“…Your Majesty’s words make sense,” Imperial Physician Zhang said after some thought. “The main issue is that ever since Li Fei became pregnant, she’s experienced repeated episodes of fetal unrest. The pregnancy was unstable from the beginning—any further disturbance was bound to end poorly.”

  Ying Qionglou listened in silence and let out a barely audible sigh.

  Forget what others thought—even he had, deep down, suspected that this child wouldn’t make it.

  Now that the child was lost, of course, he felt sorrow.

  But beneath that sorrow… was also a strange sense of inevitability. As if he’d been waiting for this moment to arrive all along.

  “Guifei, what do you have to say?” Ying Qionglou asked.

  Guifei had been holding her breath the entire time. She quickly stood up and said, “Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. This is my failure to properly manage the inner pace. I will personally see to it that the matter is thoroughly investigated.”

  There was no use denying it now.

  “Hanliang Pace has seen incident after incident. As the one overseeing the harem, you can’t avoid bme,” Ying Qionglou said coldly.

  “Yes, Your Majesty. I will get to the bottom of this,” Guifei promised, though she hesitated. “Yesterday was the Mid-Autumn banquet, and the pace was bustling since morning. The Imperial Kitchen was overwhelmed, and many attendants were dispatched to different areas to help…”

  She gnced at Wumian and quickly expined, “This is standard practice. No matter how many staff the kitchens have, they’re always shorthanded on festival days.”

  Wumian gave a slight shake of her head. “Guifei, you’re approaching this all wrong.”

  Guifei tensed up, fearing the Empress was trying to make things difficult for her. “Your Majesty, please enlighten me.”

  Wumian ignored her tone and turned to Imperial Physician Zhang. “How big is a Great Cold Pill?”

  Imperial Physician Zhang held up his fingers to indicate the size, about as rge as a longan fruit.

  Wumian nodded and looked back at Guifei. “Let’s not even talk about how many she might have taken. Even just one—something the size of a longan—isn’t something you can easily hide in food. The fvor would be obvious. Do you think Li Fei wouldn’t notice? The only way it could have been slipped in without her realizing… is if it was hidden in her prenatal medicine. She was still on calming prescriptions after spotting blood. If it were masked by those herbal brews, she might not detect it.”

  “This…” Imperial Physician Zhang stepped in, “It’s true that Li Fei’s prenatal decoctions were made from herbs distributed by the Imperial Medical Bureau, but they were prepared in her own hall. If Her Majesty suspects the pills were slipped in that way, it is entirely possible. The Great Cold Pill has a strong and bitter fvor. It wouldn’t go unnoticed unless it was well concealed.”

  “Lu Zhong, you will lead the investigation personally,” Ying Qionglou ordered. “Anyone who had access to Li Fei’s medicine—take them all in for questioning. Search Hanliang Pace inside and out. I want this matter fully uncovered.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. I will investigate thoroughly,” Lu Zhong said, bowing.

  That was as clear a sign as any—Ying Qionglou no longer trusted Guifei to handle the matter. Guifei bit her lip and didn’t dare protest, though her heart burned with resentment toward the Empress. Still, if she wasn’t tasked with leading the investigation, she also wouldn’t bear the burden of its outcome.

  “Is Li Fei awake or unconscious now?” Wumian asked.

  A pace maid quickly stepped forward. “Replying to Her Majesty, our dy is unconscious.”

  After taking such a violent drug while pregnant, it was no different from a forced miscarriage. Her body had been through serious trauma—it was no surprise she had passed out.

  “She’s pitiful, regardless. Your Majesty should go in and see her,” Wumian said, remaining seated.

  Ying Qionglou sighed and rose. “Mm.”

  He stepped into the inner chamber. Li Fei was still unconscious, pale and fragile, her entire form radiating vulnerability. He didn’t sit down, only stood by her bedside for a while, and finally instructed the maids, “Take good care of her.”

  The pace maids bowed deeply. None dared say a word.

  Their mistress had lost the child… It felt like her favor might soon follow.

  When Ying Qionglou exited, Wumian stood up. “How is she?”

  “She’s asleep,” he replied, not even questioning why Wumian hadn’t gone in to see her herself.

  Wumian sighed. “Send word to keep the matter quiet. Last night was the grand banquet. If word of this gets out immediately afterward, what will people say?”

  “You’re right,” Ying Qionglou agreed. With a wave of his hand, an attendant was dispatched to carry out the order.

  “I’ll return with you to Fengyi Pace,” he said wearily.

  Wumian nodded. “Then I’ll leave the aftermath to Guifei.”

  Guifei immediately bowed. “Please don’t worry, Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress. I’ll see to everything.”

  But in her heart, she was stunned—His Majesty isn’t staying behind?

  Had Wumian already taken Li Fei’s pce in his heart?

  She shook her head slightly. No, that couldn’t be… Had he grown tired of Li Fei?

  She’d have to observe more before she could be sure.

  Ying Qionglou didn’t say anything more and left with Wumian.

  “What would Your Majesty like now? Are you hungry?” she asked once they returned to Fengyi Pace.

  He shook his head.

  “Then you should rest,” Wumian said softly. “It’s already happened—being upset won’t help anything. Lu Zhong will find the truth.”

  Later, when the two of them were lying side by side again, Ying Qionglou couldn’t help feeling it was surreal.

  He was completely worn out.

  Ever since Li Fei had become pregnant, there had been one issue after another, so many that he was simply fed up.

  Now that she’d miscarried, he didn’t feel like lingering.

  All he wanted was to rest quietly beside this woman who never stirred up trouble.

  And honestly, Wumian could understand him.

  The Emperor’s favor toward a consort wasn’t the same as love.

  When things were good, she was the most dazzling flower in his harem. But when she began causing constant trouble, when her petals began to wilt, could one truly expect an emperor to be emotionally invested?

  Even if he adored Li Fei, he would still grow tired of her. Expecting a feudal monarch to empathize with a woman’s needs during pregnancy or the sorrow of a miscarriage?

  That was unrealistic.

  At best, he’d find her troublesome.

  Wumian fell asleep amidst these idle thoughts, and despite all that had happened, the imperial couple slept soundly for two full hours.

  Eventually, the Empress Dowager did find out.

  They’d tried to keep it from her, but how long could they really hide it?

  She didn’t summon the Emperor, but sent for Wumian directly to appear at Yining Pace.

  “This is all my fault,” Wumian said the moment they met, taking the initiative to shoulder the bme.

  “What fault is yours?” the Empress Dowager snapped. “Li Fei is simply unlucky, reckless, foolish, and ungrateful. Even while pregnant, she couldn’t settle down. Now she’s lost the imperial heir—just what she wanted, isn’t it? I told the Emperor from the beginning: fine, spoil her if you must, but how can you elevate someone with no children to the rank of fei? She’s only been in the pace a few years! He raised her so high, of course, others would resent her. I’m not the least bit surprised it’s come to this!”

  What a coincidence, Wumian thought. I’m not surprised either.

  But the Empress Dowager… she was being very blunt.

  “Please don’t be angry, Mother,” Wumian said gently. “She did lose a child, after all. She must be heartbroken.”

  “Hmph. Heartbroken? She brought it on herself,” the Empress Dowager scoffed coldly. “What do you think happened? Do you have any leads?”