On the day Chu Yu gave birth, it was drizzling, marking the transition from summer to autumn.
Upon learning that her due date had arrived, the Grand Princess ordered someone to bring Chu Yu to the palace. Initially, Wei Yun did not allow anyone to enter, sternly telling the palace attendant, “You go report to the Empress Dowager that my wife from the Wei family is giving birth at the Wei residence. There’s no reason for her to give birth in the palace.”
Two months prior, the Grand Princess had given birth to the “Emperor,” finally securing her position on the throne. With the bloodlines of the Zhao and Li families, this child could not be deemed illegitimate by anyone. The lords of the realm had lost their reasons to protest, and the Grand Princess issued orders to pacify and eliminate dissent. After two months, the chaos among the lords of Da Chu was stabilized.
This child was not born of the Grand Princess; she had never been pregnant. Instead, she had calculated the timing and had Gu Chusheng bring a newborn child into the palace. The child had been borrowed from a peasant family and was temporarily in the Grand Princess’s care. Gu Chusheng had made it clear that when Chu Yu gave birth if it was a boy, they would switch this child into the palace; if it was a girl, they would replace it with Gu Yanqing.
For this reason, the Grand Princess was determined to have Chu Yu give birth in the palace.
However, Wei Yun was resistant to this idea. He had considered the possibility of the child entering the palace to become the Emperor, but as he stood by Chu Yu’s side, watching her belly grow, he felt an overwhelming reluctance toward this child.
For the first time, he experienced a father’s profound love for a child, not just because the child’s mother was Chu Yu, but also because the child’s father was him.
Chu Yu sensed his emotions and, seeing him block the palace attendants, sighed, “Why make it difficult for him? It’s where she should be.”
With that, Chu Yu instructed her servants to pack her things. Supported by Wanyue, she walked down the steps and waved to Wei Yun, saying, “Don’t be angry. Come with me into the palace.”
Once Chu Yu spoke, Wei Yun fell silent. He couldn’t argue with her in front of so many people, so he followed her side and helped her into the carriage.
After entering the palace, the Grand Princess arranged their accommodations and engaged Chu Yu in conversation.
She was staying in the same place where Mei Fei had once lived; nothing in the room had changed. Upon entering, Chu Yu sighed and said, “You might as well change the room’s decor. Facing the past every day is painful.”
“There’s nothing to be upset about,” the Grand Princess replied, smiling as she cradled a cat in her arms. “It was a sin not to like him when he was alive. Now that he’s dead, I can remember him openly.”
Chu Yu was taken aback, seeing the Grand Princess lower her head, her eyes downcast. “This room still carries his scent. It makes me feel like he’s still here, which is comforting.”
Chu Yu pressed her lips together and remained silent.
That night, as she lay beside Wei Yun, she found it hard to sleep. When Wei Yun was next to her, he slept soundly, his head resting against her. As long as there was some connection, with her warmth linking to his, he would sleep peacefully, like a little pig.
Chu Yu noticed that he seemed to have gained a bit of weight and looked even fairer lately, suggesting he was living quite well.
Watching him sleep so soundly, she felt a twinge of unhappiness. Unable to sleep herself, she nudged him.
“Xiao Qi.”
Wei Yun groggily opened his eyes. “Hmm?”
“Talk to me.”
“Ah?” Although still somewhat dazed, he was surprised. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Oh…” Wei Yun rubbed his eyes, sat up cross-legged without any resistance, and said, “Alright, I’ll keep you company.”
“I have a headache.”
Chu Yu rested her head on Wei Yun’s lap, and he quickly began to massage her temples, waking her up a bit more.
“I feel like the Grand Princess is suffering,” Chu Yu sighed and said. “From the way she looked today, I don’t think she can move on.”
“Hmm…”
“Xiao Qi,” Chu Yu pondered slowly, “if our child is born and enters the palace, the Grand Princess would count as his half-mother…”
Upon hearing this, Wei Yun immediately became alert. He frowned, “Is our child going to enter the palace?”
Chu Yu didn’t respond. After a long pause, she finally said, “If our child doesn’t enter the palace, the Grand Princess won’t be at ease.”
Wei Yun understood the reasoning.
He held military power and could not hand it over to the Grand Princess. If someone completely unrelated to him sat in that position, how could the Grand Princess not worry that one day he might change his mind?
He knew that the one on the golden throne was a false emperor. He still had military power, and if he truly wanted to rebel, he could do so with both troops and justification. To the Grand Princess, he was a significant risk.
But at this moment, the Grand Princess could not treat him like Emperor Chunde or Zhao Yue, leaving him to die. The only solution was for his son to sit in the emperor’s position.
If it was his son as emperor, he couldn’t rebel against his child.
Wei Yun understood the Grand Princess’s calculations.
“But,” he said, feeling reluctant, “have you asked if this child is willing?”
“If he is born into the Wei family, have you asked if he is willing?”
Chu Yu sounded a bit weary. “Xiao Qi, not everyone wants to be a carefree wanderer. We’ve given him a path. I’ve agreed with the Grand Princess that if one day he doesn’t want to be emperor, he can leave.”
“What if the Grand Princess doesn’t let him go?”
Wei Yun frowned. Chu Yu didn’t respond. There were some things she didn’t need to say, but Wei Yun understood her meaning.
He sighed.
“Don’t worry,” he leaned down and kissed her. “That day will never come.”
“Xiao Qi,” Chu Yu said calmly, “you are not your father, and our child cannot become the next Wei Yun.”
A life of being trampled underfoot and then climbing back up was not one they wanted for their child.
He would be born as the supreme ruler, and they would give him the best of the world and the best life.
“Alright.” Hearing this, Wei Yun’s heart trembled, and he finally accepted Chu Yu’s decision. The two fell silent, and not long after, Chu Yu felt a pain in her abdomen.
Chu Yu gasped, and Wei Yun hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong?!”
“I…” Chu Yu’s face changed slightly. “I think… I think I’m going into labor.”
“Get someone!”
Upon hearing this, Wei Yun panicked. He draped a robe over Chu Yu and shouted, “Call the imperial physician!”
The imperial physician had been on standby and, upon hearing Wei Yun’s summons, entered the room in a line. The guards escorted Wei Yun out, and he hesitated for a moment. Chu Yu’s pain wasn’t severe yet; she only felt a twinge now and then. She calmly said, “You go out first. I don’t want you to see me in such a state.”
Wei Yun understood Chu Yu’s discomfort; she didn’t want him to see her in a vulnerable moment. He took a deep breath, nodded, and turned to leave.
Once outside, people came and went, but there was no sound. Only after a while did a maid come to inform him that everything was fine.
He didn’t dare show his anxiety in front of others. Wei Xia brought him a drink and quietly said, “Your Highness, have some wine to relax. Don’t be too tense.”
Wei Yun coldly took a sip and stood at the door, staring intently at the closed door, saying nothing.
Before long, Gu Chusheng and the Grand Princess arrived. Gu Chusheng asked anxiously, “How is it? Is the fetal position correct? What’s the situation?”
He was so anxious that Wei Yun didn’t want to say a word. Fortunately, Wei Xia was talkative and explained the situation to Gu Chusheng in detail. Gu Chusheng glanced inside and turned to instruct someone nearby, “Prepare the ginseng I brought…”
“What do you need that for?”
Wei Yun suddenly looked up; those were life-saving herbs.
He knew that Gu Chusheng and Chu Yu had different lives. If Gu Chusheng was preparing these things, he couldn’t help but feel scared and tremble as he asked, “What are you preparing those for?”
“Your Highness, don’t be too nervous,” the Grand Princess noticed Wei Yun’s agitation and quickly said, “Lord Gu is just making preparations.”
“Your Highness,” Wei Yun restrained himself, clenching his fists. “You should go rest. I’ll watch over things here with Lord Gu.”
The Grand Princess paused, glancing at Gu Chusheng. She could see that the two had something to discuss. Being clever as she was, she smiled and then bid farewell to the two before leaving.
Wei Yun instructed those nearby to stand back. He finally turned to Gu Chusheng and asked, “What happened when she gave birth in her previous life?”
“The fetal position was incorrect,” Gu Chusheng took a deep breath. “She almost didn’t make it. Fortunately, her father brought some thousand-year-old ginseng to keep her alive…”
Wei Xia’s mind buzzed, just as a scream from inside echoed, “Ah!”
Without hesitation, he rushed toward the room. The attendant hurriedly stepped forward to stop Wei Yun, saying, “Your Highness, this is the delivery room! You can’t go in!”
“Let go!”
Wei Yun kicked the attendant aside. He was determined to enter, and no one could stop him. In an instant, he broke through the door and rushed to Chu Yu’s side.
Chu Yu was in the midst of a contraction, the most painful moment. She clutched the bedsheet tightly, her face devoid of color. She felt like a fish on the verge of death on the shore, each breath accompanied by pain. Just then, someone grasped her hand and anxiously said, “A Yu, A Yu, I’m here.”
Chu Yu was brought back to her senses by that voice. She turned her head and saw Wei Yun, his eyes filled with fear, holding her hand.
Chu Yu struggled to breathe and hoarsely said, “Why are you here…”
“I couldn’t bear to leave you alone here,” Wei Yun forced a smile, “I wanted to stay by your side.”
Hearing his words and feeling his hand holding hers, for some reason, the pain seemed to lessen significantly.
She had given birth once before, and that time had been even more painful; she was well-prepared. However, she hadn’t expected that Wei Yun’s presence would make this labor feel a bit easier.
The attendants urged her to breathe and push. She listened to him calling her name, cooperating with the midwife.
When the palace gates were fully opened, she tentatively pressed down on her breath, and everyone cheered, “It’s almost there! Almost there! We can see the hair!”
Wei Yun held her hand, unable to speak, trembling as if he were the one giving birth.
When the child was finally born and the umbilical cord was cut, the baby’s cries filled the room, and Chu Yu felt as if she had come back to life.
She had no strength left, her face pale, and the room was filled with filth, permeated with various unpleasant odors.
She was covered in sticky sweat, feeling somewhat nauseous. She breathed gently and turned to look at Wei Yun.
Wei Yun’s eyes were filled with tears. He didn’t dare move, just quietly watched her. The others were holding the baby, celebrating the arrival of this new life, but he remained by her side, his gaze never leaving her.
Seeing the look in his eyes, Chu Yu couldn’t help but smile.
“I told you not to come,” she said, her voice rough as if it had been scraped by stones. “Look at me now; I’m so ugly…”
Before she could finish, she noticed the others moving.
He didn’t dare make any sudden movements, carefully cradling her in his arms. She could feel his trembling, his fear, and his tears mingling with her sweat, burning hot against her neck. Chu Yu was taken aback, hearing Wei Yun’s hoarse voice say, “No more children.”
“Let’s never have children again…”
He cried, “We’ll never suffer like this again.”
Chu Yu found it somewhat amusing. Being held by him, the warmth eased her pain significantly. She felt a bit helpless, saying, “It’s not like you gave birth. Why are you crying?”
Wei Yun didn’t respond. Chu Yu waited for a reply but felt tired, so she stopped talking and leaned against Wei Yun, feeling the attendants tending to her, and gradually fell asleep.
When she woke up, Wei Yun was beside her, holding the baby. He was clumsily learning how to hold the child from others. Seeing her open her eyes, he hurriedly brought the baby over, beaming with pride, and said, “A Yu, you’re awake?”
“Where’s the baby?” Chu Yu’s gaze fell on the child, reaching out to hold him. Wei Yun shook his head, saying seriously, “You can’t hold him now; it’ll hurt your back.”
Chu Yu felt a bit helpless with Wei Yun’s insistence. He thought for a moment and sat beside her, saying, “I’ll hold him; you can just look.”
Chu Yu leaned against him, watching the baby.
The child was still small and didn’t make a sound, just squinting his eyes and sleeping. Chu Yu thought for a moment and turned to Wei Yun, asking, “Is he always sleeping?”
“Yes, except for the initial feeding from the wet nurse, he hasn’t woken up since.”
Chu Yu felt a bit worried. She reached out and poked the baby’s face, saying, “He’s not a fool, is he?”
“He shouldn’t be…” Wei Yun also looked a bit concerned.
“Is it a boy or a girl?”
Finally remembering to ask, Chu Yu inquired, and Wei Yun replied somewhat unhappily, “It’s a boy.”
Chu Yu nodded and didn’t ask further. The two of them stared at the baby for a while until he finally woke up, slowly opening his eyes. After glancing at Wei Yun, he fixed his gaze on Chu Yu’s chest.
Moments later, he let out a loud cry that startled Wei Yun, making him almost drop him.
Fortunately, Wei Yun’s hands were steady. Chu Yu looked at the baby and guessed, “He’s probably hungry.”
Wei Yun thought the same, so they called the wet nurse over to teach Chu Yu how to breastfeed.
Wei Yun insisted that Chu Yu not hold the baby, so he supported the child himself while he drank. After the baby finished feeding, Wei Yun looked a bit unhappy and gently patted the baby’s face, saying, “Little rascal, you’re not a fool, huh?”
“Now that you’re a father,” Chu Yu laughed at Wei Yun’s childish behavior, “don’t be so immature.”
While they were talking, the Grand Princess entered.
Seeing the happy family scene, the Grand Princess smiled.
“This child is quite good-looking.”
“Not at all, he’s all wrinkled, like a little monkey.”
Chu Yu laughed and invited the Grand Princess to sit down.
The Grand Princess gazed at the child for a while before finally looking up and asking, “Have you two made a decision?”
“Did Your Highness give us time to think?”
Wei Yun’s voice was calm. “This child won’t enter the palace. Is Your Highness at ease with that?”
The Grand Princess didn’t respond. She took a cup of tea from a maid, sipped it, and said calmly, “You’re just reluctant to part with this child. I’ve also thought about it. This child will call Lord Wei ‘father’ in the future, and you and the Princess can freely enter and exit the palace to raise him.”
The two were taken aback, and the Grand Princess continued, “Don’t think that I’m only doing this for myself. Wei Yun,” she looked at him, “if he doesn’t become emperor, the Wei family might face another catastrophe, but there may not be another Wei Yun. Do you understand?”
Wei Yun remained silent. The Grand Princess lowered her gaze. “I understand the heart of those in power better than anyone. While I’m here, I must find a way out for the Wei family and Da Chu. Only when this child grows up, as your son, can he accept the complete return of military power. Without him, even if I sincerely return the military power, can I be trusted? And if you return the military power, can you trust me?”
“You don’t trust me, and I don’t trust you either.”
The Grand Princess’s words were firm.
“Your Highness’s intentions,” Wei Yun finally spoke, sighing, “Hua Yu understands.”
The Grand Princess nodded, then remembered, “Has the child been named?”
Chu Yu turned to look at Wei Yun. After thinking for a moment, he finally said, “Shun.”
He hoped that this child would have a smooth and worry-free life, just as he had faced many hardships in his own life.
Chu Yu understood Wei Yun’s meaning, her gaze falling on the child.
She thought it would be fine.
This child will grow up alongside Da Chu, living a safe, smooth, and happy life.