Chapter 0099: A Blow, Indeed

Chapter 0099: A Blow, Indeed

The three of them genuinely started to admire the flowers, no longer engaging in private conversations.

In the evening, the Emperor visited Lan Fei.

At Yunli’s place, she was sitting in the courtyard enjoying the cool air, though the early days of August were somewhat hot and dry. Perhaps the last throes of summer.

While she was there, Ye Baolin also came over.

The two of them decided to sit together.

Zhuque came in to report that the Emperor had gone to Zuiyun Palace, and Yunli waved it off, “I know.”

This was customary; before the Emperor retired for the night, the women of the harem had to wait. If the Emperor did not visit the harem, there was a set time for this, usually around the hour of Xu.

After that, everyone could rest.

If the Emperor visited someone’s palace after the hour of Xu and the concubine was not prepared to receive him or was not properly dressed, she would not be held accountable.

“Sister, are you still sitting here?” Ye Baolin asked.

“Are you tired, sister? If so, go ahead and sleep. I feel it’s still early, I'll sit for a while longer. There are still a few sips of tea left.” She was the type whose sleep wasn’t affected by drinking tea at night.

So she continued to drink carefreely.

Ye Baolin wasn’t in a hurry; she had initially thought Yunli was sitting out to wait for the Emperor.

During this time, she couldn’t quite discern who was favoring whom, as both of them had been summoned to serve in the bedchamber.

However, she had changed her initial attitude towards Lady Qiong upon entering the palace.

This woman had more favor than she had imagined.

After sitting for a while longer, both of them went back to sleep.

The night passed without incident.

Were there any worry-free people in the harem?

Yes.

But few.

Even Wu Cairen, who was exceptionally worry-free now, had her moments of anxiety during her early pregnancy.

So, for Wu Zhaorong, who could stir up trouble without a breeze, how long could she keep the news of Lan Fei’s infertility, possibly due to sabotage, to herself?

This time, however, she wasn’t rash.

Instead, she passed this news on to Yun Xiaoyi.

"How was it conveyed? Taking advantage of the moment when Yun Xiao Yi was alone with only her maids, her eunuch whispered across the flower wall that Consort Lan’s infertility was caused by someone’s harm."

"Startled, Wu Zhao Rong exclaimed 'Who?' but by the time she looked, there was no one there."

"In the palace, one couldn’t simply chase after people, and without further leads, she had no choice but to let it go."

"Receiving such news was like holding a thunderbolt."

"She dared not stay silent, yet struggled with how to express it directly."

"After much thought, she finally told Consort Lan honestly."

"'Your Highness, don’t take it to heart. I think it must be some idle gossip,' she reassured."

"Consort Lan might not have doubted herself if she hadn't heard this, but upon hearing it, she was deeply shocked."

"She couldn’t focus on what Yun Xiao Yi said next."

"Seeing something was amiss, Yun Xiao Yi quickly called for help. She had asked everyone to leave before speaking."

"When Tan Xiang and Mu Yu entered, they too were visibly alarmed."

"After a while, Consort Lan waved her hand, 'You may go back.'"

"After her departure, Consort Lan turned to her two closest maids. Her background wasn’t prestigious enough to bring her own people into the palace; these two were assigned to her back when she was in the Eastern Palace."

"They had always been loyal."

"But now…"

"Once she accepted the possibility that she had been harmed, she would not easily trust anyone again."

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Tanxiang asked with concern.

Lan Fei felt a sense of sorrow.

If she couldn't trust them, then whom could she trust?

She took a deep breath and asked, “Why do you think I, who have been so favored over the years, have never conceived?”

The two maids exchanged glances, neither daring to speak.

Indeed, Ye Zhaoyi had thought about it, but had they?

They wanted nothing more than for Lan Fei to have a child. What would their future hold otherwise?

Who doesn’t fall out of favor?

“So, you’ve thought about it too?” Lan Fei said with a bitter laugh, “Yet you never mentioned it to me.”

Both maids knelt down, stammering, “We wouldn’t dare say such things. The royal physician often checks your pulse and hasn’t mentioned anything. Your body is probably fine; it might just be a matter of fate.”

“Fate,” Lan Fei’s tears fell, “If someone harmed me, what fate could I have? Back when I was so favored, my family had no influence, and I was just a concubine of low rank. How could I have been safe? How come Ye Zhaoyi and Wu Zhaorong lost their children? Jin De Fei had a child because she knew how to kneel and please.”

“I never realized it,” Lan Fei said, crying.

“Your Highness, don’t be like this. Let’s call the royal physician again. These baseless accusations…” Muyu also cried.

After a long while, Lan Fei asked, “Can the royal physician really not tell, or is he too afraid to say?”

At this, the two maids didn’t know what to say.

“We should at least try…” Muyu suggested.

Lan Fei composed herself and after a moment said, “Tomorrow then. We’ll call a physician, just say I have a stomachache. Find a younger one to come.”

Lan Fei often experienced abdominal pain during her monthly cycle, which was irregular.

She used to see the royal physician for stomach aches in the past.

The next day, after returning from the morning greetings, she indeed called for the royal physician.

During the greetings, others had noticed her lack of energy and asked about it; she simply mentioned her stomach ache, and no one inquired further.

The physician who came was a young one, about the same age as Physician Li.

After checking her pulse, he was puzzled as the pulse did not indicate menstruation.

He asked, “May I know how Your Highness's abdominal pain feels?”

“I probably didn't explain clearly. It’s not abdominal pain I'm experiencing, but heartache,” Lan Fei replied.

“Heartache? That could be either minor or serious. I am inexperienced and may not be qualified to treat it. Perhaps I should return and call for more experienced physicians?” Physician Fu suggested hastily.

“Physician Fu is competent enough; why change? Please check my pulse again.”

With that, Physician Fu had no choice but to comply and proceeded to take her pulse again.

“My heartache is because among the many physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau, none have told me the truth,” Lan Fei said, and at that, Physician Fu's hand trembled.

His hand was on her pulse at that moment, and Lan Fei certainly noticed the tremor.

With this realization, her heart sank.

Knowing trouble was imminent, Physician Fu stood up quickly, “I am not skilled enough in medicine…”

“Tell me the truth, and I won't reveal that it came from you. If you don’t tell me, I’ll find out anyway. Then it will be as if you have said it,” Lan Fei said, surprisingly calm in her deep hurt.

Young and inexperienced with the dark secrets of the harem, Physician Fu was completely taken aback by her words and froze.

After a long pause, he admitted, “I... I am indeed inexperienced. All I know is… Your Highness suffers from extreme coldness in the womb. There is blood stasis causing blockages, preventing the womb from functioning properly, weakness in kidney energy, and poor blood circulation…”

With every word he uttered, Lan Fei's face grew paler.

By the time he finished, Lan Fei was on the verge of collapse: “Can this... my condition... be treated?”

In the past, the royal physicians hadn’t entirely kept quiet about her condition; her cold womb was diagnosed by them.

But they had said it wasn’t serious and could be managed with medication.

She too hadn’t thought it was severe, as many women suffer from a cold womb.

But blood stasis blocking the womb…