Jiang Zhaohua’s condition was truly dire!
The midwife’s face was drenched in cold sweat. In her decades of delivering babies, she feared three scenarios the most: a malpositioned fetus, postpartum hemorrhage, and the situation Jiang Zhaohua now faced—the mother had no strength left to push!
Without strength, how could the child be born?
If this dragged on too long, the baby would suffocate in the womb, and the mother would meet the same fate.
The midwife pressed hard on Jiang Zhaohua’s belly while shouting, “Push!”
Jiang Zhaohua’s voice trembled with exhaustion. “I… I can’t… I have no strength left…”
The midwife rushed out to call the physician. She was at her wits’ end and could only pray the physician had a way to help Jiang Zhaohua deliver safely.
“Doctor, come quickly! The young mistress of the Duan family can’t push—”
The physician waiting outside the delivery room immediately grabbed his kit and hurried in. But Duan's mother, seeing this, let out a shriek and blocked his path.
“Men and women must not touch! How can a man lay eyes on my daughter-in-law in childbirth?”
The physician was furious. “Who wants to watch her give birth? I’m here to save lives! If you don’t want your daughter-in-law and grandson to die together, step aside!”
The midwife and physician had been arranged by the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion in advance.
In the past, the Marquis’ household would have summoned imperial physicians from the palace. But now, having offended the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord, they had no access to palace doctors. Instead, they had to rely on their connections to secure an expert from outside.
When the physician first arrived at the Duan residence, he was stunned.
Hired by the Marquis’ household, he had assumed the expectant mother was a noble lady. Never had he imagined the Marquis’ daughter would marry into such a humble home!
The Duan family’s quarters were so cramped there was barely room for him to stand!
Later, he learned that the Marquis’ daughter had married a scholar who had topped the imperial examinations three times in a row—a rare achievement. That, at least, made sense.
But now, as Jiang Zhaohua struggled in labor, news arrived that her husband, the celebrated scholar, had been assigned the lowest-ranking post in the Ministry of Imperial Stud—a petty official in charge of horses and carriages, little more than a groom or repairman.
The physician could hardly believe his ears.
This wasn’t just a waste of talent—it was a deliberate humiliation!
Duan's mother, upon hearing the news, wailed and raged.
The physician’s heart sank.
The young mistress was in the next room, fighting for her life. A woman in labor must not suffer extreme distress—countless mothers had died from such shocks!
He rushed to stop Duan's mother, but it was too late. Jiang Zhaohua had already heard.
The despair hit her like a blow, and her condition worsened instantly.
The physician didn’t know whether Duan's mother was simply foolish or callously indifferent to her daughter-in-law’s survival. Even now, she barred his way.
“If you don’t let me through,” he snapped, “your grandson will suffocate to death!”
That got through to her. Duan's mother might not care about Jiang Zhaohua, but she wouldn’t risk her grandchild.
Reluctantly, she stepped aside—but then followed the physician into the room, determined to watch his every move. She would report everything to Jinxing later!
In her mind, the baby’s life mattered most. If the physician saw Jiang Zhaohua’s body and ruined her virtue, so be it. She could always find her son a few pure concubines later.
Jiang Zhaohua’s maids, all young and inexperienced, were paralyzed with fear at the sight of their mistress’s suffering. Some even whispered that she might not survive.
The midwife had to shake them awake. “Go to the Marquis’ mansion! Fetch Lady Hou!”
“A woman in labor needs her family by her side!”
The midwife couldn’t fathom the Marquis’ household’s neglect. Even the poorest families knew to send kin to support a daughter in childbirth. How could they leave her fate entirely in the hands of her in-laws?
Panic gnawed at her. She had been hired by the Marquis’ household. If Jiang Zhaohua died, would they blame her?
Lady Hou had to come. Only her presence could ensure the truth was known!
Jolted into action, the maids raced back to the mansion.
When Lady Hou heard her daughter was in danger, her legs nearly gave way. Still weakened by lingering poison, she had been warned by physicians to avoid extreme emotions. But how could she remain calm when her child’s life hung in the balance?
Her blood surged violently, her head spun, and she swayed unsteadily. She knew the poison was flaring up—but none of that mattered now.
“Help me into the carriage,” she ordered her maids. “Hurry!”
By the time Lady Hou burst into the room, the physician was already administering acupuncture to Jiang Zhaohua.
At the sight of her daughter’s ashen face, Lady Hou collapsed at the bedside, clutching Jiang Zhaohua’s hand.
“Zhaozhao… my Zhaozhao!” she sobbed.
“You’re so young… your best days are ahead. You must pull through this!”
Her words struck Jiang Zhaohua like a hammer.
Yes. Her best days were yet to come.
Heaven had granted her a second life—how could she die now? She hadn’t even become a first-rank noblewoman!
Her husband, just as in her past life, had aced the imperial exams. Though his official appointment had gone awry… she refused to believe a man of his caliber would be held back by such a minor setback. If he had risen to chancellor once, he would do so again.
She couldn’t die. She would live to be the chancellor’s wife!
Whether it was her mother’s words or the physician’s needles, strength suddenly flooded Jiang Zhaohua’s body.
The midwife felt the change and cried out, “Young mistress, follow my voice—push! Push! PUSH!”
A baby’s wail pierced the air.
The midwife lifted the child, beaming. “Congratulations, young mistress. It’s a son.”
