Chapter 614
Chapter 614
Typically, the founding ceremony of a great nation is a grand affair. Palaces are built on a massive scale, envoys from many nations are summoned, subjects are ennobled, a general amnesty is declared, and various situations are arranged to appear as auspicious omens. Ning Zheng, however, did none of these things. He renovated an old temple to serve as his palace, invited almost no foreign envoys—not even one from his ally, the State of Chu. The only ones who could be called a delegation were a few leaders from the Great Calamity Temple and some merchants from various countries in the Western Regions. Nevertheless, the establishment of the Great Nan Kingdom was still a thunderclap, sending shockwaves throughout the entire East.
Even the distant countries of the Western Regions and the Great Bei Kingdom to the far north trembled for a long time upon hearing the news, to say nothing of the State of Yue. The officials and people of Yue were so shocked that their hair stood on end. The day had finally come. The next phase was now clear. Either the State of Yue would attack the nascent Great Nan Kingdom and break its back before it could grow stronger, or the latter would trample Yue into the dust and become one of the hegemons of the south. Now that Ning Zheng had declared the founding of the Great Nan Kingdom and his ascension to the throne, he was certain to wage a war to reclaim his homeland. Only by retaking the Southern Gull Kingdom could he earn the true title of monarch, and strategically, only by retaking it could he gain the upper hand in a war against the State of Yue.
As expected, after ascending the throne, Ning Zheng held no grand ceremonies to celebrate the nation's founding and immediately began to assemble his grand army. A force of one hundred thousand, divided into several routes, marched majestically from the Great Nan Kingdom toward the Southern Gull Kingdom. Princess Ning Luo, Zhu Lin, and Nangong Ao all sighed in unison.
‘It’s finally here! The decisive battle of fate has finally begun!’
* * *
Of course, Shen Lang was currently unable to pay any attention to the war in the Southern Gull Kingdom. Two full days had passed, and Mulan had still not given birth. Having never experienced such a situation, everyone was in a state of panic. The baby was in the correct position, and contractions had started early, but the child simply would not come out. Her water hadn't even broken, nor had her cervix dilated, and no one could figure out why.
Shen Lang remained by Mulan's side at every moment, while all the midwives and female physicians, their faces ashen, were at a loss. Shen Lang’s mother and Mulan's mother were already on their knees before a statue of Buddha, praying. But Mulan’s pain grew more and more excruciating, reaching a point where death seemed a better alternative. Furthermore, she began to run a high fever. Though she was a skilled martial artist, the pain was so intense that she fainted several times, and her body began to weaken.
Shen Lang had everything prepared for a Cesarean section at a moment's notice, but the baby was extremely healthy, its heart beating strong. Thus, unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn't want to perform one. This wasn't the modern era; a C-section was an even greater operation than Zhang Chong's appendectomy. Zhang Chong himself had barely survived, and Shen Lang didn't want Mulan to face such a risk. It was best if she could give birth naturally. They tried every method imaginable; Shen Mi even came and patted Mulan’s belly, saying.
"Little brother, come out. Come out..."
Nine-month-old Shen Mi, who could normally only say "dada," had finally learned to say "little brother" after much effort from Bing'er. But her mischievous little brother still refused to emerge.
* * *
After three days, Shen Lang was on the verge of going mad. He had even sterilized himself three times, preparing to perform a C-section on Mulan, but she stopped him. Extremely weak, her lips were pale.
"Husband, I don't think the baby wants to come out."
Mulan said weakly, and Shen Lang squeezed her hand tightly.
"All babies are reluctant to come out."
Indeed, no baby wants to leave its mother's womb. It felt insecure outside; they would do anything to remain inside. Not until the very last moment, when they absolutely had to leave. Just then, Shen Lang's mother called to him.
"Son, back in the day, Big Dummy's mother also suffered for days and nights like this when she was giving birth to him. It wasn't until she was on her last breath that Big Dummy finally came out. Everyone said he became a simpleton because he stubbornly stayed in his mother's belly for too long."
Hearing this, a chill ran down Shen Lang's spine. His mother's words revealed a frightening piece of information. Big Dummy's mother had been near death before she could give birth to him, and she had passed away right after he was born. What did this mean? It meant that this child, too, would stay inside until it absolutely could no longer.
"Son, your mother loves her grandson, but she loves her daughter-in-law more. The baby coming to our family seems to be different from other children. But at this crucial moment, protecting your wife is more important. Don't wait any longer, think of a way. You said you could cut the belly open, right? If it comes to that, you must do it. Absolutely do not wait for the baby to come out on its own. The baby will just keep stalling."
Shen Lang stared at his mother for a long moment. Those were not the words of an ordinary village woman.
"I understand!"
Shen Lang entered the room and immediately said.
"Prepare for surgery!"
Then, he sterilized the already sterile instruments once more, preparing to perform the C-section. But at that moment, Mulan clutched her belly and cried out in a weak voice.
"Husband, no. No. You'll frighten the baby."
"This naughty baby, torturing you like this. I will definitely hold this child and spank his bottom soundly!"
Mulan said through her tears.
"Husband, please. Don't cut me open."
"I have no choice. Your safety is what's most important to me. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. I will perform the finest incision, so you won't even have a scar on your body."
"I don't care about a scar. But I can't let the baby be frightened. I can feel that he's terrified. Husband, please think of another way. Don't cut me open. Our baby is different from others. If you cut my belly open, he'll feel like his home is collapsing."
"How could that be?"
How many children in the modern world were born via C-section? Did any of them feel like the sky was falling or their home was collapsing?
Mulan said in a soft voice.
"It's true, it really is... Our baby is different. Husband, trust me. Please think of another way..."
Shen Lang was going mad; how could he think of another way? The thought of Mulan being in danger was pushing him to the brink. He insisted on the C-section, and Mulan, desperately clutching her belly, refused. Shen Lang was forced to consider using drastic measures, to administer an anesthetic. Mulan began to cry sorrowfully as if it were her last day, pleading in a tone he had never heard before, melting his heart completely. Just then, Shen Lang's mother spoke from outside.
"Son, since the baby doesn't want to come out, why don't you poke him with a needle? Wouldn't that make him want to come out?"
Shen Lang was stunned.
‘Would that work? Isn't that too absurd?’
But Mulan nodded her head desperately and said.
"Yes, let's try that. Husband, you have incredible eyes. You can prick the baby's bottom with a needle. But you have to aim precisely and make sure you hit his bottom. You must not prick anywhere else and hurt him."
Having been as close as a conjoined twin to Shen Lang, Mulan knew about the special ability of his eyes, even though he had never explicitly told her. Shen Lang nodded, then took out an extremely fine silver needle. Activating his X-ray vision, he peered into Mulan's womb and saw the baby inside.
‘You little villain. Tormenting your mother, my beloved wife, like this? Even if you are my own son, and even if you are still in your mother's womb, I'm going to have to spank your bottom.’
Shen Lang confirmed the position of the baby's bottom several times, took a deep breath, and made sure his hands were not shaking and that he knew exactly how deep to insert the needle.
"Here I go!"
Shen Lang was trembling inside, but his hand was incredibly decisive. The fine silver needle pierced Mulan's belly and pricked the baby's bottom. The baby even moved inside the womb, trying to dodge the needle. But Shen Lang pricked its bottom with the silver needle once more.
Fifteen minutes later, her water broke and her cervix dilated. And another fifteen minutes after that, the mischievous baby was born, letting out a loud, wailing cry. Shen Lang nearly collapsed, and his mother sank to the floor.
‘Just you wait, you little rascal! When you're a little older, I'm going to spank you from a young age. So disobedient, not well-behaved at all! Look at your older sister. How well-behaved she is!’
"My lord, my lady. Congratulations. You have a baby boy. He weighs six jin and seven liang!"
The weight was neither too heavy nor too light; it was just right. The prince born to A'louna'na had weighed a full twelve jin, and Big Dummy had also been around twelve jin when he was born.
"This baby is truly beautiful, so beautiful!"
Shen Lang looked at the little fellow and saw that it was true. The baby was beautiful from the moment of birth, flailing his arms and legs and crying endlessly. It was rare to see a baby open its eyes so wide right after birth. Moreover, the baby's eyes were not only beautiful but so radiant they stole one's gaze.
‘Is this little rascal going to be more handsome than me when he grows up?’
Then, while he was at it, Shen Lang used his X-ray vision to examine the baby's bloodline. Naturally, Shen Lang had no expectations; he was just looking out of curiosity.
‘Does a child of mine, Shen Lang, even need a superior bloodline? Those who practice martial arts are all lower-class people. Look at the Snow Mountain Crone outside. Her martial arts are close to the Grandmaster level, but the contract for her entire sect is only five hundred gold coins a month.’
But a single glance was all it took for Shen Lang to be completely dumbfounded. Because the newborn baby possessed a golden bloodline. And it was an incredibly brilliant golden bloodline, so radiant it nearly blinded him.
‘What... what the hell? What is going on?’
Shen Lang picked up his yet-unnamed son. The little fellow was still wailing loudly, his energy immense, kicking his little arms and legs as if to express his displeasure. It was as if he were saying, *I was perfectly comfortable in my mommy's belly, why did you have to force me out?*
"Waaaaah."
After the two mothers cleaned the baby, they handed him to Shen Lang. In his father's arms, the little one did not stop crying but continued to struggle. Shen Lang was still reeling from the immense shock, unable to comprehend what had happened. He had never met Big Dummy's son, but he knew from Sword King Li Qianqiu that the child did not have a golden bloodline. Big Dummy's bloodline was far superior to his own, and A'louna'na's surpassed Mulan's. Yet those two had not produced a child with a golden bloodline, while he and Mulan had. It was truly unbelievable.