Ren Mian lowered his head and said to Duan Wang, “Her Highness Duan Wangfei has already taken the imperial physician’s prescription. May this commoner take a look at it?”
Hearing this, Miao Sheng immediately presented the prescription. He had kept it on him when leaving the palace, knowing Duan Wangfei would still need to take medicine—it couldn’t be left behind.
Duan Wang gave Miao Sheng a glance and nodded slightly. Miao Sheng felt a surge of pride—he was, after all, Wangye’s most trusted aide—and quietly stepped back, saying nothing.
After reading the prescription, Ren Mian pondered carefully, then adjusted a few herbs and wrote a new formula. In a soft voice, he said, “Take this new prescription for three days. After that, stop. I will check her pulse again and adjust the prescription accordingly.”
“When will Wangfei wake up?” Xiao Muchen handed the new prescription to Miao Sheng.
Miao Sheng took it and quietly left the main room to send someone to Yongchun Hall to get the herbs.
“Wangfei has always been in good health. She should wake up soon,” Ren Mian replied while packing up his medical kit, then slung it on his back and took his leave from Duan Wang.
Duan Wang had someone bring out a silver reward for him. Ren Mian accepted it without refusing, though he felt a little guilty—afraid that if he declined, Wangye might grow suspicious.
Xiao Muchen paid no attention to Ren Mian’s expression; his eyes were fixed on Mingxi. Once Ren Mian left, he sat down beside her soft couch and held her hand, gazing at her.
It was all his fault. He had been so occupied with affairs in Qiping Prefecture lately that he hadn’t noticed anything unusual with Mingxi. If he had been more attentive, she wouldn’t have suffered this much.
If he had known, he never would have let her enter the palace today. Even if something had truly happened to Duchess Wei in the palace, he would have found another way to help her.
The more he thought, the deeper his regret and frustration. He unconsciously tightened his grip on Mingxi’s hand.
Startled by the pressure on her hand, Mingxi woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was met with Xiao Muchen’s reddened ones and was momentarily stunned.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“You’re awake?”
They spoke in unison. Then Xiao Muchen leaned in to embrace her gently, not daring to use much strength, and asked near her ear, “How do you feel? Is there anywhere uncomfortable?”
Mingxi shook her head. “I’m fine. Nothing feels wrong.”
But as soon as she said that, a flicker of guilt crossed her face—she suddenly remembered something.
Having been married to Xiao Muchen for so long, the two were more or less attuned to each other’s thoughts. He immediately sensed something was off in her demeanor and slowly released her from his arms, locking eyes with her directly.
Mingxi: …
Xiao Muchen stared at her suspiciously. “You knew?”
Mingxi nodded instinctively. She had noticed something was off with the tea’s aroma and had taken precautions—while also taking the chance to set up the Empress. The follow-up should have gone well.
But why did Xiao Muchen look so grim?
Did it not work?
That couldn’t be. Once she fainted, it would surely alarm Consort Shu. And once Consort Shu showed up, things wouldn’t just blow over.
She looked at Xiao Muchen and asked, “Did things not go according to plan?”
Xiao Muchen grew even angrier seeing she still cared about palace affairs. Unable to hold it back, he demanded, “If you knew you were pregnant, how dare you take such a risk?!”
Mingxi was stunned. What? Pregnant?
Who?
Her?
She instinctively looked down at her stomach in shock and turned to Xiao Muchen, “I’m pregnant?”
Xiao Muchen, seeing her reaction, looked at her suspiciously. “Didn’t you say you knew?”
“I didn’t know I was pregnant. I only noticed something was wrong with the Empress’s tea.”
The couple stared at each other.
Mingxi suddenly felt a wave of fear. She placed her hand lightly on her stomach. “How could this be? I didn’t feel anything. Even when Ren Mian checked my pulse half a month ago, he didn’t detect it.”
Seeing her face pale, Xiao Muchen realized he had misunderstood. She truly hadn’t known. He quickly held her hand to comfort her. “It was still early then—it wouldn’t have shown up in the pulse.”
Mingxi’s face was a little white. “What about the baby? Will it be okay?”
Xiao Muchen quickly replied, “Ren Mian said it can still be nursed back.”
Mingxi let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. That’s good.”
But then she recalled the risks she had taken in Kunde Palace and felt more than fear—she was horrified.
If she had known she was pregnant, she would never have taken such a risk.
Seeing Mingxi’s expression constantly shifting, Xiao Muchen recalled her earlier comment and asked, “You said you noticed the tea was off—what happened?”
Mingxi leaned back against a soft pillow and looked up at Xiao Muchen. “Although High Mountain Red Kui is a tribute tea and very rare, it just so happens I’ve had it before. My father once bought it at a very high price, so I paid special attention when drinking it and remembered the taste clearly. That day in Kunde Palace, the tea’s aroma passed by my nose, and I felt something was off. I tasted it lightly and, while wiping my mouth, spat it back out into my handkerchief.”
Xiao Muchen: …
“You spat it out—so how did you still get poisoned?” Xiao Muchen had a bad feeling.
Mingxi: …
This was a pit she dug herself, and in the end, she bore it alone.
Seeing the guilty look on her face, Xiao Muchen took a deep breath. “Don’t tell me you poisoned yourself!”
Mingxi fell silent. What good is having a too-clever husband?
Xiao Muchen gritted his teeth and said, “You really… How could you do such a foolish thing! Weren’t you afraid of real harm to your body?”
Mingxi knew she was in the wrong. “If I had known I was pregnant, I definitely wouldn’t have taken the risk.”
“So without the pregnancy, you thought it was fine?!”
Duan Mingxi: …
She looked at Xiao Muchen again and saw he was pacing in anger. She steadied herself and said, “Of course I had confidence. Otherwise, how could I gamble with my life? In that situation, Duchess Wei and I were trapped in Kunde Palace. It wouldn’t be easy to escape, so I had to think of a way.”
“Moreover, His Majesty has always protected the Empress and her son. The evidence in the Qiping Prefecture case was ironclad—even when Duke Wei struck the pillar in court, the Emperor still tried to shield the Crown Prince. How could I accept that? So I decided to turn their scheme against them.”
Xiao Muchen let out a soft sigh. In the end, it was his own incompetence that had forced Mingxi to take such a risk.
He sat down beside her and looked at her. “It’s me who’s let you down.”
Mingxi frowned. “What are you saying? We’re husband and wife—naturally, we share blessings and hardships. Besides, I truly was confident. I’m not lying to you.”
“You’re still trying to soothe me!” Bitterness welled up in Xiao Muchen’s chest. He had always thought Mingxi treated him with mere formality, but now he realized he was wrong.
She had gone to such lengths and still didn’t want him to feel guilty—so she told him comforting lies.
She must truly care for him now.
And that only made it harder for him to bear.
Beneath the weight of imperial authority, he could endure injustice himself. But now Mingxi had risked her very life alongside him—how could he ever be worthy of her?
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thanks for the chapters