He rushed into the bedroom in the east wing, filled with worry. But when he looked up, he saw his daughter leaning against the headboard, holding a small bowl in her hands, eating like a little squirrel.
Looking at her rosy complexion, long breaths, and clear eyes, she didn't seem unwell at all.
Song Siyuan let out a long breath and slowed down as he walked over.
"You silly girl, you could have just called out to me when you saw me. You had to say you weren't feeling well and startled me."
When Song Xibai saw her father, she was overjoyed. She quickly put down the bowl in her hand and winked at Wei Hong.
Wei Hongfei quickly closed the door.
Song Xibai stepped forward, took her father's arm, and led him to the next room.
"Is Father alright at home? Why are you at the East Palace so early? Were you on duty at the Imperial Pharmacy last night?"
Song Siyuan nodded: "I haven't been back in my post for long, so it shouldn't be my turn to be on duty yet. But I was worried about you, so I switched with another imperial physician. By the way, sit still and let me take your pulse."
"Oh, I'm fine! I'm perfectly healthy! I just miss Dad."
Song Xibai sat down opposite him with a grin.
"Stop grinning and sit down properly."
Song Xibai immediately suppressed her smile, obediently extended her hand, and placed it on the table for her father to take her pulse.
After a moment, Song Siyuan finally felt completely relieved.
Fortunately, there really wasn't a problem.
Song Xibai snorted: "Father, you just don't trust my medical skills. Don't you know my own body? If there were any problems, I would have noticed them long ago."
"Oh dear, that's not what I meant, I was just worried about you!" Song Siyuan relaxed and laughed along. "His Highness cares about you quite a bit, so I can explain to your mother that. It's just a pity for our Xixi, having to be on guard against this and that every day in this palace. I think the people in the East Palace are all quite shrewd!"
Song Xibai's heart stirred, and he asked in a low voice.
"Father, you just came out of the west wing hall. Did you discover something?"
Song Siyuan nodded: "That Lady Liangyuan was clearly not frightened, but the little palace maid who came to me said she was terrified. Moreover, her pulse was strong and powerful, while that slippery pulse always felt weak and unnatural, like it was fake."
This made Song Xibai feel somewhat guilty.
Her fake pregnancy pills could only maintain the appearance of pregnancy, and it's normal for an experienced doctor like her father to have some doubts.
However, this matter was too serious, and Song Xibai couldn't tell her father that Rou Liangyuan's pregnancy was fake, so she could only make up an excuse to get by.
"Perhaps it's because of her special constitution! By the way, Dad, do you think those dead rats were poisoned?"
Song Siyuan hesitated for a moment.
"I didn't look closely, so I don't know!"
"That's alright, I had someone secretly get one out, Dad, take a close look now."
Song Xibai called out to Wei Hong, and soon Wei Hong quietly brought in a dead rat and placed it directly on the table.
Song Siyuan jumped onto the stool.
"How can you leave something like this on the table? Move it away right now!"
On the contrary, Song Xibai looked completely at ease and even advised, "Father, don't be afraid! These rats are all dead, they won't bite."
Song Siyuan glared and puffed out his cheeks, waving his hands repeatedly.
"Take it away! Take it away!"
Wei Hong hurriedly carried the dead rat to a table further away.
Song Siyuan then jumped off the stool, patting his chest and exhaling.
"This is much bigger than the mice you played with when you were a kid."
Thinking back to Song Xibai's childhood, Song Siyuan couldn't help but wonder: He didn't know what was wrong with this girl. She was never like a proper young lady. She loved to tinker with strange medicines and then test them on mice.
Song Siyuan wasn't afraid of mice before, but he developed a psychological trauma from being frightened by Song Xibai when he was a child.
Meanwhile, Song Xibai, the instigator, was laughing heartlessly, which angered Song Siyuan so much that he slammed his fist on the table.
"Can't we just have this girl examine it? Take a knife and cut it open from the throat down to see if there are any signs of poison in the rat's body."
"Alright! Wei Hong, fetch me a small knife."
Then, Song Xibai guided Wei Hong step by step to dissect the dead rat.
After observing carefully for a while, Wei Hong replied, "Master, the black blood only reaches the throat."
"Huh? That's impossible! If he was poisoned, the poison should at least have reached his stomach."
Song Siyuan took two steps closer, puzzled. Out of curiosity, he was no longer so afraid of mice. He stood behind Wei Hong and squinted at the mouse carefully.
Suddenly, his expression changed.
"The bone at the back of the rat's neck appears to be broken."
Song Xibai was startled and immediately asked Wei Hong to check. After receiving a positive answer, she instructed her, "Quietly go and check the other mice to see if they are the same."
Wei Hong knelt down and withdrew, only returning after a long while.
"Master, I have checked, and the necks of those dead rats have all been snapped."
This puzzled Song Xibai.
"Who would go to such lengths? Why would someone who can easily snap a rat's neck force-feed it medicine? What's the point?"
Wei Hong naturally couldn't answer.
Song Siyuan looked worried: "Girl, why don't you come home with your father to rest during your pregnancy? It's too dangerous in the palace."
"It's alright, Dad. I have so many people around me!"
Song Xibai's words of comfort failed to reassure Song Siyuan.
He left the Eastern Palace with a belly full of worries.
After returning to the Imperial Pharmacy, he handed over his medicine box to the physicians, wrote down the pulse diagnosis, and completed the handover with another imperial physician. Then, he shuffled off, preparing to leave the palace.
On his way to the palace gate, he kept turning back, unable to stop worrying about his daughter.
Just as they were about to reach the palace gate, Song Siyuan suddenly saw a group of people walking out of the Wenhua Pavilion on the east side. Seven or eight people were surrounding a young man dressed in a purple python robe.
Song Siyuan immediately turned around and ran over.
"Your Highness!"
When Crown Prince Huo turned around and saw him, his face was full of surprise.
Coming to his senses, the Crown Prince turned to his officials and said, "You may all return now!"
The officials dared not ask any more questions and took their leave one by one. Soon, only Eunuch Feng remained by the Crown Prince's side.
After Song Siyuan stopped, he bowed and then spoke in a seemingly polite manner.
"Your Highness, I have just taken the pulses of the two empresses in the Eastern Palace. I wonder if Your Highness has time to listen?"
The Crown Prince was overjoyed and bowed to Song Siyuan, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Physician Song."
After saying this, he took Song Siyuan back to Wenhua Pavilion, found a secluded room, and instructed Eunuch Feng to guard outside.
As soon as the door closed, Song Siyuan's face fell.
"Your Highness, the Eastern Palace is so dangerous, how can we let my daughter stay there indefinitely? In my opinion, it would be better to let her leave the palace and go home to rest and prepare for childbirth."
The Crown Prince was puzzled. Nothing had happened at the Eastern Palace, so how could it be in danger?
Instead of continuing the conversation, he asked about Song Xibai.
"Father-in-law, have you seen Xixi? How is she? Her feet have been unusually cold lately; could it be due to pregnancy?"
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