Compared to Imperial Physician Zhao's joy, Song Zhao somehow felt that there was something strange about this matter that was hard to pinpoint.
Yun Shan was very happy, however. "Congratulations, my lady! This is tremendously good news!"
Imperial Physician Zhao also said with a smile, "His Majesty has been in low spirits due to Consort Shu's miscarriage. Now that there is my lady's pregnancy, it can be considered as some comfort."
Song Zhao was silent for a while before saying with a smile, "This is all thanks to Imperial Physician Zhao's blessings."
Later, Imperial Physician Zhao said he was going to Consort Hui's Palace to take her pulse. Then he hurried away.
No sooner had he left than Consort Yun returned to the side hall.
"How is it? What did Imperial Physician Zhao say?"
Yun Shan happily said, "Replying Consort Yun, Imperial Physician Zhao said my lady..."
"She did catch a chill," Song Zhao interjected, cutting off Yun Shan's following words. "It was my own fault for craving coolness, I always keep the window open when I sleep now that autumn has arrived."
Hearing this, the smile on Consort Yun's face froze slightly, but soon returned to normal.
"This servant doesn't think so. Look at your palace maid, she looks gleeful. If you were sick, wouldn't she feel distressed for you?"
She moved closer to Song Zhao and lowered her voice to ask,
"Could it be that my sister has a joyous news, and wants to keep it for now to surprise His Majesty at his birthday celebration?"
Song Zhao smiled mildly. "Baseless speculation. How could I dare joke about such an important matter as the imperial heir?"
Since Consort Yun could not say anything more, she chatted for a few more sentences before letting Song Zhao return to her palace with the music score.
After sending Song Zhao out of the palace, Zhi Lan returned to Consort Yun's side to serve her.
"My lady, do you think Song Zhao believes this?"
Consort Yun's narrow eyes arched up and her expression was unrestrained. "Whether she believes it or not, even if she has doubts and asks other imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau to verify when she returns to her palace, what can she do? She is only a Consort Zhen. She can only order the imperial physicians Hu and Xu to take her pulse. They all sing the same tune and will only say that she is indeed pregnant."
As she spoke, a frivolous smile appeared on her face. "As long as she believes she is pregnant, if one day she can't restrain herself and speaks it out, only to have it exposed that she faked the pregnancy to compete for favor, then her favor will be completely cut off."
*
On the way back to the palace, Song Zhao was silent all the way and did not speak.
Privately, Yun Shan thought that women in the palace were full of schemes. It was normal for Song Zhao to not want to tell Consort Yun about her pregnancy. After all, Consort Shu's example was right there. Anyone would need to be more vigilant.
But even if she concealed it from the consorts, she would still need to inform Xiao Jingheng.
Yun Shan put a goose feather cushion under Song Zhao’s lower back. “When does my lady plan to tell His Majesty this good news?”
Song Zhao pondered and shook her head. “Don’t rush for now. There is something strange I noticed. Why didn’t Imperial Physician Zhao tell Consort Yun that he diagnosed me as pregnant? Didn't Consort Yun say that Imperial Physician Zhao came to take her pulse? How come after taking my pulse, he hurried away?”
Yun Shan was shocked. “Is my lady suspecting this is a scheme? But that doesn’t make sense. If we announce this and it turns out that my lady is not actually pregnant, then Imperial Physician Zhao would be all talk. Would he give up his future prospects?
Song Zhao raised her eyebrows at Yun Shan. “Then who can prove that Imperial Physician Zhao said this to me? After all, when he told me I was pregnant, the only people in the side hall were you and me.”
After hearing this, Yun Shan couldn’t help but gasp. “So he deliberately wants to harm my lady! Fortunately, my lady stopped me earlier when I wanted to announce the pregnancy. Otherwise this matter would definitely have spread everywhere. Instead, it would seem that my lady faked her pregnancy to compete for favor. This would be jumping into the Yellow River and still unable to wash oneself clear. This servant will invite other imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau to examine my lady again.”
Song Zhao calmly said, “Go ahead and invite them.”
About half a time period later, Yun Shan brought Imperial Physician Xu to Yao Hua Palace.
After Imperial Physician Xu examined Song Zhao’s pulse again, he also had an ecstatic expression as he happily announced, “Congratulations my lady, you have been pregnant for over a month!”
Hearing this, Song Zhao was suddenly overjoyed and somewhat flustered as she said, “How could there be such joyous news? Then I’ll have to trouble the imperial physician to inform His Majesty.”
However, Imperial Physician Xu said, “This is tremendous news. You still have to personally tell His Majesty yourself to make him happier. His Majesty’s birthday celebration is coming up soon. If you announce this news at his birthday banquet, wouldn’t it delight His Majesty more than any birthday present?”
Song Zhao pondered briefly before nodding repeatedly. “What the imperial physician said makes sense. Then I’ll wait until His Majesty’s birthday banquet to personally give him this pleasant surprise. Please help me keep this a secret for now.”
“Naturally, naturally.”
After Imperial Physician Xu left, Song Zhao gently caressed her flat abdomen and coldly laughed. “My status is only that of a Consort Zhen. The only imperial physicians who specifically serve Consort Zhen are Imperial Physician Hu and Imperial Physician Xu. If someone ordered them to deceive me, then I would really be helpless.”
She lazily reclined backwards, her gaze falling on the nail polish on her nails which she gently fiddled with. She leisurely said to Yun Shan,
“The reason I asked you to invite the imperial physicians was not to hear any truths from them, but to make the person scheming against me in the shadows believe I have fallen into her trap. Only then would she let down her guard and reveal her tricks.”
Yun Shan said, “No matter how they scheme against my lady, with your astuteness, they definitely won’t succeed! No matter how much malicious intent they have, they can never guess that there is also the exceptionally skilled Xiao Fuzi by my lady’s side!”
Three days later, after Xiao Fuzi’s period of seclusion and prayer for blessings ended, the first thing she did upon returning to Yao Hua Palace was to carefully examine Song Zhao’s pulse.
Sure enough, the pulse showed that Song Zhao was not pregnant at all.
She was a little puzzled. “It makes sense that I'm not pregnant, but why didn't I get my period this month? Do you know why?”
Xiao Fuzi frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, “My lady’s pulse shows slightly deficient qi and blood, and loss of menstrual blood. I'm afraid some unclean item was consumed.”
Yun Shan quickly said, “That can’t be. Ever since the arsenic incident, my lady has been extremely cautious with food. The meals sent from the imperial kitchen have all been personally verified by the food tasters. There wouldn’t be any problems.”
Song Zhao thought for a moment and said, “The problem is not in our palace. When I go to greet the Empress every day, I can't not eat or use the snacks and tea she rewards me with. I remember that the tea snacks from the Empress’ palace these two days were all local specialties sent by Consort Yun. If she has malicious intent, it would not be difficult for her to arrange something.”
Yun Shan asked, “Should my lady inform His Majesty about this?”
Song Zhao raised her eyebrows and shook her head, smiling calmly.
“Since Consort Yun wants to harm me, I’ll just repay her tooth for tooth, and use an even fiercer and more vicious method to harm her. His Majesty has state affairs to manage daily, why should I add to his troubles?”
