Chapter 44: Chapter Forty-Four The Young Master Is Already Three Months Pregnant

Chapter 44: The Young Master Is Three Months Pregnant

The hidden guards and assassins remained concealed in the shadows, while Duan Lin and Wei Er followed closely beside Wei Zheng. Before the four of them had even left the forest at the base of the cliff, they stumbled upon a dwelling.

It was a rather spacious bamboo cottage, surrounded by a fence but lacking a gate. Presumably, the owner believed that in such a remote wilderness, there would be no thieves to worry about.

Wei Zheng glanced at Wei Er: "Scout the area."

With no other households within a ten-mile radius, this isolated dwelling was indeed suspicious.

Wei Er slipped through the fence and crossed the small farmland in the inner courtyard. Standing at the bamboo house door, he knocked: "Is anyone home?"

After several knocks, the bamboo door creaked open a crack. A child with a spiky topknot poked half his head out, his puzzled gaze sweeping over the group.

The child asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Wei Er offered an ingratiating smile, then subtly glanced back towards Wei Zheng, who was holding Wei San. "My young master is frail and suffered heatstroke on the journey. We've come specially to ask for some water."

The child followed his gaze and looked over. Whether he believed the story or not, he showed little suspicion and actually opened the door, inviting them in.

"Come in first."

As he spoke, he turned and went inside. Wei Er scanned the interior from outside—aside from this child, there was no one else in the house. He raised his hand and gestured to Wei Zheng.

An isolated household in such a remote place, with only a seven- or eight-year-old child—it looked very much like a prearranged trap.

A flash of killing intent passed through Duan Lin’s eyes: "Master, should I…"

Duan Lin didn’t finish his sentence, but Wei Zheng naturally understood his unspoken meaning.

Wei Zheng lowered his gaze and pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly at him before entering the compound, still holding the unconscious Wei San.

The interior of the bamboo house was sparsely furnished: aside from a long row of neatly arranged storage compartments on the wall, there were only four chairs and a table.

The furnishings appeared humble, yet everything was kept meticulously clean, suggesting that the owner was a fastidious person.

"Here’s the water."

The child reappeared holding a tray. Not only had he prepared water, but he had also brought several cornbread buns from the kitchen.

"You must be hungry after traveling through this wilderness. Our home is poor, so this is all we have. If you dislike it, there’s nothing else to eat."

The child was quite enthusiastic. Wei Zheng and Duan Lin exchanged a subtle glance.

"Thank you, little brother. That’s very thoughtful."

Neither of them moved. Wei Er, as if unaware of any suspicion, poured himself a cup of tea. Smiling kindly, he asked the child: "Why are you alone? Where are the adults? They left you here all by yourself—aren’t they worried something might happen?"

As he spoke, he turned and handed the poured tea to Wei Zheng. Using his body and sleeves as cover, he dipped a silver needle into the tea. When the needle didn’t turn black, he gave a slight nod to Wei Zheng.

The child didn’t notice their actions and shrugged indifferently: "My master went up the mountain to forage for herbs. There’s no one within tens of miles around here. As long as I don’t run off, nothing will happen."

He spoke casually. Wei Zheng, who was pretending to feed water to Wei San but actually pouring it under the table concealed by his sleeve, perked up with interest and said: "Aren’t you afraid we might be bad people?"

An ordinary seven- or eight-year-old child, no matter how bold or mature, would likely feel some fear facing three or four strange adult men. But the child laughed at Wei Zheng’s words: "Because I recognize you."

The eyes of everyone present instantly narrowed sharply. Duan Lin and Wei Er already had their hands on their weapon belts.

The atmosphere became charged in an instant, but the child seemed completely unaware. Wei Zheng narrowed his eyes dangerously and was about to continue probing when a faint sound came from outside.

The child leaned out the window beside him, his face breaking into a smile. "Master is back."

With that, he darted outside. Peeking through the door crack, they could see him helping someone—of whom only a corner of their clothing was visible—unload a basket full of medicinal herbs.

Wei Zheng said to Duan Lin and the others: "Don’t act rashly. Let’s see how things unfold."

Duan Lin and the others stood down, though they remained on guard.

A moment later, a middle-aged man around forty years old, with his sleeves rolled up, walked in. The child did not follow him inside, instead busying himself in the courtyard sorting the newly gathered herbs.

The middle-aged man had already learned from the child that there were visitors in the house and that their identities were unusual. When he saw Wei Zheng’s strikingly handsome and intensely sharp face, he showed no surprise.

"What brings the Virtuous Prince here?"

He immediately identified Wei Zheng’s status. Wei Zheng looked him over carefully, faintly feeling that he seemed familiar but unable to recall where he had seen him before.

Since the other party showed no ill intent, Wei Zheng openly acknowledged it, though he was still somewhat puzzled: "This prince has never met you. How do you know my identity?"

The middle-aged man explained: "The current Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau is my third senior brother. Three years ago, when I first arrived in the capital, I had a chance encounter with Your Highness."

Wei Zheng thought back and indeed recalled something. However, that didn’t mean he let his guard down around the middle-aged man.

"Since you are the junior brother of the Senior Imperial Physician, your medical skills must be exceptional. Would you be willing to examine a patient for me and determine what illness he has?"

He was partly testing the man, but more than that, he was worried about Wei San. What kind of assassin sleeps for two or three hours straight without any response? Since that heatstroke incident, Wei San’s condition had been deteriorating day by day, and his drowsiness showed no sign of improving.

"Oh? Let me take a look?"

The middle-aged man became interested and finally turned his attention to Sui Yun in Wei Zheng’s arms.

"Master?"

Duan Lin and Wei Er spoke up in disagreement, not because they questioned his decision but because they distrusted this unknown rural physician.

Wei Zheng glanced at them, signaling them to remain calm. In the meantime, the middle-aged man had already approached and apologized for the intrusion.

He first looked carefully, then placed his hand on Sui Yun’s wrist.

"This young master has been invaded by cold, showing signs of dual depletion of qi and blood…"

He paused mid-sentence, as if encountering some puzzling condition. His originally relaxed expression gradually darkened, and his brows furrowed. He examined Sui Yun repeatedly, his fingers tensing as he felt the pulse, and muttered under his breath: "This shouldn’t be…"

Seeing his grave expression, Wei Zheng’s heart sank. He asked in a low voice: "Is Sui Yun’s condition serious?"

Sure enough, his intuition was correct—Sui Yun must have been hiding something from him.

Seeing that Wei Zheng seemed completely unaware, the middle-aged man couldn’t help but ask curiously: "Your Highness, don’t you know? This young master is already three months preg—"

The middle-aged man’s words were cut off again, though this time it was forcibly interrupted by a dagger gleaming with cold light and lethal intent.