Chapter 48 – I am in a difficult situation.
He read “The Boundless Great Jing” from beginning to end, not missing a single word. The book clearly told a story of chaotic times, with heroes rising, scheming against each other, and the victor becoming king. The romantic subplot was very subtle, let alone a bizarre plot about men giving birth.
Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! The author didn’t even warn about male pregnancy in the book! What a terrible review!
Thinking of this, Zhao Qi suddenly remembered something. Before he transmigrated into the book, he had discussed “The Boundless Great Jing” with a girl. She asked him if he was reading the abridged or unabridged version and strongly recommended the unabridged version, saying it had more romantic and passionate scenes, including the popular storyline of having and raising children.
When he asked who had the child, the girl gave him a mysterious look and told him to read carefully.
At the time, Zhao Qi didn’t understand, but now, he thought he finally got what she meant.
Could it be that he read the abridged version but transmigrated into the unabridged version where men can get pregnant?!
Heavens, earth, please take me away. I can’t handle this kind of humiliation!
“Your Majesty, please don’t be angry,” Cheng Boyan supported Zhao Qi’s arm and said, “Otherwise, if the fetus is affected, both you and the dragon seed will be in danger.”
Upon hearing the word “fetus,” Zhao Qi’s mind buzzed. He couldn’t catch his breath and almost fainted again.
Xiao Jinzi hurriedly brought tea, “Your Majesty, have some tea to calm down.”
Cheng Boyan helped Zhao Qi regulate his breathing while Xiao Jinzi fed him tea, and Jiang Dehai fanned him with a silk fan. After all the fuss, Zhao Qi barely managed to stay conscious.
“My dear minister,” Zhao Qi clung to his last hope, “Do you think it’s possible that I just have symptoms that resemble pregnancy but am actually just damp?”
Cheng Boyan couldn’t bear to say it, “Your Majesty, though I’m not very experienced, I can still determine if it’s a happy pulse.”
Zhao Qi retorted angrily, “But don’t you think it’s too absurd for a man to be pregnant?!”
“Your Majesty, it’s indeed rare in the world, but it’s not without precedent,” Cheng Boyan replied. “In ‘Travels in the East,’ it mentions that the Eastern Royal Family has a secret medicine that can make men…”
“Enough, stop talking,” Zhao Qi was utterly hopeless. Are the people from the East too idle, creating such a harmful medicine, harming both others and themselves?
Cheng Boyan continued, “Your Majesty, if you knew about the existence and effects of this medicine, why did you take it?”
“I did not!”
Jiang Dehai speculated, “Your Majesty, could it be the work of the one who stole the medicine?”
Xiao Jinzi nodded in agreement, “It must be, it must be!”
Zhao Qi was on the verge of tears. He could understand being drugged with an aphrodisiac, but what’s the point of a pregnancy drug?
“Find out who did this!” Zhao Qi ordered. “Then capture them and tear them apart along with He Changzhou!”
What, you say I decided not to tear He Changzhou apart before? Sorry, I’ve changed my mind. Who would have thought that the usually shy He Changzhou could have such a powerful move?
“Your Majesty, forgive me for being blunt,” Cheng Boyan spoke fearlessly, trusting that Zhao Qi wasn’t a tyrant who would randomly take people’s heads, “The Eastern secret medicine only makes men capable of conceiving. To truly get pregnant, you still need to…”
The phrase “cloud and rain” made Zhao Qi explode on the spot, “I don’t need you to remind me!”
Cheng Boyan wisely shut his mouth. He couldn’t imagine who would dare make the emperor pregnant and didn’t want to think about it.
At this moment, the eunuch’s announcement came from outside: “Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is here.”
Upon hearing that Xiao Shiqing was coming, Zhao Qi’s nose twitched, and grievance surged in his heart. Although he didn’t want to admit it, he instinctively wanted to rely on Xiao Shiqing whenever he encountered difficulties.
Zhao Qi suddenly stood up, muttering, “Brother! Brother, I have a dragon egg, what should I do, waah—”
Jiang Dehai quickly pulled Zhao Qi back, “Your Majesty, do you really want to tell the Prime Minister about this? Please think carefully.”
Zhao Qi calmed down a bit. Firstly, if it got out that as the emperor he was slept with by his brother, his face—no, his imperial dignity would be ruined. Secondly, a man’s pregnancy was already unheard of in Great Jing, let alone the emperor’s. He could never figure out Xiao Shiqing’s thoughts, and recently Xiao had been using him. If Xiao knew about his pregnancy, he didn’t know how Xiao would react. Instead of taking a risk, it was better to maintain the current situation.
Zhao Qi hurriedly said, “Only the four of us know about this dragon egg, understand?”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty, we will keep it a secret.”
Xiao Shiqing entered the room, seeing the chaos among the four, and asked, “What’s going on?”
Zhao Qi forced a smile, “The imperial physician was taking my pulse.”
Before Xiao Shiqing could ask, Cheng Boyan said proactively, “Your Majesty’s luck is immense, and the illness has improved. However, to prevent a relapse, you must continue taking the medicine.”
“Got it,” Xiao Shiqing said, “Everyone, leave.”
They were all worried about Zhao Qi, but they couldn’t disobey the Prime Minister’s orders and had to leave reluctantly.
Xiao Shiqing noticed the redness around Zhao Qi’s eyes and frowned slightly, “Have you been crying?”
Zhao Qi bit his lip, trying to appear normal, “Just yawning.”
Xiao Shiqing raised an eyebrow, “So you’re tired.”
Zhao Qi wasn’t sleepy at all but still nodded.
Xiao Shiqing’s lips curved slightly, “The emperor really does want to sleep whenever he sees me.”
Zhao Qi’s mind was in turmoil, unable to think clearly, so he just kept nodding, “Yes, yes.”
Xiao Shiqing’s smile deepened, gently guiding Zhao Qi to lie down, “Then, sleep.”
Zhao Qi was pushed down, Xiao Shiqing’s handsome face right above him.
“What are you looking at?” Xiao Shiqing asked.
Zhao Qi seemed to be talking to himself, “Brother, do you think I’m still a man?”
Xiao Shiqing’s gaze lowered, “Is the dragon pulse problematic?”
“…Alright, I must be crazy to talk to Xiao Shiqing about this.”
“Want me to check?”
Zhao Qi silently turned over, protecting his dragon pulse and presenting a desolate back to Xiao Shiqing.
“Why didn’t you ask me why I came to see you today?”
Zhao Qi mumbled, “Didn’t you come to see me?”
Xiao Shiqing chuckled, “Do you believe it this time?”
“…I believe it.”
The matter of the dragon egg was too overwhelming. The four insiders stayed up all night, gathering in Yonghua Palace the next morning to discuss a plan.
Zhao Qi hardly ate the whole day. Jiang Dehai had the imperial kitchen prepare millet porridge with some sour pickles, which Zhao Qi barely managed to eat a few mouthfuls of.
“I thought about it all night and still believe this dragon egg shouldn’t stay.”
“Your Majesty—”
Zhao Qi raised his hand to stop him, “Listen to me first. First, the risk of a man giving birth is too high. The imperial physicians have no experience taking care of a pregnant man or delivering a baby. If something goes wrong, both the dragon egg and I will be doomed.”
Cheng Boyan said, “Your Majesty, ‘Travels in the East’ details the process of male childbirth. I can…”
Zhao Qi covered Cheng Boyan’s mouth, expressionless, “No, you cannot.”
Jiang Dehai asked, “Your Majesty, what is the second reason?”
“Second, the child’s father…or mother and I are not in that kind of relationship.”
Xiao Jinzi was curious, “What kind of relationship?”
Zhao Qi didn’t know how to describe it, “Anyway, the dragon egg can’t be born into a complete family. Instead of making it suffer, it’s better not to have it at all. Third, and most importantly, I’m afraid of pain.”
The three looked at each other.
Cheng Boyan mumbled, Zhao Qi released him, and he said, “There’s no need to discuss this further. My decision is made. Boyan, prepare to remove the dragon egg from my belly.”
“But Your Majesty,” Cheng Boyan spread his hands, “I don’t know how.”
Zhao Qi: “???” Are you kidding me?
“‘Travels in the East’ explains how to deliver a baby, but not how to induce a miscarriage.”
Zhao Qi pulled out some random knowledge, “Then use musk, safflower, and motherwort, a whole set of herbs!”
Cheng Boyan said, “Your Majesty, the medicine you mentioned is only effective for women; it won’t work on men.”
Zhao Qi took a deep breath and held his forehead with both hands. “I’m feeling a bit dizzy…”
The three of them quickly steadied Zhao Qi. Jiang Dehai’s face was filled with undisguised concern. “Your Majesty, please take care of your health.”
Zhao Qi weakly replied, “It’s hopeless…”
Cheng Boyan said, “Your Majesty, I have an idea.”
Zhao Qi quickly responded, “Speak up!”
“This medicine was offered to Your Majesty by the fourth young master Zhao. Why not ask him? He might have a solution.”
Zhao Qi suddenly remembered. He had been so overwhelmed by the blow that he forgot to confront Zhao Qiao, the one who started it all. Zhao Qiao often visited Japan and had some strange connection with the Empress Dowager there. He had also seen pregnant men, so he might indeed have a way.
“Hurry, summon Zhao Qiao!”
“I will go at once!”
Zhao Qi was pacing anxiously in his palace, waiting for Zhao Qiao. Instead, Rong Tang arrived.
Rong Tang rarely came to him voluntarily, so Zhao Qi thought something must have happened. But whatever it was, he had no mood to deal with it.
“Rong Tang,” Zhao Qi slumped on the soft couch, “My head hurts terribly. Let’s talk another day if there’s anything important.”
Rong Tang asked, “Is Your Majesty really ill?”
Zhao Qi covered his face. “Yes.”
“What illness?”
If I told you, you’d be scared to death. I’m pregnant. “Just some gastrointestinal heat and Qi and blood deficiency…”
Rong Tang leaned closer, his cool hand touching Zhao Qi’s forehead, and the hair hanging down his chest brushed Zhao Qi’s cheek, tickling him slightly.
“Your Majesty, give me your hand.”
Without thinking, Zhao Qi extended his hand while asking, “What are you going to do?”
“I know a little about medicine.”
Zhao Qi quickly withdrew his hand, leaving only a blur in Rong Tang’s view. His hand was empty.
“No need to trouble yourself,” Zhao Qi said, “The imperial physician has already seen me. I’m fine.”
Fortunately, Rong Tang didn’t insist. “That’s good then.”
Rong Tang, always taciturn, now quietly stayed by Zhao Qi’s side. After a long while, he said, “I heard the various royal relatives who came for the Longevity Festival have started leaving the capital.”
“Some have left,” Zhao Qi replied, “Are you asking about Prince Huai?”
Rong Tang neither confirmed nor denied it.
“Prince Huai’s poison is not yet cleared; he’s still recuperating in the capital.”
Rong Tang nodded. “Yes.” After a moment of hesitation, he added, “Prince Huai has ambitions for the throne. Your Majesty should be wary of him.”
Zhao Qi was a bit surprised. Although Rong Tang had rejected Zhao Tong twice, he had always kept Zhao Tong’s rebellious intentions somewhat hidden. Now, saying this, was he completely abandoning Zhao Tong and siding with Zhao Qi?
If he weren’t so troubled by the matter of the dragon egg, Zhao Qi would have been deeply moved.
“I understand,” Zhao Qi said, “Don’t worry, I’m aware.”
As they were speaking, Jiang Dehai returned, but Zhao Qi’s eagerly awaited Zhao Qiao was not with him. Seeing Rong Tang there, Jiang Dehai chose his words carefully. “Your Majesty, I went to Prince Jiu’s residence to find him, but they said the fourth young master hasn’t returned for half a month. He’s probably lingering in some place of pleasure.”
Zhao Qi was exasperated. “Truly my good brother.”
“Your Majesty, don’t worry. The people at the residence are searching for him. As soon as they find him, they’ll bring him to the palace.”
“No need,” Zhao Qi said, having a good idea where Zhao Qiao might be. “I’ll go find him myself.”
Xiao Jinzi asked, “Your Majesty is going out of the palace?”
“Yes, quickly help me change.”
Rong Tang said, “I’ll go with Your Majesty.”
Zhao Qi was taken aback. “Huh? You’re going too?”
“Yes.”
Zhao Qi quickly refused. “Rong Tang, I’m going to handle official business.”
Rong Tang looked at him. “I haven’t left the palace for a year. I want to go out and see—together with you.”
“But…”
“Handle your business. I won’t disturb you.”
Zhao Qi said seriously, “No, you absolutely can’t go to a place like that—it will taint you.”
Rong Tang smiled faintly. “I’ve long been ‘tainted.’ What is there to fear?”
T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep