61. Su's predicament
Su had slept a little longer util she had become uncomfortable. Her maids had helped her get up and ready for the day. During breakfast Su noticed that she felt slightly different, but she couldn't quite figure out what was different. She wasn't tired or sad or happy, she missed Yan, but that was no different from the other times they were apart. In the end Su decided not to pay too much attention to it anymore, because she couldn't figure out the cause. She just hoped that whatever it was it would just pass.
She reached for the book with stories of the Bai Liang tribe and continued to read. Every so often she would feel a tightening in her stomach, but she wasn't concerned about it as she'd had this feeling the last few days and Rushuang had told her many woman experienced this leading up to the actual birth. After a while she asked the maid to walk with her to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling after having sat still for a while. They walked the flower garden only twice before Su wanted to return to her comfortable seat. The maid served the tea and all was quiet in Qi Mansion.
As she continued to read about her tribe Su noticed that the spells of uncomfortable tightening in her stomach didn't really subside and were changing from uncomfortable to slightly painful, but she still wasn't worried. She shifted in her seat, adjusting the pillows and massaging her lower back. When she returned to her book she was surprised to see that she had reached a story about her own parents. She'd just finished a shocking part in which her mother had been kidnapped by a high ranking lady, who had corroborated with Fan Yan Na, her father had given into the demand and had given the lady a shawl meant for the one he was supposed to marry, to free her mother, when a young guard came to announce that a maid from the imperial palace had come requesting to see her Highness. Su was curious as she had received a message from the dowager empress the day before, so it was unlikely that the dowager empress had sent the maid. The only other option was the emperor, what would be so urgent for the emperor to send a maid, he knew she was staying at home until the birth.
Just as the guard walked up with the maid the tightening of her stomach came again. Su was at first still able to clearly hear and understand what the maid said. The maid carried a letter sealed with the imperial seal. "The emperor requests your presence." The maid started, that was when the tightening became painful enough for Su not to be able to disregard it. Placing her hand over her belly and with her other grasping the side of the sofa on which she was reclining, Su hunched forward and focused on remaining calm. It was then that Su started to realize that she might actually be in labor and that thought was followed by a torrent of other thoughts, pushing the maid in front of her to the back of her mind. She should have someone fetch Rushuang, Yan had to be told, he'd made her promise to tell him when labor started so he could come home, but where was Yan? Su remembered something about a warehouse, but had he said anything about where the warehouse was? Su couldn't remember. At the same time she could feel herself get a little anxious at the thought of going through labor and giving birth. It all resulted in an inability to really focus on something. As the pain subsided Su heard someone asking something the person seemed to be far away, but with a last sigh and her stomach feeling normal again Su realized it was the maid in front of her who asked her if she was alright. Su glanced at the maid, then released her hand from the sofa and said, with a last stroke over her stomach: "I'm alright. Why are you here?" The maid again presented the letter with the imperial seal. "The emperor requests your presence at the palace." Su furrowed her eyebrow and opened the letter, which stated that court officials had questions that something felt off to Su, but with half of her mind occupied with the possible labor and birth, she wasn't able to pinpoint what it was. If this was a trap she should stay where she was, where Yan could find her. But if it was all real, not complying with the order given by the emperor could result in even greater trouble from which the emperor might not be able to shield them. Su called the guard and asked him to go to the stables and tell them to get the sedan ready. While they waited Su saw the maid become nervous. Something about this maid seemed familiar, but like with the letter: something didn't add up. It was highly likely Sy had never before seen this maid as there were many maids in the imperial palace, but still something was familiar and wrong.
Loud noises made Su turn her head away from the nervous maid. Coming from the stables were the guard and the carriage driver, Su sighed, she didn't want to argue with the carriage driver. The carriage driver was the only person in the household that Su had not been able to befriend. His grieve with Su, was that Su did not ask for his services often. Su preferred to ride herself or walk, rather then have the entire carriage be taken out. "Your Highness, this guard told us to prepare the sedan, but surely you will be much more comfortable in the carriage? What will the emperor and other court officials think if you don't arrive by carriage? They will surely think the carriage of Prince Qi is not properly maintained. Please reconsider." Su could feel another contraction coming up, so she didn't have much patience: "Are you questioning my order? Think carefully before you answer." The threat of punishment was clear, even though Su had never punished anyone in the household for mishaps. The driver seemed to want to protest again, but then thought better, bowed and then retreated.
With a last clear thought Su asked for Fei Yuan, only to be told that he had gone to the market to procure certain herbs for an ailing horse. As the contraction build to it's peak Su's mind first focused on practical things, like again how to get this information to her husband and how to get Rushuang to her, but as the contraction peaked Su could only think about the pain which was maybe not the worst she'd ever felt, remembering the beatings and the stinging pain she'd had to endure in prison, but it was enough for her thoughts to stop. Again the maid from the palace and one of her own maids, who had joined them, asked if Su was alright. And again Su said she was. "Your Highness, maybe you should stay here." Her maid suggested and Su agreed with her, but knew she didn't really have a choice. She had to get to the palace. So she ordered two for her maids to accompany her, they helped her to stand up. Su held the letter in one hand and asked one of her maids to also take the book she had been reading. Precisely why she wished to take it Su couldn't say, but something in the back of her mind was starting to flutter. Her head felt crowded so Su shook her head slightly, trying to get some rest in her head.
Slowly the ladies made their way to the waiting chair, the maids helped Su to sit down and shortly later the chair was lifted and the group made it's way to the palace. While she was seated Su took another look at the letter and seal, it seemed real, but something was off. She suddenly remembered one of the first days she had spent with Pei and their discussion on the name Ji, Su looked again at the name Ji, which was penned on the document and realized it wasn't the emperors handwriting. Just as she saw prove of the trap she heard a commotion outside. Lifting the curtain to look out Su saw unknown masked warriors jumping from surrounding houses. Thankfully Yan had ordered six guards to always accompany Su. The guards engaged the masked warriors in battle. The two maids pulled daggers from their dresses and stepped to the front of Su's sedan. Then Su saw the expression on the face of the palace maid and she knew that she might have been part of luring her out of her home, but this girl had not known of the assault they were fencing off. Su and the maid locked eyes and the fearful maid shook her head in answer to Su's unspoken question. Again Su was struck by how familiar she looked, but something was still wrong, it annoyed Su that the identity of this maid remained stubbornly out of reach. Su focused on the fight again and saw that her husband had apparently not thought six guards sufficient, because another six guards shed their disguises and helped fight the masked assailants, it didn't take long to win after the additional had come.
While the guards bound the assailants, one of the guards come to Su: "Your Highness, let's quickly continue on to the palace. We'll make sure these men are delivered to the Mingjing office." Su nodded and ordered her carriers to continue. The maids now remained closer and held the daggers in their hands. Likewise the guards walked closer to the ladies and had their swords drawn. When Su had calmed down from the assault she felt another contraction gulf through her stomach. She placed her hand over her stomach and the other pushed to the side of the sedan to provide some support. In silence she suffered through it, until it had subsided again. Now it wouldn't take long for them to reach the palace. Su took advantage of her, temporarily, clear brain and considered what had to be done when they reached the palace.