Impairs offspring
After leaving Qinghui Courtyard, Gao Jiuyong found Xie Chi and said he had something to say to him.
Zuo Murui was still immersed in the joy of Xie Zhuo waking up when she saw Gao Jiuyong's slightly serious face and a bad feeling suddenly arose in her heart.
A woman's intuition told her that she couldn't leave at this moment. "Is it about Guan Yan? I want to hear it too."
And so, the three of them arrived at Xie Chi's study, and all the maids and servants who had been waiting at the door of the study left.
Gao Jiuyong swallowed hard: "Although the young master has woken up and his pulse is normal, the lingering poison in his meridians will be difficult to clear completely in a short time. Moreover, I haven't yet figured out what kind of damage the remaining poison will cause to the young master's body; it could be a shortened lifespan, or it could make it difficult for him to have children..."
After much hesitation, Wang Qianxin decided to tell them the worst possible outcome.
Xie Chi lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought, his hands clenched into fists behind his back.
Zuo Murui covered her mouth, her face filled with disbelief.
"Imperial Physician Gao, are you saying that Huaiyan may be unable to have children in the future?" She had not yet recovered from the joy of Xie Zhuo's awakening, and Gao Jiuyong's words were like a bolt from the blue that struck her heart.
Gao Jiuyong replied, "It's not that I can't have children, but..." He paused, then added, "It's that I might not be able to have a healthy child."
"What do you mean by being unable to have a healthy child?" Zuo Murui asked again, unwilling to give up. She wished she had just imagined what she had heard.
Gao Jiuyong sighed: "The young master has been poisoned by Gu for too long, and the toxins have begun to erode his internal organs. Although we have saved his life, I cannot guarantee that all the toxins have been expelled."
Zuo Murui was confused: "What do you mean the toxins can't be completely eliminated? Hasn't Huaiyan already woken up?"
"The medical book says that even if the Gu poison is cured, the damage it causes to the poisoned person is irreversible. Gu poison is an ancient witchcraft, and it is even more insidious than poison. It is impossible to completely remove Gu poison unless you can find the person who makes the poison... It is true that medicinal baths can expel toxins from the body, but the young master has too many toxins in his body, and they cannot be expelled in a short time."
Xie Chi gasped: "Imperial Physician Gao, do you mean that Huai Yan's Gu poison is too deeply ingrained and cannot be completely expelled, thus affecting his future fertility?"
Gao Jiuyong nodded: "That's right. The prince carries poison in his body, and his future offspring may be born weak and short-lived."
"Impossible, Huaiyan is still so young... What will he do in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Zuo Murui was overcome with grief, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face. Xie Chi patted her back reassuringly. Although he was not as distraught as Zuo Murui, his face was also pale.
"Will this poison affect Huaiyan's health?"
Gao Jiuyong shook his head. "The insidious nature of the 'Hyperdismantling Intoxication' lies here. Its torment of the poisoned person is endless. Even if they survive after being cured, the toxins that have penetrated deep into their meridians will still affect their offspring."
"However, Your Highness and Your Highness need not worry too much. As long as the Prince does not have any children in the next few years, the problem can be solved. In the next three or four years, the toxins will be slowly expelled, and he will recover in time."
A small flame rekindled in Zuo Murui's heart, "Is this really true?"
"Indeed, the young master has a good constitution, and with proper care, he still has a chance to recover."
Xie Chi breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this. He wasn't afraid of anything else, except that if Xie Zhuo got into trouble, the bloodline of the Prince's Mansion would be cut off. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "This matter still needs to be kept secret by Imperial Physician Gao."
"Naturally, naturally."
After seeing Gao Jiuyong off, Xie Chi sat alone in the study for a long time. Xie Zhuo was his son and the future heir of the Prince's Mansion. If he had no children...
Who on earth poisoned his son so viciously?
Xie Chi's eyes were fierce and gloomy. Xie Zhuo was injured by a group of assassins in black. Those assassins were the only clue, and they had to be investigated!
He summoned Wang Qianxin: "Has the murderer still not been found out?"
Wang Qianxin knelt on one knee, "Your Highness, I have tracked down the assassins' movements, and all the clues point to the Death-Snatching Gate."
"The Gate of Death?"
"The Soul-Snatching Sect is a martial arts sect that specializes in killing people for money."
"How could Huaiyan be involved with martial arts sects?"
Wang Qianxin lowered his head and said, "This subordinate does not know."
Xie Chi snorted coldly. He would never allow anyone to harm his son: "Send more people to continue the investigation. Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, you must find the murderer!"
"Yes, sir!"
Ever since learning that Xie Zhuo's poison would hinder his ability to have children, Zuo Murui has been suffering terribly, feeling as if she were being fried in oil. During the day, she would force a smile in front of Xie Zhuo, but in private, she couldn't sleep at night.
"Your Highness, Imperial Physician Gao said that it would be best for Huaiyan not to have children for the next three or four years, but his marriage is already arranged..."
Xie Chi understood what Zuo Murui meant. The Prince's Mansion was already short of offspring, and Zuo Murui was waiting to marry a daughter-in-law to help the family have more children. However, Xie Zhuo was not suitable to have children because of the poison in his body. If Yu Yadan did not get pregnant after marriage, the couple would inevitably be gossiped about after many years of marriage without children.
Zuo Murui knew that the problem of not being able to have children was her son's fault, but she didn't want outsiders to know that the problem actually lay with Xie Zhuo. At the same time, she couldn't bear to let Yu Yadan bear all the bad reputation.
It's true that male infertility is a difficult thing to talk about, and it's the same for women. A woman's inability to bear children is one of the seven grounds for divorce, and she will be scolded as a hen that cannot lay eggs.
Xie Chi frowned: "Wasn't the wedding postponed? Let's just take it one step at a time!"
"But the Yu family has already sent a letter to inquire about the wedding date. Now that Huaiyan has woken up, it wouldn't be good to postpone the wedding any further."
After discussing it for a long time, the two finally decided to send Zuo Murui to the Yu family to sound out whether the wedding could be postponed until next spring.
*
"What? The wedding is postponed until after the new year?"
Zuo Murui: "Sulan, let me explain. Here's what happened. Huaiyan wasn't poisoned by ordinary poison this time, but by Gu poison."
"The wedding process is complicated, and I'm worried that his health won't be able to handle it. So I'm thinking of postponing the wedding until after the new year, when Huaiyan is fully recovered. What do you think?"
Guo Sulan frowned: "Mu Rui, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, but the last time the wedding was postponed, it was because the prince was poisoned and fell into a coma. But he has already woken up. You still want to postpone the wedding until after the new year? That's a bit inappropriate!"
“Sulan, you know my personality. I would never bring this up to you unless it’s absolutely necessary. Huaiyan has suffered a lot this time, being injured and poisoned. How can I, as his mother, bear to let him continue to suffer?”
"But postponing it to March next year is too long. My husband already had a lot to say about the last time the wedding was postponed, and now it's going to be postponed again..."
Zuo Murui immediately chimed in, "I understand your difficulties, but this is the only way I can do it."
Guo Sulan's mind raced. She couldn't help but wonder, "We already postponed the engagement for two months last time, so why is it being postponed again until March next year?"
What kind of poison did Xie Zhuo ingest that caused him to recover after two whole months?
She rolled her eyes inwardly and said coldly, "Mu Rui, don't blame me for being harsh. The young master is indeed outstanding, but my Ya Dan is no less so. The Prince's Mansion keeps postponing the wedding, what does that leave our Minister's Mansion? Our Yu family is almost becoming a laughing stock in the capital!"
"Please don't say that..."
“It’s not that I want to say it, it’s that you’ve done it.” Guo Sulan interrupted her: “Mu Rui, don’t blame me for being blunt, but you’re worried about your son not being able to work hard, but don’t I worry about my daughter being criticized?”
Guo Sulan used what she had said to retort to her, and Zuo Murui's expression became somewhat subtle. Knowing that she was in the wrong, she sighed and said, "Sulan, let me tell you the truth. Huaiyan was not poisoned by ordinary poison, but by Gu poison. He barely escaped with his life this time."
A look of surprise appeared on Guo Sulan's face, and she immediately perked up to listen attentively to Zuo Murui's speech.
"The imperial physician said that his poisoning this time is extremely dangerous and he needs to be well cared for. If I hadn't been forced by the situation, I wouldn't have asked you for help."
Guo Sulan remained silent with a stern face. She knew very well that if she kept giving in, the other party would only become more unreasonable. So, as soon as she hardened her stance, the other party came over to explain in a polite manner.
Having said all that, Guo Sulan forced a smile and said, "In that case, I'll discuss it with my husband and give you an answer later."
Seeing Guo Sulan's resolute expression, Zuo Murui didn't say anything more and then returned home.
Looking in the direction Zuo Murui left, a thought flashed through Guo Sulan's mind.
Zuo Murui is an extremely proud person, but her attitude in front of me today could be described as humble and subservient. It's abnormal, very abnormal! She must be hiding something from me.
As soon as Zuo Murui left, Guo Sulan immediately sent her steward to investigate what Gu poison was.
"Gu poison is an evil substance, a kind of poison that can bewitch people's minds." In addition to inquiring about Xie Zhuo's situation, the steward also found out some other information: "Madam, it is now being said outside that the young master has been poisoned for a long time and the poison has been integrated into his meridians. Even if the poison in his body is cured, the residual poison in his meridians cannot be removed. He can only drink medicine all year round to eliminate the poison."
Guo Sulan put down her teacup and asked, "Relying on medicine to prolong life? Wouldn't that turn you into a walking pharmacy?"
The butler lowered his voice: "Not only that, there are also rumors that the toxins in the Crown Prince's body will be passed on to the next generation, meaning that his future offspring will also be people who can only survive by taking medicine, and may even become..."
The butler's stammering made Guo Sulan extremely anxious: "What has it become? Tell me quickly!"
"To become a cripple or an idiot." The butler immediately knelt on the ground after saying this.
Guo Sulan was completely stunned.
"How could this be? Is this really true?"
"It's absolutely true. The Prince's mansion is secretly collecting medicinal herbs to detoxify the young master."
Guo Sulan remained silent for a moment, recalling Zuo Murui's attitude in her mind. Suddenly, her expression changed drastically. Yes, if Xie Zhuo hadn't run into trouble, Zuo Murui would have no reason to be so subservient to her.
Guo Sulan's heart sank. What should she do with her Yadan?
If the Crown Prince cannot have a healthy child, how will Ayadan live after she marries him?
Isn't a woman's life all about getting married and having children?
If she couldn't have a healthy child, what would become of her Yadan? What good would marrying into the royal family do without a child...? Guo Sulan felt extremely frustrated, and for the first time in her life, she wavered in her idea of marrying into the royal family.
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