By the pile of bones, a middle-aged man lay on the ground. This must be the physician sent by Madam Qin.
"This old servant bumped into him when he wasn't paying attention," said wet nurse Fang. "His head hit the rack, and he collapsed. I don't know if he's dead or not."
"If he's dead, it's too good for him," Qi Zhenzhen said fiercely. "If he's not, he'll have plenty to suffer."
The Old Madam lay quietly on the couch. Her face was an unnatural red, her breathing sometimes rapid, sometimes slow. Upon closer inspection, the corners of her eyes and mouth were slightly askew.
Although Qi Zhenzhen was not skilled in medicine, judging by the situation, this was likely a precursor to a stroke.
Qi Zhenzhen took silver needles from the physician's medicine box and pricked the Old Madam's earlobes and fingertips. As blood beads seeped out, the Old Madam's complexion improved. Although still red, it was less alarming. The emergency method of acupuncture was very effective for someone who had just fallen ill, but it had been some time for the Old Madam, so Qi Zhenzhen was only trying her luck.
"Wet nurse Fang, please stay here with Grandmother. Feixu has already gone to ask Erxi to fetch a physician," Qi Zhenzhen said. "I still need to go to concubine Ruyan's place. She's in labor now, and I don't know if the baby has been born yet."
Wet nurse Fang was surprised. "Isn't the due date still over a month away?"
"They say she accidentally fell," Qi Zhenzhen said.
Wet nurse Fang was not foolish. Connecting the dots, she immediately guessed the key point.
"How dare Madam Qin?"
"In her eyes, Ruyan is just a concubine. What wouldn't she dare?"
Qi Zhenzhen hurried to Ruyan's residence and found that the area inside and out was filled with people from Jinghua Courtyard.
"Second Miss, concubine Ruyan is in labor. It's not appropriate for an unmarried young lady like yourself to be here," wet nurse Qin stepped forward to block Qi Zhenzhen.
"Since when did it become wet nurse Qin's place to make decisions for concubine Ruyan's quarters? Although you are a capable person by Mother's side, don't forget that the people serving concubine Ruyan were personally arranged by Father," Qi Zhenzhen said coldly. "Could it be that wet nurse Qin doesn't put Father in her eyes at all?"
Sharp-tongued, wet nurse Qin inwardly cursed and said, "Second Miss, please do not wrongly accuse this old servant. The Marquis is not in the manor now, and the Old Madam is also ill. Concubine Ruyan accidentally fell, causing her to go into labor early. Madam is worried about concubine Ruyan's safety and even more about the Marquis's heir, so she sent this old servant to watch over her. As for the servants in this courtyard, if they weren't the Marquis's people, why would they only be watched over instead of being sold off? With so many people unable to serve concubine Ruyan well, what's the point of keeping them?" Da Feng Novel Network
Feixu hurried over and whispered in Qi Zhenzhen's ear. It was indeed as she suspected.
"Wet nurse Qin, as the most capable person by Mother's side, Mother also went into labor today. Why don't I see you by Mother's side?" Qi Zhenzhen asked.
"Second Miss may not know, but the County Princess is overseeing Jinghua Courtyard, so this old servant is at ease coming here to watch over concubine Ruyan," wet nurse Qin was clearly prepared.
"Feixu, isn't it a coincidence? Concubine Ruyan accidentally fell, so she went into labor. How is it that Madam also went into labor for no reason? Did she also fall? Then I must ask, what were wet nurse Qin and the servants in Jinghua Courtyard doing? Are they neglecting Mother because Father is away and Grandmother is unwell?" Qi Zhenzhen said playfully.
"Of course, Madam did not fall. It's just that Madam is older, and her pregnancy has not been smooth, which is why she went into labor early," wet nurse Qin said through gritted teeth.