Chapter 140: Epidemic

To continue, when the Ninth Prince fainted in the grand hall, it thoroughly terrified Emperor Kangxi and all the imperial princes.

Kangxi immediately ordered someone to move the Ninth Prince to the imperial princes' residence and dispatched several imperial physicians to examine him. The physicians quickly delivered their verdict: the Ninth Prince had been invaded by a malevolent wind, causing high fever and fainting, and he would be fine after a period of proper convalescence.

Only then did Kangxi breathe a heavy sigh of relief, instructing the Eighth Prince and the Tenth Prince to properly escort the Ninth Prince back to his own mansion. Consort Yi, torn between heartbreak and anger, specially assigned an imperial nanny to the Ninth Prince's mansion. On one hand, the nanny was to look after him, and on the other hand, she sternly reprimened Lady Donggedu.

Though Lady Donggedu harbored a stomach full of grievances, she had no choice but to suppress them. Alongside the Ninth Prince's concubines, she took turns serving at his bedside in hopes that he would recover as soon as possible. However, Lady Donggedu did not actually have to busy herself all that much, because the Eighth Prince and the Tenth Prince came to visit almost every single day. Although the Fourteenth Prince could not quite manage daily visits, he came close enough.

Yet, neither the attentive care of the wives and concubines nor the spring-breeze warmth of the brothers could help the Ninth Prince's condition improve rapidly. By the third day, the Ninth Prince was burning with a fever so high that he lost consciousness, finding it difficult even to get out of bed.

Upon his arrival, the Tenth Prince took one look at the Ninth Prince's delirious and muddled state and instantly flew into a violent rage. Seizing the chief physician, Physician Hu, by the collar, he unleashed a fierce torrent of abuse: "You quack doctor! Didn't you say it was merely a malevolent wind invasion that would clear up after a couple of days of rest? How is it that today is already the third day, and the fever shows not the slightest sign of receding? If he keeps burning like this, how can a human body endure it? Lower my Ninth Brother's fever immediately, or I will have your head!"

Physician Hu looked at the Tenth Prince with trembling fear, then cast a pleading glance toward the Eighth Prince standing nearby. The Eighth Prince pulled the Tenth Prince back and sighed, "Tenth Brother, do not be rash. Acting this way is of no help to the Ninth Brother's condition." With that, the Eighth Prince turned a stern face to Physician Hu and said, "Physician, why on earth won't my Ninth Brother's fever break? Do not harbor any thoughts of conservative treatment. Let me tell you, should any mishap befall the Ninth Prince, all of your heads will roll."

Physician Hu hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the Eighth Prince and the Tenth Prince, the Ninth Prince truly only suffered a malevolent wind invasion. This humble official does not know why his fever has failed to break after all these days. I was just planning to consult the Head of the Imperial Hospital again today."

Upon hearing this, the Tenth Prince grew even more furious and kicked over a nearby table with a single blow of his foot: "My Ninth Brother is in this state, and you are still talking about waiting? I am going to the Imperial Hospital right now. If you do not give me a satisfactory explanation, see how I deal with all of you!"

Consequently, while Kangxi was discussing affairs of state with his ministers in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he received an urgent report from a junior eunuch stating that the Tenth Prince had smashed the Imperial Hospital to pieces. A wave of stifling anger washed over Kangxi, but Kangxi was no ordinary man. Before his temper could fully erupt, he realized that the Ninth Prince's condition must have taken a critical turn, and he immediately commanded, "Quickly dispatch people to the Ninth Prince's residence to inquire about his illness and report back at once!"

The Crown Prince stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Does Imperial Father suspect that the Ninth Brother..." The Crown Prince paused, then added, "Imperial Father should not worry too much. The Ninth Brother is merely suffering from an ordinary fever; it will not lead to anything serious."

With a displeased look, Kangxi shot a sidelong glare at the Crown Prince, then turned to the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes who were present in the hall: "Both of you go to Yintang's residence as well. If your Tenth Brother starts making a scene, help hold him back."

Seeing Kangxi display such certainty, the hearts of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes inevitably sank.

Yet Kangxi could not shake off the ominous foreboding weighing heavily on his heart. Reckless though the Tenth Prince might be, he never deigned to make a massive fuss over those weaker than himself; he always reserved his tantrums for Kangxi's presence or quarrels with his brothers. Such behavior—bullying the weak—had only occurred once before, at the time of Imperial Noble Consort Wenxi's death. Back then, when the Consort was gravely ill and the physicians proved completely helpless, the Tenth Prince had flown into a rage and smashed the Imperial Hospital. Had the Ninth Prince not stopped him, he might well have resorted to bloodshed.

Kangxi also knew that in the Tenth Prince's heart, the position of his beloved Ninth Brother likely ranked second only to his birth mother. Therefore, this violent uproar was undoubtedly tied to the Ninth Prince. Events proved that Kangxi understood his own son well, and his guess was not off by the slightest margin.

By now, the Ninth Prince's mansion was in a state of utter turmoil. The several physicians dragged over by the Tenth Prince had finished their joint consultation, but each of their faces was grimmer than the last. Lady Donggedu and several concubines could not help but burst into tears.

The Eighth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince, both of whom possessed some rudimentary knowledge of medicine, looked at the medical prescription with sluggish, blank expressions. The Tenth Prince yanked Physician Hu forward and roared loudly, "What on earth is going on? Speak up! What is the meaning of this silence?"

The Fourteenth Prince sat by the Ninth Prince's bedside. In the span of just three days, the Ninth Prince's cheeks had sunken inward, a sight that wrung the heart with sorrow. Glancing around toward Lady Donggedu, the Fourteenth Prince suddenly asked with a puzzled frown, "Where is Little Sister-in-law Yan? Doesn't the Ninth Brother usually dote on her the most?"

Hearing this, the Tenth Prince also furrowed his brow and looked at Lady Donggedu: "Indeed, where is Little Sister-in-law Yan?"

Lady Donggedu's expression darkened involuntarily, prompting the Eighth Prince to scold sharply, "Tenth Brother, Fourteenth Brother, what time is it, and you still have the mind to care about such matters? Come over and look at this pulse record. We will likely have to enter the palace immediately."

The Tenth Prince was instantly stunned. A fierce, sharp gaze darted toward Physician Hu, who instinctively took a step back in terror and stammered, "Reporting to the Tenth Prince, there is a strong possibility that the Ninth Prince has contracted a pestilent epidemic."

"A pestilent epidemic!?" the Tenth Prince blurted out. Lady Donggedu, Lady Wanyan, and the others all stepped back in unison, staring wide-eyed at the Ninth Prince lying on the bed. After letting out his exclamation, the Tenth Prince instead let out a laugh born of extreme fury: "Tell me, what do you mean by a pestilent epidemic? The Tenth Brother and the Ninth Brother returned to the capital together, with merely a single night between us, yet the Ninth Brother contracts an epidemic while the rest of us remain completely fine?"

At this moment, Chen Dahian, the Head of the Imperial Hospital, also addressed the Tenth Prince: "The Tenth Prince's concerns are entirely justified. I am afraid that this humble official and the others must examine the Tenth Prince and the others once more to prevent the epidemic from spreading."

The Tenth Prince never expected Chen Dahian to make such a suggestion. This very Chen Dahian was the man who had once nearly been pierced to death by the Tenth Prince's sword, yet he had now risen to become the Head of the Imperial Hospital, greatly trusted by Kangxi. Although the Tenth Prince had had no dealings with Chen Dahian over the years, he at least knew that his past self had been far too rash, and he maintained a degree of restraint in front of Chen Dahian.

Hearing Chen Dahian say this, the Tenth Prince immediately remembered Yan Yan, who had returned in the same carriage with the Ninth Prince back then, and shouted, "Quickly! Send someone to notify Little Sister-in-law Yan. If this is an epidemic, then Little Sister-in-law is certainly in danger. And what about the children? They were climbing all over the place back then; make sure they haven't been infected."

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince felt his heart clench tightly as well, and he looked toward Lady Donggedu: "Where is Lady Yan?"

The hatred burning in Lady Donggedu's heart was fierce; she felt that both the Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince had lost their minds. How could they always remember that woman Yan at a time like this? If she had contracted the epidemic, it would be far better to let that woman fend for herself and rot away inside the Qimeng Garden.

Yet at this moment, Lady Donggedu had no choice but to lead the way—after all, inside that Qimeng Garden, there still lived the Ninth Prince's own flesh and blood. When the Tenth Prince heard once more that Yan Yan was confined, his expression darkened even further. No wonder his Ninth Brother had grown so hollow-cheeked after only two days of illness; there was certainly no one close to his heart to care for him by his side.