The scene fell eerily silent in an instant, and for the first time, Qin Yuanxi felt like he could hear a pin drop. It wasn’t just the silence that struck him as strange; there was an oddity in the air. The royal physicians lowered their heads, and if they could, Qin Yuanxi thought they might all vanish into thin air. On the other hand, Yan Shaoning’s expression grew slightly stern. He took the initiative to come over and check Qin Yuanxi’s pulse once more, then gave a definite answer.
“It is indeed the case.”
“What do you mean by ‘indeed the case’? What case are we talking about?” Qin Yuanxi was utterly perplexed by the situation.
Was it about a woman’s pulse? What was so special about a woman’s pulse? Or was this some professional slang he didn’t understand? Before he could get an answer, Prince Lu suddenly moved, grabbing him and leading him toward the back hall.
“What are you doing? Lu Bohuan, what’s the meaning of this? Where are you taking me? This is outrageous!”
Prince Lu pulled him forward as if he was leading a docile little chick, displaying no pressure whatsoever. With shoves and tugs, he finally pushed Qin Yuanxi into the inner chamber, where the grand, spacious dragon bed awaited. Qin Yuanxi instinctively thought of some less-than-appropriate matters and immediately covered his chest, clutching his clothing, staring at Lu Bohuan with caution.
“What are you doing? Lu Bohuan, I’m telling you, stop this nonsense!”
With a wave of his hand, Prince Lu summoned four palace maids, who obediently stood by Prince Lu’s side, clearly following his every command. Lu Bohuan glanced at Qin Yuanxi, who was on high alert, with an unfriendly expression, and instructed the palace maids, “Examine his identity.”
Then he turned to leave.
Even someone as clueless as Qin Yuanxi understood what was going on now.
“Lu Bohuan!” As the palace maids approached to disrobe him, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t hold back his outrage. “You dare! Stop them immediately! You bastard, Lu Bohuan, I’m a man! A man! You bring these girls over to undress me, have you no shame? You scoundrel, make them stop, don’t tug at me!”
Having grown up with a mature understanding of himself, Qin Yuanxi had known his sexual preferences from a young age. He wasn’t interested in soft, beautiful women; he preferred men with a strong and rugged presence. He had always accepted this without reservation. As he had minimal interactions with women throughout his life, suddenly facing four seemingly delicate but incredibly strong-willed young women who were about to strip him was an overwhelming experience. Qin Yuanxi couldn’t handle it!
Despite hearing Qin Yuanxi’s words, Lu Bohuan didn’t order the palace maids to stop. He continued to face away from Qin Yuanxi and said, “The royal physicians diagnosed your pulse. There can be no mistakes.”
“So what?!” Qin Yuanxi protected his clothes, thankful that they were layered. He managed to avoid looking too disheveled after the struggle with the grasping hands. After breaking free from the grasp of the palace maids, Qin Yuanxi’s expression wasn’t much better. “All of you, get lost! You come over and try to undress the emperor; do you have a death wish? I’ll have your entire families executed!”
In his desperation, he babbled nonsense. He didn’t really mean what he said, he just wanted to get out of this embarrassing situation. After escaping the clutches of the four palace maids, he headed straight for Lu Bohuan. He was furious, standing in front of Lu Bohuan and said, “Since you suspect me, why don’t you personally come and verify? Everyone else, leave!”
The palace maids exchanged glances, then saw that Prince Lu showed no reaction whatsoever. They ultimately withdrew.
In the inner chamber, there was no one around. Qin Yuanxi’s clothes were in disarray, giving him a slightly messy yet attractive look. Lu Bohuan’s gaze briefly swept across that delicate face, then moved away. He stood still, neither expressing approval nor disapproval. This indifference irritated Qin Yuanxi. He didn’t waste any time and, in one swift motion, ripped open his own collar and grabbed Lu Bohuan’s hand, pressing it against his chest.
“What is the Prince suspecting? Huh? Suspecting that I’ve sent someone to impersonate me? Or perhaps doubting I’m disguised as a man? If you have doubts, why don’t you verify it yourself, my Prince?” Qin Yuanxi’s words weren’t particularly polite. “Since Prince Lu wields such immense power, even if you were to humiliate me, no one would dare to question you. If you doubt me, investigate it yourself. Provide evidence, and I will submit to your judgment. Otherwise, I kindly request Prince Lu to show some restraint!”
He was not only angry; the look of humiliation on his face was just right. Prince Lu’s hand was still on Qin Yuanxi’s chest, which was completely flat, leaving nothing to discover. Lu Bohuan’s expression remained unchanged as he withdrew his hand and made a move to leave.
After all that Qin Yuanxi had said, he hadn’t received any response, which infuriated him even more.
Standing behind Lu Bohuan, he said in an irritated tone, “Lu Bohuan, if you don’t give me an explanation today, this matter won’t end between us!”
Lu Bohuan’s response was straightforward. He called for Yan Shaoning. “He’s not a woman.”
His voice was icy and somewhat stiff. From the slight stiffness, Yan Shaoning, who knew him well, could sense a hint of embarrassment. Whatever these two had been doing in the inner chamber, it seemed rather intriguing.
Indeed, it was intriguing, but Yan Shaoning glanced at Qin Yuanxi and then signaled to Lu Bohuan, indicating that he needed to have a private conversation.
“What are you signaling for? It turns out the divine physician is just a quack, twisting facts to fit his narrative. You have quite a talent for that,” Qin Yuanxi’s arrogance was on full display now, driven primarily by his frustration.
Bullying someone wasn’t supposed to go like this. This guy called himself a Prince, yet he had no dignity as a human being. He could tolerate a lot, but there were limits!
Lu Bohuan, I advise you not to go too far!
Yan Shaoning was also in a difficult position, looking left and right, trying to seek help. However, Lu Bohuan had no intention of helping him out. Yan Shaoning finally broke down and said, “Resembling a woman’s pulse is a polite way for a physician to describe it. In reality, Your Majesty’s pulse is a happy pulse!”
Once his mouth was open, it became easier to speak. Yan Shaoning didn’t hold back and continued, “It’s just that this pulse is extremely rare, especially in a man. I didn’t recognize it as a happy pulse, but in the palace, the imperial physicians are different. They often diagnose happy pulses in the concubines. They are experts in this field. I’ve heard people say that the palace physicians can diagnose a happy pulse that has lasted for more than a month, and they are highly accurate. So, they were able to diagnose it immediately.”
After Yan Shaoning finished speaking, he willingly stepped aside. “Resembling a woman’s pulse doesn’t mean what you think.”1Qin Yuanxi thinks Lu Bohuan and others are trying to say he is a woman.
Qin Yuanxi stood still, blinked a couple of times, and then said, “Are you suggesting that I’m pregnant? What a joke! Have you ever seen a man get pregnant and give birth? Are you out of your mind!”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
