The Beauties of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 113

The lady suddenly went into labor today; it must have terrified the prince. Alas.

"Your Highness, Madam is alright." Lan Wu also spoke in a low voice, but the sudden scream from inside the room made him freeze, his breath catching in his throat just like Zhao Defang's.

None of the three moved an inch, nor did anyone speak again.

During this time, maids carried hot water in and out, while the three people at the door just watched quietly without moving.

The screams that occasionally emanated from inside the room grew increasingly suffocating at the doorway, almost to the point of being unbearably silent, until—

"Wow--"

The child's cries were like the hand that released the pressure points. The three men at the door all turned to look at the door. After a moment of shock, Zhao Defang swung his hand and smashed the door open.

Dr. Mei, who was walking towards them, smiled and handed them a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Zhao Defang only glanced at the baby before heading straight into the inner room, her gaze falling on the pale-faced woman on the bed.

Her face was covered in sweat, her dark hair was soaked, her eyes were slightly closed, and her breath was so light that it was almost inaudible.

He rushed to the bedside in a panic, grasped her sweaty yet icy hand, and whispered in a trembling voice, "...Wanlan?"

Exhausted, Wanlan slowly opened her eyes. Seeing his flustered appearance, she smiled faintly and whispered, "...It's a boy!" Although she knew that Prince Zhao Defang of Qin would have three children, she had secretly hoped to give him a daughter.

"I don't know..." He buried his face in her neck and whispered hoarsely, "Wanlan, I'm sorry..."

"What's there to apologize for?" Wanlan gently stroked his hair, looked at the bed frame, and said quietly, "If you don't want to go back, then don't. Stop avoiding me. I won't force you. Let's settle down here."

He remained silent for a long while.

"Let's go back and see Xu'er after you finish your postpartum confinement."

Finally, as he said this, he tightened his arms around her and said nothing more.

The Great Song Dynasty's Beauties, Volume Six, Chapter 101: The Return of the Swallows in the Drizzle (1)

In the fourth month of summer in the third year of the Taiping Xingguo era, Emperor Taizong of Song summoned Ding Shaowei, a Taoist priest from Zhenyuan, Mount Hua, to the capital. This man was over a hundred years old and lived in seclusion in Mount Hua. He was as famous as Chen Tuan, a fellow county resident. His purpose in coming to the capital was to present him with medicinal herbs such as elixir of immortality, giant sesame seeds, southern sesame seeds, and ginseng.

Wanlan never expected that the date they chose to return to the capital would be so coincidental.

When she first heard the name Ding Shaowei, she paid no attention to it, but when she heard the name Chen Tuan, she suddenly felt respect for the Taoist priest.

She had never heard of Ding Shaowei, but she was very familiar with Chen Tuan.

Chen Tuan was mentioned in the TV series "Young Justice Bao" that she watched in modern times. However, there was a misconception in the show that the character "抟" in Chen Tuan's name was pronounced as "传". Later, out of curiosity, she looked into it and learned that this ancestor lived to be 118 years old before passing away.

Someone who can be compared to Chen Tuan must be quite a remarkable figure, right?

They had just returned to the capital and rested for a day when they were summoned to the palace.

In front of Xuande Tower, Wanlan saw the white-haired Taoist priest Ding. He was wearing a white Taoist robe, and his hair was tied up neatly with a turban, giving him an air of otherworldly elegance.

Leading the Taoist priest was Wang Ji'en, who immediately bowed to Wanlan and Zhao Defang upon seeing them.

"This servant greets Your Highness and Your Highness."

“No need for such formalities, Eunuch Wang.” Wanlan held her infant, who was less than three months old, in her arms. She looked up at the Taoist priest Ding who was looking over and smiled slightly at him. But the Taoist priest Ding suddenly stared in astonishment.

He strode over, looking at Wanlan with surprise and uncertainty. "You are..."

Wang Ji'en, who was standing nearby, quickly said, "Master Ding, this is Prince Qin and his wife." Then he turned to Zhao Defang and continued, "Your Highness, Your Highness, this is Master Ding Shaowei."

Zhao Defang frowned. The Taoist priest in front of him didn't even glance at him, but was staring intently at Wanlan. Just as he was about to ask a question, Master Ding suddenly asked:

"Who are you?"

Wanlan was taken aback. Hadn't Wang Ji'en explained things very clearly?

Zhao Defang pursed her lips, feeling that Ding Shaowei's application seemed unusual.

"Master Ding, this is my wife."

“No, she isn’t.” Ding Shaowei’s brows furrowed even deeper as he stared intently at Wanlan. “Where did you come from?”

Wang Ji'en was completely baffled by the attitudes of the three people in front of him.

However, Zhao Defang and Wanlan were so shocked by a question asked by Ding Shaowei that they turned pale on the spot.

The old man before me was so remarkable; he could tell that Wanlan was different at a glance.

Wanlan quietly reached out and grasped Zhao Defang's tightly clenched hand, then smiled at Ding Shao and said, "Master Ding, let's go into the palace together. The Emperor must be getting impatient."

Ding Shaowei looked at her thoughtfully for a while, then stepped aside and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, please go first."

Tugged at the motionless Zhao Defang, and Wanlan took the lead, "Zehua, let's go."

“Wanlan…”

"Since His Majesty is summoning Daoist Ding today, I won't go to Chongde Hall with you for a while. I'll go to Baoci Palace to find the Empress Dowager. You can come later."

Zhao Defang frowned, glanced sideways at the Taoist priest behind him, and said in a low voice, "He knows that Taoist Master Ding—"

"Zehua".

Wanlan suddenly stopped, raised her head and smiled slightly at him, "Let's part ways here. I'll wait for you at Baoci Palace." After saying that, she turned to Ding Shaowei, nodded, and then turned to leave.

That Taoist priest Ding might actually know something, but she wasn't worried. Having spent two whole years in the Song Dynasty, she knew that unless she wanted to, no one could pull her away from Zehua's side.

Wanlan, carrying the child, headed towards Baoci Palace. Two palace maids followed behind her.

Having not seen the Empress Dowager and Xu'er for nearly a year, my visit to Bao Ci Palace today was a last-minute decision. When they sent someone back to inform the Emperor yesterday, they said they would visit her after seeing the Emperor.