OBS Chapter 1240 The Princess is Fierce, Feeding on Tiger Milk
Chapter 1240 The Princess is Fierce, Feeding on Tiger Milk
In the center of the tent, Ma Chao sat carefully on the edge of the bed, gently touching his daughter's face with his fingertips. He then turned to his son, his voice so soft it could melt water: "Look at this girl, her eyebrows and eyes are like yours, and this boy's nose is somewhat like mine."
Dong Bai smiled weakly, her gaze sweeping over the two children's faces, her eyes filled with a mother's tenderness: "They're both good, they're both my precious children."
Dong Bai looked at Ma Yue, who was breathing a sigh of relief, and weakly raised her hand. Ma Yue quickly leaned closer and pressed his cheek against his mother's palm. Although the palm was cool, it carried a reassuring warmth.
"Yue'er, thank you." Dong Bai's voice was as light as a feather. "Although you are young, you have done so much for your mother. I am truly happy for you."
Ma Yue shook her head, her eyes red-rimmed: "Mother, this is what I should do. They are my younger brothers and sisters, and I will protect them just as you protected me."
Everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh at the childish vow, and the atmosphere inside the tent became even warmer.
Hua Tuo, however, quietly tugged at Ma Chao's sleeve, signaling him to speak privately. Seeing that the two physicians' expressions remained grave, Ma Chao's heart skipped a beat, and he followed them to a side hall.
As soon as he entered, Hua Tuo said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, there is something we must say."
Zhang Ji nodded in agreement and continued, "The young master is born with a deficiency and his body is too weak. I'm afraid... he won't survive."
"What?" Ma Chao was struck dumb. He grabbed the two men's wrists tightly, his knuckles turning white. "You are the greatest doctors of our time! You must have a way, right? Think of something!"
Hua Tuo and Zhang Ji were gripped so tightly by him that it hurt, but they dared not break free. Zhang Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps... there is a way we can try."
"Speak quickly! Speak freely!" Ma Chao urged.
“We still need the divine medicine from Zhang Tianshi’s mansion,” Zhang Ji said slowly. “However, the young master is too young to take the medicine directly. We can only have the madam take it every day, and let the medicine pass to him through her breast milk. The madam has just given birth to twins and is extremely weak. She needs to be nourished, so this is appropriate. In this way, the medicine will be in the breast milk, which may be able to prolong the young master’s life.”
He paused, his tone heavy: "However, this method has its drawbacks—the medicine is potent, and the lady is already weak and blood-deficient after childbirth. If she takes it for a long time, she may have difficulty conceiving again. Moreover, this breast milk containing the medicine is beneficial to the young master, but it may not be beneficial to the little princess. The two children need to be separated, and the little princess needs to be fed by someone else."
A fierce struggle flashed across Ma Chao's face. On one side was his son's life, on the other was Dong Bai's health and future, and even more so, his newborn daughter... He remained silent for a moment, the candlelight in the hall illuminating his tense profile. Suddenly, a resolute glint appeared in his eyes.
"We will do as you say, sir." He said each word clearly, his voice filled with unwavering determination. "No matter what, this is my son, Ma Chao's son, the flesh and blood that Bai'er risked his life for. Even if there is only a sliver of hope, we will raise him!"
He released his grip, his palms already damp with sweat: "As for Bai'er, I'll go and talk to her. As for the divine medicine, I'll trouble you two gentlemen to make another trip to the Celestial Master's Mansion and beg for it. As for the breast milk, I'll have someone arrange everything properly, ensuring that the little princess doesn't get a single drop."
Hua Tuo and Zhang Ji exchanged a glance, and seeing that he had made up his mind, they cupped their hands and replied, "We obey your command."
Ma Chao turned to look towards the main hall, where he could faintly hear Dong Bai's gentle whispers. He took a deep breath and silently said in his heart: Bai'er, I'm sorry to have wronged you. But our children, not one of them can be missing.
The flickering candlelight in the side hall reflected his upright back, as well as a profound sense of paternal love and responsibility.
The quest for medicine went relatively smoothly. Upon hearing of the young master's critical condition, Zhang Tianshi offered the remaining divine medicine, repeatedly warning that it was potent and should be used with caution. When explaining the situation to Dong Bai, the princess, who had just endured the pain of childbirth, remained silent for a moment before gently nodding: "As long as the child's life can be saved, what is this sacrifice of mine?" She stroked her still weak body, her eyes filled with tenderness even more than usual, "It's just that my daughter has suffered; I must cherish her more from now on."
Everything proceeded according to plan. Dong Bai took the divine medicine daily, and her breast milk gradually absorbed its effects, feeding the little prince. Although the little guy was still thin and weak, he had more vitality than when he was born, and his cries could be faintly heard.
No one expected that finding a wet nurse for the young princess would become such a thorny issue.
When news spread that the Liang Prince's Mansion was seeking a wet nurse for his young princess, women from both inside and outside Chang'an practically broke down the mansion's gates. Becoming a wet nurse in the Prince's Mansion meant not only a hefty reward but also the chance to share in the mansion's good fortune—a highly coveted opportunity. However, when it came to feeding the young princess, everyone encountered a problem.
This little princess was naturally strong, and when she nursed, she was as fierce as a little beast, biting her until she bled. The wet nurse who was bitten was in so much pain that her face turned pale, but out of gratitude to the Prince's mansion, she endured it and dared not make a sound.
Although Ma Chao repeatedly offered generous rewards and personally apologized, for several days in a row, each wet nurse could only feed once. Some daring women, hoping for a lucky break, tried their luck, but before entering the room, they were as nervous as if going into battle, clutching their clothes, their faces pale. Less than half an hour later, they would stagger out, clutching their chests, their eyes red-rimmed, clearly having suffered again.
"This little princess... could she possess some kind of divine power?" The steward in charge of the matter reported to Ma Chao with a worried look on his face. "We invited three wet nurses today, and one of them went in crying and came out. The last one was trembling outside the door and dared not go in no matter what we said."
Ma Chao stood under the eaves, listening to the faint cries of his daughter coming from the inner palace. The cries were loud and clear, unlike those of a newborn infant. He frowned, feeling both anxious and somewhat amused. This girl had a temper as fierce as a wild horse; could she have taken after him?
“Go find some bolder women, and double the reward,” Ma Chao said in a deep voice. “Tell them that if they can keep the princess breastfeeding peacefully, their whole family will be supported by the royal family from now on.”
The steward left as instructed, but when the news spread, although many people still came, they all looked hesitant. A woman who had given birth to three children mustered her courage and tried it. When she came out, her clothes were stained with blood. She told people, "The princess's little teeth haven't even grown in yet, but the force is greater than my three sons combined! It bites so hard it hurts like hell..."
Listening from the side, Ma Yue couldn't help but move closer to Ma Chao: "Father, is my sister starving? Should I... go and comfort her?"
Ma Chao patted his son's head and gave a wry smile: "What use are you? You can't breastfeed her." He looked towards the inner palace and thought to himself: This girl is so spirited. When she grows up, she will probably create a different kind of world.
Things proceeded smoothly in the Prince's mansion, and no one noticed that a figure quietly left Chang'an in the early morning, heading towards the depths of the mountains north of the city. The figure quickly disappeared into the dense forest.
New Year's Eve arrived in the blink of an eye. Chang'an City was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the sound of firecrackers could be faintly heard. However, a matter added a touch of sorrow to the Liang Prince's mansion. The little girl was nursing too hard, and the wet nurse endured it without making a sound, but Ma Chao saw her pale face from the pain and was anxious in his heart.
Just as he was worrying about this matter, a commotion suddenly broke out outside, and Ma Yue burst in like a gust of wind, his face filled with unprecedented excitement: "Father! Go out and see! General Dian Wei has brought back something incredible!"
Ma Chao frowned: "What's all this commotion about?" Despite his displeasure, he still followed Ma Yue toward the main hall.
As soon as they entered the hall, they saw a group of maids and guards huddled in a corner, their faces filled with shock and fear. In the center of the hall, Dian Wei's towering figure was half-crouched, with a striped tiger seemingly pressing down on him! The tiger was enormous, but Dian Wei was holding it down by the scruff of its neck, letting out a low growl. Its eyes, like copper bells, were full of ferocity, yet it could not break free.
"Dian Wei!" Ma Chao was both angry and shocked. "If you're itching to hunt a tiger, then go hunt one! Why bring this live creature into the main hall? What if it frightens the Queen and the children!"
Dian Wei grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. He didn't let go, but pointed at the tiger and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be in a hurry. Take a look at this!" He then pulled out a furry little thing from his pocket. It turned out to be a tiger cub that had just been born. The cub closed its eyes and rubbed against Dian Wei's palm.
Ma Chao was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "You mean... this is a tigress?"
Dian Wei nodded quickly, released his grip on the tiger's neck, and instead picked up the cub and tossed it in front of its mother. Upon seeing this, the mother tiger's growl immediately changed tone. She struggled to lower her head, licking the cub's fur with her rough tongue. The ferocity in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a touch of maternal tenderness. Dian Wei pointed to the mother tiger's belly and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, look! She has plenty of milk!"
Ma Chao suddenly realized what was happening. Looking at the now docile tigress and remembering his own fierce little princess, a bold idea suddenly popped into his head. He looked at Dian Wei: "You... want my daughter to drink this tiger's milk?"
"Exactly!" Dian Wei nodded repeatedly. "The little princess's bites are unbearable, but this tigress has thick skin and can definitely withstand it! Besides, tiger milk is strong, which might even give the princess more strength!"
Ma Chao was already at his wit's end about this matter, and after hearing Dian Wei's words, he actually felt that this absurd idea made some sense. He gritted his teeth and said, "Let's give it a try!" He immediately ordered the maid, "Go and bring the little princess here."
The maidservant cautiously brought the swaddled baby. As soon as she approached the main hall, the little princess seemed to smell something and began to wriggle inside, her little head constantly pushing outwards. Ma Chao took his daughter, untied a corner of the swaddling clothes, revealing her round little face. The little one's eyes weren't even open, yet instinctively, she followed the scent and nuzzled towards her mother, the tigress.
"Come on, try this." Ma Chao held his daughter and carefully brought her to the mother tiger's belly.
The little princess seemed to have found her target; she opened her little mouth and accurately began to nurse.
At first, the mother tiger seemed a little uncomfortable, letting out two low whimpers and trembling slightly. But when the little princess unconsciously nuzzled against her while nursing, the mother tiger paused, then gradually became docile, ceasing her struggles and simply lying quietly, letting the little princess nurse. Even the cub wobbled over and joined the little princess, nursing alongside her.
This scene left everyone in the hall speechless. Ma Chao was even more amazed, his heart finally at ease, and he couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, "Good, good, good! Dian Wei, you have done a great service!" He turned to the guards and said, "Quickly get some fresh meat to nourish this tigress properly, and make sure she doesn't go hungry!"
Dian Wei scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, "It's good that I can help."
Ma Yue leaned closer and watched his younger sister and Little Tiger nursing together. He couldn't help but whisper, "Dad, is my sister... going to become Little Tiger's brother?"
Ma Chao was amused and patted his head: "This girl, she seems to have been born with a fierce spirit."
Outside the palace, firecrackers crackled and popped, but inside, the tiger and the infant coexisted peacefully. This unexpected interlude on New Year's Eve had inadvertently solved the problem. Looking at his daughter's contented face, Ma Chao suddenly felt that this spirited girl might truly live a different kind of life, just like the tiger.