Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 300 The Emperor Has a Daughter, Her Nickname is Yuanchu

Luoyang Imperial Palace, the Torture Chamber, and the Yuning Hall

Yuzhe means education.

Therefore, "Yu Ning" means "Nurturing Ning".

Liu Qing moved to the Yuning Palace in the Baoshi area starting from the eighth month of her pregnancy.

The palace was completely covered by heavy curtains, and the interior was also covered with layers of carpets. Inside and out, there were jade pendants symbolizing good fortune and bows and arrows to ward off evil spirits. The air was filled with the aroma of prepared herbs, and hot water was always simmering on the stove.

During the Former Han Dynasty, people regarded childbirth as "bloodshed and misfortune," and there was even a saying that "women are yin, and giving birth to a child is unclean," so they had to avoid the emperor's residence.

Therefore, when a concubine was eight months pregnant, she had to move out of the inner palace and into a special maternity ward outside the palace city. The chief diviner would choose an auspicious day, and then eunuchs and imperial guards would escort the concubine out of the palace, with curtains covering the route. This was called "going to the ward".

The facility housed midwives, physicians, palace maids, and imperial guards, and the emperor bestowed a special "maternity allowance" for their use.

However, during the Later Han Dynasty, in order to ensure the purity of the royal bloodline and the safety of concubines waiting to give birth outside the palace, the concubines did not need to move outside the palace, and all the noble ladies gave birth in the Baoshi (a type of private room).

With a few exceptions, even the Empress had to move to the Baoshi when she was eight months pregnant.

The Baoshi was originally a place for dyeing and drying cloth. It got its name from the fact that the dyed cloth had to be placed under the scorching sun to dry. It was the place in Yongxiang where the labor was the most arduous.

Because the Baoshi (暴室) was sunny and had plenty of yang energy, it gradually became a place for women in the imperial harem to recuperate from illness. Those who were sick were isolated and treated in the Baoshi.

This was originally intended to strengthen the royal family's direct control over childbirth, but unexpectedly, the fierce infighting in the Later Han Dynasty's harem and the fact that concubines gave birth in the torture chambers made it easier for those with ulterior motives to take advantage of the situation.

Furthermore, during the Later Han Dynasty, due to the prevalence of prophecies and apocryphal texts, the "Spring and Autumn Annals of Qian Tan Ba" stated: "When a woman gives birth, blood splatters on the palace steps, which is a sign of harm to the fate of the nation." Therefore, concubines who were about to give birth were often temporarily demoted in rank, and through this means, they were classified as "commoners" so that the defilement would not be directly associated with the emperor or the fate of the nation.

While abolishing the theory of "interaction between Heaven and Man," Liu Bian also used harsh methods to severely crack down on apocryphal and prophetic studies.

Before establishing the ancient text Confucian classics as the official doctrine, he had already reached a consensus with the leading figures of the ancient text school, demonstrating his firm stance against apocryphal and prophetic texts.

Otherwise, today it's "The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise," tomorrow it's "The one who will replace the Han is Dangtu Gao," and the day after tomorrow it's "Red Calamity on the 37th," wouldn't there be no peace forever?
Therefore, Liu Qing was able to retain her honorable title of "Jieyu" and peacefully reside in Yuning Palace to recuperate.

Zhang Ji, who had just been promoted to Imperial Physician, Hua Tuo, who had been summoned by the Emperor to be the Assistant Imperial Physician a little over a month ago, and Fang Cheng Ji Ping, all three of them immediately put down their work and hurried to Yuning Palace as soon as they received the summons.

Although the Later Han Dynasty did not completely prohibit male doctors from participating in childbirth as the Former Han Dynasty did, they were only allowed to wait in the corridor and give verbal instructions to the female physicians and officials in the delivery room out of sight through the doors and windows.

They are only allowed to enter the room to administer acupuncture and medication when the mother is in critical condition.

The midwives who presided over the births of the imperial concubines were still the carefully selected and experienced midwives of the palace. Over the years, countless babies have been safely delivered by them.

When Liu Qing suddenly felt waves of increasingly intense abdominal pain in the early morning, both Liu Qing, who had experience with childbirth, and the midwives who were used to this scene, immediately judged that this was uterine pain, a sign that labor was about to begin.

Sure enough, her water broke in less than a quarter of an hour.

As Liu Qing's cervix was dilating, the midwives helped her to lie half-reclined on the bed. One experienced midwife reached out and pressed Liu Qing's abdomen with a little force to carefully check the baby's position and make adjustments. Another midwife helped Liu Qing take the Kidney Qi Pill created by Zhang Ji.

Shenqi Pills warm the Yang and nourish the Yin. When taken by pregnant women during cervical dilation, they can temporarily replenish the pregnant woman's vital energy to prevent dystocia due to insufficient vital energy.

Originally, Liu Qing's childbirth should not have been reported to Liu Bian immediately, since the emperor could not enter the torture chamber, lest the blood and qi clash with the emperor. This was also the reason why Empress He, who controlled the harem, deliberately prevented anyone from informing him.

How could she not know the temperament of her son?

If Liu Bian finds out, he will surely go to visit him. What if he falls ill as a result?

In Empress He's heart, no matter how precious her grandson was, he was never as important as her own son, whether in public or private matters.

Moreover, Liu Bian has been preoccupied with state affairs lately. Although Empress He did not know exactly what he was planning, she could tell from his busy schedule and the fact that he had not had a moment to visit Liu Qing.

Therefore, by the time the news reached Liu Bian after the grand court assembly ended, two full hours had passed since Liu Qing broke through the water.

However, Liu Qing's delivery went unexpectedly smoothly, so smoothly that the midwives and physicians were amazed.

Typically, the first stage of labor is cervical dilation, which can last for four to eight hours, and the intense pain during this time can cause a weak pregnant woman to faint.

If the girl is under sixteen and pregnant, her pelvis is not yet open, and this process may take as long as nine to ten hours.

In ancient times, it was common for women to become pregnant at a young age and give birth to children at the age of fourteen.

This is the root of why childbirth is so feared by women, often seen as a perilous ordeal. Due to the extremely high mortality rate during childbirth, many wealthy and powerful families would not allow their principal wives to conceive, instead using concubines who came with the principal wife's dowry. As for the concubine replacing the principal wife after becoming pregnant?
The act of favoring a concubine over one's wife is even more despised than failing to establish the eldest son as the heir, and can even lead to the downfall and ruin of an entire family.

After all, once is enough to lead to another. Those who can be married off as the principal wife in aristocratic and wealthy families are all favored legitimate daughters. Even if they are not favored, they are still a respectable member of the family.

Favoring a concubine over one's wife is an insult to the woman's family, which will naturally provoke their anger, even to the point of relentless conflict. It will also cause the entire family to lose the trust of other families and to find no more marriage partners of equal status.

It only took two hours for Liu Qing's cervix to open.

Women with previous childbirth experience generally have a smoother and faster cervical dilation than first-time mothers. With the addition of "Kuan Gu San" (a traditional Chinese medicine formula) and the baby's perfect position, everything went smoothly.

When Liu Bian changed out of his imperial robes and arrived at the torture chamber in his golden carriage, the baby's head had already emerged. The delivery process took only half an hour, and the placenta was delivered in another quarter of an hour.

"Wow--"

A loud cry shattered the tense atmosphere in the Yuning Palace, instantly relaxing everyone's nerves and causing them to breathe a sigh of relief.

Exhausted, Liu Qing forced herself to turn her head and look at the child being carefully supported by the midwife. A smile full of love and relief finally bloomed on her pale face.

Liu Bian, who was waiting outside the riot control room, vaguely heard a suppressed cheer coming from inside. His heart stirred slightly, and he couldn't help but lift the brocade curtain of the golden carriage and look at the tightly closed vermilion gate.

A short while later, a series of hurried footsteps approached and stopped behind the door.

"Reporting to the nation! Consort Liu has given birth to the eldest princess!"

The palace maid's voice inside the door was cheerful as she loudly reported through the heavy door, but she showed no intention of opening it.

The bloody atmosphere inside the palace has not yet dissipated; how can the emperor be allowed to enter?
Even the emperor's eunuchs and palace maids were not allowed to enter at this time, lest they come out tainted with blood and offend the emperor. This was also Empress He's deliberate instruction.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian did not rebuke him.

He knew that many deeply ingrained ideas could not be changed overnight.

Moreover, at this moment, he was filled with mixed feelings and had no time to think about these trivial matters.

He was filled with the joy of becoming a father for the first time, but also with a sense of bewilderment at becoming a father at the young age of fifteen.

Deeper still, there was a hint of indescribable relief.

Fortunately, Liu Qing gave birth to the eldest daughter of the emperor, not the eldest son.

Regardless, the eldest son born out of wedlock into the imperial family is ultimately a potential threat.

The mistakes of the tyrannical Qin dynasty are still recorded in history, and the "Ji Jun Rebellion" caused by the eldest son of King Huiwen of Qin serves as a cautionary tale.

More recently... if it weren't for his appearance, the disaster that led to the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu fighting would serve as a warning.

Now that only an eldest princess has been born, many potential troubles have been avoided.

"Consort Liu petitioned the state to bestow a nickname upon the eldest daughter of the emperor."

The voice from inside the door sounded again, pulling Liu Bian back from his chaotic thoughts.

According to the "Rites of Zhou", a child is named after three months, meaning that a name can only be given after three months of birth; before that, only a nickname can be used as a form of address.

As for bestowing titles of nobility or princesses, that was a distant prospect.

The granting of titles to princes was largely based on the emperor's wishes and would not be later than fifteen years of age.

The title of princess for imperial daughters depended on the emperor's favor. Those who were favored could be granted the title of princess around the time they came of age, while those who were not favored often had to wait until the eve of their marriage to receive it.

Several names that Liu Bian had already prepared flashed through his mind. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly, revealing a gentle smile. He then signaled to the eunuch Gao Wang beside him to pass on the message.

"I have heard that 'any creature resembling a phoenix has five colors: those with more red are phoenixes, those with more blue are luan birds, those with more yellow are phoenixes, those with more purple are pheasants, and those with more white are swans.'"

"Bestow upon the eldest daughter the nickname 'Yuanchu'!"

(2721 words)
(End of this chapter)