The interior of the palace was unusually quiet,
Except for the almost exhausted cries of Noble Consort Chen, hardly any other sound could be heard.
Song Zhao intended to ask Xiao Jingheng why the baby's crying was so strangely absent.
But seeing that Xiao Jingheng seemed completely unconcerned about this matter,
She understood in her heart.
As parents, they should naturally be more concerned about their own child,
Becoming nervous, they would inquire about every detail.
But Xiao Jingheng only paced anxiously in the hall, without mentioning a word about this obvious abnormality.
A terrible thought suddenly arose in Song Zhao's mind:
Perhaps...
This so-called abnormality was already expected by Xiao Jingheng?
Before long, the agonizing cries of Noble Consort Chen gradually weakened with a painful roar.
Having given birth herself, Song Zhao knew that the second child had been born.
Soon, the sound of a baby's loud crying came from the inner chamber.
Xiao Jingheng's furrowed brow slightly relaxed, and he hurriedly walked a few steps to the door of the inner chamber, eagerly anticipating the palace maid to come out with good news.
After a brief silence, the door of the inner chamber was slowly pushed open.
Song Zhao approached and saw the wet nurses holding two swaddled babies, but their faces lacked any sign of joy.
Someone reported the good news, but without congratulations, their expressions were solemn. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Noble Consort has given birth to another princess for you."
The wet nurse handed one of the swaddled babies to Xiao Jingheng,
Xiao Jingheng looked at the crying baby girl, moving her limbs with force, and a hint of joy appeared on his face.
"She resembles Noble Consort."
After praising her briefly, he quickly turned his gaze to the other swaddled baby. "Bring the little prince here for me to see."
The wet nurse hesitated upon hearing this, becoming even more tightly gripping the swaddled baby in her arms, and did not move forward an inch.
Xiao Jingheng's face suddenly darkened. "What's wrong?"
As soon as the words fell, the wet nurses and the royal physician seemed to be facing a great enemy.
They immediately dropped to their knees in unison before him.
Leading the group was Doctor Qi, who had been responsible for protecting Noble Consort Chen's pregnancy.
At this moment, he was even more fearful and restless, his voice trembling as he said:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! The little prince... has no connection with you anymore!"
Xiao Jingheng's face turned pale, and he staggered back two steps,
Then, when he regained his senses, he abruptly snatched the swaddled baby from the wet nurse's arms.
The yellow cloth covered the face of the little prince in the swaddling clothes.
Xiao Jingheng's fingertips trembled as he lifted the cloth, only to catch a glimpse of the child, before closing his eyes abruptly, biting his lips and enduring it, tears flowing out from between his eyelids.
Jiang Deshun, seeing the situation was not good, immediately took the swaddled baby from Xiao Jingheng's arms and stepped back respectfully, afraid that Xiao Jingheng would see it again and be overwhelmed by emotions.
This was the first time Song Zhao had seen Xiao Jingheng shed tears.
Standing beside Xiao Jingheng, she also saw the child lying quietly in the swaddling clothes.
The little prince's face was pale, his eyes tightly shut, without a trace of vitality.
Perhaps due to being a mother herself, Song Zhao's heart felt as if it had been struck by a blunt object, causing a sharp pain.
With teary eyes, she asked, "Does Noble Consort know?"
Doctor Qi shook his head with a sorrowful expression. "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has endured great hardships in giving birth to twins. Due to her weakened condition, she fainted just now. However, there is no harm to her health, and I believe she will wake up soon after taking the recuperative pills... Ah!"
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Jingheng suddenly erupted and ruthlessly kicked Doctor Qi in the chest. He exerted great force, sending Doctor Qi flying a yard away until he collided with the door frame and fell to the ground.
Struggling to get up, Doctor Qi quickly crawled back to Xiao Jingheng and knelt down, pleading, "Your Majesty, please calm down!"
"You have always reported that the Imperial Concubine's pregnancy was safe. Why did this unexpected event occur? How can you, as a doctor, allow this to happen?"
"As soon as the little prince was born, he had a blockage condition. I tried everything I could to make him cry, but it was in vain..."
Doctor Qi was drenched in sweat, repeatedly kowtowing in desperation. "I am incompetent! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Xiao Jingheng supported his forehead with his right hand, his expression greatly distressed. The pulsing of his temples was uncontrollable, and his neck stiffened, with veins visibly twitching.
Pointing at Doctor Qi, he angrily rebuked with an astonishing tone, "Is my son's life only accounted for by your incompetence? Guards! Drag him away and execute him immediately!"
"Your Majesty, have mercy! Your Majesty, have mercy!"
Doctor Qi pleaded in fear, but before he could say a few more words, the attendants swiftly covered his mouth and dragged him away at high speed.
As he was being taken away, Doctor Qi happened to be seen by the Empress Dowager and the other consorts who had rushed in after hearing the news.
The Empress Dowager saw Doctor Qi's contorted face and the astonishment in his eyes, and she knew that the situation was not good.
"Empress Dowager, this..."
The Empress Dowager's face darkened as she hurriedly entered the main hall.
She saw Jiang Deshun holding a swaddled baby in the corner and immediately approached to check the situation.
Jiang Deshun suddenly knelt down and cried, "Empress Dowager, please mourn... the little prince has passed away..."
In the main hall, the sounds of consorts weeping, princesses crying, and maidservants pleading echoed, tangled and noisy, lingering in the rafters for a long time.
Song Zhao watched Xiao Jingheng's tearful eyes and trembling lips, and she knew that he was genuinely saddened by the death of the little prince.
But sadness did not mean that the person who had harmed the little prince could not be him.
Regardless of whether there were any suspicious circumstances, the appropriate course of action would have been to first apprehend Doctor Qi and thoroughly investigate whether there were any deliberate factors contributing to the premature death of the little prince.
However, Xiao Jingheng was busy trying to execute the doctor.
What was he afraid of, or rather, what was he trying to conceal?
The more Song Zhao looked at Xiao Jingheng's superficial display of deep affection, the more she felt a chill run down her spine.
That was their own son!
Song Zhao couldn't imagine what it would be like if one day Cheng Yu fell victim to her own biological father's machinations. How would she cope then...
Amidst the mournful voices of the crowd, the first to regain composure was the Empress Dowager, the oldest among them.
In a weary tone, she instructed Qingzhu, "Go and bring the little princess here."
Once Qingzhu took the swaddled baby from the nurse's hands, the Empress Dowager immediately spoke with solemnity:
"These midwives, just like Doctor Qi, are all incompetent! The young prince's life was at stake, yet none of you experienced and skilled individuals could save him? Guards, take the person responsible for assisting the Empress in giving birth today and execute them by beating with a stick!"
While the Empress Dowager was dealing with the midwives, the Empress and the other concubines gathered around Xiao Jingheng, consoling him with various words,
"Your Majesty, please take solace. The Imperial Noble Consort is young and healthy. In the future, she will surely give birth to an heir for you."
"This was an unfortunate incident indeed, but fortunately, the Imperial Noble Consort is carrying twins. There is still a little princess, which can be seen as a source of comfort for her. Your Majesty, just look at how adorable the little princess is."
Xiao Jingheng gazed at the bundle in which the little princess lay, hearing her cries, which only deepened his sorrow. He let out a heavy sigh and said,
"February 16th... Why did it have to be this day? Both of our princes, the Imperial Consort's and mine, met their premature end on this day."
Upon hearing his words, everyone fell silent, unsure of what to say.
After a while, Xiao Jingheng let out another long sigh and sadly spoke,
"For now, let's keep this matter a secret from the Imperial Noble Consort. I fear she won't be able to bear it at the moment and it might further harm her health. If she inquires, we shall tell her that the young prince is unwell and is temporarily being cared for in the prince's residence."
"We concubines shall obey the decree."
