When Granny Zhao stepped forward to check her pulse, Mo Zi began to feel suspicious. Granny Wang was the best midwife in Yangxian, and it was said she had some knowledge of medicine, so her request to check the pulse wasn’t unusual. But when Granny Zhao, who was merely Granny Wang’s assistant, also asked to check the pulse, it seemed rather strange.

A’Yue’s motionless stance and Granny Zhao’s dark, inscrutable eyes made Mo Zi decide to retrieve the dagger from under her pillow. However, though she had temporarily escaped death, waves of sudden pain from her abdomen swept over her, forcing out a sheen of sweat. During Zan Jin’s piercing whistle, she realized that Granny Zhao’s skills were extraordinary—otherwise Zan Jin wouldn’t have reacted this way—so she immediately wanted to get outside. But as soon as she propped herself up, another wave of pain weakened her strength. She leaned against the door frame, closing her eyes and breathing rapidly.

“Madam!” A’Hao ran in and, without a word, helped her walk toward the door.

Yang Qiao and Wu Youyan from the same courtyard were running toward the center of the yard. Seeing Mo Zi drenched in sweat, they hurriedly asked what was wrong.

“A’Hao, A’Yue seems to have been stuck with a needle by Granny Zhao and can’t move. You—” The pain was unbearable. Mo Zi’s breathing became erratic. “Go bring her out.” Otherwise, her life would be in danger.

“I cannot leave Madam.” If one assassin had infiltrated, there was no guarantee there weren’t others. A’Hao refused without hesitation.

“Lanyi!” The pain had reached such a degree that Mo Zi couldn’t control her tone. She felt herself grinding her teeth as she roared out.

Not far away, a wisp of blue smoke, graceful yet swift, stopped before Mo Zi. With an icy face, ashen-gray thin lips, and eyes showing more white than black, Lanyi finally let Mo Zi see his features clearly. He said nothing, his eyes constantly surveying the surroundings, deaf to the sounds of fighting coming from the house. Because he knew Zan Jin was inside, guarding this woman before him was his most important task at this moment.

“A’Hao, with him here, I’ll be fine. Quickly go…” Mo Zi grabbed Yang Qiao with one hand and Wu Youyan with the other. “Save your good sister.” She bent over in pain.

A’Hao glanced at Lanyi and bit her lip hard, saying, “Protect Madam well,” before turning and charging into the house.

Wu Youyan noticed Mo Zi’s skirt and cried out, “Your water broke!”

Yang Qiao had also learned about this, and her expression changed. “Does that mean the baby’s coming? Now?”

Mo Zi smiled bitterly. “It should be.” She had observed pregnant women but never seen anyone give birth, though she had basic common knowledge. Once the water broke, even if it wasn’t immediate, the baby couldn’t stay in the womb too long.

“Then we need to quickly call a midwife.” Yang Qiao still didn’t know both midwives were problematic.

“Granny Wang was bribed, and Granny Zhao came to take my life. Ah—” Mo Zi experienced the pain of childbirth, indescribable, but she could feel the urgency of the new life, causing her body, which had always maintained a peaceful, cyclical balance, to endure this impact from inside out. The pain made her wish for death.

“What?” Yang Qiao couldn’t believe it. “The midwife is actually an assassin!”

“Too vicious.” Wu Youyan supported Mo Zi tightly. “Who could have imagined they’d use this method to infiltrate an assassin.”

“What do we do now? The midwives aren’t reliable, Old Madam Hua is in the countryside—surely we two can’t actually deliver the baby?” Yang Qiao discovered it was terrifying when jokes became reality.

Ming Nian ran in with the guards, and seeing Mo Zi so weak that the two women had to support her, he was shocked enough to gape. “What happened?”

Yang Qiao remembered that Ming Nian had sent servants to bring in the two grannies. Though she knew it wasn’t his fault, her anger flared. “Those two grannies wanted Mo Zi’s life! How could you, as head steward, not investigate properly before letting people in? Now Mo Zi is about to give birth! No one knows how to deliver, do you want to kill your mistress!”

Ming Nian had completely failed to anticipate that midwives could be assassins. “Granny Wang’s family has lived in Yang City for generations. She’s been helping deliver babies for decades. That Granny Zhao has always assisted her too.”

“Ming Nian, don’t worry about that now. Quickly go find other midwives. I can’t bear this pain anymore.” Her legs went soft, her vision darkening. “Granny Wang hit my back with a chair. The baby was probably startled, so it’s clamoring to come out early. Right now I’m not worried about anything else, just afraid of complications during delivery—then I’d really die. But don’t just panic uselessly. Everything is still manageable.”

Ming Nian pressed his lips together, his face creased with worry. Hearing Mo Zi’s last sentence, his gaze became resolute. “Madam, I’ll go find another midwife immediately. You must hold on. After you deliver the young master, Ming Nian will accept whatever punishment from you and Master Yuan.”

“Also, don’t rush to send word to your master. He couldn’t make it in time anyway.” Mo Zi’s voice changed with pain. “I don’t want him rushing and having something happen on the road.”

Ming Nian thought to himself that such a major matter couldn’t be kept from the master, but verbally he agreed.

Mo Zi was helped by Yang Qiao and Wu Youyan to another side room, with Lanyi leading some guards to stand watch outside.

“Qiaoqiao, can you have someone bring hot water? I want to soak a bit.” Endless sweat poured out. Mo Zi tried to relax her body.

Yang Qiao’s eyes widened. “You want to bathe now?” Really?

“I heard before that soaking in hot water can ease the pain.” This was a modern method. “I might not actually bathe, but it’s good to see. We can also use it to wipe down, or when the little one is born, to bathe him.”

Wu Youyan used a dry cloth to wipe her sweat, saying to Yang Qiao, “We’ll need hot water anyway, and there’s the large bundle Old Madam Hua prepared earlier. Go fetch it. Personally.”

Yang Qiao understood Wu Youyan’s meaning and nodded before going to prepare.

“In the end, it’s really you two helping me.” Between contractions, Mo Zi could catch her breath and speak.

“A midwife will come.” Wu Youyan’s tone was gentle, though her heart was actually tight with nerves. But she couldn’t let Mo Zi see this. “We’re just here to talk with you, to keep your mind off the pain. Do you want to read, or shall I read to you?”

Mo Zi knew she was trying to comfort her. “Youyan, you can play the qin, right?” Music could soothe physical suffering.

Wu Youyan nodded and went to the outer room to fetch the instrument. “What would you like to hear?”

“Something light and airy, warm, that could make the little one in my belly fall asleep.” She hissed, drawing in a sharp breath as the pain started again.

Wu Youyan plucked a note. “We can’t let him keep sleeping—he needs to hurry out.” Immediately after, a cascade of flowing water sounds.

Mo Zi lay on the bed, listening to the music, suddenly thinking of Qiu Sanniang far away in Great Zhou. If this birth didn’t go smoothly, she might never see Qiu Sanniang, Bai He, and the others again. She had gained new life because of them and been able to meet the man she loved most. If she had to leave, she should at least leave a few words. So after the contraction passed, she got up and walked to the desk.

Wu Youyan stopped playing, wanting to help her.

“Don’t stop. Your music makes me feel less pain.” She spread paper and ground ink intermittently, then raised her brush and wrote rapidly.

Yang Qiao came in carrying a water basin. Seeing Mo Zi still able to sit and write, she felt slightly reassured. “I’ve given instructions. But they need to restart a large fire, so it’ll take a while. Mo Zi, are you feeling better?”

Mo Zi was enduring another wave of pain, head lowered, fist clenched, releasing a low moan, completely unable to hear what Yang Qiao said.

Wu Youyan shook her head at Yang Qiao.

Yang Qiao felt like crying. Her eyes reddened but she wouldn’t let the tears fall. She wrung out a damp cloth and stepped forward to wipe Mo Zi’s sweat, happening to see the content on the paper. She couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into tears.

“Mo Zi, don’t think such things. You’ll be fine.” She wiped her tears with her sleeve, her hands trembling badly.

Mo Zi made it through that contraction and looked up with a slight smile. Sweat slid down her cheeks. “It’s not a final letter, I just want to do something to distract myself. Can you help me seal this letter?”

Yang Qiao didn’t dare contradict her further and waste her energy. She obediently took an envelope from the bookshelf.

Mo Zi began writing a second letter. This one was for Yuan Cheng.

At this point, the contractions became more and more frequent. She could no longer hold the brush and slid from the chair in agony, wanting to curl into a ball.

Wu Youyan saw this wouldn’t do. She and Yang Qiao quickly helped Mo Zi onto the bed. “Looking at her condition, we can’t wait any longer.”

Yang Qiao was completely ignorant. “Then what do we do?”

“The woman who raised me is skilled at delivering babies. That day I watched her deliver a baby, and I remember clearly everything she said and did. We don’t know when a midwife will arrive. Right now there’s only us two. Let’s try.” Wu Youyan gritted her silver teeth with a determined expression.

“I’m supposed to help you deliver Mo Zi’s baby?” Yang Qiao was stunned.

Suddenly there was commotion outside, shadows flickering beyond the door curtain. They heard Ming Nian’s voice: “Dozens of black-clad intruders have broken into the mansion. The guards are fighting them, but I’m afraid any midwife we find might also be a trap set by the enemy. How long can Madam hold on? I’ve already sent someone on a fast horse to bring Old Madam Hua back. It’ll take about an hour.”

“Dozens? Can we handle them?” Mo Zi let out a breath. She discovered that though the contractions were unbearable, between contractions she was no different from normal.

“The guards are all first-rate masters personally selected by the master.” Ming Nian still had confidence.

“That’s good then. But I can’t wait an hour either. Ming Nian, if A’Yue is alright, call her in. I’m about to give birth—ah—” Between two contractions there was only time for these few sentences.

Ming Nian froze. “Miss A’Yue has never delivered a baby, and neither have Miss Wu or Miss Yang. How can they help you?”

Mo Zi couldn’t speak. She was nearly crushing the bed rail in her grip.

Wu Youyan took a deep breath and spoke firmly. “Ming Nian, don’t say more. Quickly go call A’Yue. We can do this.”

Now it was Ming Nian’s turn to nearly cry. Three unmarried young ladies were going to deliver his mistress’s baby—he would have to apologize with his life. But at this point, aside from quickly fetching someone, he had no other option.

Mo Zi opened her eyes, meeting Wu Youyan’s resolute gaze directly, then reached out to grasp Yang Qiao’s hand. “You two are doing this for the first time, and I’m doing this for the first time too. Let’s have a—pleasant cooperation!”

Yang Qiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“We’ll do our best.” Wu Youyan rolled up her sleeves and directed Yang Qiao. “Qiaoqiao, prop quilts behind Mo Zi so she can push more easily.”

Mo Zi sat up halfway, arranged herself in position, and began adjusting her breathing. She had read plenty of books and watched plenty of television, knowing the rhythm of panting and breathing. What she needed to pray for now was that hopefully the baby hadn’t been knocked askew.

But for some reason, A’Yue never came in.