Chapter 46: CH 46

Hearing that Jun Qing was about to give birth, Ji Xin was no less excited than Wei Chongrong who saw Wei Zhao. Not bothering with anything else, Ji Xin went directly to Jun Qing’s room and was stopped by Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao stood in front of Ji Xin and calmly said, “Xin’er, do you want your son to be born with a father whose muscles and veins are broken and martial arts completely destroyed?”

At this moment, Ji Xin couldn’t see Jun Qing. It was impossible for him to control his emotions. If Ji Xin’s poison attacked early, what would be the use even if Wei Zhao and Jun Qing found a solution to “Silent Death”?

Wei Chongrong was inexplicably shocked when he heard this. He didn’t know what kind of poison Ji Xin had been poisoned with, but the sentence “muscles and veins are broken and martial arts completely destroyed” unconsciously made him think of Wei Zhao in his previous life. Frightened, he looked up at Ji Xin uneasily.

Ji Xin’s eyes widened and he said in surprise: “Jun Qing is about to give birth, do you still want to ask him about the solution for ‘Silent Death’?” Wasn’t it too inhumane, even though the one Wei Zhao was trying to save was him?

“Naturally I will ask.” Wei Zhao nodded with a calm expression, “It’s Qing’er’s first child, and the child will not be born immediately. I’ll find something for him to do to distract himself, and it won’t be that difficult for him.” After saying this, he left Ji Xin and went to Jun Qing’s bedroom.

After a long time, Ji Xin said blankly: “I’m going to the study, don’t tell me anything for now if it’s not particularly important.” Wei Zhao was right. No matter how happy he was, no matter how worried he was… Now he had to hold back. He could not have a son born with a father who had become a waste.

Wei Zhao and Ji Xin split up and left, leaving Wei Chongrong alone in the yard. He wanted to go back to the house, but found that he had finished his homework and had nothing to do. He could as well just play in the yard and wait for the news of Jun Hua’s birth.

In fact, Wei Chongrong had a little secret in his mind.

In his previous life, Jun Hua was the last person he saw. In this life, Wei Chongrong wanted to be the first person to see him – as for the doctor who delivered the baby, the servants who helped and so on, they were all ignored by Wei Chongrong – he always felt that for him, Jun Hua was different from others.

After Jun Hua was born, he would love him with all his heart, not only to make up for his neglect, but also to be grateful for everything Jun Hua had done for him.

When Wei Zhao entered the room, he saw Jun Qing lying on the bed, his face turned to the inside of the bed, so that no one could see his expression at the moment. Guarding the bed was Jun Qing’s personal servant, named Guan Yan, who was talking in a low voice, but Jun Qing hardly responded.

Wei Zhao walked to the bed and ordered quietly: “Guan Yan, you go outside and guard, I have something to tell your Master Hou.” Guan Yan nodded in response and then walked out.

When Jun Qing heard Wei Zhao’s words, he was both expectant and uneasy. He slowly turned around and said anxiously: “Is there any news from Xin’er?”

Wei Zhao didn’t hide anything from him and said truthfully: “He came back with me…”

At these words, the worried look on Jun Qing’s face did not diminish at all: “Is he… badly injured? Why didn’t he come to see me?” As he said that, he propped his hands on the bed, as if he wanted to sit up.

His belly was heavy and swollen, and when Jun Qing moved, it involved his waist and spine. He couldn’t help but stiffen in place and remain motionless, feeling the pain and the sensation of swelling slowly intensify. The colour of his lips turned blue: “Um…”

Seeing that the situation was not good, Wei Zhao hurriedly stretched out his hand to support Jun Qing, and comforted him: “Qing’er, don’t worry, Xin’er is fine for the time being…”

“For the time being?!” The foetus in his belly suddenly turned so violently and the pain was so bad that Jun Qing almost choked and could no longer speak. He propped himself on the bed with one hand and soothed the restless baby with the other, and finally managed to endure.

Seeing that Jun Qing’s expression eased, Wei Zhao did not dare to delay any longer and hurriedly explained Ji Xin’s situation.

Jun Qing frowned, and a look of uneasiness appeared in his eyes. He thought for a long time before calling: “Guan Yan, come in.”

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Guan Yan was waiting in the outer room and immediately entered when he heard the voice. Jun Qing gave him the location and asked him to go to the study to find a few books. Guan Yan took note of them all and went away with the orders.

The baby was very active, moving in Jun Qing’s belly. Jun Qing leaned back on the pillow, gently stroking his abdomen with his palm in circles. Wei Zhao watched his movements and was a little lost in thought, sighing in a low voice for a long time.

Jun Qing raised his head and glanced at Wei Zhao, but did not ask him why he sighed, and soon lowered his head again.

Jun Qing’s instructions were clear, and Guan Yan was very quick, promptly bringing over the books and notes Jun Qing asked him to find.

First, Jun Qing eliminated the parts Wei Zhao had already checked and then divided the rest of the books into two halves, so that the two of them could go through them separately.

Guan Yan said that he saw Wang Changning in the study. He was reading a book and didn’t ask questions when he saw him, but his face looked quite good.

Jun Qing was flipping through the book intently, not bothering to pay attention to Guan Yan’s observations. He even ignored the abdominal pain that hit from time to time and was only interested in finding a solution to “Silent Death”.

At this moment, Dr. Liu, whom Uncle Fu had sent for, arrived. Jun Qing just flipped through the book without speaking. Wei Zhao hurriedly asked someone to invite the doctor in. Ji Xin’s poison had to be cured, and Jun Qing’s child also had to be born, neither of which could be delayed.

Dr. Liu entered the house with the medicine box, and was startled when he saw the table in front of the bed and the pregnant husband crouching over it.

Wei Zhao forced Jun Qing to put down the book in his hand and let Dr. Liu check his pulse first. Dr. Liu checked Jun Qing’s pulse and said that he was indeed about to give birth, and then checked the baby’s position.

Palpation was required to check the baby’s position, and no matter how unhappy Jun Qing was, he could only endure it. After checking it, Dr. Liu said that although the baby was a bit big and might not be easy to give birth to, its position was correct, which was good news.

Jun Qing was male and it was his first child. It was unlikely that he would give birth sooner than in ten shichen. Dr. Liu didn’t mind that Jun Qing was looking for something to do in the early stages of labour. He only reminded him not to overexert himself, otherwise he would not have enough energy at the critical moment, which would be troublesome.

The labour pains came again; Jun Qing’s expression froze and he put down the book in his hand. According to the method taught by Dr. Liu, he took shallow breaths and survived the wave. He then continued to look through the book from the place where he had just been interrupted.

After four or five pain waves, Jun Qing finally found the record on “Silent Death”. Sun Ye probably didn’t specifically tell them about this kind of poison, but mentioned it by the way when talking about other content, so Jun Qing’s notes were not very complete.

Now, the notes of the two of them were placed side by side on the table, and Wei Zhao compared the contents, both the same and the different.

“Qing’er, do you think there is something that both of us missed?” Wei Zhao was not worried about the possibility of remembering incorrectly, he and Jun Qing would not make such a mistake. What he was afraid of was that there was something Sun Ye said, but they didn’t pay attention to it and didn’t remember it completely.

Jun Qing took a deep breath, endured a period of severe pain that was more violent than any time before, turned his gaze to the half-open window, and said in a deep voice: “It’s almost sunset…”

At sunset, “Silent Death” in Ji Xin’s body would attack; they had no time to spare.

“Dr. Liu, can you help us take a look at this antidote?” Wei Zhao was so worried and desperate that he didn’t even spare Dr. Liu.

Dr. Liu took the notes handed over by Wei Zhao, took a closer look, and said seriously: “This old man is not good at poisons and antidotes. I don’t dare to jump to conclusions. Judging by the medicinal properties only, this formula is right for the symptoms.”

Wei Zhao turned around and stared at Jun Qing, waiting for him to make a decision.

Jun Qing stroked his belly and was silent. Suddenly, there was a rolling movement in his abdomen. Jun Qing raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a deep voice: “Guan Yan, follow this recipe to decoct the medicine.”

Guan Yan had already copied the prescription and immediately went out after receiving Jun Qing’s order.

Jun Qing rubbed his waist, turned his face and asked Dr. Liu, “Can I get out of bed and walk?”

Dr. Liu nodded and said, “Of course you can.” Before the waters broke, as long as the future parent was willing, it was a good thing to walk around more. There was no reason for him not to let Jun Qing do so.

Wei Zhao said, “Qing’er, I think Dr. Liu means you can walk around the room.” It didn’t include going outside.

Jun Qing was about to push away the brocade quilt but couldn’t help but stop and say with a smile: “Do you think I’m going to see Xin’er?”

“Aren’t you?” Wei Zhao raised his eyebrows, expressing doubt about Jun Qing’s words.

Jun Qing said, his tone very certain: “I know very well that it’s better for Xin’er if I don’t see him now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Guan Yan came back, saying that the medicine was being decocted and would be sent to Wang Changning later.

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Seeing that there were Guan Yan and Dr. Liu by Jun Qing’s side and the situation was not urgent for the time being, Wei Zhao said, “I will go to the study to have a look. Send someone to tell me if there is something.”

Walking out of Jun Qing’s room, Wei Zhao saw his son squatting under the eaves with his cheeks propped up on his hands and said in surprise: “Rong’er, have you been here all the time?”

Wei Chongrong nodded, rubbed his numb calves and stood up: “Daddy, how is Hou Zhaoyang?” It was quiet inside, he couldn’t hear anything, and it was so boring to wait.

Wei Zhao squatted down in front of Wei Chongrong, helping him rub his legs, and replied: “Hou Zhaoyang is fine, but if Rong’er wants to see his little brother, he won’t be able to see him today. You don’t have to wait, eat early and go back to your room to sleep.”

Wei Chongrong thought for a while and obediently responded: “I see.” After saying this, he walked away slowly.

When Wei Zhao arrived in the study, the medicine hadn’t been decocted yet. Ji Xin was looking through a travelogue. When he saw Wei Zhao coming, he immediately asked, “How is Jun Qing?”

Wei Zhao smiled and said that everything was going well, and then told Ji Xin that the solution to “Silent Death” had been found, but they were not sure whether it was complete, so the efficacy of the antidote was not guaranteed.

Ji Xin was taken aback, then smiled and said, “I didn’t even believe you guys could find a solution. This is already a surprise.”

As he was talking, there was a knock on the door. Wei Zhao said to come in, and a maid in red pushed the door open, followed by another, younger maid in blue. The younger maid was carrying a tray with a medicine bowl on it.

The red-clothed maid picked up the medicine bowl and presented it to Ji Xin, saying that she had personally decocted it and watched it from start to finish, never trusting anyone else.

Ji Xin took the medicine bowl and did not drink the medicine immediately. Wei Zhao looked at him and said indifferently: “You can choose whether to drink or not.” If it were him, he would have hesitated in the face of such a bowl of antidote.

Ji Xin narrowed his eyes and thought of Jun Qing who was suffering for him, and of their unborn child. That was the bond that connected their bloodlines…

Suddenly, Ji Xin opened his eyes wide, with a breathtaking light flashing in them. He picked up the medicine bowl and drank its content in one go.

Wei Zhao looked at Ji Xin nervously, for fear that he would have an adverse reaction. He waited for a long time, waited until the sun set… nothing happened.

Ji Xin was taken aback by Wei Zhao’s look, and said blankly: “I don’t think it’s any different, but the time has come, and ‘Silent Death’ hasn’t kicked in. Is it solved?”

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know.” Wei Zhao shook his head and said uncertainly: “’Silent Death’ is too complicated. Neither Qing’er nor I understand it. It’s just that Cousin Sun Ye mentioned the solution before, and we wrote it down, but we don’t know if we remembered it completely.”

The two sat for another quarter of an hour. Ji Xin still felt good, so he asked, “Can I go and see Jun Qing?”

Wei Zhao hesitated, shook his head and said, “It’s best not to go, in case we just suppressed your poison instead of completely detoxifying you. You have to wait, Teacher Duanmu will be home soon. Wait until he has seen you, and take it easy.”

Ji Xin was helpless, but he had to admit that Wei Zhao’s words made sense, so he said, “I’m fine, Youngest Uncle. Go and stay with Jun Qing, he is alone and it is his first time, he is bound to be a little scared.”

Wei Zhao thought about it too, so he stood up and told Ji Xin again: “Xin’er, wait with peace of mind. If there is any news, I will send someone to tell you.”

As night fell, the lights of Hou Zhaoyang’s residence lit up. When Wei Zhao returned to Jun Qing’s room, Guan Yan had already set up the evening meal. Jun Qing had no appetite, but was forced to eat by Dr. Liu.

Seeing Jun Qing dawdling and eating very reluctantly, Dr. Liu persuaded: “Master Hou, eat more, you will need strength when giving birth. I see that the baby is coming down a bit slowly, so while the waters have not yet broken, you should eat and walk a few more laps after eating…”

As Dr. Liu babbled, Jun Qing’s hands holding the bowl and chopsticks suddenly shook. It was not that he was scared, but that the pain in his abdomen was very intense.

The feeling of the baby moving down slowly was devastating. Jun Qing held his breath and used all his strength to fight the pain. He couldn’t hear what Dr. Liu said at all, and large beads of sweat kept slipping down his face.

Seeing him like this, Dr. Liu hurriedly said, “Master Hou, you can’t hold your breath. You have to breathe. Not a deep breath, just little ones… Yes, that’s it…”

Wei Zhao tossed around for a day and a night without eating a grain of rice. He had been too busy before, but now that he came back to his senses he felt so hungry that his belly was stuck to his back. Seeing that the dishes on the table were quite rich, he sat down unceremoniously  and asked Guan Yan to add another bowl and chopsticks.

Guan Yan said in a trembling voice: “Wait a moment, Your Highness, let the kitchen bring some new food right away.” No matter how good the relationship between Master Hou and Wang Qin was, he couldn’t let the prince eat the leftovers. It would be outrageous if the news spread out.

“No need for new ones, these are very good, just bring a bowl and chopsticks.” Wei Zhao waved his hand indifferently, and Guan Yan didn’t dare to say more and went immediately.

Jun Qing calmed down and asked softly, “The antidote… has it worked?” His tone revealed obvious uneasiness.

Wei Zhao cast a sideways glance at him, the corners of his lips slightly raised: “If Xin’er was poisoned, could I still have the mind to eat?”

Jun Qing’s expression relaxed, and the worry in his eyes dissipated a little bit. Wei Zhao said again: “I’m not sure if Xin’er’s poison has been solved or temporarily suppressed. Teacher Duanmu must have a look at him, so I didn’t dare to let him come.”

“It’s alright, it’s good that he’s alright.” After Jun Qing finished speaking, he lowered his head and started eating; looking at him made Wei Zhao even hungrier. Fortunately, Guan Yan had already brought Wei Zhao’s bowl and chopsticks, and at the same time added two new dishes to the table.

After dinner, Dr. Liu checked Jun Qing’s pulse and asked him to continue walking around the room, saying that it was still very early for him to give birth.

Earlier, Jun Qing was able to walk by himself supporting his waist, but now he couldn’t, someone needed to help him. Seeing that Guan Yan was holding Jun Qing fairly steadily, Wei Zhao quietly retracted his outstretched hand.

“Uh…” After an unknown period of time, suddenly a sharp pain hit. Jun Qing, who was standing unsteadily, held his belly and was about to kneel down.

Guan Yan held Jun Qing’s arm but couldn’t support his body that kept sliding down. Fortunately, Wei Zhao was quick and held Jun Qing’s other arm in time to prevent him from falling.

Wei Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and said with concern: “Qing’er, have some rest for now.”

Jun Qing opened his mouth to speak, but his abdomen contracted abruptly at this moment, with an irresistible sinking force, as if his whole belly was about to fall.