The arrival of several imperial physicians soon confirmed the old doctor's diagnosis.
"Your Highness is indeed two months pregnant, but the fetus's pulse is extremely weak, posing constant risk of miscarriage. Since the princess consort shares blood with the child, she's naturally affected as well..."
In truth, had the princess consort not possessed such robust health, whether this child could have survived until now would have been uncertain.
As for why the fetus remained so weak, recalling their earlier diagnosis of the prince, the elderly physicians bowed their heads even lower. After a long silence, the lead physician finally spoke timidly:
"Reporting to Your Highness, we found no traces of miscarriage-inducing substances in the princess consort's pulse."
The other physicians hastily nodded in agreement.
Ninth Prince: "......"
Under the fearful gazes of the servants, the prince's face cycled through shades of green, white, and black before he finally gritted his teeth:
"Use whatever means necessary—my wife and child must be unharmed. Otherwise, you all..."
When An Ning awoke at dusk, she rubbed her dizzy head. Before she could rise, a dark figure rushed to her bedside:
"Your Highness, you must take care! Don't you know you're carrying precious cargo now? We can't act recklessly as before..."
Bombarded by this endless lecture upon waking, and feeling the overly cautious hands supporting her, An Ning remained speechless for a moment before weakly massaging her temples. With her husband's help, she sat up:
"Wait, my lord... what did you just say? Precious cargo? You mean... me?"
Seeing his wife's expression of utter disbelief, Yin Tang's face darkened again, as if choking on unshed blood.
Suppressing his frustration, the prince gently helped her lean against the headboard and meticulously tucked in the blankets. Only then did he summon servants to bring the constantly warmed porridge from the kitchen, personally feeding her spoonfuls.
"My dear, my ancestor, if not for yourself, then for the child's sake, please eat more!"
Despite his desperation, An Ning only managed a few bites before lying back down, perfectly portraying poor appetite.
In subsequent days, the mansion's chefs employed every culinary trick imaginable to improve her appetite—from capital delicacies to regional snacks—as long as deemed safe, all were presented to An Ning. Even the head chef from Beijing's famed Eight Immortals Restaurant was lured over with exorbitant pay.
These efforts slightly improved An Ning's appetite, yet the fetus remained dangerously unstable, perpetually at risk of miscarriage. The poor gynecology-specialized imperial physicians nearly tore their hair out from stress.
At the palace, Imperial Consort Yi grew so anxious upon receiving news that she couldn't sleep, nearly weeping as she clutched her matron's sleeve:
"Nanny, why must my little Ninth suffer so? After all these years without news, when finally blessed... how could this happen?"
"They say the physicians dare not prescribe medicine, only using premium ingredients for gradual nourishment..."
Imperial Consort Yi understood—while partly due to avoiding responsibility, such extreme caution indicated the child's precarious state. Seeing her youngest son's dark-circled eyes recently, Guo Luoluo's hatred for the true culprit intensified, nearly shredding her handkerchief:
"That heartless Eighth Prince, that cursed disaster! Why couldn't it have been him instead!"
"My poor little Ninth..."
Between curses, she ordered her storeroom emptied of valuables for delivery to her son's mansion. Guo Luoluo knew this might be her son's only chance for offspring.
Given her daughter-in-law's typically strong constitution and her son's prime age, if even this pregnancy proved so difficult to maintain... Shaking her head violently, Imperial Consort Yi refused to consider the implications.
Emperor Kangxi mirrored her actions. As a father who highly valued progeny, he understood about seventy to eighty percent of Ninth Prince's household situation. All previously bestowed concubines came from families with excellent fertility and robust health.
Yet after all these years without even a pregnancy rumor, this unlucky son had clearly suffered fundamental damage. Combined with the physicians' reports, Kangxi knew chances for future offspring were nearly nonexistent.
As for suspicions about this pregnancy's legitimacy—like others, the emperor harbored none. Unlike ordinary households, royal princess consorts traveled with dozens of attendants. Princely mansions employed eunuchs except for front courtyard guards—Ninth Prince's household maintained even stricter protocols.
Moreover, Emperor Kangxi had met Donggo's daughter before—her radiant complexion evidenced excellent health. In all these years, she'd scarcely required imperial physicians. Even routine check-ups amazed doctors, who declared such robust pulses rare in their careers.
Consider also Donggo Qishi—over sixty yet still vigorous enough to mount horses and draw heavy bows. Kangxi had once discreetly inquired about their family's health secrets, only to find Donggo's sons lacked similar constitutions, leaving the emperor to attribute it to exceptional individual physique.
That such a healthy woman like Donggo's daughter took years to conceive was one matter—but for the pregnancy itself to become so precarious... this clearly indicated his ninth son's physical condition was...
With another wave of his hand, Emperor Kangxi dispatched countless treasures to Ninth Prince's mansion.
Given the emperor's attitude and Ninth Prince's long-awaited good news—likely his only descendant—the other princes also gave generously. Even the usually antagonistic Fourth Prince didn't hesitate.
Especially Eighth Prince—as the apparent culprit—who showered his younger brother's household with priceless gifts.
But did Ninth Prince feel touched by these gestures?
Comparing Eighth Prince's son Hongwang—already running around last month—to his own pale, miscarriage-threatened wife...
Ninth Prince's smoldering fury found no outlet—until Xiao Xizi rushed in urgently:
"Your Highness! Disaster! The princess consort refuses to eat again—"
Before anyone could react, the prince had already vanished from the room...