Chapter 185
**Chapter 183: Giving Birth**
Prince Heng's lips curled into a smile, his voice like waves caressing the shore, echoing in Shangguan Xuan's ears: "It's cold, Miss Shangguan, you should wear more to keep warm."
Shangguan Qian's cheeks flushed with shyness.
Prince Heng draped his cloak over Shangguan Qian, a charming smile lingering on his lips, before turning to leave.
Shangguan Qian's heart raced as she wrapped herself in the prince's cloak; it felt as if her entire world had been warmed. She stood there, dazed, watching the tall figure of Prince Heng depart, her heart helplessly sinking deeper into infatuation.
He brought her a cloak on a winter day—surely, Prince Heng must like her!
Shangguan Qian thought to herself, feeling a swell of pride. The position of Princess Heng seemed almost within reach.
...
...
In the afternoon, at Liuli Pavilion.
The plum blossoms in the courtyard bloomed in competition, their delicate fragrance wafting into the warm room. Little Le You crawled across the thick wool blanket, chasing after a rabbit lantern, occasionally bursting into fits of giggles.
Shen Wei sat at the desk, flipping through account books, contemplating land management strategies in Yanjing. The winter chill lingered, and the fields on Nanshan needed to be "nurtured" with wood ash to maintain soil fertility for the coming spring.
Under her sister Shen Qiang's management, the farmland and orchards on Nanshan had encountered almost no issues.
Thinking of Shen Qiang, Shen Wei's mind drifted to her ex-husband, Liu Boyuan, the merchant. That man had clamored to stay in Yanjing to find Shen Qiang, but months had passed, and he had vanished without a trace.
He probably left Yanjing, which spared Shen Wei the trouble of dealing with him.
"Master," Caiping rushed in, breathless.
Shen Wei set down the account book. "What is it?"
Caiping, brimming with gossip, replied, "Master, this morning, the Marquis of Zhen Nan and his wife entered the palace to express their gratitude. It’s said that His Majesty praised Princess Pingyang's intelligence and rewarded her with four maidservants and a hundred taels of gold!"
"After returning to the marquis's residence, Princess Pingyang sold her maidservant, Cui'er. I went to the broker and bought Cui'er’s contract. She’s skilled at hairstyling, so I’ll send her to Qixiang Zhai to work; at least she’ll have a way to make a living."
Shen Wei nodded, praising, "Well done."
The emperor rewarding Zhao Qing with four personal maidservants was not a good sign. The emperor was placing spies in the Zhen Nan Marquisate to monitor Zhao Qing's every move.
Zhao Qing, known for her intricate weapon designs, had garnered much fame, attracting the attention of many who coveted her abilities.
To protect Zhao Qing and prevent her from harboring any rebellious thoughts, the emperor would never allow her to leave Yanjing. Zhao Qing would be trapped in the marquisate for the rest of her life, until her value was completely drained.
Once the emperor discovered that Zhao Qing was of no use, the brief prosperity of the Zhen Nan Marquisate would come to an end.
...
Time slipped by quietly, winter faded, and spring arrived slowly.
Shen Wei's belly grew day by day. She was carrying twins, and her belly appeared particularly large. Sometimes, when she bathed at night and looked down at her swollen belly, tears nearly fell.
What an ugly belly...
Motherhood had transformed a flower-like maiden into someone so battered.
What troubled Shen Wei even more was that the imperial physician and midwife, upon checking the fetal position, both said the babies were not positioned correctly, predicting a difficult delivery that could even lead to stillbirth or harm to her own body.
Shen Wei was anxious. If only she had known to drink more herbal tonics to prevent pregnancy and waited until her body had fully recovered before conceiving.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
She tried to remain calm, envisioning the worst outcomes. In ancient times, childbirth conditions were poor; the worst-case scenario was likely the death of both mother and child. She had to find a way to avoid the worst outcome, doing her best while leaving the rest to fate.
With the babies in the wrong position, Shen Wei dedicated some time each day to exercises to "turn the babies," hoping to correct their positions. After diligently working at it for a week or two, the fetal positions improved slightly.
To prevent postpartum hemorrhage, Shen Wei instructed her maidservants to prepare plenty of hemostatic herbs and materials. She planned to "give birth standing," believing this method would facilitate a smoother delivery.
As spring approached in May, her due date drew near. The fifth day of the fifth month was the queen's birthday. Shen Wei, unable to enter the palace due to her condition, watched as the Prince of Yan prepared to take Li Yao into the palace to celebrate the queen's birthday and attend the evening banquet.
As dusk fell, just before leaving, the Prince of Yan took Shen Wei's hand, his tone gentle as he reassured her, "The four imperial physicians sent by Mother are already in the side courtyard. Don’t worry, I’ll return early tonight."
With the delivery date approaching, the Prince of Yan could clearly sense Shen Wei's anxiety. She had been having nightmares lately, and her appetite had diminished.
Under the eaves, Shen Wei grasped the Prince's hand, her voice low and heavy, "Your Highness, if I were to pass away during childbirth, please entrust the child and Le You to the queen for her care."
"Don’t say such things." The Prince of Yan felt a sudden pang in his heart, an inexplicable rush of panic and loss of control.
He didn’t like hearing Shen Wei speak like that.
In their daily interactions, the Prince of Yan's affection for Shen Wei had become impossible to hide; he had grown accustomed to her presence.
He had never thought about, nor did he want to think about, a life without Shen Wei.
Shen Wei lowered her head, her spirits dampened.
The Prince of Yan spoke softly, "Go back and rest. I’ll return early to be with you and the children."
The political situation had become increasingly complex, with dark currents swirling in the capital of Qingguo. Prince Heng was courting the faction of the Zhen Nan Marquisate, eyeing them with intent, ready to stir up trouble again. The Prince of Yan was busy, but he still tried to carve out time to be with Shen Wei, who was on the verge of giving birth.
It was like being with the last piece of pure land amidst the storm.
The Prince of Yan, feeling restless, took Li Yao into the palace.
Shen Wei turned away, cold sweat trickling down her forehead. She steadied herself by holding onto Mama Rong's hand, forcing herself to stand upright. "Bring the medicine."
Mama Rong frowned, softly advising, "Master, doing this will harm your health..."
Shen Wei shook her head, her eyes glinting with determination. "It’s only a few days until the delivery. Better to let the child be born at the right time than to delay."
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