From the time the message was delivered to the palace until she came out again, quite a bit of time had passed.
Even if you can't give birth immediately, it won't just be a little bit of pain.
The pain gradually increases as the cervix dilates.
Pei Shen said, "It should be soon. Your Highness, could you please take a look at Nanxing?"
Nanxing glared at him. "Are you going to give birth or am I going to?"
Pei Shen: "... You give birth, it's your decision. Little Birdie, don't be angry, it's my fault."
"Lie down, let me check you out," Tang Zhuyun said decisively.
Nanxing was arrogant in front of Pei Shen, but obedient and docile in front of Tang Zhuyun, and immediately lay down.
Pei Shen: "..."
Such double standards are beyond words.
However, he is magnanimous and not jealous.
Nanxing wasn't wearing pants under her skirt, and Tang Zhuyun was shocked as soon as she lifted it up.
If I get out of bed and take a few steps, the baby will really fall out!
She was wrong.
She underestimated the pain tolerance of a brutally trained assassin.
It only hurts a little bit, just a little bit...
"Nanxing, does it hurt?"
"A little, but it's bearable," Nanxing said. "Your Majesty, is it going to be quite a while before you give birth? Xiu'er said that you'll be in excruciating pain, wishing you could bang your head against the wall, before you're really about to give birth."
She felt that she still had a long way to go.
Child: Mother, I'm coming right now.
About fifteen minutes later, the baby was born.
Nanxing looked completely bewildered.
Pei Shen: "Little Birdie, you've worked hard."
Nanxing: "So, it's over?"
Tang Zhuyun held the child with immense joy, "He looks like both you and Pei Shen."
"Is it a son?" Nanxing asked.
"Yes, it's a son."
"That's good. If your daughter looks like me, then we'll have to trouble Yingying again."
Pei Shen blushed.
I always felt that these words implied he was a womanizer.
Did he love her for her breasts?
He loves her for who she is!
But he didn't dare to speak.
It took Tang Zhuyun a moment to realize what she meant, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You're thinking pretty far ahead."
Nanxing said, "Your Majesty, please help me give him a nickname, so that he can share in your good fortune."
Tang Zhuyun: Luckily it's small print, so there's not much pressure. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what you'd be willing to compensate for, or what you could afford to compensate for.
But the problem is, she's terrible at naming things!
"Let me go back and think about it, there's no rush," Tang Zhuyun said. "Have you decided on a proper name yet?"
"Just being serious, not serious at all," Nanxing laughed.
Tang Zhuyun was completely baffled. "What does 'both serious and improper' mean?"
"Pei Zheng," Nanxing said with a smile, "I hope he can become an upright person."
As expected, all seriousness and no humor...
"Mother, has Nanxing given birth? May I come in?" Yanran's cheerful voice rang out.
Tang Zhuyun said irritably, "Why are you here?"
"Haha, what a coincidence," Yanran said with a grin as she stood under the eaves.
Could she say that she played outside the palace too long, tried to befriend the guards at the gate, and then learned that her mother had left the palace?
cannot.
She didn't say anything.
Seeing that Nanxing had already packed up, Tang Zhuyun said impatiently, "Come in."
Yanran came in to look at the child in her arms and couldn't help but exclaim, "Goodness, this child will definitely be a heartbreaker for so many girls when he grows up! I've never seen a child so beautiful from birth!"
For example, her younger brothers were all wrinkled and looked like monkeys when they were born.
But Pei Zheng is very pretty.
Tang Zhuyun also remarked that the child was indeed beautiful.
"Mother, let me hug you."
"Slow down."
"Don't worry, haven't I mastered carrying Wuji and the others yet?"
Yanran hugged Pei Zheng tightly, unable to put him down.
Nanxing laughed and said, "How about I be your son-in-law when I grow up?"
Pei Shen: "..."
No, he won't agree!
Yanran: "No way. Sons-in-law can change all the time, but younger brothers can't."
"You want to keep changing partners? Who will you be changing them to?" Nanxing teased with a laugh, "Cui Xiaoqiu?"
Tang Zhuyun suddenly became nervous.
"Cui Xiaoqiu? Isn't that jumping into a fire pit? I won't!" Yanran said. "Whoever marries him will be miserable. One of his mothers-in-law is too shrewd, and the other is too stupid. It'll be difficult!"
It's really difficult.
Tang Zhuyun was pleased.
No matter who jumps into the fire pit, you just won't.
She herself is a person who loves peace and quiet and doesn't worry about things, so she doesn't want Yanran to have to fight wits and courage with other women.
Even if she wins, Cui Xiaoqiu will be on her side, and she'll still be exhausted!
"Your Majesty, you should return to the palace to rest early," Nanxing said. "Everything is fine."
"No rush, you're tired, take a nap first, I'll leave later."
Tang Zhuyun planned to observe Nanxing for an hour to make sure he was alright before leaving.
Pei Shen didn't look at the child; instead, he knelt by the bed and held Nanxing's hand.
Nanxing, however, seemed a bit disgusted. "It's all sweaty and hot; don't crowd here."
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "Women often have strange temperaments after giving birth, so please be more tolerant, Marquis Champion."
She is from Nanxing's maternal family.
Pei Shen cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness."
Nanxing then said, "Your Highness's words make it sound as if I'm not eccentric at all; he's long been used to it."
Pei Shen amused and exasperated, but his eyes held a deep sense of doting affection.
Late at night, the sound of horse-drawn carriage wheels rattling over the road made Tang Zhuyun lean against the wall and couldn't help but yawn.
Yanran was also feeling sleepy and was about to take a nap when she suddenly heard Tang Zhuyun ask, "Why were you delayed outside the palace tonight?"
Yanran: "!!!"
She hasn't said anything yet, so how did Mother find out?
It must have been one of her guards who betrayed her.
I'll beat them all up tomorrow!
She didn't dare lie, and lowered her head, saying in a muffled voice, "Cui Xiaoqiu was in a bad mood, so I accompanied him for a walk by the river and stayed a little longer."
Tang Zhuyun: "What are you two doing by the river in the dead of winter? Wouldn't it have been better to find a restaurant to eat at? Remember to drink ginger soup when you get back!"
Yanran was completely open and honest with Cui Xiaoqiu, and had only a warm heart.
So if you insist on talking about strict separation between men and women, you're actually hurting her.
Why is he in a bad mood?
"Sigh, what else could it be? Because of his mother."
As expected, Madam Cui is a real handful.
"What's wrong with his mother again?"
"The Cui Family's affairs are utter nonsense," Yanran couldn't help but complain. "Did you know? Cui Run was adopted by the third branch of the family."
"I've heard of it, but what does it have to do with Cui Xiaoqiu?"
"Madam Cui was unhappy, feeling that Cui Run had become a Cui Family and would compete with Cui Xiaoqiu; originally, this wouldn't have been a problem, but later, when Madam Cui learned that Cui Xiaoqiu had helped make this happen, she became upset."
Tang Zhuyun: "... Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. As for the Cui Family's affairs, just listen to them and that's it."
"Watch out!" Yanran suddenly tackled Tang Zhuyun from her seat, shielding her with her body. "Mother, don't move!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a whooshing sound rang out—