Chapter 194 Never Pregnant
After the prince's sacrifice, the Minister of Rites will perform the final offering ceremony.
Finally, Emperor Defeng accepted the wine and meat in the sacrifice, symbolizing the blessing of his ancestors, drinking the blessing and receiving the sacrificial meat.
Each procedure was tedious and lengthy, but no one dared to show any signs of slackness or fatigue, and no one left halfway.
Finally, it was time to remove the food. The ritual officer removed the offerings, indicating the end of the sacrifice.
The emperor and all the officials knelt down again, and the ceremonial officer recited the farewell text to send the ancestral spirits back to their places. The prayer text was then burned and presented to the Heavenly Palace, completing the ceremony.
Emperor Defeng and his ministers left the Taimiao one after another, and everyone's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.
This ceremony is time-consuming and laborious, but it is a rule passed down from our ancestors and cannot tolerate any mistakes.
There were two candles as tall as a person on both sides of the altar. At this point in the ceremony, most of the candles had burned out, and the altar was covered with candle wax.
Just as everyone was slowly retreating, a candle suddenly exploded, and half of the candle body, which was as thick as a forearm, was blown into pieces, and flames splashed everywhere.
Xiao Wanzhen was pregnant and her legs were weak after standing for most of the day, so she fell behind the others.
An unexpected incident occurred and a cluster of flames splashed onto her body. Frightened, she lost her balance and fell heavily.
She clutched her stomach and let out a cry of pain.
Concubine Li had been brooding over the fact that Emperor Defeng had chosen Xiao Yanci to complete the sacrificial ceremony, and her mind had not been on her daughter. When she heard her exclamation, she woke up as if from a dream and quickly stepped forward.
"Zhen'er, how are you? Are you okay?"
Xiao Wanzhen's face was filled with panic, "Mother, my stomach hurts so much..."
Concubine Li was also panicking. This child was obtained by Zhen'er after years of hard work, and there must not be any mistakes!
She didn't care about anything else and shouted loudly, "Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician, come and see Zhen'er!"
The ministers also became agitated.
Emperor Defeng was walking in front and did not hear clearly what happened. He only heard the noise and clamor. He couldn't help but frown and felt unhappy.
"How can there be such a commotion in the Imperial Temple?"
The palace maid hurried forward to report the situation, and Emperor Defeng's face darkened.
The Minister of Rites turned a little paler.
Xiao Yanqing's heart skipped a beat. He was not worried about his sister's child, but worried that he would be held accountable. After all, he was in charge of the ancestral worship at the Taimiao this time.
I thought the sacrifice had ended perfectly, but who would have thought that such a problem would occur at the very end.
The candlelight issue is a small matter, but if the imperial sister loses the child she had conceived with great difficulty, that would be a big problem.
"Father, please forgive me. It was my fault for not noticing the candlelight issue in time and disturbing my sister. I deserve death!"
The Minister of Rites and a group of officials from the Ministry of Rites also hurriedly apologized.
Emperor Defeng's originally good mood was shrouded in a cloud.
Xiao Yanci spoke from the side, "Father, let's first check on the Royal Sister's condition. Perhaps it's just a false alarm."
After all, she was his own daughter, so Emperor Defeng naturally would not ignore her.
Xiao Wanzhen was helped to sit down carefully. An imperial physician was already checking her pulse. However, the physician examined her left and right but could not make any conclusion for a long time. Instead, he frowned and had a strange expression on his face.
Emperor Defeng stepped forward and asked, "Lord Liao, how is it? Is the fourth princess's baby in trouble?"
Imperial Physician Liao looked hesitant. "Your Majesty, I am a little overwhelmed at the moment. Please ask another imperial physician to take the princess's pulse."
These words made Xiao Wanzhen's face even paler.
How could the imperial physician fail to diagnose a simple slippery pulse? He simply didn't dare to speak out.
Could it be that the child she had been waiting for so long was gone just like that?
Emperor Defeng's face darkened. "You can't even tell a slippery pulse? Then what use do I have for you?"
Imperial Physician Liao hurriedly knelt and pleaded guilty, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I feel that the Fourth Princess's pulse is indeed a little strange. I am so uneducated that I dare not make a definitive statement."
Emperor Defeng also felt a little doubtful, so he appointed another imperial physician to take the patient's pulse.
Xiao Wanzhen and Concubine Li stared at Doctor Huang nervously, but unexpectedly, he also showed a strange look.
Doctor Huang also spoke hesitantly, "Your Majesty, I am also a little unsure..."
As soon as these words were spoken, Emperor Defeng became angry.
"You two can't even take a slippery pulse, how can you be a royal doctor? You might as well go home and farm!"
Imperial Physicians Liao and Huang immediately knelt down and begged for mercy.
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Princess's pulse is truly strange. I dare not make any rash conclusions..."
Emperor Defeng shouted angrily, "Are you afraid to make a statement, or are you incompetent? You are simply useless!"
Xiao Yanci spoke up to help, "Two imperial doctors, just speak directly. Why are you hesitating so much?"
The two doctors looked at each other before speaking.
"I just took the princess's pulse and found it to be normal, just like an ordinary person. Clearly, clearly, she is not pregnant."
Xiao Wanzhen touched her belly, her face full of heartbreak.
"My child, just, just gone like that?"
Concubine Li also found it hard to accept, "Zhen'er just fell down, there was not even any bleeding, how could she have miscarried?"
Imperial Physician Liao shook his head, "The Fourth Princess didn't miscarry. Instead, it was like she had never been pregnant."
Doctor Huang also nodded, "Exactly. This is also what I find strange."
Xiao Wanzhen's tears were still on her face, full of disbelief, "How is this possible? It's ridiculous!"
She has been pregnant for more than a month. It is a joke to tell her now that she is not pregnant at all.
Doctor Zhen, who had examined Xiao Wanzhen's pulse, also stepped forward and said, "Both Doctor Cheng and I examined the Fourth Princess' pulse, and it was undoubtedly a slippery pulse. How come you're calling us quacks?"
"Yes, Doctor Liao, Doctor Huang, you are looking down on us too much."
Everyone looked at Doctor Liao and Doctor Huang with suspicion, and they suddenly felt like they had no way to defend themselves.
A small slippery pulse caused so many twists and turns. Emperor Defeng's face was as gloomy as water.
"All of you, take the Fourth Princess's pulse again. I want to see if a simple slippery pulse can stump you! If you really can't even argue this out, then all of you, take off your official uniforms and go home!"
Emperor Defeng was angry, and everyone in the Imperial Hospital obeyed orders and came forward one by one to take Xiao Wanzhen's pulse.
The first one was Doctor Zhen. He was very confident in his judgment, but after the diagnosis, he couldn't help but frown.
He didn't dare to speak rashly and motioned for Doctor Cheng to come forward.
Doctor Cheng's reaction was exactly the same as his.
Next, the imperial physicians took the patient's pulse in turn.
No one spoke until the last person finished his diagnosis.
Looking at their behavior, Xiao Wanzhen's hand on her belly tightened involuntarily, and Concubine Li also had a bad premonition in her heart.
"What's going on? Tell me!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
