The Captive Consort's Tale - Chapter 174, The Birth of the Little Prince (Part 1)

"...He won't let me see him." Mingruo lowered her head, hiding the tears glistening in her eyes. Who could know Emperor Xuli better than her? If he said he wouldn't let her see him, then he wouldn't let her see him, no matter how much she threw a tantrum.
"Your father-in-law has the wrong person."
"Your Majesty, only you can save General Duanmu."
Hearing Eunuch An's serious tone, Mingruo chuckled lightly without a hint of a smile: "Was Eunuch sent by Father Emperor to test me again? Or was it to make me go see Duanmu Yun so that Eunuch An could inform on me to Father Emperor again, making Duanmu Yun's death even more tragic?" Once bitten, twice shy; she wasn't a fool, and she knew who Eunuch An truly served.
"Your Majesty, you have misunderstood me." Eunuch An stepped forward and offered another cup of honey water.
“As long as Your Majesty is not saddened, this servant has no other thoughts. Although this servant is just a servant, I know that General Duanmu is a pillar of the state, and Your Majesty had no choice but to do so this time. If Your Majesty could open your heart to Your Majesty, perhaps General Duanmu would not have ended up like this. This servant is not unreasonable, and knows how difficult it is to ask Your Majesty to abandon deeply rooted ethical and moral principles, but now, you and Your Majesty even have a child, so what is there that you cannot solve together?” He took out a letter from his bosom.
"This servant is loyal to the Emperor and Your Majesty, but I do not wish to see the General die like this. This is the information I obtained from my contacts outside; please take a look, Your Majesty."
Mingruo stretched out her trembling hand, unfolded the letter, quickly glanced through it, her heart pounding faster than anyone else's: "This is..."
"This servant has already discussed it with the people outside, and we will rescue the general in the next few days." Eunuch An carefully took back the letter and burned it with a tinderbox.
"Actually, since the General was thrown into the imperial prison, many people have come to rescue him, but the General refused to leave no matter what. This servant thinks... he is worried about Her Majesty, so he won't leave, preferring death to escaping." Because no one knew better than Duanmu Yun what the severe consequences would be for a convicted criminal who escaped from the imperial prison. He would be a wanted criminal for life, and then there would be even less chance of seeing Mingruo again.
"He... doesn't want to leave?" Mingruo murmured, her hands clenched into fists under the blanket.
Eunuch An said, "The only one who can persuade the general now is the Empress. If the Empress still has any feelings for the general, please find a way to see him. Previously, we pretended to have the Empress's message and asked the general to escape, but we did not see the Empress, and the general still does not believe it."
Duanmu Yun, Duanmu Yun, what do I deserve? Why do you have to do this to me?!
Mingruo closed her eyes, and before her seemed to float scenes from long, long ago: their first meeting, their wedding night, their harmonious love... and those vows of eternal love. Sadly, now she could no longer keep them: "I understand, I'll try. You can go now."
"This servant takes his leave." After placing the porcelain cup on the table, Eunuch An bowed and left Panlong Palace.
After he left, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Mingruo leaned against the headboard, her small hand stroking her round belly, and sighed softly, feeling utterly exhausted.
"Ruo'er is awake?" Just as she was drifting off to sleep again, Emperor Xu Li's gentle voice rang in her ears. Ming Ruo instinctively reached out and grasped a warm, slender hand.
"...Father?"
"It's good that you're awake." He gently stroked Mingruo's cheek with his other hand and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Father almost died of heartbreak because of you." She was truly ruthless, falling into a coma for ten whole days without showing any mercy.
The little hand gripped his, refusing to let go: "Father...can't you really let me see Duanmu Yun?"
Emperor Xuli remained calm and resolute in response to Mingruo's request: "No." Seeing that Mingruo wanted to say something, he touched her little face.
"Your other two elder sisters are getting married in the next few days. We'll talk about it again after these matters are settled."
Upon hearing this, Mingruo was quite surprised. Her eldest sister had only recently married into the Wuhuan tribe, and her father was already planning to marry off her two other sisters so soon? "May I ask, Father, what are the identities of these two consorts…?"
"They are all sons of important officials in the court, more than enough to match them," Emperor Xuli replied indifferently, showing no intention of going any further. Mingruo did not ask any more questions either; these matters were not important, and she did not care much about them.
She glanced at Emperor Xu Li, who was carefully dressing her in her outer robe, fastening each button one by one. Ming Ruo was anxious, but Emperor Xu Li rejected all her requests, so she had no choice but to obediently stretch out her arms and legs, letting him help her put on her clothes, and then he led her off the bed.
Mingruo was still being held on Emperor Xuli's lap while eating, something she was already used to. She subconsciously opened her mouth and ate the food Emperor Xuli placed near her lips, her heart filled with anxiety and pain, unsure of what to do. Although her father doted on her, he had always kept her away from Duanmu Yun; he would never allow her to see him. Going secretly was impossible; he must have already given orders forbidding her from approaching the imperial prison. Besides, she was currently under her father's watchful eye; what she did without him seeing through her immediately?
Mingruo was extremely anxious. The thought of Duanmu Yun suffering in prison with a missing arm caused her heart to ache. She truly didn't deserve Duanmu Yun's devotion. Fine, she'd let him leave this time, severing their fate in this life. She only wished that they would never meet again in this lifetime.
He became a wandering swordsman, punishing evil and upholding justice; she became a heartless concubine, imprisoned here, never to be connected again, nor to yearn for a meeting.
Just as she was thinking this, her stomach suddenly started to hurt. Mingruo had no mind to think about anything else, let alone eat the food that Emperor Xuli brought to her lips. She let out a small sob, clutched her stomach, and groaned.
Emperor Xuli was so frightened by her that his face turned pale. His first reaction was to call for the imperial physician, and then he hurriedly hugged her and shook her from side to side: "Ruo'er, be good, Ruo'er, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt..."
Listening to his words, which sounded like he was coaxing a child, Mingruo found herself wanting to laugh. In this environment and with these feelings, she actually had the strength to laugh. Her small hand stroked her belly, feeling strong kicks inside. Her mind drifted for a moment before she realized she was already ten months pregnant, and it was time to give birth. The imperial physician had said it might be a little later, so she hadn't paid much attention. She hadn't expected the little one to be so restless and want to arrive in this world early.
Emperor Xuli felt his legs quickly become soaked by the warm water. Panicked, he didn't know what to do. Looking closely, one could see his hands were trembling slightly. Mingruo held his fingers, softly calling, "Father..."
"Father is here, Father is here! Ruo'er is good, Ruo'er is not in pain..." Wiping the sweat from Mingruo's forehead with trembling hands, Emperor Xuli noticed that her expression was a little strange, and she was obviously much paler. He was so frightened that he was completely at a loss and did not even notice when the imperial physicians came in.
Thanks to Eunuch An's help, Mingruo was finally put on the bed. Emperor Xuli had no intention of threatening the imperial physicians to cure Mingruo. He was trembling violently, realizing for the first time in his life that he could be afraid.
He shouldn't be so afraid; no one said the final outcome would be bad, right? But the words the imperial physicians had said before kept replaying in his mind: the Empress's constitution was weak, the delivery might be difficult, and she might not survive… His large fist clenched. Seeing Emperor Xuli in such a state, the imperial physicians dared not ask him to leave, and could only try their best to control their trembling hands and feet as they prepared to welcome the arrival of the little prince.
Mingruo quickly became too weak to continue due to the pain. She barely cried out, not because the pain wasn't there, but because it was so intense that even crying out was a luxury. Her consciousness began to drift with the pain; her eyes were fixed on the bright yellow gauze curtains, and she called out to Emperor Xuli, "Your Majesty..."
Even at this moment, she still remembered to address him as "Your Majesty." Emperor Xu Li felt a pang of sorrow, held her small hand, and seemed to have tears welling up in his eyes.
"Let...let me see Duanmu Yun..." she whispered weakly in his ear, her breathing heavy, as if she were about to pass away at any moment.
"Let me see him..."
"Be good, Ruo'er. After you give birth, I'll let you see him, okay?" He kissed her little hand.
"No, no..." Mingru blinked, her eyelids heavy.
"Your Majesty, I may not survive... I'm in so much pain... Please have him come to see me, have him come to see me..." It hurt so much; she had never been in so much pain in her life.
"And my mother and Granny Duan... Your Majesty... bring them to see me..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Emperor Xu Li roared.
"If you live to be a hundred, you can't possibly die before me! Be good, if you die, they won't be able to live either. Your father will make the whole world pay for your death! Be good, Ruo'er, don't say anything, okay?" In the end, his tone was practically pleading.
"If you die, then your father won't want to live either." He will search the heavens and the underworld for her, and he will not let her go.
The affairs of the netherworld are truly mysterious; who would remember whom then?
Mingruo blinked her eyes, her vision blurred: "If we can't die, then it's always better to be alive... Ruo'er can't bear to leave the Emperor..."
"If you really can't bear to part with me, then live well and stay with me." He kissed her hand repeatedly, and looking at her pale face, his heart felt like it was being crushed into a million pieces.
"Let me...let me see Duanmu Yun..." Her small hand clenched weakly.
"Just one glimpse... Even if Ruo'er dies, she won't go with him; she'll stay by the Emperor's side... So, let me see him one last time..."
Emperor Xu Li closed his eyes: "May you be blessed."
"This servant will go right away." Eunuch An gave Mingruo a deep look, then turned and ran off.
"Remember your words, Ruo'er, even if you die, you will not go with Duanmu Yun." He stroked her soft, cloud-like hair.
"Regardless of life or death, my soul will stay with Father and will not go anywhere else."
“…Alright, Ruo’er will follow the Emperor and not go anywhere…” Her breathing became shallow. The imperial physicians were extremely busy, preparing hot water and wet towels, but no one knew whether Ming Ruo could make it through.
Even if it meant death, she had to give birth to her child. The child was so young; how could she bear to let him die without ever seeing the world? And… how could she leave her father alone in the world, lonely and desolate? “Your Majesty… Your Majesty…” Mingruo closed her eyes, then forced them open again, “I’m so tired… Your Majesty, if Ruo’er really dies… you must raise our child to adulthood, and never leave him alone in the world, without a father or mother…”
Emperor Xuli did not respond, but only comforted her: "It will be alright, Ruo'er will be alright."
He kept repeating the same sentence until Eunuch An brought Duanmu Yun in.

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The Captive Consort's Tale - Chapter 174, The Birth of the Little Prince (Part 1)

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