It should have been a happy occasion.
These were words many aware of the situation likely thought. The birth of the fourth Prince of the mighty Tor Kingdom! The King who had spent so long without an heir suddenly had four of them! He should have been ecstatic. However, there was a looming dark cloud over Tor Palace.
It had to be said that even Imperial Doula Miriam was confused by this turn of events. She was well aware of her own abilities, as was everyone else. She had helped hundreds of noble women give birth over her lifetime. In fact, she had even waited on the previous Queen in giving birth to the current King Tor. To say that she was experienced was a severe understatement.
When she received the young baby in her arms, she found not a single defect. In fact, after a few days passed and the young boy's skin cleared and stretched, she was certain that he would grow to be even more handsome than his father.
After some thought, she decided to do a deeper inspection. After all, the King's cultivation was far more profound than her own. The only martial techniques she knew were related to healing, while her cultivation was still at the Pulse Opening Realm. However… The seasoned Miriam was still very much confused. Even though the King's cultivation was deeper than hers, her sensory abilities, especially in relation to babies and their mothers should have been unmatched…
As she expected, after doing a deeper examination of the child, she found him to be the picture of health. His bones were strong, his blood was pure, and his meridians were actually a great surprise. Usually, the meridians of newborns were very frail, this was why the Meridian Awakening Ceremony didn't take place until seven years old. However, this young boy here seemed as though he could take his Ceremony right this moment and come out perfectly fine!
Of course, there were other restrictions as well, such as one's Spiritual Foundation. It was a combination of meridian maturity and this that made it general consensus to wait until the age of seven.
"The mother will survive… The boy is not only healthy, he's even far more talented than his elder brothers and sisters… Even though I'm just a weak old lady, I'm certain that if the Heavenly Body Sect knew of this boy, they would come snatch him up immediately… So why did the King react in that way?..." Imperial Doula Miriam muttered to herself.
Shaking her head, she decided that matters of the royal family were no business of her own.
"Call Lilliana in here, the boy is hungry!" She suddenly called out, walking with the little boy in her arms with a doting expression. She didn't know why, but she was very fond of this baby boy. Because she felt this way, how could she not choose the wet nurse with the perkiest breasts for her little treasure?
**
"Forgive me for my candour, your majesty, but we must take drastic measures! I understand that he is your son, but the heavens have blessed you with three other heirs…" A Minister of the Imperial Palace spoke slowly, standing within the Imperial Court.
While the others of the Palace had no idea why such a happy occasion had turned so foul, the upper echelons definitely understood. In fact, they had begun taking the utmost precautions in dealing with the matter. Although they hadn't said it, their eyes displayed their emotions clearly: kill the boy!
A baleful aura erupted from the King. Had these fools never fathered children of their own?! What kind of nonsense was this?! I have three others so it's fine to kill the fourth?!
"Censor Digby. Censor Orson. Censor Briggs. What are your thoughts on the matter?" The King's expression was grave and his eyes were sharp. In just the last few days, his healthy black beard had become rife with strings of grey and white. It was clear to everyone how much this situation weighed on his mind.
He was a handsome young man in his own right. Although he was already fifty or so years old today, his cultivation was deep enough to maintain his looks. He wouldn't have to worry about the end of his life for another one hundred fifty years. Yet, he had gained the heart of an old man in what amounted to less than a week.
In reality, this meeting should have taken place immediately, but he had put it off…
Censor Digby stepped forward first. He was an old, wizened man with a beard as long as his lengthy head of white hair. In truth, he was only ten or so years older than the King, but he had no cultivation to speak of, so this was his appearance.
"Your Majesty," Censor Digby bowed deeply, "You have known for a long time that the role of Imperial Censors is to uphold the moral code and culture of our wonderful Kingdom. On the one hand, this old servant believes that it is morally reprehensible to kill a newborn child no matter the reason. On the other, there needs to be measures taken. The Fourth Prince cannot live a normal life, the cards he's been dealt are too cruel to ignore."
Censor Orson was the newest of the Imperial Censors, having only recently been promoted from a certain Minister rank. As such, he was relatively young, being only forty or so years old. However, he suffered from the same lack of cultivation and frail body Censor Digby did.
"Your Majesty," Censor Orson bowed, "I am young and rash, I hope that my words do not offend you. However, it must be said that the world is cruel and the time is nigh. Although the boy was born with this cruel Fate, Imperial Doula Miriam has reported that he's a heavenly talent the likes of which few have ever seen. If he is allowed to grow, I fear that Tor Kingdom will suffer from internal strife…"
The King's finger twitched. If he didn't know the fallout it would cause, he would have immediately killed this man for daring to speak such words before him. But, in the end, he simply allowed the morbidly obese Censor Briggs to step forward.
"Your Majesty," Despite his size, Censor Briggs too made the effort to bow, "This lowly servant will speak his opinion now.
"Although the matter is as dangerous as Censor Orson describes and is as sensitive as Censor Digby portrays, we must also not forget that a father killing his son will also stain the morale of the Kingdom. In fact, even if this information never spreads and the Fourth Prince comes to be known as a stillborn, it will still have ill affects. This lowly servant suggests that we use more… roundabout methods."