On the haggard face of Imperial Physician Zhang, there was nothing but panic. "Your Highness! Such a method is extremely dangerous. It may cost the lives of both the mother and the child!"
"I beg Your Highness the Imperial Concubine to think twice!"
Everyone inside and outside Fengyi Palace had knelt on the ground.
Cui Jintang struggled to flash a smile at Xie Rou. "With Zhu San here, sister will be fine."
Xie Rou grabbed her wrist, smiling weakly as she nodded slightly. "Sister trusts you."
Xie Rou looked deathly pale, so frail that she seemed as if she could pass away at any moment.
A teardrop fell from Cui Jintang's eyes, landing on Xie Rou's hand.
She wiped away the tears on her face and got up to run out of the inner chamber.
As soon as he saw Cui Jintang, Imperial Physician Zhang immediately pointed at her and shouted, "Seize this heartless woman who is trying to harm Your Highness the Imperial Concubine right away!"
The wet nurse looked up in a hurry. Seeing the guards of Fengyi Palace approaching Cui Jintang, she quickly stepped forward to stop them.
"How dare you! If you disrespect the young lady, Her Highness the Imperial Concubine will surely not spare you!"
Imperial Physician Zhang said heart - brokenly, "She is about to cut open the belly of Her Highness the Imperial Concubine. How could you, a lowly servant, stop us from dealing with such a cruel woman?!"
Before he could finish his words, a flash of blood passed before his eyes, and a taste of blood suddenly filled his open mouth.
"Thud."
One of the guards fell to the ground with a thud.
Cui Jintang, who was standing nearby, had blood splashed on her beautiful face.
She didn't even blink. The next moment, she raised her hand and pointed at the chattering Imperial Physician Zhang.
Imperial Physician Zhang froze. He saw the hand pointing at his head move slightly to one side.
"Bang!"
One of the imperial physicians who had been most enthusiastic in supporting him fell to the ground.
Zhu Er rotated his wrist, and the cold light of the big knife in his hand sent shivers down people's spines.
Cui Jintang tilted her head slightly, staring at him intently with a killing intent in her eyes. "Any more nonsense?"
Imperial Physician Zhang kowtowed his head heavily on the ground, then got up in a hurry. "I'll go and prepare the items the young lady needs right away!"
-
All the items were ready.
Beads of sweat kept rolling down Imperial Physician Zhang's forehead.
He watched as Zhu San held a sharp knife and aimed it at Xie Rou's belly.
At that moment, the candle flame suddenly flickered.
Imperial Physician Zhang nervously swallowed his saliva.
"Hot water."
"Spirits."
"Cloths."
Listening to Zhu San's voice coming from inside one after another.
Cui Jintang closed her eyes and heard her own heartbeat.
Thump, thump, thump.
Each beat was like someone beating the watch in an empty palace. The copper mallet hitting the copper drum made her heart feel flustered.
For some reason, Cui Jintang suddenly remembered the days when she and Sister Rou had studied together on Zhujin Mountain.
Those days were so beautiful and tender.
When Xie Rou was expelled from the master's sect for entering the palace as a concubine for the Xie family against the master's will, she had already lost Sister Rou once.
This time, she must not -
"Waah! Waah!"
A clear and loud cry of a baby made Cui Jintang suddenly open her eyes.
Along with it was Xie Rou's heart - rending scream.
"His Majesty the Emperor is coming -"
Cui Jintang suddenly turned around. Besides the hurrying emperor, behind him were Pei Zhaolin and Luo Xiang, who had just entered the palace to express their gratitude.
A flash of pain crossed her eyes.
Seeing Cui Jintang there, all three of them showed varying degrees of surprise on their faces.
"Tangtang?"
The emperor first glanced at Pei Zhaolin standing behind him, then asked, "Why did you enter the palace?"
Cui Jintang tightened her hands hidden in her sleeves.
Hearing how the emperor addressed her, Luo Xiang frowned in shock.
Suddenly, from behind the screen, the midwife walked out happily, holding a baby in her arms. "Your Majesty! Her Highness the Imperial Concubine has given birth to a prince!"
The emperor's face immediately lit up with joy. All his little worries completely disappeared, and he immediately stepped forward.
"Let me take a look quickly. What does my eldest prince look like!"
Cui Jintang was deeply hurt by the joy on the emperor's face.
She let out a low laugh full of mockery.
Pei Zhaolin looked at her and frowned slightly.
Just as he took a step towards her, Luo Xiang quickly grabbed his arm.
Luo Xiang whispered a warning, "Zhaolin, are you going to ignore the lives of hundreds of people?"
Pei Zhaolin's eyes were full of undisguised disgust.
If it weren't for the fact that Luo Xiang had once saved his life, he would have chopped off Luo Xiang's hands first!
"Your Majesty seems to be indulged in joy while Her Highness the Imperial Concubine's life is still uncertain?"
Cui Jintang couldn't help but mock.
As if just remembering Xie Rou who was in critical condition.
The emperor waved his hand and said sternly, "By my decree, Concubine Xie has made great contributions to giving birth. From now on, she will be promoted to the position of the empress."
"The eldest prince shall be named Qi Yuheng and shall be the crown prince. He will be raised by me personally!"
Everyone in Fengyi Palace knelt on the ground.
Everyone was shouting, "Congratulations to Your Majesty on the birth of a prince!"
Cui Jintang just thought it was ridiculous.
Suddenly, there came an urgent cry from inside. "Your Highness may not make it!"
Cui Jintang's face changed, and she turned around and rushed in.
All the cheers suddenly stopped. The emperor's face looked ugly for a moment.
A flash of dissatisfaction in his eyes was caught by Pei Zhaolin.
-
Darkness surrounded Xie Rou.
She was floating and sinking, as if being pushed up and down by the tide.
Vaguely, she felt someone pinching her philtrum and someone pouring medicine into her mouth.
Some were crying, some were shouting.
And some were laughing.
Zhu San impatiently elbowed aside Imperial Physician Zhang, who was just shouting blindly, and said calmly and steadily.
"Stop - bleeding powder! Hurry!"
"Sew another layer with mulberry - bark thread!"
Cui Jintang stood outside the beaded curtain, watching basin after basin of blood - stained water being carried out. Her heart was gradually collapsing.
Outside the screen, Pei Zhaolin stood beside the gilded crane - holding lamp.
The lamp shadow slanted, cutting his side face into half - bright and half - dark.
Just separated by a screen, it seemed like an eternity.
Another basin of scarlet blood - stained water was carried out.
He saw her shoulders suddenly tremble.
She tilted her neck slightly, but a teardrop still slid down her face.
Pei Zhaolin's heart suddenly tightened.
At that moment, he wished he could go up and hug her regardless of everything.
As if sensing Pei Zhaolin's abnormality.
Luo Xiang frowned slightly and walked towards him.
"Are you going to ignore your grandmother's life too?"
"Zhaolin, don't forget who is behind me."
There was a killing intent in Pei Zhaolin's eyes. As soon as the dagger hidden in his sleeve slipped into his palm.
"Your Highness's pulse has stabilized!"
Cui Jintang seemed to have just been released from a spell. She lifted the beaded curtain and rushed in.
On the soft couch, Xie Rou struggled to open her eyes. Her vision was still blurry.
But she saw Cui Jintang standing blankly about a meter away from the couch, as pale as paper.
Her face was full of tears, but she still smiled at Xie Rou. The smile looked even uglier than crying.
"Sister, you and the baby... are both alive."
A taste of blood welled up in Xie Rou's throat. She wanted to raise her hand, but couldn't even move her fingertips.
She could only whisper in a weak voice, "Tangtang, it was you who saved me."
As if sensing something, outside the palace, the baby let out the loudest cry.
The most unbearable person in Fengyi Palace was Luo Xiang.
She could hardly believe her ears!
What had Cui Jintang just called the imperial concubine?
"Sister"?!
Wasn't she an orphan with only an aunt addicted to gambling?!!