"Anything else?"
For the past few days, aside from the imperial meals, Her Ladyship had only consumed medicinal soups. If there was anything else, it wasn't food. She hesitated, "Her Ladyship truly had no appetite a few days ago, so she had some Fuyue Plum Dew prepared by the small kitchen, a drink made from lychees and bayberries."
Shen Yue mentioned the ingredients. None of the raw materials for the plum dew were things that Noble Consort was unable to consume at this time. Shen Yue had also inspected them before Her Ladyship drank them, and there were no problems.
Lychees and bayberries?
Logically, these foods should not cause a pulse like Zou Yun'er's.
Her pulse appeared stable on the surface, but upon closer examination, there was a hidden surge of heat beneath the stability. For ordinary people, this heat might manifest as symptoms like mouth sores or a burning throat. However, for Zou Yun'er, a pregnant woman, this heat would make her crave sweets and cold things. Excessive sugar intake could lead to a series of increases in blood sugar, blood lipids, and other bodily indicators. Craving cold further could cause spleen and stomach disharmony. Not only that, but a pregnant woman's excessive craving for cold could also cause the fetus in her womb to contract a cold illness.
Mild cases could result in spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, while severe cases could lead to a series of pediatric illnesses.
Zou Yun'er's bluish complexion was a surface manifestation of spleen and stomach disharmony and internal disorder. Logically, with Shen Yue attending to her, it was unlikely that Zou Yun'er's body would develop this internal heat due to improper dietary proportions or the accidental consumption of tonics. The heat in her body was strange. Nan Shiying frowned, unsure of the cause of her pulse condition.
"Imperial Aunt, what's wrong with Yun'er? Is it serious?"
Ji Hong anxiously inquired. He held Zou Yun'er's hand, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Shen Yue. Shen Yue was a physician he had requested from his Imperial Uncle. Logically, he shouldn't doubt her, but if Yun'er's body still had problems despite her inspecting everything she consumed, then Shen Yue could not escape responsibility.
Shen Yue's palms sweated in fear. She didn't know what was happening but understood that the Consort's body had a problem, which the Princess Consort had noticed.
But how could this be? Whether it was the food, the incense in the room, or the flower arrangements, she had inspected them all. There was absolutely nothing in them that could harm the Noble Consort's body.
"Her Ladyship, this servant..."
Nan Shiying raised her hand, stopping Shen Yue's words. She knew something of Shen Yue's background; she was the great-granddaughter of Shen Chongxing, the former head of the Imperial Hospital.
Shen Chongxing died of old age, but his descendants were unfilial, squandered the family fortune, and lacked ambition. The family fortune gradually declined. By Shen Yue's father's generation, the former glory was long gone. Her father had only married Shen Yue's mother. Shen Yue's mother died during childbirth, and Shen Yue's father never remarried. However, he always disliked his daughter, the culprit who caused his wife's death. The Shen family had some connection with the Wei family; if traced back, Shen Yue should call Wei Yuan her cousin uncle.
As for the Prince.
After his wife's death, Shen Yue's father frequented gambling dens and completely ruined the already declining family. After losing all his property and land deeds, he even intended to sell his daughter to a brothel. Shen Yue's grandmother was so angry that she spat blood. Before she died, she forced herself to maintain her strength, humbled herself, and begged the Wei family for help. Wei Yuan's father initially didn't want to get involved with Shen Yue's father, a desperate gambler. It was Wei Yuan who, seeing Shen Yue's pitiable state, pleaded with the Prince. The Prince then stepped in and brought Shen Yue to the Prince's manor.
Shen Yue's father thought the Prince had taken a fancy to his unlucky daughter and expected to benefit from his daughter's favor. Initially, the gambling dens dared not do anything to him due to the Prince's involvement. Later, when they discovered the Prince truly didn't care about his fate, they stopped holding back. One snowy night, he was beaten and thrown out by the gamblers because he had no money. He lay on the ground all night and eventually froze to death.
Wei Yuan, on behalf of Shen Yue's grandmother, received the body and bought a coffin, but he paid no attention to Shen Yue's father.
It was Shen Yue who borrowed money from Jia Huan and found a place to bury him. She hated her father and did not forgive him because of his death; she merely did what a daughter should do.
The year she entered the manor, she was twelve years old, and her height barely reached Wei Yuan's chest. Wei Yuan, seeing her talent in medicine, taught her to read and write and to study medicine. Although Shen Yue never formally apprenticed, she had long regarded Wei Yuan as her master over the years. She called Wei Yuan master, and Wei Yuan responded.
Shen Yue's background was clean. Before entering the Prince's manor, Jin Mo had thoroughly investigated the Shen family. Although Qin Qiancheng's appearance made them vigilant, it was not to the point of being overly suspicious.
She turned and said to Ji Hong, "It's not a serious matter." Then she added, "It wouldn't be Shen Yue."
Upon hearing that Yun'er was not in serious trouble, Ji Hong's worried heart finally settled. As for Shen Yue, since his Imperial Aunt said it wasn't her, then it wasn't her.
But if it wasn't her, then who could it be?
Imperial Aunt only said it wasn't her, which meant Yun'er had indeed been drugged?
Nan Shiying stood up and looked around aimlessly. Her gaze swept over the incense burner, the ornaments, and the Muyu flowers that seemed to have been picked from the imperial gardens that day and placed in a vase.
Nan Shiying paused slightly, stood up, walked to the vase, and sniffed the floral fragrance. Then she turned and stood before the ornaments, picking up a bronze tripod no larger than her palm. Finally, holding the tripod, she walked to the incense burner.
She stopped, lowered her eyes, and furrowed her brows in thought.
"Shen Yue, tomorrow morning, smash this vase of flowers, and then..."
Upon hearing Nan Shiying's instructions, Shen Yue nodded heavily. She pursed her lips, trying her best to remember every word and sentence the Princess Consort had spoken, not daring to miss even a single detail!
"Yes, this servant understands!"
Returning to the imperial study from Lilan Garden, Ji Hong couldn't help but inquire, "Imperial Aunt, where exactly did the other party place the substance?"
Due to the previous situation in the palace, everything in Lilan Garden was now presented to Yun'er after rigorous inspection. Whether it was the incense, ornaments, or Muyu flowers, there shouldn't be any issues.
If these things were tampered with, it must have been done by someone close to Yun'er.
"The flowers, ornaments, incense, and the drinks from the small kitchen."
"Was it one of Yun'er's maids?"
Ji Hong's eyes were filled with murderous intent. If Nan Shiying nodded, he would order the extermination of the other party's nine generations.
Nan Shiying glared at him and shook her head, "No!"
"It wasn't medicine, but a scent."
"The scent of the incense clashed with the scent of the Muyu flowers, and on that bronze tripod ornament, I also smelled something like almonds. Because the soporific scent of the incense was too strong, it masked the scent of the Muyu flowers and the almonds, so I couldn't discern anything until I picked up the bronze tripod ornament."
"These three scents mixed together are actually harmless to ordinary people. Even for pregnant women, it would only exacerbate their pregnancy symptoms. The key lies in the Fuyue Plum Dew she drank afterward."