mtl008 Chapter 203 Happy Pulse
Chapter 203 Happy Pulse
When the Queen sighed again that Concubine Hua had taken sick leave and she was too busy with palace affairs to visit her in person, An Lingrong stood up obediently.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to share your worries. How about I go to Yikun Palace to visit you on your behalf?"
An Lingrong suggested softly.
The Queen pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Noble Concubine Shu, I'll trouble you then. However, Noble Concubine Hua is straightforward, so if I have offended you, please bear with me."
There was a hint of worry in her words.
No wonder Concubine Hua kept saying that even if she stopped provoking the Queen, the old woman would not let her go.
It seems that Concubine Hua has offended many people with the emperor's indulgence, and the queen has been offended particularly hard.
Even when she took sick leave, her reputation would be ruined.
An Lingrong felt that the reason why Concubine Hua had such a bad reputation among the concubines was not only because of the Emperor's deliberate actions, but also because of the Empress's instigation.
As soon as the queen finished speaking, the hall fell silent, and the concubines were afraid that they would be called to accompany her to the Yiku Palace.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your reminder. I will be careful."
An Lingrong responded softly, with a hint of humility.
After Baoque finished her work, An Lingrong took her to Yiku Palace.
As soon as he entered the palace gate, Songzhi came up to him and made an urgent request.
"My Lady, my mistress has been staying in her bedroom for several days, refusing to eat or drink. Please go in and try to persuade her."
"Songzhi, don't worry, I'll go see her right away."
An Lingrong consoled him and instructed, "Prepare some easily digestible and appetizing meals."
Winters in the north are extremely cold, so in order to keep warm, sleeping palaces are usually not built very large.
An Lingrong took small steps and entered the dim bedroom that she had never set foot in before.
The sound of footsteps became clearer and clearer in her ears, causing Concubine Hua, who was lying on the bed, to frown in annoyance.
"Songzhi, I have no appetite. Stop trying to persuade me."
There was weakness and frailty in her voice.
"Sister Hua Guifei, if the Queen knew you were on a hunger strike, would she be happy to invite another opera troupe to perform in celebration?"
Concubine Hua would definitely not listen to the gentle persuasion, so An Lingrong directly brought up her rival.
"An Lingrong, you're talking nonsense! How could I be on a hunger strike?"
Concubine Hua forced herself to raise her head and refuted with a weak voice.
Only then did An Lingrong see that the usually radiant Concubine Hua was now as pale as paper, like a withered peony, having lost its former beauty.
After not seeing her for a few days, her cheeks seemed to have become thinner.
"Why are you so ill? Why don't you call a doctor?"
An Lingrong stepped forward, held her slender and pale hand, and asked with concern.
"Noble Concubine Shu, I'm fine." Noble Concubine Hua tried to pull her hand back but failed.
She stared into An Lingrong's eyes with rapid breathing, "Tell me the truth, is that old woman, the Queen, laughing at me?"
An Lingrong gently pushed her back onto the bed. "These past few days, the Empress has always greeted you when she comes to pay her respects. Today, the Empress said she was busy with palace duties and couldn't get away to visit you, so I finally found the opportunity to come over."
She paused and continued.
"I don't know what the Empress is thinking, but I know one thing for sure. If you ever fall seriously ill, the power in your hands will return to the Empress."
"I received your note yesterday and was so worried I couldn't sleep. What kind of trouble did you encounter? Could you tell me about it?"
Songzhi said that Concubine Hua did not trust the people in the Imperial Hospital because of the musk incident and refused to invite the imperial physician to see her.
Concubine Hua exuded a sense of weakness all over her body, which was definitely not just caused by hunger.
An Lingrong guessed that she was really in trouble this time.
"This palace... This palace doesn't know where to start." Concubine Hua's tone revealed deep confusion.
"I heard that my sister vomited continuously after eating a few days ago. Could it be that you..."
An Lingrong's gaze shifted to her belly covered by the quilt.
Concubine Hua immediately understood what she meant and flatly denied it: "Absolutely impossible! I just changed my clothes a few days ago."
She took a deep breath and slowly told the truth:
"I'll be honest with you. After hearing the news you brought me that day, I felt nauseous and couldn't eat."
"These past few days, I've felt really bad just looking at the food."
"Do you think it's that bitch Zhen Huan who's bringing disaster upon this palace?"
"Or is it that the old queen is secretly cursing me?"
When talking about these two people, Concubine Hua was so angry that she threw her pillow to the ground.
I heard that when Concubine Ke was pregnant, her temper was even worse than this, and she made the entire Yanx Palace go haywire.
"Don't worry, sister. Baoque, who is by my side, has learned some basic Huangqi techniques. Why don't you let her take a look at you? Can you tell if someone has drugged you?"
"Last time, when Concubine Hui was attacked by a mad raccoon in the Imperial Garden, I suspected someone had secretly drugged her."
"Sister, if you are still unwilling to invite the imperial physician, then you have fallen into someone else's trap."
Concubine Hua has been taking the health-preserving and fertility-aiding medicine prescribed by Jiang Cheng for some time, and it may have taken effect.
If she was really pregnant, she wouldn't be able to withstand such ordeal!
"An Lingrong, how is the medical skill of Bao Que, who is by your side? What does the medicine he prescribed taste like?"
Concubine Hua frowned and asked the question that was in her mind.
"You don't want the imperial physician to check your pulse because you think the medicine is too bitter, do you?"
When An Lingrong saw her frozen expression, she knew there was nothing she couldn't understand.
"Sister Hua Guifei, do you want to put on your clothes yourself, or do you want me to wrap you in a quilt and carry you out?"
Concubine Hua shook her head helplessly to stop her from taking any further action.
"I'll let Songzhi help you wash and groom yourself. You can go out and rest first."
She was really afraid of the sour, bitter, and indescribable spicy medicines that Jiang Chengkai produced.
Whenever she mentioned the Imperial Medical Bureau, she felt her stomach churning, so she kept hiding and didn't want anyone to come and see her.
This time, she was not so resistant when the senior palace maid of Concubine Shu took her pulse.
"Miss Baoque, thank you for your help."
Since she had to ask for help from others, Concubine Hua's attitude softened a lot.
"Please take a seat, Your Majesty. I will take your pulse right away."
The master has just told Baoque his guess, and she is very sure about this.
In the past, for the sake of his master and the dragon fetus, Baoque would take An Lingrong's pulse almost every day.
Moreover, the Empress asked very detailed questions when Doctor Wei was taking her pulse, and she learned a lot from him.
Baoque placed his hand directly on Concubine Hua's pulse and spoke at the same time.
"My lady, I am sorry for the offense."
She calmed down and took Concubine Hua's hands, and replied in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, your pulse is so smooth that you can hardly feel any stagnation."
"This is a sign of a happy pulse."
When Concubine Hua heard the news, she was so shocked that she fell down on the couch, her eyes revealing deep helplessness and fear.
"How come you're really pregnant?"