Ch 122: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Yu Jiuque entered the palace and did not return, staying there overnight. Qin Xia knew for certain that something major had happened in the court.

Sure enough, the next day he received news from the palace that the Sharong forces had brazenly marched south, catching Dayong completely off guard. A small strategic border town had fallen, and the entire city, including its soldiers and civilians, had been massacred.

Military intelligence, delivered with the utmost urgency, reached the capital within 800 miles, igniting the emperor’s fury. It became clear that the diplomatic mission led by Helan Cha was nothing more than a ruse. Sharong had feigned peace talks as a cover for a surprise attack.

The national treasury had already been drained by successive natural disasters, and this time, the emperor was forced to open his private coffers to fund the border troops. The empress also ordered the palace expenditures to be cut, but even so, resources were stretched thin.

After all, with an army of hundreds of thousands, the daily consumption of food alone was staggering.

At such a critical juncture, it fell to the Eastern Palace to play the villain once again.

Just like during the last drought, when half the officials in the southwest had been purged, it became clear that even in a prosperous era, corruption was rampant. The only difference was how skillful the corrupt were at hiding it.

Yu Jiuque’s desk had no shortage of evidence against various officials. After receiving the emperor’s approval, he targeted a few high-profile individuals as a warning to others. The seized wealth, once confiscated, was quickly converted into provisions and weapons for the northwest army.

Among those purged were noble families and high-ranking officials. For a time, the entire court was gripped by fear and anxiety. Many took the opportunity to accuse Yu Jiuque of using the situation to eliminate his political rivals, claiming his methods were harsh and went against the emperor’s philosophy of governing with benevolence.

But these accusers were the type who would criticize anyone at any opportunity, even finding fault with the emperor himself from time to time.

Other court officials, however, were well aware of why the Eastern Palace had chosen this moment to act. In their view, as long as the treasury’s deficit was filled, it didn’t matter if Yu Jiuque bore the brunt of the blame. To them, everything was fine as long as the army was funded.

Despite Sharong’s initial success, Dayong remained far stronger. After recovering from the surprise attack, the empire swiftly launched a counteroffensive.

The tide of war shifted rapidly, and by the end of the month, the string of bad news finally gave way to morale-boosting victories.

It was widely acknowledged that Yu Jiuque’s bold, decisive actions—confiscating assets to replenish the national treasury—had been crucial to the turnaround.

All the petitions to impeach Yu Jiuque remained unsigned by the emperor, a clear indication of his support for how the situation was handled. Even the cabinet, for once, refrained from openly criticizing the Directorate of Ceremonial.

After the dust settled, Yu Jiuque and the Eastern Palace sheathed their swords.

But Yu Jiuque, the man at the center of it all, wasn’t so lucky.

…

Yu Jiuque bent over at the bedside and vomited out the bowl of medicinal soup he’d just consumed.

Ever since Qin Xia personally fetched Yu Jiuque from the palace gates, his low-grade fever had persisted.

A constant low fever, in some ways, is worse than a full-blown high fever that comes and goes. It indicated that the illness inside him was deeply rooted, slowly draining Yu Jiuque’s strength and health.

And yet, Yu Jiuque’s pregnancy was nearing full term, and he could go into labor at any moment.

Two imperial physicians stood outside the curtain, wiping their foreheads, whispering to one another about whether they should change the prescription.

Qin Xia’s heart was heavy with worry as he carefully cleaned Yu Jiuque with a cloth and handed him a cup of water to rinse his mouth.

As Yu Jiuque lay down, his heart raced like a drum. He took a couple of deep breaths, his body weak and aching unbearably.

After a moment, he felt a cool sensation on his lips. Instinctively, he opened his mouth, and a small candy rolled onto his tongue, its sweetness mingling with a faint hint of sourness, masking the bitter taste lingering in his mouth.

“Is it sweet?” Qin Xia asked, wiping the cold sweat from Yu Jiuque’s forehead.

Yu Jiuque managed a faint smile. “It’s sweet.”

Qin Xia wrung out a damp cloth and gently wiped Yu Jiuque’s neck and palms. “Rest now. I’m going outside to talk.”

Yu Jiuque, knowing Qin Xia was about to consult with the physicians about his condition, hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Before leaving, Qin Xia drew half the bed curtains closed, and the dimming light helped ease the tension in Yu Jiuque’s pounding temples. As the warmth of the candy spread in his mouth, he closed his eyes, his breathing still labored.

Outside, Qin Xia bowed respectfully to the two imperial physicians.

The doctors exchanged glances. They knew exactly what he was about to ask.

But Yu Jiuque’s condition was indeed precarious.

Speaking frankly to Qin Xia, they said, “The Lord’s fever is the result of prolonged overwork, which has severely damaged his vitality. With him being pregnant, many medicinal ingredients are unsuitable for use. We can only prescribe mild remedies to try and bring the fever down first.”

Qin Xia understood that these palace physicians were accustomed to treating noble figures, and their approach was cautious—avoiding risks at all costs.

But in Qin Xia’s view, if they continued dragging out treatment like this, the situation might worsen beyond repair.

He spoke bluntly, “Is it that the medicine is harmful to the pregnant individual, or is it harmful to the fetus?”

The imperial physicians nearly blurted out, “Isn’t that obvious!”

When treating a pregnant person, the health of the unborn child is always prioritized over the well-being of the mother, as long as the fetus is healthy. Many medications that are unsuitable for pregnant individuals are primarily harmful to the fetus.

Even if the emperor were present, there would be no fault in their cautious approach.

Seeing their expressions, Qin Xia already understood the underlying issue. His hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly.

Indeed, Yu Jiuque’s pregnancy had been difficult, and with the child being their flesh and blood, Qin Xia had developed a deep emotional connection to the unborn baby. But if it ever came to a critical moment…

He would have to make a choice.

And for Qin Xia, that choice had always been clear.

“If it comes down to a situation where only one life—either Ah Jiu’s or the child’s—can be saved, I ask that you prioritize saving Ah Jiu.”

The two physicians were momentarily speechless, partly due to the weight of Qin Xia’s decision and partly due to the unwavering determination in his voice.

After a long pause, the elder physician stroked his short beard and respectfully bowed to Qin Xia. “Master Qin, the situation has not yet reached that critical point. Please do not be overly concerned. In fact… should it come to that, I do have a method with a fifty-percent chance of ensuring both the Lord and the child survive. However, there is some risk involved.”

Qin Xia’s eyes lit up at this possibility.

The physician explained that the method was to induce labor before Yu Jiuque’s illness could further endanger the child. They would stabilize Yu Jiuque’s condition with ginseng to strengthen his vitality, followed by administering a medicinal concoction to hasten childbirth.

“Once the child is born, we can safely use the medications that are otherwise unsuitable for pregnant individuals,” the physician concluded.

Qin Xia, remembering that the palace had gifted them a rare ginseng, immediately instructed Xu to retrieve the box. When the physician opened it, his eyes widened in surprise. “This is a hundred-year-old ginseng, invaluable and rarely found! With this, the chance of success rises to at least seventy percent!”

“And the remaining thirty percent?” Qin Xia asked cautiously.

The physician sighed. “The remaining thirty percent is, as you said earlier, should things go awry, you must prioritize the mother over the child.”

There were other methods to save the child at the expense of the mother, but the physician left that unsaid.

Qin Xia understood the situation and bowed deeply again. “I ask that the two esteemed physicians prepare another prescription.”

The physicians nodded. They had already discussed a new treatment plan, involving the preparation of medicinal pills for Yu Jiuque to take.

“If his fever does not subside within a day after taking this medicine, we will have to consider inducing labor. Prolonging the situation could result in a stillbirth, which would also jeopardize the Lord’s life.”

Time was of the essence, and they immediately began drafting the prescription and organizing the necessary herbs for treatment.

Qin Xia stood still for a moment, calming himself before returning to the bedside.

Yu Jiuque was lightly dozing, and as soon as Qin Xia extended his hand, Yu instinctively grasped his fingers.

Qin Xia stayed in that position, accompanying him for a long while until the physicians brought over the newly prepared medicinal pills.

This time, after taking the pills, Yu Jiuque did not vomit, and everyone in the room sighed in relief. The fact that he could keep the medicine down meant there was a chance for improvement.

By the middle of the night, Yu Jiuque broke into a sweat and began to feel somewhat better. He even had enough strength to sit up.

The physician took his pulse and confirmed that it had stabilized. He suggested Yu Jiuque eat something to regain his strength.

“Do you want porridge or soup? Something sweet or savory?” Qin Xia asked, his tone gentle.

Listening to Qin Xia, Yu Jiuque felt that if he asked for moon porridge or star soup, Qin Xia would climb a ladder to the sky to fetch the ingredients. He licked the lingering sweetness on his lips.

“Something sweet.”

For Yu Jiuque, the most suitable option to replenish his energy and blood would have been a bowl of five-red porridge. However, since the beans hadn’t been soaked in advance, making it would take too long, and by the time it was ready, Yu Jiuque would likely have fallen asleep again.

To make something quicker, Qin Xia opted for a simple rice porridge. He mixed regular rice with glutinous rice for a richer, creamier texture.

Instead of using water, he substituted milk as the base and added Chinese yam, red-skinned peanuts, chestnuts, and rock sugar. The yam replenished energy, the peanuts boosted blood, and the chestnuts helped digestion and appetite.

In about two quarters of an hour, the rice had blossomed, becoming soft and smooth. The chestnuts were pre-prepared with honey, so they cooked quickly, softening into a paste with just a press of the spoon.

Qin Xia filled a bowl and brought it to Yu Jiuque.

“What did you eat for dinner?” Yu Jiuque asked after taking a spoonful of the porridge. Though his sense of taste was dulled, he could still discern a faint sweetness.

Qin Xia paused momentarily at the question. “Just a little something, nothing fancy. I didn’t go hungry.”

Yu Jiuque looked at him skeptically. “Really?”

He noticed Qin Xia’s stubble was already showing, making it hard to believe that Qin had remembered to eat dinner.

“Make sure you drink a bowl of porridge later,” Yu Jiuque insisted. “Bring it here, and I’ll watch you drink it.”

Qin Xia chuckled softly, resigned. “As you wish.”

After Yu Jiuque finished his small bowl of porridge—an amount that, under normal circumstances, wouldn’t have even filled him up—he leaned back against the bed. Qin Xia, as promised, went to fetch a second bowl, but this time in a much larger porcelain bowl. As he ate, he coaxed his husband to take a few more bites.

Yu Jiuque finally understood why Qin Xia had switched to a larger bowl.

Once they had finished their delayed meal, dawn was already approaching. Qin Xia placed the bowls and spoons back on the tray and took the tea cup offered by the maid. He handed it to Yu Jiuque, who sipped a few mouthfuls of ginseng tea.

After the sweet porridge, the ginseng tea tasted especially bitter. Yu Jiuque pressed his lips together and forced it down. Shortly afterward, a faint sensation of bloating and discomfort began to arise in his abdomen.

He had planned to rest and gather strength, and seeing that Yu Jiuque seemed fine for the moment, Qin Xia went to consult the physicians on the next steps.

But just as the pain hit, Yu Jiuque became fully alert, calmly giving orders: “Go summon the master, the physicians, and the midwife.”

“Tell them I think the time has come for me to give birth.”