Chapter 412: Chapter 397 Unveiling
After Yuwen Jing burned incense at Xiangguo Temple, he made his way to the small courtyard on the rear mountain. This courtyard was where Fengyu lived all year round. The Feng Family’s donation of incense money to Xiangguo Temple was enough to buy the entire temple. Therefore, apart from the imperial family, only the Feng Family had their own small courtyard in the rear mountain of Xiangguo Temple. When Yuwen Jing arrived, Dongxue and Xia Zhu knelt within the courtyard to block his way.
Xia Zhu said, "Your Majesty, my lady is resting. Please leave."
Yuwen Jing’s face darkened. Seeing this, Chen Mo stepped forward and pulled the two women away. Xia Zhu and Dongxue couldn’t resist the strength of the Jinyi Guards and were thrown aside.
Yuwen Jing’s longing for Feng Shu had grown to the point of illness. Rarely did he come to Xiangguo Temple, so he naturally wanted to see Feng Shu. Just as he reached the door, Feng Shu’s voice came from inside, "Your Majesty, stop. There is a memorial tablet to my late husband inside. You are not welcome here, and I do not wish to see you!"
"Shu’er... It’s been nearly a year. Have you still not come to terms with this?" Yuwen Jing stopped at the door, his expression tinged with sadness. "I’ve worked so hard to free myself from worldly matters, and all I desire is to see you. I will do nothing but meet you—please come out and see me."
"Yuwen Jing, you promised me to observe mourning for my husband for one year at Xiangguo Temple. And now, you wish to break your word again?"
The three words "mourning for husband" pierced Yuwen Jing deeply, leaving him feeling wounded and bleeding.
Husband... husband... Even in death, Xie Zhang was a lingering specter!
"If you refuse to see me, then I will wait at the door until you change your mind." Yuwen Jing stood resolutely at the door, unmoved, while Dongxue and Xia Zhu paced frantically.
Their lady was already in labor—what could they do?
If Yuwen Jing remained there, their lady would die in agony from the pain. How could she give birth alone? Now it was too late to summon a doctor and midwife. The child had come half a month early, and Yuwen Jing’s arrival had thrown everything into chaos. If Yuwen Jing hadn’t come, they might have had time to get Feng Shu down the mountain for delivery. What now?
My lady!
Feng Shu was half-lying on the bed, sweating profusely from the pain, biting on a cloth to keep from crying out, enduring the agony in silence. Her wet hair clung to her face as the pain in her abdomen gradually moved downward. Feng Shu felt her vision blur as waves of pain intensified. Her fingers tightly gripped the bedcovers, her nails snapping off from the strain.
It hurt so much!
She struggled to steady her breathing, trying her best not to think about Yuwen Jing standing outside the door. She could die!
But the child must live, and he must be taken to Ningzhou!
The child seemed to have a fiery temper, eager to come into the world. The contractions grew sharper, more unbearable, until Feng Shu began to feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. Suddenly, there was a quick knock on the door. Feng Shu clutched the dagger by her pillow, but then heard the voices of Dongxue and Xia Zhu.
"My lady, we’re coming inside," Dongxue said.
Before entering, the two had told Yuwen Jing that they would try to persuade Feng Shu on his behalf. After closing the door behind them, Xia Zhu guarded the entrance to prevent Yuwen Jing from coming in, while Dongxue hurried to Feng Shu’s bedside and brought over ginseng slices for her to bite on.
"My lady, don’t rush... slowly, exert your strength," Dongxue said, her mind in turmoil, and she could only offer anxious reassurances to Feng Shu.
And so, Feng Shu endured for over an hour. As a first-time mother, childbirth was naturally slow. This kind of excruciating pain, without comfort or relief, and with a formidable foe waiting outside the door, turned what was already a life-and-death ordeal into an even harsher test for Feng Shu. The pain became unbearable. Although Zhang Lingzheng had said the baby’s position was acceptable and there was no sign of complications, Feng Shu’s condition was still worse than that of a difficult labor.
"Dongxue..." Feng Shu gritted her teeth and handed the dagger to her. "This room has a secret passage for escape. You... you must cut open my abdomen, take out the child, and then leave through the secret passage!"
The child must not fall into Yuwen Jing’s hands!