Chapter 423

“What on earth is going on?”

The Emperor looked at Jiang Xinyue lying on the bed, her brows and eyes softened as if she were smiling, yet she remained unconscious. “Didn’t you say she was fine? Why hasn’t she woken up even after a whole day? I’ve tried everything to rouse her.”

Yan the Imperial Physician was beginning to panic. He checked her pulse again and even lifted her eyelids to examine her. “This shouldn’t be happening! I didn’t detect twins earlier—perhaps the Seventh Prince was blocking the Third Princess. But Her Majesty didn’t suffer a difficult birth, nor did she hemorrhage. There’s no reason for her to be in a coma!”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses. Wake her up immediately, or I’ll have your heads.”

“Your Majesty, please calm down… let this old servant think of a solution… think of a solution…”

He was desperate. If Jiang Xinyue didn’t recover, the Yan Family would be doomed. Over the years, he had aligned himself with the Empress, and in doing so, he had made many enemies. If anything happened to her, those enemies would tear him apart.

And what about his daughter? She had married half a year ago and was now pregnant. Though her husband’s family doted on her, who knew if it was out of genuine affection or fear of the Yan Family’s close ties with the Empress?

For the sake of the Yan Family’s prosperity, for his hard-earned position as the head of the Imperial Hospital, and for his daughter’s marital happiness, he had to wake the Empress, no matter what.

As night fell, everyone in Kunning Palace prayed for the Empress’s recovery. However, one wet nurse, Yun Niang, kept passing gas.

The wet nurse sharing the room with Yun Niang couldn’t take it anymore. She rushed out of the side chamber and went straight to the head maid. “Nanny, I can’t stand it anymore. Please let Yun Niang go to the restroom. It’s unbearable—she keeps farting.”

How could she feed the Seventh Prince and Third Princess like this?

“What’s going on?”

The head maid pushed the door open and was immediately hit by a foul smell. She quickly stepped back. “What did you eat?”

Yun Niang’s face turned red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Nanny. I… I might have kicked off the blanket last night and caught a chill in my stomach. I didn’t mean to…”

She clutched her stomach, looking pained. The head maid waved her hand and called for two maids. “Take Yun Niang to the restroom. Remember, Eunuch Tang has ordered that until the truth behind Her Majesty’s condition is uncovered, no one is to act alone.”

“Yes.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The two young maids were under Xi Que’s supervision. They were lively and clever, but like their leader, they lacked a bit of common sense.

Along the way, Yun Niang continued to pass gas. By the time they reached the restroom, she looked even more embarrassed. She turned to one of the maids and said, “I’m so sorry to trouble you, but… my undergarments seem to be soiled. Could you please go back and fetch me a clean pair?”

The maid, feeling sorry for her, quickly agreed. She told the other maid to keep a close eye on Yun Niang, warning her that Xi Que would scold them if they messed up.

Once the maid left, Yun Niang entered the restroom. Not long after, the door to the adjacent stall opened.

The maid guarding the door glanced over but quickly turned her attention back to Yun Niang’s stall.

A plank between the two stalls was quietly removed, and a figure in blue leaned over. “Did you put the medicine I gave you into the Empress’s tonic? Why is she in a coma? She was supposed to bleed to death!”

Yun Niang broke into a cold sweat, her heart pounding. “I was too nervous. I hadn’t finished pouring the medicine when Nanny Xiang came to take the tonic. I only managed to put a little in before I ran off. If Nanny Xiang had caught me, I’d be finished.”

“You fool… you had the perfect chance to get rid of Jiang Xinyue, and you wasted it. If she wakes up and investigates, you’ll be the first one they come after. I’ll deny everything.”

“What should I do then?”

“Finish what you started. Kill Jiang Xinyue. Only her death can save you. Otherwise, the people in her palace will track you down in no time.”

“But how can I… she’s the Empress…”

“Yun Niang, are you done? I thought I heard you talking to someone.”

“Oh, no, no… I’m alone in here. Who would I be talking to? You can come in and see for yourself.”

Just as the maid with the clean undergarments pushed the door open, the plank between the stalls was hastily put back in place, and the figure in blue slipped away.

The two maids looked at Yun Niang, who was still squatting over the chamber pot. “Hurry up. If we’re late, Nanny will scold us.”

The towering palace walls and majestic rooftops held no interest for the Fourth Prince.

He and the Crown Prince had just been in the Imperial Library, undergoing an examination by Grand Preceptor Jing, when Xiao Xiangzi from Kunning Palace came running, out of breath, to inform them that their father had summoned them back immediately.

The two boys rushed into Kunning Palace, barely noticing the Emperor sitting by the bed. They threw themselves at Jiang Xinyue’s bedside, her peaceful, closed eyes making them fear the worst.

“Mother! Mother!”

“Mother… wu wu… Mother…”

The Crown Prince cried so hard that snot bubbles formed. “Mother, get up… get up and fly kites with me… wu wu… Little Dumpling wants to fly kites.”

His words were still babyish and unclear, his sobs punctuated by hiccups.

The Fourth Prince clung to Jiang Xinyue’s hand, rubbing it against his cheek. “Mother, didn’t you say you’d test Little Dumpling and me on our studies after Grand Preceptor Jing’s lesson today? We’re back now. Please wake up. I even taught Little Dumpling a poem. Listen…”

“The threads of a loving mother’s hands… wu wu… sewing clothes… Mother sewed Little Dumpling’s clothes…”

The Crown Prince climbed over the Emperor and onto the bed, lying directly on Jiang Xinyue’s chest. When he heard her heartbeat, he suddenly sat up and pointed at her chest, exclaiming to the Fourth Prince, “Fourth Brother, Mother’s heart… is beating!”

The Fourth Prince, who had been crying uncontrollably, quickly wiped his tears and grabbed Jiang Xinyue’s hand. “It’s warm! Mother is still alive!”

He looked up at the Emperor. “Father, where’s the physician? Call the physician to save Mother!”

The Emperor had been keeping vigil by the bed all night, his head heavy with exhaustion. Tang Shiliang stepped forward to support him. “Your Majesty, please rest in the side chamber for a while. If Her Majesty wakes, I’ll inform you immediately.”

The Emperor patted the Crown Prince’s head and lifted him off Jiang Xinyue. “Xiao Man, take good care of your brother. Yan the Imperial Physician will be here soon to administer acupuncture. I’ll rest for a bit, but I’ll be close by if anything happens.”

He couldn’t stay during the acupuncture session. If Yan the Imperial Physician became nervous and made a mistake, it could be fatal.

“Don’t guard the door. I’ll rest for a while. Keep an eye on Xinyue. I won’t tolerate any harm coming to her.”

He needed to regain his strength so he could thoroughly investigate the cause of Xinyue’s coma.