Chapter 246: Giving Birth
The day after the army led by Batel departed, Jin Sui began to bleed. She was immediately sent to the hospital, and Gu Changxiao suspended court for three days to accompany her during childbirth.
Jin Sui chuckled, saying that the officials would surely scold her, the Empress, for being overly sentimental. In all the dynasties, there had never been a case of an Emperor suspending court to accompany an Empress during childbirth!
Gu Changxiao said anxiously, “Let them say what they want! I’ve only suspended the morning court, not stopped governing. Anyway, no matter what I do, there will be censors impeaching me. Sui Sui, don’t worry too much.”
“You’ve started bleeding, when will labor begin?”
Jin Sui laughed, “It’s still early! After bleeding comes the breaking of the water, then waiting for the cervix to dilate, and then labor. It can take a day at the fastest, or two or three days of torment at the slowest.”
As for whether she cared about the officials scolding her, she didn’t care at all!
She even found the idea of being called sentimental a bit amusing, because in the past, the officials behind her back had called her tyrannical. The gentry of Yandi had once called her a rogue and a stubborn mule, and Huo Zi’an had called her a demoness.
Being called sentimental was almost like being praised in her ears.
Since Miss Yan gave birth in the hospital, and now that she was in the hospital, although the number of women giving birth in the hospital was still small, there were dozens of them. Besides the powerful and noble, there were more commoners.
Because some commoners couldn’t afford a good midwife and had to rely on experienced elderly women from the neighborhood to deliver their babies. The first birth was always very dangerous, and some women, fearing accidents, advised them to give birth in the hospital.
Not only were the fees lower, but they also provided food and medicine. Most importantly, the baby would have a file established, and the nurses would make several home visits during the confinement period. These benefits were not available when hiring a midwife.
Poor families were not sentimental. Let alone giving birth in a hospital, some who were temporarily living in others’ homes would even give birth in sheep pens or stables. Compared to that, giving birth in a hospital was considered a luxury for wealthy ladies.
The hospital treated everyone equally, regardless of whether they were a farmer’s wife or a noblewoman. At most, after childbirth, they would stay in a regular ward or pay extra for a private room.
In short, the obstetrics department had become quite successful, and its reputation had spread. Women in childbirth from other prefecture cities in Yandi were specifically traveling to the capital city to give birth.
Jin Sui had said before that she would give birth in the hospital. At first, some people didn’t believe it. The Empress giving birth outside the palace? How could that be possible?
As a result, when they saw the Emperor accompanying the Empress into the hospital and the obstetrics department being under strict guard, everyone believed it was true. The Women and Children’s Hospital’s reputation soared.
Jin Sui’s diet during pregnancy was appropriate, and she also did prenatal exercises. She hadn’t gained too much weight. By measuring her own abdominal circumference, she estimated the baby should be around five catties. The first child couldn’t be too big, otherwise, it would be prone to difficult labor.
For example, Miss Yan, if she hadn’t returned to the capital during her second trimester and had Jin Sui supervise her diet, and if she had given birth at home with a midwife, she would have definitely had a difficult labor.
Even so, An’an was born weighing over seven catties, which was considered a macrosomic baby in this era. That night, Jin Sui had already prepared for a cesarean section for Miss Yan.
Although she was confident she could have a natural birth, just in case, she decided to educate Gu Changxiao about cesarean sections in advance. If it were needed, and he saw a physician cutting open her belly, he would surely be terrified and want to execute the physician’s entire clan.
Jin Sui specifically took out the cesarean section materials she had printed in her space and explained them to Gu Changxiao page by page. However, His Majesty the Emperor, who had been on many battlefields and seen all sorts of deaths.
He actually looked at a picture of a baby being held out of an opened abdomen, his legs went weak, his face turned pale, and he almost couldn’t stand steady. He tightly gripped Jin Sui’s hand, his eyes full of fear:
“Sui Sui, you plan to give birth like this?”
Jin Sui laughed, “No! If I can have a natural birth, I will, of course. I’m just giving you a heads-up in advance. If there’s a difficult labor and it comes to a desperate situation where a cesarean section is needed, don’t be alarmed and scare the doctors.”
Gu Changxiao gazed at her for a long time, then suddenly said, “After this one, we’re not having any more.”
Giving birth was too terrifying! He even subtly touched his own stomach. Although he didn’t say anything, Jin Sui guessed his thoughts at that moment and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Does Your Majesty want to give birth for me?”
Gu Changxiao nodded seriously, “If I could, I truly would want to give birth for Sui Sui.”
Jin Sui smiled and clasped his hand back, “Don’t worry! My weight management during pregnancy was very good, the baby won’t be too big, and it will be a natural birth.”
Once the contractions started, she endured them without groaning, because she knew very well that crying out and moving too much in the early stages would waste too much energy, leaving her with insufficient strength for the actual birth later.
Moreover, she knew that if she cried out, Gu Changxiao would be very worried, as would An’an, Yingniang, Chen Yunniang, Miss Yan, and other relatives and friends waiting outside.
Although sweat beaded on her temples, she simply closed her eyes and took deep breaths. When her cervix was five fingers dilated, she even calmly ate to replenish her strength.
She ate three energy bars and drank ginseng tea, but unfortunately, there was no Red Bull. At this time, two cans of Red Bull would have been perfect.
When her cervix was seven fingers dilated, she drove Gu Changxiao out. Gu Changxiao was unwilling, “Han Xing can stay inside to accompany Madam Yan.”
Jin Sui insisted, “I’ll be nervous if you stay here, and Han Xing is staying because I am the attending physician, and I am not afraid of Han Xing.
But the medical staff are afraid of you. If you are here, they will be even more nervous.”
Gu Changxiao glanced at the medical staff, “Are you nervous with me here?”
The medical staff instinctively saluted and, mustering their courage, replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, we are not, not nervous.”
This was called not nervous?
Jin Sui exaggerated again, “What if, due to nervousness, one step is done incorrectly, and my natural birth turns into a difficult one?”
Only then did Gu Changxiao agree to wait outside with An’an and the others. Jin Sui truly didn’t want him to watch; many men developed psychological trauma after witnessing their wives give birth.
Although she believed Gu Changxiao’s psyche wouldn’t be that weak, she didn’t need his cheering or encouragement, so why let him see that scene.
Indeed, as soon as he left, all the medical staff quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Jin Sui used a large mirror to check her cervix and calmly directed the medical staff to prepare.
After Gu Changxiao went out, he had Chen Yunniang come in. Chen Yunniang had never given birth and said a bit shyly, “I don’t know if I can help Madam? Madam Yan wants to come in, but Your Majesty disagrees.”
Perhaps he felt that Miss Yan was too boisterous, and Chen Yunniang was more reliable.
Jin Sui shook her head, “Sister Chen, just stay with me. The medical staff are very professional, you don’t need to do anything.”
Chen Yunniang then felt relieved and stood beside Jin Sui, holding her hand to encourage her. When her cervix was nine fingers dilated, she began to push. Jin Sui had long practiced breathing techniques, following the doctor’s instructions to exhale and inhale.
The pain was real, more painful than being stabbed while pursuing Tartars. It wasn’t the pain of flesh and blood, but the feeling of internal organs being squeezed, as if something was burrowing inside her belly.
As a warm current flowed out, the baby’s cry rang out: “Wah~”
“Congratulations, Madam, it’s an Imperial Prince.”
When the little one cried, everyone outside laughed. Gu Changxiao wanted to come in but was stopped by a nurse, “Your Majesty can see the child after he’s wrapped.”
He then poked his head in at the doorway and shouted, “How is Sui Sui?”
Jin Sui, enduring her fatigue, said, “I’m fine, and the baby is fine.”
Chen Yunniang held the baby and showed him to her. She first checked his fingers, toes, and facial features. The little one was indeed only five catties, but his hair was thick and dark.
Newborns’ eyes are not fully open, but his were wide open, with deep eyeliner, a high nose bridge, and a sharply defined jawline. Well, our little baby is like a masterpiece of Nuwa’s craftsmanship!
After a glance, Jin Sui was lifted by the nurse onto a gurney. She said to Chen Yunniang, “Thank you, Sister Chen. I’m going to sleep for a while. Please take the baby to His Majesty.”
Then she fell into a deep sleep, oblivious to everything.
She woke up feeling a bit deflated and felt the pain of uterine contractions. Jin Sui couldn’t quite comprehend it. Had she just given birth? Had she become a mother?
The nurse on duty saw the Empress wake up and quickly notified everyone. She then brought hot water for her to rinse her mouth, wash her face and hands, and brought congee and bird’s nest soup for her to eat.
Gu Changxiao immediately came in to see her and let out a long sigh of relief, “Sui Sui, you’re finally awake.”
He brushed Jin Sui’s hair and placed a kiss on her forehead, “You’ve worked hard, Sui Sui. Thank you. Great Xia has a Crown Prince.”
Jin Sui was speechless, “Hasn’t the child even reached three days old, and Your Majesty is already bestowing the title of Crown Prince?”
Gu Changxiao said matter-of-factly, “Our eldest son is naturally the Crown Prince of Great Xia! Whether he’s enfeoffed early or late is the same. It’s better to enfeoff him early to reassure the hearts of the people.”
Indeed, once the Emperor decided on an heir, regardless of the heir’s age, whether it was the officials, the powerful, or the common people, they would all be much more at ease.
This meant that there would be no turmoil over imperial succession for the time being. It was known that every time a new emperor ascended the throne, civil wars would break out. Great Xia had rarely had a smoothly succeeding Crown Prince.
For example, the previous war between Gu Changxiao and Prince Yu directly shattered the cohesion of the powerful and gentry of Chang’an, making it impossible for them to rise again for a hundred years.
“Where is the child? Let me see.”
The little one was sleeping, with two wet nurses diligently watching over him. Jin Sui asked everyone to leave, including Gu Changxiao, because she wanted to take a birth photo of the child.
Gu Changxiao didn’t even ask a question and immediately led his people out. Jin Sui quickly finished taking the photos and said to the wet nurses, “Bring the little Imperial Prince to me when he wakes up. The more he suckles, the more milk I will have.”
She had already told the wet nurses that she would breastfeed the child herself. The wet nurses would only feed him at night or when her milk was insufficient.
“Has Your Majesty decided on a name?”
Gu Changxiao handed over a piece of paper with three characters written on it: ‘Jin’, ‘Shuo’, ‘Jing’. “His generation is the ‘Wen’ generation. Sui Sui, choose a name. The courtesy name will be bestowed when he reaches adulthood.”
Jin Sui pondered, “I really like Shuo, but Shuo means new moon. Since my son is the Crown Prince, he should be the sun of the nation. The character Jing is better.”
“How about this: his nickname will be Shuo Ge’er, and his formal name will be Jun Wen Jing. What do you think?”
Gu Changxiao smiled, “It’s all up to Sui Sui. These three characters were chosen by me, the Imperial Observatory, and Grandpa Ling together. They are all auspicious names.”
Jin Sui imagined Gu Changxiao summoning the Imperial Observatory, with Grandpa also present, seriously discussing for a long time. Those who didn’t know would think they were discussing something important, but it turned out to be naming an unborn infant!
It was a bit amusing and a bit touching. She poked the little one’s tiny hand, “Shuo Ge’er, did you hear? Your name was chosen by Father Emperor and Grandpa Ling for you!”
The little one grunted twice in his sleep, as if indicating he liked it very much. Jin Sui and Gu Changxiao looked at each other and both smiled.
She and the little one stayed in the hospital for seven days before returning to the palace for confinement. Therefore, the Crown Prince himself did not attend his third-day ceremony; only the Emperor attended.
However, the gifts were accepted as usual. In the past, when Jin Sui was the Li King, the gift-receiving segment was her favorite part of hosting banquets, and it was the same now. However, she mainly accepted gifts from the gentry, the powerful, and rich merchants. She did not allow officials to send lavish gifts.
Chen Yunniang picked out interesting ones to show her. Among them was a matching parent-child outfit from the Yan Clan: a sable fur cloak for the mother and a white bear fur cloak for the infant.
Fur cloaks alone were not rare; the palace had plenty of furs. It was just that these two sets were made uniquely. The infant’s had a bear head hat, and the mother’s collar was adorned with peacock feathers, shimmering brilliantly.
There was also a pair of jade statues of a goddess who blesses with children, carved from top-grade jade.
Jin Sui gasped, “The gifts from Lord Yan are truly exceptional. Compared to these, everyone else’s gifts seem inferior.”
Chen Yunniang smiled, “Besides this, Lord Yan also sent nourishing medicinal materials from all over the country. The Yan Clan is indeed thoughtful.”
Jin Sui guessed that it was probably arranged by Yan Shiyi for Miss Yan earlier. The Yan Clan had prepared an extra portion for her.
Gu Changxiao also gave Jin Sui a gift. Giving him a gift was a bit difficult because there was only the Empress in the harem, and all the treasures of the Internal Affairs Department belonged to the Empress alone.
There was no need for the Emperor to issue an order for rewards, so he directly asked Jin Sui what she wanted.
Jin Sui did have something she wanted: sixteen plots of land in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yandi to build schools.
Gu Changxiao said emotionally, “I asked what you wanted, Sui Sui. Building schools is the responsibility of the imperial court. Don’t you have anything you want for yourself?”
Jin Sui smiled, “What I want has never changed: to destroy Japan!”
Gu Changxiao said solemnly, “Good! I will accelerate the training of the navy and will definitely destroy Japan as soon as possible!”
Time passed quickly. Jin Sui went through the lochia period and the colostrum period, and in the blink of an eye, it was the baby’s full moon celebration.
The entire country celebrated the full moon. His Majesty once again generously exempted taxes for several prefectures that had suffered natural disasters.
Unexpectedly, even on this day of national celebration, some people still showed disrespect to the Great Xia imperial family. Minzhou sent a plea for help again, reporting that a group of Japanese pirates had landed.
Furthermore, Minzhou had been swept by a hurricane. The local evil cult organized the populace to sacrifice to the Dragon King, secretly using human sacrifices, offering young boys and girls, and the Dragon King’s bride.
This situation was common. When the imperial court strictly enforced the law, they would hold secret rituals. Whenever there were natural disasters or plagues, and the imperial court couldn’t manage everything, such sacrifices would become very frequent.
Jin Sui said with great sorrow to Gu Changxiao, “Today is our son’s full moon, and we are joyfully celebrating here. Yet, we do not know that in Minzhou, children are being sent into the sea to be devoured by fish.
Your Majesty, please save those children and send troops to Minzhou!”
The navy had already conducted countless drills in the East Sea. This time, it was a formal expedition. Han Xing led the army, with the mission to apprehend the evil cultists in Minzhou, eliminate the pirates who had landed, and assist the accompanying civil officials in educating the local populace to completely eradicate the ignorant practice of human sacrifice.
Some officials felt that Great Xia had too many military campaigns. The Northwest was still pursuing the Hu People, General Huang had dispatched troops to the Northern Frontier, and now the navy was going to war. This was too much of a drain on the national treasury.
As a result, Gu Changxiao ordered the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to reconcile their accounts. He discovered that although military spending had increased in the past two years, with the Ministry of War’s expenses being several times that of the former Emperor’s reign, their national treasury had steadily grown.
