Chapter 116

Chapter 116 The household physicians were unsurprised by this. "There's nothing serious. These bruises will gradually fade as the Fourth Young Master grows—at most, within a hundred days." "However, before those hundred days pass, his constitution may be weaker than the little Commandery Princess's." Prince Jing frowned deeply and nodded to Dr. Hu. "For the time being, you will be solely responsible for taking the pulses of both children. If anything is needed, go directly to the storeroom and take it. You must raise both children well." Dr. Hu: "This subordinate will do his utmost." Because they were twins, both children weighed only four catties—even less than Third Young Master, who had been born prematurely to Fang Yuan'er. Fortunately, both children cried loudly enough, which allowed Prince Jing to breathe a few sighs of relief. Seeing that he had gained two more children, Prince Jing was also delighted. With a grand wave of his hand, he gave one word: "Rewards!" As for how much to reward, that was not something he needed to worry about. The Princess Consort came down with a smile. "My Prince, shall we give the two children names?" Prince Jing pondered for a moment. "Lady Fang's child hasn't been named yet, and the fourth one needn't be rushed either." Though he said this, it was clear that between the two children, Prince Jing favored the healthy Second Miss more. And because he doted on his daughters, after a moment's thought he said, "I intend to name the girl Duanjing. What does the Princess Consort think?" The Princess Consort was taken aback. "Does my Prince mean the title?" Prince Jing nodded and said to Shi'an, "Have someone draft a memorial and submit it immediately." The court had been unsettled lately—if they didn't move quickly, who knew how long it would be delayed. The maidservants and matrons in the courtyard, however, did not know this and simply assumed Prince Jing was deeply fond of Princess Duanjing. Concubine An, who had just given birth, heard the news and felt both joy and fear. Joy that the Prince doted on the Commandery Princess, but fear that the Prince might be angered by the Fourth Young Master's weak constitution in the womb. Ping'an comforted her, "Mistress, don't overthink. Today is a wonderful day!" "The Prince has few children, and you've given birth to twins in one go—a dragon and phoenix bringing auspiciousness. What a good omen!" "Our Fourth Young Master is only a little weak from the womb. The household physician also said that with proper care for two or three months, he'll be no different from ordinary children." "And now the Second Commandery Princess has won the Prince's favor, personally bestowed the title of Commandery Princess. What a wonderful thing!" Concubine An's heart finally settled. "I was overthinking it." After the children were settled, Prince Jing finally had time to ask about other matters. "What happened with Concubine An being startled?" The Princess Consort was reluctant to speak, so Nanny Li stepped forward on her behalf. Nanny Li had no intention of covering for Concubine An and said bluntly, "It's said that Concubine An frightened herself with a nightmare, which startled the pregnancy." Prince Jing: "..." At that moment, Prince Jing wore the exact same expression the Princess Consort had when she first heard the matter. For a brief instant, Prince Jing truly found Concubine An's timidity and incompetence distasteful. He even began to doubt whether protecting Concubine An through the twin birth had been the right decision. With Concubine An's capabilities, once the two children were born, could she really raise them properly? It was a pity the Princess Consort was unwilling to raise children—otherwise, Prince Jing would have been moved to have the Princess Consort take them in. Just then, Shi'an rushed in hurriedly. "My Prince, something terrible has happened." Prince Jing glanced at him. "Speak plainly." Shi'an looked as if he was about to cry. "The Zichen Hall has collapsed under the weight of the snow!" "They say the Emperor was staying in Zichen Hall tonight—we don't yet know what has become of him." For a moment, the room fell into complete silence. Prince Jing's expression darkened, and he turned to leave. "Have someone saddle a horse—I must enter the palace!" Just as he reached the door, he turned back to instruct, "All matters of the household are to be handled by the Princess Consort." The Princess Consort bowed to Prince Jing. "My Prince, go with peace of mind. Your concubine will manage everything in the household well." By the time the Princess Consort finished her pleasantries, Prince Jing's figure had long since disappeared. Concubine An, who had just settled her heart, heard the news of Zichen Hall's collapse from a young maidservant and was frightened once again. "How can this be such a coincidence!" "Ping'an, do you think the Prince and Princess Consort will believe the twins were born at an inauspicious time?" Ping'an had stayed up all night without sleep, and her temples were throbbing with pain, yet she still had to patiently comfort Concubine An. After all the commotion, by the time Xie Run learned of the situation, it was already time for the midday meal. She had no idea that both Fang Yuan'er and Wan Linlang had each played their own game of "prophecy." Upon hearing the news that Zichen Hall had collapsed, her first priority was to manage the people in her own courtyard—having the gates guarded and forbidding anyone from wandering about. The Princess Consort also acted swiftly, having all the gates locked. Without her tally, no one was permitted to open them. For a time, the entire Prince Jing's residence was on high alert. This actually proved convenient for the two women who had just given birth to care for their children. The news that Fang Yuan'er was personally nursing Third Young Master spread through the household and stirred no small amount of gossip. However, Fang Yuan'er held considerable authority in the residence, and no one dared to voice any criticism. Dantao led people to deliver gifts to both households, and upon returning, reported to Xie Run. "Consort Fang insists on personally nursing the child, and it does seem to be having some effect." "This servant observed that Third Young Master, though born prematurely at seven months, is actually sturdier than Fourth Young Master." "In just a few days, both Second Commandery Princess and Fourth Young Master have grown considerably. Second Commandery Princess is lively and fond of smiling—she looks quite adorable." Xie Run reclined on the couch reading a book and asked with a smile, "And what about Fourth Young Master?" Dantao pressed her lips together and shook her head. "I'm afraid he's not doing too well." Xie Run: "What do you mean by that?" "Originally, the bruises on Fourth Young Master weren't a serious matter, but Concubine An, fearing the Prince might be angered, has been tending to him with great care. At the slightest sign of trouble, she calls for the household physician." Fortunately, Prince Jing had specifically assigned a household physician to attend to Concubine An, otherwise there would be a commotion in the rear courtyard every time. But perhaps it was precisely because Prince Jing had assigned someone specifically that Concubine An kept summoning the physician at every little thing. After all, she didn't have the nerve to stir up trouble in the rear courtyard. Dantao picked up the tongs and stirred the charcoal fire in the brazier before speaking: "When this servant went there, I saw some disorder in the courtyard. At the slightest disturbance, Fourth Young Master would start wailing at the top of his lungs, and the others would panic and scramble about as well." "A child only a few days old should be in the prime time for eating and sleeping—how can he be crying like that?" Xie Run nodded. "If he's constantly being stirred up like this, I'm afraid his health will be hard to nurture well, and he'll easily develop a host of delicate, fussy habits." "He was originally a healthy child. As long as he's raised normally, there's nothing to worry about." Dantao nodded. "Isn't that so? This servant has seen that the little Commandery Princess is doing quite well." "The two were born on the same day, yet the little Commandery Princess is now a whole size rounder than Fourth Young Master. Her skin is fair and tender—she's simply adorable." Xie Run set down her book and said lazily, "There's nothing to be done about it. Concubine An is just that sort of temperament—startled at the slightest thing..."