"Laoye, Wei'er, Wen'er, You've finally returned. Look at what has happened! Our family is constantly in such danger during this period. Now even Lin'er has gone into premature labor. She's already been in there for 8 hours but still there is no sign of the baby yet!" The Duchess Dong Linghua, Feng Wei's mother, spoke softly with an anxious look on her face.
"Mother, how is Lin'er doing now? What do the midwives say? Why is it taking so long?!" Feng rushed to ask. His hands gripped tightly to the sword still in his hands and his feet moving towards the door on their own out of instinct.
"Wei'er, the midwives and the physicians are all here and are doing their best. Ya'er is also with Lin'er but you can't go in, you know that." The Duchess spoke, holding Feng Wei's arm, stopping him from going inside.
Outside the room Feng Wei could hear rushed voices encouraging Lian Meilin, along with quiet screams, which he knew came from his wife. A maid rushed out carrying a basin filled with bloody water. At that moment he hated himself and hated the fact that he was so useless that he wasn't able to help his wife.
When they had first discovered that Lian Meilin was pregnant a third time, he had at first been filled with joy, that was their child but soon the worry and fear took over all the joy. He knew that having this child would mean that his wife and that child would be in great danger. So he hardened his heart and tried to convince his wife not to have the baby but his wife stubbornly refused and after a series of cold wars, he ended up surrendering. Since he couldn't convince her to abort the baby he instead looked for skilled physicians to improve her health and to make sure that she is able to give birth safely.
A part of him was relieved at her insistence at keeping the baby when her health improved, after all that was his baby and it wasn't as if he didn't want the child rather he did not want to cause harm to his wife. He thought with her health improving there would be no more problems during the birth and when he was called away because of the attack from the barbarians he knew he had to leave, it was his duty to his country and his job as the General of the North to fight. So with a worried heart he left behind his pregnant wife with determination to end the battle as soon as possible.
When the battle was finally over it was already after the New years festival was over, he along with battalion rushed to reach back to Tianzhou before the day was over. Even though he wanted to rush home he knew he had to first go to the army camp garrisoned outside of the city.
When they arrived at the camp he received the letter from home about his wife going into labor. Panicked, they rushed back to the manor only to be faced with a series of bad news one after the other.
All he could do at this point was to pace outside other than that he was of no use to his wife. As each second turned to minutes and then to hours more noises came from the room and he could hear his sister in law yelling for his wife who had fainted to wake up.
He was already wrought with anxiety and fear but everything was heighted at this moment when he heard the call of the midwives stating that his baby was stillborn. That was when he snapped and panic truly ensued.
"Save them! You have to save them! Aren't you a talented physician, then you have to save my child and wife!!" Feng screamed at the physician, almost grabbing the man by his collar if not for being stopped by his younger brother.
The physician ran inside like his pants were caught on fire. He was angry but at the same time depressed as he knew that even if the physician went in, how could he bring back a stillborn child who wasn't breathing back to life.
But maybe the heavens pitied him and his wife because somehow a miracle really occurred and after a few minutes the weak cries of a baby sounded from inside the room and to him that was the sound of an angel. Following that the physician finally announced that his wife and child were out of danger and continued on to leave some instructions on their care but it all passed over his head as all he wanted to do at that moment was go inside and see his child and wife, still he had to uphold his responsibilities and behavior as the General of the North in front of the public, so after giving thanks to the physician and leaving appropriate instructions to the steward only then did he enter the room.
Everyone intuitively left him alone with his wife and child, a wet-nurse and maid were waiting outside. Inside the fairly large room four braziers were lit, making it very warm. It was already past midnight so only two candles were lit at the opening of the room casting a dim shadow upon the room. He moved closer to the bed, standing near the outer opening, glancing in to see a small bundle laying beside his wife wrapped up in a thick blanket. He could see the child's face, peaceful and sleeping was very cute and jade like yet it was very tiny, tinier than the faces of his other two sons and nephews when they had been born.
The faint outline of his wife and child laying on the bed cast a sense of relief on him and his heart which had been hung on a thread finally relaxed as exhaustion washed over him. He slowly and quietly lay down beside his wife trying no to disturb her and watched her side profile highlighted by the candle light and like snow falling outside, quietly a single tear fell from the eyes of the mighty and brave General of the North, unknown and unseen by any person.