The morning light is faint, and the morning light is first revealed. Shangjing has not yet awakened from the silent night, and everything is quiet. Only Prince Jing's Mansion was brightly lit and busy.
Put out the fire, make porridge, make ginseng tea, boil hot water...
Aunt Gui and two stable women stood at the end of the bed, teaching Jiang Shu how to give birth. Fang Nanxing was always checking Jiang Shu's condition. Yu Lan sat on the bedside, holding Jiang Shu's hand and talking to comfort him.
"Ah -" Jiang Shu screamed in pain from time to time, but after a while, the pain in his abdomen gradually subsided. After repeating this several times, Jiang Shu sweated all over.
"Why aren't you coming out yet?" Jiang Shu asked, sweating profusely and panting after the labor pain subsided.
Yu Lan said warmly: "It's not so fast. When I gave birth to Yun'er, it took nearly three hours from seizure to delivery."
"Ah? So long?" Jiang Shu was shocked.
Afraid that she would be scared and anxious, Yu Lan added: "Everyone's situation is different, don't think too much, just let nature take its course."
Aunt Gui also said: "Princess, don't worry, relax. The child will not be born immediately. It will not come out until the production conditions are sufficient."
"Here comes the hot water." Shuang Hua and Tan Yu brought in two basins of hot water with dense white mist.
Po Wen stepped aside and said: "Quickly, wipe the princess's sweat and body, and then go to the kitchen to hurry up and bring the porridge. The princess will eat for a while before she has the strength to give birth..."
Chu Yu twisted the handkerchief and wiped the sweat off Jiang Shu's face first, then untied his clothes and wiped himself.
After having his whole body wiped with a hot handkerchief, Jiang Shu felt much more comfortable. But soon, the abdominal pain returned, and soon I was drenched in sweat.
"Princess, please don't shout too loudly, so as not to consume too much energy. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly, adjust your breath..." Aunt Gui patiently reminded her again and again, while Chu Yu wiped Jiang Shu's sweat over and over again.
The first ray of sunlight pierced the sky, penetrated the clouds, and burst out thousands of golden rays.
The emperor led Yu Zheng and others to bow down and worship, offering sacrifices to heaven and praying for blessings.
Offering sacrifices to heaven and praying for blessings is an important matter for the country. Everyone looked solemn and respectful, and worshiped with devotion.
Yu Zheng's eyelids suddenly twitched, and he felt uneasy in his heart.
When all the ceremonies were completed, Chaoyang showed his complete face, and Yu Zheng helped the emperor walk down the altar.
The emperor's leg was injured, and he broke out in a cold sweat after stepping off the altar.
After getting off the altar, the guards hurriedly carried the soft sedan.
Yu Zheng helped the emperor onto the sedan chair, pursed his lips and said in a concentrated voice: "Father, I want to take the first step."
After the ceremony was over, the emperor and his ministers had to have breakfast before the whole team returned to Beijing. It would take at least half an hour before departure.
But Yu Zheng couldn't wait any longer. There was a voice in his heart, urging him to hurry back to Shangjing.
The emperor thought for a moment and realized that Yu Zheng was concerned about Jiang Shu and his children, so he nodded in agreement.
"Go ahead."
Yu Zheng set out on the road lightly, taking only Zhui Yun and Zhu Feng with him, riding a horse at a gallop.
"Drive! Drive!"
The sound of horses shouting resounded through the mountain road, the horses' hooves flew, and the frightened birds in the mountains scattered to the west.
East Palace.
Xie Wanruo had just finished washing herself and was taking flowers to water the flowers and plants in the courtyard.
Suddenly, several palace maids broke into the courtyard. The leader was Cao Muxue's maid He Lan. They walked up to Xie Wanruo and said politely: "Thank you, concubine. The princess invites you to come over."
Xie Wanruo raised her eyes and glanced at a few people. Knowing that they were coming with bad intentions, she kept watering the flowers with her hands and whispered softly: "What's important, Princess?"
Helan said: "We will find out when Concubine Xie is gone."
Xie Ziruo put down the flowers and watered them and said, "Okay, I'll just go to the toilet."
Seeing Xie Wanruo being so cooperative and obedient, Helan was slightly stunned, but more of a proud person.
After all, she was a concubine. No matter how favored she was, she would not dare to disobey the Crown Princess's orders.
With this in mind, Helan and the others went back to resume their duties first.
Xie Wanruo, who was pretending to go to the toilet, immediately gave the order after seeing Helan and others walking out of the courtyard.
"Someone, close the courtyard door and lock it."
"Yes." The palace man ordered, quickly closed the courtyard door and locked it with a copper lock.
He Lan, who had not gone far, heard the noise and felt something was wrong, so he came back and knocked on the door hard.
"Thank you, Concubine. The Crown Princess has summoned you. What do you mean?"
Xie Wanruo looked at the bright morning sun in the sky and said, "I won't go."
"You..." He Lan choked outside the door and asked angrily: "Xie Concubine is so arrogant that she doesn't even look down on the Crown Princess?"
Xie Wanruo approached the door and asked scornfully through the courtyard door: "Then tell me, what does the Crown Princess want to do when she calls me?"
Helan choked and couldn't answer.
Emperor Yu Chengdu was not in the palace early in the morning, so Cao Muxue summoned him, so naturally nothing good happened.
He Lan pinched her hands and said, "Concubine Xie, are you determined to disobey me?"
Xie Wanruo was too lazy to talk nonsense with her anymore, so she turned around and went to Yu Haolin's house.
He Lan waited for a moment outside the door and hurried back to report.
Soon, Helan came back with several servants, carrying a wooden ladder to climb the wall into the courtyard.
"Your Majesty, it's not good..." The palace attendant hurriedly entered the room to report.
Xie Wanruo's beautiful eyes darkened after hearing this, and she said coldly: "Take a bamboo pole and stab people down, and no one is allowed in!"
"But the Crown Princess..." The palace man hesitated.
If it were just Cao Muxue, he would be offended if he offended him. Anyway, if Xie Wan was favored by Yu Cheng, nothing would happen.
What is worrying is that there is a queen behind Cao Muxue.
Xie Wanruo said with a stern face: "I will take the responsibility if anything happens. If anyone disobeys your order, he will be beaten to death right now!"
As soon as these words came out, no one dared to say anything.
The palace man hurried out, called some servants, and stabbed down the man who climbed up the wall with a bamboo pole.
Suddenly, outside the courtyard wall, there was a mixture of screams, falling to the ground, and exclamations.
Xie Wanruo hugged Yu Haolin to comfort him and told him not to be afraid.
Yingyue whispered: "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess has no choice but to go find the Queen."
The queen can mobilize the guards of Yongning Palace. If she brings people here, the courtyard gate and wall may be difficult to stop.
Xie Wanruo stroked Yu Haolin's head and thought, "Go out through the side door and go to Zhongling Palace."
The door must be guarded at this time. As soon as it is opened, someone will rush in. People in the courtyard will also be arrested when they go out.
He could only sneak to Zhongling Palace while no one was paying attention to the side door.
"But...will Concubine Yu help the empress?" Yingyue wrung her hands with worry.
Concubine Yu is not related to Xie Wanruo, and she is not on good terms with the queen. The relationship between Yu Cheng and Yu Zheng is also very delicate. More importantly, Yu Haolin almost caused Jiang Shu to have a miscarriage.
With all these factors in mind, there was no reason for Concubine Yu to risk offending the Queen by venturing into this muddy water.
Xie Wanruo said solemnly: "You have to give it a try. Go quickly and be careful not to get caught."
"Yes." Yingyue accepted the order and hurried away.
At this point, all we can do is take a gamble.
As expected, Cao Muxue had nothing to do with Xie Wanruo, so she went to find the queen.
The queen didn't want to take care of it at first, but she couldn't stand Cao Muxue and cried and complained. She also used the Cao family as an excuse to force the queen to support her.
The queen understood in her heart that although they were both ministers of Yu Cheng's faction, the Cao family and the Xie family could only appoint one of them.
Cao Muxue suddenly attacked today and received a secret letter from Cao Qian, suggesting that she could attack Xie Wanruo today.
According to Cao Qian's wish, if it succeeds, Xie Wanruo will be used to suppress the Xie family. If he fails, Xie Wanruo will be sacrificed, and someone will go first on the road to Huangquan.
