Chapter 51: The Imperial Physician Enshrined in the Ancestral Temple

Chapter 51: The Imperial Physician's Secret

Ling Yehan was banished from the bed by Xiao Chen, who claimed he had been kicked in his sleep. Ling Yehan glanced at the considerable distance between them, daring not utter a word, and obediently descended. However, before he fully dismounted, his gaze swept over Xiao Chen, noticing something amiss. Indeed, no sooner had he left the bed than Xiao Chen summoned Zhang Chunlai, who was on night watch, and the inner attendants to assist him with changing.

For the remainder of the night, Ling Yehan huddled miserably against the bed frame, only then permitted to return.

The chamber remained eerily silent. The person beside him dared not make another sound. Yet, Xiao Chen found sleep elusive. The incense-scented nightclothes did nothing to erase the recent memory. He could scarcely believe he had dreamt such a dream, and in that dream, he had even...

In the early morning, Ling Yehan had duties. Usually, Xiao Chen would rise around the same time, but today, the person beside him seemed to be in a deep slumber. Ling Yehan dared not disturb his rest, so he quietly slipped out of bed and went to the side hall to be attended for his morning ablutions. Just as he stepped out, the person behind the curtains slowly opened his eyes, dark circles beneath them, clearly having slept poorly all night.

Ling Yehan was distracted as he dressed that morning, his mind replaying the glimpse he had caught the previous night of a stain on Xiao Chen's undergarments. He thought repeatedly, he couldn’t have been mistaken, no, he definitely hadn’t been mistaken. Moreover, upon reflection, Xiao Chen’s complexion had indeed seemed off at the time, reminding him of that wild night with Xiao Chen, whose face had also been flushed...

Lost in thought, he tripped on the threshold as he exited the side hall, staggering a few steps before colliding with someone, which brought him to a halt.

"Marquis, be careful."

The Zichen Hall had two side halls, east and west. The east side hall was where Ling Yehan often stayed when he overnighted in the palace, while the west side hall had been permanently occupied by imperial physicians since Xiao Chen's pregnancy. The person he bumped into was Xu Yuanli, who had just emerged from the west side hall. After steadying himself, Ling Yehan stared intently at the physician who had been attending to Xiao Chen. Being scrutinized so intensely by the Marquis of Jingbian so early in the morning made Imperial Physician Xu uneasy. Before he could even inquire, he was seized by the shoulder, pulled into the west side hall, and in a swift motion, Ling Yehan slammed the door shut.

Xu Yuanli, familiar with Ling Yehan’s wild and unpredictable nature, grew somewhat flustered:

"Marquis, what is the meaning of this? This official still needs to check on His Majesty's morning medicine in the small kitchen."

Ling Yehan pulled him to sit in the main hall:

"Don’t be nervous, Doctor. I just have a few questions for you."

Xu Yuanli braced himself and replied:

"Please speak, Marquis."

He was tense, but the man across from him seemed no better off. The Marquis of Jingbian scratched his head twice, his expression conflicted, before finally, as if making a difficult decision, he spoke hesitantly:

"Given His Majesty’s current delicate condition, I wanted to ask you, Imperial Physician Xu, if there are any precautions I should take while... attending to him?"

At the word "attending," Xu Yuanli tensed up. He knew full well that the Marquis’s idea of "attending" was not the same as that of a palace servant. He felt as if he were on the verge of stumbling upon a royal secret—one he had no desire to know in detail. All he wanted was to collect his monthly salary and live peacefully as a fifth-rank official.

"His Majesty must avoid mental strain and physical exertion at present. He should maintain a cheerful disposition. It would be best if the Marquis could keep him in good spirits."

Seeing how the sly physician was deflecting, Ling Yehan moved a small table closer and sat beside him:

"Imperial Physician Xu, His Majesty is reluctant to speak openly about his needs. But as his subject and physician, shouldn’t you help carry his burdens?"

The two locked eyes for a moment. Xu Yuanli recalled that His Majesty was already nearly six months pregnant. In two months, preparations would have to be made—preparations he dared not mention himself. But the Marquis of Jingbian was the perfect candidate.

He immediately adopted a resolute expression, stood up, retrieved an old text from a sandalwood box on the bookshelf behind the desk, and solemnly handed it to Ling Yehan:

"Marquis, as you know, His Majesty’s ability to conceive is due to his Luo heritage. The origins of the Luo people are lost to history, but their extinction occurred in the early years of the previous dynasty, barely over a century ago. This official happens to possess an ancient text concerning Luo male pregnancy. Perhaps you should take it back and study it. What you wish to know may very well be contained within."

Ling Yehan tucked the book into his robes:

"I trust you will not proactively inform His Majesty of today’s discussion."

Xu Yuanli agreed. After all, this was the Zichen Hall—nothing could be kept from the Emperor for long. Giving him a book was hardly a major incident.

Ling Yehan arrived at the Capital Magistrate's office and reviewed the reports submitted the previous day by the various Centurions and officials. The number of new patients seeking treatment in the streets and alleys had dwindled, with most being follow-up cases. The epidemic that had shrouded the capital for over half a month was finally nearing its end.

Today, after reading the reports, Ling Yehan did not make his usual rounds of inspection. Instead, he dismissed everyone from the room and secretly took out the ancient text hidden in his chest.

He flipped through the pages one by one. The text was blunt and graphic. The more Ling Yehan read, the more his face flushed. It stated that Luo men experienced heightened desires during pregnancy, particularly at night, and required timely relief. Prolonged suppression, it warned, could adversely affect the pregnancy.

Ling Yehan felt his heartbeat quicken, his ears turning red. So, last night, Xiao Chen had indeed...

He took a large gulp of cold tea and continued reading. The subsequent content made him even more blushing and hot. It mentioned that after eight months, warm jade should be used for nurturing, to facilitate childbirth. The book contained not only text but also illustrations.

His heart pounded like a drum. Merely associating the descriptions in the book with Xiao Chen made it impossible for him to remain calm. And how was he supposed to bring this up with him?

The book contained both text and illustrations, but as he turned a page, he found that the subsequent illustrated pages had been torn out. Ling Yehan frantically checked the rest of the book, but they were indeed missing. He stared at the torn edge for a long time; the jagged tear seemed old, not recently made. Probably, the book had already been damaged when Xu Yuanli acquired it.

After closing the book, Ling Yehan was left restless and worried by its contents. According to the text, Luo men had a unique constitution, and if those desires weren't relieved promptly, it could harm their health.

Moreover, Xiao Chen was already burdened by old injuries. If he couldn’t rest well at night and continued to waste away, the consequences would be severe. But then again, given Xiao Chen’s temperament, he would rather suffer quietly than speak of such matters. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have driven Ling Yehan from the bed last night.

This posed a difficult problem. What troubled him further was that he himself wasn’t very skilled in... attending to such needs. He had hoped to learn a trick or two from the book, but the most crucial part was missing. This wasn’t something he could ask others about. Besides, the people around him were either battle-hardened soldiers or, like Cheng Baobao, unmarried and inexperienced, offering no useful knowledge.

Ling Yehan rubbed his face until it was red. Suddenly, an idea struck him. The essence of... attending to someone was to ensure their comfort. Surely, such establishments existed in the capital.

After much thought, he decided he needed to find an expert to ask.

At noon, he deliberately invited a colleague known for frequenting pleasure houses to dine with him. He ordered some wine and casually steered the conversation in that direction. The colleague quickly took the bait:

"Marquis, buried in military affairs, you probably haven’t heard of the three most famous towers and one pavilion in the capital, have you?"

Ling Yehan acted casual but pricked up his ears. The man continued:

"Slumber Fragrance Tower, Jade Powder Tower, and Summoning Moon Tower. To be frank, Marquis, those places are true dens of pleasure—once you enter, you won’t want to leave."

Ling Yehan deduced these were brothels. He pondered silently: Brothels typically catered to women, right? Would techniques meant for women be suitable for his purposes?

"You mentioned three towers and one pavilion. What about the pavilion?"

Xu Guang chuckled softly:

"Well, seeing as you’re a man of integrity, Marquis, that pavilion might not be suitable for you."

Ling Yehan poured him more wine personally:

"Now you’ve made me even more curious."

Xu Guang leaned in and whispered:

"That pavilion is called Pure Brilliance Pavilion. The name sounds exceedingly elegant, but it’s even more intoxicating than the three towers. That’s because the attendants there are all male courtesans. In fact, Pure Brilliance Pavilion has a longer history than the three towers. During the previous dynasty, the southern custom was popular. Pure Brilliance Pavilion was the top spot in the capital back then. Rumor has it even the previous dynasty’s emperor visited incognito."

Ling Yehan widened his eyes deliberately:

"Male courtesans? All men?"

"Indeed. I’ve been there twice myself. Let me tell you, those courtesans—their figures, their looks, their skills—are even more captivating than women."

Ling Yehan’s mind was made up. Male courtesans... indeed, they were closer to his situation than female prostitutes. It seemed that visiting Pure Brilliance Pavilion to learn a few tricks would be more reliable than going to a brothel.

The atmosphere in the Zichen Hall remained tense all day, largely because the Emperor was clearly in a foul mood, as if suppressing anger.

Xiao Chen reclined on the soft couch, having thrown down the book in his hand for the countless time:

"Bring another one. Are all the books tribute from the provinces this crude and shallow?"

Zhang Fu hurriedly handed him a collection of anecdotes. Sure enough, within minutes, it too was flung aside.

Xiao Chen went from reading histories to classics, from classics to biographies, and from biographies to travelogues—nothing satisfied him. After the uncontrollable desire from the previous night had subsided, everything that happened filled him with deep embarrassment. Even in his previous life, when troubled by these urges, he had never acted that way, nor had he ever had such a lewd and absurd dream.

Ultimately, it all stemmed from Ling Yehan's recklessness last night. If not for him, that incident during the bath wouldn't have happened.

In the evening, his figure silhouetted against the evening glow, Ling Yehan hurried toward the Purple Palace Hall. As usual, he had brought some snacks from outside the palace for Xiao Chen, planning to feel him out tonight.

"Brother, I'm back. Guess what delicious treats I brought for you?"

This lively voice finally broke the deathly silence in the Purple Palace Hall. Even Zhang Fu looked at Ling Yehan as if he were a savior.

Suppressing his irritation, Xiao Chen turned around and met a pair of sparkling eyes full of laughter—eyes that seemed to hold nothing but him, looking utterly foolish. Recalling that this fool probably hadn't noticed anything amiss last night, Xiao Chen felt some of his irritation ease.

But before he could fully calm down, that troublesome fellow approached the soft couch and threw his arms around him.