Chương 767: The Birth of the Eldest Grandson

As he strolled around, he suddenly looked up at Liu Ce with the curious look of a child and asked earnestly:

"Father, I have a question for you. When Mother gave birth to me, were you also pacing around like this outside?"

I heard you were spinning even more violently than me, and almost rushed into the delivery room? Is that true?

Liu Ce paused in his teacup, almost spilling the tea.

He glared at Crown Prince Liu Chen, feigning composure, his face remaining calm and collected:

"Nonsense. I was as calm as a mountain back then, just sitting outside drinking tea, waiting for the good news to come from inside."

Your mother was just teasing you, and you actually believed her.

"Really?" Liu Chen looked incredulous.

"Mother didn't say that last time. She said you lost one of your shoes while running around."

"Your mother was just teasing you!" Liu Ce blushed and quickly coughed twice to change the subject.

"Alright, alright, stop with the nonsense. Just wait patiently. There are plenty of doctors inside; nothing will happen."

Cai Yan smiled to herself, not exposing him, and just watched the father and son put on their act.

Just then, the cries of pain from inside the inner chamber suddenly rose a few degrees, followed by the midwife's urgent voice, which could be heard even through the door:

"Your Majesty, push harder! Push a little more! I can see the head! Almost there!"

Liu Chen suddenly stopped, his whole body stiffened, his eyes fixed on the palace gate, forgetting even to breathe.

Liu Ce also put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, tapped his fingers on the table unconsciously, and his eyes became serious.

Cai Yan clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her eyes filled with worry.

The air seemed to freeze. The palace maids and eunuchs in the courtyard stopped in their tracks, holding their breath and staring intently towards the inner palace, not daring to breathe loudly.

The wind chimes under the eaves tinkled softly, their clear ringing particularly distinct in the quiet courtyard.

A few breaths later...

"Wow--!"

A loud baby's cry suddenly burst through the palace gate, crisp and full of confidence.

The vibrations caused the wind chimes hanging under the eaves to sway gently, their echoes lingering for several rounds.

"She's given birth!"

Liu Chen practically jumped up, ready to rush inside, but was stopped by the female doctor guarding the door, who smiled and said:

"Your Highness, please be patient! It's not finished yet; it's full of blood. Please wait a moment longer! It'll be done soon!"

"Just one look! Just one look!" Liu Chen stamped his feet anxiously, like a child blocked at the entrance of a candy shop.

"Let me check on my wife! And the baby!"

"The Crown Princess is doing well! The young prince is also healthy! Just wait a little longer, he'll be all better soon!" The female physician smiled and pushed him back, then turned and went back inside to continue her work.

Liu Chen paced back and forth at the door, rubbing his hands, sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning, muttering to himself:

"She's crying, crying! The crying is so loud, it must be a boy... No, a girl is fine too, a loud cry means she's strong..."

"Why isn't it ready yet? It's taking too long..."

Looking at his son's silly expression, Liu Ce couldn't help but laugh, and he also breathed a sigh of relief, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled down.

Okay, okay. It's good that they're both safe.

The Liu family has an heir.

The Han Dynasty has an heir.

A short while later, the palace doors opened.

The head obstetrician stepped forward, a smile on her face, and bowed to the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince. Her voice was clear and cheerful.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty the Empress! Congratulations, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

The Crown Princess gave birth to a grandson of the Emperor, weighing 6 pounds 8 ounces. He's chubby and healthy, and his cry was quite loud! Mother and child are safe and sound!

Although Her Majesty is weak, she is fine and will recover after some rest.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Liu Ce said "good" three times in a row, unable to suppress the smile on his face, which even brought out the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Cai Yan also breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes slightly red. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief: "That's good, I'm glad you're safe, I'm glad you're safe."

As soon as the female physician finished speaking, Liu Chen darted into the inner hall with a "whoosh," moving as fast as the wind, and even Liu Ce couldn't stop him.

"That brat, he's forgotten his father now that he has a wife." Liu Ce chuckled and scolded, not in a hurry.

"Let's wait a bit and let the young couple talk first."

No rush, there's plenty of time to look at it.

Inside the inner sanctuary, it was warm and cozy, with calming incense burning. Several basins of hot water were placed beside the bed, and wisps of steam rose from them. The air carried a faint smell of blood and milk.

Xu Jingxian lay on the bed, her face pale, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, and her hair was wet, clinging to her cheeks in strands, looking utterly exhausted.

But she kept her eyes open, a faint smile on her lips, looking tenderly at the child beside her.

In the swaddling clothes next to her, a tiny baby was whimpering with a scrunched-up face, its little hands and feet flailing about. The crying had just stopped, but it was still sobbing.

Liu Chen rushed to the bedside, grasped the Crown Princess's hand tightly, his voice choked with emotion, his heart aching with heartache:

"Honey, you've suffered so much. It's all my fault for making you suffer so much."

His palms were sweaty, his fingertips were trembling, and his eyes were red as he looked at her pale face.

He had just heard her groan in pain, and he was so eager to rush in and take her pain away. But now that he actually saw her, he couldn't say anything else, and could only repeat "Thank you for your hard work" over and over again.

Xu Jingxian shook her head slightly, her voice soft yet gentle:

"Husband, it's not hard work. Look at our son."

She tilted her head to the side, gesturing for him to look at the swaddled baby beside her, her eyes shining with maternal love.

Liu Chen then looked away and cautiously approached, examining the object as if it were a rare treasure.

The little guy in the swaddling clothes was a tiny bundle, with red, wrinkled skin, closed eyes, clenched fists, and pursed lips, looking like a little old man who hadn't fully grown up.

Her hair was wet and stuck to her scalp; she had a small nose and mouth, and looked particularly delicate.

He's seen it all, from overseeing the country and managing state affairs to overseeing river transport.

But he dared not touch the tiny baby, who weighed only a few pounds, for fear of hurting him if he used too much force.

"This... it's so small," he muttered softly, afraid of startling the child with a loud voice.

"It's so soft, can I hold it? What if I hurt it?"

The doctor next to him smiled and said, "Your Highness, don't worry, the little prince is very strong. Just support his bottom and head and hold him slowly."

Newborn babies are all like this; they'll grow into their prettier forms in a few days.

Liu Chen took a deep breath, as if making a major decision.

He clumsily stretched out his arm, and following the doctor's instructions, he supported the baby's bottom with one hand and protected the back of the baby's head with the other, carefully picking the baby up.

It felt light, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds.

His arms were taut and straight, and he didn't dare bend his waist, as if he were holding a rare treasure. He even breathed softly, afraid that a breath might blow on the child.

"Hey, he moved! He's grabbing me with his little hand!"

Liu Chen's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had discovered some incredible treasure. He lowered his voice and his smile was incredibly silly.

The little guy did move; his little paws unconsciously clenched, and he managed to grab one of his fingers.

Soft and small, the touch traveled from his fingertips to his heart, melting Liu Chen's heart completely.

He looked down at the crumpled little one in his arms, liking him more and more, and chuckled to himself:

"His nose looks like yours, and his eyes... even with his eyes closed, they must look like yours too. He's good-looking. He'll definitely grow up to be a handsome young man."

When you grow up, your father will teach you to ride horses and shoot arrows, teach you to read and write, and take you to see the entire land of the Han Dynasty.