Chapter 1565: Chapter 1572 Dragon-Phoenix Triplets (1)
The Empress Dowager Mo also hurried over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Nangong Yi so panicked, utterly flustered and at a complete loss, she felt both distressed and annoyed. Distressed because his eyes were red with worry, spinning in circles; annoyed because he appeared so lacking in composure, so deeply attached to a mere woman.
She then thought back to her own experience of giving birth years ago and sighed gently. Stepping forward, she said, "Cai Wei is having her first child; she won’t deliver so quickly..."
As she spoke, she slowly steered the conversation toward the circumstances of her own labor when giving birth to Nangong Yi and Nangong Yu, attempting to divert Nangong Yi’s attention. Although the effort wasn’t particularly effective, it did calm him down somewhat.
Within half a Shi Chen, Lady Liu, the wife of Duke Li Guo, and Lady Du both heard the news and hurried over. The situation was urgent, and neither of them even paused to pay formal respects to Nangong Yi or the Empress Dowager Mo. Instead, they directly asked the Empress Dowager about Cai Wei’s condition.
Inside the birthing room, though Cai Wei did not feel like eating, she forced herself to consume a little food to conserve her energy. She would soon be giving birth to three children, and if her strength gave out, it would be disastrous.
The labor pains were becoming more concentrated. After asking Cai Wei a few questions, the female doctor hurriedly instructed the attendants to help her lie down. Upon inspecting her again, the female doctor declared, "It’s time; the cervix is dilated to three fingers. Your Grace, listen carefully to my instructions, regulate your breath, and push with strength. Do not fear or feel anxious. The baby is in the correct position, so everything will go smoothly if you push properly."
Clenching both fists tightly, Cai Wei gritted her teeth and began struggling against the agony with all her might!
Because Cai Wei had taken excellent care of herself during this pregnancy, eating smaller portions in the later stages to control the babies’ size, and walking and exercising regularly in Space, her condition was favorable. Since her seventh month, she had been diligently practicing the exercises taught by the old palace maid to guide the babies into the correct position, heads down, to facilitate a smooth delivery.
Therefore, though the cervix dilated somewhat slowly and the labor pains lasted for a longer period, the delivery itself proceeded smoothly.
As the evening twilight descended, the first baby was born. A delicate cry echoed from the room—not especially loud but clear enough to be heard.
Nangong Yi stood outside. Since the labor room had been eerily quiet up until now, his anxiety had reached its peak. Hearing this cry, it was as if heavenly music had graced his ears.
At this moment, a maid, her face beaming with joy, ran out to announce, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Grace! Her Highness has delivered a little prince!"
Hearing this, the usually reserved Empress Dowager Mo’s face lit up with delight, and she exclaimed repeatedly, "Good, good! Thank Heaven and Earth; our Great Jin Nation now has an heir!" The Old Madame clasped her hands together, fervently murmuring Buddhist prayers of gratitude.
Standing aside, Lady Du cautiously asked, "How is the Empress? Is her body uninjured?"
The maid responded, "Replying to Madam, Her Highness is in perfect health and is in the process of delivering the second child."
As she spoke, the first prince, now cleaned and swaddled, was brought out. The Empress Dowager Mo and Lady Liu eagerly crowded around, vying to catch a glimpse of the soft, tender little being. Lady Du, however, much like her son-in-law, fixed her gaze intently on the birthing room, wishing she could see through the walls; she paid no attention to the newborn prince at all.
With the first baby born, the second soon followed. Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, another cry came from the room. Shortly after, the same jubilant old palace maid emerged again. Bowing and smiling, she addressed Nangong Yi and the others, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Grace! Her Highness has given birth to a little princess!"
"Oh my! Dragon-phoenix twins—that’s marvelous!"
The Empress Dowager Mo and the Old Madame called out in astonishment. Dragon-phoenix twins were extraordinarily rare, even more so were dragon-phoenix triplets, with odds in the tens of thousands. Perhaps the entirety of the Great Jin Nation had seen only one instance of this. Six years ago, the Governor of Youzhou had reported a case where a woman from a poor family gave birth to dragon-phoenix triplets. Unfortunately, due to impoverished conditions and inadequate birthing care, all the babies perished within half a Shi Chen of being born, rendering the event a tragic footnote in history. Nonetheless, the household had still received a reward from the imperial court for the remarkable occurrence.