The Fourth Master was unaware that he had already been assigned tasks beforehand. Overjoyed, he drank a bit more than usual. As the night deepened and everyone went home, the festivities subsided. The Fourth Master originally intended to head straight to the East Courtyard, but Su Peisheng reminded him at the right moment, and given that he was quite drunk, he decided against it.
Let's make them, mother and daughter, happy today.
The Fourth Prince returned to the front courtyard, drank some hangover soup, and was still a little dazed: "How is the Princess Consort feeling today?"
Su Peisheng thought for a moment and said, "As you instructed, the arrangements for the kitchen and such were handled by Consort Song and Consort Wu. The Princess Consort seemed to be in a good mood this evening."
However, the Fourth Prince was mindful of his wife's feelings, so everyone outside assumed that everything in the inner courtyard today was arranged by his wife.
The Fourth Prince stroked his brow and nodded slightly: "Hmm... what did Physician Xia say?"
Su Peisheng was much more cautious in his reply this time, and he dared not be careless: "Stay away from that harmful stuff. Physician Xia said that the Princess Consort's condition has deteriorated. Physician Xia said that the spices may have an addictive effect. The Princess Consort's condition has not been good lately. He said that he would give her acupuncture in a few days to relieve the symptoms, but it would only provide temporary relief."
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly; this was truly a terrible tragedy.
The Fourth Master suddenly opened his eyes, and the cold glint in them made Su Peisheng shiver involuntarily.
"Has Xianxin confessed? Has she produced the antidote?"
Su Peisheng shook his head again: "The servants are useless. No matter what, Xianxin refuses to confess, but judging from the meaning of her words, it seems there is no antidote..."
Even a seasoned physician like Xia, who had served in the palace for decades, was at a loss. Su Peisheng also felt that there was a high probability that there was no antidote, given how harmful the medicine was...
The chill around Fourth Master intensified: "Continue the interrogation. If she continues to keep her mouth shut, tell her that Madam Zhang has also not had a good night's sleep for three days."
Zhang's mother, Xianxin's birth mother.
When it comes to people like Xianxin, the Fourth Prince has always been the most ruthless.
Su Peisheng readily agreed.
The Fourth Prince stopped speaking. He was still somewhat drunk, and many things were flashing through his mind. After a moment, his voice was a little hoarse: "What is the Princess Consort doing?"
Su Peisheng was taken aback, and he almost couldn't suppress the sound of "Ah!" from his lips: "You've had a hard day, Madam. The candles in the main courtyard have already been extinguished."
The Fourth Prince hummed in agreement. People might feel more pity for the sick, but the Fourth Prince did not. Sometimes he felt that his own heart was hard, and even at this moment he couldn't help but doubt his wife, Ulanara.
The few breaths of silence after the question were only because the Fourth Master was considering his options.
"In two days, at most two days, let Physician Xia tell the Princess Consort exactly how her body is now."
Knowing that her time was drawing near, the princess should have weighed what she could and could not do.
The Fourth Prince may have doubts about his wife, but he also knows what she fears most.
No one is unafraid of death. The Fujin (wife of the emperor) is not the type to act desperately; she is not the type to fight to the death like Lady Xie.
"Your master Li's courtyard is guarded by secret guards at night and closely watched during the day. If there is any mistake, you will be held responsible." Fourth Master looked at Su Peisheng.
Su Peisheng naturally understood the importance of these words, and he immediately bowed deeply, saying, "This servant understands."
With no further instructions, the Fourth Master stood up steadily and took a bath.
...
The people in the main courtyard were also unaware of all this. Her current health condition was kept completely secret by Physician Xia, as instructed by the Fourth Master. She tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, thinking it was just from being tired during the day. When she woke up the next day, she eagerly discussed the matter with Granny Qian.
This matter was of utmost importance, so the Fujin (wife) kept it from even Yu Ru.
Winter seemed to have passed very early this year. The Fourth Prince ordered Physician Xia to come and examine the Princess Consort within two days, but due to the Emperor's presence, he was unable to leave and was delayed for four or five days.
There had never been such a precedent before. The Fourth Prince knew which imperial physicians regularly examined the Emperor's pulse, and he harbored suspicions.
The princess had just finished discussing things with Granny Qian over the past few days. It turned out that her uncle's family had obtained spices from a foreign land that could silently kill someone in their sleep.
The Fujin was tempted. She had already obtained the items, but she and Granny Qian had been discussing how to use them on Li Shi in the East Courtyard these past two days.
When Physician Xia arrived, the Fujin was coughing. These past few days, she couldn't help coughing whenever she talked too much, and when she coughed, it was as if she was about to cough up her whole body.
Physician Xia entered and took the pulse as usual. As a senior physician, he naturally wouldn't show any expression while taking the pulse. He then inserted a few more needles into the princess before bowing and saying...
"Your Majesty, I have something I wish to discuss with you privately."
Yu Ru and Granny Qian exchanged a glance, their expressions both grim, clearly worried.
The princess subconsciously bit her lip, a small gesture she made when nervous.
The openwork white jade bracelet on Fujian's wrist looked rather empty; she had lost a lot of weight recently, and it couldn't even fit around her thin wrist: "You may all step back."
These words were spoken to Granny Qian, Yu Ru.
The two exchanged a glance and quickly withdrew.
It was a bit cold outside, so Yu Ru invited Granny Qian to sit and wait in the side room, leaving Xia Chong and Xia Cao to guard outside. Granny Qian was old, so she gladly went.
It seemed that Physician Xia and the Princess Consort had been talking for quite a while, and even the tea in front of Yu Ru had been changed twice. She was a little uneasy: "Why did Physician Xia talk for so long..."
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly heard the sound of jade shattering inside. Yu Ru reacted quickly and stood up and rushed inside. Xia Chong and Xia Chong, who were guarding outside, were not as fast as she was.
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