Before, Consort Rong sometimes felt discomfort during her pregnancy, but when the imperial physician checked, he said it was nothing serious, probably just due to the energetic movements of the unborn prince. Consort Rong thought this time would be similar, so she held her maid's hand, took deep breaths, and expected the discomfort to pass. However, to her surprise, the abdominal pain not only persisted but also intensified. In a short while, Consort Rong to stand steadily.

This is by no means a normal sign of childbirth! Duke Wei Guang, with one wife and two concubines, fathered a total of seven children. Among them, Consort Rong is the only daughter and the legitimate one, naturally receiving special attention and growing up with such an arrogant and willful personality.

Ever since Consort Rong got pregnant, Duke Wei Guang's wife took extra care to ensure a safe delivery for their firstborn daughter. She even brought in two experienced midwives to handle the process. Despite all the precautions, it seems they couldn't prevent unforeseen complications. Judging by Consort Rong's current condition, the two midwives could sense that something was amiss. Renowned in their hometown as skilled midwives with expertise in women's health, having attended to countless deliveries, they knew what a normal childbirth should look like. Seeing Consort Rong's current state, a thin layer of sweat formed on their backs in an instant.

If something goes wrong with Consort Rong and the unborn little prince, their lives will be in grave danger!

The two midwives were already nervous, and Su Xin, Consort Rong's personal maid, made them even more alarmed. "Blood! There's blood!" The two midwives quickly looked at Consort Rong's dress. Bleeding in women is not a good sign. Fortunately, there was only a slight redness on the dress, still within the normal range. The midwives breathed a sigh of relief. Quickly, they began to give orders, "You two, hurry to the Imperial Hospital and get the physicians. Xiao Shunzi, go inform the midwife and tell the palace staff to prepare quickly, and also..." The midwife was about to say more but was interrupted by Consort Rong's scream.

Everyone felt uneasy as they saw Consort Rong in pain, her usual dignified demeanor completely gone. "The baby... the baby is coming," she cried out. Surprisingly, she was not yet at full term, but for some unknown reason, the little prince seemed determined to arrive early.

In the past, Consort Rong had some reservations about the arrival of this child. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have to endure such torment. However, as the moment approached, she began to feel anxious. She feared that there might be some problem with the baby in her belly. Consort Rong regretted her impulsiveness today. She shouldn't have walked away in a huff after arguing with Emperor Jingwen. The combination of pregnancy restlessness and the constant troubles from the Empress had left her flustered. Before she knew it, she found herself in the Imperial Garden. Though it's usually beneficial for a pregnant woman to move around a bit before childbirth, she never expected such a turn of events. As a pregnant woman, she knew her body best. Despite the experienced midwives, hearing her say this only heightened their tension instead of easing it.

t's a makeshift solution. In fact, finding a nearby place for childbirth would be the best option. However, due to Consort Rong having made numerous enemies in the palace, other consorts who were playing in the Imperial Garden promptly distanced themselves upon hearing the commotion. As soon as they learned it was Lady Rong, they wanted to avoid any trouble. After all, matters concerning imperial heirs are probably the most troublesome in the palace.

"Xiao Dezi, Xiao Luzi, Xiao Fuzi, Xiao Quanzi... you all, try to see if you can take Lady Rong back to my Qiuwu Palace. It's closest to Zhao Chongrong's Shulan Studio. I'll go find Zhao Chongrong." Today is the day for a fierce competition, and she also wants to snatch Shulan Studio! Another maid by Lady Rong's side, Su Yue, is the cleverest and quickest to react. After speaking, Su Yue dashed away.

Luckily, Noble Consort Rong had many attendants with her, so there wouldn't be any issues for a while.

At the same time, the Crown Prince, accompanied by his attendants, left the East Palace. The Emperor had summoned him for a discussion, and he hadn't even taken a nap at noon. After a hasty preparation, he came out. Passing by the Imperial Garden, he heard commotion not far away. Initially, the Crown Prince didn't pay much attention until a maid turned a corner, catching his eye.

"...Bold!" "Which palace are you from? How dare you clash with the Crown Prince! Guards, seize them!"

At that moment, as Su Yue raised her head, she saw none other than the Crown Prince not far away. Being stared at by this little maid, a bad premonition suddenly surged in the Crown Prince's heart. The next instant, the Crown Prince's premonition came true.

Perhaps out of desperation, after realizing it, Su Yue immediately knelt down with a thud, "Crown Prince, I beg you, please save our mistress!"

The Crown Prince recognized her – she was from Consort Rong's palace. Among the palace residents, Consort Rong, who was currently pregnant, was someone the Crown Prince least wanted to provoke. Even the Empress fell short in comparison. Due to his status as the late Emperess's son, the current Empress could only show him respect. This maid might not be aware that just over a month ago, the Crown Prince had discussed with the Grand Tutor about getting rid of her mistress. Now that she sought help from him, it was akin to seeking protection from the tiger she intended to skin. Contemplating this, the young Crown Prince's expression became somewhat peculiar.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

In moments of desperation, Su Yue remained unaware, instinctively bowing her head. The situation with the mistress seemed to be reaching a critical point! In no time, blood appeared on Su Yue's forehead. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, and Su Yue dared not make a sound. Just when she was on the verge of giving up, after a long silence, the Crown Prince finally relented, saying, "...Moyu, take my token and knock on Consort Zhao's door at Shulan Chamber." It wasn't out of goodwill. If he could, the Crown Prince would prefer to delay until something happened to the little prince. But he knew he couldn't. When Su Yue sought him out, he had no choice.

If anything happens to the little prince, he'll be implicated, and if Father Emperor blames him, thinking it's due to his jealousy, how will he handle it? The little prince is a threat to him, he understands that, and Father Emperor would too. What the Crown Prince least wants is for Father Emperor to be disappointed in him. As for this maidservant, is it intentional or unintentional?

Under the intense scrutiny of the Crown Prince, Su Yue suddenly realized the recklessness of her actions. "As for this matter, go to the punishment chamber and receive ten lashes," he ordered sternly. Despite the urgency of the situation, maintaining dignity in the East Palace was paramount. In an instant, Su Yue's face turned pale at the consequences of her impulsive decision.

When the palace doors of Shulan Chamber were knocked after about 30 minutes, Zhao Chongrong felt really upset. Despite her lower status and having no children, she was an old figure in Emperor Jingwen's court. The boldness of Lady Rong, especially with the involvement of the Crown Prince, left her annoyed. Her annoyance only stopped when she saw the token. How could even the Crown Prince get involved? Startled, she immediately took action. With the Crown Prince's intervention, Zhao Chongrong dared not be careless. Even the main hall was emptied. Soon after, there were out-of-breath court doctors and midwives, along with busy palace servants.

To avoid suspicion, the Crown Prince didn't even enter the palace gates. Due to the sudden incident, the palace servants on the side of Shulan Chamber, untrained for such situations, quickly became chaotic. Unable to bear watching, the Crown Prince took a deep breath and somewhat wearily gestured to his eunuch, "Forget it, Mo Shu, just keep an eye on things." Since they were already here, what else could they do? "...Yes."

In the delivery room, as Consort Rong lay down, on the other side, the little prince's head quickly emerged. The midwives and the midwife were stunned. Compared to a difficult delivery, a too-fast delivery is not a good thing; it can also be life-threatening. After a quick calculation of the time, the two midwives hurried to check Consort Rong's condition. Soon, with the midwife's assistance, the little prince was born.

One of the midwives checked a bit and, upon finding that the little prince had all his limbs and no defects, nodded towards Consort Rong. The tension in her heart eased, and Consort Rong didn't even have time to take a look at the little prince before fainting. At this moment, the hot water in Shulan Chamber was only halfway heated. After waiting a while, the midwives slowly cleaned the vernix from the little prince's body.

The soft cotton cloth dipped in water rubbed against the skin, causing intense itching. The last moment in Gu Shao's memory remained on the hospital's white ceiling. But now, what was this situation? Just born, his vision was almost zero, barely able to perceive a faint light. Nevertheless, even with these limited senses, it was enough for him to discern the current circumstances.

As the midwife was also arranged by Lady Wei, the two midwives were not on guard. They did not notice the change in the midwife's expression the moment she turned around with the baby. Sometimes, being overly cautious about outsiders is not a good thing. The entire delivery room, along with Consort Rong, had only five people. The palace maids from Shulan Chamber were not used by Consort Rong, so they failed to notice the midwife's change at that moment.

A red pill, about the size of a green bean, slid out from the midwife's sleeve. Gu Shao immediately became alert at the sight of the vivid color in the midwife's hand. What was this person planning to do?

Just as the midwife was about to discreetly drop the pill into the mouth of the newborn prince, a voice suddenly echoed from outside the door. "What's happening? The Crown Prince sent me to inquire. Why did everything suddenly go silent?" It was Mo Shu, the attendant of the Crown Prince. Sensing the sudden lack of activity inside the delivery room, those outside were frightened out of their wits.

Seeing the situation, Gushao seized the opportunity and burst into loud cries.

The newborn baby unexpectedly had strong movements, causing the midwife to almost drop him. The two maids, alarmed by this, quickly took the baby back, refraining from allowing her to hold him again. The small red pill fell to the ground with a "clatter," rolling away.

Normally, after the concubines in the palace give birth, they are supposed to bring the newborns to the Emperor and Empress to share the joy. Subsequently, the Emperor and Empress would reward them, letting the servants share in the happiness. After all, they shouldn't work in vain, right?

However, this time, the birth for Consort Rong was too smooth and quick. The Emperor is currently in a meeting and can't spare time. When Consort Rong went out, she intentionally avoided the Empress, who is probably still on her way. At the moment, the only one who can make decisions in Shulan Chamber is the Crown Prince.

The nursemaid was trained by Lady Wei herself, so she knew exactly what to do and what not to do. After some consideration, she handed the newborn prince to Mo Shu. Feeling the sudden weight in his arms, Mo Shu was momentarily stunned. When she realized what was happening, she quickly handed the swaddled baby to his master.

Now the nursemaid was in a panic. She just wanted the prince's attendant to check if the prince was healthy and to show a little respect. How did it end up with the baby being taken away???

No matter how clever Mo Shu is, after all, she was just a young girl. Her brain got hot, and suddenly taking on the hot potato, the crown prince's scalp went numb at this moment. And at that moment, Gu Shao happened to open his eyes. Their eyes met, and both sides almost simultaneously held their breath.