This was Wanru's first time entering Geng Youran's small kitchen. Looking around, although there were many things, they were not cluttered and were clearly categorized. The cabinets were also spotless, indicating that their owner must have kept them tidy on a regular basis.
"Sister, I've eaten so many of your desserts, but this is my first time here. It's really quite fun."
“Those people say I’m trying to curry favor with food, but they don’t know that our Prince is also a foodie. There are many ingredients here, all of which he had sent over.”
Wanru wondered why she had been brought here today.
Geng Youran's face hardened.
"I brought you here today because I have something important to ask you."
"Sister, please speak freely."
"Have you been taking that contraceptive soup?"
Wanru nodded. Although she hadn't been favored by the emperor many times, she would take a contraceptive soup after each time.
Firstly, my current position is unstable, and I am temporarily unable to protect my child.
Secondly, she had heard her mother say that it was not a good thing for a woman to get pregnant too early.
So she was always very careful.
Why did you suddenly ask about this, sister?
"Come here."
Geng Youran led her to the two medicine jars.
"Take a look, are these two medicine jars the same?"
Wanru leaned forward to take a closer look, then turned and replied:
"They're exactly the same, no problem."
Geng Youran gave Xinyi a look, and Xinyi opened the two medicine jars and poured out the water that had been poured in beforehand. She found that one bowl of water was still clear, while the other bowl was faintly gray.
At first glance, it's almost impossible to tell that anything is wrong.
"Sister, what do you mean by this?"
Geng Youran pointed to one of the medicine jars in front of her:
“I suspect that someone has tampered with our contraceptive soup.”
"!"
Wanru was shocked. She had already taken the contraceptive soup; surely they wouldn't go so far as to do something so drastic.
Geng Youran led Wanru back to the main house and carefully explained the matter:
“A few days ago, Xinyi was cleaning the small kitchen and noticed something wrong with the water pouring out of the medicine jar while washing it. At first, she thought it was just dirt, but then she smelled it carefully and found an unfamiliar medicinal smell. Then she remembered that I had mentioned to her before the New Year that the smell of the medicine had changed, so she handed the medicine jar to Xiao Anzi and had someone identify it. They found that it had indeed been laced with medicine.”
"What kind of medicine is this?"
"Sterilization drug".
!
Wanru first exclaimed "Ah!" and then quickly covered her mouth.
The contraceptive soup they took was personally prepared by the imperial physicians at the beile's request. It served as a contraceptive without harming their bodies, in case they couldn't conceive if they took the medicine for too long.
Geng Youran narrowed her eyes:
"Although the dosage of this medicine is small, it is very potent. If you take it for many years, it will really cause infertility."
"Sister, what do you mean?"
"I'm going to find this person!"
Wanru pondered for a moment,
"Sister, tell me, what do you need your sister to do?"
"I've already prepared a new medicine pot for you. Xiao Anzi will go back with you later so we can exchange it for the old one. Also, I'll discuss with Prince Beile how to have everyone in our household take another pulse."
Wanru frowned. This was going too far and might attract attention.
"Don't worry, little sister, I know what I'm doing."
Upon hearing this, Wanru had no choice but to agree.
However, before the two could find the person who had drugged her, a few months later, Ms. Song was diagnosed with pregnancy.
Because of her poor health, the Fourth Prince personally decreed that Song Gege be exempted from paying her respects to the Fujin every day.
"Princess, the Prince sent someone to deliver some bird's nest to you, saying it's to help you nourish your body."
Song Rusi sat on the couch, leaning back against the chair, touching her still-flat belly, and smiled smugly:
“Ever since my accident, the people in the manor have been laughing at me all the time. But I know that the master is a man who cherishes old feelings, and besides, I gave birth to his eldest daughter, so he must still have feelings for me. As long as this baby is a son, the master will definitely make me the second concubine in this manor.”
"My sister has such great ambition!"
Song Rusi immediately sat up and looked over at the sound. It turned out to be Consort Li.
"Sister, why didn't you let me know in advance that you're visiting my courtyard? I could have prepared the finest tea."
"Sister, don't be so polite. I've come to give you something. Someone!"
Two eunuchs followed behind, each carrying a tray.
"These are some top-quality medicinal herbs. Sister, you are weak, so you naturally need these things more than I do."
Song Rusi immediately had someone take it.
"Sister, you're too kind!"
Logically speaking, Song Gege is older than Li Cefujin, yet she calls him "elder sister" all the time. Who knows if there's a hidden story behind this?
"Besides sending you these things, I have another question for you, sister: are you still 'using' those things?"
Song Rusi said seriously:
"What my elder sister arranged, I certainly wouldn't dare forget."
"That's good. Also, I must remind you that I know nothing about this matter. Understand?"
"clear!"
Having received a satisfactory answer, Consort Li got up and left first, while Song Rusi followed behind, gritting her teeth.
"Princess, these things?"
"Put it away, don't use even a single bit!"
"Yes, sir!"
For the sake of the child in her womb, she can only endure it for now.
Once she gives birth to the prince, the future is uncertain – who will live and who will die?
She can wait!
Over here, Wanru was sitting alone on the couch, lost in thought.
She didn't come to her senses until Huang Li brought the tea over and called out "Gege".
I then realized that I was covered in a cold sweat.
"Huang Li, give the order that I have caught a cold and have not seen anyone for the past few days. Go and inform the Fujin (principal wife) later."
"yes."
Wanru thought about it for so long, but she still couldn't understand why those people wouldn't let her go even though she had already drunk the contraceptive soup.
She touched her lower abdomen, feeling increasingly frightened as she thought about it.
Meanwhile, Geng Youran was also wondering if it was the right decision to tell Wanru about this now.
But it's too late to turn back now.
"Princess, who do you think is behind all this?"
Geng Youran felt that the other concubines did not have the ability or the courage to do so, and the most suspicious one was Song Gege, who had just become pregnant.
But now that Song has been diagnosed with pregnancy, she can't even avoid her, let alone look for clues.
"Xinyi, those medicines?"
"Don't worry, Princess, I've already sent the antidote to Huangli."
Fortunately, the person who did the poison used very small amounts each time, so when Geng Youran realized this, she immediately asked Xiao Anzi to find someone to prepare the corresponding antidote.
On the evening of the fourth day of the twelfth month of the forty-fifth year of the Kangxi reign, the Song family began their operation.
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