Chapter 25: The Scapegoat Princess Is Sentenced to Death

In the side hall of the Emperor’s bedchamber, the Imperial physicians had just closed the door when the Chief Physician hurriedly questioned Zhou Yan, "Little Zhou, tell us everything you know immediately, including your findings from the pulse reading."

"Chief Physician Song, I don't know much, but I will tell you what I can. His Majesty’s weight gain happened overnight. Chief Eunuch Li can verify that before going to bed, His Majesty was perfectly normal; he was not this heavy, nor were there these pale, fleshy, blood-streaked scars on his body. Those marks likely appeared because his skin was stretched to its limit by the sudden weight gain. The specifics remain unknown. As for Consort Guang, I did not take her pulse, but as soon as she entered, she claimed she had been cursed and that what she carried in her womb was not a fetus, but something unknown. It grew instantly; it is certainly not a pregnancy! Since I did not examine her, I cannot confirm the truth."

The physicians immediately began to deliberate. "Gaining this much weight overnight is simply impossible. His Majesty is at least forty or fifty pounds heavier than he was a few days ago, perhaps even more. Even a pregnant woman would take over half a year to gain that much."

"Very few pregnant women gain that much!"

"The medical records for His Majesty are very clear; he was never this heavy before. That much is certain."

"Current medical theory cannot explain this."

"Consort Guang’s case is even stranger. I treated her half a month ago, and her pulse was quite normal, save for a slight cold. I prescribed seven days of medicine, so she was definitely not pregnant then. Her abdomen was normal and nowhere near as large as it is today. If His Majesty’s weight gain happened overnight, it is indeed possible that Consort Guang’s abdomen swelled just as quickly."

"It is too bizarre, truly too bizarre. I am certain there is something inside her, and it is neither bloating nor a phantom pregnancy. Listening to you all, it is even less likely to be a fetus. This is a disaster. I have no idea how to explain this to His Majesty!"

The physicians were profoundly helpless—more so even than when they faced the late Empress Dowager’s incurable illness. At least then, they knew what she was suffering from. Now, they did not even understand the nature of the affliction.

Before they could reach a consensus on how to address the Emperor, the Crown Prince and several princes arrived to pay their respects, and various ministers submitted memorials offering prayers for his recovery.

Meanwhile, Master Ziyun of the Celestial Master’s Mansion and Director Xu of the Imperial Observatory were unwilling to admit that the Emperor was afflicted by malevolent spirits. They insisted that because the Emperor was protected by the Imperial Dragon Qi and the mandate of the nation, no one could curse him. They maintained it must simply be an illness and left the burden to the Imperial physicians. They took the same stance regarding Consort Guang: it was merely a difficult, obscure ailment.

In truth, they knew well whether they possessed the ability to exorcise spirits. Had they understood the symptoms and been able to provide a solution, they would have been eager to demonstrate their prowess for the sake of merit. However, the conditions of both the Emperor and Consort Guang exceeded their understanding and their capabilities. To admit they were cursed would force them to confess either their own incompetence or that their past displays of mysticism were nothing more than fraud. Clearly, neither outcome was desirable.

It was better to insist on the "illness" narrative and dump the responsibility onto the Imperial physicians. If it was just a disease, no one could blame them. As the saying goes, what the superior loves, the subordinates will imitate; the Emperor loved to deflect blame, and his officials followed suit.

Neither the Emperor, who suspected he was cursed, nor Consort Guang, who was certain of it, dared to speak otherwise. Consort Guang feared to say it, and the Emperor was unwilling to admit that his Dragon Qi had failed to protect him.

The pressure thus fell squarely on the Imperial physicians. The Chief Physician and his deputies were furious at the deflection from the Celestial Master’s Mansion and the Imperial Observatory. They had been ready to pin the blame on those two institutions to protect their own reputations, but their hesitation had cost them the initiative. Now, they were forced to take the lead.

Realizing they could not bear this burden alone, the Chief Physician struggled for a moment before decisively speaking, "Your Majesty, Consort Guang’s condition can no longer be delayed. It would be best if we administered labor-inducing medicine to relieve her of the burden in her womb."

Having lost the first move, they knew that simply arguing would look like petty infighting. Instead, they would let the facts speak for themselves. If the thing born from Consort Guang was not human, it would be ironclad proof that this was no mere illness, but a curse.

The Emperor and Consort Guang had no objections; Consort Guang, in particular, wished to be rid of the growth. With the Chief Physician handling the matter, it was far more reliable than the ministrations of Nanny Li.

The decision made, the medicine was prepared, and the midwives were summoned. The Emperor dismissed his sons, having no desire to see them. Half an hour later, the decoction was ready. The medicine took effect quickly, and the "delivery" began. Everything proceeded without the complications of a difficult labor or hemorrhage. In less than the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, Consort Guang gave birth to a round object.

It was, of course, no divine child. It was a pig’s head, still encased in the placenta. It was dark purple, round, slightly elastic, and semi-translucent; though one could not see clearly what lay within, it was certainly no human fetus.

The midwife fainted on the spot. The palace maids, trembling with terror, mustered their courage to carry the semi-transparent, orb-like mass before the Emperor.