Chapter 146 That medicine can’t be taken anymore.

Chapter 146: Stop Taking That Medicine

The night-duty maid in the outer chamber heard the command and hurried over, but didn’t dare enter the bedroom directly. Instead, she responded from behind the door curtain in the adjoining room.

“What are your orders, my Prince?”

Tuo Baxiao: “Summon Zhang Fu at once—quickly!”

Hearing the urgency in his tone and the request for Zhang Fu, the maid guessed something bad must have happened. Her stomach dropped, and she wasted no time, immediately turning to leave and finding the night-patrol Imperial Guards.

“The Prince orders Zhang Fu to come at once! Go fetch him now!”

Zhang Fu usually lived in the small courtyard behind his medical hall, about half a mile away. Normally, one could just walk the distance, but the guard rode a horse instead.

The maid then went to call A Fei. With all the commotion, the whole courtyard woke in alarm. Lights were lit everywhere, illuminating the grounds brightly.

Seeing Jiang Congyan in such pain, Tuo Baxiao became frantic with guilt. Her body was cold, so he held her close to his chest and wrapped the blankets tightly around her.

“Yan Yan, was I too rough last night? Did I make you sick again?” His emerald eyes were filled with regret.

He then turned and shouted impatiently toward the door, “Where is Zhang Fu? Why isn’t he here yet?”

A Fei quickly pulled on her clothes and arrived, answering, “They’ve already sent someone on horseback to fetch him. He should be on his way.”

Jiang Congyan was too weak to stop him immediately, helplessly watching as he threw the whole household into chaos.

Now, finally mustering a bit of strength, she pressed her hand over his and shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“You call this fine?” Tuo Baxiao roared, his voice laced with anger. Remembering she was ill and he shouldn’t be harsh, he softened his tone and asked, “Yan Yan, where does it hurt?”

“My lower abdomen.”

“Why the sudden pain? Did you eat something bad?”

“No... it’s probably my monthly courses.” Jiang Congyan felt a trickle of warmth between her legs.

Her cycle had been fairly regular before, but over the last four or five months, it occasionally came a bit early or late. This time, it had arrived a few days earlier than usual.

“Don’t bother the servants anymore. Just have a maid bring some hot water. I’ll change clothes, and that’ll be enough.” She spoke weakly, her lips as pale as snow.

“You’ve never been in such pain during your menses before.” Tuo Baxiao refused to listen and insisted on summoning Zhang Fu.

Just then, A Fei announced from behind the curtain in the adjoining room, “My Prince, Zhang Fu has arrived.”

Zhang Fu had practically been dragged here by the Imperial Guards. They stormed into his courtyard without even letting him dress properly, treating him like a criminal. He bit back his annoyance at the Xianbei people’s rudeness but, knowing it was an urgent summons from the Prince of Mobei and genuinely concerned for Jiang Congyan, he swallowed his pride.

“Come in—wait.”

Tuo Baxiao noticed Jiang Congyan’s current state—her nightgown clung to her, damp with cold sweat, and hadn’t yet been changed. He grabbed an outer robe from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around her before allowing Zhang Fu to enter.

As a physician, Zhang Fu didn’t need to stand on ceremony. He lifted the curtain and stepped inside.

Tuo Baxiao supported Jiang Congyan’s back, letting her lean against him, and commanded Zhang Fu, “Check her now. What’s causing this pain? Fix it!”

The moment Zhang Fu saw Jiang Congyan’s pale face, his heart sank.

A Fei brought over a small stool and placed it by the bed, allowing him to reach her hand easily.

He extended his arm, his fingers trembling slightly—uncharacteristically—but quickly steadied himself. Tuo Baxiao, focused solely on Jiang Congyan, missed this slight tremor.

Zhang Fu took her pulse for a while without speaking.

Tuo Baxiao grew impatient. "She said it's just her period, but why is she in so much pain? Is there something else wrong?"

Zhang Fu's eyelids trembled slightly, and he instinctively glanced at Jiang Congyan.

Jiang Congyan's eyes were half-lidded, meeting his gaze with utter calm, yet Zhang Fu could clearly see the steely determination in them.

He understood then.

Finally finishing the examination, he only said that the discomfort was indeed caused by her period, and due to her naturally delicate health, the pain might have been worsened by cold or exhaustion.

He would prepare medicine to alleviate the pain immediately, though he couldn't promise it would fix everything.

Tuo Baxiao was displeased. Wasn't Zhang Fu supposed to be some amazing physician? How could he not even treat such a minor ailment?

Jiang Congyan sensed the man was about to lose his temper again and quickly stopped him, saying to Zhang Fu, "Thank you, Zi Yi, for troubling you to come so late at night." Her breath was slightly uneven.

Zhang Fu then left the room.

The moment he turned away, his entire face contorted in frustration.

This couldn't go on! He didn’t understand why Jiang Congyan insisted on enduring it.

After Zhang Fu left, A Fei brought hot water. Tuo Baxiao carried Jiang Congyan off the bed, where indeed, there was a bloodstain on her sleeping robe.

"I want to wash myself," Jiang Congyan said softly, pushing him away with embarrassment.

The man's arms around her didn't budge. "You're too weak to move. Stop struggling." Without another word, he removed her underthings.

Jiang Congyan's face, originally pale, burned with embarrassment at his actions, her cheeks tinged with pink, her earlobes reddening like flawless blood jade.

Though he often helped her wash afterward, this was the first time under such circumstances. Her thoughts wandered—those refined scholars of the Central Plains would probably never do such things and might even scorn it.

After thoroughly cleaning her, he dressed her in special menstrual garments and had A Fei change the bedsheets.

The two lay back down, with the man holding a warmed pouch against her abdomen to warm her.

The sharpest pain had subsided, and though there was still some lingering discomfort, it no longer made her break out in cold sweat. Just as she was drifting off, the man helped her sit up again.

The medicine was ready.

"Yanyan, drink this."

Jiang Congyan scrunched up her nose at the bitter smell.

Not long ago, she had just finished two weeks of remedies, and now she had to drink more. After over a decade of such treatments, even she couldn't help disliking it.

Seeing her hesitation, Tuo Baxiao's heart ached with sympathy, but he couldn’t indulge her willfulness.

"Be good. The medicine will ease the pain," he said clumsily, his tone uncharacteristically gentle, almost childlike.

Jiang Congyan gave a tired smile.

Encouraged, he coaxed her again.

Once the medicine had cooled enough, Jiang Congyan gritted her teeth, held her breath, and chugged it before immediately begging A Fei for water to rinse her mouth.

In the end, after two exhausting hours, as the stars faded and the first light touched the sky, she finally fell back asleep.

After drinking the medicine, the man continued to warm her waist and abdomen, and the sharp cramps gradually subsided. Her brow finally relaxed.

Tuo Baxiao held her close, staying awake all through the latter half of the night. He deliberately kept the bedroom light on, glancing at her frequently to ensure she was sleeping peacefully before he could relax.

The next morning, Jiang Congyan felt much better, as if last night’s terrible pain had just been a fluke.

Feeling mostly recovered, she wanted to tackle the work she’d fallen behind on over the past two days, but Tuo Baxiao firmly refused, sticking by her side without a moment’s break.

Restless from lying around, he offered to read to her.

Then he brought over a kang table and laid out a chessboard. "Or we could play chess—the simple five-in-a-row game you played with them the other day."

She had taught him Go before and even played Chinese chess with him, but they had never tried the simple five-in-a-row game. Since he suggested it, Jiang Congyan decided to humor him.

"Then I won’t go easy on you."

"Don’t bother," he replied stubbornly.

The man spoke confidently, but after losing over ten consecutive games, he couldn’t help but get frustrated.

"Should I let you win?" Jiang Congyan asked playfully.

"No," he insisted, refusing to believe he couldn’t win even once.

Jiang Congyan rested her hands on the kang table, grinning at him. The warm afternoon sunlight streamed into the room, filling it with a cozy atmosphere.

Both of them were usually busy, and whenever they had a spare moment, the man was focused on other things. Rarely did they have such leisure time to play games, and it gave her an oddly peaceful feeling.

But the peace didn’t last. Before long, A Long came to report, "Your Highness, Duan Muqi has sent urgent news."

Duan Muqi had previously been dispatched to the Rouran border. If he was sending news, it likely concerned the situation with Rouran and couldn’t be delayed.

Jiang Congyan wanted to hear the news as well, but the man held her down, refusing to let her get up.

"You’re still unwell and should rest. Let me handle things outside," he said.

When she tried to persuade him, he added, "Zhang Fu also said you’re frail, and pushing yourself isn’t good for you."

He also thought to himself—as a man, it was his duty to protect his wife and children. He shouldn’t let her exhaust herself like this and wouldn’t let her overdo it anymore.

Jiang Congyan fell silent, especially when she considered what he really meant.

Tuo Baxiao cupped her face. "I’ll be back soon."

Jiang Congyan thought, *Fine, I won’t go. I’ll ask him when he returns.*

Tuo Baxiao went to the front courtyard and met the messenger himself.

"What news does Duan Muqi bring?"

"Rouran is getting beaten by the Xiongnu and plans to cede the Difuchi and Daze regions to them to end the war."

Tuo Baxiao’s expression darkened, though he wasn’t entirely surprised by this outcome.

Both Difuchi and Daze were fertile lands rich in water and grass. If the Xiongnu acquired these territories, their resources would increase significantly—especially since these regions were dangerously close to the Xianbei.

The Xiongnu’s ambitions were clear.

If they successfully took this land, it would mean trouble for the Xianbei. But Rouran was too weak to resist the Xiongnu, so they had no choice.

Are we really going to send troops to help Rouran?

Tuo Baxiao absolutely hated the ways of the Rouran people and had no intention of sending troops to assist them.

——

Early in the morning, Zhang Fu arrived at the backyard kitchen, pretending he needed to personally prepare medicine for Jiang Congyan, but in reality, he was watching what was happening inside.

Hearing that the Prince of Mobei had gone to the front courtyard, he immediately seized the opportunity to see her.

Jiang Congyan rose and moved to the adjoining room.

Zhang Fu paid his respects, sat down, and asked, "How are you feeling, my lady? Any improvement?"

Jiang Congyan nodded, "Much better now, thanks to Zi Yi's medicine."

Zhang Fu said, "My remedy only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause."

He looked at her, his gaze direct and unflinching.

Jiang Congyan averted her gaze and remained silent.

Zhang Fu frowned and could only urge with concern, "My lady, that medicine..." He had just begun when he suddenly grew cautious, glancing around to ensure no one was nearby before lowering his voice to continue, "I’ve long said it should only be taken for a year. It’s already been over a year now—you must stop taking it."

"Your constitution isn’t particularly strong, and that medicine is quite damaging to your health. If you keep taking it, it will truly harm your foundation..." Zhang Fu pleaded with concern, deeply regretting having been persuaded by her words back then.

"My lady, you once said that when you first arrived in Xianbei, the situation was unstable and you didn’t want to give others an opening. But now you’ve won over the Xianbei people, and the Prince of Mobei is devoted to you. Why are you still unwilling to conceive?"

Jiang Congyan had her own reasons, but none of them could be spoken aloud.

She feared the child she bore might not be healthy, and she feared Tuo Baxiao would eventually fulfill his destined fate.

A child should come into this world expected, loved, and healthy—not to sustain their parents’ relationship or for the sake of power struggles.

But she couldn’t provide any of that now. She didn’t yearn for a child, and the world was far from peaceful. She feared she would eventually be lost in history's turmoil—what would become of her child then?

"Zi Yi, I know you have my best interests at heart, but I have my reasons. Perhaps in another year or two, I won’t need to do this anymore," she said.

"My lady, you’ve said it yourself—health is everything. Why must you ruin your own body now? If..." If she damaged her body to the point of infertility, what a terrible fate for a woman.

No matter how Zhang Fu tried to persuade her, Jiang Congyan wouldn't budge or explain her reasons, leaving him growing more exasperated.

When his efforts failed completely, Zhang Fu added, "If my lady truly has unspeakable reasons for not wanting to conceive now, why not discuss it with the Prince of Mobei? There are other ways to prevent pregnancy besides this one."

Jiang Congyan went still at his suggestion. Discuss it with him...

At first, she hadn’t dared to reveal such intentions. And now, even after experiencing the man’s intense devotion, she still couldn’t risk it.

"Thank you for the reminder, Zi Yi. Let me think about it. But it’s not the right time yet. I’ll still need you to prepare more pills for me."

Zhang Fu: "..."

Had everything he said been for nothing?

Angry but powerless, Zhang Fu grudgingly consented. However, he altered the prescription to make it weaker.

Naturally, its contraceptive effect wouldn’t be as strong, but given Jiang Congyan’s current physical condition, getting pregnant would be difficult either way.

After their conversation, Zhang Fu left her chambers. Just as he stepped into the outer room, he ran straight into Tuo Baxiao, who had just returned.

His heart jumped to his throat, and his face turned pale and startled.

Tuo Baxiao paused, seeing his *pale, startled face*. "What are you doing here?"