Chapter 48: Everything Collides Together

If at first the Feng, Dongfang, and Sun families were unaware of the severity of the situation, upon seeing Lady Gu, who had fainted, brought back by the Zhang You and Zhang Zhuo brothers, and learning that Zhang Xin had been taken away by the Jinyiwei, all three women felt as though the world was spinning around them. It was then that they finally realized that Lady Gu’s earlier remark about the sky falling was by no means an exaggeration.

Among them, the most helpless and panicked was Lady Feng. She had lived in Nanjing for nearly ten years; others might not know the horrors of the Jinyiwei’s prison, but how could she not? The thought of her husband being sent to such a dark and unforgiving place made her legs weak and trembling. It was only because of the support of her maid Chunmo that she didn’t collapse.

Dongfang, who was usually sharp-witted, saw her mother-in-law lying unconscious on the bed and gently pulled at her husband Zhang You’s sleeve, asking in a whisper, “Sir, could this incident involving my uncle’s family affect you?”

Zhang You, who already had a bad temper, became furious at these words. Realizing they were in his mother-in-law’s room, he restrained his anger slightly, glanced at his wife, and grunted, “My elder brother and we are all one family—what impact could there be? Put aside those unnecessary worries. Don’t you see what time it is? Is now the time for internal strife?”

His words left Dongfang feeling extremely aggrieved. She wanted to defend herself, saying she had only asked casually, but she was defeated by her husband’s stern gaze and could only stand there awkwardly, rubbing her handkerchief, her mind racing with thoughts.

Although Lady Sun was a woman of modest virtue and only had superficial relationships with her elder sister-in-law, she was still more friendly than Dongfang. She stood beside Lady Feng, offering quiet comfort, though she too was extremely anxious. Thinking that her brother-in-law Zhang Xin was already a high-ranking official of the third rank, and that he could be arrested at any moment and even imprisoned, she developed a great fear for her husband and son’s careers. As she thought about this, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and couldn’t help but groan.

Though Lady Feng was also in a state of panic, she was quick to react. Seeing this, she quickly asked, “Sister-in-law, what’s wrong with you?”

At her question, everyone in the room suddenly woke up, especially Zhang Zhuo, who, upon seeing the scene, immediately realized that his wife might be having labor pains and was stunned. It was Zhang You, the carefree man, who reacted quickly—he hurriedly sent Dongfang’s maid Linglong to find a midwife and urged Zhang Zhuo to move Lady Sun to another room to rest, asking Lady Feng and Lady Dongfang to take care of her. Then he glared fiercely at the other panicked maids in the room.
“You’re either born into the Zhang family or bound to it by a lifelong contract, so listen well! Don’t spread rumors about today’s incident. If I hear even a word of nonsense from anyone in the family, none of you will survive! I’ve killed hundreds of deserters on the battlefield; I don’t care about a few gossips!”
The maids trembled with fear. Under Zhang You’s murderous gaze, they all knelt down instantly, too weak even to respond. Lingxi, however, remained calm, bowing gracefully and saying, “Second Master, this is an emergency. To prevent panic among the household, it’s best for you to take charge first. The three wives may not be able to handle it.”
Zhang You frowned, about to say he didn’t want to deal with such trivial matters, when Zhang Yue rushed in, saying the doctor had arrived. Without further thought, he ordered Lingxi to stay and sent the other maids out, then instructed them to bring the doctor in. Only after seeing the doctor sit on a small stool by the bed to take her pulse did he pull Zhang Yue aside and whisper a few words to him.
Although it was winter, Zhang Yue was already sweating profusely from his hurried trip. Hearing that his mother might be having labor pains, he broke out in cold sweat. At that moment, he hadn’t realized that his grandmother, who was unconscious in bed, was actually worried about his mother’s safety.
“I just asked Lingxi. The midwife is already ready and just needs to arrive. It’s likely she won’t give birth right away, so it’s safer to have the doctor take her pulse. After he finishes checking on the old lady, he can check on your mother. I’m here, so go see your mother quickly.”
Zhang Yue was extremely grateful to his second uncle. Glancing at the doctor who was carefully taking the pulse, he nodded and rushed into the room next door. Upon entering, he saw the room crowded with people. His mother, Lady Sun, lay on the soft couch, drenched in sweat with a pale face, while his father, Zhang Zhuo, tightly held her hand. The dire situation filled him with anxiety.

At that moment, suffering from intense pain, Lady Sun opened her eyes and faintly saw the figure at the door. Her spirits lifted immediately, and she clearly called out, “Yue!”
Zhang Yue, who had been stunned, rushed over in an instant, knelt down beside the couch, and replied repeatedly, “Mother, I’m right here. Don’t worry. The doctor is already outside; he’ll come in soon to check your pulse. The midwives are all ready. You’ll definitely give me a beautiful brother or sister.”
Lady Sun, who had been extremely nervous, couldn’t help but smile upon hearing her son’s words. She still had enough strength to spout, “You always… always know how to say sweet things to make me happy… But if… if something happens to me, you and your father…”
At this moment, Zhang Yue didn’t dare let Lady Sun continue speaking such ominous words. He hurriedly made up a few jokes to distract her, finally calming her chaotic thoughts. Yet, hearing her increasingly rapid breathing and seeing her growing pain, he felt utterly overwhelmed.
After a long while, a voice came from outside. The women quickly hid behind the screen, while several maids stood at attention. Zhang Zhuo personally pulled back the curtain to let the doctor in, and Zhang Yue stood up to shield his mother. As the doctor checked her pulse twice, both father and son were extremely anxious.
“It’s true—she’s about to give birth. Just hurry and bring in the midwife. Although the pulse is a bit irregular, it shouldn’t be serious!”
This diagnosis immediately caused chaos, but it gave Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Yue some relief. However, it was impossible for Lady Sun to be moved to the west wing of the main house to give birth now. So Lingxi, along with a few maids, quickly prepared the east wing of the main house. They then covered Lady Sun with thick blankets and moved her there.
Two midwives also rushed in, with Zhenzhu following to assist. Dongfang Shi, having given birth to two children before, volunteered to help as well. Zhang Yue, who was blocked at the door, insisted on sending Qiuhen and Hupo in to help, while he and Zhang Zhuo paced back and forth outside. It took them a while to remember to ask about their grandmother’s condition.
“Don’t worry. The old lady just fainted from anger. Fortunately, she’s always taken good care of herself. She should be fine after a few days of rest. It’s only natural for you and your father to worry about your mother. No one will blame you.”

Zhang You spoke with great sincerity, which made Zhang Yue feel a little more at ease. The next moment, he saw his second uncle, Zhang You, start scolding Zhang Chao and Zhang Jiu, who had come upon hearing the news. “We’re all part of the Zhang family. Hold your heads high—don’t look so downcast! It’s just a small ditch to jump over; what’s there to worry about?”