Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?

Chapter 1092 - 786: When Concern Leads to Chaos, Let It Be_2

At the Scripture Pavilion, Mu Xian had people form a circle around them, verifying the identities and belongings of the doctors before finally letting them in.Shang Ruyi was seated on a temporary bed brought inside the Pavilion. Yu Wenye stood beside her, his face ashen as he looked at them taking turns to check Ruyi’s pulse.

After the diagnosis, everyone exchanged glances, seemingly unwilling to speak. Yu Wenye, his face stern, coldly demanded in a voice that was both hoarse and as sharp as a blade, "How is the Princess’s condition? Speak!"

An older doctor, the most senior with a beard already grey, mustered the courage to reply, "Your Highness, we have diagnosed that the Princess was slightly shocked but it hasn’t affected the fetus. Fortunately, there are no external injuries, only some smoke inhalation. It might be necessary to prescribe some soothing herbal remedies for the lungs."

Yu Wenye asked, "No real impact then?"

The old doctor, trembling, stood reverently before Yu Wenye, bowing as he spoke, "Your Highness, my medical skills are humble, and I dare not speculate, but even if I were braver, I wouldn’t dare conceal the Princess’s condition."

The other doctors followed, "We dare not conceal the Princess’s condition!"

"Please, Prince Qin, see clearly!"

Though they all spoke thus, Yu Wenye remained silent, his expression growing even darker. With his military background, he carried an inherent authority that commanded respect without anger. His sharp gaze could intimidate many on the battlefield; now, it was as oppressive as a dark cloud, leaving everyone fearful and even stifling their breath.

Master Xinzeng, who had been waiting by the side, stepped forward and softly suggested, "Shall we have them diagnose the Princess once more?"

Everyone looked cautiously at Yu Wenye.

He coldly ordered, "Again!"

With that command from Prince Qin, the doctors dared not argue and stepped forward once more to take the Princess’s pulse.

Shang Ruyi wanted to say something but held back, seeing Yu Wenye’s darkened face—after all, a pulse reading is straightforward. If one person made an error, it might be understood, but when many have the same conclusion, there are likely no other possibilities; besides, Shang Ruyi herself could feel that there was nothing amiss in her abdomen, no burns on her body, only a shock from when the fire surged into the library, and a few breaths of thick smoke inhaled.

Such a shock, ordinarily or for a typical pregnant woman, might have been significant, perhaps even leading to premature birth.

But she had survived being besieged after the battle of Xingluo Granary, the perils of Jiangdu Palace, the wildfire battle in Fufeng, and the nine lives ordeal in the Turkic Yatai, her endurance and resilience unmatched by ordinary people. Aside from being startled as Empress Dowager Jiang was nearly engulfed by flames, she remained extraordinarily calm.

It was this calmness that saved her life.

In truth, Yu Wenye should have known.

When Mu Xian sent for those doctors, she had already told him that when the fire first broke out and she and Empress Dowager Jiang found flames outside the doors and windows, hindering any escape, they immediately discovered a way out.

The path was beneath the carpet under that low table.

When she entered the library and saw that carpet, she noticed that the floor seemed higher than other places. Meeting Empress Dowager Jiang, it was impossible to dwell on what might be under the carpet, so she didn’t ask further; but when fire rushed into the library, in a crisis of life and death, she knew heading upstairs would be futile, as the higher you go in a blaze, the less chance of survival, whereas, going down—

At that moment, insight struck her mind. She flipped the low table, kicked away the carpet, and saw a wooden board with a handle. The floor appeared new, with almost no wear, usually under a bookshelf that hadn’t been moved, little known to others.

Thus, almost overwhelmed by smoke and unable to exert herself while heavily pregnant, she asked Empress Dowager Jiang to open the wooden board.

At the brink of despair, people can often tap into extraordinary abilities.

Perhaps, by shedding distractions, one becomes more genuine.

Like her, facing perils, she was more calm and composed than her usual flustered self, and the always gentle Empress Dowager Jiang, in such extreme adversity, displayed the steadfastness and composure valued by both Emperor Wen and Empress Du. She tore a piece of her garment, dampened it with tea from the teapot, and covered Shang Ruyi’s nose and mouth, then picked up a candlestick and forcibly broke open the lock on the handgrip, opening the wooden board.

Below it lay a tunnel.

The two quickly entered it, and to prevent flames and dense smoke from entering, they replaced the board and then groped their way through the darkness for a long while—although "a long while" might be inaccurate since, from above ground, it was just the few dozen steps between the Scripture Pavilion and the library, plus slowing down due to the pitch blackness and spending time opening the exit on the Scripture Pavilion side.

This was how she escaped with her life.

In comparison to Yu Wenye, who charged directly into the fire, she suffered neither injury nor shock.

Though the doctors asserted their diagnoses and she had been speaking with him here for half the day, with only a hoarse voice and no greater symptoms, it should mean there’s no problem, and Yu Wenye insisting on another diagnosis was merely—care begets confusion.

After all, they had both once—