"Yes, my lord," Tian Yi nodded in response, and with a rise, his figure had already drifted far away. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Time ticked by, drop by drop, yet no sound could be heard from inside, leaving those waiting outside consumed with anxiety.

"Sister Mei, it has been more than an hour since the princess entered, why can’t we hear anything?" Baihe felt something was amiss, seemingly not hearing the princess’s cries.

Lenglei frowned, "She hasn’t given birth yet, I suppose."

"That’s not right, Sister Mei, why do others scream when they give birth, but our princess doesn’t make a sound?" Yingsu shook her head, for she had heard those penetrating screams of agony before.

The few people waiting outside all looked towards Yingsu, Baihe with a puzzled expression, "How do you know that?"

Feeling everyone’s gaze upon her and awkwardly quivering her lips, "Well... it was back in Feng Family Village, I happened to visit a household and coincidentally, the daughter-in-law was in labor, and that’s when I heard it."

Dugu Chen, with his ears perked up, felt an even tighter knot in his heart upon hearing this and without realizing it, his palms were drenched in sweat.

On the bed, Feng Xuxu bit hard on a white sweat cloth, with veins popping on her hands, neck, and forehead, her entire face drenched in sweat and contorted with pain.

Two midwives periodically checked on the situation, noting that the time was about right, while the princess’s cervix was only dilated two fingers. Sun the midwife occasionally stroked the princess’s belly, whereas Zhang the midwife guided Feng Xuxu’s breathing, watching as yet another half-hour passed, but the fetal position still did not move downward, throwing the midwives into a panic. Feng Xuxu felt utterly weak, everything before her eyes was a blur, and she blinked slowly; gazing at her swollen belly, her mind cleared considerably. This was the child she shared with ’Chen’, and no matter what, she had to deliver it, constantly encouraging herself deep down.

Another half-hour passed, and seeing that the princess remained in the same state and had even lost consciousness, the two midwives finally sighed.

Basins of snow water began to be poured out, and clean boiling water was carried into the room. Witnessing this, Dugu Chen’s heart leaped with fear, and just as he was about to open the door, he saw the midwife emerging.

As soon as the two midwives opened the door, they saw a tense-looking prince.

"Has the princess given birth?" Dugu Chen, seeing the two midwives emerge, mistook it for the completion of the labor.

"No, no, my lord, the princess is having a difficult labor, I fear she is... not going to make it," Sun the midwife stammered out the words she wanted to say, sneaking glances at the prince, shrinking her neck, and retreating two steps until her heels hit the threshold of the palace door and stopped.

Though Dugu Chen did not know what a difficult labor was, he understood the latter part; he pushed past Sun the midwife and strode into the bedroom, his eyes immediately catching the sight of blood pooled beneath her. He hurried over and grasped her cold, small hand.

"My lady, my lady, wake up, I am here," his low voice kept reaching Feng Xuxu’s ears, even in her drowsy state.

Who was calling her? She wanted to open her heavy eyelids, which felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds, but she could hear the calling growing more and more mournful.

"My lady, if you dare leave me, I will search for you to the ends of the earth," he growled in resentment, hating that just as they had assembled a family, it was being taken away, hating that he had not insisted on terminating the pregnancy, and hating most of all those who always sought trouble, but hating himself the most for not being able to protect her. His heart was filled with pain, regret, and anger, and the violent aura around him surged.

Mei Lenglei and others wept softly and quietly inside the bedroom, while the guards outside bowed their heads in silence.

Xiaobai paced back and forth in the space, sensing Feng Xuxu’s fading life force, turned, and rushed towards Hanshan to retrieve the Life-Extending Ganoderma.