Chapter 341: How Adorable the Little Brother Is
The Prince of Pacifying the West Manor had long prepared four midwives.
All were the most skilled birth attendants in the capital, having moved into the manor two months in advance.
These four had been idling away their days during their two-month stay, but tonight when Yun Chu went into labor, they finally had their chance to shine.
"Princess Consort, don't be afraid. The child is full-term and capable of coming out on their own."
"As long as the Princess Consort follows our method for pushing, both mother and child will surely be safe."
"Now, take a deep breath, then slowly exhale..."
"Why has the Prince come in!"
Just as the midwives were instructing Yun Chu on breathing and pushing techniques, a tall figure pushed the door open, closed it behind him, lifted the bed curtains, walked directly to Yun Chu's side, sat on the edge of the bed, and took her hand.
"Your Highness, this is absolutely improper!" The midwives exclaimed in shock. "The lying-in room is an unclean place that may affect a man's luck. Please leave quickly and wait outside."
Chu Yi tightly grasped Yun Chu's hand, his deep voice suppressing tension: "Every man is born in such a place. If it truly affects luck, then it has been affected since the moment of birth."
The midwives were left speechless.
"I will only say this once." Chu Yi's icy gaze swept over the four women. "If both mother and child are safe, you four will receive immense wealth. But if there is the slightest mishap, you should beware..."
Before he could finish his sentence,
Yun Chu pressed his hand. During a break between contractions, she said: "Don't say such things."
Not only was it inauspicious,
but it mainly added psychological pressure on the midwives.
As she was about to say more, the next wave of contractions suddenly struck. Her abdomen tightened abruptly, intense pain spread, and her spine ached to the extreme.
One midwife immediately taught her to take deep breaths.
Another fed her chicken soup to maintain her strength.
Two others observed the cervical dilation at the bedside.
Maids throughout the room performed their respective duties - some brought hot water, others prepared baby clothes, while some continuously brought chicken soup or ginseng soup...
Chu Yi didn't know what he could do, so he instinctively held her hand, continuously giving her strength.
This wasn't Yun Chu's first time giving birth.
She clearly felt this time was different from last time.
During that premature birth over six years ago, the child had no strength, relying entirely on her efforts alone. Ultimately, the child was born with difficulty and she suffered massive bleeding.
This time, the child was full-term. When she pushed, the child exerted effort along with her.
"It's coming out, I can see the head!"
"Princess Consort, push harder!"
"Don't rush, don't rush. Wait for the next contraction to push. First drink some ginseng soup."
Ting Feng's trembling hands passed the ginseng soup to the midwife.
The midwife didn't care whether Yun Chu could drink it properly, directly feeding it to her. Yun Chu could only swallow instinctively.
When the next contraction came, she suppressed a roar from her throat, feeling warmth below as her abdomen suddenly felt relieved.
"Waa waa—"
The baby's cries echoed through the lying-in room.
Yun Chu, drenched in sweat and completely exhausted, lay on the bed looking at the palm-sized child, a slow smile gradually curving her lips.
"Princess Consort, push once more. The placenta hasn't come out yet."
The most dangerous moment in the lying-in room had passed. The pace slowed as they gradually handled the placenta and cleaned the child...
While the room remained calm, the two children waiting outside were nearly going mad with anxiety."Brother, I hear the baby crying." Chu Changsheng grabbed Chu Hongyu's hand. "Mother and younger sister are both alright, right?"
Chu Hongyu's fingers trembled: "They're fine, they must be fine!"
The two children tried several times to rush inside, but were stopped each time by Ting Shuang waiting at the door.
After Ting Shuang's own child was weaned, she had returned to serve by Yun Chu's side, becoming the head steward of Yun Chu's courtyard.
Other maids and matrons couldn't possibly restrain the Young Son and Little Commandery Princess, but with Ting Shuang standing guard, the two children didn't dare misbehave and had to wait obediently.
"Young Master, Young Miss, don't worry. The Princess Consort and the baby are both fine." Luwei emerged from the lying-in room. "Once everything is tidied up, you two may enter."
Hearing that both were safe, Chu Hongyu sighed in relief and quickly asked: "Is it a sister?"
Luwei froze—she actually hadn't noticed whether it was a boy or girl. Neither the Prince nor Princess Consort had asked, and the midwife hadn't had a chance to mention it.
"Father! Father!" Chu Hongyu called out loudly.
Chu Yi inside the room was sweating profusely—he didn't know how to hold the baby properly and was unsure what to do, wanting to step out for some air.
He came out and said quietly: "Your mother just gave birth and needs rest. Keep your voices down."
"Father!" Chu Changsheng approached him. "Is it a younger brother or younger sister?"
Chu Yi was stumped by the question. After ensuring both mother and child were safe, it hadn't occurred to him to ask.
A midwife came out from the room and said with a smile: "It's a young master—a fair, chubby little boy who clearly bears signs of good fortune."
"Ah? A younger brother?" Chu Hongyu's brows furrowed. "I don't like younger brothers."
"Boys are so noisy," Chu Changsheng also expressed resistance. "Wasn't it supposed to be a sister?"
The midwife silently lowered her gaze.
From what she knew, some busybodies in the city had started betting pools gambling on whether the Princess Consort of the Pacifying West would have a boy or girl, and even betting that if it were a legitimate son, whether he would replace the current Young Son.
Now it appeared the Young Son of Prince Pingxi was also quite resistant to the Princess Consort giving birth. After all, the Young Son's birth mother was unknown, while the Princess Consort's child was of legitimate bloodline. By convention, only legitimate children were qualified to be petitioned as heir and inherit the title...
The Prince of Pacifying the West Manor was likely to see some turmoil.
The midwife, being a palace midwife, knew well that some matters could be spoken of while others couldn't. She silently went about her duties.
The two children had no inkling of adults' concerns.
They simply thought a sister would be fragrant, soft, well-behaved, and obedient, thus instinctively rejecting a brother.
However, when they were permitted to enter, when they saw the fair infant nestled in Yun Chu's arms, when the baby instinctively grasped their fingers with its tiny hand—all of Chu Hongyu and Chu Changsheng's resistance and rejection instantly vanished.
"Wow, younger brother is so adorable."
"Younger brother is so fair, with so much flesh on his face. Mother, may I pinch it?"
Without waiting for Yun Chu's nod, Chu Hongyu directly reached out and pinched the infant's cheek.
"Waaah waaah!"
The baby immediately burst into loud cries.
"Brother, you're awful!" Chu Changsheng glared with her round eyes. "I forbid you to go near younger brother again, hmph!"
Chu Hongyu hurriedly held the infant's foot and said gently: "Younger brother, your brother didn't mean it. Don't cry, don't cry, alright? I was wrong—I'll never do it again."The newborn baby couldn't possibly understand human speech, and its cries grew increasingly alarming.
"Young Master, Young Mistress, the second young master is hungry," Ting Shuang said with a smile. "This servant will take him to the wet nurse for feeding."
The wet nurse had been waiting nearby all along. The moment the nourishment was placed in its mouth, the little one instantly quieted down.
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