“Jinniang, I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect you. You have to hold on. You must protect the child. Nothing can happen to either of you!”
Xiaohong hurriedly brought Physician Liu over. The moment the two entered the room and saw the scene before them, their expressions changed drastically. When Physician Liu realized that Jinniang had severed one of her own fingers, he shook his head repeatedly in disbelief.
“Good heavens! This could cost her life! Every finger is connected to the heart—how could a pregnant woman possibly endure such pain? She’s truly ruthless. She’s already going to be a mother, yet she can still be this cruel to herself!”
Physician Liu complained as he worked, but his hands never stopped moving. He applied medicine, bandaged the wound to stop the bleeding, and then checked her pulse.
“Her body was already weak, and now the shock has disturbed the pregnancy. As long as there’s no bleeding, the child can still be saved! I’ll write a prescription. Keep a close watch on her tonight, and whatever you do, don’t let her suffer any more shocks!”
As Xie Jin listened to Physician Liu’s nagging, his heart clenched painfully.
Then, without warning, a trace of hatred surged within him.
This was all Xiao Yu’s fault!
Why did she have to discuss Buddhist scriptures with Ninth Imperial Uncle in the first place?
She was the root cause of everything!
And Gu Jiuci as well.
If Jinniang lost the child in her womb, Xie Jin swore he would make Ninth Imperial Uncle pay!
An imperial uncle had forced his nephew’s pregnant concubine into such desperate circumstances that she lost her child. If word of such a thing spread, the officials at court would surely submit memorials impeaching him!
Wait.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, something flashed through Xie Jin’s head.
The idea had barely appeared before it took root and began to grow.
But the child in Jinniang’s womb was his first child!
He also knew that although the Emperor usually treated Ninth Imperial Uncle with great respect, in private, His Majesty had more than once hinted that Ninth Imperial Uncle held far too much power.
The Emperor worked tirelessly every day, diligently handling state affairs and caring for the people, yet he constantly feared that a single misstep might offend Ninth Imperial Uncle.
For an emperor to live so cautiously was truly humiliating.
If Xie Jin could use this incident to weaken Ninth Imperial Uncle’s position, then perhaps the Emperor would look upon him differently…
Lost in thought, Xie Jin stared at Jinniang’s belly, which was already beginning to show a slight curve.
Jinniang was merely a concubine.
According to the rules of the imperial family, before the principal wife gave birth to a legitimate son, a concubine was not supposed to become pregnant.
But ever since Xie Jin had discovered what he believed to be Xiao Yu’s betrayal, he had deliberately wanted to go against every rule.
The more something was forbidden, the more he wanted to challenge it.
In the end, however, Xie Jin still could not make up his mind.
He ordered the servants to take good care of Jinniang, then returned alone to his study, where he remained by himself for most of the night.
When he finally reached a decision and opened the door, looking exhausted and haggard, he saw Steward Lin rushing toward him.
“Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Xiaohong from Jinxiu Courtyard says Concubine Jin… may be having a miscarriage! Please hurry over and take a look!”
Xie Jin stopped in his tracks.
To his own surprise, he actually felt relieved.
If Jinniang miscarried, then he would no longer have to struggle with such a difficult decision.
“I’ll go see her.”
Jinxiu Courtyard was brightly lit when he arrived.
“How is she?”
When Nanny Diao saw Xie Jin enter, she immediately moved to kneel and report, but Xie Jin waved a hand to stop her.
“Concubine Jin has developed a high fever. We’ve been taking turns trying to bring her temperature down.”
Xie Jin recalled Physician Liu’s earlier words.
“Has she started bleeding? Can the child still be saved?”
“Physician Liu came by about an hour ago. Her pulse was weak, but there was still no bleeding. It seems the child is determined to survive. Physician Liu said that if Concubine Jin can hold on until dawn and the fever subsides, the child should be safe.”
Xie Jin froze for a moment.
A trace of disappointment appeared on his face.
Nanny Diao almost thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Why did His Highness seem… strange?
Just as Nanny Diao was about to withdraw, Xie Jin stopped her with a look.
His voice was extremely low and trembled slightly.
“If… the child cannot be saved, there is no need to force it.”
Nanny Diao froze.
She raised her eyes toward Xie Jin and met his cold, dark gaze.
The meaning hidden within those eyes sent a shudder through her body.
She seemed to understand something.
Strangely, the panic in her heart immediately settled.
She gave Xie Jin a small curtsy.
“This servant… understands! It is time for Concubine Jin to take her medicine. This servant… will go now.”
Half an hour later, Nanny Diao’s startled cry rang out from inside the room.
“Oh no! She’s bleeding!”
Xie Jin’s hands clenched abruptly.
Yet he could not stop them from trembling.
A bone-chilling coldness rose from the soles of his feet and crawled up his spine. His knees suddenly weakened beneath him.
“Your Highness!”
Steward Du reacted quickly and caught him.
“Your Highness, perhaps you should return to the study and rest for a while. Here…”
Xie Jin waved him off.
Right now, he only wanted to sit there for a while.
Steward Du ordered someone to bring over a chair.
Xie Jin sat down and watched the servants rush back and forth before him. Basin after basin of bloodied water was carried out of the room.
Every servant looked deathly pale, terrified that Xie Jin would hold them responsible.
The vivid red color stabbed painfully at Xie Jin’s eyes.
His hands tightened around the arms of the chair.
The crimson blur before his eyes seemed to swirl wildly.
Then his head tilted to one side, and he fainted.
By the time he regained consciousness, Physician Liu was writing a prescription for him.
“Your Highness fainted from excessive grief. Your blood and qi surged upward, causing the blood vessels in your eyes to become congested. Take a few doses of medicine and rest. You will recover.”
Xie Jin felt a dull ache in his eyes.
At that moment, both of his eyes were bloodshot, making him look almost like a man-eating demon.
Xiaohong and Nanny Diao knelt at his feet, trembling like fallen leaves caught in the wind.
Nanny Diao was especially frightened.
She knew she might have correctly understood His Highness’s intentions, but the child had still been of royal blood.
She had no idea whether she would be allowed to keep her life.
“Your Highness, we failed to take proper care of Concubine Jin. Please punish us!”
A long silence followed.
Finally, Xie Jin’s hoarse voice sounded.
“It is not your fault. If we hadn’t needed to give Ninth Imperial Uncle an explanation, Jinniang would never have severed her own finger, and the child would never have been lost. This is… fate.”
After dismissing the servants, Xie Jin entered the room to see Jinniang.
Her face was as white as paper.
She merely looked at Xie Jin while tears silently streamed down her cheeks, refusing to utter a single word.
Her silent grief struck Xie Jin harder than any crying or screaming could have.
His eyes burned, and it felt as though all the blood in his body had frozen.
In that instant, every trace of pain, hesitation, and guilt flashed through his mind.
Then all of those emotions transformed into a violent rage.
The desire to avenge his child consumed him completely.
He had already forgotten why he had spent the entire night sitting alone in his study.
He had even forgotten the words he had whispered to Nanny Diao earlier.
He rushed straight out of the residence and headed for the imperial palace.
The moment Xie Jin left, someone immediately sent word to Gu Jiuci.
By the time the news reached him, Gu Jiuci had only just gotten out of bed.
“What a ruthless pair. It seems we truly cannot underestimate those two.”
He beckoned to a young eunuch nearby.
“Xiao Liangzi, go find Master Liaofan…”
After giving him several instructions, Xiao Liangzi first went to see Master Liaofan before heading to Xiao Yu’s residence.
Xiao Yu had not yet risen from bed.
Hearing voices outside, she sat up.
A short while later, Anxiang entered carrying the items she needed to wash and freshen up.
“Miss, Nanny Chen said Master Liaofan has invited you and Ninth Imperial Uncle to have breakfast with him.”
Xiao Yu looked at her reflection in the mirror.
It had only been a day, yet the redness and swelling on her face had already disappeared. Only the faint marks of fingers remained, barely revealing that she had been slapped.
Yuyan entered and leaned close to Xiao Yu, whispering several words into her ear.
Only then did Xiao Yu understand what had happened.
Her reaction was much the same as Gu Jiuci’s.
Although Jinniang was a woman, she was frighteningly ruthless. Just to provide Ninth Imperial Uncle with an explanation, she had been willing to sever one of her own fingers.
Such courage and cruelty toward oneself were far beyond what an ordinary person could manage.
Even many men would not be capable of doing the same.
As for Xie Jin, Xiao Yu could more or less guess what he was thinking.
They had grown up together since childhood.
In the past, she had only ever seen the upright and honorable side he presented to the world.
Only now did she finally realize what he truly was.
He was a sheep wearing a wolf’s skin, waiting for others to lower their guard before suddenly sinking his teeth into them.
This time, he was probably consumed with hatred for both her and Ninth Imperial Uncle.