Shen Shixiao was born on the coldest day of winter.

When carrying Shen Shixiao, Song Wan hadn’t suffered the slightest hardship, but unexpectedly during the birth, it all came back to her with a vengeance.

Everyone had originally thought that since this pregnancy had been stable and she wasn’t a first-time mother, she would most likely give birth smoothly. Yet Song Wan endured for a full two days before successfully delivering him.

Those two days of torment were unlike anything Shen Qianyu had experienced in his entire life.

To this day, he still remembered the continuous sounds of a woman’s hoarse roars and agonized moans coming from the room.

Song Wan’s voice became unrecognizable. Shen Qianyu suspended court for two days, neither eating nor drinking, only waiting bitterly outside.

He tried several times to rush into the room, but was stopped by Wan Xiao each time.

“If Your Majesty goes in, you’ll only make those midwives worried and frightened. Not only will you be unable to help Her Majesty the Empress, you’ll actually cause more chaos.”

Shen Qianyu’s eyes were bloodshot. “Then what am I supposed to do? Just stand here stupidly doing nothing and wait?”

He knew Wan Xiao’s words made sense, but Shen Qianyu hated his own powerless appearance.

“Your Majesty… perhaps you could pray to Heaven for its blessing to protect Her Majesty through a smooth delivery.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Qianyu lifted his robes and knelt directly before the birthing chamber.

Seeing this, Wan Xiao and everyone in the courtyard all knelt down together.

“There is no sovereign above another. Today I pray to Heaven to bestow its grace to bless my wife with a smooth delivery. I am willing to abstain from meat for the rest of my life in exchange for my wife’s safety.”

Shen Qianyu knelt on the ground, praying devoutly.

Throughout his life, he had never believed in ghosts or gods, never feared Heaven or Earth. But from this day forward, he was willing to believe in all the deities and Buddhas in the world, willing to hold them in reverence, as long as his wife could be safe and sound.

Lin Jiayue also knelt in the courtyard. The stone tiles beneath her were bone-chillingly cold, but everyone seemed not to feel it, kneeling ramrod straight.

She looked at the figure at the very front, that man dressed in a bright yellow robe, and suddenly felt somewhat dazed.

After kneeling for a long time, her knees hurt terribly. She glanced around and saw no one was paying attention to her, so she simply collapsed into a sitting position.

If Song Wan was fine, whether she sat or lay down didn’t matter—Song Wan wouldn’t hold it against her. But if Song Wan couldn’t get through this ordeal, seeing Shen Qianyu’s crazed appearance, she feared that both she and those midwives she had brought into the palace would barely be able to survive.

Since she wouldn’t survive anyway, why should she suffer before death?

With this thought, Lin Jiayue spread the thick cloak she wore on the ground and sat comfortably waiting for the outcome.

In her ears was the sound of a man’s rambling, error-filled sutra recitation. Listening to that clumsy yet sincere voice, Lin Jiayue’s heart gradually calmed.

She gazed at Shen Qianyu’s back, her heart aching.

In the past, she had mocked ancient people for not understanding love, but looking now, how could they not understand?

She was the one who didn’t understand.

As Jiang Xingjian’s face flashed through her mind, Lin Jiayue blinked to drive it from her thoughts.

The sky gradually darkened. Many people couldn’t hold on and collapsed to the ground, yet Shen Qianyu seemed completely unaware, still kneeling upright. By late night, even Wan Xiao couldn’t endure it anymore and sat down sideways.

For a time, in the entire courtyard, apart from Shen Qianyu, no one could keep their back straight anymore.

Wan Xiao looked worriedly at the other’s knees but didn’t step forward to persuade him.

At a time like this, whatever Shen Qianyu wanted to do could only be left to him.

Throughout the night, midwives went in and out, carrying out countless basins of blood. It wasn’t until the sky was about to brighten that everyone heard a middle-aged woman in the room shout loudly that Her Majesty had given birth, along with the sharp cry of an infant.

“Your Majesty, Her Majesty has given birth! Her Majesty has successfully delivered the Second Prince…”

The midwife wrapped the child tightly and carried him out. Shen Qianyu didn’t even glance at him before walking toward the room. But after kneeling all night, both his legs had long since gone numb. Before he could even stand up, he fell straight forward.

Wan Xiao and the others hurried forward to support him, but Shen Qianyu pushed everyone away and struggled to crawl forward a few steps.

“This servant oversteps his bounds.”

Seeing this, Ji Rong’s eyes reddened. He pulled Shen Qianyu up, carried him on his back, and strode into the room.

“Wan’er…”

After two days of difficult labor, Song Wan had long since lost consciousness. How could she hear Shen Qianyu’s calls? Shen Qianyu only saw Song Wan sunk deep into the soft pillows, her face deathly pale, completely motionless.

He couldn’t help but extend two fingers toward Song Wan’s nose.

The woman’s weak breath proved she was still alive. Shen Qianyu wanted to touch her face, but when he extended his hand and saw the purple-blue color on it, he remembered that his palms were ice cold.

He hurriedly withdrew his hand and stiffly rubbed them together before touching Song Wan through the thick quilt.

Watching Song Wan’s eyelids move slightly, the man who had already passed his thirties suddenly burst into tears with a wail.

“Take good care of the Second Prince. Everyone else unrelated may withdraw.”

Ji Rong stepped forward to pull Shen Qianyu up, had the imperial physician take his pulse, and only then helped him to a chair.

Shen Qianyu’s legs still had no feeling. The imperial physician administered needles for a long time before he gradually began to feel hot, tingling, and other strange pains.

“Your Majesty hasn’t eaten in a long time. Would you like some porridge?”

“No need.”

Shen Qianyu stared blankly at Song Wan’s sleeping face and said in a low voice, “Inform the Imperial Kitchen that from now on, my meals must not contain any meat or fish.”

Ji Rong frowned, but seeing his condition could only agree for the time being.

“Your Majesty, the Second Prince’s name…”

A eunuch brought over a sandalwood tray with the Second Prince’s birth date and time written on it.

Shen Qianyu picked up the brush, paused briefly, then casually wrote the three characters “Shen Shixiao.”

He had never considered that this child would be a prince and had never chosen a name for a prince. Right now he had no time to consider other matters. He had originally wanted to write the character “jiao,” but unexpectedly when he put brush to paper, he wrote “xiao” instead.

“Let it be.”

Pushing away the eunuch, Shen Qianyu continued keeping watch over Song Wan.

Perhaps because she had damaged her vital energy during childbirth, Song Wan slept for many days before slowly waking. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Shen Qianyu’s face covered with stubble, his expression haggard.

“How many days have you been watching over me?”

Her voice was hoarse. As soon as she spoke, it startled Shen Qianyu into raising his head.

“You’re awake?”

“I’ve watched over you for five days. These five days, no matter how I called to you, you never once answered me.”

The man’s tone was aggrieved as he grasped Song Wan’s hand tightly against his cheek, not daring to relax for even a moment. He always felt that if he relaxed even slightly, this person would leave him.

Hearing this, Song Wan smiled weakly. “I was tired, so I rested for a few days. No wonder I didn’t sleep peacefully—you were constantly making noise beside me.”

She touched the man’s cheek, her heart softening.

Looking at his haggard appearance, he must have been terrified these past few days.

He became especially timid when it came to matters concerning her, and that boundless courage he usually had disappeared to who knows where.

Song Wan’s heart ached terribly. She held Shen Qianyu’s hand for a long time without letting go.

The husband and wife were silent, yet there was a sense of fortune and lingering fear at having survived a calamity.

After a long while, Song Wan laughed softly. “So is our child a little princess or a little prince?”

Hearing these words, Shen Qianyu’s eyes and brows immediately drooped.

He said in a voice slightly tinged with exhaustion, “It’s a troublesome little boy.”

Song Wan felt slightly disappointed in her heart. “It’s fine. The next one will surely be a little princess.”

Unusually, Shen Qianyu didn’t respond. He held Song Wan’s hand and turned his head away, saying nothing more.