Chapter 189: Chapter 90 His Knife_1
The brewed brown decoction rested in a white porcelain bowl, having been briefly steeped in cool water, its steam rising only slightly.
Resting against the headboard, Pei Yunshu gazed at her bulging belly for a long time, finally steeling herself to reach for the medicine bowl on the silver platter.
Unable to hold back, Qiong Ying intercepted, "Princess Consort, perhaps you should think it over?"
"Why not summon a few more Medical Officers to take a look? Maybe there’s a method that doesn’t require inducing labor," Fangzi softly consoled her.
Lu Tong sat calmly at the table, as if she hadn’t heard the conversation in the room.
Pei Yunshu was born into a life of golden privilege, her status noble, and the child within her a Commandery Prince’s bloodline. Yet Lu Tong was merely a Resident Doctor in a common medical hall; until now, she had never even met Pei Yunshu. To ask Pei Yunshu to put her own life— and the life of her unborn child—into the hands of a stranger, was indeed an imposing demand.
Immersed in these thoughts with downcast eyes, Lu Tong suddenly heard Pei Yunshu’s gentle voice, "I trust Doctor Lu."
Her tone was filled with exceptional conviction.
Lu Tong was taken aback, instinctively looking up to see the woman leaning against the cushions behind her, smiling softly at her.
"I trust Doctor Lu," Pei Yunshu repeated, "The Medical Officers from the Medical Officer Institute have been plenty, yet not one of them noticed anything amiss. If they couldn’t even detect the signs of my poisoning, how can we expect them to cure it?"
"But," Fangzi choked up, "this is too risky for you..."
If successful, all would be well, but should it fail, Pei Yunshu would bear all the blame. The price of making her own decision meant facing the unpredictable consequences alone.
Pei Yunshu spoke indifferently, "It is a risk for me, but isn’t it also a risk for Doctor Lu? Do you think it was easy for Doctor Lu to agree to induce my labor?"
Fangzi and Qiong Ying fell silent.
Indeed, if Lu Tong induced labor for Pei Yunshu and something went wrong, she could not escape responsibility. Even if she succeeded and the poison was drawn from the young master, it was far from certain that Prince Wen would thank her. Prince Wen was a man who could not distinguish right from wrong, selfish and cold-hearted; he might even twist the truth, accusing Lu Tong of attempting to harm the royal child.
Inducing labor for Pei Yunshu was not a profitable deal for Lu Tong.
Considering this, the caution in the eyes of the two maids looking at Lu Tong faded a bit.
Without further discussion, Pei Yunshu lifted the medicine bowl from the silver platter and drank it down in one gulp.
At last, she placed the empty bowl back on the platter, and with a smile, turned to Lu Tong, "From here on, everything depends on Doctor Lu."
Lu Tong rose, took a seat in the chair next to the bed, and received her medical kit from Yin Zheng, who then left the room to prepare hot water. There would be some time before the labor-inducing drug took effect. The room was quiet, perhaps to break this awkward silence, or maybe to ease her own nervousness, Pei Yunshu initiated conversation with Lu Tong.
She asked Lu Tong, "Doctor Lu’s medical expertise far exceeds the Medical Officers from the Medical Officer Institute, may I know who your mentor is?"
Lu Tong took out the Golden Needles from the velvet cloth and began to carefully wipe them, responding, "Merely an obscure countryside doctor."
Pei Yunshu nodded, sensing Lu Tong’s reluctance to delve into the topic, and shifted the subject, "It’s Mid-Autumn Festival today. In attending to my labor, Doctor Lu might miss the family reunion. Should I have someone send word to your family so they won’t worry?"
Lu Tong paused in her cleaning of the needles.
She said, "There’s no need. My family is no longer with us."
Pei Yunshu was taken aback, then looked at her with an apologetic expression, "I’m sorry, I ..."
"It’s nothing," Lu Tong said with a calm demeanor, "That’s all in the past. The Princess Consort need not concern herself."
The room fell silent once again.
After a while, Pei Yunshu lowered her head to her swollen belly and softly asked, "Doctor Lu, if we induce labor, can the child be saved?"
With the labor-inducing medicine already ingested, Pei Yunshu was only now asking the question, leaving Lu Tong unsure whether to call the Princess Consort naive or carefree. Unwilling to deceive Pei Yunshu, she replied in a quiet voice, "The point of inducing labor is to extract the fetus before the poison fully integrates, if they remain in the Princess Consort’s womb, the poison will deepen."
"Childbirth is like stepping one foot through the Ghost Gate. I can’t guarantee the removal of the poison from the child, nor can I ensure the Princess Consort’s safety. All I can do is try my best to snatch a thread of life for the child in the Princess Consort’s womb."
Looking up, she asked, "Does the Princess Consort understand?"
Her words were stark, devoid of any comfort. Upon hearing them, Pei Yunshu’s complexion turned even more pallid.