Lv Li hurriedly said to those three, "Please get up. So long as this delivery goes smoothly, your efforts will not go unnoticed. Her Majesty will see to it that you will be properly rewarded."
On hearing that, those three promptly got up on their feet and before they could respond, Lv Li added, "That"s more like it. Her Majesty is straightforward, and that"s why she wants to get these things out of the way before we proceed. Don"t be afraid, Her Majesty is actually very kind. Last time, the maid accidently yanked a few hairs off Her Majesty, and she only had her struck forty times…"
I hurriedly gave Lv Li a nudge and stopped her.
Forty times? That"s enough to kill a healthy man. And you call that kind? Lv Li, don"t you know nothing about appeasing people?
Unsurprisingly, these three immediately dropped to their knees once again, trembling all over.
Left with no choice, I had to do this myself. And so I said, "Enough, just get up already. There is no need to be afraid. We are in this together and so we will get through this together!" After finishing my words, I pointed at a midwife who looked to be the most experienced and said, "Mrs. Wu, you will take charge. The rest of you will a.s.sist her. Now get moving!"
As soon as I finish talking, I again felt a fit of spasm, this time more severe than the last, like a raging river spreading all the way to the lower part of my body. The unbearable pain almost sent me collapsing to the floor.
Lv Li hurriedly held my hands and exclaimed, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Hang in there! The baby is coming! Hang in there."
What a load of bulls.h.i.t, Lv Li! What options do I have here? I know full well that I am supposed to deliver this baby, no matter what happens!
At this crucial moment, the senior midwife exhibited exceptional professionalism and immediately figured out what was happening.
She sprung up from the floor and lifted my dress for a checkup. After a while, she calmly said, "Don"t worry, Your Majesty. It has only begun, and it will still be a while before you give birth. Better save your strength for now."
Then, she turned around and said to Lv Li, "After this pain pa.s.ses, we should help Her Majesty off the bed and take a walk. It will help her deliver the baby more quickly."
The rest of the two midwives were jolted back from their trance and agreed, "Right, take a few walks to help enlarge the cervix."
If it were not for the fact that I was the Empress, I would have yelled out already from the pain. I had little interest in finding out what cervix was, and it was only after a while that the pain finally abated. The next thing I knew, I was off the bed and strolling around the courtyard with the help of those midwives.
Just when I was sauntering about, gritting my teeth in pain, I heard Xie Yi shouting from outside the palace joyfully, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Dowager is here! The Emperor Dowager!"
I was still boiling with displeasure at that moment and so I replied rather begrudgingly, "Escort her to the main hall and wait there!"
After a short while, Xie Yi once again exclaimed with joy, "Your Majesty! It is the Grand Empress Dowager!"
I clenched my teeth, trying to rein in my anger and instructed, "Escort her to the main hall too!"
Shortly after the arrival of the Grand Empress Dowager, Xie Yi"s excited shouting once again sounded, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The Emperor is here! THE EMPEROR!"
What the heck are you doing? It"s just Qi Sheng, and you made it sound like G.o.d himself has arrived!
The intermission between each pain had become shorter and shorter and the more frequent the pain, the more enraged I became, so I yelled, "Leave me alone! Get them all to the main hall and set up a table. They can play mahjong together for all I care!"
Seeing that I was infuriated, Lv Li hurriedly cut in, "Calm down, Your Majesty. Inhaling like this will cramp your stomach. You should do it like this…" as she said this, she began demonstrate it to me how it should be done.
It had been like this for the whole night and I didn"t know just how long I had been wandering on the floor, when I got back on the bed and how much food I had been fed. But by dawn, the pain had become almost nonstop and my senses had begun to blur.
In the midst of my torpor, I heard Lv Li nagging beside my ears, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty. The Emperor is outside waiting. Don"t hold in your pain. Let out a few hollers and let him know you are in pain."
What good will that do to me?! So he can come in and give birth instead?
I was in so much pain that I couldn"t even shout out loud. At that time, I only wish I could drop dead this instant and it would be a mercy.
Someone came over and force something spicy into my mouth.
Others were busy rubbing my belly trying to get the baby out. They shouted, "Push! Follow the direction of my hands!"
I struggled to pushed harder and as I was doing it, I heard Mrs. Wu yelling out in joy, "I see the head! Your Majesty, now slowly. Very good. Nicely done…"
I felt a sudden emptiness in my belly as something slipped out from under me and immediately the pain dissipated.
After a short while, I heard a few crisp slapping which were soon followed by what appeared to be the crying of a baby. Then someone exclaimed, "It"s a princess. Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations!"
Somehow, I was reminded by those familiar words said by a monk-Princess, a house full of princesses, and twin princesses at the last time. Heavens, is it really happening?
My vision suddenly went dark and shortly after I pa.s.sed out cold.
By the time I woke up, it has already been dark outside. I didn"t know how long I had pa.s.sed out, but every part of me felt like they had been ripped apart and put back again and every joint felt as stiff as they could be.
Qi Sheng was holding my hands when I woke up. Realizing that I was awoke, he leaned forward and softly asked, "You are awake. Feeling any better?"
I was still in a daze when he spoke to me. I was struck dumb by his question and asked, "The baby is out?"
Qi Sheng smiled and nodded, "It"s a princess. She looks just like you."
I was jolted out of my dizziness when I heard the word "Princess", and when I realized that my hands were being held by Qi Sheng, I swiftly withdraw them and replied matter-of-factly, "Oh, a princess?"
The smile on Qi Sheng"s face went stiff at my question and after a while he replied, "The nanny has carried her away to feed her. Should I order her to be sent back so you can have a look yourself?"
At that moment, Lv Li came in from outside, carrying a bowl of hot noddle in her hands. She was obviously surprised to see me awake and hurriedly took a few steps forward, "Your Majesty, you are awake? Are you hungry? I have made you some noodles. Would you like to try it?"
Qi Sheng was standing by the side, waiting for my answer. Lv Li asked me again whether I would like to try the noodles. I hesitated for a while and finally decided to eat the noodles instead of taking a look at the baby. "I"d like some noodles first."
A note of disappointment flashed across Qi Sheng"s eyes. But he said nothing and simply got up from the bedside.
Lv Li helped me sit up, placed a thick cushion behind me and started feeding me the noodles.
It was only after a few bites of the hot noodles did I begin to feel like myself again.
After I finished eating the noodles, Lv Li cleaned up the table and left. It was once again only me and Qi Sheng in the palace. Qi Sheng stood by the bedside for a while and then said in a low voice, "You know, when I heard that you have a princess, I was so overjoyed. I kept thinking, finally I get to spend more time with you. And maybe it is an opportunity for us."
He sounded quite delirious, but his intention behind those words were as clear as daylight.
I understand where he was going with this, but I kept pretending as I didn"t and asked, "What are you trying to say, Your Majesty? I don"t understand."
My reply brought a trace of bitter smile on his lips.
Weary as I was after the delivery, I was simply in no mood to play games anymore and simply continued, "I am quite tired. I want to sleep for a little while longer. Why don"t you go back to rest as well?"
After finishing those words, I lay down in the bed. Qi Sheng stood for a while and then left.
In the next few days, various groups of people from the palaces came one by one to congratulate on having given birth to a princess.
They were soon followed by a succession of princesses, princess consorts and other prominent ladies who also came to extend their congratulations.
Even Zhao w.a.n.g and Chu w.a.n.g had also sent gifts to me.
It took nearly half of a month before tranquility fell over the palace once again and it was only then did people realize that the Emperor had not once showed himself in the Empress"s palace.
There were all kinds of rumors going around in the court, and according to Lv Li, they could roughly be categorized into two types:
One was that there were emergent military reports from Yun Xi and Qi Sheng had been too busy dealing with the crisis.
The other was that Qi Sheng, who was known to have been yearning for a male heir, was so disappointed after receiving the news that the Empress had given birth to a princess that he kept himself occupied with state affairs to drown his sorrows.
While helping me fasten the padding on my belly, Lv Li said, "Don"t believe those gossips, Your Majesty. That day when the Emperor learned of the princess, he was so happy that he named the princesses right there and then. I have never seen the Emperor so joyful before. The way I see it, the Emperor must have been too busy with the state affairs and that"s why he never came."