Chapter 90: Chapter Ninety Without This Prince’s Permission, Even Death Is Not Allowed…

Chapter Ninety: Without My Permission, Even Death Is Not Allowed...

For the past few months, Ruan Xingji had been experimenting on live subjects. The escaped convict he once saved proved remarkably resilient, surviving repeated anesthesia and abdominal surgeries. This allowed Ruan Xingji to perfect his mastery of anesthesia, ensuring he wouldn't lose composure in emergencies.

He inserted several acupuncture needles into Wei San to stabilize the pregnancy, then personally selected and brewed herbal medicine into a decoction for Wei San. Only Duan Lin and the palace physician were permitted to assist; all other hidden guards and assassins were dismissed.

"Will Third Brother be alright?"

Wei Jiu, being young, struggled to control his emotions as well as the others, and soon burst into tears. Wei San was his closest companion, and the thought of him possibly dying filled Wei Jiu with extreme fear.

Wei Er and Wei Si tried to comfort him, saying, "Don’t worry, your Third Brother has always been lucky. He’ll definitely be fine."

Instead of being comforted, Wei Jiu grew even more anxious. Fearing that his crying outside might disturb Doctor Ruan, he covered his mouth and silently wept.

Wei Er and Wei Si shrugged helplessly, though they too were deeply concerned about Wei San’s safety.

Meanwhile, Wei Zheng left the palace without stopping. When he saw Wei Liu waiting outside the palace gates, his heart sank, and he instinctively knew something had happened to Wei San.

Wei Liu spotted him as well, leaping forward in a few bounds and kneeling on one knee to report, "Master, Wei San was attacked and suffered a miscarriage scare. Doctor Ruan says the situation is not optimistic."

Wei Zheng grew frantic upon hearing this and immediately asked, "How was he attacked? Did you find out who did it?"

Wei Liu remained silent but cast a meaningful glance toward the palace behind Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng understood instantly. Clenching his fists tightly, he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his rage.

He glanced back with a dark, sinister look and said through gritted teeth, "Let’s go! Back to the manor!"

The two dared not delay any further, rushing back to the manor at top speed.

Wei Zheng’s first priority upon returning was to find Wei San. When he saw Wei Jiu pacing anxiously outside the hidden guards' quarters, along with Wei Er and Wei Si, who looked stern but clearly distracted, his heart, which had been in his throat with worry, instantly sank.

With a gloomy expression, he asked the three, "Where is Wei San?"

Surprised by his swift return, they exchanged uneasy glances before kneeling in unison.

Everyone was well aware of how much Wei Zheng valued Wei San. If he learned that Wei San was in critical condition after a premature birth, he would likely be beside himself with rage.

No one dared to risk angering him, but as their master was on the verge of erupting, Wei Er quickly replied, "Master, Wei San’s pregnancy was disturbed, leading to premature labor. Doctor Ruan is currently performing a C-section to deliver the child."

Wei Zheng’s vision blurred, and he staggered slightly before erupting in anger, "How could this happen out of nowhere?!"

The three looked at each other, unable to explain why, and could only bow their heads in shame, saying they didn’t know.

"Useless fools! What good are you?!"

Wei Zheng swung his sleeve in anger but knew venting his rage on them was pointless. He only wished the Crown Prince had died sooner, delaying his return to the manor.

A C-section was an extremely risky procedure, and once begun, no unauthorized personnel were allowed to enter or disturb the process. Even Wei Zheng was barred from checking on Wei San’s condition.

The room was eerily quiet, with only the sound of maids hurrying in with hot water and out with bloodied basins. The atmosphere was unbearably tense.

Wei Zheng stood in the courtyard, his sharp, gloomy gaze fixed on the tightly shut door, unmoving like a stone statue.

Wei Liu and the others, who had followed him back, wisely stepped aside, bowing their heads and hardly daring to breathe.

After nearly an hour of anxious waiting, a faint cry from a baby broke the heavy silence.

The door finally opened, and someone emerged. Wei Zheng’s eyes lit up, but when he saw it was a nursemaid, the light in his eyes dimmed.

The nursemaid beamed and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness! The consort has given birth to a young prince."

"The young prince is weak due to premature birth and cannot be brought outside to avoid the wind. He will need some time to recover before he can be shown to you."

Wei Zheng cared little about the child. He hurried forward and asked, "How is the consort? Is he alright?"

The nursemaid hesitated, shaking her head, "I don’t understand medicine, but I know Doctor Ruan and the physician are still doing everything they can to save him."

Wei Zheng’s eyes reddened upon hearing this. Clenching his fists, veins bulging on his arms, he wished he could bear the pain of the surgery for Wei San.

After delivering the news, the nursemaid returned to the room, and the door closed once more.

While delivering the child via C-section was manageable, suturing the wound afterward was extremely challenging. They waited from noon until dusk, and as darkness fell, snow began to fall.

"Master, it’s snowing."

Wei Liu offered an umbrella to Wei Zheng, but a sharp glare from him made Wei Liu retreat. Soon, a thin layer of snow accumulated on Wei Zheng’s hair and shoulders.

Though fearful of his master’s anger, Wei Liu worried about Wei Zheng catching a cold in the heavy snow. They had no idea how long the wait would be, and if Wei Zheng fell ill and passed it to Wei San, it could be fatal.

He ventured to remind him, "Master, please take shelter from the snow. Wei San will be weak after childbirth. If you catch a cold and pass it to him, it could cost him his life."

The statue-like figure finally moved, not to seek shelter under the umbrella but to brush the snow off his clothes.

Wei Liu quickly tilted the umbrella toward him.

Just then, the door opened again, and Ruan Xingji and Duan Lin emerged, looking exhausted.

Wei Zheng immediately forgot about the snow and asked anxiously, "How is Wei San?"

Ruan Xingji replied, "The wound was sutured well. He’s stable for now, but due to the anesthesia and being severely weakened, he’s still unconscious. He should wake up by tomorrow."

Wei Zheng’s face lit up with relief, and he strode toward the room. But Ruan Xingji stopped him, saying, "His life is saved, but he’s extremely weak. Your presence could harm him."

"If you want him dead, go ahead and enter."

Wei Zheng immediately retracted his steps, not daring to advance further.

He took a deep breath, his expression dark, and instructed Duan Lin and Ruan Xingji to take good care of Wei San before turning to leave with Wei Liu and the others.

Wei San did not wake up at the time Ruan Xingji had predicted. Were it not for his stable pulse, Ruan Xingji would have doubted his own medical skills.

Fearing that moving him might reopen the unhealed abdominal wound, no one except Ruan Xingji was allowed to see him—not even Wei Zheng.

With the consort unconscious, the Virtuous Prince remained grim-faced all day and grew increasingly irritable, erupting at the slightest provocation. The entire manor was shrouded in a suffocating atmosphere of tension.

The young prince, born prematurely, was frail and barely the size of two adult palms at birth. He was quickly moved to the main hall and, under Ruan Xingji’s careful supervision, had gained a little weight over the days.

Wei Zheng occasionally visited the child, and only when he saw the wrinkled features that faintly resembled Wei San did his expression soften.

While the manor was on edge, the court was also full of turmoil.

The Crown Prince’s rebellion and attempt to seize the throne failed, and his followers were systematically purged. Properties were confiscated, exiles were ordered, and nearly one-third of the officials were affected.

Thanks to Ruan Xingji finding an antidote, the imperial grandson, who had been unconscious from poisoning for a long time, finally awoke, though his intellect was impaired, leaving him somewhat simple-minded.

The Crown Princess, heartsick, requested permission from the old emperor to live as a monastic without taking full vows. The next day, she went with her personal maid and the simple-minded little imperial grandson to Changgan Temple to begin her religious life.

With two sons successively committing treason and rebellion, and the originally favored little imperial grandson having been left simple-minded, the old emperor, perhaps too devastated by the blows, fell seriously ill. He remained drowsy and unclear-minded most of the time, appearing to be at death's door.

The Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince had died, while the Eighth Prince and Ninth Prince were still too young. Ultimately, the only suitable candidate left to succeed the throne was the Virtuous Prince.

Court officials began to jockey for position, all eager to pledge their loyalty to the Virtuous Prince. However, since resolving the Crown Prince’s departure from the palace, the Virtuous Prince had secluded himself in his princely manor, refusing to see anyone. Not only did he avoid social interactions, but he was also completely disengaged from court affairs, seemingly indifferent to the imperial throne.

As the old emperor’s illness worsened, his moments of clarity lasted less than an hour a day. With no central figure to lead the court, the officials grew increasingly anxious, like ants on a hot griddle. They repeatedly beseeched the Virtuous Prince to step forward and take charge, but he remained unmoved.

Later, after some investigation, the officials learned from the princely household's servants that Secondary Consort Yun had fallen critically ill after giving birth, her condition still uncertain. The Virtuous Prince had been keeping vigil day and night, neglecting even the affairs of his own manor, let alone court matters.

Upon learning the truth, the officials had mixed reactions. They had long known that the Virtuous Prince held Secondary Consort Yun in high regard, but wasn't he a man? How could a man give birth?

After a moment of confusion, they recalled the rumors that Secondary Consort Yun was a dual-gendered individual and thought no more of it.

From then on, the officials became even more concerned about when Wei San would wake up than Wei Zheng himself. They feared that if anything happened to Wei San, the deeply devoted Wei Zheng would fall into despair and neglect state affairs entirely.

Wei San remained unconscious for four full days, kept alive only by doses of century-old ginseng. Finally, on the evening of the fourth day, he slowly drifted back to consciousness.

The injury to his abdomen was severe, and having been unconscious for so long, he had little energy upon waking, his face deathly pale.

His first act upon opening his eyes was to ask about Wei Zheng’s safety. Wei Zheng entered the room immediately to see him, but before they could exchange more than a few words, Wei San, reassured, slipped back into unconsciousness.

The manor was thrown into chaos once again. Fortunately, after taking his pulse, Ruan Xingji confirmed that Wei San was merely physically exhausted and needed time to recover, calming Wei Zheng, who was on the verge of losing control.

Wei Zheng, still uneasy, stayed by his side the entire night, barely closing his eyes.

The next day, Wei San indeed woke again. Though still weak, he seemed much more lucid.

Upon opening his eyes and seeing Wei Zheng’s stubbled chin and shadowed eyes, his first reaction was heartache and self-blame.

"My lord looks so haggard. It is this subordinate’s fault for causing you worry and distress. This subordinate deserves..."

"Don’t speak such nonsense!"

Before he could finish, Wei Zheng, with a darkened expression, covered his mouth. Though his tone sounded fierce, the panic and fear in his eyes were unmistakable.

God only knew how terrified he had been while watching over Wei San, fearing he might not make it. Now that Wei San had finally awakened, his first words were so disheartening—it's no wonder it made him angry.

Wei San was taken aback but, instead of feeling hurt by the scolding, couldn’t help but smile.

His lord truly cared for him—far more than he had ever imagined.

Wei Zheng, already anxious and fearful, grew even angrier seeing him smile. But he couldn’t bring himself to vent his anger on Wei San. Instead, he gritted his teeth and said sternly, "From now on, don’t speak of life and death. Your life belongs to this prince. Without my permission, you are not allowed to die!"

"Did you hear me?"

Wei Zheng was domineering and unreasonable, but Wei San nodded in agreement, suddenly feeling a sense of release. He realized he had been trapped in his own stubborn thoughts.

If his lord cherished him, hadn't he, too, harbored his own private affections?