maidservant

Chapter 71: Concubine Bianliang refuses to conceive and secretly adds contraceptive formula to her medicine

The next morning, Yunshan arrived at her shift at daybreak. Before she could even sort out the day's medical duties, a young eunuch from Fengyi Palace hurried in, his expression rather anxious. He shrieked, "Director Song, the Empress wishes to see you!"

Yunshan's heart tightened, and the image of the Empress' increasingly haggard face and the Second Prince's frail appearance involuntarily surfaced in her mind. She didn't even bother to sort out the prescription book in her hand. She hurriedly placed it on the table and hurried after the eunuch to Fengyi Palace.

Along the way, her heart was in her throat, her steps were hurried and disorderly, and she kept praying in her heart that the Queen and the Second Prince would be fine.

As soon as she entered Fengyi Palace, Yunshan didn't even have time to catch her breath. She immediately asked anxiously about the Queen's health, her voice trembling slightly.
"Your Majesty, are you and the Second Prince okay?" After learning that the Queen and the Second Prince were fine, Yunshan's tense body slowly relaxed and she breathed a long sigh of relief, but she immediately became alert again.

The queen sat on the couch, with a hint of fatigue in her eyes, and said softly:

"Yunshan, His Majesty intends to have Consort Liang of Bian give birth to a child. This will strengthen the relationship between Dali and Xibian, and also give Xibian's subjects peace of mind."

The Queen paused, looking at Yunshan calmly, and continued, "So, I will leave this matter entirely to you. From today on, you will prepare the medicine to maintain the pregnancy for Concubine Bianliang. You must treat it with the utmost care and not make the slightest mistake."

Yunshan quickly accepted the order and was about to leave when she saw the Queen frown slightly, hesitant, as if about to speak. Yunshan stood still and waited patiently for the Queen to speak.

After a moment, the Queen sighed softly and said slowly, "Your Majesty wishes it would be best if Consort Bianliang gave birth to a daughter." Her voice was soft, yet tinged with sadness. "This matter is of great importance and must not be disclosed. You must be aware of this and pay more attention to the medication."

Yunshan respectfully followed the imperial physician to Concubine Bianliang's bedroom.

As you step into the palace, you will see that it is elegantly decorated and exudes a gentle atmosphere everywhere. The walls are painted with pepper lacquer unique to Xibian, and the embroidery on the curtains also has Xibian patterns.

The emperor did respect this princess and treated her with dignity.

The imperial physician looked focused. After checking Concubine Bianliang's pulse, a look of relief appeared on his face. He said softly:
"Your Majesty is in good health, with a steady and strong pulse. You only need to prepare carefully for pregnancy, and you will surely get what you wish for soon."

After saying this, the imperial physician frowned slightly, held the brush in his hand, and pondered over the prescription for a long time before he started writing.

Yunshan took the prescription and examined it carefully, noticing that one of the ingredients, purple quartz, needed to be carefully simmered for two hours, while the mugwort leaves needed to be shallowly boiled for no more than a quarter of an hour before taking.

She thought to herself that this recipe seemed simple, but if it needed to be decocted and taken twice a day, if it was prepared at the company's pharmacy and then sent over, there would probably be some delays just in controlling the heat and the order of preparation.

So she respectfully told Concubine Bian Liang about her predicament.

Concubine Bianliang smiled dignifiedly, her expression as calm and elegant as ever. She listened quietly to Yunshan's words, nodded slightly, and added:
"This is not difficult. Thanks to your majesty's kindness, the palace has its own small kitchen, where the chief apothecary can safely brew the medicine."

"I also know that you have many important tasks to attend to at the Pharmacy. When you are busy, you can send a capable pharmacist to handle this matter."

Yunshan pondered for a moment. She was indeed overwhelmed with work. Besides checking on matters related to Baire San, she also couldn't neglect the Empress's medicine. It seemed that the method Concubine Bianliang had suggested was the most appropriate.

She knelt slightly and saluted, saying gratefully, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. I will do my best."

In the first three days, Yunshan was busy non-stop. She personally took a medicine servant to the small kitchen in Concubine Bianliang's palace and meticulously taught the medicine servant step by step how to make medicine.

After Concubine Bianliang took the medicine six times, the imperial physician took her pulse and confirmed that she was in good health. Then Yunshan withdrew from the job. She would only come in person every time to add medicinal materials to the medicine furnace and carefully weigh the dosage.

Yunshan was also afraid of any mistakes, so every time the medicine was ready, she would check it first and then hand it over to Concubine Bianliang's personal maid to take it away.

That day, Yunshan waited respectfully outside Concubine Bianliang's palace. As per custom, she went to ask and record her feelings after taking the medicine.

At that moment, the palace door creaked open, and a maid emerged, carrying an empty medicine bowl in both hands. She appeared to be heading to the kitchen to clean it. The maid raised her eyes, catching sight of Yunshan, and bowed slightly, politely performing a formal ceremony. Yunshan also nodded slightly in return. At that moment, thanks to her exceptionally keen sense of smell, she detected a faint, unearthly scent.

Her heart couldn't help but tighten, and her eyes subconsciously fell on the medicine bowl in the maid's hand, with a hint of vigilance and doubt in her eyes.

She entered the hall with the maid.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report." Yunshan placed the medicine bowl on the table and held the maid's hand tightly.

Unexpectedly, Concubine Bianliang was only stunned for a moment and then asked the maid to leave first.

"Miss?"

"It has nothing to do with her."

"Your Majesty, do you know that there is something special about this medicine?" Yun Shan was surprised.

"I added the extra ingredient 'persimmon stalk' myself."

"But, Your Majesty? If this 'persimmon stalk' is taken for seven consecutive days, it will act as a contraceptive—" Yunshan stopped talking halfway because she guessed something.

"Captain Song Yao is a clever and kind person. I know I can't hide this from you."

"I don't want to have children."

As she spoke, Concubine Bianliang slowly stood up and picked up the Gobi stone string to play with. Yunshan recognized it as something from Xibian, as Concubine Bianliang had given one to Lin Yu.

"I am a princess married into a foreign alliance. Although His Majesty has shown me great favor and has given me and Xibian ample face both internally and externally, I know in my heart that I am nothing more than a tribute."

"Your Majesty is kind enough to wish to give me a child. But I cannot bring myself to love him."

"Every time I was intimate with the emperor, when I closed my eyes, all I could see were the corpses strewn all over Xibian."

"Children are so hungry that they are skin and bones"

"Lao Yu hanged herself to save food."

"These things are like a chasm between Your Majesty and me, difficult to cross."

"In my lifetime, perhaps I can only live a quiet life as a spider thread between Dali and Xibian. But I don't want my children to become tributes and sacrifices in the future."

"Director Song Yao, if you knew your child would be controlled and monitored for his entire life, and would never be happy, would you still let him be born?"

This question, like a heavy hammer that struck her heart, echoed in the empty hall, striking Yunshan's heartstrings again and again.

Yunshan turned around and slowly walked towards Liuhua Palace. Each step felt as heavy as lead, her pace slow and stagnant.

At this moment, hesitation and entanglement spread in her heart. Since entering the palace, this was the first time she had been caught in such a dilemma. She didn't know whether to report the matter to the queen.

(End of this chapter)