Chapter 21: The Scapegoat Princess Is Sentenced to Death (21)

Upon hearing this, Consort Guang could no longer contain the collapse of her heart: “Then what should be done? Are you really going to cut open my belly and take out whatever is inside? If my belly is cut open, can I still survive?”

She desperately tried to force herself to think more optimistically.

But with Nurse Li speaking so bluntly, it was truly difficult for her to maintain any hope.

“Rest assured, I am definitely on your side. I will check again and first try to induce labor to see if you can deliver whatever is inside your womb. If that doesn’t work, then we’ll have to resort to more drastic measures. There’s no other way. Your belly cannot keep growing like this!”

They had to resolve the problem while Consort Guang was still confined. If they waited until her confinement period ended, it would become utterly impossible to conceal. Even if the risk was enormous, this pregnancy had to be terminated.

Meanwhile, Ding Shui had already entered her womb with her soul to inspect the synthesis results. When Nurse Li had mentioned the joyful pulse earlier, Ding Shui had wondered if perhaps a piglet had been synthesized inside her womb. Only upon seeing it herself did she realize it was not a piglet, but rather a pig’s head that had formed and was connected in some way to her uterus.

It had even grown a layer of amniotic sac.

If left untreated, it would either develop into a large teratoma or cause severe hemorrhaging.

In any case, it was definitely abnormal.

Whether she could survive depended entirely on her luck.

After learning all this, Ding Shui had little heart to continue examining. After all, it was late, and there was the Heavenly Martial Emperor to attend to. Once she finished with him, she had to hurry back before dawn—the sun’s rays could be spiritually harmful.

Her soul was stronger than ordinary people’s, but not yet at the level of a Yang Spirit. While she wouldn’t be obliterated by sunlight, it would certainly be uncomfortable. Moreover, daytime travel was slower and more burdensome than flying at night. Unwilling to suffer unnecessarily and invite trouble without cause, Ding Shui had to make haste.

As she sought the Heavenly Martial Emperor, she had already begun to consider what to add to him.

After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Ding Shui finally found the Heavenly Martial Emperor in the back chambers behind the Purple Palace Hall and the Martial Virtue Hall. Without hesitation, she selected all the fat from the Emperor’s body as well as the fat from the pig in the synthesis storage space for combination.

The result was that the pig in the storage sacrificed its four hooves, tongue, head, and all its fat, leaving only skin and a pile of lean meat and ribs. The internal organs had been removed at slaughter and were not stored in the synthesis space.

The Heavenly Martial Emperor was suddenly awakened from sleep by pain.

He felt discomfort all over and could faintly hear tearing sounds. His entire body itched and ached—not unbearably, but unpleasant enough. Before he could call for assistance, Ding Shui clearly saw fat streaks rapidly emerging on his exposed hands, neck, and even ankles.

These so-called fat streaks are akin to stretch marks.

Sometimes also called growth marks.

They occur when skin growth cannot keep pace with body expansion, causing the skin to tear and form these lines.

In pregnancy, these marks usually appear on the abdomen and inner thighs, sometimes on the inside of the arms, buttocks, or waist.

Rapid weight gain can also cause them.

Usually, stretch marks from weight gain are more evenly distributed over the body, unlike pregnancy marks which concentrate mainly on the abdomen.

Of course, gradual weight gain results in milder symptoms.

Those without scar-prone skin also fare better.

But the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s case was clearly unlike sudden weight gain or pregnancy. In either scenario, body growth is limited—at most about ten pounds in a month.

He had instantly gained over sixty pounds.

The black pig Ding Shui had taken from the Duke of Lu’s manor was large and fat. After cleaning and gutting, it weighed over two hundred pounds. Selecting all its fat to synthesize sixty-plus pounds of fat was perfectly reasonable.

However, adding over sixty pounds of fat all at once to a man who originally weighed about one hundred forty pounds created a tremendous effect. The Emperor’s skin was nearly torn everywhere, covered in stretch marks.

Fortunately, human skin is remarkably resilient, and the fat was evenly spread, not concentrated in one spot. The amount, while significant, was not absurdly excessive.

Thus, only numerous fissures appeared.

No large gaping wounds or bleeding ruptures formed.

Had it been otherwise, the Emperor would have awakened writhing in unbearable agony, screaming and rolling on the ground.

Awakened by the pain, the Emperor rang his bell to summon attendants while inspecting his body. Though it was late at night and there were no electric lights, the palace was well supplied with tallow candles, so his chamber was brightly lit.

In the next moment, he clearly saw his hands and arms had thickened considerably, covered with faint, blood-veined stretch marks.

The Heavenly Martial Emperor, stronger than his son and daughter-in-law, remained remarkably composed. After checking other parts of his body, he fell silent, evidently pondering what on earth had happened to him and why such strange changes had manifested.

Meanwhile, the attendants, having heard the bell, hurried over with everything the Emperor might need: a chamber pot, warm towels, snacks, and sweet soup. Though the most likely reason for the summons was to use the chamber pot during the night, he might also have wished to rise or have a bite to eat.

They prepared everything just in case.

After all, it was not their money being spent!

Their foremost duty was to serve the Emperor comfortably.

Upon entering, none dared to meet the Emperor’s gaze directly, so no one noticed anything amiss.

“Everyone leave at once. Summon the imperial physicians on duty at the Imperial Medical Bureau. Also, bring Li Zhong here. Have the Rites Department draft an imperial edict stating that I am unwell and that court is suspended for one day.”

Even the chief eunuch could not attend to the Emperor twelve hours straight; they needed rest, or they would collapse after a few days. Realizing something was wrong, the Emperor’s first thought was to call his trusted aides and the imperial doctors, and to suspend court for the day.

Other matters could wait until the physicians arrived. He needed to know exactly what was happening to him before making further decisions.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Because no one dared to look the Emperor directly in the eye, no one detected anything unusual. The attendants respectfully acknowledged and quickly withdrew to carry out his orders.