CH42; Baby Out
Zhang Lian pressed her teeth tightly against each other, her face filled with pain. She could sense the baby's movements in her belly and understood that the moment was approaching.
Normally, her thoughts were logical, but at the moment they were consumed with fear and nervousness
The cat remained calm at the edge of the bed, observing.
As maids and midwives surrounded the Zhnag Lian, tension rose in the room. Maid's and Midwives understood the importance of this moment, as it can be the future king or queen, as they don't know if the queen will ever give birth again. The baby on the way could change everything.
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Soon, it began.
The sound of Zhang Lian's screams filled the room as she held the bed's sides and sank her fingers into the soft pillows. It was the worst pain she had ever experienced.
She'd had her share of struggles and setbacks, but this was something else entirely. The midwives moved between her and her, focused on helping her in delivering the baby
Her legs were spread wide. Calm yet strong, one of the midwives encouraged, "Push, Your Highness, push!"
The other midwife assisted her in spreading her leg. The two women worked together, their movements smooth and practiced. Since this was not the first time, they did something like this.
Zhang Lian's face was tight with pain as she clenched her teeth and pushed with all her might. Tears from her eyes mixed with sweat that dripped down her forehead.
"Damn it! I never knew it would hurt this much!" she screamed. "I'll kill you, Cat!"
Hearing her, the cat made the logical decision to remain out of sight and fled quickly within the system window.
Even though the queen's sudden reaction stunned them, the midwives understood better not to argue.
Their attention was focused on delivering the baby. The midwife urged, "Keep pushing, Your Highness," midwife, hands ready to receive the baby when it came.
"The head is out! One more push, please!" She gave support. With nearly all of her energy gone, Zhang Lian gave the baby one last push.
Zhang Lian felt the pressure release with one last painful push. With skillful hands, the midwife gently pulled the baby out of his mother's body and held him there.
The midwife checked the umbilical cord Quickly cut it off, she tied it off and gave the infant to other midwife
The other midwife felt the baby was not breathing so with quick hand movements, the midwife rubbed the baby's chest in an attempt to get him his first breath. She moved carefully, whispering, "Come on, little one, breathe!"
With a pale and tired appearance, Zhang Lian fell back and tried to catch her breath. Her body trembled from the labor; she was tired. She asked slowly, her voice barely sounding above a whisper, "Is... is the baby okay?"
The midwife carried on her work, rubbing the infant's little chest and giving him a little kick to help him wake up. The tension was obvious as everyone in the room held their breath. The baby finally let out a healthy, loud cry.
The midwives' nervous expressions relaxed with relief. The midwife smiled and turned to face The Queen. "Congratulations, Your Highness," she said. "You've given birth to a prince."
With tears covering her vision, Zhang Lian forced a weak smile. Her appearance became thin, her face had lost its youthful color, but there was an almost thin sense of relief and joy she felt.
Zhang Lian heard a sound he was familiar with when the midwives cleansed the infant.
[Dingding. 1 normal point for giving birth to a baby.]
The sound of the system prompt made a tiny smile appear on her face. She was somewhat relieved by the thought of gaining points, even in her weakened state.
The cat cautiously came out through the system window, keeping an appropriate distance from Zhang Lian. "Nya, congratulations. At last, you gave birth to your first child."
Zhang Lian's eyes narrowed as she slowly turned to face the cat. She hissed, her voice low but full of anger, "You're dead."
Sensing danger, the cat made a quick attempt to calm her down. "Host, you need not worry. You can purchase this once you have enough points." It brought up a system screen quiqly.
\[System: Baby Making System
Shop: Pain Relief Pill for Childbirth
Price: 1 NP]/
Zhang Lian's face became even more gloomy. "Goddamn you! Why didn't you inform me about this earlier?" She yelled, obviously angry but still weak.
"Nya, you never asked, and your points were too low to afford it," the cat replied back, trying not to make her angry and "What's the point of mentioning it, when you can't even afford it? & What If this is easily available in the world of cultivation, do you really want to waste points on it, nya?"
Before Zhang Lian could say another curse, the midwife intrupteed.
The baby had been cleansed, and a silky crimson cloth had been put around him. With care, one of the midwives approached the bed and held the tiny baby.
"Your Highness, here is your son." When Zhang Lian first laid eyes on the baby, her breath froze. Only his face was visible through the silk fabric that enveloped his little body.
His eyes sparkled brightly, full of life and curiosity, and he had an inch of blue hair. Something in Zhang Lian softened at the sight of him.
She had a wave of warmth—a strong, unfamiliar feeling—in spite of the pain, tiredness, and rage she was feeling.
Zhang Lian reached out to touch the baby's soft cheek as the midwife handed him to her. Her palm shook a little from exhaustion and the intense feelings she was experiencing.
She muttered, "Zhang Ping," the name coming out of her mouth. "His name is Zhang Ping from now on."
With a smile, the midwife nodded. She murmured softly, "A good name, Your Highness," and then she stepped back to allow mother and child some space.
Zhang Lian looked at her newborn son, lying next to her. As she gently touched his soft cheek, she felt a strong connection she hadn't expected.
Her heart was filled with a mixture of emotions as she felt the softness of his skin. "You caused me so much pain," she whispered softly in English, knowing no one else in the room could understand her.
"You made me fat and lazy, and you nearly drove me crazy. But... I hope you grow strong. I hope you marry many women and grow the family."
It looked to the midwives and Maid's surrounding her that the queen was talking nicely to her baby. However, her words contained greater details than they could understand.
...
After some time, the midwife went outside to tell the situation.
A midwife opened the door, and they saw a man waiting outside. This was the concubine who had claimed to be the baby's father; his name is Wei Jun.
Wei Jun had dark hair and brown eyes, and his fancy clothes showed his high status. There was a hint of discomfort on his face. He had taken credit for the baby, but he had never actually been with the queen. He sighed quietly.
"Is the baby and Her Highness safe?" Wei Jun asked the midwife. In a calm voice.
The midwife, surprised by his question, nodded. "Yes, but who are you?" she asked, their eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.
He forced a smile and answered, "I am the father of the child, wie jun," placing his hands on himself to express his thoughts better.
The midwives looked confused. The baby had blue hair, but neither the queen nor this man had blue hair.
Still, they didn't question him further. They knew that in cases of strong spiritual roots, these differences could happen. They nodded and left the room to report to the head maid.
As Wei Jun went inside, he saw Zhang Lian looking very tired. Her skin was pale, and her hair was wet from sweat. This was only the second time he had seen her—the first was during the selection ceremony.
Seeing her now so vulnerable made him feel confused. He had hoped that claiming to be the baby's father would bring him closer to the queen, but now, standing in front of her, he felt like a stranger.
He forced a smile as he looked at the baby. "Our baby is so cute, Your Highness," he said, though his voice didn't sound very affectionate. "What should we name him?" He reached out to pick up the baby, hoping to at least feel some connection.
"Stop," Zhang Lian ordered in a loud voice. Her voice was sharp, and Wei Jun immediately froze; his hand, which was going to touch the baby, was immediately taken back by him.
Zhang Lian made a slow attempt to get up; the maid saw this and said, "Let us help you, your highness." Zhnag Lian sat up with the help of a maid.
Her long white hair stuck to her wet skin and fell over her shoulders in tangled waves. She flicked her hand as she pushed a few strands behind her ear. Her blue eyes, usually cold and calculating, were now focused on her son. "His name is Zhang Ping," she said, still as tired as she was.
The cat, watching from the corner, flicked its tail and commented, "Nya, you still have strength after all that?"
Zhang Lian ignored the cat, her focus only on the baby. She looked at the baby with a cold expression and spoke in English so no one else could understand.
"Even though you tried to mess with my feelings, I forgive you as a mother. But it's time to say goodbye. I hope I don't see you too soon."
The concubine and the maids, especially Fei Ling and Xiao Yu, watched closely. They had strict orders from the head maid to keep a close eye on this concubine, especially after the last incident.
They exchanged glances, clearly doubting the baby's true father, but they knew they couldn't say such a thing. Their job was to help the queen, nothing more.
Zhang Lian, still holding the baby, turned to Fei Ling. "Fei Ling, go tell the head maid to assign a breastfeeding maid and a guard to the baby," she said. Her voice was loud even though she was tired.
Fei Ling hesitated, looking puzzled. "Your Highness, aren't you going to breastfeed the baby yourself?"
Zhang Lian's blue eyes narrowed slightly as she thought about her own childhood. She thought, Even my mother never fed me, even though she loved me dearly.
And now you expect me to feed this child when I'm going to kill him in the future? But she didn't say any of this.
Instead, she replied coolly, "You should know that I am the queen, and I'll be busy with my duties soon; I was already a noble before, and in noble culture, we don't breastfeed babies because our bodies are weaker than those of villagers."
"We're not used to such heavy work. Now that you're living in the city, not in the village, you should understand city culture."
Fei Ling quickly nodded, feeling sad because the queen scolded her. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I didn't know. I'll go tell the head maid right away," she said, bowing deeply before hurrying out of the room.
Zhang Lian watched her leave, then turned back to the concubine and said, "Since you're the father, here, take the baby. It's your job to raise him now," she said, while passing the baby to him.
She raised her hand, and Wei Jun hesitated for a moment before quickly stepping forward to take the baby. As his hands touched Zhang Lian's, he felt how cold she was.
As he held the baby that wasn't even his, he felt further apart from her than before. He had thought that by accepting this position, he would become closer to the queen.
He became aware that, other than the selection ceremony, he never saw Zhang Lian. He remained virgin because the ministers warned him if he had any sexual relationship with the maid, he would be killed. He let out a sigh as he realized that living in a palace was not as good as he had thought.
Zhang Lian's long hair fell back over her shoulders as she slowly lay back down, her body sinking into the bed with a tired sigh. "You can go," she said softly to the concubine. "Let me rest. Lan, Xiao Yu, you can go back to your duties too."
Wei Jun, sensing that she didn't want to talk anymore, nodded quietly. "Yes, Your Highness," he said, bowing slightly before leaving the room.
He handed the baby to one of the maids and walked out, feeling disappointed. He had imagined a life of privilege and maybe even love, but now all he felt was loneliness.