No matter how much Shao Yunan didn’t want to have a child, he “unfortunately” did, so he had to give birth whether he wanted to or not. Therefore, he obediently followed his father to learn about pregnancy and childbirth. A few related books were in the space, not intentionally stored by Shao Yunan. In his “past life,” there were rumors of an apocalypse, so Shao Yunan had stored many supplies, including many cans of baby formula. Those books were all freebies. Now, these books became Wang Shijing’s required reading, and Shao Yunan reluctantly read two of them.

Shao Yunan imagined many scenarios for his “delivery,” such as his stomach suddenly hurting in the middle of the night, for example, walking on the street and his stomach suddenly hurting, or, eating a meal and his stomach suddenly hurting… In short, it would definitely be his stomach suddenly hurting.

Dai Zhanxiao hurried back, covered in dust, fearing he would miss the child’s birth. Shao Yunan, despite his lack of brotherly feelings, was very touched. As Shao Yunan was about to give birth, he couldn’t cook himself, so he ordered a few dishes from “Qingyuan” and then instructed the cooks in the mansion to prepare a table of good food for Dai Zhanxiao to welcome him.

Usually, Dai Zhanxiao had the temperament of a warrior, but without the killing aura of a seasoned soldier, he was very talkative, humorous, and witty. But maybe it was also because he was still young. If it were Generals Dai Mingjun or Dai Mingrong, it would be different.

Shao Yunan was very curious about border matters and always wanted to know more because Wang Shijing used to be a member of the Wing Tiger Army. Dai Zhanxiao’s trip back was very rushed, and with outsiders present, he didn’t mention the shock the military supplies caused among the few who knew about them at the border. He only talked about the soldiers’ reactions when they saw those never-before-seen military supplies, especially their reactions when they ate instant noodles. Shao Yunan laughed heartily while listening, but also felt a bit sad. It was just the simplest mushroom sauerkraut chicken instant noodles, but it made the soldiers so happy that many even split a pack into two meals, not wasting a drop of the soup.

Thinking about the soup, Shao Yunan stopped laughing and his body shook. Noticing his reaction, Dai Zhanxiao and Wang Shijing both asked simultaneously: “What’s wrong?”

Shao Yunan was mortified, he seemed to have wet himself! But with Princess Wu Uzhen, the children, and his adoptive parents present, he couldn’t admit it. Damn! How could he wet himself?!

Shao Yunan’s facial muscles twitched as he tried to stay calm, saying: “Oh, it’s nothing. I need to use the bathroom, Shijing, come with me.”

Wang Shijing quickly stood up. Since the later stages of pregnancy, Shao Yunan had been using the bathroom more frequently, so Wang Shijing was used to it.
Su Chenyi also stood up, worried: “I’ll come with you too.” The closer it got to the due date, the more careful they had to be.

Shao Yunan grabbed Wang Shijing’s hand and stood up, feeling dark inside. Why was he peeing non-stop! This time, he was going to be humiliated.

Su Chenyi came over to support Shao Yunan on the other side. Shao Yunan prayed no one noticed he had wet his pants, hoping the dark clothes would hide his embarrassment. After taking a couple of steps holding his dad’s and Wang Shijing’s hands, Shao Yunan suddenly realized something was wrong and stopped.

“Yunan?”

“Wife?”

Shao Yunan stood still, blinking at his father: “Dad, check behind me.” The source of the urine seemed wrong!

Su Chenyi was startled and quickly checked behind Shao Yunan. What he saw was alarming: the floor where Shao Yunan was standing was already wet, with water still trickling down. Su Chenyi screamed: “Yunan! Your water broke!”

Boom!

The dining room erupted.

“Dad!” Nizi screamed.

Jiang Moxi, after a moment of shock, quickly held Nizi. Wang Qing stood there dumbfounded, not understanding what breaking water meant. Wang Shijing was also stunned. Dai Zhanxiao stood up to hold Shao Yunan but was pushed away by his father.

When Cen Furong heard the water broke, she shivered: “Quick, lay Yunan down! Shijing, call the midwife!”

Su Chenyai snapped out of it, his face turning pale with fright: “Zhanxiao, quickly go to the palace and get the imperial doctor! Tell them Yunan’s water broke first!” Su Chenyai’s voice was frantic: “Yunan, does your stomach hurt?”

Still not understanding how dangerous his situation was, Shao Yunan instinctively shook his head: “No pain, no feeling. Am I going to give birth?”

Su Chenyai and Madam Cen almost fainted on the spot. The people of the Cen family shouted: “Tell the imperial doctor that Yunan’s stomach doesn’t hurt, but his water broke first. Tell them to come quickly!”

“Doctor! Get a doctor!”

Judging by Su Chenyai and Madam Cen’s reactions, it was clear that Shao Yunan’s situation was serious. Dai Zhanxiao immediately used his lightness skill to rush to the palace. Princess Wu Uzhen, despite being a grown woman, was very flustered by the situation. Fortunately, she wasn’t just any princess, she punched herself twice to calm down and pulled the three children close to her.

Wang Shijing picked up Shao Yunan and ran out of the dining room amid Su Chenyai’s shouts. If the baby didn’t come out quickly, it could cause hypoxia! Wang Shijing didn’t run around aimlessly. He carried Shao Yunan to the nearest room where he could lie down and shouted for a stretcher along the way.

Dai Zhanxiao had already mounted a horse and charged out of the Marquis’ mansion, asking Su Chenyai what he needed him to do.

“Dad—!”

It was then that Wang Qing realized what was happening. His little father was going to give birth! Jiang Moxi, holding the crying Nizi in one arm and restraining the rushing Wang Qing with the other, said sternly: “Wait!”

Wang Qing, trembling, asked: “Big brother, little father is going to give birth, what should we do?”

Wang Qing didn’t understand what it meant for the water to break first. He only knew that his dad was going to give birth and that it could be dangerous. Wang Qing and Nizi had no worries about their status in the family being affected by this new child. Whether out of guilt or love, they hoped their dad could have a biological child. Their dad was so good to them, they wanted him to have his own child. Now that their dad was about to give birth, Wang Qing was very scared because both their father and little grandfather looked terrified.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, Madam Wang Shao will give birth safely. I’ll take you over in a bit.” Princess Wu Uzhen comforted Wang Qing and Nizi. It was her first time witnessing the fear associated with childbirth.

After Wang Shuping and Zhao Yuande brought a stretcher and carried Shao Yunan back to his and Wang Shijing’s room, Princess Wu Uzhen took the three children there as well. No one could attend to the children right now, but fortunately, they had personal maids while Nizi also had a nanny from the palace, plus Princess Wu Uzhen was present, so there was no worry about their safety.

Shao Yunan lay on the bed, his outer clothes removed, with a pillow under his lower body. His stomach didn’t hurt, but every slight movement made water gush out.

He realized that something was wrong with his condition. The baby was moving inside, but he felt no pain. If the baby didn’t come out soon and the amniotic fluid ran out, the consequences would be dire. At this moment, Shao Yunan was nervous and scared.

“Shijing, what should we do? My stomach doesn’t hurt at all. Will the baby be okay?”

“It will, it will. Our baby will come out safely.”

Wang Shijing’s hands and feet were cold, and he was drenched in cold sweat.

“They’re here, they’re here!” The doctor stationed at the General’s Mansion arrived, holding a bowl of herbal medicine. Hearing that Shao Yunan’s water broke but his stomach didn’t hurt, the doctor decisively brewed a labor-inducing potion. There was no time to wait for the baby to respond naturally.

Shao Yunan didn’t care if it was bitter or hot, he drank it all in a few gulps. Wang Shijing brought warm water for him to rinse his mouth, and Shao Yunan recognized the taste of spirit milk mixed in. Whether it was the medicine or the spirit milk taking effect, soon Shao Yunan felt his stomach start to hurt.

At the General’s Mansion, Old General Dai, Old Zhengjun, Madam Dai, and the rest of the Dai family rushed out to the Loyal and Brave Marquis mansion. As soon as Shao Yunan’s water broke, the butler, Fusheng, sent someone to deliver the news. The General’s Mansion was the first to receive the message. Hearing that Shao Yunan’s water broke first, everyone was almost scared to death. In ancient times, if the water broke first and there was no movement from the baby, it was extremely dangerous. Keeping the mother safe was already fortunate; it could very likely end in both lives lost. The old lady almost fainted on the spot.

When the King Luo Rong Royal Mansion received the news, King Luo Rong was bathing with Guo Zimu. The two of them rushed out of the bathroom, not even drying their hair, hastily putting on clothes and tying their hair, then hurriedly left the mansion with young master Murong. For many people, the severity of Shao Yunan’s childbirth was comparable to that of the Empress. To the Empress and Emperor Yongming, ensuring Shao Yunan’s safe delivery was even more critical than the Empress’s.

Upon receiving the news, Emperor Yongming dispatched capital Hospital’s head physician Ning Mu and two other imperial doctors. The remaining doctors not on duty in the palace also received orders to rush to the Loyal and Brave Marquis mansion. The Empress couldn’t care for the little prince anymore and anxiously waited for news from Emperor Yongming in the Eastern Hall. The Empress was restless, while Guo Xun and Zhuo Jin constantly went out to check for updates.

Carriage after carriage arrived at the Loyal and Brave Marquis mansion, including Jiang Kangchen. After changing clothes and disinfecting himself, he headed straight for the delivery room. Wang Shijing was kicked out because he was in the way. In the delivery room were Su Chenyai, Old Madam, Jiang Kangchen, the General’s Mansion’s old doctor, the midwife, Ning Mu, and an imperial doctor assisting him. The rest of the imperial doctors waited outside for Ning Mu’s call. To be honest, Ning Mu didn’t dare to keep too many people inside. Who knew if any of these doctors had ulterior motives? If anything happened to Madam Wang Shao and the baby, his whole family’s heads wouldn’t be enough to chop off. The imperial doctor Ning Mu kept was his apprentice, someone he trusted.

All the utensils, water, and medicine Shao Yunan might use were handled by trusted people from the General’s Mansion, not by anyone else. Even those from Loyal and Brave Marquis Village were not allowed to handle them. Tiger Brother also came from the palace and guarded the delivery room, with Little Gold outside. Tiger Brother was not affected by the bloodiness of childbirth. On the contrary, if any poison came in, no matter how odorless it might be to others, it wouldn’t escape Tiger Brother’s nose.

Although Shao Yunan’s stomach started to hurt, it wasn’t time for the actual delivery yet. He bit on a piece of soft cloth, several times wanting to shout for a cesarean section, as the pain was unbearable.

Guo Zimu sat outside, getting up and down repeatedly. When the Empress gave birth, Guo Zimu hadn’t entered the palace, he was useless even if he did. But Shao Yunan’s situation was different. Even if he couldn’t help, he couldn’t just sit and wait for news. After pacing back and forth several times, Guo Zimu shouted at the door: “Yunan, do you want to eat something?”

“I want to die!”

Guo Zimu shuddered, and Wang Shijing, his eyes red, tried to rush inside but was held back by young master Murong and Dai Zhanxiao. Princess Wu Uzhen was outside with the children, as this wasn’t a suitable place for them.

“Ah—ah! Give me a cesarean section! I can’t take it anymore!”

“Wife! Hold on, I’ll come in and be with you!”

“Get lost! It’s all your fault!”

Wang Shijing’s eyes were red with tears. Old General Dai, Elder Cen, and King Luo Rong couldn’t help but shout together: “Don’t make things worse!”

Inside, Ning Mu, seeing the state of Madam Wang Shao, discussed with the General’s Mansion doctor and decided to give another bowl of labor-inducing soup to expedite the birth. Shao Yunan couldn’t endure as well as the Empress and might lose strength by the time it was actually time to give birth.

Another bowl of labor-inducing soup was brought in, and soon after, those outside heard Shao Yunan’s cries of pain. Wang Shijing was held back by three or four people, preventing him from causing trouble inside.

“Ah—ah! I want a cesarean! Ah—! It hurts so much!”

“Yunan, stop shouting, save your strength!”

“C-section, C-section!”

Shao Yunan was in so much pain that he completely forgot this was ancient times and a C-section was impossible. The pain was indescribable. It was like being constipated for ten days, then taking a laxative but still being unable to go, the pain of his intestines twisting was nothing compared to this.

“Ah, ah—” Shao Yunan cried out, tears and snot streaming down his face. “Shao Dahu! You bastard! You won’t die a good death! I curse your ancestors for eighteen generations!”

The people outside were both heartbroken and frustrated, but only Wang Shijing truly understood. If he had known it was a pregnancy fruit, he would never have let his wife get pregnant!

“Yunan, stop yelling, you’ll run out of strength!”

“Ah! Why isn’t it coming out, why isn’t it coming out, it hurts so much, it hurts so much!”

Shao Yunan’s vision darkened with the pain. This pain of childbirth was not something a man should endure! He cursed Shao Dahu, then Wang Shijing, and eventually even cursed the baby inside him.

“If you don’t come out soon, I’ll beat you! Ah, ah—”

Wang Shijing couldn’t take it anymore and broke free from young master Murong and Dai Zhanxiao, rushing into the delivery room. “Wang Shijing! I want a divorce!”

“Honey!”

The midwife felt like he was in a heatwave, sweat pouring down like a shower. He had delivered countless wives and male spouses from noble families, but this was the first time he had encountered someone who not only feared pain but wanted a divorce because of it. The midwife finally understood how much Loyal and Brave Marquis cared for his wife and believed the rumors that the true master of the Marquis family was the legitimate lord wife. Everyone in the delivery room was drenched with sweat. If they weren’t so worried about Shao Yunan’s safety, Jiang Kangchen would have laughed.

Shao Yunan screamed and cried, leaving deep purple bite marks on Wang Shijing’s arms and hands. When he finally felt the “thing” in his stomach moving out after what felt like ages, he gave it all he had.

“It’s coming, it’s coming!”

“Waaah—”

“Yunan, Yunan!”

The chaos continued, but the little one who nearly drove his father to death was finally out. Shao Yunan had fainted from the ordeal.

“Your Majesty! My lord! It’s born! It’s born! Madam Wang Shao gave birth to a big baby boy! He weighs four pounds and eight ounces!”

Emperor Yongming and the empress both sighed in relief. The empress was overjoyed. “A boy on the first try, that’s wonderful. How is Madam Wang Shao? Is there any danger?”

Guo Xun replied: “They say he fainted from the pain, but there’s no real danger.”

The empress nodded, more at ease. “Mother and child are safe, thank the heavens.”

After about half an hour, Jiang Moxi and Wang Qing followed the old Madam Dai into the palace. Wang Shijing couldn’t leave at that moment, so Wang Qing, as the heir, came to report the good news to the palace on behalf of his father, while the old Madam Dai represented the general’s residence. This was customary, so the Empress and Emperor Yongming were waiting and had not gone to rest.

Hearing the old madam Dai recount the details of Shao Yunan’s childbirth, the Empress and Emperor Yongming laughed heartily. Whose wife would scream about divorcing her husband and beating the child during childbirth? This would be a laughingstock if spread. What made them even more speechless was the idea of a C-section, which was practically suicidal. The Empress decided that when he went to see the baby, he would give his nephew a good scolding.

Although the baby was an adopted grandson, Wang Shijing had no parents, and the Cen couple were his adoptive parents, so the elders of the General’s residence naturally regarded the baby as their own (great) grandson. When the people reporting the good news returned, Emperor Yongming’s decree arrived as well.

 

Edited by: Jaisland

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