Chapter 86: Chapter 86: An Unclean Ailment, The Only Legitimate Son
Tao Wanxin’s expression was awkward. She hadn’t expected such a private and delicate question, and for a moment, she didn’t know whether to answer.
Ji Qingwu was not surprised by her reaction.
Her gaze was clear as she assured her, "Princess Consort, you can rest assured. I am a physician, and everything I ask is for the sake of your condition. Please, you must tell me the truth. Our conversation today will absolutely not be known by any third party."
Tao Wanxin’s voice was soft. "There was bleeding, about half a year ago. But it only happened that once. What exactly is my illness?"
Ji Qingwu stated her diagnosis: "It is a flux sickness."
’Flux sickness?’
Tao Wanxin had heard of such things. It wasn’t a respectable ailment; only "unclean" women contracted it.
Her face paled further as she asked, "Is this the kind of foul disease that those prostitutes from the Qin Lou Chu Guan contract?"
Ji Qingwu immediately shook her head and explained, "It’s not a venereal disease of that sort. It’s actually quite common among married women. It’s just..."
"Just what?" Tao Wanxin pressed nervously.
’If I really have a foul disease, I might as well just jump in a river and die.’
’I am the daughter of an elder. Since childhood, I have been well-read and have always followed the rules. I’ve never done anything improper, always practicing self-restraint and upholding my virtue.’
’Why would such a filthy disease afflict me?’
Ji Qingwu looked into her eyes and said slowly, "The fault is likely not yours. Women usually contract this illness due to a lack of cleanliness during intimate relations. Most likely..."
Tao Wanxin, who had been sitting ramrod straight, suddenly slumped.
’It... It was...’
The rest did not need to be said.
What was there for Tao Wanxin not to understand? She was chaste, self-respecting, and had always abided by the rules. The problem undoubtedly came from the philandering Prince Yong.
He brought concubines into the mansion one after another, and she had thought *that* was the greatest humiliation for her as the official princess consort.
But the true humiliation was not one ten-thousandth of what she felt upon learning of this disease.
He had passed a disease he caught from who-knows-what woman to her, making her suffer the torment of illness. For a time, she had even believed that she was just naturally frail.
The Prince had even said she was narrow-minded and lacked magnanimity, and that was why she was always so sickly. She had suffered countless grievances because of it.
Seeing Princess Yong clutch her chest, gasping for breath in anguish.
Ji Qingwu felt a pang of pity, but she had to state the facts clearly.
"Princess Consort, this illness is most likely due to the man who shares your bed. Furthermore, your inability to conceive since your marriage is also because of this condition. Your body has been damaged, which affects your ability to carry a child."
"The abnormal bleeding you experienced previously was not an irregular menstrual cycle. It was—"
Tao Wanxin’s gaze trembled violently, and her lips began to quiver.
Ji Qingwu calmly uttered a single word.
"A miscarriage."
Tao Wanxin lowered her head. A moment later, a tear fell into her teacup, sending ripples across its surface.
When she looked up again, her eyes were red, but they were devoid of tears.
She grabbed Ji Qingwu’s sleeve as if pleading for help, like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood.
"Qingwu, you said this disease can be cured. How? Please, will you help me?"
Ji Qingwu looked her in the eye and said softly, "Princess Consort, I will help you. I came here for the very purpose of helping you."
She placed her hand over the one clutching her sleeve, transferring its warmth.
"It’s not just about your illness. It’s also about your situation in the Prince’s Mansion, and the debt Prince Yong owes you."
As she felt Princess Yong’s hand slowly grow warm, a resolute look appeared in Ji Qingwu’s eyes.
"I will help you with all of it."
An ordinary physician would find it difficult to treat Princess Yong’s condition, as it was prone to relapse. For Ji Qingwu, however, it was not a difficult task.
Inside Frost Bell Pavilion, Ji Qingwu quickly wrote out a prescription and handed it to Tao Wanxin.
She set down her brush and instructed, "This prescription is tailored to your specific constitution, Princess Consort. You must pay close attention and prepare the herbs in the exact dosages written. Do not deviate by even the smallest amount, because the slightest change in composition will drastically reduce its efficacy."
At this point, Tao Wanxin saw Ji Qingwu as a savior sent from the heavens.
She nodded hurriedly. "Qingwu, I will personally go to Qingchun Hall and watch the apothecary measure out the herbs."
Ji Qingwu continued, "If taken properly, you will recover in seven days."
A surprised light filled Tao Wanxin’s eyes, her gratitude overflowing.
"There is one more thing..." Ji Qingwu’s expression seemed hesitant.
Now filled with hope, Tao Wanxin said earnestly, "Please, say it. I will cooperate fully."
Ji Qingwu looked at her and asked, "Princess Consort, have you ever considered divorcing Prince Yong?"
’Divorce... I’ve never even thought of it...’
Tao Wanxin said bitterly, "Once you marry into the Imperial Family, there is no talk of divorce. There is only parting in death."
’Given my father’s rigid character, he would only tell me to endure. Besides, the Tao family is already tied to Prince Yong in court. Even if I were to die, the Tao family would immediately send another daughter to take my place.’
In truth, Ji Qingwu knew she would not seek a divorce. It was merely a test.
Her eyes bright and piercing, she said, "In that case, if you wish to secure your position in the Prince’s Mansion, Princess Consort, you must give birth to a legitimate heir as soon as possible."
Tao Wanxin’s gaze flickered. Her feelings for Prince Yong were now... complicated.
’Since I was a child, I was taught by the classic texts for women that I must respect and love my husband, Prince Yong. And I have always done so. But now... what has he done to deserve such devotion?’
’But what choice do I have? The future for a princess consort without an heir is destined to become increasingly difficult. I suppose I can think of it as securing a pillar of support for the latter half of my life.’
Tao Wanxin replied, "To give birth to a legitimate heir soon is my wish as well."
Ji Qingwu poured out the cold tea, picked up the teapot from the brazier, and said calmly, "But what *I* wish is for you, Princess Consort, to give birth to the *only* legitimate heir in the Prince’s Mansion."
"The only one?" Tao Wanxin asked, astonished.
Ji Qingwu stared at her, her bright eyes turning a little cold.
"If Prince Yong were to lose his ability to father children from this point forward, then your son would naturally be the one and only legitimate heir of Prince Yong’s Mansion."
Tao Wanxin’s expression froze.
’If Prince Yong lost his fertility, he could no longer fool around with other women. That would soothe the hatred in my heart. More importantly, my position in the Prince’s Mansion would be unshakeable. The concubines, unable to bear children, would be completely under my control. That would prevent any more "Concubine Dus" from appearing.’
’It sounded like a plan with every advantage and no downside for me, but achieving it seemed like pure fantasy.’
Tao Wanxin sighed and said wistfully, "That is easier said than done. How could it possibly be accomplished?"
Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow and took something she had prepared earlier from within her robes.
"Princess Consort, I happened upon an interesting prescription. It can grant a man a great surge of virility, guaranteeing conception during a woman’s most fertile time. But after using it... he will never be able to display his masculine prowess again."
Her slender, pale fingers held a thin sheet of paper.
"In a week, once your condition has improved, Princess Consort, this prescription can be used."
Tao Wanxin’s gaze flickered a few times before hardening with resolve. She took the prescription, clutching it tightly in her hand.
"I shall await your good news, Princess Consort. I wish you the joy of bearing a son soon."
Tao Wanxin rose to her feet, her gentle disposition having undergone a fundamental change. She looked down at her and said, "Today, I have taken but one prescription from Miss Ji."
Ji Qingwu smoothly knelt upon the meditation cushion, lowering her head with a faint smile.
"I respectfully see you out, Princess Consort."
