Chapter 504 - 504 501 Wish Fulfilled_1

Chapter 504: Chapter 501: Wish Fulfilled_1 Chapter 504: Chapter 501: Wish Fulfilled_1 Mrs. Cui shouldn’t have spoken about these matters with Bai Qingyan, an unmarried girl. However, perhaps because Bai Qingyan was older and her cousin, Mrs. Cui went on.

“Grandmother and mother-in-law haven’t pressured me, but I heard that Jinxiu got pregnant right after marrying into the Qin Mansion. I’m just… incredibly anxious!” Mrs. Cui clutched her handkerchief, embarrassed to reveal more to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Jinxiu was carried back to the Bai Mansion heavily injured on the day she visited after her marriage into the Qin Mansion, and she still got pregnant. She and Dong Changlan were childhood sweethearts and shared a loving marriage. Dong Changlan didn’t even have a concubine, yet she couldn’t get pregnant despite spending every night with him. How could she not be anxious?

“Chun Tao, go invite Miss Ji to come and check on the Fourth Lady’s pulse,” Bai Qingyan instructed Chun Tao, who was standing at the door.

Mrs. Cui understood that Bai Qingyan was using the Fourth Lady as a pretext to cover for her, feeling deeply grateful: “Thank you, cousin…”

While waiting for Ji Langhua, Mrs. Cui chatted with Bai Qingyan about how she occasionally heard Dong Changlan mention the issue of military provisions in Dengzhou: “This is the first time I’ve ever heard that provisions could be delayed. They said the treasury was greatly depleted due to the wars in the Southern and Northern Frontiers, and the Emperor also wanted to renovate the Baiwo City palace. Cousin, tell me, what’s more important, renovating a palace or ensuring the soldiers have provisions? My father-in-law was so upset about this that he broke several sets of tea ware.”

Although Bai Qingyan hadn’t heard about the Emperor’s plans to renovate the Baiwo City palace, she wasn’t surprised about the delayed provisions for the Dengzhou Army.

“The Emperor and the Imperial Court probably think the Southern and Northern Frontiers are already pacified, and the Dengzhou Army’s main purpose is to deter the Rong. Now that the Rong are embroiled in internal conflict, the Dengzhou Army isn’t considered as important,” Bai Qingyan said with a nearly imperceptible sigh.

“Exactly! That Master Ning, who’s in charge of distributing the provisions, said the same thing. He claimed that with the Rong in turmoil, neither the Beirong nor the Nanrong will have time to harass the borders of the Jin Kingdom, so the court decided to prioritize the Emperor’s palace renovation,” Mrs. Cui said, her brows furrowed.

“The Rong are nomads, and this year, with the major unrest, the Beirong and Nanrong are in chaos. There will definitely be severe issues with their winter grain reserves,” Bai Qingyan said, her brows knitted as she gazed at the eight-treasure lamp. “When autumn arrives, they might resort to desperate plundering. The borderlands will suffer greatly!”

Mrs. Cui hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan’s analysis to align so closely with her father-in-law Dong Qingyue’s words. She nodded urgently: “Exactly, my father-in-law said the same thing. He sent three memorials to the court requesting additional troops, but it’s been like throwing a stone into the sea, without any response!”

Bai Qingyan looked at Mrs. Cui: “Is your father-in-law supplementing the insufficient provisions?”

Mrs. Cui nodded: “But it’s just a drop in the ocean!”

As expected…

It wasn’t that the court lacked farsighted officials. However, the current court dynamics were bizarre, with sycophantic and treacherous ministers rising to power, and straightforward advisors gradually marginalized. Especially after her grandfather Bai Weiting’s death, the number of forthright advisors had dwindled even further. The Bai family, who had held power in the Capital for a century, almost faced extermination. Who in the court wouldn’t be cautious about their fate?

The current court…

From the Crown Prince down to the officials, everyone acted in accordance with the Emperor’s wishes.

Purity extinguishes corruption. A clear spring casts no shadow.

An Emperor devoid of integrity naturally results in a corrupt court.

In her previous life by King Liang’s side, Bai Qingyan only realized at the end why the Emperor turned against the Bai family with such animosity.

The Emperor, having grown up in humble circumstances, loved to be flattered and revered once he gained power. Straightforward and unyielding officials like her grandfather Bai Weiting, who held military power and dared to criticize the Emperor, became intolerable. The Emperor might have pretended to appreciate and heed advice when he was still consolidating power.

But once he was elevated, surrounded by sycophants and intriguers who flattered him, Bai Weiting became a thorn in his side.

Soon, Ji Langhua arrived at Boyun Courtyard with Chun Tao, her face veiled.

After checking Bai Jinzhi’s pulse, Ji Langhua turned and smiled: “It’s nothing serious. The Fourth Lady is just exhausted and fell asleep. There’s no harm. Do you need me to wake her?”

“These days, Jinzhi has been working hard. Asking Miss Ji to come was just for peace of mind!” Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on the slightly uneasy Mrs. Cui, clutching her handkerchief beside her. She then said to Ji Langhua, “This is my cousin-in-law. Would you kindly check her pulse as well to see if she has any conditions that might make it difficult to conceive due to a cold constitution.”

Ji Langhua, being perceptive, understood immediately. With no maidservants attending in the room and even Chun Tao sent out, she realized that checking Bai Jinzhi’s pulse was merely a pretext. She was mainly invited to examine the cousin-in-law’s condition.

“Langhua can give it a try,” Ji Langhua said, bowing towards Mrs. Cui.

Mrs. Cui, her ears turning slightly red, sat quietly at the round table outside the screen, nervously watching Ji Langhua check her pulse, her palms sweating.

Seeing Ji Langhua frown, Mrs. Cui’s heart leaped into her throat: “Miss Ji, is there something wrong?”

“Did Mrs. Dong use perfume containing musk for a long period?” Ji Langhua asked softly.

Mrs. Cui’s face turned pale, and she nodded.

Ji Langhua saw that Mrs. Cui was aware that prolonged exposure to musk could hinder conception, indicating this was perhaps a matter of inner-house intrigue, so she refrained from probing further.

“Miss Ji… does this mean I might never conceive?” Mrs. Cui’s voice choked, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Mrs. Dong may be worried too much. It’s not that severe!” Ji Langhua lifted the pulse pillow and began writing a prescription for Mrs. Cui. “Not being pregnant right now is actually beneficial. If the body isn’t well-adjusted, it might harm the fetus! I’ll prescribe some warming and detoxifying medicines along with some medicinal meals. If Mrs. Dong takes proper care for a few months, she will certainly be able to conceive.”

Hearing this, a hopeful yet tearful expression washed over Mrs. Cui’s face: “Really?! I knew something was wrong… but all the doctors said I was healthy!”

Events that happened in her childhood had always worried Mrs. Cui. After over a year of marriage without conceiving and with no diagnosis from the doctors, she had been deeply distressed.

Without Mrs. Cui saying anything, Ji Langhua had detected her long-term use of musk during childhood. This alone made Mrs. Cui fully trust Ji Langhua’s medical skills.

“Thank you, Miss Ji!” Mrs. Cui turned to Bai Qingyan, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears. “Thank you, cousin!”

Taking the prescription and dietary recommendations, Mrs. Cui stood up to leave. Bai Qingyan said to Ji Langhua: “I’ll escort my cousin-in-law back. Please take care of Jinzhi while I’m away, Miss Ji.”