Chương 275: Cai Yan is about to give birth

As for the ten pregnant ladies in the backyard...

Liu Ce scratched his head and said, "Yeah, I'll go back and spend some time with them."

Counting the days, I'll be giving birth soon.

Thinking about this, he suddenly felt a little nervous; this was the first time he had ever been a father in both his lives.

But then I thought, what's there to be afraid of! I've even taken down the Xianbei royal court, why should I be afraid of a few brats?

"Your Majesty," Guo Jia approached unnoticed, grinning, "You looked so kind just now, were you thinking of your wife and the unborn young master?"

Liu Ce blushed, glared at him, and said, "You talk too much!"

Upon hearing this, the generals all burst into laughter.

The atmosphere inside the tent was as warm as spring sunshine.

...

The Prince of Yan's mansion in August was incredibly lively.

Cai Yan's belly was already very big, and she needed two maids to support her when she walked.

This talented woman remained calm, spending her days reading or playing the piano, saying she wanted to provide prenatal education for her unborn child.

Once, Liu Ce heard her playing "High Mountains and Flowing Water" and leaned over to ask, "Yan'er, isn't your prenatal education a bit too advanced? What if the baby is born able to recite poems and compose verses? Wouldn't that scare people to death?"

Cai Yan smiled gently and said, "My husband is joking again. I just feel that a peaceful state of mind is good for the child."

In contrast, Zhang Ning was much more lively.

Although she was also heavily pregnant, she couldn't stay idle and would frequently visit the medical school to discuss medical techniques with Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing.

On one occasion, he almost personally took the pulse of a pregnant woman, which terrified Liu Ce.

"My dear aunt, please calm down!" Liu Ce pulled her back into the room.

"Your belly is so big, what if you bump into something..."

"What's there to be afraid of!" Zhang Ning said, sticking out her belly.

"My father passed down the Taiping Daoist arts to me, which include methods for stabilizing the pregnancy. Besides, even Doctor Hua said that I'm in good health and that moving around more will help with childbirth."

Liu Ce had no choice but to send more maids to follow her.

The five Zhen sisters lived in the same courtyard. Five pregnant women were together, and one would vomit one day, another would crave sour foods the next, and yet another would get a leg cramp the day after...

As the eldest sister, Zhen Jiang was heavily pregnant and looking at the account books. Liu Ce felt sorry for her when he saw that scene.

"Jiang'er, leave these matters to the servants. You should get some rest." Liu Ce snatched the account book.

Zhen Jiang smiled gently and said, "My husband, I'm fine. These accounts are related to the livelihood of the people of Youzhou, so we can't be careless. Besides, it's good for the child to get some mental exercise."

Liu Ce was deeply moved. Look at her, this is a truly virtuous wife!

Ren Hongchang, Zou Yu, and Du Xiuniang were relatively quiet. They usually got together to do needlework and chat.

However, Liu Ce noticed that when these three got together, the conversation always revolved around what the child would look like and who they would resemble...

"She'll definitely look like my husband." Ren Hongchang touched his belly, his eyes full of tenderness.

"I wish I were like my older sister, she's so beautiful," Zou Yu said with a smile.

Du Xiuniang smiled and said, "It doesn't matter who she looks like, as long as she's healthy and safe."

Liu Ce heard this from outside the door and felt a warmth in his heart.

But then I thought, what kind of chaos would eleven children cause in the future? Just naming them would be a huge undertaking!

...

Time flew by, and it was October of the fourth year of the Zhongping era.

For the past two months, Youzhou has been peaceful.

Liu Ce would occasionally visit the military camp to spar with the generals, mainly to provide guidance.

In terms of government affairs, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu and others managed Youzhou very well.

Another bumper harvest of new grains filled the granaries to overflowing; Shen Wansan's commercial network expanded ever wider, selling fine salt and wine throughout the country, with money flowing in like a river; Song Yingxing's military production line ran at full speed, with inventories of Mingguang armor, horizontal swords, and composite bows steadily increasing; Jia Sixie's trial planting of corn, peppers, and tomatoes was also successful, and although it hadn't been widely promoted yet, it had already allowed Liu Ce to enjoy scrambled eggs with tomatoes and a version of Eastern Han Dynasty hot pot...

With the application of concrete technology, one-third of the first "cement road" from Zhuoxian to Jixian has been completed. It is flat and sturdy, and does not become muddy even on rainy days, which amazes the locals.

As for the navy, Gan Ning and Cheng Pu led 10, 000 men in training in the Bohai Bay. Several warships were built, and although they were not yet large-scale, the basic structure was in place.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were not idle either. Lu Bing expanded the intelligence network further, regularly summarizing the movements of the imperial court, various prefectures and counties, powerful families, and even the remnants of the grassland tribes to Liu Ce's desk.

Everything is progressing steadily.

The only variable is in the backyard, where the bellies of the ten ladies are growing bigger every day, with their due dates in October.

Cai Yong, Zhen Yi, and other relatives by marriage also frequently came to visit.

...

The backyard of the Prince of Yan's mansion, however, was a warm and peaceful place.

All ten ladies were in the final stages of pregnancy, their bellies growing larger and larger.

For the past few months, Liu Ce has practically become a "full-time nanny." Every day, he either accompanies his wives on walks, massages their legs, or listens to them talk about parenting. Although he is the one who talks most of the time, the wives listen with curious eyes.

That afternoon, the warm sunlight streamed into the pavilion in the backyard.

Liu Ce was having tea and chatting with Cai Yan, Zhen Jiang, and Zhang Ning.

Cai Yan's belly was the largest, making it difficult for her to sit, so she had to put several soft cushions behind her.

"Husband, do you think this child will look more like you or more like me?" Cai Yan gently stroked her belly, her eyes full of tenderness.

Liu Ce laughed and said, "The boy looks like me, and the girl looks like you. If they were twins, that would be perfect."

Zhen Jiang covered her mouth and chuckled, "My husband had this all planned out long ago."

Even with her large pregnant belly, Zhang Ning was restless, currently reading a medical book.

She looked up and said, "Husband, Mr. Hua said that walking around more before childbirth is beneficial for labor. Have we walked a thousand steps every day?"

"We've walked enough, we've walked enough," Liu Ce quickly said.

"This morning I walked you around the backyard three times, at least 1, 500 steps. This afternoon we can rest in the pavilion and soak up the sun..."

As they were talking, Cai Yan suddenly hummed in agreement, her brows furrowing slightly.

"What's wrong?" Liu Ce immediately became alert.

Cai Yan paused for a moment, then gave a reassuring smile and said, "It's nothing, the child just kicked me... Ouch!"

Before she could finish speaking, her expression changed, and she gripped the chair armrests tightly: "This... this time seems different..."

Liu Ce's heart skipped a beat.

Although he lacked experience, he had watched many TV dramas in his previous life, and this sign...

"Is your stomach feeling tight? In waves?" Zhang Ning put down his medical book, his expression turning serious.

Cai Yan nodded, beads of sweat forming on her forehead: "Yes... and it seems like water is flowing out..."

"She's going into labor!" Zhang Ning exclaimed decisively.

"Quick! Help her back to the delivery room!"

Liu Ce's mind went blank for a moment, but he quickly calmed down.

The contingency plan, which had been rehearsed countless times, was activated instantly.