Li Hui took the medicine and swallowed it. Whether Chang'an Princess gives birth to a girl or a boy this time, he won't let her experience the pain of childbirth again.
"Lu XuanNing, you've been hiding things from me again," Li Xia said as she approached Lu XuanNing after overhearing their conversation. She now understood why she hadn't been able to conceive in the past few years.
"Xia Xia, we have Cheng Cheng, and that's enough." If Lu XuanNing had known earlier that pregnancy would cause such harm to Li Xia's body, he might not have even wanted Lu Liucheng. Compared to having children, he would rather have Li Xia by his side for a lifetime.
"Is this medicine harmful?" Li Xia asked worriedly.
"Zhou Heng developed it, so it's reliable," Lu XuanNing said, but Li Xia wasn't reassured and planned to ask about it next time.
"Ah!" Chang'an Princess cried out, causing Li Hui to stand up, wanting to go check on her. He was worried.
"Don't go," Lu XuanNing grabbed Li Hui, telling him not to add to the chaos.
"I can only stand here and watch while she's in pain inside," Li Hui felt helpless at that moment.
"Brother, remember the suffering An'an is going through today. You must treat her even better in the future. When the children are naughty, you need to discipline them more. Tell them about their mother's hardships," Li Xia's words made Li Hui fall silent.
"If Cheng Cheng ever upsets you in the future, I'll be the one to discipline him," Lu XuanNing constantly tried to impress Li Xia.
"Cheng Cheng has never made me angry. You, on the other hand..." Li Xia said, unable to resist pinching Lu XuanNing. He had been taking the medicine for seven years without telling her.
As the sun slowly set, Chang'an Princess endured the pain and ate the soup Auntie Liu had personally prepared, gathering strength for the next wave of contractions.
"It's already the hour of Hai, why hasn't she given birth yet?" Li Hui anxiously asked Auntie Liu, his voice raised and tone unpleasant. He was as restless as a young boy today.
Lu XuanNing held Li Hui back, telling him not to be impulsive.
"Auntie Liu, my brother is worried about An'an and lost his composure. Please forgive him," Li Xia stepped forward to apologize on Li Hui's behalf.
"I understand," Auntie Liu didn't take offense, knowing Li Hui was truly concerned for the princess.
At dawn, Chang'an Princess finally gave birth to twin boys. Before she could even look at the children, she fainted. Li Hui rushed in, ignoring attempts to stop him, and held the princess's hand.
"You've lost a lot of blood during this birth. The imperial physician said you need to observe at least two months of confinement to recover properly," Mrs. Lu stopped Chang'an Princess from getting out of bed.
"Mother, don't worry, I understand. I just want the wet nurse to bring the children so I can see them. I haven't seen them since they were born," Chang'an Princess's sweet words always worked on Mrs. Lu. She never put on airs as a princess in front of her, and Mrs. Lu had grown from respectful to affectionate towards her.
The wet nurse brought the twins, and Li Xia accompanied Chang'an Princess as she looked at the children. When a servant came to report something, Mrs. Lu got up to deal with it.
After looking at the babies for a while, Chang'an Princess held Li Xia's hand, "Sister Xia, what's going on between you and Sister Xin?" Chang'an Princess was very fond of both her sisters-in-law and didn't want them to be at odds. It would be troublesome if she had to choose sides.
As the elder sister-in-law to both of them, Li Xin was closer by blood, but in daily interactions, Chang'an Princess preferred Li Xia's company.
"There's nothing going on between us. Don't overthink it. Focus on your postpartum recovery," Li Xia didn't elaborate, and Chang'an Princess didn't press further.
Leaving Songtao Courtyard, Li Xia noticed it was getting late. She headed to Wild Goose Pavilion to bid farewell to Mrs. Lu.
As she reached the entrance of Wild Goose Pavilion, she heard faint sounds of an argument from inside. Li Xia stopped in her tracks and turned to see Liu Mian approaching from another direction.
"Second Miss," Liu Mian came forward and curtseyed.
"Aunt Liu Mian, I'm heading back to the Marquis Mansion. Please inform your mother for me."
Seeing that Li Xia had stopped at the entrance without going in, and noticing the odd expression on the old woman's face, Liu Mian smiled and responded, "Certainly, Second Miss. Have a safe journey."
Li Xia turned to leave. Liu Mian walked to the entrance, where the gatekeeper whispered, "The First Miss is inside."
As Liu Mian approached the room, she heard Li Xin cry out, "I'm not as good as Li Xia in anything. If she's so great, why don't you make her your daughter?"
"Xin'er!" Mrs. Lu reprimanded. Liu Mian deliberately made her footsteps louder to alert those inside.
"I'm leaving," Li Xin said, lifting the curtain and departing.
Liu Mian stood aside until Li Xin had gone far, then lifted the curtain and entered the room. "Madam, all arrangements for the third-day celebration have been made." She handed over a list detailing all the items needed for the event.
"I trust your work," Mrs. Lu took the list without looking at it.
"Madam, I met Second Miss at the entrance of the courtyard. She asked me to inform you that she's returning to the Marquis Mansion," Liu Mian's words caused Mrs. Lu's expression to change, and she sighed. Without her noticing, Li Xin had changed so much.