Di Ming

Chapter 280 A Sage Will Appear After a Thousand Years!
"Princess Qingchen!" Lancha immediately knelt down. "Princess, you are a little miracle doctor, you must save Galo!"

Ning Qingchen said, "Medicine cannot cure those who are already on their deathbed. I can only do my best, but I am not entirely certain of success. If I cannot save her, please do not blame me."

She's a doctor, and she never speaks definitively!
Lancha actually shed tears, "Regardless of whether Galo can be saved or not, this servant must thank the Princess for her grace..."

He was genuinely terrified because his mother had died in childbirth!

When Emo gave birth to him, the shaman in the tribe said that the fetus was too big, which made the evil gods in the forest jealous, and that he might die.

As expected, Ema died in childbirth. The shaman's wife couldn't save Ema's life either. She herself was born much heavier than other children.

Now that her son is also pregnant, will Galo be the same as her mother?
Zhu Yin said in Jurchen, “Lancha, I know you’re scared, but you can’t let Galo know you’re scared. You must stand outside the delivery room so she can hear your voice and give her courage. Mother Fodo will protect her. Go! Go back to your little courtyard, and don’t cry!”

"Yes, sir!" Lancha kowtowed heavily and hurried home.

Although Zhu Yin comforted his beloved general, he was also a little nervous, even with Ning Qingchen present.

The mortality rate from difficult childbirth in ancient times was extremely high.

How high? At least 30% of women will die in childbirth!
This is a very alarming statistic.

There are many reasons for the patriarchal system in ancient times. One of them was the persistently high mortality rate due to childbirth complications.

Such a high mortality rate from childbirth complications means that many women die in their teens or twenties. With short life expectancies and the constant threat of death from complications during childbirth, their value is greatly diminished.

There are two main reasons why the mortality rate from difficult childbirth was so high in ancient times.

First, the women give birth too young, often before their bodies are fully developed, which carries extremely high risks.

Secondly, most doctors are men who are unwilling to work in obstetrics and gynecology, and very few women study medicine, which makes obstetrics and gynecology very backward and difficult to effectively solve the problem of difficult childbirth.

This was not unique to ancient China; the mortality rate from difficult childbirth was also high in other ancient countries as well.

Many famous figures in ancient times had second wives. Since divorce was extremely rare in ancient times, how did these second wives come about? Most often, the first wife died in childbirth, leading to the marriage of a second wife.

In ancient times, people like Galo would mostly not be able to survive.

Although Ning Qingchen's medical skills are from a later era and she has a high-tech forceps delivery method, she is only six years old. It's really hard to say whether she can help Galo survive this ordeal!

……

After Lancha and Galo got married, Zhu Yin specially granted the young couple a small courtyard in the central courtyard to live in, and also assigned two maids and two servants to serve them, making them practically half masters.

"Ah—ah—!"

At this moment, in the small courtyard of the Lancha family, Galo was wailing incessantly in the side room. His voice came through the window, filled with pain and fear, and it was heartbreaking to hear.

Galo was a fierce and shrewish Jurchen woman, capable of drawing a bow and shooting arrows, wielding a sword and fighting, and galloping on horseback. She was not a delicate woman, yet she cried out so pitifully, which shows how dangerous the situation was.

Galo is already ten months pregnant, but has not yet given birth. The midwife came once before and said that the fetus was too big and that she might have a difficult delivery.

Sure enough, just as she fell asleep that night, her water broke, followed by severe abdominal pain. Panicked, Lancha immediately sent for a midwife and rushed to see his lord, Zhu Yin, that very night.

The midwife had been on standby in the guest room of the outer courtyard for the past few days. Upon hearing the news, she immediately changed into a plain white dress and red turban, painted her face with talismans, wore a fetal mirror at her waist, a longevity lock on her chest, and held mugwort in her hand. She then hurriedly arrived with her apprentice.

This midwife, surnamed Ma and nicknamed "Little Hands Ma," was one of the eight most renowned midwives in the capital. Her hands were small and soft. Over the past thirty years, she had delivered thousands of babies, but she had also witnessed the tragic deaths of many women in childbirth.

Because according to custom, childbirth cannot take place in the main room, the midwife had the maid carry Galo to the side room as soon as she arrived. Then she burned incense and washed her hands, and ordered the preparation of a copper basin, swaddling clothes, and other items.

At the same time, he instructed, "First, offer sacrifices to the Goddess of the Bed, thanking her for protecting the fetus for ten months!"

He then quickly took out a stack of yellow-bound paper and wrote a "Memorial on Preserving the Pregnancy," saying:

"Quickly burn this document for protecting the pregnancy, pray to the Goddess of Mount Tai, and report to the Goddess of Mount Tai that she is about to give birth. So be it!"

"And another thing! Quickly boil some water!"

The maids were immediately scrambling around, their feet barely touching the ground, in a flurry of activity.

The apprentice used cinnabar to draw red on the door, pasted Zhang Tianshi's talisman to ward off evil, burned mugwort to create smoke, hung red cloth strips, and set up an altar in the courtyard to burn incense.

The entire courtyard was instantly filled with smoke.

The apprentice also placed iron tools such as scissors, fire tongs, a weight, and an axe under Galo's bed to ward off evil spirits.

Ma Xiaoshou, holding a fetal mirror, stood in front of Galo, who was covered in sweat and wailing, and looked at himself a few times before shouting, "Quickly, invite Lady Linshui! May the evil spirits leave the body at once!"

Lady Linshui is a deity who blesses children with smooth delivery. If a difficult childbirth occurs, one should immediately offer sacrifices to Lady Linshui.

The apprentice immediately busied himself burning paper money, chanting, "May the Goddess of Linshui bless us... and offer a pig's head to the newborn..."

When the distressed Galo saw everyone praying to the gods and smelled the scent of mugwort and incense, he seemed to feel the attention and protection of the gods, and he felt much more at ease.

Ma Xiaoshou lifted Galo's skirt, and her expression changed slightly after just one glance.

This baby is huge! It might even be bigger than Zu Chengxun's son, whom she delivered years ago. Zu Chengxun's son weighed ten pounds at birth, and his mother also died in childbirth. I heard that child grew up to be extremely brave, which must be due to his innate talent.

Because a fetus weighing more than eight pounds is considered a large fetus.

Based on her experience, Galo's baby probably weighs over ten pounds!

Even she was very nervous at this moment. If a fetus this large were to experience a difficult delivery, it would be difficult for both mother and child to survive.

Sure enough, despite Ma Xiaoshou's best efforts and sweating profusely, the baby still couldn't come out!

As she used her small, skillful hands, she chanted a labor-inducing incantation:

"Great God of Life, Spirit of Life. Soul-Calling Child, Seven Souls Gentleman. By the decree of the Supreme God, save this body. Decapitate the evil spirit, and swiftly bring it to life. So be it!"

However, it had no effect.

Galo's face was deathly pale, and his wet hair clung to his face, making him look like a fish panting on the beach.

Her personal maid stood by her bedside, wiping her sweat while tears streamed down her face, saying anxiously, "My lady, hold on, hold on..."

"The fetus is too big, it's really bad luck for the mother." Ma Xiaoshou smiled bitterly, raising his face covered in sweat. "My wife is in excellent health, unusually strong for an old woman, but the fetus is just too big. Hang in there! Push!"

He turned to his apprentice and shouted, "Feed him the hair first! Then give him the fertility-inducing soup!"

She had no choice but to resort to drastic measures, otherwise Galo might faint, and once he fainted, it would be all over.

Galo felt like he couldn't catch his breath, his stomach felt like it was going to split open, and even his shouts became weaker.

Am I about to die?
She suddenly thought of Lancha, Ning Caiwei, and her parents and family far away beyond the Great Wall.

"Galo!" Lancha shouted suddenly from outside, "Hold on! Second Sister is almost here! Ezhen is here too! Hold on! Mother Foduo is protecting you! So many gods are protecting you, listen to the shaman lady!"

He mistook the Han Chinese midwife for a shaman's wife.

Upon hearing Lancha's voice, Galo felt a surge of strength, shouted, and clenched his fists tightly!

"Ugh—" Galo vomited violently, becoming more awake as his lower body also generated a greater force of repulsion.

However, the baby still couldn't be born!
While grabbing the fetus's shoulders with both hands and pulling it out, Ma Xiaoshou shouted:
"Use the rolling pin! Quickly roll her belly!"

After saying this, he muttered some incantations and switched to a childbirth-saving spell:
"Heaven commands, Earth commands... Thunder and lightning rise, Heavenly soldiers are summoned... Untie the fetal knot, slay the blood essence... Slay the swaddling clothes, release the entanglements. Childbirth occurs, mother and child are both safe... Any disobedience to my decree is tantamount to defying the Supreme Clarity. Hasten, hasten, as the law commands!"

She knew very well that Galo was in the most dangerous situation. If she couldn't give birth, the father would have to make a choice: save the mother or the baby.

The so-called "saving the mother or the baby" decision may sound like a simple choice, but it's actually incredibly cruel. Saving the mother often involves using hooks to forcibly pull the fetus out, and most likely it's broken. Can the fetus survive then?

As for saving the baby, it's called "cesarean section," where the mother's abdomen is cut open from bottom to top with scissors to remove the infant, similar to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. How could the mother possibly survive? She would certainly die a horrible death.

Famous doctors like Li Shizhen rushed over overnight, but they were all helpless and could only listen to the screams of the woman in labor.

Because of strict social norms, renowned doctors were not allowed to deliver babies for women. They couldn't even look at the babies, let alone handle them. Many women preferred to die in childbirth rather than have a male doctor deliver their babies.

Besides, even renowned doctors like Li Shizhen didn't know how to deliver babies. This kind of thing truly requires specialization.

In this world, it is not doctors who deliver babies, but specialized midwives. These midwives are registered with the government and often do not know medicine, but they have a pair of naturally nimble and delicate hands.

In the event of a difficult labor, they use their gifted little hands to reach into the mother's body and pull out the baby.

This process was truly dangerous!
Lancha anxiously beat his chest and stamped his feet outside the room, repeatedly shouting, "Galo, hold on! Mother Fodo will protect you!"

Suddenly, Ma Xiaoshou's apprentice ran out, pale-faced, and timidly said to the tall Lancha:

"Master said... to save the mother or the child, decide quickly, or it will be too late!"

Lancha was struck dumb, but quickly recovered: "Save the baby! Save the baby! No... Second Madam is coming..."

Just then, a clear, childlike voice said, "I'm here! Make way! Make way!"

Lancha turned around and saw that the lord had arrived with his young second wife. The second wife was running over with her little legs, holding a strange object in her hand, while the lord was carrying a box.

When Li Shizhen and the others saw Ning Qingchen appear, they were first surprised, then their eyes lit up with hope, and all their eyes were fixed on the forceps in her hand.

These forceps were invented by this little doctor Ning himself. He had shown them to them before, but they didn't know anything about childbirth and didn't know if this thing was really that effective.

Ning Qingchen arrived with forceps and other tools and saw that the courtyard was brightly lit with red lanterns. A small altar had been temporarily set up on the blue brick ground, with incense burning and mugwort being burned. A maid was kneeling there burning paper money and praying. The door was also decorated with cinnabar, red cloth, and talismans.

The entire courtyard looked like it was being used for a religious ceremony.

Having lived in the Ming Dynasty for so many years, she had seen a lot and was no longer surprised by anything.

Are these rituals useful? Of course they are. At the very least, they can give new mothers a lot of mental strength, which helps them get through the difficult time.

When Ning Qingchen entered the delivery room, she saw the midwife named Ma Xiaoshou, who had an extraordinary presence.

The midwife was dressed in plain white clothes, with a sheepskin vest over it, an apron with a picture of a unicorn delivering a child, a red headscarf adorned with copper coins, a pomegranate-shaped hairpin with a hundred children, a single silver earring, and a cinnabar hemp rope tied around her arm.

She wore a fetal mirror on her left waist, a string of dried garlic cloves on her right waist, embroidered shoes with the Big Dipper pattern on her feet, a longevity lock on her chest with the four seal characters "Heavenly Physician Bestows Blessings" on it, and strange runes painted on her face.

At this moment, she was holding a sharp pair of scissors tied with a red ribbon, and she was chanting the "Five Thunder Incantation for Childbirth," which was said to be even more powerful:
"...Break down the cave and demolish the temple, behead the demon and destroy the essence. Yin and Yang unite, ten months have passed. Childbirth is due, why delay... The parents from the previous life are all separated... Swift and natural birth, the placenta is expelled along with the child. Auspicious time and day, the stars are bright..."

Her apprentice, meanwhile, was using a rolling pin to roll out Galo's belly.

Ning Qingchen frowned and said, "Sister Galo, I'm here! Don't be afraid! Granny Ma, step aside and put down the scissors! Don't roll it out!"

Galo was about to faint, but when he saw Ning Qingchen appear, he regained some strength and struggled to lift his head.

"Get out of the way! Roll out the dough yourself!" Ning Qingchen scolded Ma Xiaoshou's apprentice, "You can't do it like this!"

The midwife ignored Ning Qingchen's words and continued chanting:
"...The God of Destiny is at the gate, the Supreme One is in the courtyard...The Supreme God of the Nine Heavens bestows good fortune. He determines destiny and omens, swiftly issuing decrees...He resolves the knots of pregnancy, driving away misfortune. He saves the people from childbirth calamities, ensuring prosperity for mother and child. Those who follow the thunder live, those who defy the thunder perish..."

"Enough!" Ning Qingchen roared. "Get out of my way! Be my assistant!"

Ma Xiaoshou recited "Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!" again before saying angrily:

"What are you doing, a little girl like you causing trouble? This is a matter of life and death, get out of here right now!"

Ning Qingchen was too lazy to argue with her and shouted, "Guards! Separate the master and disciple!"

Hongxiu and the other female guards stepped forward and immediately subdued Ma Xiaoshou and his two disciples.

"What are you doing!" Ma Xiaoshou roared. "I am a skilled midwife! I have been commended by the Ministry of Revenue and the Shuntian Prefecture! Even Princess Ruian's husband, Commander Wan, was delivered by me!"

Ma Xiaoshou was very angry. She was one of the eight most famous pairs of hands in the capital. She had guided countless noble people into this world. When ordinary people saw her, they would call her Ma Shipo.

The reason she came to stay at the Zhu residence and declined invitations from other pregnant women was solely to help a relative of the Zhu family deliver a baby, all because of Mr. Zhihu's influence.

Otherwise, she wouldn't come.

To my surprise, a little girl appeared and was so rude to me!

Zhu Yin called out loudly from outside the door, "This junior, Zhu Yin, greets you. Please forgive me, Master Ma! My young lady is said to be the reincarnation of the Medicine Buddha, a child proficient in medicine. Let her give it a try! Please cooperate, Master Ma. I will be eternally grateful!"

Ma Shi Po was initially furious, but upon hearing Zhu Yin's words outside, her anger vanished instantly.

She never expected that Mr. Zhihu, who was famous and held a high position, would be so polite to her and even said that he would definitely repay her handsomely!
Even if she has a bad temper, she would find it difficult to lash out at this moment.

But when Mr. Zhihu said that this little girl was the reincarnation of the Medicine Buddha, she really couldn't believe it!

However, seeing the little girl's serious and composed demeanor, she didn't seem like an ordinary child at all. Instead, she seemed like a seasoned young girl she had never seen before!

But then Ning Qingchen squatted down and looked at it. Her expression softened slightly, and she said in a childish voice:
"Sister Galo, it's rare that you usually ride horses and are so healthy, so you don't need a C-section. Just relax, you'll be fine soon."

After saying that, he took out a delicate medicine and fed it to Galo; it turned out to be a fast-acting painkiller.

Then, Ning Qingchen raised the strange-looking forceps and said to Ma Xiaoshou, "I'm not strong enough, come and help me, I'll teach you how to do it."

Ma Xiaoshou looked hesitant and was very conflicted. He thought to himself, "Is she really some reincarnation of the Medicine Buddha? Even if she is, the Medicine Buddha doesn't deal with childbirth. Shouldn't she be the reincarnation of Lady Linshui?"

She found it all absurd and hard to believe that Ning Qingchen could actually do it. For a moment, she even thought that Mr. Zhihu was somewhat unreliable.

She couldn't help but look at the forceps and ask, "What is this? Why have I never seen it before?"

Ning Qingchen gave a haughty snort, raised her swan-like neck, and said with a slightly fierce yet endearing tone:

"This is a treasure I invented myself! Only I know how to use it! It's called forceps, a magical instrument I used when I was cultivating in the North Sea. Quick! I'm not strong, so listen to my instructions and cooperate with me..."

What? A magical artifact used during cultivation in Beihai? Ma Xiaoshou trembled, looking at Ning Qingchen in disbelief, thinking, could it really be so? This young lady is as beautiful as a painting, truly a rare sight in the human world.

Her expression immediately softened, and a forced smile appeared on her face.

"What are you standing there for?" Ning Qingchen's dark, gem-like eyes widened, her pink lips filled with disdain. "Hurry up!"

"Okay, okay!" Ma Xiaoshou immediately snapped out of her daze and quickly cooperated.

While cooperating with the forceps delivery under Ning Qingchen's guidance, she asked, almost as if possessed:

"Young lady, how many years did you cultivate Taoism in the North Sea back then?"

Her apprentice's lips twitched slightly when he heard his master's question.

Master, what are you doing? Do you really believe this little girl's nonsense?

But Ning Qingchen answered in a serious tone, "More than four hundred years!"

The two apprentices' legs went weak and they almost collapsed to the ground.

……

Outside the delivery room, Lancha was still anxious, but much more relieved.

Zhu Yin was relieved for the time being.

Li Shizhen couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Mr. Zhihu, is this... really feasible?"

The other renowned doctors also looked at Zhu Yin with eager eyes and expectant expressions.

Even the renowned physician Ma Xiaoshou from the capital city had trouble with it, so is Doctor Ning really that skilled?
Zhu Yin opened his mouth, unsure how to respond.

He instinctively wanted to say "That works!" but what if the production failed? Wouldn't that be contradicting himself?

However, just as he was in a dilemma, a loud baby's cry suddenly rang out.

"Waaaaaah—"

The cry was loud and sudden, instantly igniting the oppressive atmosphere of the courtyard, like a thunderclap shattering the lingering smog!

At this moment, even the most beautiful music cannot compare to this cry.

Immediately, cheers of surprise erupted:

"Alright, alright! A healthy baby boy has been born, and both mother and child are safe! May the Empress protect them!"

Zhu Yin laughed heartily and said, "Okay, really okay! I'm not lying to you!"

Li Shizhen rolled his eyes. "Do you think I need to tell you now?" But then the old man couldn't help but laugh, a hearty laugh. All the doctors cheered, as if it were a joyous occasion.

Lancha was overjoyed and rushed toward the woman in labor, but was stopped by Hongxiu.

"Brother Lancha, you can't go in. They're still busy inside. Don't worry, your wife is fine, and both mother and child are safe!"

A familiar voice came from inside: "Husband, I'm fine! Don't worry, let the lord and the others rest assured."

She spoke with a strong voice. Lancha felt a great sense of relief.

Inside the delivery room, Ning Qingchen and Ma Xiaoshou were both covered in sweat, but looked relaxed and joyful.

"Little Bodhisattva, you're truly amazing! I'm completely impressed!" Ma Xiaoshou was practically prostrating herself in admiration. "It really is divine skill! It's truly miraculous. Now, leave the rest to me."

Her two disciples also stared at Ning Qingchen in shock, their eyes filled with awe and worship, wishing they could immediately kneel before her.

Ning Qingchen nodded. "Okay, I'll leave the rest to you."

Ma Xiaoshou cut the umbilical cord with scissors, chanting an incantation: "Severing the mortal body to enter the holy stream, great wealth and high rank..."

Next, the baby was washed clean with hot water, then wrapped in the father Lancha's clothes, and then the vermilion red rope was taken off the arm and tied to the baby's lotus root-like arm.

Her apprentice wrapped the placenta and buried it under a tree in the courtyard outside.

Ning Qingchen walked out of the delivery room holding forceps, raised her forceps, and said to Li Shizhen and the others:

"Mr. Li! Did you see that? This is the forceps I invented!"

"If this method of using forceps were popularized throughout the world, it could save countless women in labor and countless babies! Do you believe it?!"

Li Shizhen and the other great physicians looked at each other and slowly said:
"The people of the world are now blessed. Little Divine Doctor Ning, this is the way of a sage!"

"Who would have thought that a sage would emerge in our medical field after a thousand years!"

P.S.: This chapter is about production. I know some people won't like it, but that's part of the book's charm, so please bear with me. What will be the consequences if Qingchen's reputation as a saint spreads? Will it be beneficial or detrimental? Let's discuss it. Thank you, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)