Chapter 193: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 193: Unable to Conceive
Qi Wangfei felt uneasy and, after a moment's thought, quietly asked, "Did anything unusual happen during your recent visit to the villa?"
Not wanting to easily reveal Suisui's abilities, she quickly added, "I think that sometimes children's dreams can be quite telling. Perhaps it’s worth taking them seriously, just in case. Why don’t you try to recall anything unusual?”
Prince Qi had indeed been mulling over it, and after hearing Qi Wangfei's words, he pondered again.
In the end, however, he couldn't recall anything significant.
Feeling helpless, he shrugged. "Maybe I frightened the child, which led to her nightmare? Don’t worry, I'm perfectly fine. If it'll put you at ease, I’ll have Physician Liu check my pulse later.”
With the Physician already at the estate, Qi Wangfei felt somewhat reassured by this suggestion.
When Physician Liu arrived, he first examined Suisui and prescribed some calming herbal medicine, then turned to check Prince Qi's pulse.
As he did, Physician Liu’s expression grew noticeably serious.
Noticing this, the Prince felt a sudden jolt of anxiety—could there really be something wrong?
Yet, before his trip to the villa, he had his pulse checked and was told everything was fine except for some minor issues. So how could a brief visit suddenly result in a problem?
It didn’t add up.
Prince Qi speculated inwardly.
After a long silence, Physician Liu nodded slowly and finally spoke, “The prince might benefit from some nourishing herbal medicine recently.”
Nourishing medicine?
Why?
The Prince hadn’t yet asked when Physician Liu gave him a meaningful look.
In an instant, he understood.
He had been making every effort recently in hopes of having a daughter.
So, yes, he should indeed be taking something restorative.
No wonder Physician Liu had been so solemn earlier, reluctant to say much.
This was a matter best understood implicitly.
Saying it outright would be too blunt.
Once he understood, Prince Qi turned and offered Qi Wangfei an embarrassed smile.
She looked at him with exasperation.
Suisui had fallen asleep again, and someone was preparing her medicine over the stove, along with some sweet treats she liked.
Qi Wangfei still felt uneasy and wanted to stay with her.
However, since her return to the estate, she had been busy tending to both the prince and Suisui without even stopping for lunch.
The Prince was aware of this and quickly urged her to join him for a meal.
After all, he hadn’t eaten since his return either.
At this point, he recalled that Concubine Che also hadn’t eaten. With that thought, the Prince instructed someone, “Make sure she eats well. It’s important to look after her health for my first daughter’s sake.”
Even though he already had Suisui, he was still hoping for more daughters to be born.
Concubine Che had originally gained entry into the household entirely due to her family's notable achievement—her mother’s brother had fathered six daughters in eight years.
Without that, a woman like Concubine Che would never have caught the Prince’s eye.
After finishing the meal, the Prince felt a bit weary. Seeing that Qi Wangfei was still concerned about Suisui, she suggested he go back to rest.
In the evening, when the young princes returned, he would need to spend time with them, as he hadn’t been home in days. Additionally, he would need to test their studies, right?
After all, just because he was not a studious person himself didn’t mean he should neglect the young princes' education.
Qi Wangfei made a good point. Though the Prince was reluctant, he left reluctantly, glancing back several times as he returned to the main residence to rest.
Now that the Prince had returned, Qi Wangfei felt it inappropriate to keep Suisui with her in the master bedroom, so she arranged for Suisui to stay in the room next door.
With the close proximity, Qi Wangfei could rest assured.
After Prince Qi left, Qi Wangfei instructed Shaoyao to guard the door and then signaled Physician Liu to approach for a private conversation.
Earlier, while the prince was present, Physician Liu couldn’t openly discuss certain matters. Qi Wangfei had sensed this and intended to send the prince away quickly. However, with all the meals and tea-drinking, the prolonged process nearly exhausted her patience.
When Physician Liu finally approached, he hesitated before speaking, "The prince is suffering from kidney yang deficiency."
Kidney yang deficiency?
Qi Wangfei understood the implication and nodded. "It’s understandable; he’s been quite occupied at the villa lately."
Busy with efforts to conceive—no wonder he’s depleted!
Physician Liu, however, shook his head. "The prince’s condition is rather severe. There’s a 90% chance he may follow in Prince Qing’s footsteps."
Qi Wangfei: ???
Hearing this, Qi Wangfei jumped up in shock, finding it hard to believe. She instinctively wanted to say, “That’s impossible!” But she trusted Physician Liu’s medical expertise.
If not for avoiding court politics, Physician Liu would likely hold the position of Chief Physician at the Imperial department. So, if he said it was serious, it certainly was severe.
Prince Qing, due to injuries sustained on the battlefield, had already lost the ability to father children. This was why, after returning to the capital, the emperor had instructed him to rest rather than resume his command at the border.
This didn’t mean he was stripped of his power; Prince Qing still held the token of command for the Northwest Army, which the emperor hadn’t reclaimed. But given his health, he was asked to stay in the capital for the time being to see if he might be needed in the northwest in the future.
Prince Qi, however, was perfectly healthy when he left for the villa. How could his ability suddenly deteriorate?
Seeing Qi Wangfei’s shock, Physician Liu added, “In terms of… marital relations, he should still be able to function as before, though with diminished stamina. However, his seed has become lifeless.”
Simply put, he could still perform but could no longer conceive children.
Qi Wangfei: ...!
But that wasn’t her main concern!
Before going to the villa, the prince had his pulse checked and was only diagnosed with a mild deficiency in kidney yang. How did his condition become so severe after just one trip?
Surely he couldn’t have spent every waking moment there occupied with bedroom activities?
Qi Wangfei was baffled, feeling panicked but trying to maintain composure. She asked in a low voice, “Is it possible to determine the cause?”
She knew she couldn’t keep this hidden from the prince indefinitely. If he discovered it, the empress dowager might also come to know. Better to be prepared early to see if anything could be done to salvage the situation.
Physician Liu, however, wasn’t entirely certain. "The prince was already showing signs of kidney yang deficiency before going to the villa, but it wasn’t serious. His condition took a sharp downturn upon returning, likely due to some form of medication."
"Medication?"
Qi Wangfei gasped, "Surely Concubine Che wouldn’t be so foolish as to give him some dangerous tonic? She may be young and inexperienced, but the prince should know better! Taking such potent medicine would lead to an unstable child if conceived!"
Physician Liu wasn’t sure what medication was involved. After some thought, he suggested, "Why don’t you subtly investigate the prince’s daily routine at the villa over the next few days? That way, I can prescribe according to his symptoms and see if any improvement is possible."
He sighed and added, "However, the chances of recovery are low."
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