Chapter 67 Dragon Fetus (plus 1)
"Alas, it's no use now." The Empress Dowager stood solemnly in place, her eyes filled with regret, and sighed with disappointment.
"Quickly, someone come and take a look at Consort Wan. I see she's fallen badly too." Cao Qinmo deliberately raised her voice and exaggeratedly called out to the imperial physician, her worried expression drawing attention.
Her shout attracted everyone's attention, and even the Empress Dowager turned her head to look at Zhen Huan, who was sitting blankly with her knees bent and covering half of her cheek.
This served as a wake-up call for everyone present. They had all witnessed Consort Wan fall squarely onto Consort Fucha. The imperial physician had said that Consort Fucha had miscarried due to the impact to her abdomen and the shock, which was none other than Consort Wan…
Zhen Huan had naturally thought of this as well. She tried to stand up, supporting herself with Chun Changzai's hand. She had twisted her ankle from the fall and it was quite difficult to get up. She couldn't remove the ice pack from the right side of her face, which was swollen like Fucha Guiren's.
"Your Majesty, this concubine..."
She tried to explain with difficulty, but the Empress Dowager, seeing her like this, didn't listen carefully and waved her hand to interrupt her—"Sit down properly and let the imperial physician take a look."
Looking at the faces around her, some mocking and some worried, she reluctantly shut her mouth.
Chun Changzai worriedly came up to help her sit down. Zhou Qi stepped forward and was about to take her pulse when they heard a whooshing sound behind them.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Upon hearing the servant's report, Yinzhen rushed over. When he entered the hall and saw the Empress Dowager's worried expression and Consort Fucha's increasingly loud cries of pain in the inner hall, he knew that something was wrong.
"Empress Dowager has come too. How did you manage to be alerted?"
The Empress Dowager sighed and directed the servants to bring another stool—"This concerns the imperial heir, and I cannot stand idly by. It's just that Consort Fucha is no longer useful; she has injured her womb and the child cannot be saved."
At this point, Yinzhen frowned and lowered his eyes; he had lost another child.
"Consort Xian, what happened?" He looked at Lü Yingfeng standing directly opposite him. He remembered that today was the day when all the consorts gathered at Yongshou Palace to discuss matters. How could the child be gone while they were having a proper discussion?
Lu Yingfeng was startled when she was suddenly called upon. She bowed and pondered before saying, "Your Majesty, Hongzhou had a cough this morning. I was worried about him, so I didn't keep the ladies for too long. We sat for a while and then dismissed them. It was Consort Fucha who wanted to go to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers, and everyone had nothing else to do, so they went along."
Lu Yingfeng looked at Zhen Huan beside her and suddenly noticed that Zhou Qi, who was kneeling below her, was slowly shaking his head at her. She was puzzled and thought for a moment before continuing, "Your Majesty, I did not go with them. I only heard that they encountered a swarm of bees in the Imperial Garden and in their haste... they fell down Consort Fucha and Consort Wan. I was also puzzled and hurriedly called the Imperial Physician before I could ask what was going on."
In fact, as soon as she returned, Consort Jing told Lü Yingfeng everything in detail. However, Zhou Qi's actions just now made her wary. After all, she hadn't gone to the Imperial Garden with him, so it was normal for her to only have a partial understanding.
Yinzhen didn't say anything, but simply raised his hand to tell her to get up.
"Consort Fucha is heavy and has difficulty moving around, how did Consort Wan also fall?" He looked at Zhen Huan, who had been covering her face with a handkerchief and refusing to show herself, and asked in a puzzled tone.
Before Zhen Huan could speak, Sang'er, Consort Fucha's personal maid, knelt down with a thud as if she had seen a savior, crying out, "Your Majesty!"
The sudden sound startled everyone, and the Emperor raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.
Sang'er's eyes were filled with fear, and she spoke in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, it was Consort Wan who fell on our mistress, which caused her miscarriage. Otherwise, our mistress has always been healthy and would never have miscarried so easily. We beg Your Majesty to make the decision!"
Yinzhen's already tense face grew even more gloomy. "Really?" Although he was asking Sang'er, his gaze slowly turned to Zhen Huan, who was covering her face.
Zhen Huan trembled slightly when she noticed the intense gaze directed at her. Her hands, hidden under her sleeves, clenched into fists, her long, slender nails digging deep into her flesh. Just as she was about to explain, she felt the imperial physician beside her abruptly withdraw his hand.
Zhou Qi seemed completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the hall. With a joyful expression, he turned around and bowed to the Emperor and Empress Dowager, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Consort Wan is more than two months pregnant!"
The entire room fell silent upon hearing this. Everyone thought that Consort Wan would definitely suffer a great loss this time, but who would have thought that she would have such good luck? This child came at just the right time.
Lu Yingfeng also lowered her eyes to hide the shock in them. No wonder Zhou Qi had winked at her earlier. The fact that Consort Wan was pregnant would surely be let off lightly this time. Why should she waste her time being the bad guy?
"Look closely!" This unexpected joy seemed to overwhelm the imperial mother and son. Just moments ago they were lamenting the loss of one child, but now Consort Wan had another.
“Absolutely true.” Zhou Qi answered affirmatively. The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor, whose expression was a mixture of joy and confusion. “Your Majesty, since Consort Wan is also pregnant, then let’s consider it as making amends and not pursue the matter any further.”
After a long while, Yinzhen nodded – “Listen to the Empress Dowager, this matter was purely accidental. It was the bees chasing them that caused Consort Wan and Consort Fucha to panic and run away.”
As he spoke, his expression hardened. "Su Peisheng, investigate. I need to know why there are swarms of bees attacking people in the Imperial Garden, and why they specifically target pregnant concubines. How is the Sticky Rod Office doing its job?"
When he came in, he glanced at Consort Fucha from afar. The swelling on her face, which was red and shiny, made him look away in disgust. Although Consort Fucha was not as beautiful as Shilan Yingfeng, she was definitely graceful and had the demeanor of a lady from the pre-Qin period.
Now, seeing that Consort Wan still refuses to remove the handkerchief from her face, she is probably just like Consort Fucha.
Thinking of this, he felt inexplicably sad and couldn't help but stand up—"I still have matters to attend to in the previous court, so I will trouble Your Majesty here."
Without giving anyone a second glance, they hurriedly left Yongshou Palace.
——
As evening fell, Su Peisheng slowly entered the hall. At this time, Yinzhen was not reviewing the memorials, but was carefully examining the large characters written by Hongzhao by lamplight.
"how?"
He didn't even look up and asked directly.
Su Peisheng quickly recounted everything he had found out: "Your Majesty, we have tested the sticky rod repeatedly. The bees do not sting people without reason. They are targeting... the fragrant powder that Your Majesty ordered the Imperial Household Department to make and bestow upon Consort Fucha."
Yinzhen raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes filled with a deep meaning—"Perfume...did the Imperial Household Department add something to it?"
Su Peisheng shook his head – “Several imperial physicians have examined it, and nothing inside has been changed. To make it gentle and suitable for pregnant women, it is all extracted from fresh flowers, and some honey has been added and ground. I’m afraid… that’s why it attracted the bees.”
Yinzhen's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, a hint of surprise in his eyes. So... it was all because of him that Consort Fucha lost her child?
Su Peisheng looked up at the Emperor's face and hesitated before continuing, "The people from the Sticky Rod Office found several loose pebbles covered with moss where Consort Fucha and Consort Wan fell. It is likely that these pebbles caused the two ladies to lose their footing."
"Moss...pebbles," Yinzhen murmured softly, his white jade hand gripping the pebble tightly.
"In the harem, who loves this moss-covered stone the most?"
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