Chapter 448

The midwife beneath her observed intently, her spirits soaring. "Madam, exert yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Ying became rejuvenated. She tightly gripped the bedding, clenched her teeth, and began to exert herself under the guidance of the midwife.

An hour later, the midwife's blood-stained hands trembled uncontrollably as she stared at the blood-soaked sheets on the bed. Her face filled with panic as she said, "Difficult childbirth... It's a difficult childbirth... The child cannot come out... Madam... You've been bleeding continuously too."

The midwife had seen a lot in her life, but this young mistress of the Duke's residence was too precious.

Fear gripped her, and her legs went weak as she collapsed by the bedside, unsure of what to do.

Qin's face turned pale, and she fell to the ground in a panic. She hastily pulled the midwife up and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? Think of a solution quickly! If Ah Ying dies here, I will take your life!"

Mrs. Lin ordered Yin Lan to bring back medicine to stop the bleeding. She saw the pale and terrified midwife and angrily said, "What are you standing around for? If my Ah Ying can't give birth today, don't even think about leaving the Duke's residence alive!"

The midwife snapped out of her daze and hurriedly crawled to the foot of the bed to stop Gu Ying's bleeding.

But at this point, Gu Ying had completely lost her strength. There was no trace of color on her face, and she seemed to have already lost consciousness.

Exerting force during childbirth was a grave taboo for pregnant women.

Outside the window, the pitch-black night stretched endlessly, and the cold autumn rain continued to fall relentlessly.

The midwife, her voice trembling, said with a tearful tone, "Madam... Madam... Please wake up... The little prince is still waiting for you."

Gu Ying felt as if she had been pulled out of water. In a daze, she heard the sound of crying around her.

She weakly lifted her eyelids, her gaze somewhat unfocused, and met the tear-streaked faces of Mrs. Lin and Qin, their lips moving but their words indistinguishable. Her heart filled with panic, and the wetness between her legs made her realize something.

Her precious child... might not be safely brought into this world.

Tears streamed down her face, and she was unable to gather her strength or even hear clearly what the people around her were saying.

She could only remain powerless, despairingly keeping her eyes open, gazing at the exquisite canopy above her. Her vision grew increasingly blurry...

In this hazy scene, her child appeared like a small glutinous rice ball, happily waving his tender little hand as he ran towards her from a distance. "Mother!"

"Don't you not want me anymore?"

The child's sweet and tender voice seemed capable of melting hearts.

How could that be? Mother has never not wanted you... Gu Ying, with teary eyes, watched him, crying harder as his appearance became increasingly blurred.

Her nose tingled, and she looked at the child who had slowly walked up to her and was about to turn and leave. She couldn't help but force a tired smile, summoning her remaining strength. In a realm of emptiness, she reached out her hand and used all her remaining energy to hold onto him.

"Ah Ying!"

Ye Zhuojiang kicked open the door with an imposing air, his powerful voice booming, "The poison afflicting your husband can be cured!"

The door swung wide open, and the dawn peered through the dark clouds, casting a faint glow.

A Moment of Romance

Gu Ying's eyes widened, and she suddenly snapped back to full consciousness. However, a strong and intense pain surged through her abdomen, almost causing her to collapse once again.

She arched her neck, parted her lips, and an uncontrollable cry of pain escaped from between her teeth, "Ah--!"

After a moment, the midwife trembled with astonishment, her hands shaking as she lifted a bloodied child from between Gu Ying's legs. She exclaimed with joy, "It's born... the young madam has given birth!"

Immediately, the room was filled with the clear and melodious cries of a baby.

"Ah Ying, well done!"

"Ah Ying, you did it!"

Overwhelmed with joy, the voices of congratulations echoed one after another.

The sky was on the verge of dawn, with a faint hue of pale gray appearing in the eastern horizon. The dim lanterns in the corridor flickered, casting mottled shadows beneath the windows.

Gu Ying's body was drenched in sweat as she turned her head, hoping to catch a glimpse of her child.

Mrs. Lin smiled through tears as she presented the swaddled baby to Gu Ying, saying, "Ah Ying, take a look. It's a son..."

With great effort, Gu Ying opened her eyelids and tugged at the corners of her mouth. The light in her eyes dimmed, and her body slumped wearily onto the bed.

...

Autumn of the sixteenth year of Tianqi, September twentieth.

Lady Gu Ying, the wife of the Duke of Zhen Guo, gave birth to a son. The entire household rejoiced at the birth of the child. If not for the fact that Prince Zhao was still unconscious due to a severe poisoning, they would have celebrated grandly.

When the palace learned of this good news and considered Prince Zhao's critical condition, they sent rewards to Chang Feng Ge (the residence of Gu Ying and Zhao Changdu). The little one had just been born, yet he was directly appointed as the young prince of the Duke of Zhen Guo's residence, preparing him to inherit the position in the future. Empress Su, accompanied by the Crown Princess, personally left the palace to visit Gu Ying and held the baby lying in the swaddle.

This honor had never been seen since the establishment of the Dong Li Dynasty.

However, unexpected events occurred. After Empress Su and the Crown Princess left, a maidservant accidentally knocked over a lamp, and a raging fire nearly reduced Chang Feng Ge to ashes.

Rescued from the fire, Gu Ying, who was already weak, caught a cold and remained bedridden for a month before finally recovering.

...

One month later.

Zhao Changdu's poison was also gradually cured.

On the day he regained consciousness, the warm autumn sun bathed the room in its radiant light, casting a peculiar warmth through the carved screens.

On the lacquered and gilded bed, Zhao Changdu's long eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The prolonged coma left his mind in a state of confusion, and the intense pain covering his arms wrinkled his brow.

For a moment, he couldn't figure out where he was and whether he was still alive or a ghost.

After lying on the bed for a while, he gradually eased his stiffness. The sunlight, accompanied by its warmth, gradually restored heat to his body, allowing him to reluctantly sit up, supporting himself with his hands.

As he surveyed the familiar surroundings of Chang Feng Ge, his heart felt a slight pang, and in an instant, he recalled the words Jiang Yin had said to him before he fell into a coma.

"She has been reborn."

"She and I have both died once and come back to life. Prince Zhao, perhaps you still don't know, do you?"

"In the previous life, she and I were truly married, having gone through the wedding ceremony and shared a bridal chamber."

"She went to great lengths to marry me, even orchestrating that staged drowning incident in the Consort Palace. Those were the years she cherished, when Zhao, the Crown Prince, and Miss Huo from the Huo family were in the bliss of their honeymoon."

"But why won't she marry me in this lifetime?"

"It's simply because she hates me. She hates me for betraying her in our past life, for killing our child, for crippling her and throwing her into a dilapidated temple, for subjecting her to humiliation for ten long years..."

"Hahaha! With her exquisite beauty that captivates the nation, which man in Bianjing wouldn't desire her?"

"During her time in that temple, she managed to accomplish many things for me."

"I even offered her to the powerful officials in the court, and I drugged her with aphrodisiacs, sending her to the bed of the Shu Prince! The night she returned from the Shu Prince's residence, her entire being was marked with ambiguous traces. With red-rimmed eyes and tearful appearance, she truly looked pitiful. Although I despised her for being filthy and lowly, I couldn't resist taking her to bed, this beautiful woman who evokes pity. I'm sure Zhao, the Crown Prince, knows the taste as well. It's truly irresistible, hahaha!"

"With all these actions, does the Crown Prince truly still want to love her for a lifetime?"