Murim's Weakest Princess

Chapter 308: Becoming A Woman

"She’s perfectly healthy," the Imperial Physician confirmed with a warm smile. "Nothing to worry about. It’s a regular process all young girls go through to embrace womanhood."Sighing with relief, Yihao slumped in his chair. He had been so alarmed to smell blood after returning from night duty that he woke Anji up and rushed her to the medical ward before she could change or have breakfast. Thanks to his actions, the palace was in an uproar, and even the Empress made a trip personally to visit with Noble Consort Liu, who had barely changed out of her night exploration clothing.

Thanks to his dramatic declaration, now the entire Forbidden City knows that the Noble Consort’s niece was officially a woman. Although there were no official events or ceremonies, the entire place was in a festive mood, unlike the tense atmosphere after the sudden inspections.

Anji wanted to bury her head in the soil outside. Getting her first period turned out to be even bigger of a celebration than solving the brainwashing hairpin curse. For better or worse, she was once again at the heart of attention that she desperately wished she could escape with a body double.

Fortunately or unfortunately, having her first period also meant Anji suffered from cramps and fatigue. Despite her cultivation level, it did not remove the ability to feel the side effects of her period.

As it was Anji’s first time experiencing such a thing, Yihao was shooed away, and the doctor summoned a midwife to teach Anji all about womanhood now that she was one of them.

At the back of Anji’s mind, she wondered if everyone had forgotten that she, too, was a trained doctor. Doctor He made her study human anatomy, not just illnesses. She had already known about the feminine monthly bleeding for years now.

Yet, she did nothing to stop the torment only because Noble Consort Liu seemed most enthusiastic about it. As expected, the session soon turned into talks about trysts and hormones, with caution about giving in to temptations.

Anji wanted to cry. She was only eleven. Why would she want to lie with a man at her age when they were in the middle of a war?! What kind of man would she even fancy when she was working in the palace surrounded by maids, old doctors and eunuchs?

"Womanhood is a very special thing," the midwife smiled kindly, offering Anji warm tea. "It marks the ability to produce life and has to be treated kindly. After all, the number of years in a woman’s flowering period is limited."

Anji nodded. Truthfully, she had other questions, but none that the midwife could answer. Instead, she sneakily eyed Liu Guiya. Doctor He was a non-cultivator. Anji had learned everything she heard from the midwife about periods. However, she wondered if it was different for cultivators.

After nearly two hours of sermon, the midwife finally left and handed Anji several new cloths to change into periodically when the bleeding gets heavy. Anji thought it was ineffective. Wouldn’t bandages and tourniquets for heavy bleeding be more effective than this? However, she kept those thoughts to herself for now and thanked the lady for her wisdom before sending her off.

Now that she was finally free from nagging company, Anji turned to Liu Guiya.

"Noble Consort Liu, is there a difference between periods for non-cultivators and cultivators?"

The question took Liu Guiya by surprise. However, she quickly recovered.

"Hmm, I don’t really know. Ever since I mastered the Purification Fire, I never had periods anymore. Thanks to reaching the Enlightened Core level, I remain forever youthful. It’s a side effect of gathering too much Yang Energy in a female body. Even Yanxia stopped having her periods at the age of fourteen. I guess it depends on cultivation methods? You should be fine because you’re still young and your cultivation methods are not extreme."

The answer surprised Anji. She had no idea such a thing could happen. Moreover, it did not seem to be a common topic of discussion among female cultivators.

Feeling a new wave of blood leak from her nether regions, Anji groaned. She wondered if it would be alright to stop the bleeding by blocking her meridians for a short while until the entire fuss is over.

It was starting to become a rather tempting idea.

Hearing Anji’s thoughts aloud, Liu Guiya laughed.

"You should take time off and rest at the Red Palace until the bleeding is over. The next two days would be even worse than today. I’ll talk to your third brother about it, so don’t be in a hurry to return. Hong Nian Niang should be able to answer your question better. After all, the Vermillion Bird and Heavenly Phoenix cultivate very differently."

Perking up at the mention of a new target to question, Anji nodded her head quickly.

"Yes, please!" she grinned. "I’ll work on finalising the formula of the miasma purging pill while I’m there. Should I leave the ancestral hall investigation to you while I’m away?"

Although she was very busy, Liu Guiya agreed. The ancestral hall investigation was progressing very slowly, but they were making steady progress. With Liu Guiya training Yihao personally, they should be able to reach the ancestral hall’s main building from the outer court in a few more weeks.

The poison was more potent than they imagined, and while nobody knew the source, it was clear how the poison was weakening after they tightened security and inspected all the staff. Mass investigating and purging the brainwashing hairpin was the right decision to make.

Agreeing to take the week off from the Imperial Palace, Anji wrote a letter to apply for leave, and Noble Consort Liu sent word to the Empress about it. Although the royal couple would be sad to see Anji leave, they would definitely permit it, knowing Anji would be more comfortable with the facilities at the Red Palace.

Most importantly, Anji remembered to write letters informing her parents about her first step into womanhood. No matter how busy or hectic the situation became, they would be upset to learn Anji did not inform them about it.

With many letters to write, Anji groaned and started grinding the ink. She swore to invent a new type of undergarment for women with heavy monthly bleeding, rather than these uncomfortable, bulky sheets.