Chapter 116

Chapter 116

The several house physicians were not surprised.

"There's no major issue. These bruises will gradually fade as the Fourth Young Master grows older, within a hundred days at most."

"However, before that time, he may be weaker than the Little Princess."

Prince Jing frowned deeply and singled out Dr. Hu, "You will focus solely on monitoring the health of these two children from now on. If you need anything, go straight to the storeroom and take it. You must ensure both children thrive."

Dr. Hu: "I will spare no effort."

Because they were twins, both children weighed only four jin, even less than the Third Young Master, whom Fang Yuaner had prematurely.

Fortunately, both children cried lustily, which relieved Prince Jing somewhat.

Prince Jing was delighted to have two more children.

With a grand wave of his hand, he declared: "Rewards!"

As for the exact amount, that wasn't something he needed to worry about.

The Princess stepped forward with a smile, "Your Highness, should we give the two children names?"

Prince Jing pondered for a moment, "Madam Fang's child hasn't been named yet, so there's no rush for the fourth one either."

Even so, among the two children, Prince Jing clearly favored the healthy Second Miss.

And because he had a particular fondness for daughters, after a moment's thought, he said, "I plan to name the girl Duanjing. What do you think, Princess?"

The Princess was startled. "Your Highness, do you mean a title?"

Prince Jing nodded and said to Shi An, "Have someone draft a memorial and submit it right away."

The court has been unsettled lately. If I don't act quickly, who knows how long it will be delayed.

The maids and servants in the courtyard, unaware of the reason, simply thought Prince Jing greatly favored Princess Duanjing.

Upon hearing the news, Concubine An, who had just given birth, was both delighted and anxious.

She was pleased that the Prince cherished the Princess, but feared he would be angry about the Fourth Young Master's congenital weakness.

Ping'an comforted her, "Don't overthink it, Mistress. Today is a wonderful day!"

"His Highness has few heirs, and you have given birth to twins—a dragon and a phoenix, an auspicious sign of good fortune! What could be better?"

"Our Fourth Young Master is only a little weak from birth. The physician said that with proper care for two or three months, he will be just like any normal child."

"And now the Second Princess has gained the Prince's favor and been granted a title. Isn't that wonderful?"

Concubine An's heart finally settled.

"I was worrying over nothing."

After the children were settled, Prince Jing finally had time to ask about other things, "How did Concubine An get frightened?"

The Princess was reluctant to speak, so Lady Li stepped forward to speak for her.

Lady Li had no intention of covering for Concubine An and said bluntly, "It is said that Concubine An had a nightmare and frightened herself, disturbing the pregnancy."

Prince Jing: "..."

At that moment, Prince Jing's expression mirrored the Princess's when she first heard the news.

For a moment, Prince Jing was genuinely disgusted by Concubine An's cowardice and incompetence.

He even began to wonder if it was right to have protected Concubine An through the twin birth.

With Concubine An's abilities, could she really raise the two children?

Unfortunately, the Princess was unwilling to raise children; otherwise, Prince Jing would have considered letting her adopt them.

Just then, Shi An rushed in, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

Prince Jing shot him a glance, "Out with it."

Shi An looked like he was about to cry, "The Zichen Hall has collapsed under the weight of the snow!"

"It is said that the Emperor was staying there tonight, and we still don't know what has happened to him."

For a moment, the room was dead silent.

Prince Jing's face darkened, and he turned to leave, "Prepare a horse. I must go to the palace!"

Just as he reached the door, he turned back to instruct, "Leave all household matters to the Princess."

The Princess bowed to Prince Jing, "Rest assured, Your Highness. I will take care of everything in the residence."

By the time the Princess finished her formalities, Prince Jing was already long gone.

Concubine An, who had just calmed down, heard the news of the Zichen Hall's collapse from a young maid and was terrified all over again.

"What a coincidence!"

"Ping'an, do you think the Prince and Princess will think the children were born at an inauspicious time?"

Ping'an, who had stayed up all night and now had a splitting headache, had to patiently comfort Concubine An again.

After all this commotion, by the time Xie Run learned what was happening, it was already time for lunch.

She had no idea that Fang Yuaner and Wan Linlang had both pulled their 'prophecy' stunts.

Upon hearing the news of the Zichen Hall's collapse, her first priority was to manage her own courtyard, ordering everyone to guard the gates and not wander about.

The Princess also acted swiftly, locking all gates and decreeing that no one could open them without her token.

For a time, the entire Prince Jing's residence was on high alert.

This actually made it easier for the two women who had just given birth to care for their children.

The news that Fang Yuaner was personally breastfeeding the Third Young Master spread through the residence, causing quite a stir.

However, Consort Fang had considerable authority in the residence, so no one dared to openly criticize.

Dan Tao took people to deliver gifts to both households and reported back to Xie Run.

"Consort Fang insists on nursing the child herself, and it seems to be having some effect."

"I saw the Third Young Master with my own eyes. Although he was born prematurely at seven months, he is actually stronger and healthier than the Fourth Young Master."

"In just a few days, the Second Princess and the Fourth Young Master have grown quite a bit. The Second Princess is lively and loves to laugh, looking very endearing."

Xie Run was lounging on the couch reading a book and asked with a smile, "And what about the Fourth Young Master?"

Dan Tao pressed her lips together, shook her head, and said, "I'm afraid he's not doing so well."

Xie Run asked, "What do you mean by not doing well?"

"At first, the bruises on the Fourth Young Master weren't a big deal, but Concubine An, fearing the Prince might be upset, has been fussing over him. At the slightest thing, she calls for the household physician."

Luckily, Prince Jing had specifically assigned a household physician to look after Concubine An, otherwise, there would be a big fuss in the backyard every time.

But perhaps it was precisely because Prince Jing had assigned someone that Concubine An frequently summoned the physician.

After all, she didn't have the nerve to stir up trouble in the backyard.

Dan Tao used tongs to poke the charcoal in the brazier before saying, "When I went there, I noticed some disorder in the courtyard. At the slightest disturbance, the Fourth Young Master would start wailing, and the others would panic and scramble around."

"A baby only a few days old should be eating and sleeping well. How can he cry like that?"

Xie Run nodded and said, "With all this constant fussing, it's hard for the child to grow up healthy, and he's likely to develop a fussy temperament."

"He's naturally a healthy child. As long as he's raised normally, there's nothing to worry about."

Dan Tao nodded in agreement, "Exactly. I noticed the Little Princess is doing quite well."

"Born on the same day, the Little Princess is now a whole size plumper than the Fourth Young Master, with soft, fair skin. She's just so lovable."

Xie Run put down her book and said lazily, "There's nothing to be done about it. Concubine An has always been like that, easily startled at the slightest thing..."