Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 325 Shocking Dragon Embryo

The head maid of Empress Xie's palace stood below the steps. She was about forty years old and had a slightly serious face, but at this moment, she revealed a hint of anxiety that was not easily detected.

Upon seeing Xue Sui, she performed a proper half-bow, put on a smile, and spoke with extreme caution.

"Master Miaozhen is well. Her Majesty has been unwell lately, feeling constantly tired and weak, and her heart sometimes flutters... The imperial physicians have taken her pulse and said it's due to mental and physical exhaustion, and prescribed some gentle tonics and calming formulas..."

She paused, smiled gently and politely, and spoke even more tactfully.

"In the past, Lady Xiao worked hard to manage things in the palace, and Her Majesty could not see through the true nature of those imperial physicians. She thought that Master Miaozhen was a skilled physician, especially adept at treating women's diseases... His Highness the Crown Prince often mentioned Master Miaozhen, praising her noble character. That's why Her Majesty sent me to invite her, hoping that Master Miaozhen would come to the palace to share Her Majesty's burdens."

Xue Sui's heart stirred slightly.

Empress Xie, having long resided in the inner palace, was by no means someone who spoke without reason.

Summoning her, a "person outside the secular world," to the palace to examine her pulse in such a secretive manner is probably no ordinary case of "weariness."

She remained expressionless, her hands clasped together.

"Since Her Majesty the Empress has summoned me, I will certainly do my duty. Please wait a moment, nanny, while I change my clothes."

“Please make yourself at home, Master Miaozhen,” Granny Zhou immediately replied, bowing respectfully. “The palanquin is already waiting outside the gate. I will go and make the arrangements right away.”
-
Madam Qian was still waiting in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard. She was very nervous when she heard that she was going to enter the palace.

"Sixth Sister, there are many rules in the palace. You must be careful in everything you do. It's best to go early and come back early."

"Don't worry, Third Aunt," Xue Sui said gently.

When she entered the inner room, Jinshu had already brought out a set of clean, plain-colored Zen robes.

"Please be careful in everything you do, young lady."

Xue Sui nodded, changed his clothes, and stuffed several essential medicinal powders and silver needles into his medicine box.

"You and Xiao Zhao prepare a carriage and wait outside the palace gate."

The letter should be.

Ruyi became anxious upon hearing this.

"Why do you always take Xiao Zhao with you, but not me?"

Xiao Zhao smiled and pinched her cheek, "Because we need you to stay here and guard the pastry box in Pear Fragrance Courtyard. That's no small responsibility."

Ruyi then snorted and pouted, "If the palace rewards you with anything delicious, remember to bring some back for me."

"Okay, okay, you little glutton."
-
The palanquin swayed gently along the long palace road, its creaking echoing in the silence.

Granny Zhou remained silent the whole way, leading Xue Sui straight into the Jiaofang Palace.

The palace was filled with the delicate fragrance of jasmine. Empress Xie did not sit upright on her phoenix throne as usual, but leaned against a soft couch by the window, with an apricot-yellow scarf draped over her knees, and a faint look of weariness between her brows.

"This humble nun greets Your Majesty the Empress." Xue Sui bowed respectfully.

"Get up quickly, there's no need for such formalities." Empress Xie's voice was somewhat weak as she raised her hand, her gaze falling on Xue Sui's calm face, revealing a genuine gentleness.

"It's kind of you to make this trip. My health is always bothering me. The imperial physicians in the palace all speak eloquently, but they can't seem to find anything wrong... I'm so grateful to you."

"It is my blessing that Your Majesty the Empress believes in me," Xue Sui replied, her eyes lowered.

"Please allow me, Your Majesty, to come forward and take your pulse."

Empress Xie nodded slightly, extended her left wrist, and gently placed it on the brocade pulse pillow that the palace servants had prepared.

Xue Sui sat down on the embroidered stool brought by the palace servants, concentrated his mind and calmed himself, and placed three fingers steadily on the Empress's inch-long ruler.

You can hear a needle drop in the hall.

The fragrance of flowers wafts through the air, lingering around the nose.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely...

Xue Sui examined the patient very carefully, and after a moment, said in a gentle voice:

"Please trouble Your Majesty to try the right hand as well."

Empress Xie switched hands as instructed.

Xue Sui took his pulse again, adjusting the pressure with his fingertips as he carefully examined it.

She paused for a moment, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The pulse is clear and strong when felt superficially, slightly weak when felt in the middle, and slightly feeble when felt deeply...

As they moved back and forth, a subtle feeling of smoothness, like rolling beads, was subtly revealed.

This is by no means an ordinary depletion of heart energy or stagnation of liver energy.

It even sounds a bit like... a pregnancy pulse...

However, since the fetal energy has only just begun to condense and the time is still short, it would be easy to overlook it if she hadn't been so well-versed in this art.

Empress Xie had been staring intently at her face, noticing the several shifts in her eyes and the subsequent relaxation of her brows. Finally, she couldn't help but ask, "Miaozhen, what... is wrong with me?"

Xue Sui slowly withdrew his hand, raised his eyes to meet Empress Xie's anxious gaze, and lowered his voice to ensure that only the person on the bed could hear him clearly.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness. This pulse is smooth as a rolling bead, flowing smoothly back and forth, which is... a sign of pregnancy. According to my deduction, the fetus is just beginning to condense and is less than a month old."

"Pregnancy? A pregnancy pulse?" Empress Xie looked at Xue Sui in disbelief.

immediately……

A tremendous wave of ecstasy overwhelmed her.

She sat up abruptly, grabbed Xue Sui's wrist with such force that she momentarily forgot all about decorum.

"Have you looked closely? Is it really a pregnancy pulse?"

"This humble nun is seventy percent certain," Xue Sui replied cautiously.

"The imperial physician said I was deficient in both qi and blood, and prescribed some nourishing remedies, but I've felt something was wrong these past two days..." She paused, her cheeks flushing, "It's hard to believe, although His Majesty comes to the Jiaofang Palace to spend one night every month, in all these years, it's only been once, that one time last month..."

She stopped abruptly, probably realizing it was inappropriate.

Xue Sui smiled, already understanding in his heart—

It was Xiao Qing'er who used the aphrodisiac to stimulate the emperor's body, giving him a brief period of intense sexual activity...

So she spoke with even more certainty.

"Your Majesty has recently been feeling tired and weak, and experiencing palpitations, all of which are common symptoms in early pregnancy. However, the fetus is still unstable, so you need to rest and calm your mind."

"Good...good..." Empress Xie said "good" twice, and a thin layer of tears welled up in her eyes.

She is thirty-eight years old this year and has only one son, Li Zhao.

The son is aloof and rarely close to his mother.

Deep down, she longed for a sweet little princess.

Unfortunately, although she and the emperor were husband and wife since childhood, their affection had grown distant over the years. Their monthly visits to the Jiaofang Palace were merely a formality, characterized by "respectful but cold" treatment, with no intimacy whatsoever...

I thought I had no hope of having a daughter in this lifetime, but unexpectedly, God took pity on me...

"Speaking of which, we have to thank Consort Li..."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty." Xue Sui smiled slightly, her voice carrying just the right amount of respect.

However, the ecstasy on Empress Xie's face lasted only a moment before it was replaced by a deeper and more complex worry.

"This matter..." Empress Xie took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on Xue Sui, "must not be known to a third party. As for His Majesty... I will report back at an opportune time. As for the imperial physician..."

She smiled faintly and didn't continue speaking. Instead, she looked at Xue Sui and said, "Miaozhen, you are reliable. I will need your help in the future. As for the medicine needed to prevent miscarriage, just write the prescription, and I will have reliable people outside the palace prepare it."

Xue Sui was slightly taken aback.

“This humble nun will certainly do her best. But Your Majesty, why do you trust this humble nun so much?”

“I’ve been through this before, and I understand. The Crown Prince is aloof and doesn’t easily trust people. The fact that he’s making an exception for you shows that his intentions are definitely right.”

Behind immense trust lies equally immense risk.

Empress Xie's words also subtly tested the relationship between her and Crown Prince Zhao.

Xue Sui remained calm and nodded without changing his expression.

"This humble nun is grateful for His Highness the Crown Prince's favor and will certainly do everything in my power to protect Her Majesty's health and the imperial heir. However, this matter is of great importance, and being outside the palace, it is inconvenient for this humble nun to enter and leave the palace grounds, so I cannot always look after Her Majesty, and I fear there may be oversights..."

"I know your difficulties." Empress Xie's tone softened, even revealing a hint of barely perceptible sincerity.

"Don't worry, I will arrange for you to enter the palace to take my pulse and preach to me. No one will dare to say anything against it."

She paused, her gaze becoming complicated, lingering on Xue Sui's thin face for a long time before slowly speaking, in a heartfelt whisper.

"Miaozhen, I know that your relationship with the Crown Prince is extraordinary. I have also seen the Crown Prince's affection for you. However..."

She sighed softly, revealing the worries of a mother.

"The position of Crown Prince, seemingly prestigious and illustrious, is actually like walking on thin ice. The burden on the Crown Prince's shoulders is too heavy; every move he makes is watched by countless eyes, and countless open and hidden attacks await... You are an excellent girl, with a resilient character and keen insight, which I greatly admire. However, some destinies cannot be forced. The difference in status is like an insurmountable chasm. Getting too close will only become a burden to each other, hurting both of us."

That's all I have to say.

The Empress was telling her that while she liked him, her relationship with Li Zhao was limited to "allies," and there was no possibility of taking it any further.

Xue Sui lowered his eyelashes, concealing the fleeting emotion in his eyes.

"Your Majesty is too kind." Her voice was calm and even. "This humble nun has only respect and gratitude for His Highness the Crown Prince, and has never had any intention of overstepping her bounds."

(End of this chapter)