The midwives had been prepared early, six in total.
Four would have been enough, but Yu Jin thought six was more auspicious, symbolizing smoothness, so he added two more.
The six midwives bustled about in the birthing room, while maids carried various items in and out.
Yu Jin stood under the corridor eaves, anxiously peering inside, almost colliding with Nanny Ji.
Nanny Ji’s voice rose, “Your Highness, why are you adding to the chaos here!”
The usually cold-faced Prince Yan couldn’t maintain his composure now. He peered past Nanny Ji, saying, “I just want to take a look…”
“Looking is not allowed either. Since when do men crowd around to watch women giving birth?” Nanny Ji frowned, calling out, “Someone come and escort the Prince to rest elsewhere.”
Yu Jin glanced at Nanny Ji and, without waiting for a maid to come and send him away, turned and walked towards the side room.
Seeing this, Nanny Ji sighed in relief and turned to enter the room.
Men can’t help during childbirth, but she had never seen a prince like this before.
In Nanny Ji’s view, childbirth was women’s business, and men shouldn’t even come to the back courtyard. They should go about their day as usual, and it was enough to inform them when the child was born.
But the Prince was something else, almost wanting to rush in and give birth to the Princess, not minding the ill omen at all.
At least he was still persuadable.
As soon as Nanny Ji’s figure disappeared at the doorway, Yu Jin emerged from the side room carrying a small stool.
That old witch was truly annoying!
Yu Jin placed the small stool under the corridor and sat down, straining his ears to listen.
From inside, apart from the midwives’ voices and chaotic footsteps, he could barely hear Jiang Si’s voice.
Yu Jin’s heart was in suspense.
What was going on? He had asked many experienced people, and they all said that women in labor would scream in pain. Why wasn’t Asi making any noise?
“Aman—” Yu Jin, feeling uneasy, beckoned to Aman, keeping his voice low to avoid being heard by Nanny Ji inside.
Aman trotted over, “Your Highness, you called for this servant?”
Aman and Aqiao were both young girls. Aqiao, being more attentive and one of Jiang Si’s most trusted maids, was reluctantly allowed by Nanny Ji to stay inside. The carefree Aman was treated the same as Yu Jin and had been sent out early.
“Go in and see how the Princess is doing.”
“Yes,” Aman responded and went inside.
Yu Jin stared intently at the doorway, suddenly sensing someone approaching.
Erniu wagged his tail and lay down beside him.
Yu Jin’s hand naturally rested on Erniu’s back, stroking the dog’s thick fur repeatedly.
At first, the big dog enjoyed it but soon became impatient.
Was the master’s stroking speed a bit too fast? It felt like he was about to pull all the fur off its back!
Aman appeared at the doorway, closely followed by a stern-faced Nanny Ji.
Seeing that Yu Jin had not only not left but had brought a small stool and had a dog lying beside him, Nanny Ji’s face turned green, “Your Highness, why are you still here!”
Yu Jin’s face darkened, “Nanny, say no more. This Prince is not leaving.”
Nanny Ji’s lips trembled, at a loss for words.
He was so brazenly saying he wouldn’t leave, not even bothering with an excuse. What could she say?
Seeing that Nanny Ji was no longer trying to send him away, Yu Jin instead held onto her, “Nanny, why isn’t the Princess crying out?”
The old nanny’s face was like still water, “Labor has just begun, it’s still early. If she cries out now, she won’t have the strength to give birth later. She can’t cry out.”
Yu Jin frowned.
If she couldn’t cry out, it meant she was still in pain…
“How long until the Princess gives birth to the child?”
“That’s hard to say. Some women give birth quickly, some slowly. It could be as short as an hour or two, or as long as two or three days…” Seeing Yu Jin’s expression change, Nanny Ji kindly comforted him, “Your Highness, don’t worry. The Princess’s baby is in the right position, and her body has been well-prepared. It will surely go smoothly. Hmm, I estimate it will be about right after midnight.”
After midnight? That would be after the Zi hour.
Yu Jin’s face darkened further upon hearing this, blurting out, “So long?”
Nanny Ji’s face hardened, “Your Highness, don’t be impatient. The child should be born after midnight.”
After midnight would be June.
A difference of an hour or so meant a world of difference for the child, and even more so for the Prince’s Mansion.
“It would be better if the adults suffered less,” Yu Jin frowned.
Nanny Ji pursed her lips and advised, “Your Highness, just put your mind at ease. The six midwives are the best in the capital, the young master will surely be born smoothly. Why don’t you wait at the front? As soon as the young master is born, this servant will send someone to inform you.”
Yu Jin shook his head, “It’s my child being born, why should I wait for someone else to bring me news? Moreover, although I can’t help by staying here, it puts my mind at ease. The Princess will also feel at ease knowing I’m waiting outside.”
Nanny Ji couldn’t understand Yu Jin’s thinking at all and said offhandedly, “Every woman goes through this…”
Yu Jin’s expression became serious, “Nanny, that statement is wrong.”
“How is it wrong?” Nanny Ji was taken aback.
Was the Prince going to lecture her on women giving birth?
“The fact that men can’t give birth while women can is indeed a natural difference, but that doesn’t mean we should consider women’s pain during childbirth as a matter of course. Even if all women go through this, the pain doesn’t lessen for an individual just because others have experienced it,” Yu Jin said, looking towards the doorway, righteously adding, “Moreover, is it wrong for me to care for my wife?”
Nanny Ji’s mouth twitched, “It’s the Princess’s good fortune that Your Highness cares for her so much. Very well, you may wait here, just don’t go inside.”
She had no time to ponder the Prince’s words, knowing he was devoted to his wife. It was enough that he stubbornly refused to leave despite persuasion.
As evening fell, Jiang Si’s cries of pain began to echo from the room. Yu Jin, unable to bear it any longer, kicked over the small stool, wanting to go in and see for himself.
Nanny Ji blocked the doorway like a small mountain, her face as grim as if she could kill at any moment, “Your Highness absolutely cannot go in!”
This was too much, truly too much. If the Prince tried to force his way in, she would risk her old life to stop him!
At this moment, Nanny Ji cursed the mansion’s steward.
Couldn’t that old fool find some excuse to keep the Prince occupied? What was a steward for, anyway?
The Princess giving birth was a major event, so of course the steward wasn’t resting. However, he was only responsible for waiting for news at the front.
Taking a sip of tea, the steward thought smugly: Nanny Ji must be frantic now, right? She should taste this feeling too. Back then, when he asked her to advise the Princess against barging into the Prince’s study, she dared to refuse the task.
Yu Jin wanted to go in and look, but Nanny Ji adamantly refused. As they were at an impasse, Aqiao ran out shouting, “Nanny, the young master seems to be coming out—”
Nanny Ji darted back inside.
Yu Jin raised his foot to follow, his nose nearly hitting the door as it slammed shut.
Just past midnight, the Princess Yan safely gave birth.