Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

The next day, early morning.

Consort Rong had just sat down to have her breakfast, and after only a few bites, she suddenly felt a dull, aching pain in her lower abdomen, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on her forehead.

Jiang Shuo Ning stood to the side, fanning her with a palm-leaf fan to cool her down. He immediately noticed that Consort Rong's face was pale, so he quickly stepped forward, bowed, and asked:

"Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"

Consort Rong pressed her hands tightly against her stomach, her brows furrowed, and whispered, "Help me to the bed to rest for a while."

Jiang Shuoning quickly placed the palm-leaf fan on the table, reached out to steadily support Rongfei, and turned to call out loudly towards the door:

"Fengchun, quickly go and fetch the imperial physician!"

Upon hearing a reply from outside, Fengchun hurriedly ran towards the palace gate.

"Your Majesty, please slow down."

Jiang Shuoning carefully helped Consort Rong lie down on the soft couch, then knelt beside it, took out a silk handkerchief and gently wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, his tone full of anxiety:

"Your Majesty, please be patient for a little longer; the imperial physician will be here soon."

Consort Rong closed her eyes, suppressing the waves of pain in her abdomen, and slowly spoke:

"Shuoning, do you know why I have deliberately avoided summoning the imperial physicians for consultations ever since I became pregnant?"

Jiang Shuoning nodded gently: "This servant understands."

"Last night I dreamt of my daughter who died young. She was my first child. During my ten months of pregnancy, whenever there was the slightest sign of trouble, I would ask the imperial physician to take my pulse every day and give her medicine to prevent miscarriage. But the child did not survive past 100 days after birth."

Consort Rong's voice carried a hint of melancholy and sorrow: "I often wonder if the pregnancy-preserving medicine I took back then was too complicated, which inadvertently harmed my child?"

Jiang Shuoning paused, gently placed the handkerchief on Rongfei's forehead, and spoke in a soft yet steady voice:

"Your Majesty, please don't think such things. The little princess died young back then, which was an unpredictable matter of fate. How can you blame the pregnancy-preserving medicine?"

Your current state of inner turmoil and worry is actually harmful to your health and detrimental to the fetus in your womb.

That unfortunate incident is in the past. Right now, you should take good care of yourself and keep calm.

Consort Rong slowly opened her eyes, saw the genuine worry on Jiang Shuoning's face, a faint smile appeared on her lips, and she quickly closed her eyes again, softly asking:

"Shuoning, how much of your true feelings are hidden when you treat me?"

Jiang Shuoning was startled. He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment. Just as he was about to reply, Consort Rong interrupted him directly:

"No need to say anything more. I will not easily believe anything anyone says in this deep palace. Even if you answer now, it will most likely just be empty words."

Jiang Shuoning paused slightly, not rushing to explain, but instead carefully wiping away her cold sweat, his tone calm and earnest:

"Whether Your Majesty believes me or not is irrelevant. Your Majesty knows in your heart whether I am sincere or not. Now, it is most important to wait for the imperial physician and take care of the baby in your womb."

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong's lips twitched slightly, but she did not press the matter further.

Not long after, Imperial Physician Qin rushed over, examined Consort Rong, and bowed to report:

"Your Majesty's heart fire is caused by emotional distress, coupled with the sweltering heat of the past few days and poor sleep at night, which has triggered abdominal pain. If this continues, it could easily disturb the fetus."

"I hereby prescribe a medicine: one dose to clear heart fire, calm the mind, and aid sleep; and another dose specifically to regulate qi and blood, and stabilize the fetus. The medicine is mild and will not cause any problems during pregnancy."

Consort Rong nodded slightly: "I'm grateful for Physician Qin's painstaking treatment. Shuo Ning, see Physician Qin out for me."

Jiang Shuoning bowed in agreement and turned to accompany Imperial Physician Qin out of the palace.

Chun Chan was eating almonds when she saw Physician Qin come out. She quickly ran over from the corridor, took the medicine box from his hand, and whispered, "..."

"How is Consort Rong's health?"

Physician Qin did not answer. He glanced hesitantly at Jiang Shuoning beside him, sighed deeply, and walked straight down the steps.

Jiang Shuoning's heart tightened, and he frowned, about to chase after him, when a young eunuch hurriedly came over and bowed:

"Miss Shuoning, His Majesty has sent me with a decree requesting that you proceed to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for questioning immediately."

Chun Chan nearly dropped the almonds in her hand, her eyes widening as she leaned closer and whispered:

"What's going on? The Emperor summoned you so early in the morning? Have you done something wrong again?"

Jiang Shuoning glanced at her but didn't reply. Instead, he respectfully addressed the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree:

"I will inform Your Highness and then depart with you, Eunuch."

No sooner had the words been spoken than Consort Rong's voice drifted from inside the hall: "Go directly there, no need to come in and report."

Upon hearing Consort Rong speak, Chun Chan leaned closer and whispered something:

"Judging from Consort Rong's tone... it sounds like she's hoping you'll leave as soon as possible?"

Jiang Shuoning glared at her, and Chun Chan immediately shrank back, swallowing the rest of her sentence and half a handful of almonds.

(under)

They left Yihua Palace. The eunuch delivering the imperial decree led the way, with Jiang Shuoning following behind.

Chun Chan, carrying her medicine box, quickly walked to Jiang Shuoning's side, handed him the almonds wrapped in her embroidered handkerchief, and whispered:

"Here, have a few almonds. You're going to see the Emperor later, have something sweet to calm your nerves."

Jiang Shuoning gently pushed him away, saying, "You eat it."

Spring Cicada pursed its lips, picked up a cicada, threw it into its mouth, chewed it with a crunching sound, and mumbled indistinctly:

"Fine, don't eat them then. I don't have many left anyway. I'll buy some more apricots tomorrow, and after we eat them, we can collect the apricot kernels. That's great."

As she spoke, she popped another one into her mouth, her cheeks bulging out like a squirrel hoarding food.

Physician Qin walked ahead and glanced back at her:

"You silly girl, all you do is eat. Stop going to West Street. You know what happened there the night before last."

As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced at Jiang Shuoning, as if suddenly realizing he had said too much, and quickly turned back, quickening his pace.

Chun Chan, chewing on an almond, paused, tilted her head to look at Doctor Qin's retreating figure, then at Jiang Shuoning, and leaned closer in a low voice: "What happened on West Street? I really don't know!"

Jiang Shuoning didn't reply, but only asked, "Apricots are sold on West Street?"

Chun Chan's eyes lit up, as if someone had finally asked her about this topic. She immediately took half a step closer and started talking non-stop:

"Yes! They've been selling them for days. Two eunuchs are selling them at the alley entrance with food boxes on their shoulders. The apricots inside are big and sweet! Lots of palace maids and eunuchs are rushing to buy them. They're cheap and delicious; you can buy three for one copper coin!"

She spoke with great enthusiasm, even gesturing to show how big the apricot was.

After listening, Jiang Shuoning paused for a moment, his mind racing.

She had seen the apricot tree in the corner of the library courtyard; its fruit was indeed large and sweet.

Everything in the palace, every single plant and tree, was recorded in a book.

It's one thing for apricots to fall and rot on the ground without anyone caring, but it's quite another to pick them, secretly take them out, and sell them.

Who came up with this idea? Fu Dai and Fu Dou? Or Zhou Zhengyin?

This is no small matter.

Seeing that she was lost in thought, Chun Chan gently nudged her with her elbow:

"What are you thinking about? Do you want me to bring some back for you tomorrow? They're really delicious."

The eunuch delivering the imperial decree stopped and turned around, urging, "Miss Shuoning, let's hurry, the Emperor is waiting."

Jiang Shuoning snapped out of his daze and whispered, "I understand."

After walking a few steps, she turned to look at Chun Chan and said, "Don't go to West Street too often."

After saying that, he quickened his pace and followed, heading towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Chun Chan stood still, picked up an almond, popped it into her mouth, chewed it twice, turned her head to look at Jiang Shuoning's back, and muttered:

"Why are they all telling me to go to West Street less often..."

Physician Qin had already walked far away, and without turning his head, he tossed out a sentence: "Spring Cicada, I'm gone."

"Here it comes, here it comes."

Spring Cicada hurriedly caught up, not forgetting to carefully wrap up the remaining almonds in the embroidered handkerchief and put them back in her bosom.