Chapter 309
The court physician came running over panting, carrying a medicine box. When he saw the situation, he quickly squatted down and took the pulse of Concubine Cui who was lying on the ground.
As he watched, his brows furrowed more and more, and suddenly he opened his eyes to carefully observe the expression of Concubine Cui.
This made Concubine Cui move around uncomfortably, and she said in a timid tone, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
The court doctor remained silent and still did not speak.
She was completely panicked: "...Tell me what disease I have!"
After much urging, the court doctor finally spoke and asked about the situation.
"When was Concubine Cui's last menstrual period?"
The pointed-chinned maid was stunned for a moment and quickly answered.
"Um……"
The court doctor then asked a few more questions.
The maids answered one by one, and when there were occasional unclear questions, the square-headed maid would help respond.
The master and his servant all stared at the court physician.
The court doctor stroked his long beard, pondered, and stroked it a few more times, "According to the pulse... Concubine Cui does not seem to be pregnant!"
As soon as these words were uttered, a huge wave of shock was created.
"what?"
"No?"
"This is impossible!"
The one who reacted the most was Concubine Cui.
She was hoping the baby was still in her belly, but she didn't even have the baby. How could she accept this?
She grabbed the court doctor's arm and refused to let go.
"House doctor, did you see it wrong? How is this possible? My period is clearly three days late..."
The court doctor shook his head and said, "Not to mention a three-day difference, even a five-day difference is normal. A few days early or late is also normal."
He asked in return: "Is Concubine Cui's menstruation always so punctual?"
Concubine Cui: “…” That’s not the case.
She couldn't help but look at King Zhao: "But Your Majesty is so powerful..." She thought they would have a child!
Everyone present: "..."
They didn't want to talk about the prince's fertility.
If they were really that powerful, they would have been pregnant long ago.
Although the mainstream view on childbirth nowadays is to blame women for not being able to do well, most of those present here were brought up in pampered homes and they are confident that it is not their problem.
Everyone was silent, and Ji Yunqing spoke up quietly, "So, you are using the sudden menstruation to frame Ruirui?"
"If the court doctor hadn't come, this would have almost succeeded?"
"Your Majesty, I don't know how to explain this matter." Ji Yunqing's face was full of complexity, and he finally uttered three words: "It's hard to comment!"
After she finished speaking, she bowed silently and left with Ruirui. She only said one sentence at the end: "Thank you, Princess Wen and Concubine, for your presence today. Thank you to everyone else present. I'm leaving first."
The princess came back to her senses and said, "Your Highness, I will leave first." Before leaving, the princess looked at Ninglan deeply, and finally left without saying anything.
Ninglan's heart tightened, but she always felt that she had done nothing wrong. It was the princess who first hesitated between her child and Concubine Ji's child.
With her aunt's face in mind, the princess shouldn't make things too difficult for her, right?
Concubine Wen also said, "Cousin, you are so strict with Ji Shi in this matter, you will definitely enforce the law impartially, right?"
The people who had just hurried over left quickly, and in a blink of an eye, only Prince Zhao and his concubine Ning Lancui were left on the field.
In fact, Ninglan also wanted to leave, but she came here with the prince.
How could she not have thought that Concubine Cui was such a fool, she was so anxious to frame her without even having a baby in her belly.
More importantly, didn’t she say that she could bribe the government doctor in advance and ask him to change his story and cover it up? Why didn’t she use it even though she gave him so much money?
No children... Concubine Cui was extremely frightened, and she could stand up at this time.
"Your Majesty, I didn't know. I really thought I was..."
King Zhao looked cold and said, "Take him away!"
Concubine Cui completely disappeared from the mansion.
Ninglan was hiding in the yard. When she heard the maid go out and inquire about the news, she was like a frightened bird.
"Does the prince know about this? No, no, no, it shouldn't be the case!"
"No, the prince is so powerful, how could he not know?"
The maid with a pointed chin and the maid with a square head came to Ninglan timidly and said, "Master Lan, what should we do..." Now that Concubine Cui is gone, it was all Concubine Lan who ordered her to do this.
Ning Lan slapped the maid in front of her hard: "Useless! Didn't you say that everything has been done?"
The pointed-chinned maid covered her burning cheeks, not daring to hide, but timidly said, "It's all done."
"done?"
Ning Lan stared at her angrily: "What's going on with the court doctor? Didn't you say you were going to bribe him? Didn't you go?"
"I really tried to bribe you" but it didn't work
Pointy Chin explained in a low voice: "But the court doctor doesn't charge any money. He won't charge you no matter what you say."
"So? Didn't you tell me it was done?"
Ninglan was so angry that her head hurt.
The square-headed maid mustered up her courage and said, "But, but this servant remembered that my mother once said that there was a temple dedicated to the Goddess of Childbirth in her hometown that was very effective...
I asked this servant to beg for mercy, and right after I begged, Master Cui's period was late."
She thought it really worked.
Ning Lan: “…”
I couldn't believe my ears and even wanted to laugh. This was too ridiculous!
At this moment, the princess's maid came over and said, "Concubine Lan, the princess wants to see you."
Ning Lan pinched her sleeves, managed to calm down, and smiled warmly: "Okay, thank you for your help, I'll be there right away"
As she spoke, she personally took the maid's hand and quietly stuffed a dime into her sleeve.
Osmanthus courtyard
Ji Yunqing and Ruirui returned to the yard, and Ruirui was feeling uneasy.
"Mom, Ruirui, shouldn't we go out to play?"
Ji Yunqing shook his head: "No, she is just staring at you and waiting to do something bad to you. It's not Ruirui's problem."
She reached out and touched Ruirui's head: "Are you scared today?"
Ruirui shook her head and looked at her mother with big eyes: "I'm not afraid, I don't know those people."
"If you don't know me, then you don't know me"
After thinking about it, Ji Yunqing simply sat on the chair, held Ruirui on his lap, and began to tell Ruirui the names of each person one by one.
During this process, Ruirui gradually became less afraid and became lively again.
"By the way, mother, I have seen that beautiful sister today before!"
Ji Yunqing was puzzled: "Which beautiful sister?"
Ruirui said happily: "That's the very powerful sister who came with the princess, Concubine Wen!"
"Oh? How have you seen her?"
Ji Yunqing thought to himself, he hadn’t even met Concubine Wen, so how did Ruirui meet her?
"Mom, Ruirui met her on her way back from painting. The girl kept looking at me, so I gave her my painting!"
"Then let's go together and thank him for speaking up for us today."
She felt more and more that Concubine Wen was not as bad-tempered as the rumors in the palace said. She was very helpful!
While the mother and son were whispering, an uninvited guest came to the Osmanthus Courtyard.
Ji Yunqing and Ruirui looked at the newcomer with alert eyes at the same time: "My Lord, what are you doing here again?"