Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C095 pt1

"A miscarriage?"

Wan Chun'er was stunned.

She thought of how she had secretly wished she could become pregnant, and how her monthly cycle was a few days late this month. That was why she had Liuye carry her menstrual belt with her. Could it be that she wasn't simply late, but was actually experiencing a miscarriage?

Her face paled, and her smile was forced. "Third Sister-in-law, don't scare me."

Wushuang's complexion was no better than hers.

"I also wish I were scaring you, but you're losing so much blood. Who has that much blood during their monthly cycle? I suspect there's something wrong with the bird's nest soup you just ate. That's right, the bird's nest. Linglong, quickly have someone put away those two bowls, especially the one that held the bird's nest."

Linglong had already sent Meifang.

Wushuang's reaction made Wan Chun'er truly believe she was having a miscarriage, and she burst into tears, terrified.

"Then, Third Sister-in-law, what should I do?"

Liuye also panicked, circling her mistress anxiously, not knowing what to do.

"Don't panic. First, use some cloth as padding, and lie down on the bed. I'll immediately send someone to summon the imperial physician. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let you eat that bird's nest…"

Wushuang forced back her tears. She even thought that if Wan Chun'er hadn't eaten that bird's nest, and she had eaten it herself, she would have only had a bite or two at most. Even if something happened, it wouldn't be too serious, which would be better than this.

In truth, she was also very flustered, but she could still calmly instruct the maids because Wan Chun'er was even more panicked than she was. What would happen if she also panicked?

Moreover, this matter started because of her. Wan Chun'er had become like this because of her. She also had to catch the person who did this, so she couldn't panic, she absolutely couldn't panic.

Seeing that Wan Chun'er was already lying down on the bed, she hurriedly instructed again, "Linglong, have one of you go and invite His Highness, and have the people from Cining Palace quickly summon the imperial physician, and summon several of them. Also, find someone to keep an eye on those palace servants outside. The person who acted in secret isn't sure if I ate anything, so they will definitely be watching to see if things succeeded or not."

"If you see anyone acting suspiciously, just take them down directly, don't worry about anything else. You can try to get help from those palace maids who were sent to serve me. They were sent to serve me, and now that something has happened to me, they can't escape blame... We aren't familiar with Cining Palace, so maybe they…"

Linglong nodded and hurried to make the arrangements.

Wushuang then hurried to check on Wan Chun'er's condition.

"Third Sister-in-law, this isn't your fault. Who would have thought that someone would tamper with the bird's nest? This is in the Empress Dowager's palace. Who would have thought that someone would be so audacious as to do such a thing?"

Wan Chun'er, on the contrary, comforted her, which made Wushuang feel even more guilty and hate the person who acted in secret even more.

In truth, the commotion in this side hall had long been noticed by the palace servants waiting outside, but they were prevented from entering by someone blocking the door.

When those inside came out and said that Prince Wei's Princess Consort had been frightened, and that the Eighth Prince's Princess Consort had ingested something drugged and might suffer a miscarriage, the palace servants sent by Sulan to attend them were thrown into a panic.

They naturally realized the gravity of the situation, and while some were busily sending word to the opera tower, others were ordered to summon the imperial physician. The remaining two palace maids, their faces pale, truly felt as if the sky were collapsing.

Linglong only watched and said nothing, her gaze, like Meifang's, scanning the chaotic crowd.

Those who were sent out all headed outwards, while the others stood anxiously in place. Only one person stood there, looking this way and that, and after looking around, planned to quietly slip away.

Without a word, Meifang rushed forward and seized her arm.

"What are you doing? Where did you come from, you bandit, daring to act so presumptuously in Cining Palace?! Do you even know who I am?"

The commotion attracted everyone's attention.

Linglong said to the two palace maids, "You were sent by the Empress Dowager to attend Prince Wei's Princess Consort. You should know why you were sent. If anything happens to Prince Wei's Princess Consort while in your care, I doubt anyone in the world could save you. Now, even the Eighth Prince's Princess Consort is involved. Two Princess Consorts, how many heads do you think you have to compensate? And how many heads do your families have to compensate?"

The two palace maids' faces grew even paler.

"If you want to redeem yourselves, you had best uncover some clue before Her Highness, the Empress Dowager, returns. The problem lies with that bowl of bird's nest soup. Not only did the Eighth Prince's Princess Consort eat that bowl of bird's nest soup, but my Princess Consort also ate some."

"How could the bird's nest soup be the problem? It was originally a tonic that the Empress Dowager eats every day. This morning, when Prince Wei's Princess Consort came, Auntie Sulan instructed us to make an extra portion, saying that if the Princess Consort was hungry in the afternoon, she could have some. I personally delivered it..." One of the palace maids exclaimed, and as she spoke, she seemed to realize something, and her face paled even further.

"If you are not the problem, then we must see how many people handled this bird's nest soup, and whether any suspicious individuals approached it in between," Linglong said.

At this moment, the other palace maid also noticed that this palace maid's expression was off. She anxiously said, "Xiazhu, you..."

Xiazhu didn't know what to say. She wanted to say it face to face, but Linglong was watching her intently from the side. She was truly flustered at this moment. She gritted her teeth and said to Xiadie, "When I went to deliver the bird's nest soup, I ran into Commandery Princess Minghui... and Nongqin... from the Commandery Princess's side..."

Linglong's eyes flashed.

At this moment, Xiadie and Xiazhu both cast their gazes towards the person in Meifang's grasp.

Wasn't that Nongqin?

Xiazhu gritted her teeth and said to Xiadie, "I don't care anymore. The thing came from my hands. If this matter is investigated, I'll be the first to die..."

Having said that, she ran towards Meifang, putting on a wronged and shocked expression, and shouted at the disheveled Nongqin, "So it's you, Nongqin! I treated you well, seeing that you served by the Commandery Princess's side, and didn't suspect you at all. How could you harm me like this..."

Without explanation, she summoned several young palace maids to assist her, "Tie her up first, and we'll question her after the Empress Dowager returns..."

Many were bewildered by this scene, but there were no fools in the palace. Xiazhu had been sent by the Empress Dowager to serve Prince Wei's Princess Consort. Now that something had happened to Prince Wei's Princess Consort, Xiazhu, in her fury, ordered Nongqin to be tied up, even saying they would wait for the Empress Dowager to deal with her. Wasn't this plainly stating that something had happened to Prince Wei's Princess Consort, and that it was related to Nongqin?

Nongqin was Commandery Princess Minghui's personal maid.

Some even recalled the Commandery Princess's previous desire to marry Prince Wei. Those in Cining Palace knew more than those outside. Back then, the Commandery Princess had caused quite a stir with the Empress Dowager for Prince Wei's sake.

Therefore, when the Empress Dowager received the news and rushed back, she heard from those below that Commandery Princess Minghui, unwilling to see Prince Wei marry another, had acted out of jealousy and ordered Nongqin to secretly poison Prince Wei's Princess Consort.

The Empress Dowager was so enraged that she nearly fainted. Sulan quickly supported her from the side.

"That sinful creature, where is that sinful creature!"

Just as she spoke, Commandery Princess Minghui arrived.

"You..." The Empress Dowager looked at her, filled with anger, rage, and annoyance. "Come here!"

Commandery Princess Minghui approached. As soon as she reached the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager slapped her.

The Empress Dowager was heartbroken. "I raised you for so long, I painstakingly taught you, I gave you countless warnings and instructions. Did you not listen to any of them, that you could do such a foolish thing?! You dare to act in Cining Palace? Why did Prince Wei entrust this matter to this Majesty? It wasn't because he trusted this Majesty, but because he knew that as long as Prince Wei's Princess Consort was with this Majesty, this Majesty would ensure nothing happened to her. Yet, you took the opportunity to harm her. How foolish and ignorant must you be to do something so utterly idiotic?!"

Commandery Princess Minghui was in Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager had rushed back from the opera tower. How could she not know what had happened in Cining Palace?

Someone had reported the matter to her, saying that everyone outside was saying she had secretly harmed Prince Wei's Princess Consort because her maid, Nongqin, had been caught.

Having been inexplicably smeared with dirt, Commandery Princess Minghui was furious and wanted to question them without regard for the consequences. However, her personal maid, Nongyue, persuaded her to wait for the Empress Dowager to return before speaking.

Now, the Empress Dowager had returned, but she did not trust her. Instead, she slapped her. How could Commandery Princess Minghui endure this with her temperament?

She cried and shrieked, "It wasn't me! In your eyes, Grandmother, is that what I am? You don't listen to my explanation at all, and immediately place the blame on me!"

The Empress Dowager still understood her granddaughter somewhat, and hesitated, "Could it really not be you who did it?"

Just then, someone came to report that Princess Changhe, the four Consorts, and several Princess Consorts had arrived.

One must know that the people of Cining Palace naturally reported to the Empress Dowager discreetly. Even the Empress Dowager did not expect these people to arrive so quickly, giving her no opportunity to inquire in detail.

Not only these people, but Prince Wei and the Eighth Prince had also arrived, bringing several imperial physicians with them.

The moment Mei Wushuang saw Prince Wei arrive, the tears she had been holding back for so long poured forth.

Seeing that she wasn't lying in bed, and was actually able to cry bitterly to him, Prince Wei felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Stop crying for now. What exactly happened?"

Mei Wushuang hastily wiped away her tears and said, "First, let the imperial physician go in to examine her. I will explain the details to you later."

After the imperial physician went inside, Mei Wushuang recounted the entire sequence of events.

Ji Shao was utterly bewildered at this moment. He initially thought something had happened to Third Sister-in-law, but who knew that Chun'er was with Third Sister-in-law and might also be in trouble. Only when he and Third Brother rushed over together did he learn that it was his Princess Consort who had suffered. He might be a father, but now the child was gone?

"I'm sorry, Eighth Imperial Brother. If it weren't for me, Chun'er would not have been implicated…"

Ji Shao forced a smile and said, "Third Sister-in-law, this matter is not your fault. If we are to blame anyone, it can only be the person who harmed others in secret. That person truly has immense audacity, daring to harm someone even within Cining Palace. I will certainly report this matter to Father Emperor and will not let that person off lightly."

"Eighth Imperial Brother is right. That person truly has immense audacity, actually daring to act within the Empress Dowager's palace."

The one speaking was Princess Consort Zhao.