Four Seasons Brocade – CH 251

Chapter 251 ☆、

He Nianfang and Imperial Physician Jiang arrived quickly. When Chu Mao returned home that afternoon and heard that Ah Wu was in Bingxue Forest, he had already made up his mind and ordered someone to invite the two imperial physicians.

Imperial Physician Jiang politely allowed He Nianfang, the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau, to take her pulse first. He Nianfang glanced at Ah Wu’s face as she lay on the bed, then quickly lowered his head and placed his hand on her snow-white wrist to take her pulse.

After a long while, He Nian finally stood up and said, “Elder Jiang, please examine her.”

Imperial Physician Jiang lifted his robe and sat on an embroidered stool, extending his hand to take her pulse. He was accustomed to examining the pulses of noblewomen in the Imperial Medical Bureau’s gynecology department, usually with great secrecy. However, Prince Qi was clearly extremely worried about his Princess’s health, which was why he had not even drawn the bed curtains or draped a handkerchief over her wrist—all in accordance with the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine: observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation.

Imperial Physician Jiang withdrew his hand, stroked his beard, and then stood up.

Chu Mao invited the two of them to the outer room, where Jiang Liangzhi respectfully asked, “May I ask, Your Highness, does the Princess often suffer from lethargy, excessive sleep, and poor appetite?”

“The Princess often rises late in the morning, sometimes combining breakfast and lunch. Her appetite is indeed small, but she has never had a large appetite since childhood,” Chu Mao said.

As for Princess Qi, who slept until late morning and skipped breakfast, Imperial Physician Jiang dared not offer much comment. He could only address the matter at hand. He and He Nianfang exchanged a glance, both understanding the situation.

“Elder Jiang, you specialize in gynecology, so please speak first,” He Nianfang said.

Imperial Physician Jiang, already in his sixties, naturally had more freedom of speech than the forty-something He Nianfang. “In my humble opinion, the Princess’s symptoms are likely due to excessive sexual activity.”

Upon hearing this, He Nianfang coughed, causing even the usually composed Chu Mao to blush deeply, though he quickly recovered.

He Nianfang’s cough was entirely due to Imperial Physician Jiang’s overly blunt words. Jiang Liangzhi was known for his upright character and straightforward speech, which was why, despite his exceptional medical skills and seniority, he had remained merely an Imperial Physician after over thirty years in the Imperial Medical Bureau.

“The Princess is young, and her frequent sexual activity has taken its toll on her already weak constitution. This, coupled with the depletion of her essence and energy, has led to a deficiency in her kidney yin. While she is young now, the serious symptoms may not be immediately apparent, but as she ages, this could be detrimental, especially to her fertility.” Jiang Liangzhi stroked his long beard again. “Fortunately, the physician who examines the Princess every ten days noticed it early, and her deficiency is not severe. Even Your Highness should take a break; that’s the way to maintain health and longevity.”

When had Chu Mao ever been so humiliated? It was astonishing that he could endure it.

“Moreover, the Princess Consort may have taken medication, which alleviated her symptoms; otherwise, she would have already fallen ill,” Jiang Liangzhi continued, glancing at He Nianfang. “I would appreciate it if Imperial Physician He could explain this to His Highness.”

He Nianfang nodded, saying, “The Princess Consort is exceptionally beautiful, and His Highness and the Princess Consort are a young couple; understandably, they have been somewhat indulgent. She will naturally recover in the future.” He Nianfang was speaking to Jiang Liangzhi, intending to explain to Prince Qi that he was not a lecherous or dissolute person.

“However, this humble servant observes that the Princess Consort’s symptoms are not a matter of a single day or night. Fortunately, she has taken medicine to strengthen her constitution and regulate her yin, which has allowed her to maintain her condition until now,” He Nianfang said.

Chu Mao immediately thought of the “Jing Family’s Secret Medicine” that Ling Yu had given him. To be honest, he had indeed been somewhat indulgent over the past six months. Seeing that Ah Wu seemed unwell, he had been intimate with her almost every night, sometimes three or four times a day. Having practiced the Yuan Yang Technique since childhood, his yang energy was naturally stronger than others. He himself did not notice anything amiss and habitually assumed Ah Wu was fine, but he had underestimated the fact that she was young and her body had not fully developed.

“But that medicine still…” He Nianfang hesitated, unsure whether to speak, fearing it would cause discord between Prince Qi and his wife. After all, Prince Qi had no children, and Princess Qi was taking contraceptives.

“Please speak freely, Imperial Physician He,” Chu Mao said, already anticipating He Nianfang’s next words.

“That medicine also has a contraceptive effect. Long-term use can easily lead to toxin buildup in the body. I dare to guess that the medicine comes from the Jing family, and it has always been a closely guarded secret of the Jing family. It is much milder than the common contraceptive decoction used in the palace, and it also contains herbs to strengthen the body. If taken, it can be used for three months, then stopped for three months before resuming use. In that case, it should be fine,” He Nianfang said.

“What do you mean by ‘fine’? Women should use this kind of medicine sparingly before childbirth; otherwise, it will be difficult to conceive later,” Jiang Liangzhi retorted.

He Nianfang fell silent.

“If it’s about contraception for women, is there any good method? Please teach me, Physician Jiang,” Chu Mao asked humbly. Jiang Liangzhi did not care why Prince Qi, who had no children, wanted a method of contraception; he simply answered the question.

“There are a few days between these two periods when conception is most likely. Avoiding these days will be fine. To be on the safe side, a period of ten days or half a month will be even more effective in preventing pregnancy,” Jiang Liangzhi said.

“Thank you both, Imperial Physicians. Please prescribe some medicine for my wife to help her recover,” Chu Mao said.

“Yes,” He Nianfang and Jiang Liangzhi went aside to discuss the prescription.

Chu Mao breathed a sigh of relief. He was most afraid that the pills would damage Ah Wu’s health. Fortunately, it was a false alarm. However, Chu Mao dared not give Ah Wu any more medicine, even though He Nianfang said it was fine. He dared not try it again.

The next day, Ah Wu did not wake up until dawn. Seeing Chu Mao still in the room, she asked in surprise, “Your Highness, are you not going out today?”

“I was waiting for you,” Chu Mao said, sitting down by the bedside. He pulled Ah Wu into his arms and handed her the prescriptions written by Imperial Physicians He and Jiang.

“These are all medicines to strengthen the body’s foundation and nourish the vital energy.” Ah Wu looked at them, completely bewildered. “Who is going to take them?” Ah Wu’s heart skipped a beat as soon as she asked. There were not many people who could warrant He Nianfang and Jiang Liangzhi jointly examining one’s pulse; Prince Qi was naturally the first among them. And these medicines were for strengthening the body’s foundation and nourishing the vital energy? Ah Wu could not help but glance at Chu Mao suspiciously.

“What are you thinking about?” Chu Mao patted Ah Wu’s cheek.

Ah Wu’s eyes darted around, but she dared not speak her mind. However, she had already begun to think about what kind of nourishing food to give Chu Mao. Goji berries, yams, sea bass, sea cucumber, seahorse, fox nuts, and walnuts—all were good for nourishing kidney energy. Oh, and deer antler glue, too.

“Not me,” Chu Mao said.

Ah Wu’s eyes widened slightly more as she looked at Chu Mao without speaking.

Chu Mao lowered his head and whispered something in Ah Wu’s ear.

“Oh!” Ah Wu’s face flushed crimson, like a peach blossom in March, and even her neck turned red. “I do not believe it! Why did you have to call them to take my pulse while I was asleep?”

“Did you want them to come while you were awake?” Chu Mao pinched Ah Wu’s cheek. “That Jiang Liangzhi is so blunt it’s embarrassing; even I found it a bit hard to handle.” Chu Mao was now extremely relieved. It was best that Ah Wu was not seriously ill; however, because of this symptom, his previous actions were understandable and would not arouse Ah Wu’s suspicion. Chu Mao was determined never to mention contraception to Ah Wu; if she found out, who knew what kind of trouble she would cause?

Ah Wu thought about it and realized he was right. If Jiang Liangzhi had said such things to her face, she would probably be mortified. “It’s all your fault, you bastard, you lecher!” Ah Wu pinched Chu Mao’s arm. What kind of mess was this? “Excessive indulgence”—if people found out, how could she ever face them again?

“Do not worry, they are both tight-lipped. They would not dare tell anyone,” Chu Mao comforted Ah Wu. He then whispered in Ah Wu’s ear, “Now you know why I have not dared to touch you, right?”

“Ah Wu, I’ve been suffering terribly every day.” Chu Mao pulled Ah Wu’s hand and placed it on his lower abdomen, where a bulge burned hot.

Ah Wu quickly withdrew her hand. “What kind of time is this? You still…you still have this kind of interest!” Ah Wu glared at Chu Mao.

Chu Mao smiled wryly. “As long as it’s near you, it does not care when or where. Because of this, you’ve misunderstood me like this, suspecting I am being stubborn and even suspecting I am keeping a mistress. How are you going to compensate me?”

If she were easily coaxed by Chu Mao, she would not be Ah Wu. “So, when we were still in Jiangnan, Your Highness already suspected something was wrong with my health, but why did you wait until now to send Physician He and the others?”

“Actually, I was not sure what was going on either. I was afraid you’d worry, and when we returned to the mansion, you insisted on staying at Yulan Hall. I was afraid of arousing your suspicion, so I waited patiently for you to come to Bingxue Forest,” Chu Mao said, half-jokingly. In reality, he was not suspecting anything about Ah Wu’s health or any “excessive indulgence,” but simply that he did not want Ah Wu to get pregnant on the journey because the pills had run out.

Ah Wu was skeptical of Chu Mao’s words. She actually suspected that Chu Mao had summoned He Nianfang and Imperial Physician Jiang to examine her pulse while she was asleep, hoping to find something wrong that might prevent her from conceiving. After all, it had been over half a year, and Chu Mao desperately needed a son.

However, if that was the reason, Ah Wu dared not voice it directly. She could let it slide; it was said that married couples had to turn a blind eye to some things to maintain a good relationship.

“Your Highness, did…did Imperial Physician He and Imperial Physician Jiang say anything about me, about whether…whether I could conceive?” Ah Wu stammered, finally managing to squeeze out the question.

Chu Mao touched Ah Wu’s face. “Do not worry, they said that as long as you get proper treatment, you will definitely conceive within six months.” The latter part was fabricated by Chu Mao, but it seemed the important matter would be settled within those six months, at which point they would no longer need contraception.

Ah Wu breathed a sigh of relief. She was reluctant to seek medical help and had not dared to think about the problem deeply. It was only after much effort that she mustered the courage to return to Willow Alley and ask Lady Cui to find her a physician.

“But, I cannot touch you for the next three months, Ah Wu.” Chu Mao felt a headache coming on just thinking about it.

“You get what you deserve.”

Author’s Note:
Also, Ah Wu, I’m sorry. You did not need to have a kidney deficiency, but then the censorship came, so you were forced to have it for three months. Wahaha~