TPNCQ CHAPTER 19
If You Can't Protect Yourself, You'll Be Trampled Upon
“I’ll go. Lianhua, you take good care of Xiu Guiren.” Yan’er, a palace maid from Changchun Palace, seeing the situation was bad, hurriedly said, taking a lamp and went to Xian Guifei to ask her to send someone to invite Imperial Physician Zhang. She then returned to Changchun Palace to report back.
Half an hour later, Imperial Physician Zhang arrived at the palace in a hurry. After taking her pulse and discussing with Imperial Physician Li for a while, he wrote a prescription and asked a little eunuch to hurry up and decoct the medicine.
Imperial Physician Zhang then gave Xiu Guiren an acupuncture treatment to stabilize her fetus.
However, it was too late. Everything was too late.
From asking for a doctor to Imperial Physician Zhang entering the palace, prescribing medicine, giving acupuncture, and decocting the medicine, an hour and a half had passed.
Before the medicine was even decocted, Xiu Guiren felt a wave of heat in her lower abdomen and fainted in pain.
Xian Guifei and Ling Pin were waiting outside. Seeing the imperial physician come out with blood on his hands and report, they knew something was wrong. Xian Guifei could only send a little palace maid to the Yangxin Hall to inform the Emperor, and knowing that the Empress was not at peace, she did not immediately send someone to tell her, and kept it a secret for the time being.
In a short while, the matter of Xiu Guiren’s miscarriage was known throughout the six palaces.
When the news reached Chunxi Palace, Jia Fei was reading a story book in her room. Upon hearing the news, she put down the story book and said, “Pretending to be delicate while pregnant, causing trouble, and being annoying. Now that the wall is falling and everyone is pushing, she can’t blame others. If She couldn’t keep it, it’s her own incompetence.”
“Exactly, not everyone is blessed to give birth to a dragon seed. Being able to stay in her womb for two and a half months, it’s also because she burned high incense in her previous life. She doesn’t cherish her blessings, so she can’t blame others.” Lamei bent down to pick up the story book, closed it, and stored it away. She leaned in and said, “Niangniang, don’t worry.”
“Mm, I’m tired too, let’s rest.” Jia Fei supported her waist with her right hand and got up to walk towards the bedroom.
*
The next day at noon, Imperial Physician Luo came to take her pulse.
After taking her pulse and prescribing a new medicinal diet, Su Limo saw that Imperial Physician Luo was still kneeling on the ground, seeming to have something more to say, so she raised her hand and gestured for Dong Xue to lead the other palace maids to wait outside.
"Since niangniang inquired about Xiu Guiren's matter a few days ago, I have paid more attention to it when I returned and found the leftover medicinal dregs. They were indeed decocted according to the prescribed herbs, but the dosage of herbs like Astragalus and Mug wort, which tonify qi and stop bleeding, was only half of what was prescribed. Xiu Guiren's pregnancy was already precarious, and with the important herbs in the decoction being halved, the efficacy was greatly reduced, leading to more and more obvious signs of miscarriage, and eventually... there was nothing that could be done." Imperial Physician Luo said softly.
"I understand," Su Limo said, giving Shuangjiang a nod. Shuangjiang handed a brocade bag to Imperial Physician Luo.
Imperial Physician Luo took it with both hands, thanked her and retreated.
Xiu Guiren's matter seemed mysterious, but in fact, there were clues everywhere.
Previously, the Empress Dowager had only given her a small punishment, telling her to stay in the palace and take good care of her pregnancy and not be arrogant and spoil the atmosphere. But she did not criticize her too much. However, the various factions couldn't sit still and jumped out to humiliate her one after another.
Although Xiu Guiren was beautiful, she was very foolish. Her temper was known to everyone in the palace, and she was always arrogant and had a high opinion of herself. Being lifted to the clouds and then thrown into the mud was more painful to her than cutting her flesh. The person who came up with the plan had calculated this precisely, striking repeatedly and reducing the amount of herbs, which led to Xiu Guiren's miscarriage.
It was calculated so well, and so cruel.
Su Limo felt a chill down her spine.
In the past, these things only happened in the Qing palace dramas she followed, but now they were happening right in front of her eyes, and she couldn't help but feel terrified.
If she didn't have the ability to protect herself, let alone anything else.
*
In the afternoon, Xiu Guiren finally woke up slowly. Hearing the noise, Lianhua hurried forward to take care of her.
"My child, my child..." Xiu Guiren's face was pale, her voice filled with tears, and she was heartbroken.
"My Lady, you must take good care of your body. There will be more in the future." Lianhua comforted her, but at this moment, anything she said seemed pale and powerless.
Yesterday, she had a dull pain in her lower abdomen with a hint of a downward sensation, and Xiu Guiren knew something was wrong. However, now that it had been confirmed, her heart was instantly ashen, and the last glimmer of light in her eyes was extinguished instantly.
"If the imperial physicians on duty yesterday hadn't all been called to Changchun Palace, if I could have invited an imperial physician earlier... It's my fault, My Lady, please don't be like this, I'm so scared, my heart is filled with anger, please feel free to scold me, just don't do this..." Seeing the Xiu Guiren's lifeless appearance, Lianhua cried.
Hearing the words "Changchun Palace," Xiu Guiren slowly came to her senses, "Changchun Palace?"
"Mistress? Don't scare me." Lianhua held Xiu Guiren and cried anxiously.
"It's Changchun Palace again!" Xiu Guiren sat up straight, her anger rising. The fire that had been pent up for many days instantly burned in her heart: "If it weren't for Changchun Palace repeatedly obstructing the imperial physicians from seeing me and delaying the best time for diagnosis, how could I have miscarried and lost my child? My child, he hadn't even come into this world to see me, he hadn't even called me 'mother', how could he be so cruel and leave me?"
"It's Changchun Palace, they're deliberately making things difficult for me! She can't give birth to a legitimate son herself, and she's worried that others will give birth to a little child and threaten her position. I'm just a small Guiren, how could my child threaten her?"
"What did my child do to offend her?"
“And last time, those three eunuchs who were not caned to death, but were simply sent to the Punishment Department for hard labor, were clearly trying to intimidate me. I’m going to find her and ask her clearly, what did my child do to offend her?” Xiu Guiren said, trying to get out of bed. Lianhua couldn’t stop her, and dared not press down on Xiu Guiren with too much force. Xiu Guiren, with unknown strength, struggled out of bed and walked towards the door.
“My poor child, what did you do to offend her!” Xiu Guiren said bitterly, but her body was weak, and after a few steps, she stumbled and fell to the ground.
“Guiren, my good Guiren,” Lianhua hurriedly went forward to help Xiu Guiren up, “The imperial physician has instructed that you cannot be exposed to the wind or overexert yourself. Guiren must not go out, take good care of your body, and wait for the future…”
“The future, yes, the future…” Xiu Guiren was heartbroken, and two lines of tears fell like broken pearls.
*
Due to Xiu Guiren's miscarriage, the Qianlong Emperor and the Empress Dowager were displeased, and for many days, the palace was shrouded in gloom and the atmosphere was low.
Empress Fucha also felt some self-blame, knowing that she shouldn't have called all the imperial physicians on duty to Changchun Palace because of her own reasons. However, she was preoccupied with her own affairs. With such a thing happening while Xian Guifei was assisting in the management of the six palaces, she didn't look good. To be cautious, she re-regulated the shifts and personnel of the imperial physicians on duty every night.
And considering that the Empress was about to be full-term, she assigned the four imperial physicians who usually served the Empress into two shifts, two for the day shift and two for the night shift, in case of emergency. Although Jia Fei was only seven months pregnant, to avoid a similar incident happening again, she arranged for the two imperial physicians who served Jia Fei to take turns on the day and night shifts, ensuring they were available at any time.
In addition to the exclusive imperial physicians who served the two masters, there were also three imperial physicians on duty every night, for the convenience of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the princes, princesses, and other concubines to summon.
It’s been hard work, but the two pregnant concubines are the most important things recently, and every imperial physician in the Imperial Hospital has their heads on a platter, afraid of making another mistake.
These measures, when heard by others, were just idle talk. However, when Xiu Guiren heard about them, she made another scene and threw a huge tantrum, smashing all the objects in her bedroom to pieces.
If only they had been so cautious and considerate earlier, her child would definitely not have miscarried and would have been born safely. Then she could have held her head high, relied on her child to gain status, and risen rapidly.
They were building a high wall on her and her child’s bones and blood. How cruel!
Moreover, for many days, her menstrual bleeding had not stopped, it had been dribbling on and on, and the imperial physicians who came to see her were all hesitant and could not explain why. They only said to take care of herself and nourish her body.
She just wanted to know if she could still conceive a dragon seed and give birth. None of the imperial physicians dared to tell her clearly, but she knew her own body. After the miscarriage and the continuous bleeding, she was afraid that she would be unable to have children in the future. When she was young her father’s most beloved concubine had the same symptoms. She had seen many famous doctors but had never become pregnant again. Gradually, she became thinner and thinner, like a flower gradually wilting, losing all vitality.
She was the daughter of a meritorious official, and her starting point was high. Originally, she could have obtained the emperor’s favor, become pregnant with an imperial heir, and give birth to a prince, so she could have a place in the palace, and then rise to the position of a Pin, a Fei, and a Gufei, step by step. Becoming the empress was not impossible. However, all of this had not yet been realized, and like her child, it was cut short in the womb.
How could she not hate it!
She hated the heavens for not allowing her child to be born safely. She hated the Imperial Hospital for not saving her child. She hated every concubine, eunuch, and palace maid in this harem. When she was reprimanded, they humiliated her. After her miscarriage, they laughed at her and said bad things about her.
But, the person she hated most was Changchun Palace!
She knows that the Empress's pregnancy is the most important thing. She understands that why she's never thought that her pregnancy could compare to the Empress's direct offspring, but the child in her womb is also a dragon seed, also an imperial heir. Why is it that no one cares about her and her child's life or death? Time and again, Changchun Palace has repeatedly blocked the Emperor and the imperial physicians, preventing her from seeing the Emperor and preventing the imperial physicians from treating her. If it weren't for the delay in the best treatment time, how could she have bled and been bedridden, and how could she have miscarried and ended up with nothing she could do?
She hates it so much, she wishes she could eat her flesh and drink her blood.
Since she has no future, what's the point of this life, this breath?
Changchun Palace has ruined the most important thing to her. She must also ruin the most important thing to Changchun Palace. Since she's not doing well, Changchun Palace can't be doing well either.
Blood debts, blood repayment.
*
On the first day of the fourth month, it was the day for the entire palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager. Because the Empress Dowager was in a bad mood, everyone just sat for a while and was dismissed. Only Xian Guifei was left behind, and she was told to take more care and put in more effort, and to make sure that nothing like what happened to Xiu Guiren happened again.
Xian Guifei knew that the Empress Dowager was in a bad mood, on the one hand because Xiu Guiren was incompetent and had not protected the imperial heir, and on the other hand because her reprimands and punishments had been used by people in the palace as a pretext to humiliate Xiu Guiren. These tricks could be hidden from others, but not from the former champion of palace intrigues. However, since the matter had already happened, there was no point in pursuing it further, and since the forces in the palace were intertwined, without concrete evidence, it would be useless. The only thing she could do was to minimize the matter.