Yi Qing, with her sensitive nose, could already smell the stench of conspiracy.
"Besides, there are so many imperial physicians in the palace, some of whom are gynecological experts. What could they possibly want with a lay doctor like me?" Yi Qing reached up to touch her forehead. "I've got a headache. I really can't move."
Once she started acting like a brat, Xiao Tian was at a complete loss.
He could only plead with her gently, "I know what you're worried about. I'll go to the palace with you and stay by your side all the time. Even if there really is a conspiracy, I'll avenge you on the spot. How about that?"
Yi Qing rolled her eyes, then suddenly sat up straight and pointed at Xiao Tian. "You said that!"
Xiao Tian was so annoyed that he couldn't help but laugh. He reached out to pull her up. "I did."
"Then I'll reluctantly agree." Yi Qing tidied up her hair and clothes. "Let's go."
The two of them took a carriage into the palace. For the first time ever, the carriage didn't stop until it reached the inner palace, right in front of Consort Xue's courtyard.
When they entered, Consort Xue was lying pale in the emperor's arms, looking so weak that she seemed about to faint at any moment. Her eyes were barely open.
Yi Qing lifted her skirt and walked forward gracefully. She bowed to the emperor with a slow, soft voice, performing the ceremony with unprecedented formality.
"Greetings to Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live long! Greetings to Her Imperial Highness the Noble Consort! May Her Highness enjoy a long life!"
The emperor was so angry that he wanted to hit someone. "Xiao Tian, drag her over here!"
Only then did Yi Qing slowly get up. "I wonder why Your Majesty summoned me to the palace. As Your Majesty is the emperor, it's actually against the rules to meet me. Next time, it would be better for Her Imperial Highness the Noble Consort to issue an imperial edict to me, so as not to give the censors something to hold against us."
"Yi Qing," the emperor's eyes were wide open like copper bells, and his voice was trembling. "Are you doing this on purpose? The Noble Consort is in such a state, and you're still going on and on with me! What do you want?"
"So it's Her Imperial Highness the Noble Consort who is ill." Yi Qing sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she looked terrified. "Have the imperial physicians been summoned? What did they say?"
"The imperial physicians said that the child might not be saved, so that's why we've called you here!"
The emperor cursed Yi Qing a thousand times in his heart, but he had to hold back his anger for the time being. At the same time, he silently decided that no matter what, he would severely punish Yi Qing today.
He could overlook her disrespectful behavior on normal days, but today, when Xue Ci was in such a state, it was obvious that she didn't take the Noble Consort seriously.
To put it seriously, it was simply a matter of being callous about human life. Her motives were despicable.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to help either." Yi Qing was determined not to get involved. "Your Majesty may have a misunderstanding about me. I do know some things that others don't, but that's all I've got. When it comes to women giving birth, I really don't know as much as the imperial physicians. I'm really not good at protecting the fetus. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can go and find out. When I was pregnant with Baozi, I almost lost the baby too."
"When was that?" Xiao Tian became nervous. He grabbed her arm and asked.
Yi Qing cursed him in her heart. Was he stupid? She was lying!
"It was on the way back." She said casually. "Your Majesty, in my opinion, Her Imperial Highness the Noble Consort is fine for now. You'd better put her down and let her lie flat and rest well. I'm afraid she won't be able to bear it if you keep moving her around like this."
Xiao Tian said, "Your Majesty, please give it a try first. If Yi Qing can help, she definitely won't refuse."
Only then did the emperor carefully lay the dying Xue Ci on the bed. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. As Yi Qing said, you'll be fine."
Consort Xue closed her eyes tightly. At this moment, a tear just right trickled down from the corner of her eye and into her temples.
This scene was truly heart - wrenching for all who saw and heard.
Yi Qing couldn't help but admire her amazing acting skills in her heart.
"Yi Qing, please come and take a look at the Noble Consort. I know what you're afraid of. I pardon you! Now, I'm not ordering you as the emperor, but pleading with you as Xiao Tian's brother. Please save her and the child for me. If there's really no way to save them both, then... save the mother first!"
"At this stage, it's no use telling me to save the child first." Yi Qing said coldly. "Of course, we should save Her Imperial Highness the Noble Consort first. With Your Majesty's words, I'm relieved."
Suddenly, she changed her mind and decided to scare Xue Ci.
She pretended to step forward to feel Xue Ci's pulse and found that she had indeed suffered a minor shock to the fetus, but it was far from as serious as she had shown.
Tsk tsk, she had really gone to great lengths to control the emperor.
Not to mention anything else, regarding the shock to the fetus, if it was too serious, it might turn from a feigned illness into a real one. If it was too minor, it wouldn't draw enough attention. Yi Qing felt that even as a doctor, she might not be able to handle this situation so well.
But Consort Xue had successfully managed it.
Now, Yi Qing just wanted to know what her purpose was.
Yi Qing pressed a little harder on Consort Xue's finger. The latter immediately let out a soft moan of discomfort. "It hurts, Your Majesty. My hand hurts."
Yi Qing almost vomited.
However, the emperor said, "Yi Qing, be gentle. She's been afraid of pain since she was a child."
"Okay." Yi Qing withdrew her hand. "Then I'm afraid I won't be able to do anything."
"What do you mean?" The emperor was stunned.
"I was wrong. The Noble Consort's condition is very critical now. I'm afraid both the mother and the child will die..."
As Yi Qing was speaking, she saw Xue Ci's eyelashes flutter.
"But you just said she was fine!"
"Didn't I also say that I was wrong?" Yi Qing raised her eyebrows. "The pulse is more accurate. Your Majesty, don't be in a hurry. Let me finish. Although the situation is critical, I still have some confidence, but it will be very painful."
"That's okay. As long as I can save her and the child, I'll tell her."
"That won't work either."
"What's wrong now?" The emperor felt like he was about to be driven crazy by Yi Qing.
"If her body can't bear the pain and she endures it forcefully, it may also cause harm to the child. I may not be able to save the child."
"Save the mother first!"
"Alright!" Yi Qing's voice immediately became more relaxed. "With Your Majesty's words, I can treat her boldly. Please grant me the silver needles, Your Majesty. To be on the safe side, I'll give Her Highness a few acupuncture treatments first. Saving the mother is the most important thing!"
No matter what Xue Ci's conspiracy was, Yi Qing didn't believe that she would use the child in her womb as a bargaining chip.
The child in her womb was of great significance to Xue Ci.
What Xiao Tian was afraid of now was exactly what Xue Ci relied on - this was the emperor's own flesh and blood, the real eldest prince!
Sure enough, when Xue Ci heard her words, her eyes immediately opened.
"Your Majesty, I don't want acupuncture!"
This woman, Yi Qing, clearly wanted to scare the emperor first, and then openly harm her child after getting the emperor's pardon!
She had underestimated this vicious woman, Yi Qing!
"A Ci, you have to be obedient. Nothing is more important than you."