Chapter 813: Chapter 813: Madam Lian Arrives
As the Emperor walked into the room, the hall was neatly filled with people; Divine Doctor Huang was already waiting there, and Nanny Qi, too exhausted, was sitting aside to rest.
The curtain to the inner chamber had already fallen. The Emperor glanced inside and, suppressing his desire to go over, first indicated for Divine Doctor Huang to speak.
Divine Doctor Huang did not beat around the bush and straightforwardly explained the situation: after removing the Soul-locking Needle, the person trapped in dreams temporarily forgets the realities, their entire consciousness immersed in the past, which was the fundamental reason for not waking up.
Now, he and Chu Yuanzheng had opened Lian Hua’s five senses, allowing her to perceive the outside world and no longer be locked within. The most critical step next was to provide stimuli to make her remember reality.
In conclusion, Divine Doctor Huang reassured the Emperor and Nanny Qi, saying that the young girl was now pregnant and had something dear to her heart. At this, he deliberately glanced at the Emperor before continuing, noting that with an anchor in her heart, there was an eighty percent chance she could break free from her demons and wake up soon. After that, she would be like a normal person and would fully recover without the past worries of any aftereffects; she just needed nourishing supplements.
The Emperor and Nanny Qi simultaneously considered another possibility and hurriedly asked in unison what the remaining twenty percent chance entailed.
"The other two parts..." Divine Doctor Huang stroked his beard and shook his head, saying, "That would be extremely unfortunate. If the young girl’s dreams are too deep, and she remains unconscious until the full term of pregnancy, mother and child would be at risk. However..."
Everyone was shocked and could not help but ask about the follow-up: "However, what?"
"It may not necessarily be that both mother and child are at risk—" Divine Doctor Huang paused for a moment, thought briefly, and deemed it feasible: "If we disregard the mother’s safety and perform a cesarean section, the child in the belly has a good chance of surviving. I have heard of such strange tales but have not tried it before; however..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a murderous aura emerged from all sides, with two voices simultaneously interrupting him:
"Presumptuous, Mr. Huang, how dare you!" Nanny Qi glared, forbidding any harm to her little girl at the cost of her own life!
"There is no need for the Divine Doctor to say more. I will never allow it!" The Emperor coldly declared, his imperial majesty undeniably evident.
Everyone in the hall, whether master or servant, glowered at him. Divine Doctor Huang’s expression turned sheepish, particularly under the Emperor’s imposing presence, which made an overwhelming pressure rise in his heart. He avoided looking directly and couldn’t help but think that the Son of Heaven’s prestige was indeed extraordinary.
Knowing that what he said was shocking to the common folk, he sheepishly explained himself as merely voicing a thought, but secretly wondered: isn’t the Royal Family’s lineage supposed to be paramount? Is there also room for such emotional irrationality?!
Despite his grumbling, once he recovered from the pressure, a sense of admiration arose in him. His way would definitely result in the mother’s death. While the person may never wake and eventually suffer a fatal labor, it was different from slicing open a living person solely to retrieve a child, which ultimately goes against humanity.
The Emperor’s demeanor elicited his admiration from within, standing at the pinnacle of power, knowing what was right and what was wrong, and being able to restrain himself—a true wise ruler.
At this moment, noise arose outside the hall, becoming louder with several approaching footsteps, one being notably unsteady and quick.
Someone outside urgently said, "Your Majesty, Madam Lian is here."
It was Hu Miaomiao’s voice.
The Emperor looked up and saw a middle-aged woman with a graceful face and something familiar in her eyes, rushing to the door. Her hair was slightly disheveled, as if blown by the wind from horse riding.
As the woman entered, she seemed wholly absorbed in searching for someone, nearly tripping over the threshold, only to be steadied by Hu Miaomiao behind her: "Madam Lian, please slow down."
As they saw the woman clearly, two voices spoke simultaneously:
Divine Doctor Huang was taken aback: "Su Girl!"
Nanny Qi sprang from her seat in surprise: "The eldest young lady of the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s Mansion?"
Su Ran seemed oblivious, her eyes scanning urgently for her younger daughter, not seeing her anywhere. Finally, she spotted someone faintly lying behind the curtain on the bed.
She staggered over and tremulously lifted the curtain. Upon recognizing the sleeping person, she couldn’t help but step quickly forward, nearly collapsing, but was caught by a young man: "Mother-in-law, be careful."
Su Ran paid no heed, her eyes fixated on the sleeping person on the bed as she had longed for her little daughter, crossed mountains and rivers, braved life and death, just to see her little daughter!
"Nannan..." Su Ran burst into tears, gently hugging the slumbering figure on the bed and crying uncontrollably, her heart breaking.
It was she who arrived late, it was Mother who arrived late, her little daughter...
...
"Nannan..."
Who is calling her again?
Xiao Lian Hua couldn’t help but stand up and look at the gray sky, then around, but still no one seemed to be there.
Looking puzzled, she sat back down, picked up the roasted rabbit from the rack, tore off a small piece, blew on it, then put it in her mouth to taste. Yes, it’s cooked and very fragrant.
She quickly tore off a large piece for the big bird next to her, keeping only a third for herself, one share for each of her three friends.
That big bird had a sharp beak, broad wings, and a long tail, with a few white feathers on the back of its head. It looked fierce, but now tilted its head to gaze at her with unexpectedly fond eyes.
Xiao Lian Hua waved to it. The big bird seemed to understand, picked up the rabbit meat, and flew off toward the dense forest. It had to get back to feed its mate.
To make a long story short, after that group of villains turned back, Xiao Lian Hua left the forest, and then some strange events occurred.
The oddest was that the voice could be heard intermittently from the gray sky. Xiao Lian Hua heard many strange voices, but no matter how she searched, she couldn’t find anyone.
From that day on, the black night was still warm, and Xiao Lian Hua no longer felt cold. Sometimes in dreams, it seemed as if someone was holding her, like a mother’s embrace, yet like another’s. That person felt familiar, but she couldn’t remember who.
Somehow, these voices from the sky and the imagined embrace made her feel incredibly safe. She was no longer frightened at night and didn’t have nightmares.
That day’s events were peculiar: after that day, Xiao Lian Hua felt ill, with a fine, dense pain in her head that made her dizzy.
She wanted to find a route bypassing the Xuanzhou Prefecture City but couldn’t, either being blocked by treacherous primitive forest mazes or needing to detour far due to rivers.
Having no choice, she retraced her steps, intending to wait for an opportunity to bypass the Xuanzhou Prefecture City. As she walked, her stomach growled louder, the hunger overwhelming, her stomach aflame, an excruciating discomfort. It was the hungriest she’d ever been, utterly exhausted and famished.
By the time she reached a clear little stone pool, she sat on a big rock, drinking water in large gulps, hoping to quell her hunger and ease the stomach’s burning sensation, while also resting and thinking of finding food.
Before she could recover, a needle-like pain suddenly pierced her head, causing her to huddle by the little stone pool, supporting herself, the pain intensifying each time.