MTL - Denghuaxiao

Chapter 89 Poisoning

The maid's particularly crying voice echoed in the pavilions, and Meng Xiyan's expression changed.

Lu Zhen glanced at the maid on the ground in surprise.

 No wonder the princess was not in charge of the banquet at the palace today. It turned out that the princess was pregnant and could not attend.

However, everything is fine, why did the tire suddenly develop?

In front of all the female relatives, Meng Xiyan scolded her in a low voice: "How did the servants take care of the princess? Why did the fetus develop for no reason? Have you called the doctor?"

The maid sobbed and replied: "I heard from people in the princess's courtyard that she was fine in the morning. Just now, the princess said she had some discomfort in her stomach. I thought it was vomiting, but after a while, the pain became worse. In the courtyard Only then did people panic."

The maid paused for a moment before continuing: "I've already taken the post to ask the medical officer, but the princess is in severe pain right now, and it will take a while for the medical officer to come... Madam, please go and see the princess first!"

Today, the emperor gave a banquet, and Prince Wen also entered the palace. Something happened to Pei Yunshu, and the only person in charge of the entire prince's palace was his concubine Meng Xiyan.

Meng Xiyan had a troubled look on her face, and for a moment, she looked at the female relatives in the pavilion: "I'm really ashamed, everyone, the princess is suddenly ill, and I have to rush to have a look."

Since human lives were at stake, there was no reason to continue the feast. The female family members present were not troublemakers, and they all expressed their reasonableness to Meng Xiyan to go see Pei Yunshu quickly.

A round-faced lady caught a glimpse of Lu Yun standing next to Mrs. Dong, and suddenly she had an idea and shouted: "Isn't this Doctor Lu knowledgeable about medical science? Now that the medical officer has not arrived, why not let Doctor Lu go and take a look at the princess first?" To avoid any mistakes."

As soon as these words came out, Mrs. Dong's heart thumped, and she secretly thought it was not good.

 She has seen a lot of these twists and turns in high-class households in recent years. When encountering this kind of thing, it's best to protect yourself wisely. If you get involved foolishly, you may lose your life if you are not careful.

These ladies are just watching the excitement and don't mind the trouble. If Lu Huo is really implicated in the end, to them, they are just ordinary medical women in a medical clinic, and they are not worth taking care of.

 But how did they know about the relationship between Lu Zhu and Pei Yunying?

On one hand, she is Pei Yunying's biological sister, and on the other hand, she is Pei Yunying's little lover. Something goes wrong if she is not careful. What will Pei Yunying do if the debt is settled on her head? You know, at the beginning, she dragged Lu Zong to this pavilion.

Mrs. Dong didn't want Lu Zhu to wander into this muddy water, lest she would be implicated. However, when the ladies around her heard someone starting, they might be unaware of Lu Zhu's identity, ignorant and fearless, or they might be rushing to show their courtesy to the county prince's palace. Lots of enthusiastic recommendations.

“Yes, Doctor Lu is also a doctor, and he knows a little bit about medical science. Why not let Doctor Lu take a look.”

"Since he can make elixirs that no other medical clinic can make, Doctor Lu's medical skills are beyond doubt. The current situation is critical, Doctor Lu may be able to help." This is what the wife of Yanshi Censor's Mansion is saying. .

Mrs. Dong was so angry that her brain ached when she heard the people around her echoing her. These people did not hesitate to borrow flowers to offer to the Buddha, or they just fell on her with a knife.

It's good to know that nothing happened to Pei Yunshu, but if there were any shortcomings, it would be strange for Lu Zhu not to be angered!

In the midst of the noise, Meng Xiyan, who was in the middle of the pavilion, raised her eyes and looked at Lu Xun, her tone of voice somewhat unclear.

 “Are you a doctor?”

 Lu Xu lowered his head and said, "Madam, yes."

Meng Xiyan looked at her, a cold light flashed in her eyes, and after a moment she said: "That's great, the medical officer hasn't arrived yet, and the princess is in critical condition. Since you know medical skills, come with me to have a look."

Mrs. Dong beside her wanted to speak for her, but Lu Zhu held the corners of her sleeves and shook his head invisibly at her.

I'm afraid she won't be able to leave today even if she wants to.

Not to mention the reason for Princess Wenjun's sudden abdominal pain, now in full public view, not long ago Mrs. Dong boasted in front of these ladies about her superb medical skills. If she refuses now, once her medical skills are questioned, it will be very difficult for her to make friends with these noble people in the future. , approaching the Taishi Mansion will only be harmful rather than beneficial.

Lu Zong faced Meng Xiyan and said softly: "Yes, madam."

 …

Meng Xiyan took Lu Zhuo and Yin Zheng to the courtyard of the princess and refused to go any further.

This courtyard is located in the innermost corner of Prince Wenjun's palace. Compared with Xunfang Garden, it seems much quieter and colder. There is not a single servant in the courtyard.

Meng Xiyan stood still in front of the door, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, "The princess has never liked me entering her courtyard. The princess is feeling uncomfortable right now. If she sees me, it would be bad if I make her feel even more uncomfortable."

She looked at Lu Huan, her smile was perfunctory and soft, "Besides, I'm timid and can't bear to see those scenes. Doctor Lu, hurry in."

Lu Zhen pretended not to see her evasive move and said nothing. He and Yin Zheng walked to the door and knocked lightly.

 A vigilant voice came from behind the door: "Who?"

The maid next to Meng Xiyan stepped forward and said through the door: "This is the doctor from the West Street Medical Center. He is delivering medicine to our house today. The medical officer and Wen Po have not arrived yet, so Madam specifically asked Doctor Lu to come over and take a look at the princess. .”

After a while, a weak voice came faintly from the room.

 “Let her in.”

The door creaked half open, and Lu Zhuo and Yin Zheng walked in.

As soon as you entered the door, you smelled a pungent fishy smell.

There was a tall maid standing at the door. She looked at Lu Huan with guarded eyes. She hesitated for a moment, then closed the door, turned to her and said, "Follow me."

Yin Zheng stayed at the door, and Lu Zhu followed him in.

The bedroom is very spacious. There is a vase filled with golden osmanthus placed on the low table in the front room. Next to it is a guqin, covered with light green gauze. Behind the bookshelf in the room hangs a long painting of flowers, birds, landscapes, small scenes, and a set of azure old kiln tea sets on the table. There are not many utensils, and it looks clean and elegant at first glance.

The maid led Lu Zhu to the couch in the back room. There was another maid in blue standing in front of the couch. Seeing Lu Zhu coming, she stretched out her hand to lift up the hanging moonlight cloud gauze curtain and said hurriedly: "Doctor, come and take a look."

 Lu Zhen walked to the couch.

On the carved fine wood imperial concubine's bed, a pale young woman lay, with large drops of sweat rolling down her forehead, soaking the gauze and satin on the pillow.

 She has beautiful eyebrows, which are about 60% similar to Pei Yunying, but her facial features are softer than him.

 Lu Zong's heart moved slightly.

It turns out that this is Princess Wenjun and the eldest daughter of Duke Zhaoning, Pei Yunshu.

Hearing the noise, Pei Yunshu opened her sweaty eyes and looked at Lu Huo, her tone was very weak.

 “Doctor, I, I’m feeling better...”

Lu Zhen frowned. Although there were so many fresh osmanthus in the room, there was still such a strong smell of blood. She stretched out her hand and lifted up the woman's light green smoke-forged double silk quilt, and her pupils suddenly shrank.

Under this woman, a small piece of bright red bloomed on the blanket, like a flower dyed with red ink.

 “Why are you bleeding?”

The maid in green clothes said hurriedly: "Doctor, my wife was fine this morning. Not long ago, she suddenly felt uncomfortable in her abdomen, and then she started bleeding again. The bleeding has stopped now, and she has taken antifetal medicine. , Madam’s abdominal pain has also eased a bit, and she looks like she’s fine.”

　　bleeding…

 Lu Huan asked: "Did she ever bump into her? Or did someone irritate her?"

The maid shook her head.

Lu Zong frowned slightly.

There were no signs of fetal turbulence, and there was bleeding. Although there were signs of abdominal pain, it had stopped. From this point of view, the situation did not seem to be as critical as just mentioned.

 When she was in southern Jiangsu, she had seen Wen Po delivering babies, but at that time it was a natural delivery, and now it was nearly two months before Princess Wenjun gave birth, so it was not the time yet.

 Besides, although Princess Wenjun’s face looked ugly, she showed no signs of having a miscarriage. According to medical books, fetal safety should be the first priority.

The tall maid stood behind Lu Huan, watching her every move closely, and her tone also contained a secret warning.

"The government has sent a message to the medical officer of the Medical Officer's Hospital, and Po Wen, whom I know, is also on the way. The princess's body is precious, so the doctor must be gentle and gentle."

  This is because I can’t trust her.

Lu Zhen didn't say anything, but stretched out his hand to feel Princess Wenjun's pulse.

Pei Yunshu's pulse was stable, and it seemed that the fetal movement just now had no impact on her. The two maids were carefully changing her into clean bedding. Pei Yunshu's expression was still weak, but she was calmer than when she first came in.

The maid in green breathed a sigh of relief, "Maybe the anti-fetal medicine has taken effect. Is the princess still in pain now?"

Pei Yunshu said softly: "It doesn't hurt anymore."

 Lu Zhen was thoughtful.

The person who came just now said it was so critical. She was red and had abdominal pain. However, she calmed down without doing anything and her pulse became stable. It seemed as if she could do nothing and just wait for the medical officer from the Medical Officer's Hospital to arrive before she could retire. This is of course the best for her, but there is still one thing that Lu Zhuo doesn't quite understand. How could he suddenly have abdominal pain and redness for no reason?

The maid brought a soft cushion and leaned it against Pei Yunshu's back. Pei Yunshu looked at Lu Shu, her voice trembling slightly due to nervousness, "Doctor, the baby in my belly..."

"It's okay, Princess, don't worry." Lu Yan took the handkerchief handed over by the maid, wiped the sweat from her neck, and suddenly paused.

Pei Yunshu's shoulders and neck looked a little swollen.

Had she been born plump, this swelling would have been easily overlooked. However, Pei Yunshu was born slender, and even though she was pregnant, she looked a little thin. Her neck was thin and long, so the swelling was easily caught by Lu Zhuo.

 She stretched out her hand and pressed lightly on the lump.

Pei Yunshu yelled "Ouch".

"What are you doing?" The tall maid slapped Lu Zhuo's hand away and glared at her.

"Qiong Ying, don't be like this." Pei Yunshu scolded lightly, looked at Lu Huan, and touched the back of his neck with some embarrassment, "Doctor, I am a servant girl who is in a hurry, so don't mind."

Lu Zhen shook his head and did not take Qiong Ying's words to heart. He only touched the slightly raised swelling with his fingertips, "Hasn't the princess noticed that she has swelling here?"

"Here?" Pei Yunshu followed Lu Zhu's fingertips and touched it with some hesitation: "I have had this before, and I also asked the medical officer to take a look. The medical officer said that it is common for the body to swell in the later stages of pregnancy, so I don't need to I care. Doctor, is there anything wrong?"

 In the late stages of pregnancy, mothers do experience body edema, but the medical officers at the medical hospital did not find anything wrong, so there should be no problem.

But for some reason, there was a subtle strangeness in Lu Zhen's heart, as if there was something she had overlooked.

Pei Yunshu leaned on the cushions and took a few sips of the hot soup that Qiong Ying put to her lips. Her face became rosier, and she could even force out a smile to Lu Zhu, as if to ease the solemn atmosphere in the room. , took the initiative to speak to Lu Zhuo.

"In addition to the swelling, in the later stages of pregnancy, I often felt hot all over my body and sweated from time to time. It was obviously autumn, but I didn't want to put on more clothes. The doctor told me not to catch a cold, but I couldn't catch the cold, and my skin tone became much darker... "

 This is indeed what happens during pregnancy.

“In the first half of the most uncomfortable month, I also had wind rash and prickly heat on my lower abdomen. It was extremely itchy, but I didn’t dare to scratch it. The doctor grabbed some herbs and asked me to boil them and scrub them. It took half a month to subside..."

Pei Yunshu spoke for a while, but when Lu Huo didn't reply, he couldn't help but look at her anxiously.

 “Doctor?”

Lu Zong's hand holding the handkerchief tightened slightly.

 Swelling of the back of the neck, fever and sweating, dark skin, abdominal itchiness, abdominal pain and bleeding.

Looking at each of them individually, they are indeed possible conditions that may occur during pregnancy, but several of them can cause symptoms at the same time...

She stood up without saying a word, quickly walked to the table amidst everyone's doubtful eyes, opened the medical box, and pulled out the flannel containing the gold needle.

Before anyone could react, she quickly approached Pei Yunshu, grabbed her hand and inserted a needle!

This movement was so fast that Pei Yunshu subconsciously let out an "ah" sound.

Qiongying said angrily: "Stop!" and pushed her away with a palm.

Lu Zhen was pushed so hard that he almost knocked down the cabinet on the side. The pen holder on the cabinet fell to the floor with a "crack", alarming the people outside.

Yin Zheng ran in from outside, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Lu Yan said nothing and stared at Pei Yunshu's hand.

Qiong Ying followed her line of sight, and her eyes suddenly trembled.

 Between the wrist as white as jade, where the golden needle penetrated, a winding blood mark quickly appeared.

It’s not right to say it’s a bloodstain. It’s clearly a long purple mark, like a poisonous centipede that has been hiding in the dark and reveals its true form unexpectedly.

Pei Yunshu lowered his head, looked at the blood marks on his wrists in horror, and spoke with a trembling voice.

"…What's this?"

 …

Outside the courtyard, in a small pavilion by the pond, Meng Xiyan was sitting leaning against the vermilion railing, casually throwing fish food into the pond.

The Mid-Autumn Festival feast has come to an end. Something happened to the mistress of the house. If she, the concubine, can continue to host the banquet as if nothing happened, rumors of her being arrogant will spread throughout the capital tomorrow.

　Some things are one thing in private, but in front of outsiders, you still have to pretend.

The maid beside her bent down and whispered in her ear: "Madam, they are still in the princess's room."

Meng Xiyan smiled faintly: "Oh?"

She curled her lips: "It seems that this new doctor is really brave."

Today, Pei Yunshu suddenly fell ill. He was originally going to ask the medical officer and Wen Po to see him, but unexpectedly there happened to be a doctor who came to deliver medicine. Pei Yunshu was in urgent need of someone to come and have a look, and the female relatives of the surrounding officials took advantage of the opportunity to recommend her, so she followed the trend and asked Lu Zhuo to take a look at Pei Yunshu, so as to show that she sincerely thought about the princess.

The maid said: "Madam, Doctor Lu is an outsider after all. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to just go in and see the princess so rashly?"

 “Something wrong? What’s wrong?” Meng Xiyan casually sprinkled a few grains of fish food and smiled lightly as she looked at the fish floating in the water fighting for food.

“It’s better to be an outsider, it’s better to be an outsider, it seems to have nothing to do with us.”

It is a coincidence that Pei Yunshu did not develop the disease earlier but later, but it happened today. Prince Wenjun entered the palace early in the morning, and she, the concubine, was the only one present in the palace. If Pei Yunshu really did something wrong today, although there is no evidence, others will inevitably make irresponsible remarks and blame her as the concubine for not taking it seriously.

 However, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, most of the medical officers in the Medical Officer's Hospital were away from home, so it would take some time to come over at short notice. As for Po Wen, Pei Yunshu carefully selected a trustworthy Po Wen and waited for her to deliver her baby two months later. If she wanted to find someone right now, she might not be able to find her right away.

 In this way, the doctor named Lu arrived at just the right time.

Not only did they bump into each other by chance while delivering medicine, but he was also a doctor who was acquainted with the wife of the minister of Taifu Temple. In any case, he had nothing to do with her as a side concubine and could not be blamed on her.

The maid next to me was still a little worried: "Will the doctor see something wrong..."

Meng Xiyan glared at her coldly, and the maid shuddered, and hurriedly said: "This slave is talking nonsense, Madam, don't take it to heart."

Meng Xiyan snorted and lowered her head to fiddle with the fish food in the wooden bowl. The fish food flows down from her fingertips coated with kodan, like black pearls.

"The medicines in the palace are not even visible to the medical officers of the medical hospital. The doctors hired by Pei Yunshu have not found any clues yet. How can she, a doctor in a shabby medical hospital, see anything."

She raised her chin slightly, and the ruby ​​​​on her temples was as bright as blood. It made the woman's face look like jade, her red lips were full, but the words she spat out were sinister and cold.

"Her fate is also bad. If nothing happens to Pei Yunshu today, that's all. If something goes wrong, she won't be able to escape her involvement. She might even be buried with him."

"However, it should be an honor for a person of her status to be buried with the young prince of Prince Wenjun."

After saying this, Meng Xiyan seemed to find it funny. She covered her mouth and chuckled lightly.

The maid didn't dare to make a sound.

Meng Xiyan laughed for a while, then slowly put away the smile on her face, sprinkled another handful of bait and threw it into the pond.

Schools of fish rushed to the surface, competing for the little bits of bait that slipped through her fingertips. Meng Xiyan watched with interest, the two coral earrings in her ears were so red that they were bleeding.

As the legitimate daughter of the Young Mansion Supervisor, her appearance and talents have not been as good as those of Pei Yunshu since she was a child. Just because Pei Yunshu has the father of Duke Zhaoning, they both entered the palace together, and Pei Yunshu was the principal concubine, so she could only do Concubine.

 Concubine and concubine, aren’t they still concubines?

Pei Yunshu has a cold and aloof personality, and does not know how to please people in small ways. Soon after joining the family, he was disliked by King Wenjun. As a concubine, she was the only one favored by Prince Wen. In this palace, her status was not much lower than that of Pei Yunshu.

Meng Xiyan was originally very satisfied with everything now, until Pei Yunshu became pregnant.

Pei Yunshu is pregnant. If she gives birth to a son, he will be the heir apparent to Prince Wenjun in the future. The position of county king will still fall to Pei Yunshu's son. And her son, Meng Xiyan, will forever be branded as a "bastard".

 Therefore, Pei Yunshu’s heir was destined not to be retained.

Meng Xiyan flicked her fingertips, and the last pellet of fish food fell. She lowered her head, and a beautiful face was reflected on the surface of the pool.

 She looked at it and smiled slowly.

 (End of this chapter)