CH 117

Wei Chongrong hurriedly carried Jun Hua back to Yongfu Palace, too fast for others to catch up. Rushing into the bedroom all the way, Wei Chongrong suddenly remembered that he had not had time to summon the imperial doctor, and was about to turn around and go out, when Jun Hua grabbed his sleeve.

“Little Monkey, how’s it? Does it hurt badly? Don’t be afraid, I’ll go and summon the doctor right away, and I’ll be back soon, don’t be afraid…” Wei Chongrong said nervously as he returned and suddenly knelt down on the edge of the bed.

Jun Hua blinked, lowered his head embarrassedly, and whispered, “Brother Rong, it doesn’t hurt anymore…”

“Huh?!” Wei Chongrong didn’t know much about the details of childbirth, and he was a little at a loss. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he saw Wei Zhao dragging Sun Ye into the room, followed by Jun Qing and Ji Xin.

Sun Ye didn’t ask anything, walked straight to the bedside, checked the still-dazed Jun Hua’s pulse, then turned around and said, “It’s time to give birth.” Wei Zhao and Jun Qing glanced at each other when they heard these words, and worries flashed in their eyes. The first child was actually two children, which was really hard for Jun Hua.

Jun Hua didn’t think so much. He looked up at Sun Ye, who was calm and relaxed, and asked in surprise: “Time to give birth? But it doesn’t hurt anymore?” It didn’t hurt that much, at least not to the point of being unbearable.

Hearing Jun Hua’s question, Sun Ye raised his eyebrows and smiled, with the words “Young man, don’t be proud too early” clearly written on his face, and then said: “Your Highness, don’t worry, this is just the beginning. If the babies come out within two days, it will be fast.”

Wei Chongrong was stunned for a long time, then regained his senses and hurriedly asked, “What are we going to do now?” 

Without thinking, Sun Ye said casually, “Do whatever you want, lie down if you don’t want to move, get up and walk if you don’t want to lie down. It’s best to eat something to replenish your strength, the first baby is always very slow, try to eat more when it doesn’t hurt.”

At the festival banquet, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan had so much fun that Jun Hua had no appetite and couldn’t eat anything. At this time, his belly didn’t hurt anymore, and he felt hungry. When he heard that he could eat, he immediately became energetic and ordered seven or eight dishes in one go. Everyone was stunned when they heard that.

At this moment, Dr. Lu, panting, rushed over with two medicine boys. Sun Ye explained Jun Hua’s situation to him and was about to leave.

Wei Chongrong didn’t even think about it and immediately asked, “You’re not staying?” Dr. Lu specialised in obstetrics and had been taking care of Jun Hua’s body. It was enough to have him, but Sun Ye’s medical skills were so refined that it was obviously more reassuring to have him stay.

Sun Ye turned to look at Wei Zhao and smiled: “Your Majesty, you have so many people in the Imperial Hospital, you can’t let them receive their salaries without working.”

Wei Zhao was silent, but Jun Qing asked in a deep voice: “Wang Lu’s Lord Consort, what is the situation of the Crown Prince’s Lord Consort, will he be able to give birth successfully?”

Sun Ye’s smile became even more obvious; he curled his lips and said, “The pulse is strong and the foetal position is normal. It must be safe to give birth.” Not to mention Dr. Lu, anyone who had experience in delivering babies could deliver the little grandsons of the emperor smoothly. It really didn’t matter if it was him or not.

Jun Qing and Wei Zhao had both studied medicine with Sun Ye when they were young, and they immediately understood what he meant, so Wei Zhao nodded silently and signalled that Sun Ye could leave, and Dr. Lu would be solely responsible for the delivery of the babies.

Sun Ye said he was leaving, but in fact he just retreated outside and didn’t really leave.He had studied under the medical immortal Duanmu Hui, and had learned a great deal, so he could save people’s lives at critical moments. However, for such an ordinary thing as delivering a baby, his skills would not be better than those of Dr. Lu, who specialised in this subject. And if he was present, Dr. Lu would be restrained, so he walked out. It was just that the identity of the Crown Prince’s Lord Consort was precious, and it was impossible for him to really leave without waiting for the safe birth of the emperor’s little grandchildren.

Just as Sun Ye thought, after he left the bedroom, Dr. Lu became a lot more comfortable and was no longer as reserved as before.

The good Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was interrupted, and when the two little guys changed their minds and there was no movement, Jun Hua was so angry that he wanted to curse. It was just that he couldn’t make a sound, and his abdomen spasmed hard, causing him to turn pale instantly and gasp.

Jun Hua was originally the focus of everyone’s attention. With this change of his expression, not only did Wei Chongrong become nervous, but Wei Zhao and Ji Xin’s expressions also changed. On the contrary, Jun Qing seemed the most calm, his face as serene as ever.

Jun Hua took a few deep breaths and immediately acted as if nothing had happened again. Upon seeing this, Dr. Lu hurriedly said: “It is Lord Consort’s first child, it won’t be too fast. Please, Your Majesty…” Although Sun Ye was gone, His Majesty was still standing here, and Dr. Lu was still under a lot of pressure.

Wei Zhao and Jun Qing had been through that before, and knowing that it wasn’t the time yet, they consciously went outside, leaving the space to Jun Hua and Wei Chongrong.

Not long after, the imperial dining room delivered the dishes that Jun Hua had ordered. At this time, his pain wasn’t severe, and Wei Chongrong was rubbing his abdomen and massaging his legs diligently, and Jun Hua’s appetite remained undiminished.

Wei Chongrong’s massage technique was personally taught by Dr. Lu the other day. Jun Hua was pregnant with twins, and he was prone to cramps in the last two months of pregnancy. Wei Chongrong specially learned a few tricks to help him relieve the cramps at night.

“Do you want me to feed you?” The food was placed on the table next to the bed; Wei Chongrong asked that when he saw Jun Hua lying half-reclining, his movements a little awkward.

Unexpectedly, Jun Hua glanced at him and said softly: “No, Brother Rong, keep massaging, I find that you are getting more and more skillful.” After saying that, he added, “Are you hungry? Why don’t I feed you?” He wasn’t the only one who failed to eat at the banquet.

Wei Chongrong naturally didn’t object, and the two of them sweetly ate their late dinner. In the meantime, Jun Hua had two more pain waves, but they weren’t deep and didn’t last long, and didn’t disturb his enjoyment of the meal.

After eating and drinking, Jun Hua was so sleepy that he simply lay down. Wei Chongrong felt that the procedure wasn’t right, and raised his eyes to look at Dr. Lu. Was Little Monkey really about to give birth? Why were his actions completely different from what he imagined?

Dr. Lu respectfully walked over, first checked Jun Hua’s pulse, then checked his body under the watchful gaze of Wei Chongrong, and replied: “Your Highness, take advantage of the fact that the pain at this moment is not severe, let Lord Consort rest, he will still have to endure it later.”

Wei Chongrong recalled the scene when Jun Hua was born eighteen years ago with a distressed expression on his face. At that time, although he had not been able to enter the inner room, he could hear Jun Qing’s faint moans even while waiting in the courtyard, so obviously the feeling was really uncomfortable.

Seeing that Jun Hua was sleeping soundly and showed no signs of waking up for the time being, Wei Chongrong got up gently and went out.

Outside was much more lively than inside. Three families, eight people, sat around the table and ate mooncakes while enjoying the moon.

Huo Feifei’s position was facing the door of the room; she saw Wei Chongrong pushing the door at a glance and called in a loud voice, “Brother!”

When everyone heard the sound, they turned their heads, and Ji Xin asked anxiously, “How is Hua’er?” 

“He just had dinner and ate two mooncakes, and fell asleep.” Dr. Lu said that Jun Hua’s situation was very normal. It was common for the first child to be born for two or three days. If it hurt from the beginning to the end, who could bear it? It  was always easier at the beginning.

Except for Huo Feifei, who didn’t understand at all, everyone nodded in agreement.

Thinking that Tuantuan and Yuanyuan might not be born tomorrow, Wei Chongrong persuaded everyone to rest after the moon viewing was over. Of course, neither Wang Qing, nor Wang Changning or Wang Lu’s families left the palace, but directly rested in the palace.

Wei Chongrong returned to the bedroom and saw Jun Hua sleeping soundly. Dr. Lu was taking a nap outside. The two medicine boys took turns on duty, so he dragged the couch to the bed and lay down in his clothes. Since they had time tonight, they needed to nap for a while. Most of them would not be able to sleep tomorrow night.

The moonlight outside the window was bright, like silver frost falling all over the floor through the window panes.

Wei Chongrong lay down, but he couldn’t sleep at all. His gaze fell on Jun Hua round belly, and his mind was full of pictures of two identical little babies, inseparable like the shadow following the body.

After an unknown period of time, Wei Chongrong managed to get a little drowsy, but before he could fall asleep, he heard Jun Hua’s voice.

“Brother Rong, wake up…” Jun Hua’s voice was very soft, but Wei Chongrong’s eyes and ears were sensitive, and he immediately rolled over and got up.

“Little Monkey, I’m here, are you not feeling well?” Next thing, Wei Chongrong raised his voice and called for Dr. Lu.

Jun Hua’s face flushed, he opened his mouth but didn’t speak. After a while, he said, “Let the imperial doctor see it first…”

Wei Chongrong looked puzzled; it was really strange that there was something Jun Hua couldn’t say to him.

Dr. Lu was just taking a nap in his clothes, not daring to fall asleep fully. He came in as soon as he heard Wei Chongrong’s call. However, after seeing Jun Hua’s situation, Dr. Lu’s face changed a bit. It didn’t seem to be a good sign that His Highness’s Lord Consort broke water so early.

Wei Chongrong saw that Dr. Lu’s face changed, and his heart tightened. Was there something wrong?

Fortunately, after Dr. Lu gave Jun Hua a further examination, his expression eased. He thought that Jun Hua had slept steadily for almost a whole night, and his progress should be very slow. If the water broke at this time, there would be some trouble.

But the progress was much faster than he expected, and the orifice had already opened more than three fingers. Generally speaking, the first three fingers were the slowest, and some people couldn’t do it for a day and night. In this way, the emperor’s little grandchildren might be able to come out today.

“Um…” Suddenly there was another labour pain, and Jun Hua grasped Wei Chongrong’s hand.

Dr. Lu persuaded him: “Your Highness Lord Consort, don’t be nervous, don’t take a big breath, take small breaths, take your time…”

The labour pains gradually intensified, and Jun Hua refused to let Wei Chongrong rub his belly anymore. There wasn’t much Wei Chongrong could do, except to wipe Jun Hua’s sweat and provide him with his hand to hold it, or bite if necessary.

……

It was dawn when Wei Zhao and the others, who couldn’t sleep at all last night, hurried over.

In the bedroom, Dr. Lu instructed the two medicine boys to act in an orderly manner. Wei Chongrong sat leaning on the side of the bed and muttered: “Little Monkey, there is no one here. If the pain is severe, you can yell. No one will laugh at you…”

Jun Hua bit the corner of the quilt and gave him a sidelong glance. Between the two labour pains, he gasped lightly: “It won’t stop hurting if I yell…”

Dr. Lu, who was regarded as “no one” by His Highness the Crown Prince, took the risk and said: “Yelling is a waste of physical strength, His Highness Lord Consort is very good.”

The Crown Prince, who said the wrong thing, sighed speechlessly. He saw Jun Hua almost bite his lower lip until it bled, so he said, “Little Monkey, don’t bite yourself. Do you want me to lend you a hand? Bite it as much as you want. I promise I won’t make a sound.”

“It will be more uncomfortable if I want to bite harder and can’t, okay?” Jun Hua roared angrily.

Wei Chongrong said something wrong again, and suddenly didn’t dare to speak, so he had to pick up a handkerchief to help Jun Hua wipe his sweat.

……

As the sun rose in the east, a fleshy baby came to this world accompanied by Jun Hua’s scream.

A quarter of an hour later, another baby also let out a loud cry.

Wei Chongrong and Jun Hua only had time to take a look at their two sons before they were carried out. Outside, His Majesty the Emperor was waiting to name his grandsons.

Tuantuan was named Wei Qian and Yuanyuan was named Wei Cheng. A gentleman is modest and sincere, gentle as jade(1).