawn, and further delay is not advisable."

"I am aware. The Empress must be tired after a long day; return to your palace and rest."

As long as the Emperor stayed, the Empress and other consorts, despite exhaustion and sleepiness, had no choice but to stay in Qionghua Hall. Soon, Qing Jing hurried in with an elderly physician.

It wasn't Physician Lin's duty day; he had likely been hastily fetched from his home by Qing Jing, even his hairpin askew.

The Emperor, less concerned with appearances at the moment, had the physician examine the newborn prince thoroughly and recounted Jiang Hui's labor to him, posing the same question he asked Physician Li.

Physician Lin, internally cursing his colleagues for putting him on the spot, appeared thoughtful before replying, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the prince, having been stifled in the womb and inherently weak, should be treated to strengthen his kidneys and spleen, with a gradual approach."

Seeing the Emperor's furrowed brow, Imperial Physician Lin continued, "I inquired with the wet nurse, and although the little prince's sucking strength is weak, it's still quite vigorous. As long as his Qi and blood are sufficiently replenished, his lifespan should not be affected."

Emperor Xiaosheng responded, "I have heard that if a baby suffers suffocation in the womb, it could harm the heart and lungs, affecting their mind. From what you say, our son does not have this concern?"

Imperial Physician Lin, sweating profusely, hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty is well-informed. Indeed, there are such cases, but thanks to Physician Liu's timely acupuncture and the midwife's skilled maneuvers, in my view, the little prince currently shows no such concerns."

Finally reassured, the Emperor stayed awhile longer with Jiang Hui and their son before hastening to the funerary palace.

After Xiaosheng left, the Empress summoned three physicians for further inquiries before dismissing the other consorts and returning to Fengyi Palace.

Chunyan closely followed the Empress into the inner chamber, finally voicing her concerns held back along the way.

"Your Majesty, according to Imperial Physician Lin, although the little prince is inherently weak, his condition can be remedied postnatally. Should we..."

Slap—

The Empress slapped Chunyan across the face, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Looking down at her favored maid, now kneeling on the ground, the Empress ordered her to rise and said sternly, "I have only recently assumed the role of Empress. Many eyes are upon us... Chunyan, you and Xiachan are my dowry maids from my natal home, and I trust you the most. In the future, think broader, not like an ordinary palace maid... With Jiang Hui now frail and unlikely to conceive for years, isn’t it beneficial for us that she occupies the Emperor's attention yet cannot bear sons? Given her state, she'll likely devote most of her energy to caring for her sickly son, fretting day and night. Isn’t that an advantage for us?"

"Yes. I was presumptuous. Your Majesty's punishment is just," Chunyan replied, bowing her head.

The Empress touched the white jade bracelet on her wrist, slowly rotating it as she mused, "As for the little prince... why the hurry? There are plenty of others who are anxious."

Chunyan left the inner chamber, where Xiachan was still guarding the door, sitting by the curtain embroidering a pouch. Surprised to see Chunyan's covered face, Xiachan pulled her aside, asking concernedly, "Chunyan, what happened?"

Chunyan shook her head, reluctant to elaborate, "It's nothing, I just misspoke."

Xiachan, aware of the Empress' discomfort due to the birth of the Prince and the Emperor's deep affection, didn't press further and went to fetch a boiled egg from the kitchen to roll on Chunyan's face for soothing.