The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

Shen Wangxi stopped looking at her, held the person in his arms, and quickly walked into the inner room, where he settled her on the bed.

He held her hand, feeling the coldness of her fingertips, and his panic grew stronger. "Aruo, don't be afraid, I'm here, the imperial physician will be here soon."

Shen Qingruo, her eyes closed, was half-conscious, yet she still murmured unconsciously, "The child... Your Majesty... save him..."

The imperial physician arrived in haste with a female physician and immediately stepped forward to take Shen Qingruo's pulse and check her condition.

A moment later, he withdrew his hand with a heavy expression and kowtowed deeply to Shen Wangxi, whose face was pale.

The imperial physician's voice trembled: "Your Majesty, Her Highness the Princess suffered a blow to her lower abdomen; the imperial heir cannot be saved."

Shen Wangxi swayed, feeling dizzy and her heart ached.

He stared at the Imperial Physician, his voice forced out through clenched teeth: "What did you say?"

"I deserve to die!" The imperial physician prostrated himself on the ground. "But the princess's fetus hasn't come out yet. If it's not cleaned up as soon as possible, it could cause a hemorrhage and endanger Her Highness's life!"

"Your Majesty, I need to immediately prescribe a gentle remedy to help Your Highness completely abort the fetus. I urge Your Majesty to make a swift decision to ensure the princess's safety."

"Pregnant?" Shen Wangxi repeated in a daze, recalling how she had held his hand not long ago, pressed it against her lower abdomen, and softly said that she was carrying his child.

He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, only deep sorrow remained. "If we abandon the imperial heir, the princess will surely be safe, won't she?"

The imperial physician kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety."

Shen Wangxi heard his own dry voice: "Then abort the child. I want you to ensure the princess's safety."

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree!" The Imperial Physician immediately rose to prepare. "Please, Your Majesty, move to the outer hall to wait. Let the female physician and Granny Yan stay behind to assist me."

Shen Wangxi glanced deeply at Aruo on the bed, gently touched her small face with his fingertips, and finally turned around and strode out.

The outer hall was still a mess, with palace servants and imperial guards kneeling on the ground. Wu Lanyun and Shen Jingyan stood frozen in place, the overturned abortion medicine lying on the ground, and blood flowing from Shen Qingruo's body.

Shen Wangxi looked at the pool of blood on the ground, not understanding why. He had only been gone for two hours, how could it have turned out like this?

Wulan Yun looked at him, opened her mouth as if to say something, "Your Majesty, your concubine..."

"Shut up." Shen Wangxi interrupted her directly. He no longer had the energy to listen to her explanations or question why they were so cruel.

He ordered the Imperial Guards directly under the Taiji Palace: "Take the Empress, the Eldest Princess, and all the palace servants and Imperial Guards involved in the incident back to the Jiaofang Palace."

"Without my decree, no one may step out of the Jiaofang Palace."

"Yes!" The Imperial Guards acted without hesitation.

"Father!" Shen Jingyan cried out in alarm, trying to rush over, but was held back by two imperial guards.

Ulan Yun's face turned deathly pale. Looking into Shen Wangxi's icy eyes, she still tried to struggle, "Your Majesty! You can't..."

"Gag her, don't make a sound inside." Shen Wangxi didn't even bother to look at her, and directly gave the order, her voice filled with undisguised annoyance, "Take her away."

Immediately, a palace attendant stepped forward and stuffed a cloth into the mouths of Wulan Yun and Shen Jingyan.

Ulan Yun stared wide-eyed in disbelief as the Imperial Guards forcibly dragged her away.

The once bustling outer hall of Qingyi Hall has become empty.

Soon, basins of bloody water were brought out of the hall.

With each dish brought out, Shen Wangxi's face paled a little more.

He recalled how he used to hold her every night, whispering in her ear that he wanted her to give him a little prince, and that he would also love a little princess.

She looked up with a sorrowful expression, her delicate face upturned, and tried her best to indulge his unrestrained efforts, finally becoming pregnant with his child.

But now, everything is gone.

After an unknown amount of time, the Imperial Physician came out and knelt down again:

"Your Majesty, the princess's life is now out of danger. However, the princess's body is already delicate, and this miscarriage has caused great damage. She needs to stay in bed and recuperate carefully for a month. Moreover... and in the future, she will probably have more difficulty conceiving than ordinary people."

"But Your Highness is still young. If you take good care of yourself for two years, the chances of conceiving a royal heir again are still very high."

Shen Wangxi listened in silence, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, she waved her hand, signaling the imperial physician to leave.

At that moment, a tearful cry came from inside the room: "Your Highness! You're awake?"

Shen Wangxi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned around and went inside.

On the couch, Shen Qingruo had already opened her eyes. She seemed to sense something, and slowly moved her small hand to her flat stomach, gently touching it.

Then, she turned her head and saw Shen Wangxi standing by the bed.

Eyes facing each other.

Shen Qingruo's lips moved slightly, her voice weak: "Your Majesty, how is our child?"

Shen Wangxi's Adam's apple bobbed, and he dared not look directly into her eyes.

His silence made Shen Qingruo understand something. The light in her eyes gradually faded, and tears silently welled up.

She sobbed, "Your Majesty, you promised me you would protect him."

"Your Majesty, you promised..."