The Crown Princess had rehearsed with Manbao before. She pushed downward, and all the pain that had been subdued by Zhou Man's acupuncture seemed to come rushing back, causing her to cry out involuntarily.
Seeing the dilation of the cervix, Manbao said to the Crown Princess, "Relax, relax, take a deep breath first. Yes, like that, hold your breath, then push harder..."
After several tries, the Crown Princess couldn't help but shake her head and cried, "It's too painful, too painful..."
Manbao touched her belly and said, "The pain has already been reduced, Your Highness. No acupuncture can be applied now; you have to bear it yourself. Other women experience even worse pain during childbirth. If they can do it, you certainly can too. Think about the Prince, think about this child you've been wishing for all these years..."
The midwife said, "You're not using the right force. Think again about how to exert yourself. Come, let's bend her legs a bit more..."
