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As Xiao Yao's belly grew larger, her daily life became increasingly difficult, to the point where she could no longer lie flat to sleep. Whenever she lay on her back, it felt as if the enormous watermelon-sized weight on her abdomen was pressing directly against her spine and internal organs, making it hard for her to breathe.
Lying on her side for too long was also uncomfortable, as it felt like her belly was being pulled in an unpleasant way.
With constant discomfort, her mood naturally worsened. Xiao Yao's temper began to fluctuate, and she would often cry, feeling incredibly fragile. Zhang Taiyi found it hard to cope, as the hardships of pregnancy were something only the expectant mother truly understood, especially for someone like Xiao Yao who was experiencing a Twin Pregnancy, which was even more challenging.
Since Xiao Yao could not sleep lying flat, He Yu also struggled to rest well. Some nights, he would sit up against a large pillow while half-holding Xiao Yao, allowing her to doze off in a half-sitting, half-lying position.
Feeling sorry for He Yu, who still had to attend court, Xiao Yao suggested they sleep separately, as this arrangement was not sustainable. However, He Yu disagreed, saying, "You are my wife; pregnancy is already hard enough. How can I let you bear this alone? Since the children belong to both of us, we must share this burden together."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yao felt touched and naturally stopped insisting on her point. She simply nodded and said, "Then let's get through this together."
"Yes, we must," He Yu kissed her cheek.
After court, as they walked through the palace, the Crown Prince finally couldn't help but speak up. "Have you not been resting well these past few days? You seem distracted and your dark circles are quite noticeable!"
"I can't help it," He Yu replied with a wry smile. "My wife is having a tough time with the pregnancy; I worry so much that I can't sleep."
"Is pregnancy really that difficult?" The Crown Prince was surprised; after all, he had never witnessed what pregnancy entailed. Hearing this made him realize the seriousness of the situation.
He Yu knew that the Crown Prince likely had no idea how challenging pregnancy could be. So he began explaining everything that Xiao Yao had been going through up until that point—right up to the previous night when the pressure from the baby made it so difficult for her to breathe that she couldn't sleep at all.
The Crown Prince's brow furrowed tighter and tighter as he listened. Finally, he said, "But it's because of Zhang Taiyi; a Twin Pregnancy is bound to be this tough. If it were just one child, it might be much easier."
"Twin Pregnancy?!?" The Crown Prince's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at He Yu. Then he noticed He Yu's proud expression and laughed while patting his shoulder. "Well done! You really are impressive!"
"You're too kind; it's my wife who is amazing!" He Yu boasted while also acknowledging his wife—what a true display of marital affection.
After all the turmoil, the day of delivery finally arrived. The day before, Xiao Yao had already begun experiencing contractions. The midwife and Mrs. Xiao immediately instructed the servants to move Xiao Yao to the delivery room to prepare.
During morning court proceedings, He Yu couldn't focus on anything; his mind was consumed with thoughts about whether Xiao Yao had gone into labor and if the baby had arrived yet. He had no interest in what was happening in court at all.
After a long wait, He Yu finally made his way out, but to his surprise, the emperor, who usually had no business with him, called him back today.
Reluctantly, He Yu turned around and headed towards the Imperial Study, then respectfully said, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
"If I were to send you to lead troops against the rebellious tribes in the southwest, would you be willing?" Qidi asked.
He Yu's brows twitched slightly before he quickly replied, "The southwestern tribes are merely a handful of insignificant people."
The implication was clear: he looked down on them and wanted to achieve something great.
With these words, he perfectly portrayed a lofty yet incompetent young lord. Qidi nodded subtly, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes, but he still said, "Although they are few in number, it would still be a merit. Are you truly unwilling to go?"
"Your Majesty," He Yu raised his head, impatience evident on his face. "My wife is giving birth today. You know I have long sought this wife of mine. Now that she has finally given birth to our child, I do not wish for her to find her husband absent after enduring such hardship."
Qidi was both astonished and pleased. He never expected He Yu to have a child so soon. However, after hearing He Yu's words, he felt even more satisfied. A young lord with such little ambition would surely raise a child with no prospects; he was just a useless lord to be kept.
Qidi immediately feigned surprise. "Your wife is pregnant? You haven't been around for quite some time?"
"I just didn't want to trouble the palace," He Yu replied with an embarrassed expression.
Seeing the timid He Yu, Qidi waved his hand helplessly. "Alright then, hurry back and accompany your wife during childbirth! If you need anything, just inform the Internal Affairs Office!"
"Yes! I thank Your Majesty for your kindness!" He Yu exclaimed joyfully as he bowed deeply. Qidi waved him off, signaling him to leave quickly.
Thus, He Yu left promptly. Of course, before exiting the palace, he stopped by the Internal Affairs Office to request a few nursemaids for his wife before departing.
In this way, before He Yu even reached the Xuanping Prince's Mansion, news spread throughout the upper circles of the capital that the emperor wanted Xuanping Wang to quell the rebellion in the southwest. However, Xuanping Wang was dismissive and preferred to stay home with his daughter-in-law.
Upon hearing this rumor, everyone sighed in agreement; indeed, he was a child raised in luxury and had long lost the bloodiness of his grandfather and father. The current Xuanping Wang only knew how to indulge himself and had become inept.
Of course, He Yu did not care how others viewed him; this was precisely the effect he desired.
Rushing back to the residence, just as he reached the entrance of the Central Courtyard, he happened to see Yun Zhu coming over with a bowl of ginseng soup. Yun Zhu immediately bowed.
"What's going on now?" He Yu asked anxiously.
"The amniotic fluid has broken, and she is in labor!" Yun Zhu replied, her face also filled with worry. "Zhang Taiyi said the princess is struggling with the birth of two children, so I was sent to bring the ginseng soup, ready to give it to the princess at any moment to prevent her from losing strength."
"Hurry up then," He Yu waved his hand, urging Yun Zhu to go quickly, and he followed closely behind.
As they approached the delivery room, they could hear the midwife and Mrs. Xiao urging Xiao Yao to push harder. However, Xiao Yao was silent. "Why is there no sound?" He Yu couldn't help but feel anxious. Zhang Taiyi immediately explained, "Loud cries waste energy, so I advised the princess not to shout too loudly."
"Oh." Hearing this from Zhang Taiyi, He Yu felt relieved and quieted down. Soon after, he heard muffled groans coming from inside the room. He Yu was extremely anxious, wishing he could rush in and see for himself. But he was stopped by Xiao Guangzheng and Xiao Mo Yi. Xiao Mo Yi said, "Yao Yao is doing well at this moment; just wait outside patiently."
"But I’m worried..."
"There’s nothing to worry about," Xiao Mo Yi reassured him. "My mother and several midwives are inside. Since they haven't come out yet, it means everything is fine. Just wait here."
At this moment, he couldn't care less about etiquette; he just wanted to know what was happening.
He Yu sat down on a stool but soon stood up again, peering into the delivery room. "Why is there still no movement?"
"It hasn't even been a full tea time yet; how could there be any news?" Xiao Mo Yi looked at He Yu with a smile despite his anxiety, feeling touched.
As men, they understood each other's feelings; only a woman they truly cared about would make them this anxious. Otherwise, who would care about life or death? He thought that when his daughter-in-law gave birth in the future, he probably wouldn't be any better than He Yu.
Thinking of this, Xiao Mo Yi silently kept his mouth shut.
The waiting felt like every moment was stretched countless times; everyone was enduring different kinds of torment. Finally, after an unknown amount of time had passed, they suddenly heard a loud cry of a newborn baby—she had given birth!
"She gave birth!" He Yu exclaimed in surprise as he turned to look at Xiao Mo Yi and Xiao Guangzheng. At that moment, all three men in the courtyard had expressions of joy on their faces. After about another quarter of an hour, they heard another cry—another baby had been born!
Indeed, there were two! The joy on He Yu's face could no longer be concealed.
Then, Yun Zhu came out with a beaming face and said, "Congratulations, Prince! It's a Twin Pregnancy, both are sons!"
Two sons!
To think that one life would bring two sons! Xiao Mo Yi silently looked at He Yu, his eyes clearly expressing a message: You are lucky, having two sons in one life is truly enviable.
He Yu could not suppress his proud expression either; twins, he actually had twins. His daughter-in-law was simply amazing.
The children were soon brought out. He Yu looked at the two wrinkled babies in the cradle, and the midwife smiled as she pointed out which one was the eldest and which one was the Second Brother. He Yu observed the two children and noticed that the eldest seemed to resemble him more, while the Second Brother looked a bit more like Xiao Yao.
However, He Yu couldn't focus on admiring the children right now; he immediately asked, "How is the princess? How is she?"
"The delivery went very smoothly," the midwife replied with a smile. "The princess is fine; it's just that the two children are a bit exhausted. They are sleeping now, and once everything is cleaned up, we can move them into the room."
Hearing that Xiao Yao was fine, He Yu finally felt his heart lift completely. He sat down heavily in a chair behind him and waved his hand weakly, "Alright then, you all go do what you need to do."
"Yes." The room full of midwives and maidservants bowed respectfully before retreating. (To be continued)
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