Chapter 61

Chapter 61 Concubine Li asked softly, "I won't hide anything from you, old physician." "During my pregnancy, I have smelled musk several times. About an hour each day—could that cause any serious harm?" The house physician looked slightly surprised, but having heard many secrets of the inner court, he quickly suppressed that surprise. "It seems that your fetal condition being unstable is also related to this matter."" The house physician explained in detail, "Fortunately, your health is robust, and the residual musk in your body is not heavy. If one did not examine carefully, it would indeed be difficult to detect." "I will prescribe a formula for you. Take it properly for a few doses, and rest quietly for some days, and you should be fine." After a pause, the house physician added, "However, during this period, you must not come into contact with musk again, nor overexert yourself, or it may easily disturb the fetus." "Thank you, old physician!" Concubine Li was full of gratitude, and Feishuang also gave the old physician a heavy pouch of money. The house physician accepted the pouch and hesitated for a moment. "Concubine Li, regarding today's matter at Qingzhu Courtyard, I am afraid I must report truthfully to the Prince and Princess Consort." The house physician was a physician kept by the Prince's household, and moving within the inner court under the Princess Consort's direction, he was obliged to report every diagnosis to the Princess Consort. Concealing small matters was acceptable, but major news that should be reported still had to be reported. Concubine Li supported herself on Feishuang's hand and stood up. "Perfect timing—I was also thinking of going to see the Princess Consort, so I might as well go together with the old physician." The house physician bowed respectfully and said, "Your pregnancy is still in its early stages, and it is freezing cold outside. It would be best to be cautious." Feixu had already draped a heavy cloak over Concubine Li, clearly having come prepared. Concubine Li smiled and said, "I appreciate the old physician's kind intentions." "It's just that I am grateful to the Princess Consort and must go in person." The house physician said no more. The four of them arrived at the Princess Consort's Qingsong Courtyard. The Princess Consort had just sent someone to deliver gifts to the newly promoted 'Concubine Consort Han.' When she heard that Concubine Li had come, she was surprised for a moment. However, it was only for that moment. Nanny Li said doubtfully, "Is Concubine Li unable to sit still already?" "But even if she comes to see you, what can she do? Those words were spoken personally by the Prince." Nanny Li feared that Concubine Li might not be thinking clearly and would come to make trouble for the Princess Consort, so her expression immediately turned somewhat stern. The Princess Consort glanced at her. "Let's first hear what she has to say." Soon, the house physician and Concubine Li entered together. The house physician first reported Concubine Li's condition to the Princess Consort according to protocol. Upon hearing that Concubine Li was also pregnant, the Princess Consort raised an eyebrow. "This matter... is indeed quite a coincidence." Shifting her tone, she asked familiarly, "Is Concubine Li's pregnancy unstable?" The house physician nodded. "Concubine Li appears to have smelled musk or similar fetus-harming substances during her pregnancy, which caused the instability." "I have already prescribed a formula. It's just that you will need to rest in bed for a period of time." This was the response agreed upon by both parties on the way there. The house physician only needed to 'truthfully' report the news to the Princess Consort; the rest was for Concubine Li to say. The Princess Consort feigned surprise. "Musk?!" "Setting aside pregnant women, even ordinary women should not come into contact with such a thing. Do you know where it came from?" Concubine Li bowed and said, "To answer the Princess Consort, I suspect it was... Concubine Lu." Feixu then stepped forward at the right moment to weep and complain. "My mistress originally was not familiar with Concubine Lu. But for some unknown reason, she would come running to our Qingzhu Courtyard every few days." "Even when no one paid her any attention, she could talk to herself for a full hour." "Originally, my mistress was annoyed with her and drove her out of the courtyard, but the next day she came back carrying gifts, claiming to apologize, but in reality threatening." "She said that if my mistress did not forgive her, she would come knocking every day from then on. My mistress has the softest heart, so she had no choice but to make peace with Concubine Lu." "These matters—the Princess Consort only needs to send someone to inquire. I swear I have not spoken a single lie." After Feishuang finished speaking, Feixu continued, "After that, Concubine Lu started coming over again." "These past two days, every time she left, my mistress would vomit severely. That's why we invited the physician to take her pulse..." "That Concubine Lu probably learned from somewhere that my mistress was pregnant, harbored ill intentions, and came specifically to harm my mistress." The two maidservants spoke one after another, crying as they spoke, looking extremely wronged. After hearing everything, the Princess Consort pondered for a moment. "I will send someone to investigate this matter, and I will also send someone to report it to the Prince." Concubine Li smiled wanly. "Thank you, Princess Consort, for seeking justice for me." The Princess Consort's fair face looked at Concubine Li, also showing a trace of pity. "It is a pity, indeed." "Originally, the Prince declared that whichever of you and Concubine Han became pregnant first would be promoted to Concubine Consort. Who would have thought it would be such a coincidence—just as Concubine Han reported her pregnancy, you also turned out to be pregnant." "But the Prince's words are as good as gold and cannot be changed..." Concubine Li shook her head, showing great respect for the Princess Consort, and her words were especially gentle and obedient. "I heard that Sister Han has been pregnant for over a month. My child is not even a full month yet. Even if I had discovered it earlier, Sister Han should still have become the Concubine Consort." The Princess Consort said, "Thinking this way... is good for you. With a broad heart, your days ahead will be easier." The suffering she herself had once endured had become much smoother once she had completely let go. And so, she could especially understand Concubine Li's situation, and was all the more satisfied that she was not fixated on this matter. After the imperial physician left, Concubine Li seemed hesitant to speak. The Princess Consort knew she had private matters to discuss. After a moment's thought, she raised her hand to dismiss those around her. Only the Princess Consort, Nanny Li, and Concubine Li remained in the room. Concubine Li suddenly knelt on the ground. "I beg the Princess Consort to save my child and me!" The Princess Consort frowned. "What do you mean by this?" Concubine Li knew well that she could not protect her child on her own. She had already decided to seek the Princess Consort's protection when she first arrived at the Green Pine Courtyard. Concubine Li spoke bluntly: "Princess Consort, the one who truly wants to harm me is not Concubine Lu—it's Concubine Ning!" The Princess Consort gripped the armrest of her chair tightly and said with displeasure, "Li, I just praised you for being broad-minded, and now you come to me with such words." "Do you know that without evidence, these words are slander?" She slapped the armrest, her presence imposing. "To slander a pregnant Concubine Consort—you have quite the nerve?!" Concubine Li said with a face full of grievance, "It is precisely because there is no evidence that I dare not file a complaint against Concubine Ning, but instead beg the Princess Consort to save my child and me." Concubine Li gritted her teeth, then suddenly dropped a shocking revelation. "Concubine Ning is not pregnant!" "What did you say?" The Princess Consort was startled. Concubine Li said, "I have been pregnant for two months now. I originally planned to wait until the pregnancy was three months stable before telling the Prince and Princess Consort." "Who would have thought that Concubine Lu would come to the Qingzhu Pavilion every day to visit, and by chance discovered my pregnancy. She then conspired with Concubine Ning to harm me. I had no choice but to defend myself." Concubine Li revealed everything. Of course, she had not given Concubine Ning the fake pregnancy medicine. She had only entered the household a few months ago, and unlike Concubine Ning, who had gained connections through Concubine Ning, she did not have such extraordinary means. She merely had the news of the fake pregnancy prescription deliberately spread to Concubine Ning's ears, while carefully obscuring the timing of her own pregnancy. Concubine Ning was quite ambitious. The moment the news reached her ears, she immediately arranged for someone to seek out the prescription. She arranged for Concubine Lu to harm Concubine Li's pregnancy on one hand, while taking the fake pregnancy medicine to feign pregnancy on the other, swiftly scheming to seize the position of Concubine Consort. Concubine Ning acted with such haste, and Concubine Li took the opportunity to see her fierce ambition. This alarmed Concubine Li, and she became increasingly convinced that her pregnancy was difficult to protect. So she immediately turned her gaze to the Princess Consort, hoping to seek her protection. "I do not seek the position of Concubine Consort, only to protect the child in my belly. It is truly out of desperation that I shamelessly come to beg the Princess Consort." "If the Princess Consort does not disdain me, both my child and I are willing to serve at her command." "Through thick and thin, I would never dare utter a single word of complaint." Why should the Princess Consort protect Concubine Li? There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If one seeks protection, one must pay a price. When Concubine Li made this choice, she had already prepared to give her child to the Princess Consort to raise. She first confessed everything, bared her true heart, and then showed the Princess Consort the value of helping her. Now, she was gambling on human hearts—and on whether she and her child... could find favor in the Princess Consort's eyes. The Princess Consort looked at Concubine Li with a complex gaze, and only after a long while said, "You are still pregnant. Rise first." Concubine Li looked up, revealing a face like pear blossoms in rain, fragile as glass—one look at her and one's heart ached. The Princess Consort sighed. "If Concubine Ning is feigning pregnancy, she will be exposed within three months. You only need to endure a little longer, and you will eventually become a Concubine Consort." The implication was that there was no need to beg the Princess Consort. "What good would becoming a Concubine Consort do?" Concubine Li smiled bitterly. "Consort Fang and Concubine Xie are both favored by the Prince, yet weren't they also poisoned and harmed? I do not have a sister as skilled in medicine as Concubine Xie does." She had always been clear-headed, and that was precisely why she suffered more. "The Prince does not favor me much." Concubine Li raised her hand to touch the child in her belly. "Perhaps this will be the only child of my lifetime." "It is so delicate, so small—if those with malicious hearts merely use a little scheme, it may never be able to come into this world..." "I cannot afford to gamble!" As she spoke, tears streamed down Concubine Li's face. When the Li family was seized, Concubine Li already had memories of it. The men of the family were beheaded or exiled, and the women were consigned to the Yeting. Over the years, Concubine Li had learned that the men of the Li family had long since died on the road to exile. As for the women, they too had died or scattered. She was now utterly alone! The child in her belly was her only family—and perhaps the last family she would ever have in this lifetime! Therefore, she must protect it!