Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1239 Nine Deaths and One Survival: Auspicious Dragon and Phoenix

A series of hurried footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by a few suppressed cries of pain—it was Dian Wei and Hu Chier rushing towards them, carrying Hua Tuo and Zhang Ji on their backs. These two fierce men found the healers too slow, so they simply carried them on their backs and ran at full speed. Hu Chier was already incredibly strong, and Dian Wei was a ruthless character who could chase tigers across streams in his youth. Now, he moved with incredible speed, faster than a galloping horse, jolting the two old healers so much that their bones felt like they were about to fall apart, their faces pale, and their lips twitching.

"Gentlemen, I beg you!" Upon seeing the arrival of the guests, Ma Chao, without bothering with pleasantries, hurriedly cupped his hands in a pleading manner, his voice full of earnestness.

When Zhang Ji was put down, he was still rubbing his back, looking troubled: "Your Majesty, this is a place where women give birth. We are both men, so it is very inconvenient for us..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ma Yue suddenly gripped the short sword at his waist, his youthful face filled with anxiety and determination: "What's the point of this talk of convenience or inconvenience! My mother is on the verge of death, and my younger brother is still in my womb. What's the use of you spouting this nonsense?" As he spoke, he pushed open the palace door without another word, intending to lead the two physicians inside. "Hurry up and come in!"

The midwife inside the hall was horrified at the sight and rushed forward to stop them: "This...this is where women give birth, how can men enter? Get out! Get out!"

"If you could deliver the baby properly, why would you need them in here?" Ma Yue suddenly drew his short sword, the scabbard clattering to the ground, its cold light reflecting on his face. "Shut up if you don't want to leave, and get out of my way!"

The midwife trembled with fear at his imposing manner and shrank to the side. Ma Chao followed him in and said in a deep voice, "It's alright, you two assist him and let the gentlemen think of a solution."

Zhang Ji dared not delay and hurriedly stepped forward to take Dong Bai's pulse. As soon as his fingertips touched the pulse, his expression became serious: "Not good, the princess has fainted and is breathing very weakly!"

Hua Tuo walked to the bedside, his brows furrowing as he gazed at Dong Bai's prominently swollen belly. He had practiced medicine for many years, witnessing countless acts of pain and suffering; he had even performed invasive surgery to remove arrowheads from soldiers. But this was a princess, and the procedure involved removing an infant from her womb—a method he had only ever considered in his mind, never actually performed. If he were to accidentally kill the princess, his own death would be insignificant, but the wrath of all the physicians in Chang'an would likely befall them.

He stroked his beard, his fingertips trembling slightly, his gaze shifting between Dong Bai's pale face and her swollen belly. He was torn between two conflicting thoughts: Should he uphold the rules of separation between men and women and the regulations of the delivery room, and watch helplessly as mother and child might perish? Or should he take the risk and try a method he had never used before?

The hall was deathly silent, save for Dong Bai's faint breathing and the suppressed heartbeats of the others. Ma Yue's hand, gripping his short sword, was sweaty. Ma Chao stood at the foot of the bed, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes fixed on Hua Tuo and Zhang Ji, barely daring to breathe.

After taking Hua Tuo's pulse, Zhang Ji whispered, "His pulse is weak and shallow; I'm afraid he won't last much longer..."

Hua Tuo took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and looked up at Ma Chao and said, "Your Majesty, in urgent situations, we must act expediently. I have a method that may be worth trying, but... the risk is extremely high."

Ma Chao quickly replied, "Please speak freely, sir. As long as you can ensure the safety of mother and child, I will do whatever it takes!"

Hua Tuo's gaze fell on Dong Bai's abdomen, and he slowly said, "The abdomen needs to be cut open, the baby taken out, and then the wound stitched up... This method has never been used for women's childbirth before, and I am not entirely sure whether it will succeed or not."

These words shocked everyone in the hall. The midwife turned deathly pale and shook her head repeatedly, saying, "Absolutely not! This will cost the princess her life!"

"How confident are you, sir, that you can ensure the safety of both mother and child?" Ma Chao's voice trembled almost imperceptibly, his gaze fixed intently on Hua Tuo.

Hua Tuo pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and finally made up his mind: "If we perform a cesarean section, there is an 80% chance that the child can be saved..."

"Then what about my mother?" Ma Yue asked in a deep voice from the side, his little face full of stubbornness, and his hand gripping the sword hilt even tighter.

A hint of guilt flashed in Hua Tuo's eyes, and his voice was low: "Your Highness... there is perhaps a 30% chance."

"No! No!" Ma Yue exclaimed, his face pale. "How can we take such a risk!"

Just then, Hu Chier rushed in like a gust of wind, holding a small jade box in his hands, panting as he said, "Your Majesty! The medicine... the medicine has arrived!"

Hua Tuo's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Quick! Prepare it immediately! When the King was critically injured, this medicine saved his life. If the Queen can take it, she may regain her strength and perhaps she won't need a cesarean section. With the help of massage, she can give birth smoothly!"

Hope was immediately ignited in everyone. The maids hurriedly brought a medicine stove to brew the medicine, while Zhang Ji took out silver needles and gently inserted them into several key acupoints on Dong Bai, attempting to stimulate her to wake up. Hua Tuo washed his hands, rubbed his palms together to warm them, and prepared to perform the massage.

Ma Chao personally took the brewed medicine, carefully pried open Dong Bai's mouth, and fed him the medicine little by little. Ma Yue still stood to the side holding his short sword, his eyes watching everyone warily like a small animal, afraid that someone would bring up the matter of seppuku again.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Dong Bai's eyelashes suddenly fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the people in the tent who seemed on high alert, then at Ma Chao, whose face was filled with anxiety, and weakly spoke, "My lord..."

"Bai'er, I'm here!" Ma Chao quickly stepped forward and took her hand, the warmth of his palm transferring to her. "Do you have the strength now?"

Dong Bai nodded slightly, a hint of bitterness flashing in his eyes: "I tried so many times... but I didn't have the strength..."

"There's a way, there must be a way!" Ma Chao said hurriedly. "You just took the miraculous medicine. If you fight one more time, our child will be born!"

Ma Yue threw down his short sword with a clatter, rushed to the bedside, hugged Dong Bai's face, tears welling up in his eyes: "Mother, Yue'er can't be without a mother anymore! Try harder, you can definitely give birth!"

Looking at Ma Yue's tear-reddened eyes, and then at the pleading and resolute look in Ma Chao's eyes, Dong Bai felt a surge of strength replace the despair in her heart. She took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and a resolute glint flashed in her eyes: "Alright... let's try again!"

Seeing this, Hua Tuo quickly stepped forward: "Your Highness, don't be anxious. Follow my strength, inhale... exhale..." He gently placed his hands on Dong Bai's abdomen and slowly massaged along the meridians, while Zhang Ji twisted the silver needles to continuously stimulate her energy.

The atmosphere inside the tent became tense again, but with a glimmer of hope. Ma Chao held Dong Bai's hand tightly and whispered in her ear, "Bai'er, keep going, I'm here with you..." Ma Yue also clenched his little fist and cheered her on quietly from the side.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the tense faces of everyone inside the tent, and also reflecting the renewed fighting spirit on Dong Bai's face. This time, with her husband's protection, her son's expectations, and the help of miraculous medicine and medical skills, she was determined to overcome this challenge.

Ma Chao and Ma Yue, one on each side, tightly gripped Dong Bai's hands. Dong Bai gripped them back, her knuckles turning white from the force, her teeth clenched tightly, and the veins on her forehead bulging. Zhang Ji held a silver needle, aimed at the Baihui acupoint on the top of her head, and inserted it very lightly. The stimulation from the needle made Dong Bai tremble all over, and a glimmer of clarity flashed in her eyes.

Hua Tuo placed his hand on her swollen belly, gently massaging along the muscle lines with steady and precise pressure. Each press seemed to guide the life force within. The midwife knelt beside the bed, watching intently, her forehead beaded with sweat.

"Your Highness, push harder! Push harder!" Hua Tuo's voice was steady and powerful, like a reassuring pill.

Everyone inside the tent held their breath, as if they themselves were straining. Dong Bai gripped the hands of the father and son so tightly that her nails almost dug into their flesh. She closed her eyes, letting out a suppressed cry of pain, as if she had gathered all the strength in her life into this moment.

"I see it! I see the hair!" the midwife suddenly exclaimed, her voice filled with ecstatic joy. "Quick! Push harder!"

Sweat soaked through Dong Bai's temples, trickling down her cheeks and staining the brocade quilt, leaving a small dark patch. She was completely drenched; the stinging pain in her hands brought her back to her senses. Another heart-wrenching cry escaped her lips as the pent-up energy finally broke through the barrier—

"It's out! It's out!" The midwife held up a bright red infant, whose cries were loud and clear. The midwife quickly wrapped the baby in a prepared cloth. "It's a little princess!"

Dong Bai felt as if all his strength had been drained away. His hand went limp, and he collapsed onto the pillow, a look of exhausted relief on his face. Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief, and even the air seemed to lighten.

"Bai'er, did you hear that?" Ma Chao hurriedly wiped her sweaty cheeks with a cloth, his voice choked with emotion and joy, "She is our daughter, the little princess of Xiliang!"

Ma Yue also came closer, looking at the tiny baby in the midwife's arms, her tense little face finally breaking into a relieved smile: "Mom, you're amazing!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, Dong Bai suddenly frowned and whispered, "There's still... there's still some pain..."

Hua Tuo's expression changed, and he reached out and pressed his hand against her abdomen: "Something's not right!"

Zhang Ji immediately stepped forward to take the pulse again. His expression changed drastically as his fingertips touched the pulse. The two exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Could there be another one?"

These words instantly tightened the previously relaxed atmosphere again. Another midwife quickly stepped forward to take over, and Ma Chao's heart leaped into his throat once more: "Bai'er, how are you?"

Dong Bai was completely exhausted, even speaking was difficult. Ma Yue hurriedly brought over the freshly warmed medicine and carefully fed her a few sips: "Mother, just hang in there a little longer, you'll be alright soon!"

Ma Chao kept encouraging him from the side: "Bai'er, we still have a child. Look, our daughter is safe and sound. Let's try harder!"

The medicine gradually took effect, and Dong Bai's breathing became easier. Looking at Ma Chao's anxious yet expectant eyes, and recalling the tiny infant from earlier, she gritted her teeth and nodded.

This time, it took nearly half an hour. Just as Dong Bai let out another heart-wrenching cry, the second infant was finally born. The midwife, cradling the swaddled baby, exclaimed with delight, "Your Majesty! It's a young master! It's a little prince!"

Just as everyone was about to cheer, they discovered that the baby didn't cry at all; its tiny body was limp, and even its breathing was extremely weak.

"What's going on?" Ma Chao's heart sank, and he rushed over.

Hua Tuo quickly put Dong Bai down, stepped forward, gently pressed his fingers on the infant's chest, then lifted him up and patted his back twice.

"Wow--"

A weak cry suddenly broke the silence inside the tent.

The jubilation inside the tent surged like a tidal wave, even the midwives couldn't help but wipe away their tears and laugh. Hua Tuo, however, quietly pulled Zhang Ji away to a corner, his gaze fixed on the newborn little prince.

Although the child and her sister were born of the same mother, the child was shockingly thin. The midwife wrapped her in a small blanket and held her in her arms. She looked very light, probably only about three pounds, like a kitten that had just left its nest. Her little face was wrinkled, and her breathing was so weak that her chest was barely rising and falling.

“This child…” Zhang Ji’s voice was very low, filled with unconcealed worry, “It’s probably been squeezed in the womb and is congenitally deficient.”

Hua Tuo stroked his beard, his brow furrowed, and gently touched the infant's tiny hand. The fingers were as thin as scallions, barely able to curl. "So frail, I'm afraid... it will be difficult to raise him." He sighed. "Even if he is lucky enough to survive, his body will likely not be strong."

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing heaviness in each other's eyes. If these words were spoken aloud, they would likely extinguish the joy filling the room, and break the hearts of Dong Bai, who had just experienced life and death, and Ma Chao, who was overjoyed.