Shen Lixue, as his wife and pregnant, was concerned about him and her thoughts were in turmoil, but he, as the elder brother, was very clear-headed.
"Brother means that Heng has quelled the war between Qingyan and Nanjiang?" Shen Lixue was somewhat incredulous. The soldiers of Nanjiang were furious and their momentum was overwhelming. They had severely injured the King of Yunnan, but Dongfang Heng had managed to persuade them to stop in just one or two days? It was truly unbelievable.
"That's certainly possible." Dongfang Xun nodded heavily. Dongfang Heng had been in the palace for a long time without any bad news, which meant he hadn't returned defeated. If nothing unexpected happened, he should be discussing with the emperor how to handle the matter of the Southern Border Crown Prince and Princess.
After all, the two most respected members of the royal family in the Southern Frontier died in Qingyan, and it wouldn't be right for the Qingyan Emperor not to give a specific explanation.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow, just about to ask more questions, when a sudden pain shot through her abdomen. She subconsciously frowned and covered her lower abdomen with her small hand.
"What's wrong?" Dongfang Xun was talking to Shen Lixue, and his gaze was naturally fixed on her. He immediately noticed her discomfort.
"My stomach hurts so much, the baby is probably about to be born." As she spoke, Shen Lixue's brows furrowed even more, her abdomen ached more and more, and large beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Was this little guy eager to come out and see his father after hearing he was back? What a noisy and troublesome little one.
"I'll take you back to your room." Childbirth is no small matter, and Dongfang Xun couldn't care less about etiquette. He picked up Shen Lixue and hurried towards the inner room of Fengsong Courtyard. At the same time, he didn't forget to instruct Qiuhe and Yanyue: "Go and fetch the midwife quickly."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Qiu He and Yan Yue nodded repeatedly and hurriedly ran to the front courtyard, the small courtyard where the midwife was.
Shen Lixue's pregnancy was personally attended to by the royal physician, who could roughly calculate the month of delivery. The midwife who delivered the baby was the best in Qingyan Capital, and she had been brought to the Holy King's Mansion a month ago, specifically to deliver Shen Lixue's baby.
At this moment, she hurriedly arrived at Fengsong Courtyard and methodically arranged for the maids to be busy. Soon, the items needed for childbirth were prepared. Looking at Dongfang Xun, Qiuhe, and Yanyue standing in the inner room, she frowned slightly: "A woman giving birth needs quiet and peace. I would appreciate it if Your Highness would move outside."
"I'm sorry to trouble the midwife." As the eldest brother, it was indeed inappropriate for Dongfang Xun to stand in the room while his younger brother and sister-in-law were giving birth. Although he was worried, he couldn't do anything to help. He smiled lightly, turned around and left the inner room.
"Princess Consort, are you alright?" Qiu He and Yan Yue were maids, so they didn't need to avoid suspicion. Seeing the beads of sweat on Shen Lixue's forehead, they were extremely anxious and wanted to help, but they didn't know where to start.
"Don't worry, it's just childbirth. Once the baby is born, everything will be fine." Shen Lixue smiled gently, her lips slightly pale, her forehead covered in beads of sweat, and the dark hair on her cheeks soaked with sweat.
"Princess Consort, please don't be nervous, talk to me..." The midwife was very experienced and knew when to distract the pregnant woman to reduce her pain and when to help her focus on giving birth...
Waves of pain quickly assaulted her. Despite her exceptionally high tolerance for pain, Shen Lixue couldn't help but cry out, "Ah!"
Dongfang Xun stood in the courtyard, listening to the painful cries, his heart burning with anxiety. He wanted to go in and check, but he couldn't. He paced back and forth outside the door, his eyes filled with worry. What happened? How did Li Xue get?
"Princess Consort, inhale deeply, then focus your strength on your abdomen..."
Shen Lixue lay on the bed, her forehead covered in sweat, her abdomen cramping unbearably. Following the midwife's instructions, she took deep breaths, concentrating all her strength in her abdomen and pushing outwards with all her might. Waves of pain washed over her, and she clenched her teeth tightly...
The little guy has been in her belly for over nine months. He is connected to her by blood. Ever since he was formed at three months, he has been restless, kicking and scratching her every day, trying to communicate with her.
But this time, he didn't just play around like before. Instead, he waved his little hands and feet, eager to come out and see this beautiful, colorful world.
As a mother, she naturally wanted to fulfill her child's wishes and bring him safely into this world, even if it meant excruciating physical pain, she was filled with joy.
Midwives have delivered many babies and know that women need encouragement from others in addition to their own strength during childbirth.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She had exerted a lot of effort and was almost exhausted. The midwife gave her a reassuring smile: "Princess Consort, the baby is the perfect size for delivery. If you push a little harder, he will be born safely!"
"Okay." Shen Lixue, having never given birth before, had no experience. Following the midwife's instructions, she took another deep breath, focusing all her strength into her abdomen…
Outside, the usually composed Dongfang Xun was even more anxious. There were no cries of pain coming from inside. Had Li Xue fainted from the pain? What should he do? How was she? How was the baby?
His second brother entrusted him with taking care of Li Xue; he must not let anything happen to her and her child…
"Wah!" A loud cry of a newborn baby rang out, startling a flock of birds and startling Dongfang Xun's anxious thoughts. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly calmed down. He turned to look at the room, his eyes sparkling with barely perceptible joy. The baby was born, and Li Xue should be alright. After his second brother returned, the whole family could be reunited.
Inside the room, the midwife smiled as she cleaned the baby and carefully placed him in a gorgeous swaddling cloth: "Congratulations, Princess Consort, it's a little prince."
Qiu He and Yan Yue stood behind the midwife, looking at the tiny baby in the swaddling clothes with great delight: "Congratulations, Princess Consort, it's an adorable little prince."
Shen Lixue's face was pale, and her black hair was soaked with sweat. Looking at the crying baby, she was weak all over, but she still managed a weak smile, her voice barely audible: "Let me hold him." Heng said this baby was a boy, and he was right.
The midwife carried the baby over, with Qiuhe and Yanyue following closely behind, watching happily. Shen Lixue, seeing this scene, suddenly changed her expression. The faint smell of blood, the kind midwife, the cheerful maid—she had dreamt of everything before. What was happening before her eyes was very similar to her dream, except for the presence of Dongfang Zhan…
A glimpse of azure robe flashed past the corner of her eye, and Dongfang Zhan appeared silently behind the midwife, his face terribly gloomy. Before she could even cry out, he reached out and snatched the baby away.
"What are you doing?" The midwife, bewildered, turned around and scolded Dongfang Zhan. He delivered a swift chop to her neck, and the midwife closed her eyes and collapsed limply to the ground.
Qiu He and Yan Yue were startled by the sudden turn of events, their eyes widening in shock. Just as they were about to cry out in alarm, Dongfang Zhan flicked his fingers, unleashing two bursts of internal energy that struck them both. Before they could utter a single word, they closed their eyes and collapsed to the ground.
"Dongfang Zhan, give me back my child." Shen Lixue had just given birth and was very weak. The sweat on her face hadn't dried yet, and her lips and complexion were pale. Her tired eyes flashed with a cold light, and her weak voice carried a hidden force and sharpness, like an angry little beast.
"This is your and Dongfang Heng's child." Dongfang Zhan carefully examined the crying baby. The baby's face was small and red, and it was not yet clear who it resembled. However, the baby's big, watery eyes were very much like Shen Lixue's, while the righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor between his brows was very much like Dongfang Heng's.
Dongfang Zhan gritted his teeth in anger. Dongfang Heng had ruined everything for him. He felt disgusted by anything related to Dongfang Heng. His large, iron-like hand quickly grabbed the baby's delicate neck: "Dongfang Heng drove me to a dead end and made me suffer terribly. I will kill his son and let him taste the pain too."
"Don't hurt the child." Shen Lixue was shocked and forgot that she was weak. She tried to snatch the child back by lifting the blanket, but her legs were weak and powerless, unable to support her weight. She fell to the ground with a thud, her whole body aching from the fall.
Looking at the somewhat disheveled Shen Lixue, Dongfang Zhan's deep eyes flashed with a hint of heartache, but then he regained his previous cold and gloomy demeanor. He placed his hand on the baby's neck, but did not pinch him. The baby seemed to sense Shen Lixue's pain and cried even louder.
Shen Lixue struggled to sit up and looked at Dongfang Zhan: "If you want to make Heng heartbroken and in pain, you can kill me and spare the child. He is innocent!"
"You risked your life for him." Dongfang Zhan's calm voice carried a hint of gritted teeth. He meant nothing to Shen Lixue, but someone else had taken root in her heart and was more important than her life.
Shen Lixue raised her lips, her weak smile exceptionally captivating: "He is my child. As his mother, it is only right that I risk my life to save him."
"Li Xue." Dongfang Xun smiled as he entered the room, and was startled when he saw Shen Li Xue lying on the ground and Dongfang Zhan standing in the inner room:
After giving birth, Shen Lixue was very weak. He personally went to the kitchen to instruct the servants to prepare a blood-nourishing and qi-tonifying soup for her. It was only a few breaths away from her. Unexpectedly, Dongfang Zhan took advantage of this gap to sneak into the Holy King's Mansion. He was truly extremely clever and could infiltrate any place.
"Li Xue, how are you?" Dongfang Xun strode forward, preparing to help Shen Li Xue to bed to rest. The weather was not very cold yet, and the inner room of Fengsong Courtyard was covered with thick blankets. Sitting on them, one would not feel cold, but Shen Li Xue had just given birth and could not withstand the slightest breeze.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll strangle him." Dongfang Zhan's hand was on the baby's neck again. Only then did Dongfang Xun realize that the baby had been snatched away. Dongfang Zhan was tall and the child was too small, so he hadn't seen him before because the child was hidden in his arms.
"Dongfang Zhan, what exactly do you want to do?" With the child in Dongfang Zhan's hands and Shen Lixue very close to him, Dongfang Xun dared not make any rash moves. His gentle eyes flashed with a rare cold light: "Bullying women and infants is not the behavior of a gentleman."
Dongfang Zhan snorted coldly: "Whether it's the conduct of a gentleman or the actions of a villain, being able to escape alive is a good method."
His words weren't profound, and Dongfang Xun naturally understood: "You want to flee the capital?"