***
Many days had passed since the Emperor returned the pillow to Sansan. Every single day passed precariously. Returning the pillow didn’t fundamentally solve the problem.
Sansan always carried the pillow around like a baby except when eating and attending the Emperor’s bed. When it was time to nurse, he would hand it to the wet nurse court lady’s arms and never forgot to entreat her to take good care of it. When the Emperor burst out asking why there was no improvement, Imperial Physician Do only repeated that time was needed.
As this continued for many days, it was a natural result that rumors spread densely that the Emperor’s one and only Cheonin Noble Consort had lost her mind. There was even a day when the greatly enraged Emperor completely turned the palace upside down after a memorial was submitted saying it was improper to keep a madwoman in the palace. The Vice Minister of Rites who had submitted that memorial had his head cut off.
In the midst of this, Sansan’s birth mother, Lee Ja-yoon, finally entered the palace. The palanquin was twice as large as when she first entered the palace with Sansan, and the palace servants assigned to attend her numbered well over ten. This was because her preciousness had changed from being the birth mother of a pregnant Bin to the birth mother of a pregnant Noble Consort.
Lady Lee, now only forty-five, entered Mianggung Palace beautifully dressed in dark red silk robes, with various hairpins inserted into her lavishly piled up hair.
Just looking at her attire, Lady Lee looked more like a Noble Consort than Sansan. Seeing Lady Lee all dressed up, the palace servants murmured incessantly all day about her beauty, saying she was indeed worthy of being the birth mother of Consort Nyeong and Noble Consort Jin.
And it was that very night after Lady Lee entered the palace that Sansan had vaginal bleeding.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.”
“I feel strange.”
In the deep night, Sansan shook the Emperor awake with his slender hand. The Emperor, who came to his senses, wondered for a moment if Sansan had had an accident, seeing the gold quilt had become sticky. It had been completely dry just before falling asleep.
He woke all the palace servants and had them light candles. Mianggung Palace’s bedchamber became as bright as midday. The first thing that caught his eye was Sansan’s pale face soaked with cold sweat, and then his gaze went to and reached between Sansan’s legs stained with blood.
“I, I’m in a lot of pain. What will happen to me?”
Sansan asked while clinging to the Emperor’s arm with a face that looked like he would faint soon. His gasping breath was extremely faint. The Emperor’s heart sank. He wiped the cold sweat flowing down Sansan’s cheek with his hand and carefully kissed his pale cheek.
“It’s okay. There will be no problem. I’ll be by your side, so don’t be afraid.”
After that, he personally wiped Sansan’s blood-soaked lower body and summoned Imperial Physician Do. Imperial Physician Do, who had already left the palace, took some time to enter the palace again. During that time, Sansan caught his breath while leaning against the Emperor’s embrace.
“By heavenly fortune, the baby in the womb is safe.”
Imperial Physician Do, who had taken Sansan’s pulse, bowed deeply and said. Sansan, who had been silent and still all along, suddenly burst into tears. It was because relief had rushed in abruptly.
“Sob.”
Watching him cry while covering his small face with his palm, the Emperor also let out a long sigh he’d been holding.
“Then why did the bleeding occur?”
“I deeply regret to ask, but did you by chance attend Noble Consort Jin Mama’s bed last night?”
“…I didn’t insert.”
“I beg your pardon for asking, but then what act did you perform? To find the cause of the bleeding, this is an important part, so I have no choice but to ask—please forgive this subject’s rudeness.”
“I performed manual stimulation and oral sex.”
When the Emperor answered, Sansan flushed with shame.
“Then did you receive oral sex from Mama?”
It was natural, but still asking for confirmation, the Emperor suddenly shook his head. Imperial Physician Do’s eyes widened greatly.
“I gave oral sex to the Noble Consort, and only received manual stimulation from the Noble Consort. Is this also a problem?”
Even though he’d been told that bedroom affairs should be refrained from until Sansan, whose mind wasn’t sound and whose body and spirit were weak, found stability, how could he not touch what he held in his arms? He’d only not inserted, but hadn’t stopped the lewd acts as usual.
Even though it was the day his birth mother entered the palace, Sansan was sitting hugging only the pillow with a somehow gloomy complexion, so he’d soothed him with kisses and before he knew it, had stripped him naked again and was caressing him. After sucking so much that the skin on his nipples peeled, he requested manual stimulation from Sansan to restrain himself.
Only after pouring out all his lust did Sansan’s lower body, slightly hidden by his swollen belly, catch his eye. How could he pretend not to notice that he too was erect, being a man? The Emperor then laid Sansan down and successively sucked his cock and secret place. Until Sansan came twice in his mouth.
“Ah…, I-I see. Hmm, hmm.”
Imperial Physician Do, who hadn’t known the Emperor would even do such acts for a concubine, failed to properly contain his flustered feelings and revealed them. When the Emperor raised his eyebrows, whether his mind snapped to attention, he composed himself and continued speaking.
“The womb may have temporarily contracted from excessive arousal, but was there anything else that happened?”
In cases of extreme excitement, the womb could contract, but bleeding following that was extremely rare. Especially when it wasn’t penetrative intercourse. It felt uncomfortable to conclude the bleeding happened just from that. That’s why he asked, but the Emperor seemed lost in thought and didn’t answer.
“Currently, Mama’s vital energy and blood are in a quite unstable state. They’re not circulating properly and are blocked—if left like this, it will affect not only the liver but also the five viscera and six bowels. Naturally, this cannot be good for the baby in the womb. Mama, excessive emotions can also destabilize energy circulation. Today, was there anything that made you uncomfortable?”
Imperial Physician Do asked Sansan. But the words were too difficult, so Sansan couldn’t readily understand. The Emperor, who had been looking down at such Sansan for a moment, asked.
“Did your mother perhaps say something to you?”
“Pardon?”
Sansan’s voice immediately rose. He shook his head right away.
“No. No. M-Mother didn’t say anything. I, I’m happy Mother came. She looks after Gang-i too, and also…”
“Stop.”
The Emperor raised his hand to stop Sansan’s words. Even in this situation, he didn’t like him showing signs of insanity.
The problem wasn’t the insanity itself—in truth, the Emperor was afraid. He was afraid his Noble Consort might truly go wrong at this rate, so he wanted to avoid it. But the Emperor himself didn’t know his heart was like that.
“It would be better to discuss this matter after putting the Noble Consort to sleep. Someone, prepare a medicinal bath so the Noble Consort can calm down.”
At the Emperor’s command, Mianggung Palace’s servants moved with quick perception. Yeongchae came and helped Sansan up and took him away. The Emperor looked down at Imperial Physician Do again.
“The child in the belly must absolutely not go wrong.”
It wasn’t because the baby was important. This was solely because of Sansan.
“What should be done?”
“First, I will regulate liver qi with Xiaoyao San, and strengthen the heart and spleen and kidney yang with Guibi Tang, Ganmai Dazao Tang, Yougui Wan, and Bawei Dihuang Wan. Additionally, I will place needles at acupoints such as Baihui, Shenmen, Renzhong, Neiguan, and Taichong that can stabilize the mind to alleviate anxiety and tension. Aside from the unstable vital energy and blood, the baby in the womb’s energy is in good condition, so with careful morning and evening attention, there should be no problem until the birth month. This subject will do his utmost, Your Majesty.”
“I’ll trust you. Do your best.”
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty. I humbly ask, may this subject dare to entreat Your Majesty once more about one thing?”
“I permit it. Speak.”
“Since Mama has already bled once, this subject believes any sexual activity whatsoever will not be good for Mama now. This subject humbly pleads that until the day Mama gives birth, please sleep in another hall. Not sleeping together is the path for Mama’s sake.”
Though it was advice he’d given before, the Emperor had only pretended to listen. Of course, even though he hadn’t gone as far as insertion, how could Imperial Physician Do not know their circumstances?
The Noble Consort had no feelings for the Emperor. Already having severely contracted a mental illness, what could build up resentment more than sleeping together every night with someone unwanted?
“Mama finding stability of mind and body is more important than anything, Your Majesty.”
When the Emperor gave no answer at all, Imperial Physician Do advised once more.
“Alright.”
Finally, consent fell from the Emperor. If he stayed by his side, he absolutely couldn’t restrain himself, so it was better not to sleep together at all. In truth, the Emperor had been thinking this too. Though it wasn’t what he wanted.
Right now, the urgent priority was for Sansan to safely give birth to the child. Once his child was born, Sansan would surely come to his senses again too. The Emperor blindly believed so.
