Fetal Qi at Li Manor

"Three years and still not born? Wouldn't that make it a ghost fetus?"

Seeing that Ji Yuan was no longer competing with him, Xiezhi did not eat quite as happily. As he chewed the fish meat, he still kept an eye on Ji Yuan's side and naturally heard the Confucian scholar's words. But he had no intention of sparing the other man's feelings.

Li Ping's expression naturally turned unpleasant when he heard Xiezhi's words, but he did not dare fly into a rage. He merely looked toward Xiezhi, who kept picking up fish, and explained.

"This gentleman is mistaken. There have always been many famous physicians attending my wife, and her fetal pulse has remained stable. We also invited masters to come to see her, and all said that my wife's condition was not poor and that the fetus in the womb was healthy. It is only that, only that..."

"Only that it has been slow to be born?"

Ji Yuan interjected with that question, and Li Ping nodded.

"Yes, it has been slow to be born. What are we to do? It has been nearly three years now. Though my wife's belly has not continued growing all this time, everyone in the family has grown increasingly worried. Not only have we sought famous physicians and masters everywhere, I even submitted a memorial to the Capital City before, but received no response. This time, I was preparing to enter the capital and seek an audience with Your Majesty in person, begging Your Majesty to consider the half of my life I have spent serving the court and have Sage Monk Moyun, the Imperial Advisor, come take a look."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan sized up the Confucian scholar named Li Ping once more. His official aura was indeed dim, as