Chương 277: The wives gave birth one after another and began naming them.

Those were bright, black eyes, as pure as a deep pool in autumn, reflecting Liu Ce's face.

Liu Ce's heart skipped a beat.

An emotion I'd never felt before welled up from the deepest part of my heart, a bittersweet, swollen feeling that was about to overflow.

"He... he's looking at me..." Liu Ce murmured.

Cai Yan smiled, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Yes... he's recognizing his father."

Liu Ce picked up his younger sister again. The younger sister was more delicate than her brother, and her cries were softer, but she also opened her big, dark eyes and looked curiously at this unfamiliar world and at the man holding her.

Liu Ce looked at his brother, then at his sister, and suddenly grinned foolishly.

"Hehe... hehehe..."

Chae Jung-hee couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Outside the door, Zhang Ning, Zhen Jiang, and others also peeked in, and upon seeing this, they covered their mouths and chuckled.

Liu Ce choked up and couldn't speak for a moment.

His bloodline.

Having lived two lives, he finally had his own child.

The feeling was indescribable, like the softest part of the heart being gently touched, or like a void deep in the soul being instantly filled.

Warmth, bittersweetness, joy, responsibility... countless emotions intertwined, making his eyes sting.

Seeing his dazed expression, Cai Yan said softly, "Husband... let's give the child a name."

Liu Ce snapped out of his daze, carefully placed the baby back next to Cai Yan, held her hand, and pondered for a moment.

In fact, he had thought of countless names before, for boys and girls, single characters and double characters... but when the moment came, those names went through his mind and he felt that none of them were good enough.

He looked at the two babies who had cried themselves to sleep, and then at the weak Cai Yan, and suddenly his mind became clear.

"My brother's name is Liu Chen," Liu Ce said slowly.

"'Chen' means honesty and integrity. I hope he will grow up to be an honest, trustworthy, and down-to-earth person."

"My younger sister's name is Liu Ying." He paused, "'Ying' means the brilliance of jade. I hope she is as warm and beautiful as jade, and can also shine with her own unique light."

Cai Yan carefully considered the two names, tears welling in her eyes, but she smiled and nodded, saying, "Liu Chen... Liu Ying... Good, both are good..."

She looked at the two children and said softly, "Chen'er, Ying'er, did you hear that? These are the names your father gave you."

As if they understood, the two little ones simultaneously let out a "ee-yah" sound.

Liu Ce's heart melted.

Liu Ce then gently picked up his daughter, Liu Ying.

The little girl was more delicate than her brother, her face wasn't as round as his, but her features were exquisite, especially her little mouth, which looked exactly like Cai Yan's.

He took turns holding the two children, feeling the warmth and weight of their tiny bodies, and his heart was filled with tenderness.

So this is what it feels like to be a father.

...

For the next two weeks, the Prince of Yan's backyard was filled with "frequent good news".

The ten ladies were all pregnant around the same time. After Cai Yan, as the principal wife, gave birth first, the other ladies went into labor one after another.

On October 12th, Zhen Jiang was born.

She gritted her teeth and endured the pain during childbirth, barely crying out.

Three hours later, she successfully gave birth to a son.

Holding his son, Liu Ce recalled Zhen Jiang's competence in managing her business and named him Liu Heng.

"Heng" is the horizontal jade pendant, which means upright and steady.

Zhang Ning gave birth on October 15th.

She was the calmest during the birthing process, and could even adjust her breathing according to Grandma Li's instructions.

Two hours later, she gave birth to a son. Looking at his son, Liu Ce remembered Zhang Ning's lively and straightforward nature, and named him Liu Yao.

"Yao" means sunlight and illumination, wishing him to be as bright and warm as the sun.

On October 18th, Ren Hongchang gave birth. She silently endured the pain during labor, only occasionally letting out a few groans, which made Liu Ce feel extremely distressed.

The delivery went smoothly, and she gave birth to a daughter.

Liu Ce held his daughter, whose features resembled her mother's and who was destined to be a beauty, and named her Liu Sui.

"Sui" means to soothe and bring peace, wishing her a peaceful and smooth life.

On October 20th, Zou Yu gave birth.

She was remarkably strong during childbirth and gave birth to a daughter. Liu Ce named her Liu Yi, with "Yi" meaning beauty and virtue, wishing her virtuous character and a beautiful life.

On the 22nd of October, Du Xiuniang gave birth.

Her delivery was exceptionally smooth, and she gave birth to a daughter. Liu Ce named her Liu Mei, with "Mei" meaning waterside, wishing her to be like the tranquil waterside, gentle and serene.

On the 25th of October, Zhen Tuo gave birth.

She even joked with the midwife during childbirth and gave birth to a son. Liu Ce named him Liu Yong, with "Yong" meaning harmony and amity, hoping that he would be kind and gentle and get along well with his brothers.

On October 28th, Zhen Dao gave birth.

She screamed the loudest during childbirth and gave birth to a daughter. Liu Ce named her Liu Ran; "Ran" means lush vegetation, wishing her to be vibrant and full of life.

On the first day of the eleventh lunar month, Zhen Rong gave birth.

Her delivery went smoothly, and she gave birth to a daughter weighing 5. 9 pounds. Liu Ce named her Liu Nong, with "Nong" meaning lush and abundant flowers and trees, wishing her to be as beautiful as a flower and have a rich and fulfilling life.

On the fifth day of the eleventh month, Zhen Mi gave birth.

It was her first pregnancy, so she was extremely nervous.

Liu Ce listened to her suppressed cries outside the delivery room, feeling extremely distressed.

Fortunately, the delivery went smoothly, and three hours later, a son was born. Liu Ce held his youngest son in his arms, noticing that his features were as delicate as his mother's. He named him Liu Yan, with "Yan" meaning peace and tranquility, wishing him a peaceful and happy life.

Thus, the ten wives, through ten births, gave birth to five sons and six daughters, all of whom were safe and sound.

For the past two weeks, Liu Ce has practically become a "waiter in the delivery room".

He would wait outside every time his wife gave birth, listening to the sounds inside, his emotions rising and falling with the cries of pain. Each time he heard a baby cry, he would relive that joy and emotion, not becoming numb, but rather experiencing it more deeply each time.

Ten births, and all ten times mother and child were safe and sound.

This was nothing short of a miracle in that era, considering that the infant mortality rate was extremely high during the Eastern Han Dynasty, and many women died in childbirth.

This was due to several factors: the women received adequate nutrition during their pregnancies, regular checkups by Zhang Zhongjing and Hua Tuo, excellent hygiene in the delivery rooms, experienced midwives who strictly adhered to sterilization procedures, and several prescriptions for pregnancy support and labor assistance found by Zhang Ning in the Taiping Yaoshu...

But Liu Ce still felt that he was incredibly lucky.

From then on, the backyard of the Prince of Yan's mansion became a nursery, with cries rising and falling, and wet nurses and maids running around like mad.

Liu Ce is either hugging Liu Chen today, teasing Liu Ying tomorrow, and checking on Liu Yao and Liu Xi the day after...

Once, when he was holding Liu Heng, the little guy peed all over him.

Liu Ce laughed heartily and said, "Boy's urine wards off evil spirits! It means my son is healthy!"

...