“唉呀！”正当念雪端着药欲走到兰琴身边时，蹲在给她敷冰袋的惜茶不知有意还是无意，突然站起来，肩膀一下子撞到了念雪的胳膊。结果，念雪的胳膊一晃荡，碗里的药几乎洒了一半。
Everyone was stunned by the sudden accident, especially Chunliu, who was about to lash out when she saw Ziran, who was standing next to Nianxue, suddenly curtsy.
"This servant greets Master!" Zi Ran and Huan Bi were the first to curtsy, followed by the others who had come to their senses. Chun Liu was the last to greet him.
"How is Princess Niu?" The Fourth Prince ignored everyone else and immediately went to Lanqin. He saw that her face was flushed unusually, and touched her cheek. It was unusually hot.
"Your Majesty, I have already prepared the medicine for the Princess and am about to feed it to her," Doctor Zhou replied hastily, bowing his head.
"Dr. Zhou, how is Princess Niu's health? She is more than a month pregnant now. What are the chances that this medicine will not harm the baby in her womb?" The Fourth Master had already learned about Lanqin's current situation from the note from the head nanny, so he asked directly.
"Well, I'm only fifty percent sure." Doctor Zhou could already sense the Fourth Prince's anger in his words.
"Only 50%!" Fourth Master repeated. He stared at Lanqin's tightly furrowed brows, held her equally hot hand with heartache, and pondered for a moment.
"If she doesn't take medicine, can she pull through on her own? How much damage will this cold do to her body?" Fourth Master asked again.
“If she doesn’t take the medicine, I’m afraid that Princess Niu will get an infection in her lungs, which could even be life-threatening. If she’s lucky enough to pull through, it might cause great harm to her health in the future, requiring long-term medication to see if the damage can be reduced,” Doctor Zhou said cautiously.
Fourth Master's eyes darkened as he stared at the person on the bed who was moaning softly, his thoughts unreadable.
What should I do? Lan'er, I don't want anything to happen to you, but our child might be in danger. But if you're alright, the child won't be able to stay either of you. I can't risk either of you!
After a fierce internal struggle, the Fourth Prince finally made up his mind and said to Nianxue, "Give me the medicine, and I will feed it to her myself. Doctor Zhou, please prescribe some medicine that can cause miscarriage in women. Princess Niu's body is not suitable for carrying another life now, so it's better to terminate it as soon as possible."
Heaven knows how much pain the Fourth Master felt when he said these words. He already had few children, and now he had to end the life of one of his own, a child that Lanqin had conceived for him.
How could this happen? The Fourth Prince wants to cause the Princess to miscarry!
Nianxue, Xicha, and the other maids stood frozen in shock, hardly believing their ears! They had gone to great lengths to wait for the Fourth Prince's return, only to be met with this outcome! Even Chunliu was stunned and unsure how to react. The Princess Consort had secretly instructed her: make sure Niu Shi drank the medicine, as it would likely cause her to lose her child, and even if it did, the child might be born mentally challenged. Therefore, she had stayed to watch, determined to see Lanqin drink the medicine. The moment the Fourth Prince returned, she thought the Princess Consort's wishes would be dashed, but she never expected to hear such a result from him!
"Give me the medicine!" Fourth Master stared at the bowl in Nianxue's hand, his voice turning colder.
Nianxue's eyes were already brimming with tears. She knew that Gege had been trying to conceive for a long time, planning to have this child. But fate was so cruel; how could they have just learned of his arrival, only to lose him so soon? Besides, how heartbroken Gege would be when she woke up and found out! It was all her fault for not persuading Gege to come inside earlier last night; otherwise, she wouldn't have caught a cold and become so seriously ill.
"Your Majesty, I have something I'd like to say to you privately," Doctor Zhou suddenly added.
Fourth Master glanced at him, then said to Nianxue, "When I get back, keep a close eye on your princess!" With that, he turned and walked outside, with Doctor Zhou following alertly. Once outside, since almost everyone in the south courtyard was inside—only the gatekeepers Li Shubao and Granny Wang, and the kitchen staff Niu Baoquan—Fourth Master and Doctor Zhou weren't worried about being overheard.
"Tell me, what is it?" Fourth Master said impatiently. His mind was in turmoil, and the decision he had just made was hard-won. He didn't want to see Lanqin continue to suffer, nor did he want her to risk giving birth to a child who might have defects. Therefore, he decided to give up the child. Lanqin was still young; she could have another child later after she recovered.
"Your Majesty, what I must speak of is Consort Niu's health. If this fetus is aborted now, Consort Niu's body will inevitably suffer some damage. This damage will require time to heal. During this period of healing, it is not advisable for her to become pregnant again." Doctor Zhou tried to make his voice sound as calm and composed as possible.
"What! You mean Lanqin needs to recuperate properly before she can get pregnant again?" Fourth Master hadn't expected this. He thought that if he aborted the "child" he wasn't even conceived yet, Lanqin's troubles would be over. But now, Doctor Zhou's words were undoubtedly frightening. If Lanqin's health didn't improve, would she never be able to get pregnant again?
"In reply to Your Highness, that is indeed the case. Especially with fetuses aborted using medication, if they are not completely expelled, they may remain in the uterus, which would affect Princess Niu's next pregnancy." Doctor Zhou had actually been speaking very tactfully just now, but now he stated the reason clearly.
The Fourth Master's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water. Suddenly, he grabbed Doctor Zhou's shoulder and said in a low voice, "I don't care what method you use, find a way to get Princess Niu's health back on track. Also, I don't want her to know any of this. Think of an explanation, and tell her when she wakes up."
"Yes, we've spoken with Princess Niu's maid and told them to tell Princess Niu that she had her period during her high fever. That should be enough to keep it from her!" Doctor Zhou was already covered in sweat. This was the first time he had ever heard the word "save the mother" or "concern the fetus" come from the master's mouth.
When the Fourth Master entered, Nianxue's servants tried to kneel before him, begging him to save Lanqin's unborn child. The Fourth Master said to Nianxue, "Your princess is still young. Risking the birth of this child would not only harm her own body but also potentially result in a child with defects. Rather than that, it's better to harden your heart now. Do you understand?"
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