Yinzhen vaguely heard crying, and only realized something was wrong when he woke up.

Qian Shengyan's fever wasn't high, but she couldn't wake up no matter what she did. She just kept crying and complaining of pain, but she couldn't say exactly where or how the pain was.

The imperial physician on duty was quickly summoned, but after taking the pulse, he only said that the patient was overthinking and suffering from summer heat, and that there seemed to be no serious illness...

Yinzhen flew into a rage and ordered the chief physician, deputy chief physician, and the familiar physician Zhou, as well as those skilled in treating colds, gynecology, and general medicine, etc. Almost half of the Imperial Hospital was alarmed and came day and night, which also woke up the entire Yuanmingyuan.

"Is Consort Xi ill?" Ulanara sat by the bedside, her face twisting with a mixture of pleasure and regret. "Is it serious?"

"It is said that he suddenly fell into a coma, and the Emperor was furious, summoning more than a dozen imperial physicians," Yanruo replied in a low voice.

Ulanara laughed and said, "If I were to die one day, I would probably not even be worthy of the Emperor's slightest wrath."

"Master! Master, please don't say such unlucky things!" Yanruo said helplessly. "Master is in good health, unlike those who are unlucky."

Ulanara was thinking about something else.

If... Consort Xi were to pass away, then Hongli and Hongshan would lose their birth mother, and from then on... wouldn't she be their only legal mother?

A secret thought leaped into her mind. Ulanara clutched her increasingly rapid heartbeat and raised her hand, saying, "Help me change my clothes. I'm going to visit Consort Xi!"

But before she could reach the Nine Provinces Qingyan, she was stopped by a young eunuch: "Your Majesty, please return. The Emperor has decreed that all the ladies should rest in their own courtyards."

"How dare you! I am the Empress!" Ulanara shouted angrily, but the little eunuch did not back down at all: "This is the Emperor's decree. I hope Your Majesty will forgive us."

Ulanara turned and went back to the Lotus Pavilion, while Guo and Geng were also kept in the courtyard and not allowed to go out.

Meanwhile, in the Qingyan Palace of the Nine Provinces, the lights were on, and Yinzhen sat in the main hall, frowning as he looked at the several imperial physicians kneeling below.

"How exactly is the Imperial Concubine?" His voice was deep and slightly hoarse, his long, narrow phoenix eyes fixed on the leader. "Imperial Physician Liu?"

"This... I am incompetent. Her Majesty is in good health..." Imperial Physician Liu wiped his sweat, somewhat anxiously, "but I don't know... I don't know why she hasn't woken up..."

"Imperial Physician Zhou?" Yinzhen asked again.

Imperial Physician Zhou felt a bitter taste in his mouth: "I am incompetent; I cannot diagnose Her Majesty's illness..."

“Truly incompetent!” Yinzhen swept the teacup off the table with his sleeve, making a crisp “crack” sound that startled all the palace servants in the hall, who knelt down and bowed their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

"Go and examine her pulse again, and prescribe a remedy!" Yinzhen looked at the group of people who were practically shrinking back, feeling both angry and anxious. "If the Imperial Hospital cannot cure the Consort, then there is no need for it to exist!"

"yes!"

Several imperial physicians took turns taking the patient's pulse and then discussed the case, ultimately prescribing a lukewarm remedy.

Before the medicine was even brewed, Hongli and Hongshan arrived. He hadn't even buttoned his coat properly, and hurriedly ran over, anxiously asking upon seeing Yinzhen, "Father, Mother..."

Yinzhen looked at his son in front of him, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

After a long pause, he could only say, "The imperial physician said there's nothing wrong."

“Mother…” Hongli observed Yinzhen’s expression and knew that she was not really alright. He clenched his fists, worried about Qian Shengyan, but dared not be too rude in front of Yinzhen.

Hongzhou walked over and patted him on the shoulder, glancing worriedly towards the inner hall.

"Where is Hongshan?" Yinzhen asked. Hongli bowed and replied, "Father, Hongshan is young and difficult to wake up once he falls asleep..."

The implication is that Hongshan is not unfilial, he just doesn't know it yet.

Yinzhen nodded: "Very well." He glanced at Hongli and Hongzhou again, "You two should go back first..."

Before she could finish speaking, a cry rang out: "Mother! Waaaaah, Mother!!"

But then Folgochun rushed in. Her hair was haphazardly piled up behind her back, and she hadn't changed out of her nightgown. She was only wearing a thin cloak, which was covered in dust and wrinkled.

She was like a headless fly, unable to even see Yinzhen, and rushed straight towards the inner palace. It was Su Peisheng who bravely stepped forward to stop her: "Princess, Princess, please wait, the imperial physician is still taking your master's pulse."

"What happened to Mother!" Ferguchun's tears flowed uncontrollably as she asked Su Peisheng, her lips trembling. "Why...why did someone say that Mother...is...dying..."

"Folgochun!" Yinzhen said in a deep voice, "Your mother only has a slight fever, nothing's wrong with her!"

"Father!" As if she had finally found her pillar of support, Folgochun ran and threw herself into Yinzhen's arms, sobbing, "I was woken up and told to come see Mother one last time, sob sob sob..."

"Who!" Yinzhen was furious. Daring to curse Qian Shengyan at this critical juncture was simply an offense against him. He looked at Su Peisheng with a sharp gaze. Su Peisheng was so frightened that his legs almost went weak and he could only hurriedly bow before running out to investigate.

Foerguochun was still crying, but Hongli pulled her to sit down to the side.

This is not the time to blame her for not being able to control the servants. Hongli just patted his sister silently and sat quietly to the side, waiting for the imperial physician's results.

But... there was still no result.

No matter how they investigated, Qian Shengyan was perfectly healthy. Even her fever had subsided, but she couldn't wake up. She would only cry out in pain occasionally, and the rest of the time she would lie there with her brows furrowed and her eyes closed, as if she were asleep.

The imperial physician knelt for half the palace, and the servants went in and out in complete silence, as if a single spark could ignite the emperor's rage.

Yinzhen, besides being furious, felt helpless. He even ordered someone to summon the Imperial Observatory. If it weren't so early, he would have even ordered people to go to temples and Taoist monasteries to invite all the well-known Buddhist and Taoist masters.

When it was time for court, Yinzhen originally did not want to go, but Hongli pleaded with him, and the imperial physician also said that although Consort Xi could not wake up for the time being, she was indeed not in danger of death. So Yinzhen hurriedly went, and then ended the shortest court session in the three years of Yongzheng's reign.

When Yinzhen returned from court, Hongshan had already arrived at the Jiuzhou Qingyan Hall, crying and calling for "Mother." Fuerguochun held him and comforted him, sweating profusely with anxiety.

Seeing the Emperor return, the imperial physicians panicked even more and lined up again to take Qian Shengyan's pulse, but the pulse was still normal, and she was still unconscious, only sleeping more soundly, without crying out in pain or frowning.

Fuerguochun held Hongshan and coaxed him not to cry, but his own tears were also streaming down his face. Hongli stood under the corridor, looking at Ciyun Shanhu across the back lake, and for the first time hoped that gods and Buddhas really existed.

Meanwhile, Qian Shengyan... was playing chess with "herself."