Outside, the atmosphere was tense, everyone craning their necks waiting for the matter to reach a conclusion.
Inside the room it was no better. As soon as Imperial Physician Hu and Court Official Sun entered the inner chamber, they saw Zhou Wangfei, the Eldest Princess, and the others all standing with grave expressions, while the room was filled with the smell of blood. They were startled at once.
Especially when he saw Qi Yuan, Imperial Physician Hu’s heart skipped a beat.
He had also heard that Miss Qi had already returned to the capital.
But why was there another incident involving Miss Qi again?
Hadn’t she just returned? How had she already gotten into trouble again?
While Imperial Physician Hu was still feeling uncertain, Qi Yuan spoke softly, “Imperial Physician Hu, Court Official Sun, I trouble you both to examine the Young Madam.”
The Eldest Princess sighed heavily. “Yes, I trouble the two of you to see exactly how my daughter-in-law is doing.”
Imperial Physician Hu and Court Official Sun immediately responded in agreement.
Zeng Wenxiu sneered inwardly and, without hesitation, extended her wrist.
She would kindly grant Qi Yuan a clear result, so that Qi Yuan could die understanding exactly why.
At this moment Third Madam Qi was already finding it hard to breathe. Her heart felt as heavy as if a mountain were pressing down on it, making it impossible to catch her breath.
Wang Chan was equally terrified.
She didn’t know why Qi Yuan was so certain the child was fine.
With this much blood, could it really be fine?
Actually, it wasn’t necessary to insist the child was fine; Qi Yuan hadn’t pushed Zeng Wenxiu in the first place!
Now insisting the child was fine instead played right into Zeng Wenxiu’s trap.
If the child were gone, wouldn’t Zeng Wenxiu cry to the heavens and make a scene even more?
At that point, who would care about the truth?
Imperial Physician Hu felt Zeng Wenxiu’s pulse and let out a surprised “Eh.”
He raised his eyes in surprise and looked at Zeng Wenxiu.
Lu Jintang immediately asked nervously, “Imperial Physician Hu, how is it? How is my wife?”
Imperial Physician Hu frowned with a solemn expression, stood up, and looked at Court Official Sun. “Old Director, please try.”
Court Official Sun stroked his beard, stepped forward, sat on the stool, and took Zeng Wenxiu’s pulse. His expression also became somewhat strange.
Lu Jintang could no longer endure it and impatiently urged, “Can the two of you just say something? What exactly is going on?!”
Court Official Sun frowned and spoke cautiously, “This… the pulse… is not very good…”
Before he could finish speaking, Zeng Wenxiu covered her mouth, closed her eyes, and tears streamed down her face.
This appearance was even more heartbreaking than crying out loud.
Lu Jintang ground his teeth. “Qi Yuan! What else do you have to say?!”
His eyes were bloodshot. “You killed my child and caused my wife to fall into the lake, what grudge do I have with you?!”
Zhou Wangfei silently let out a breath of relief, while inwardly mocking herself for nearly believing Qi Yuan’s nonsense just now.
After all, she was only a teenage girl. The outside world exaggerated her abilities as if she were miraculous, it was nothing more than rumor upon rumor.
She was about to speak and add a few mocking remarks.
But Imperial Physician Hu raised his head and said, “The child is fine.”
Zeng Wenxiu’s crying stopped abruptly.
Third Madam Qi, who had nearly fainted, suddenly grabbed the screen beside her and looked at Imperial Physician Hu in shock.
The Eldest Princess asked in astonishment, “What did you say?!”
Lu Jintang also couldn’t react. “Then what did you mean just now by ‘not very good’?!”
Qi Yuan looked at Zeng Wenxiu with a faint smile that was not quite a smile.
Imperial Physician Hu and Court Official Sun exchanged glances, both somewhat hesitant.
The Eldest Princess immediately pressed, “What exactly is going on? You’ve completely confused me!”
Imperial Physician Hu stroked his beard. “When we said ‘not very good,’ we meant the Young Madam’s body. She took a large amount of strong and harmful medicine, which severely damages the mother’s body. If someone hadn’t rescued her in time, I’m afraid not only would the pregnancy have been lost, but her life would also have been in danger!”
Everyone was shocked. Zhou Wangfei even suspected she had misheard.
Lu Jintang subconsciously shouted sharply, “What nonsense are you talking about? What harmful medicine?!”
Imperial Physician Hu and Court Official Sun immediately sensed something was wrong. The two stood up and remained silent at the side.
Qi Yuan took over and asked lightly, “Yes, Young Madam, what harmful medicine?”
She looked at Zeng Wenxiu with a half-smile. “You can blame your falling into the water on me, but the abortion medicine you took beforehand, you can’t say I forced that down your throat too, right? I can’t predict the future and prepare a bowl of abortion medicine in advance waiting for you, can I?”
Zeng Wenxiu felt a chill rush straight to the top of her head.
How could this be?
How did Qi Yuan know about this?!
And, why had she taken abortion medicine, yet the child was still fine?!
What exactly was going on?!
She clenched the bedsheet so tightly that her nails almost tore a hole in it.
The Eldest Princess reacted immediately. She ignored Lu Jintang and Zeng Wenxiu and shouted sternly to Jiang Mama, “Go! Arrest all the servants attending the Young Madam! Find out exactly what’s going on!”
Abortion medicine?!
This was utterly absurd.
Why would Zeng Wenxiu take abortion medicine?
Zhou Wangfei’s face turned extremely ugly. She subconsciously stepped back twice, her complexion uncontrollably pale.
Zeng Wenxiu suddenly looked back at Qi Yuan, only to see Qi Yuan also looking at her.
Their eyes met. Qi Yuan did not avoid her gaze at all; her eyes were filled with icy coldness.
Zeng Wenxiu couldn’t help shivering.
Meanwhile, the Eldest Princess had already ordered that Zhang Mama and the others all be seized and strictly interrogated.
Under interrogation, it was discovered that Zeng Wenxiu’s dowry Mama, Li Mama, had used the small kitchen.
Following this clue, they searched further and dug up boiled medicinal herbs beneath the roots of a tree at Li Mama’s residence.
Inside were large amounts of safflower and musk, both medicines used by women for inducing abortion.
The Eldest Princess was both furious and incredulous.
She simply couldn’t understand.
Why?
She suddenly slapped Zeng Wenxiu hard across the face and angrily demanded, “Why?!”
Now that the abortion medicine had been found, Zeng Wenxiu’s taking it meant she never wanted this child in the first place.
Then jumping into the lake also made sense.
It was just that she happened to encounter Qi Yuan, so she deliberately targeted her and tried to pin the blame for losing the child onto Qi Yuan.
Third Madam Qi was dumbfounded.
She felt that everything she had experienced in the first half of her life combined was not as dramatic as these past few hours.
Heavens, she couldn’t even dream of something this bizarre!
Lu Jintang also felt as though he were dreaming. He stared at Zeng Wenxiu and asked in confusion, “Why?”
This was their child, and also the first grandchild of the Eldest Princess’s residence.
When this good news had come, even the emperor had bestowed rewards and medicinal materials.
Why would Zeng Wenxiu rather take harmful medicine than abandon this child?
Zhou Wangfei clenched her handkerchief tightly.
Outside, Commandery Princess Luochuan also finally realized something was wrong.
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