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Waiting to Give Birth
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Bai Guo could only nicely pacify, “This is the heir’s idea, fearing that the people from the second branch’s side will also have people watching. That’s why, prior to returning to Qingyu Pavilion, asking young madam to pretend to have indeed seen blood. As for this blood pack, if not sticky enough, then there will be too much blood. If by chance the palace insist on treating you on the spot, there will be other troubles. Although the heir also arranged a hand in the palace, but it’s not as thorough as the outside after all, so can only ask you to endure.”
Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but sigh. She naturally knew everything that Xun Che had arranged, but although planned as such, when really secretly puncturing the hidden blood pack at the palace banquet, pretending to be ill to leave the banquet, and after returning to the manor, still need to continue pretending, she still felt a bit helpless just thinking about it, also somewhat strangely finding it funny.
The accompanying servants actually weren’t that nervous either. It was truly knowing that their young madam had a good temper. Bai Guo thought for a moment, additionally instructing a few words on how to act, what kind of stance to put on, and so on before returning to the manor. Yu Lingxin although listened, she nevertheless felt that there really wasn’t the need. After all, pretending to have problems with the fetus to escape from the situation, it was mainly still for the sake of avoiding the schemes targeted at Xun Ying in the palace. In their own home, just putting on the appearance was more than enough.
But, who knew that at the second gate, as soon as the carriage firmly stopped, upon lifting the carriage curtains, Yu Lingxin was just startled by the sight. Outside, Little Imperial Physician Chi was actually waiting there with two other doctors. The soft sedan chair was also prepared. Ganlu and Shuangzhi both were full of anxiety, waiting to the side with reddened eyes while leading along four to five servants girls. Additionally, there were also towels, a thin blanket, even warmed pain relieving tisane, and various other items prepared. That stance was like as if she’d already had a miscarriage in the carriage.
However, although shocked inside, her act on the surface was still sufficient. Before arriving, Bai Guo already applied some seemingly pale and ashen powder on Yu Lingxin, even adding some water droplets to look like cold sweat. In addition to her curled up posture with her head weakly lowered, as well as the large patch of dark red bloodstain on her dress that was increasingly spreading out, Yu Lingxin actually appeared to very much be suited for this scene———–seemingly really very serious!
Reaching this level of commotion, there was naturally a crowd of people behind the waiting servants that came over to check on the situation. At the same time pretending to weakly groan as she was getting supported down from the carriage, the corner of Yu Lingxin’s eye quickly swept around, most likely also seeing that there was an unfamiliar servant girl looking around a bit farther away from them.
However, she ultimately wasn’t able to look too carefully, still need to pretend to be ill first.
“Young madam, you must hang in there!” Following Ganlu’s sincere and anxious cry that carried a tearful tone, Ming Huayue and Xun Ying both rushed over after descending their carriage, “Child, endure a little more!”
“Sister-in-law! Don’t be scared!”
Seeing how Xun Ying also had a red nose with tears in her eyes, for a moment, Yu Lingxin actually wanted to facepalm. This whole family were all skilled actors!
Of course, the scene was still tense and even somewhat chaotic. Everyone of the first branch all appeared to be burning with anxiety, wanting to have Yu Lingxin quickly sent back to Qingyu Pavilion and let Little Imperial Physician Chi and the other two doctors examine together. That’s why, it seemed as if from top to bottom, no one noticed that there was a little servant girl from Cide Hall that came over to watch the commotion, even slightly inquiring a few words.
Thus, as Qingyu Pavilion’s side continued to be in a chaotic mess, examining the pulse, applying the needles, preparing the prescription, and such, Cide Hall just received the news that passed over one after another———–Yu Lingxin’s body was originally weak to begin with, the body probably not that well as the mother. Normally, there doesn’t appeared to be any big problems, but it was actually still dangerous, especially when reaching this stage of the pregnancy.
It would’ve been a little better if she hadn’t gone to the Duanyang palace banquet. After all, moving around less meant less risks, but the honor and dignity bestowed by her Highness the Empress was especially ample this year, thus Yu Lingxin indulged in this palace banquet’s limelight, insisting on going, so wasn’t that precisely waiting for a problem to occur?
Having bled that much, never mind that the child might not necessarily be able to be preserved, to have an accident this late into the pregnancy, afraid even for the adult, it won’t be good.
Even Little Imperial Physician Chi appeared to be headaching!
Practically every hour, this kind of news after news was inquired by the little servant girl from Qingyu Pavilion’s side and then passed on back to Cide Hall. And in less than two hours later, Xun Che who was still dressed in his official gown already rushed back home on horseback, clearly hearing the news and learning about his wife’s ‘critical condition’.
And the emergency treatment in Qingyu Pavilion actually lasted all the way from the afternoon to the evening. When the sky had completely turned dark, Qingyu Pavilion was still brightly lit. Little Imperial Physician Chi who still had some bloodstains on him finally exhaustingly took his leave from the Xun manor together with the other two doctors.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
By this time, even the palace had sent someone over to ask about Yu Lingxin’s condition, let alone the friends, relative, colleagues, and such. Ming Huayue replied to the outsiders with a heavy expression that Yu Lingxin and the child were both safe and sound, not having any major problems, thanking everyone for the concern, and so on.
Just, although the words seemingly were said as such, the deep worry and even hesitation in Ming Huayue’s expression all hinted that Yu Lingxin’s condition certainly wasn’t very good.
For a time, numerous discussions arose outside. But, seeing how the Xun family was solely worried and distressed, not having the intention of arguing with Zhaoyang Hall, most likely, it was still because Yu Lingxin’s own body wasn’t good, and not related to the food and drinks at the palace banquet. As such, the people outside merely sighed a little, digging out those gossips from back then when the Xun family and the Yu family formed marriage ties before turning the page.
And towards the Wen’an Marquis Manor’s entire family mostly staying home, even temporarily suspending the Linglong Literature Club’s activities, Yu Lingxin and Xun Ying completely not going out at all in the several following days, no one felt that there was anything strange. In fact, there were even some that were waiting, seeing when the Wen’an Marquis Manor will official announce that the heir’s madam suffered a miscarriage, unable to preserve this child.
Cide Hall although was inside the Wen’an Marquis Manor, their relationship with the first branch was actually no different from outsiders. The attitude they held was even similar. In fact, Xun old madam even strangely helpless and a bit regretful. When drinking tea, she even carelessly blurted in front of Xun Tan, “Really a girl with no good fortune, don’t even need to do anything, yet already unable to keep it herself. In the past, really overestimated her.”
Li mama ultimately was still astute, quickly taking the opportunity to pull the old madam’s sleeve when changing the tea, expressing to not say more. Xun second madam and Xun Xiang were aware of the old madam’s plans, but didn’t participate in them. Even if hearing, they would just pretend to have not heard, but towards this matter, they still agreed with the old madam’s saying, somewhat sighing at how Yu Lingxin truly didn’t have the good fortune herself.
Only Xun Tan completely pretended to have not heard. However, when lowering his head to drink the tea, he was nevertheless coldly sneering inside———-This move of Xun Che’s clearly was advancing by retreating. The fetus was unstable, unable to be preserved? By the seventh month, it’ll have reached full-term. When time comes, one will know whether it’s stable or not.
In reality, in the following two months, Qingyu Pavilion indeed continuously tossed around. Little Imperial Physician Chi practically had to come every four to five days. Yu old madam and Yu Bocheng also personally came to visit twice. Yu Lingxin pretty much never went out again, not even coming to Cide Hall to pay her respects or show her face.
Even Xun Ying all stayed by Yu Lingxin’s side all day long, only going to Cide Hall once every ten days. Ming Huayue actually went everyday. Just, whenever hearing Xun old madam ask about Yu Lingxin or the family guests mention Yu Lingxin, she would just have a worried and distressed look. However, she would always answer that Yu Lingxin was fine, everything was well, the mother and child both well. Just, that tone made the listeners want to ask more, yet feel it wasn’t appropriate to ask more. They kept feeling that probably in a few days, they will just be able to hear news about the mother and child both not being well.
However, ten days passed, then another ten days. Little Imperial Physician Chi came over again and again, the supplements from the palace already getting bestowed twice, the medicinal ingredients and gifts from the friends and relatives further getting sent again and again, yet it seems that Yu Lingxin who was walking by the edge of the cliff the whole time surprisingly still didn’t fall down.
By the time Cide Hall finally began to feel that something was wrong, even suspecting the exact condition of Yu Lingxin’s body, it was already the middle of the sixth month. Yu Lingxin’s stomach already reached nine and a half months, practically can be considered the melon already ripe. After all, as the first child, going into labor a few days early or a few days later than the originally estimated time, it was all considered normal.
Just, the capital at this time also once again started becoming lively. On one hand, Qin Wang who has been away from the capital for several days finally produced results on the investigation of the military affairs in the northwest, the confidential memorandums getting sent back to the capital one after another. Starting from the first of the sixth month to the twentieth, five consecutive confidential memorandums directly reached Xuan Emperor’s hands, not even going through the Central Secretariat. Exactly what was specifically written inside, the officials of the court were unable to find out for the time being. However, during the court meetings in the sixth month, Xuan Emperor’s complexion was increasingly unsightly. And for the cabinet ministers and Xun Che, these close ministers to the emperor, after the court meetings, the time they spent discussing in Ganxi Hall under imperial orders also increased more and more.
This kind of phenomenon, for the officials of the court, as well as the imperial consorts of the inner palace, and even the other three princes currently in the capital, made one even more on edge than Xuan Emperor directly sentencing with an open decree, or the back and forth lawsuits between the important ministers. The more unclear the situation was, the more it made people uneasy.
Of course, there were also officials that requested Xuan Emperor to clearly indicate during the court meetings, exactly what Qin Wang found out in the northwest, and that it should be discussed together in court with the officials. However, the usually lenient Xuan Emperor just darkened his expression, expressing that Qin Wang should be able to return to the capital within the sixth month. When time comes, everything will be discussed altogether.
Towards this, the court officials could only accept the order, unable to ask more. Qin Wang’s return to court increasingly became the focus for everyone from top to bottom. At the same time while everyone were all waiting, everyone were also trying to figure out Xuan Emperor’s thoughts regarding the heir apparent.
If to say that in the past, the princes were all still relatively young, the disparity in literary talent and martial arts all not obvious enough, also not having any accomplishments in governmental affairs, then in front of Xuan Emperor, what can be compared was just the so called personal moral character, as well as their birth mother’s imperial favor, their wife’s family background, and so on. But now, with Qin Wang having accomplishments on the matter of the military affairs in the northwest, he has far surpassed the remaining two princes.
Under this kind of situation, never mind Yu Lingxin’s pregnancy, this bit of trivial matter, not having anyone paying attention anymore, even Wu Wang Manor’s Side Consort Tan having a miscarriage, Liangyuan Li getting pregnant, someone in Wei Wang Manor slipping and falling into the waters, drowning to death, afterwards haunting the place, Wei Wangfei Wen Ruoqiong getting frightened to the point of vomiting blood and falling ill, and such seemingly entertaining back manor stories also had no one caring about too much.
After all, in front of the heir apparent position, all other trivial gossips all weren’t worth mentioning.
Comparatively speaking, other than the results from Qin Wang’s investigation in the northwest, as well as the date of Qin Wang’s return to the capital, there was one more thing that people further cared about, and that was the young Chief Secretary of the Central Secretariat Xun Che will soon get promoted again, becoming a low third rank Councilor of the Central Secretariat. This, in the history of Great Sheng, was already the youngest third rank civil official. Aside from the imperial clansmen that held a noble title, and the closely related nephews that the emperor particularly valued and promoted, he was practically one of a kind.
Then, naturally, the voices of discussion and criticism among the scholars were quite a few. One of the most graceful and ornate piece of writing among them that had the most reason and logic precisely came from Qi Ke’s hand.
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