In the fifth year of the Jiahe era, early in the seventh month, the weather was hot and stuffy.
The night was half over, yet the entire Yongning Hou Estate was brightly lit.
“Quick! Quick, go inform the Shizi! The Shizi Furen is having a difficult labor!”
The Midwife Momo’s hoarse shouts, tinged with panic, came from the delivery room.
A maidservant, her face filled with alarm, ran out of the room to the crowd.
“Shizi, the Midwife Momo says the lady’s baby is in a breech position and she’s now exhausted. The situation is critical, they can only save one!”
Jiang Yueheng frowned deeply and ordered, “Take the old ginseng in first. Have the lady hold it in her mouth to preserve her strength.”
He then turned to the estate’s physician waiting at the side. “Doctor He, I’m entrusting the lady and the child to you. No matter what it takes, you must save them both.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Doctor He picked up his medicine box and hurried inside.
A long, silent hush fell over the outer hall again. With the masters waiting anxiously, the servants dared not make a sound.
Suddenly, the sound of numerous footsteps came from outside.
“Huaijin, how is Qingyu now?” (Jiang Yueheng’s courtesy name is Huaijin.)
An anxious female voice arrived before its owner, as the Houye and Hou Furen were seen striding in together.
Since Liu Qingyu had gone into labor close to midnight, and a first birth typically takes longer, the couple had not come to wait, fearing it would affect their attendance at the early morning court session the next day.
Who would have known that a servant would rush to report that the Shizi Furen was having a difficult labor and only one could be saved? The news had frightened them so much that they threw on their clothes and hurried over.
“Father, Mother, the Midwife Momo said Qingyu’s baby is in a breech position and she’s somewhat exhausted. Doctor He has already gone in.”
Jiang Yueheng walked forward and guided the two to a seat in the outer room.
For a time, no one spoke, all eyes fixed on the activity within the delivery room.
After an unknown amount of time, a flurry of voices suddenly erupted from the delivery room.
“My lady, push a little harder! We can see the young master’s head…”
“Follow my count, one more push, he’s almost out…”
…
“She’s given birth! She’s given birth! It’s a young master!”
An infant’s cry cut through the long night. The third-generation Little Golden Grandson of the Yongning Hou Estate had been born.
Everyone rose in unison and crowded around the delivery room door. Before long, a Midwife Momo emerged, holding a swaddled baby.
“Congratulations, Houye, Hou Furen. Congratulations, Shizi. It’s a young master.”
The Hou Furen took the swaddled infant with utmost care, her heart overflowing with joy. This was the sole male heir of the estate’s third generation. The Houye and the Shizi also leaned in cautiously, carefully observing the newborn little one, their eyes filled with unconcealable affection.
Seeing this, the Hou Furen carefully handed the child to her son and turned to enter the delivery room herself.
Inside the room, the doctor had already left, and the maidservants and matrons were tidying up. The woman on the bed was deathly pale, having fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion.
A flash of pity crossed the Hou Furen’s eyes. Noble ladies of this era were mostly pampered and delicate, with slightly weaker constitutions. Coupled with a breech birth, Qingyu had truly suffered a great ordeal this time and would need to be nursed back to health properly.
She instructed everyone to take good care of the Shizi Furen and rewarded the servants of the West Courtyard with three months’ worth of their monthly stipend.
She then ordered her personal maidservant, “To celebrate the Shizi Furen giving birth to a fine son, reward everyone in the entire estate with one month’s stipend.” With that, she turned and left the room.
Many matters still awaited her. Huaijin was young and a first-time father who might not know the proper way to handle things. Her grandson was weak from the difficult birth and needed careful watching. Her daughter-in-law was still lying unconscious in bed… She needed to oversee everything, inside and out.
As dawn broke, the Hou Estate sent people out to spread the joyous news.
The Liu Estate was the Shizi Furen’s maternal home. Liu Qingyu was the eldest legitimate daughter of the family and had married into the flourishing Yongning Hou Estate as the Shizi Furen. For the Liu Estate, the matter of Liu Qingyu giving birth was of the utmost importance.
And so, as soon as Zhang Shi of the Liu Estate received the news from the Hou Estate, she couldn’t help but beam with joy. Her daughter had finally given birth, and to a son no less. She quickly sent someone to report the good news to the Laofuren and the master.
After a hasty breakfast, Zhang Shi, carrying the pre-prepared tonics and congratulatory gifts, helped Liu Laofuren into the carriage, and they rushed to the Yongning Hou Estate without delay.
Inside the Shizi Furen’s room in the Yongning Hou Estate.
Liu Laofuren and Zhang Shi sat by the bedside, looking at Liu Qingyu’s pale face with unconcealable heartache in their eyes.
Zhang Shi held her daughter’s hand, carefully studying her complexion, her heart filled with relief. Yu’er still hasn’t woken up. Childbirth must have taken a huge toll on her; she has truly suffered. But at least she has now secured her footing in the Hou Estate.
Just then, the wet nurse, having been summoned, walked in carrying the baby.
The newborn’s skin still had traces of vernix. His hands were clenched into fists, and he was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed. The sight was enough to soften anyone’s heart.
Zhang Shi carefully took the little one into her arms, closely examining his features, her brow filled with delight.
“Mother, look, Hao Ge’er’s features look so much like the Shizi’s. He’s so well-behaved.”
“Let me see. Oh my, his little face is so tender. Wonderful, wonderful!” Liu Laofuren nodded along, smiling like a Maitreya Buddha.
The Hou Furen, standing to the side, couldn’t help but lean in for a closer look as well. Although she had seen him many times already, her heart couldn’t resist wanting another glance.
“He does look like Huaijin, especially his eyebrows. When he grows up, he’ll surely be the spitting image of his father.”
Hao Ge’er was sleeping soundly. The elders, unable to contain their joy, sat in a circle watching the little one’s sweet slumber.
Suddenly, the little one in the swaddling clothes furrowed his brow, clenched his small hands tightly, and let out a wail. He cried with such force that his face quickly turned beet red.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why did he suddenly start crying? Is he uncomfortable somewhere?”
“Is he hungry? Wet nurse, come over and check quickly.”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Hao Ge’er, who had been sleeping sweetly one second, suddenly began to wail the next. His face turned red in an instant, and soon it was alarmingly flushed. Seeing this, the group began to panic.
The wet nurse hurried forward to take Hao Ge’er. Without a second thought, she placed him on a nearby table to examine him carefully but found nothing.
“My ladies, the young master finished his milk less than a quarter of an hour ago, so he shouldn’t be hungry. He hasn’t soiled himself either. This servant doesn’t know the reason either,” the wet nurse said, looking troubled.
“Now, what should we do?” The ladies’ brows furrowed with worry. “It won’t do for him to keep crying like this.”
“Summon the estate physician,” the Hou Furen ordered decisively, telling a maidservant to fetch Doctor He.
Doctor He had only just lain down when he was called up again. He rushed to the small courtyard in a disheveled state and was called over before he could even bow.
“No need for formalities. Come quickly and see what’s wrong with Hao Ge’er. He was sleeping soundly just now and suddenly started crying. He’s neither hungry nor has he soiled himself,” the Hou Furen said, her face full of anxiety as she beckoned him to check why the child was crying.
Doctor He took Hao Ge’er and examined him thoroughly from head to toe, but no matter how he looked, he couldn’t find any problem. He said with a worried expression, “My lady, there is nothing physically wrong with the young master. I do not know why he is crying. Infants are prone to convulsions; it won’t be good if he continues to cry.”
The Hou Furen saw that Doctor He had checked several times and indeed found nothing, and her anxiety intensified. Her grandson was only a few hours old. If he kept crying like this, she prayed he wouldn’t convulse.