Shen Youying hadn't planned to get involved in the affairs of the Qin King's harem, but when Wang Shi heard that a doctor was to be called, she turned pale with fright, and Shen Youying couldn't pretend to be confused anymore.
"What exactly happened to Madam Liu? Why did calling a doctor scare you like this?"
Wang hung her head and remained silent, her face pale.
Shen Youying had no choice but to say to Consort Xiao, "Then let's go and see which courtyard Liu lives in."
“Living in Langhua Garden.”
Langhua Garden was located near the rear quarters, quite a distance from Tingmei Pavilion. After dismissing the other concubines, Shen Youying changed into a lighter dress before heading to Langhua Garden with Consort Xiao and Lady Wang.
As soon as the group arrived at the entrance of Langhua Garden, they saw Liu's maid, Hongyu, rushing out from the other corner with her head down. She was so focused on running towards Langhua Garden that she didn't notice a group of people coming from the front. When she bumped into them, she was startled and fell to the ground, scattering the things she was carrying.
Shen Youying looked and saw that the medicinal herbs were wrapped in oiled paper.
Consort Xiao frowned and scolded, "What kind of behavior is this, all flustered? Lady Liu is ill, and instead of attending to her, you're running outside?"
Hongyu knelt on the ground, picked up the medicine packet, and hugged it tightly to her chest. She stammered, "Madam, Madam has a stomachache. I'm going to get her some medicine."
Consort Xiao softened her expression and said softly, "Since you're sick, why didn't you call a doctor to take a look? Why did you have to go out and buy medicine?"
Hongyu stammered, her eyes darting around. In the still chilly spring air, beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.
Shen Youying said, "Let's go see Madam Liu first, lest a minor illness turn into a major one."
Just as she was about to go inside, Hongyu suddenly shouted, "Don't go!"
She only realized who the other person was after instinctively calling out, and her expression changed so quickly that her delicate face became somewhat distorted: "Madam... she is ill, please don't let her illness affect the Princess..."
Shen Youying became increasingly certain that there was something fishy about Liu's illness. If she hadn't encountered it before, that would have been fine, but now that she had, she naturally couldn't let it go so easily.
She gave Bailu a wink, and Bailu immediately understood and stepped forward, half-forcibly pulling Hongyu aside: "Don't block the princess's way."
Lady Liu lived in the west wing of Langhua Garden.
As soon as Shen Youying entered the courtyard, she heard faint moans.
The sound seemed to be suppressing immense pain, escaping intermittently from the throat and echoing in the somewhat secluded courtyard, which was rather eerie.
Wang's face had turned completely white. She bit her lip and hesitated, saying, "She's been calling me that all day."
Shen Youying looked at her: "We live in the same courtyard, didn't you go to see her?"
"Mrs. Liu keeps saying she's not feeling well and hasn't gone out to see anyone for a long time," Mrs. Wang said softly.
Shen Youying pushed open the door and entered. Her suppressed voice became clearer and echoed in her ears.
The person inside also heard the commotion. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Hongyu? Did you buy the medicine? Go boil some water for me and bring a new quilt."
Hongyu lagged behind, with Bailuo close by. She didn't dare to speak, only wiping her sweat incessantly.
Shen Youying pushed open the door to the inner room. As soon as the door opened, she smelled a pungent odor. The strong smell of spices mixed with the bloody smell of a woman's menstrual blood, making her feel nauseous.
Everyone instinctively covered their mouths and noses, realizing that something was wrong.
Shen Youying quickly walked around the screen, only to be so frightened by the scene on the bed that she couldn't move—
Liu was seen leaning against the headboard, her face ashen, sweat pouring down her cheeks. Beneath her, the light blue brocade quilt was soaked with a large pool of dark red blood, emitting a pungent, metallic odor.
The people who followed her in all gasped in surprise.
Shen Youying felt cold all over and couldn't move. After regaining her senses, she suddenly grabbed Fu Cui's arm and said anxiously, "Quick, go and get a doctor."
Just as Fu Cui was about to leave, she heard her instruct: "Wait, don't make too much noise. The doctor must be tight-lipped. Also, send someone to the front courtyard to invite the Prince. Tell him that I have urgent business to discuss with him and ask him to come immediately."
Upon receiving the order, Fu Cui hurriedly ran outside.
I've never eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run.
Although Shen Youying had never seen it with her own eyes, she had heard about it to some extent.
Judging from Liu's appearance, she had clearly miscarried.
Moreover, judging from the furtive behavior of Hongyu and Liushi, it was most likely not a normal miscarriage, but rather she had taken some kind of potent abortifacient.
Remembering the two packets of medicine that Hongyu had brought back, Shen Youying immediately instructed Bailuo: "Find a room and lock Hongyu up first. You guard her personally and make sure no one else sees her. Also, keep those two packets of medicine safe."
After arranging all these things, Shen Youying's pounding heart gradually calmed down, but her hands and feet were still a little weak. She took a deep breath and almost wanted to just sit down and ignore everything, but when she remembered that Consort Xiao and Madam Wang were there, she could only force herself to calm down.
“I’m not familiar with the people in the Prince’s mansion, so I’ll leave the servants in Langhua Garden to Consort Xiao.” After giving Consort Xiao instructions, she looked at the relieved Wang Shi and said, “You should go back to your room first. When the Prince comes later, there will probably be a big commotion. Tell the others not to watch the excitement, lest they hear something they shouldn’t and get into trouble.”
Wang nodded in agreement and rushed out impatiently.
Consort Xiao was surprised that even in her frightened state, she could still be so thoughtful and meticulous. She gave her a stern look before leaving with her maid. She needed to gather all the servants of Langhua Garden together to find out who knew about Liu's affairs.
After everyone had left, Shen Youying finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat down. She looked at Liu Shi, who had remained silent on the bed since they entered, and asked softly:
Whose child is it?
Liu's eyes flickered slightly as she turned to look at her, her voice shrill: "Who else could it be but the Prince's?"
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