The imperial physician’s brow furrowed, his heart filled with shock. How could this be?
He had taken the eldest young lady’s pulse just five or six days ago, and she was in perfect health. How could there be a problem now?
Even if it was too early to detect then, it was now far enough along to be evident, and it was impossible for her to be two months pregnant.
“What? Is Mingzhu unwell?” Qi Tianming asked.
Sweat beaded on the imperial physician’s forehead. He asked Qi Mingzhu to switch to her other hand.
The result was the same: she was pregnant, two months along.
The imperial physician bowed to Qi Tianming with trembling hands. “My Lord, the… the eldest young lady is pregnant.”
Qi Tianming’s face was a mask of horror. “Nonsense! The eldest young lady is not yet married. How could she be pregnant?”
The imperial physician shook his head with difficulty. “Although my medical skills are shallow, I would not mistake something like this. I am just very puzzled. Five or six days ago, when I took the eldest young lady’s pulse, there was nothing amiss. I would like to ask the eldest young lady, why is this?”
Qi Mingzhu chuckled softly, showing no sign of panic at the imperial physician’s diagnosis.
“Why is this? You want to know?” Qi Mingzhu smiled gently. “It’s because the one whose pulse you took before was Fu Su.”
Fu Su wasn’t pregnant, so you couldn’t tell.
The imperial physician recalled that whenever he took her pulse, this maidservant named Fu Su was never present. And the eldest young lady said she was a maiden and could not always be seen by men, so each time she sat in a tent, only extending her hand.
They were both women’s hands, and Fu Su had never done manual labor. Her hands were soft and tender. How could the imperial physician have suspected anything?
Qi Tianming finally understood. This wicked girl had indeed become pregnant before marriage.
His first instinct was to clear the room. This was not a matter to be proud of, and the fewer people who knew, the better.
Qi Mingzhu was only attended by Fu Su. The servants in the courtyard, following Yun Shi’s instructions, were kept far away. Therefore, besides Qi Tianming, Yun Shi, the imperial physician, and Qi Mingzhu and her maidservant, there was no one else in the room.
Qi Tianming breathed a sigh of relief, then gritted his teeth and asked, “You wicked girl, how could you do such a rebellious thing? Where is your shame? Do you have any shame left? Where did you learn your maidenly virtues and teachings from? Do you think you have repaid my upbringing of you? Hmm?”
Qi Mingzhu laughed, first a light chuckle, then a hearty laugh until tears streamed down her face.
“My upbringing? The one who gave birth to me was my mother, and the one who raised me with care was also my mother. And you, besides sowing the seed, what else have you done? If you say you gave my mother reliance, gave us mother and daughter reliance, that would be even more laughable. If my mother hadn’t married you, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. She was a lady from a prestigious郡王府 (jun wang fu - Prince’s Mansion), with the support of the Prince’s Mansion, wouldn’t that be better than relying on you?” Qi Mingzhu spoke without any regard for his feelings.
“Women all get married. Which family hasn’t gone through this?” Qi Tianming said angrily. “Don’t talk nonsense here! Whose child is it?”
Qi Mingzhu ignored him.
Qi Tianming glared at Fu Su. “It’s no use threatening a maidservant. It’s thanks to Fu Su’s help that I’ve been able to keep this a secret. She is my savior and the savior of my unborn child. I cannot let Father harm her. Fu Su’s deed of sale is no longer in our manor, meaning you, Father, have no right to dispose of her,” Qi Mingzhu said slowly.