Imperial Husband Chapter 70

"Okay, okay, I'll go see, but Amu, you have to hold on, don't let anything happen to you." Dongzi wiped his tears with his sleeve. After Liu Amo looked at Liu Rong, she quickly ran out.

"Alright..." As Dongzi left, Liu Rong looked weakly at Liu Amo and said, "Liu Amo, didn't you say that an unmarried shuang'er cannot enter? Why didn't you stop Dongzi just now?"

Liu Amo sneered, "Rong Fulang, you say it so lightly. Dongzi is the only one here who can be of any help. If we don't let Dongzi in, who will attend to you?"

"You... I forbid you to let Dongzi come in again, otherwise... if I die, I won't let you off."

Liu Rong's eyes were filled with anger.

Liu Rong could see right through him, Liu Amo clearly held a grudge, otherwise he wouldn't have let Dongzi in at a time like this.

Liu Amo was very superstitious about these things. Provoked by Liu Rong's words, he said furiously, "Fine, don't let him in then. But if something happens to you later, don't blame me."

Outside.

As soon as Dongzi ran out, he recognized Li Jin and the others. Overjoyed, he said through tears, "Big Brother, you're here? Do you still have a waterskin? Liu Amo said Amu is having a difficult labor and needs one more waterskin before he will save Amu."

So Dongzi really knows them.

Dashu breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Jin raised an eyebrow, "That Liu Amo said your amu is having a difficult labor, and one more waterskin will ensure he's okay?"

"Liu Amo said he would do his best."

Dongzi lowered his head.

Dongzi was usually clever and wouldn't repeatedly fall for Liu Amo's tricks, but now, with Liu Rong's safety at stake, Dongzi couldn't afford to overthink.

"Ah..."

Suddenly, a scream came from inside the house, instantly making Dongzi's face turn pale. "Amu! Something happened to Amu! I need to go see Amu..."

"No." Ping'an, who had followed secretly because he was worried, grabbed Dongzi's hand as soon as he heard he wanted to go in. "They are giving birth inside, you cannot go in."

"Dongzi, he is right, you cannot go in."

Dashu knew the rule about unmarried shuang'er was not allowed to enter the delivery room, so he also joined in persuading Dongzi.

"Let go of me! I want to go in and see Amu!" Dongzi struggled desperately, even biting the back of Ping'an's hand to force him to let go.

"Sss..."

Ping'an gasped in pain, but he stubbornly did not let go.

Li Jin sighed and placed a hand on Dongzi's left shoulder. "Dongzi, if you go in now, you will only distract your amu."

"But... but... Amu... Waaaaah..." Perhaps Li Jin's previous actions had left a deep impression on Dongzi, because he listened to Li Jin's words, released his bite, but tears began to flow like a burst dam.

Li Jin gave his assurance, "Your amu will be fine."

"Mm."

Dongzi nodded.

"Ah..."

Three hours passed, and Liu Rong's screams still sounded intermittently.

"It's been so long, why hasn't Amu given birth yet?" Dongzi could not hide his worry as he looked at the tightly closed door, desperately wanting to charge in to see Liu Rong regardless of the consequences.

Creak.

Just as Dongzi was about to lose control and rush in, the door opened. It was Liu Amo who opened it. "Dongzi, go call your uncle to come help prepare your amu's funeral arrangements."

Dongzi, red-eyed, said, "My amu is still alive."

Liu Amo shook his head, "Dongzi, your amu simply cannot give birth."

"How can... how can this be..." Dongzi couldn't accept this fact and fell to the ground, overwhelmed with grief.

At the same time.

Liu Rong's maternal family happened to arrive. Hearing Liu Amo's words, Liu Rong's younger brother, Liu Laicai, was the first to feign sadness, "Dongzi, don't be afraid. From now on, your uncle will treat you well."

"Yes, Dongzi, you can live with us from now on." Liu Laicai's wife, Zhao Xiuhong, also joined the persuasion.

"I only want my amu."

Dongzi shook his head and refused without a second thought.

"What's wrong with you, child?"

Zhao Xiuhong never liked Dongzi to begin with, the only reason she suggested adopting him was for Dongzi's family house. So, seeing Dongzi being uncooperative, she became impatient.

"They are relatives from Dongzi's father's side. Dongzi is not your responsibility."

Dashu knew how despicable Liu Rong's maternal family was. As soon as he heard they intended to adopt Dongzi, he brought up Li Jin and the others.

Liu Yin's relatives?

Liu Laicai and his wife were stunned. Only then did they notice Li Jin and his group, and the clothes they wore. Without a second thought, they knew these people were from wealthy or noble backgrounds.

Liu Laicai swallowed hard and asked, "You... are you really Liu Yin's relatives?"

"Yes." Li Jin replied with a smile, then looked at Shi Weixu. "Physician Shi, Dongzi's Amu will be in your hands."

A single remark awakened the dreamer.

Li Jin's words suddenly reminded Dongzi that Shi Weixu was a physician. "That's right! Physician Shi, I beg you, please save my amu, please... I beg you..."

Shi Weixu quickly stopped him, "Uh... child, don't be like this. I will do my best."

After all, Shi Weixu hadn't seen Liu Rong's condition and didn't dare to make any promises. 

Dongzi cried tears of joy, "Thank you... thank you..."

"No! He is a man, how can he enter? Can Rong Fulang's reputation still be preserved?"

Liu Amo said with a dark expression, preventing Shi Weixu from entering.

Liu Amo's action wasn't for Liu Rong's sake, but for his own soon-to-be-married shuang'er. If word got out that Liu Rong allowed an unfamiliar man into the delivery room, it would affect the unmarried girls and shuang'ers in Liujia Village.

Ying Yuan stepped forward. "I will go in and see. Physician Shi can instruct me from outside the door on what to do. Is that acceptable?"

"What nonsense are you talking? You are also a man... uh... You are a shuang'er?"

As Ying Yuan pulled off the forehead ribbon, a vividly colored red mark appeared on his forehead.

Ying Yuan asked again, "May I go in now?"

"Y-yes..."

Liu Amo responded in a daze.

"I leave it to you." Li Jin lightly patted Ying Yuan's shoulder.

"Mm."

Ying Yuan nodded, took a box of ginseng slices given by Physician Shi, and walked in.

Ping'an looked at Li Jin with admiration.

His Highness is truly divine! He could even anticipate something like this.

Li Jin tapped Ping'an on the head. "Ping'an, go tell Yunting to bring several more waterskins. I have a use for them."

"Yes, I'll go right away."

Ping'an saw that Li Jin wasn't going to question him for following, so he quickly ran off to notify Zhou Yunting.

Waterskins? He still has many waterskins filled with water?

Liu Laicai was captivated by the word 'waterskins' and immediately stared greedily at Li Jin, seeming to want to get some advantage from him.

"Physician Shi, the fetal position is not correct, the child's feet came out first." After being adopted by Gu Rushuang, Ying Yuan had studied medicine for a while with the Imperial Physicians, so the moment he saw Liu Rong's condition, he recognized it as a breech birth.

[Breech birth (malpresentation): a childbirth situation where the baby is positioned to be delivered buttocks or feet first, rather than the typical head-first position, often requiring special medical management]

"Breech birth... that's troublesome... Seventh Young Master, first have him hold a ginseng slice in his mouth..." Shi Weixu also knew Ying Yuan had some medical knowledge and instructed him from outside on what to do.

"Ah..."

Liu Rong screamed again, then bit his lower lip hard. Looking at the stranger who had suddenly entered the room to help with the delivery, he did not refuse.

"Endure it. First hold the ginseng slice in your mouth. I will push the child back in."

Having said that, Ying Yuan placed a ginseng slice at the corner of Liu Rong's lips.

Liu Rong was not a fussy person. Knowing he was at a critical juncture between life and death, he immediately held the ginseng slice in his mouth, entrusting his life and the child's to Ying Yuan.

Not long after.

Zhou Yunting came over holding several waterskins. "Third Young Master, I have brought the waterskins."

Shi Weixu was overjoyed, "Good, we mustn't delay. I will go with you to boil hot water."

"Yunting, do as Physician Shi says."

"Yes, Third Young Master."

"Heavens! How can you push the child back in? Isn't that harming someone?" Liu Amo, who had been pulled in to help, was dumbfounded seeing Ying Yuan actually push the child back in.

"Shut up! You just do as I say, don't do anything unnecessary."

Ying Yuan shot a warning glance at Liu Amo and continued with his task.

"If something happens to Rong Fulang, it will be your fault!" Frightened by Ying Yuan's gaze, Liu Amo instinctively pushed all the responsibility onto him.

Ying Yuan ignored Liu Amo. Looking at the sweating Liu Rong, he said, "I have pushed the child back in. Next, I will help correct the fetal position. You must endure it."

"Okay."

Screams belonging to Liu Rong sounded once more inside the room.

Amu, you must stay safe.

Dongzi forcibly suppressed the urge to rush in and began to pray silently in his heart.

"Wah... wah wah..."

As if a century had passed, the sound of a newborn crying rang out. Dongzi, who had been waiting outside, could no longer restrain himself and charged into the room. "Amu... Amu..."

The weak Liu Rong looked at Dongzi with relief.

"I'm fine, Dongzi. You've worked hard these days."

Dongzi tightly grasped Liu Rong's hand. "It wasn't hard, it wasn't hard at all. As long as Amu is okay, that's all that matters."

"Rong Fulang, congratulations! It's a man. Now Liu Yin has an heir." Perhaps intimidated by Ying Yuan's almost miraculous delivery skills, Liu Amo's tone held a hint of ingratiation.

"Good... that's good..."

Liu Rong had always wanted to leave an heir for Liu Yin, who had been taken for corvee labor by the government runners. Now, knowing he had given birth to a man, it was as he wished. Unable to hold on any longer, he fainted.

"Amu..." Dongzi was startled by Liu Rong's sudden faint.

"Your amu is just too tired. He will be fine after some sleep."

After speaking, Ying Yuan began cleaning up.

That night, after Dongzi sent away Liu Laicai and his wife, he accommodated Li Jin and his group to stay. The carriage they arrived in was placed next to Dongzi's house.

"I never thought I would one day help someone else give birth." Sitting side-by-side with Li Jin, Ying Yuan thought of the race against time during the delivery, and the joy of seeing the child born safely, and felt a surge of complex emotions.

"You worked hard today."

Li Jin casually draped his cloak over Ying Yuan's shoulders.

"It was alright." Ying Yuan shook his head, then said with a hint of shyness, "Li Jin, I'm a bit tired. Can I lean on you for a while?"

"Okay."