Chapter 54 Pregnancy

As everyone was enjoying their meal and chatting, the eldest princess suddenly covered her mouth and gagged, immediately drawing the attention of all the guests in the hall.

"Auntie!" Yan Jinyue stood up and stepped forward with concern, "What's wrong?"

The princess picked up her teacup, took a sip, and suppressed her stomach discomfort: "I'm fine."

"Let's call a doctor to come and take a look." Yan Jinyue looked worried. After speaking, she turned to the nanny who came with her, took something out of her sleeve and handed it to her, "Nanny Hui, take my token and go to the palace to invite an imperial physician."

As she spoke, she gave Granny Hui a wink, signaling her to hurry up and go.

Granny Hui nodded: "Yes."

Wen Shiyu quickly stopped her: "Mother, let me go and fetch a doctor for you. If we alarm the palace, the Empress Dowager will be worried—"

"So what if the Empress Dowager knows?" Yan Jinyue said dismissively. "My aunt is the Empress Dowager's most beloved daughter. If my aunt is unwell, the Empress Dowager has the right to know."

Without saying a word, Granny Hui took Yan Jinyue's token and left quickly.

The eldest princess looked very uncomfortable. She clutched her chest, her brows furrowed, and she leaned back listlessly in her chair without uttering a word.

A dark glint flashed in Wen Shiyu's eyes, and he hurriedly said, "I'll go tell Father."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Wait a minute." Chu Yunjin quickly said, "The Princess is not feeling well and it's not good for her to sit here. Your Highness, please take the Princess back to her room to lie down first, and then invite the Prince Consort over."

Wen Shiyu glanced at her expressionlessly.

"What's wrong?" Chu Yunjin asked, puzzled, raising her hand to touch her face. "What's on my face?"

"It's nothing." Wen Shiyu withdrew his gaze, suppressing the fierce look in his eyes, and stepped forward to help the princess. "Mother, I'll take you back to your room."

After leaving the Princess's residence, Granny Hui took the Sixth Princess's token and boarded the Prince of Yan's carriage. She hurried to the palace to fetch the imperial physician. It was only after Wen Shiyu had settled the Princess in her bedroom and then went to the male guests to fetch his father that the Prince Consort Wen learned that the Princess was unwell.

"Your mother is unwell?" Even at thirty-five or thirty-six, the Imperial Son-in-Law Wen maintained his refined gentlemanly demeanor. Upon hearing of his beloved wife's illness, his face immediately showed worry and anxiety. "Have you gone to fetch a doctor?"

Wen Shiyu nodded: "Father, the Sixth Princess sent the nanny with the token to the palace to invite the imperial physician."

Prince Consort Wen paused for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."

He rushed to the courtyard where the eldest princess was without looking back, but when he entered the courtyard, he found his daughter kneeling on the corridor copying books. He stopped in his tracks and asked, "Jingyi, what are you doing?"

Wen Jingyi looked up at her father, her face pale and her eyes red and swollen: "Your daughter disobeyed the Sixth Princess and the Princess Consort of Yan, and Mother punished me by making me kneel and copy the Classic of Filial Piety twenty times."

Wen Fuma's expression stiffened slightly, then he chuckled softly, "How could your mother bear to punish you so severely? This is all for the Sixth Princess and the Princess Consort of Yan to see. After the banquet, your mother will naturally let you get up."

As he spoke, he patted her head reassuringly and turned to walk towards the main room.

The eldest princess lay on the bed, surrounded by a group of people, all of whom were royal princesses and consorts, making it look somewhat crowded.

"Your Highness." Consort Wen pushed through the crowd, hurried to the bedside, took her hand, and looked at her with concern in his eyes. "What's wrong? Why did you suddenly feel nauseous?"

"I feel a little nauseous," the princess sighed. "I don't know if it's from eating something bad, but I don't think it's anything serious."

"My aunt's symptoms don't seem like an upset stomach; they sound more like she's pregnant," Yan Jinyue couldn't help but guess. "I've heard that this is how pregnant women react—"

"Impossible!" Prince Consort Wen categorically denied. "The Princess is infertile; how could she be pregnant?"

Princess Ning'an raised her head, looking at his intense reaction in that instant. Her gaze deepened slightly, and then, as if she had thought of something sad, she lowered her eyes and fell silent.

Yan Jinyue clearly hadn't expected such a strong reaction from him, and gave an awkward smile: "I... I was just saying it casually, Uncle, please don't get agitated."

Wen, the Prince Consort, quickly realized that he had overreacted. His expression tightened, but he quickly regained his gentle demeanor: "I'm not excited, I'm just too worried about the Princess and afraid that she might feel pressured."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Wen Shiyu: "Has the doctor arrived?"

Wen Shiyu replied, "I have already sent someone to invite him. He will be here soon. Please wait a moment, Father."

It will take some time for Granny Hui to go to the palace to fetch the imperial physician, but the old doctor Zhang whom Wen Shiyu sent to fetch is closer and should arrive sooner than the imperial physician.

Prince Consort Wen stood up, looked at the princesses and consorts gathered around the bed, and said gently, "I'm sorry to have worried you all. Since His Highness is unwell, please return home first. We will invite you to visit the residence another day when His Highness is feeling better."

"It's alright." Yan Jinyue waved her hand. "There's nothing for us to do if we go back now. If Father finds out that Aunt is unwell and summons me to ask her questions, I won't be able to answer anything and will only make Father blame me."

Prince Consort Wen's smile faltered slightly, then he slowly nodded: "In that case, thank you for your concern, Sixth Princess."

Everyone stood inside the house waiting.

Whether to express concern for the princess's condition or for other reasons, they all unanimously agreed to stay and wait and see, and no one offered to leave.

The noble ladies in the Phoenix Hall at the front did not dare to leave first.

Time passed little by little.

Before the doctor Wen Shiyu had sent to fetch arrived, the princess vomited several more times, clutching a spittoon, until her face turned pale and unsightly.

Prince Consort Wen's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Half an hour later, footsteps finally sounded outside: "They're here! Physician Sun is here!"

Prince Consort Wen's expression changed slightly. Why was Physician Sun here first?

Physician Sun was the Empress Dowager's personal physician, specializing in gynecology and some hidden ailments. Of course, he was also adept at treating common illnesses.

The arrival of Physician Sun proves that the Empress Dowager already knows about this matter.

Granny Hui personally led Physician Sun into the room: "Make way, everyone! Physician Sun has arrived."

Wen Fuma and Wen Shiyu exchanged a quick glance, both of them looking rather solemn. They weren't worried about Physician Sun's arrival, but rather puzzled as to why the old doctor Zhang, whom Wen Shiyu had sent to fetch, hadn't arrived yet.

However, Wen Fuma's expression quickly relaxed.

The princess's health is currently fine, and Physician Sun couldn't diagnose anything wrong with her pulse. The vomiting is probably due to an upset stomach... He doesn't need to worry too much.

The room was quiet.

Everyone stared at Physician Sun, who was taking the princess's pulse. After a long while, Physician Sun's expression gradually became complicated, a mixture of surprise and joy: "The princess's pulse indicates... she is pregnant."

"What?" Wen Shiyu exclaimed, "This is impossible! Physician Sun, have you made a mistake in your diagnosis?"

Prince Consort Wen frowned, his hands hanging at his sides subtly clenching his robes: "Did Physician Sun diagnose me wrong?"

The princess couldn't hide her joy, but her face showed surprise and doubt: "Imperial Physician Sun, you... you must have made a mistake. I have never been pregnant all these years. Now that I am so old, how could I be pregnant?"

"This old minister is certain," Physician Sun nodded, "It is indeed a pregnancy pulse."

Princess Ning'an looked surprised and turned to look at Consort Wen, her expression a mix of joy and embarrassment: "At my age, I can actually get pregnant. Aren't people going to laugh at me for being an old clam giving birth to a pearl?"

Physician Sun smiled and said, "The princess is actually not that old. It is common for women in the common people to give birth in their thirties, and some even in their forties or fifties."

"Can this child be born?" the princess asked, her voice filled with mixed emotions. "Will there be any danger?"

Physician Sun's expression hardened slightly: "This old minister cannot guarantee it. Pregnancy and childbirth for women inherently carry certain risks."

“If the child is still too young, let’s not have it.” Prince Consort Wen sat on the edge of the bed, holding the Princess’s hand tenderly. “I only want Your Highness to be safe and sound.”