Afterwards, the ritual activities became more ordinary. The ceremonial officials guided Qin Yuanxi step by step, and he simply followed their instructions. When they said to kneel, he knelt; when they said to offer incense, he did so; whatever they asked him to do, he complied without interference from Prince Lu. Everything proceeded smoothly, and the preliminary sacrificial rites were completed. The next day, they were to continue with the tomb-sweeping activities at the imperial mausoleum, so naturally, they would spend the night at the palace.
This marked Qin Yuanxi’s second time leaving the palace, and although he had been here for a while, he hadn’t truly explored the outside world. For him, that sense of melancholy was inevitable.
However, he didn’t dwell on it for long.
On a hot summer night, after dinner, Qin Yuanxi sat by the window, enjoying a gentle breeze, trying to calm the restlessness of the day. He indulged in a piece of cold watermelon, which seemed harmless at first. But within moments, his stomach began to ache.
As a healthy young man, Qin Yuanxi was confident in his physical health. The sudden pain felt like someone relentlessly pounding his stomach with a stick, coming in sharp waves. Initially, he thought it might be due to the watermelon, so he endured the discomfort and headed to the restroom. However, he quickly realized it wasn’t the watermelon.
His stomach was hurting, throbbing in waves. It wasn’t just the watermelon in there; there was something else—a baby!
The realization turned Qin Yuanxi’s face pale.
He had little concept of pregnancy, his knowledge mainly derived from the plotlines of M-preg novels. What could he do now? The pain was intensifying, and he was panicking.
“Ding Yi, quick, get the imperial physician—no, get Yan Shaoning!” Qin Yuanxi clutched his stomach, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “Hurry!”
The young eunuch, who had been fanning the Emperor and sneaking in a nap, was startled by this unexpected interruption. His fan fell, and his face turned ashen.
“But, Your Majesty, we didn’t bring the imperial physician this time, and Yan Shaoning didn’t come with us.”
Qin Yuanxi was now in so much pain that he could hardly speak. What kind of situation was this?
Did the Emperor not bring an imperial physician when going out? That was unheard of! Even Emperor Qianlong brought a medical expert with him when traveling to southern regions. A physician was crucial; how could they not bring one? It might be understandable that Yan Shaoning wasn’t included, but not bringing an imperial physician was unacceptable.
Sweating profusely, Qin Yuanxi was trembling. “Call, call Prince Lu here!”
Because Qin Yuanxi didn’t want to see Prince Lu today, he had arranged his lodgings far away. He even had the cheek to say it was for Prince Lu to relax and enjoy the fragrance of lotus flowers in the distant corner of the palace, showing him great favor.
Now, he regretted it immensely. If he had known about this situation, he should have let Prince Lu stay nearby. If there was an emergency, at least Prince Lu’s presence could be of some use.
Qin Yuanxi curled up on the soft bed, feeling cold sweat running down his body. He had never experienced anything like this before. But a vague sense of fear crept into his heart. He felt sad, though he didn’t understand why. Touching his stomach, it felt strangely cold. The little baby inside seemed to be throwing a tantrum, and Qin Yuanxi felt as if it were about to leave him.
He didn’t actually have a very real feeling about this child, touching his little belly didn’t show any signs of pregnancy. His earlier talk about being pregnant or not had just been words without a sense of reality. But now, those waves of pain were making him feel the reality of it. With his forehead against the pillow, Qin Yuanxi bit his lower lip.
The pain came in waves, making his vision start to darken, and his consciousness became somewhat blurry. His whole body was drenched in sweat, and it felt like he was halfway to the afterlife.
When Lu Bohuan was called over, this was the scene he saw. Qin Yuanxi curled up on the soft bed, his small frame seeming to have heard the commotion, he looked towards Lu Bohuan. In that glance, there was a hint of tears, his lips were pale without a hint of color. He looked fragile and pitiful, like an injured little animal waiting for rescue.
“What’s going on?”
The young eunuch Ding Yi, who followed the Regent, replied nervously, “Your Majesty was fine just a moment ago, but suddenly his stomach started hurting.”
“Lu Bohuan!” Qin Yuanxi frowned, pressing his belly and gasping softly. “My stomach… it hurts so much. Am I going to die?”
His voice was hoarse, filled with helplessness and panic. Lu Bohuan glanced at him, then sighed almost faintly. He took a step forward, touched Qin Yuanxi’s forehead, which was cool and covered in cold sweat, and wiped the sweat away with a warm towel. Then he instructed the young eunuch, “Get hot water.”
The young eunuch quickly fetched hot water, but when he came to attend to His Majesty, he was blocked by Prince Lu.
Lu Bohuan held Qin Yuanxi with one hand, protecting him in his arms. He used a warm towel to wipe the sweat from his face and body while reassuring him, “We’ve already sent for a doctor, and Yan Shaoning will be here soon. You’ll be fine.”
“My… my stomach hurts so much. Am I…” Qin Yuanxi couldn’t continue, covering his stomach, his expression filled with sadness that he couldn’t put into words. “Never mind, why am I telling you this? You’d be delighted.”
“Lu Bohuan, if something happens to me, I won’t let you off even in the afterlife! I’ll become a vengeful ghost and haunt you every night, making sure you have no peace!”
Although he had no strength left, and his words of threat were feeble, they somehow conveyed a fragile sense of beauty.
“It’ll be okay; the doctor will be here soon,” Lu Bohuan, unusually gentle, continued to wipe away the sweat with the warm towel and used his other hand to protect Qin Yuanxi’s belly. “You’ll be fine, and the child in your belly will be fine too. Nothing will happen.”
“You… how dare you bring me to this ancestral ritual! This mountain is so high, and it’s so hot today. You made me climb up here by myself,” Qin Yuanxi spoke slowly, taking breaks between sentences, his breath never quite steady. “I think you have malicious intentions. You want my life. If I become a corpse with two souls, I’ll make sure you pay for it, even if I become a vengeful ghost.”
“Damn it!” Qin Yuanxi’s voice trembled with frustration. “Did I owe you in my past life? You’re tormenting me so much. When others are in a relationship, they worry about money at most. But when I’m in a relationship with you, I have to worry about whether you’ll kill me. Why am I so unlucky?”
Qin Yuanxi muttered quietly, his strength waning. After cursing for a while, he couldn’t muster the energy anymore. His vision darkened, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Lu Bohuan, did you forget to call a doctor for me? Go, hurry, get Zhao Tuo out here. I don’t want to die here.I haven’t seen the great rivers and mountains of the motherland. I can’t just die here for no reason. Hurry and let Zhao Tuo come out. Tell him to find a doctor for me quickly. Hurry, it hurts so much!”
“We’ve already called for a doctor. They’re on their way from the base of the mountain,” Lu Bohuan reassured Qin Yuanxi, gripping his hand tightly. Veins stood out on the back of his hand, a sign that he was trying to endure something. “You’ll be fine, I promise, nothing will happen.”
Qin Yuanxi was in too much pain to even comprehend what he was saying. He blurted out words as they came to his mind, and Lu Bohuan responded to whatever he said with agreement and reassurance.
When the doctor arrived, Qin Yuanxi’s face was covered, and he wasn’t foolish. He could tell what was happening from the situation.
“My wife was climbing the mountain today and might have strained herself. Now she’s in severe pain in her abdomen. Could you please take a look?” Lu Bohuan began, almost making Qin Yuanxi lose his composure if not for Lu Bohuan’s support.
He had seen people who could make up stories, but he had never seen someone as skilled as Lu Bohuan. The key was that Lu Bohuan seemed so earnest that it was hard to detect any issues.
The doctor, not suspecting anything, examined Qin Yuanxi’s pulse. After a brief check, he said, “Madam is fatigued and caught a chill, which has caused discomfort in her abdomen. I’ll prescribe a tonic formula, and after three days of consumption, she’ll be fine.”
Qin Yuanxi was about to ask a question but then remembered that he was playing the role of ‘Madam.’ He glared resentfully at Lu Bohuan and tugged at his sleeve, pointing to his own stomach, indicating that Lu Bohuan should ask.
Lu Bohuan held his hand down and asked sincerely, “Her stomach has been hurting continuously. Is the child okay?”
The doctor smiled and said, “The child is robust, and the pulse is strong. There’s no problem. However, Madam has a weak constitution and needs proper care.”
Lu Bohuan understood and signaled for someone to take the doctor down to prescribe the medicine. When the bowl of dark concoction was brought back up, Lu Bohuan watched as Qin Yuanxi took it willingly, without needing any persuasion. His facial expressions contorted as he drank, which looked quite amusing.
With the empty bowl in his hand, Lu Bohuan commented, “You’re surprisingly obedient today.”
Qin Yuanxi gave him an annoyed look. “This is a matter of life and death. Can we joke about it?”
He didn’t like taking medicine, especially something as bitter as this. For a simple cold, it wasn’t worth it. But now it was different. When it came to the baby’s safety and his own, he couldn’t be stubborn. Even if he had to drink thirty bowls, he’d grit his teeth and do it.
As for small matters, he could throw tantrums. But for something this significant, there had to be some reason.
“Want to chat?” Lu Bohuan asked.
What was there to chat about? He knew exactly what Lu Bohuan wanted to talk about, and did Qin Yuanxi want to discuss it?
Absolutely not!
So, he decisively covered himself and went to sleep. Surprisingly, Lu Bohuan didn’t say anything either. As Qin Yuanxi hid under the covers to sleep, Lu Bohuan sat down, holding a teacup, lost in thought. The night was cool and serene. When Yan Shaoning arrived late in the night, he was greeted by the sight of Lu Bohuan dutifully keeping watch for the Emperor. It was an odd scene.
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)
