Chapter 753: Really Cruel

She pondered deeply, but Xia Ruqing could not figure out what was amiss, so she drank the brown sugar water anyway.

Come dinnertime, she also ate a bowl of braised lamb. The steaming hot lamb was still delicious. While eating, she didn’t sense anything wrong.

However, half a Shi Chen after she finished, she felt an unbearable pain in her abdomen, as intense as if it were on fire. After drinking two bowls of plain boiled water to no effect, Zi Yue called for the Imperial Physician.

Imperial Doctor Zhang hurried over for a diagnosis and, after taking her pulse, he declared, "This is an acute surge of internal fire! Noble Consort, you are still in your confinement period. You mustn’t get angry about anything!"

What?!

Xia Ruqing was completely flabbergasted. "I have not been angry!"

Imperial Doctor Zhang stroked his beard. "Even if you haven’t gotten angry, perhaps you’ve been holding back your frustration! Or perhaps, did you eat something inappropriate? Might I ask what you ate today?"

"What did I eat?" Xia Ruqing thought for a moment and recounted all her meals for the day.

After listening, Imperial Doctor Zhang pondered for a while and also began to feel suspicious. "Eating like this shouldn’t pose a problem! Could it be... that lamb is not suitable?"

Xia Ruqing quickly shook her head. "Impossible, I used to eat it often."

Imperial Doctor Zhang was completely baffled.

If lamb wasn’t the issue, and there was nothing wrong with the three daily meals, then...

After racking his brain for a long time, Imperial Doctor Zhang still couldn’t find the cause and had no choice but to say, "If that is the case, Noble Consort, you should refrain from eating lamb tomorrow. Try something else!"

"Hmm..." Xia Ruqing felt a little sad but had no choice but to agree.

That night, Imperial Doctor Zhang left a prescription for a gentle, heat-clearing remedy before departing. After taking the medicine, Xia Ruqing felt somewhat better, and then she went to sleep.

「In the following two days.」

Her health not only did not improve but got even worse! Sometimes she would vomit; other times, she felt nauseous. At times her lower abdomen was cold and in unbearable pain, and at others, it felt as if there was a fire burning in her stomach.

With the back-and-forth torment, she was nearly broken down. Her previously healthy complexion had vanished; her entire face was waxen and sallow, as if she were malnourished.

Zi Yue was terribly anxious. "What’s going on? The Imperial Physician couldn’t find anything wrong, and all the food and drink are fine! We used to eat like this in the past too! My Lady, are you ill?"

Xia Ruqing weakly shook her head. "

Didn’t the Imperial Physician say my body isn’t ill, it’s just that I’ve eaten something wrong? But I just don’t know what I’ve eaten that was wrong.

"

「That evening.」

After Xia Ruqing had her dinner, she started vomiting again, this time accompanied by a high fever. Zi Yue hastily summoned the Imperial Physician, causing a great commotion in Qingya Residence.

Upon hearing the news, Noble Concubine Shih unexpectedly came to visit, in a rare good mood. She hadn’t known, but when she saw Xia Ruqing, she was taken aback.

"Oh my, Consort Xian, it’s only been two days, and your complexion has become so poor? What sickness do you have exactly?" Noble Concubine Shih raised her brows, looked at Imperial Doctor Zhang kneeling to one side, and said with sarcastic undertones, "When did the Imperial Medical Bureau become so ineffective!"

Imperial Doctor Zhang, who had just finished taking her pulse, replied, "Replying to Noble Concubine Shih, Consort Xian is merely suffering from a stomach upset. It’s not serious!"

Noble Concubine Shih smiled. "Oh~ So it’s just a stomach upset!" Then, looking at Xia Ruqing, she mocked, "I’ve always heard that Consort Xian has a good appetite, but... during this confinement period, you should still be cautious! Eating indiscriminately... can lead to suffering!"

Xia Ruqing stared at her gloomily. "For a minor illness, there’s no need for Noble Concubine Shih to worry!"

Noble Concubine Shih laughed heartily. "Good! Consort Xian, you must take good care of yourself. You are now a prized treasure, the mother of three Princes. If anything untoward were to happen, it would truly be an irreparable loss! Enough, I won’t bother you any longer! Take good care of yourself, and I wish you a speedy recovery, Sister!"

You!

These words made Xia Ruqing’s heart clench.

Damn it, this is practically a curse!

She immediately turned her head to one side, saying coldly, "Noble Concubine Shih, please leave at your leisure. I am unwell and cannot see you out!"

Noble Concubine Shih didn’t mind at all, leaning on Ying Qiu’s arm and leaving in high spirits.

Over here, Imperial Doctor Zhang left a prescription and took his leave as well.

Zi Yue and Zi Su knelt to the side, their faces pale with anger. "Your Highness!"

Xia Ruqing endured her weakness and spoke. "There must be something wrong with my food! With so many items, it’s impossible that I can’t eat each and every one of them. So, we have a traitor here!"

Zi Yue’s face was stricken with horror! "

Yes! How did I not think of this?!

Many people have come to Qingya Residence these days: some arranged by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, some given by the Emperor, and then there are the Sisters and Wetnurse Nannies! These people all came from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, maybe...!"

Xia Ruqing nodded weakly. "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!"

She had been promoted to the rank of Consort and had just given birth to two Princes. Having only Zi Yue and Zi Su by her side was certainly not enough. Therefore, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent over several Palace Maids for her to choose from. Having just given birth, she couldn’t attend to these matters. All had been arranged by Zi Yue, and now...

Full of guilt, Zi Yue knelt on the ground. "My Lady, it is all this servant’s fault! This servant will investigate immediately!"

"Wait..." Xia Ruqing stopped her. "Don’t alarm them just yet. Observe them for a couple of days. And also... from now on, I will no longer eat the snacks from our small tea room! Pay special attention to the Palace Maids from the small tea room!"

After listening, Zi Yue nervously patted her chest. "My Lady, you couldn’t possibly suspect... Xiao Xizi?"

Xia Ruqing gave her a speechless glance. "What are you talking about? The new Palace Maids, the Palace Maids! Zi Yue, you really are... scared silly!"

Zi Yue finally snapped back to reality. "My Lady, this servant really was frightened out of her wits! Right, My Lady, should we inform the Emperor about this?"

Xia Ruqing shook her head. "The army is returning to the capital these days, and the Emperor is so busy he barely has time to drink water. Let’s not bother him with this!"

Zi Yue felt deeply sympathetic. "Then... we should at least let Eunuch Li know, right?"

Xia Ruqing still disagreed. "Eunuch Li is always by the Emperor’s side. If he knows, wouldn’t the Emperor know too? Let’s not distract the Emperor with this!"

If the Ministers at court knew, wouldn’t they say I was a bewitching Consort, misleading the Emperor? What if one day they started a ’cleanse the Emperor’s side’ movement? Tsk tsk! Better to leave it be and find the culprit first. Once we catch the person, we can report it directly. Wouldn’t that be much better?

At this point, Zi Yue completely admired Xia Ruqing. "My Lady is wise! This servant is unworthy!"

"Haha... Ouch, hurry and brew my medicine!"

"Ah, My Lady, your servant will go right away!" With that, she hurried off.

Lying on the bed, Xia Ruqing’s eyes were bright and even a little excited.

Excellent. More clueless fools are asking to be put in their place!

She was still in her postnatal confinement, yet these people were so impatient. Imperial Doctor Zhang had said that continuing like this wouldn’t kill someone, but it would leave a lifelong ailment. How vicious!