As Sun Ji'an explained the diagnosis to Huang Yarou, he carefully observed her expression.
The result was that no matter what he said, Shu Consort only frowned slightly, without much reaction.
If it weren't for the subtle changes in her micro-expressions, he would have suspected that Shu Consort herself was completely indifferent to the matter.
"As expected of Noble Consort Shu, she can remain composed even after hearing the news of her poisoning."
Then, he dared not pay too much attention, directly retreated to the side, stood properly, and began to await orders.
Understanding her situation clearly, Huang Yarou knew her worries had come true and immediately took action.
She glanced at her trusted people by her side, preparing to have them handle the matter.
Chun Jin, listening from the side, was also very angry, and at the same time, she thought of where the problem lay.
Upon receiving her master's hint at this moment, she knew what to do without even thinking.
So, she nodded slightly and gave a meaningful look to the shadows.
Seeing this, Dong Yao immediately took action, silently retreating and quickly leaving Vermilion Bird Hall.
Next was to thoroughly investigate the entire Vermilion Bird Palace and find all the rats hiding in the dark.
Huang Yarou was satisfied with this and only then had time to address Sun Ji'an.
"I didn't expect This Palace to be poisoned; I must thank Imperial Physician Sun for treating This Palace."
"In the future, I will have to trouble you to detoxify This Palace and then recuperate my body so that This Palace can recover its health as soon as possible."
As Huang Yarou spoke, she sighed and gently stroked her belly with her jade-like hand.
"It's just that Huang'er (Imperial Son) is to be pitied, suffering this calamity while still in the womb; This Palace is truly ashamed."
"Therefore, I hope Imperial Physician Sun can do his utmost to ensure his safe birth."
"If it is truly difficult to achieve both, there is no need to worry too much about This Palace; everything should prioritize Huang'er (Imperial Son)'s safety."
Upon hearing this, Sun Ji'an's expression became even more respectful: "Your Ladyship, you overstate; this is precisely This Subject's duty."
"Even if Your Ladyship doesn't say it, This Subject will do his utmost."
"For the health of the Imperial Scion, this matter should be handled sooner rather than later."
"This Subject will now prescribe medicine for Your Ladyship; please wait a moment."
Huang Yarou naturally did not object, simply nodding in agreement.
"Then I will trouble you, Imperial Physician Sun; This Palace will wait here, feel free!"
Sun Ji'an, having received permission, immediately went to the nearest table, picked up a pen and paper, and began to write the prescription.
He only handed it to Chun Jin after the ink had dried, and after giving some instructions on precautions, he left with his reward.
"Your Ladyship, this is the prescription; would you like to take a look?"
Chun Jin handed the prescription to her master, preparing to get the medicine after she confirmed it.
However, Huang Yarou did not take it, but instead directly ordered: "You understand this aspect better."
"As long as you don't think there's a problem with the prescription, quickly send someone to get the medicine!"
"Yes, Your Ladyship, This Servant is preparing to have Qiu Zhi make a trip and personally decoct the medicine."
"With her supervising the entire process, I don't think any more mishaps should occur."
Huang Yarou trusted her personal Palace maid very much, so she directly nodded in agreement.
After that, she stopped speaking, began to rest while gently caressing her belly, comforting Du Yun, who had quieted down at some point.
"My son is truly intelligent; he only gradually quieted down after the matter was over; he must be a clever child."
Huang Yarou's thoughts drifted, and she began to imagine the future.
She fantasized in her mind about how to play with the child after he was born to bring herself joy.
This made Du Yun in her belly feel a sense of foreboding, always feeling that something bad was about to happen.
"Strange, why do I have this feeling? It's really inexplicable!"
Du Yun wondered if he was being a bit too suspicious.
At the same time, he also felt tired; he must have been tossing and turning for a while before, and now that he relaxed, it all came crashing down.
Therefore, he didn't think much more, and his consciousness quickly fell into a deep sleep... While Qiu Zhi was fetching the medicine, Emperor Du Qian received two messages and was currently listening to Sun Ji'an's report.
Upon learning that Shu Consort had been poisoned, he couldn't help but put down the memorial he was reviewing.
If Sun Ji'an hadn't said he could cure it, Du Qian would have wanted to abandon all affairs and rush to Vermilion Bird Hall to check.
He didn't want his child to be mysteriously lost again.
"I wonder who it is this time? Why do they always target My Imperial Descendants!"
"Can't these women just settle down?" Du Qian shook his head helplessly, then waved his hand to dismiss Sun Ji'an.
Although he didn't particularly favor Shu Consort Huang Yarou, he would still visit Vermilion Bird Hall for a few days each month.
After all, her uncontentious nature meant he could be at ease by her side.
"Li Zhong, why do you think a lazy person like Shu Consort entered the palace?"
"She doesn't even get angry when others steal her favor, as if she doesn't care about anything."
Li Zhong, the Chief Eunuch, dared not comment on high-ranking Imperial Concubines.
"Your Majesty, This Servant dares not speculate on Noble Consort Shu's thoughts; there must be some reason."
Du Qian nodded in agreement: "Yes, those who are willing to enter the palace all have their own reasons, and Shu Consort is no exception."
"If it weren't for her still being somewhat useful, I wouldn't have endured immense pressure to elevate her to the position of Shu Consort."
"After all, she is not like other women, who all have a powerful Family as their backing."
Whenever he thought of the complex situation in the imperial court, Du Qian felt deeply helpless.
"If it weren't to stabilize the court and let those old foxes check each other,"
"I wouldn't let their daughters or sisters have the opportunity to enter the Inner Palace and stir up trouble."
Li Zhong deeply empathized with Du Qian's difficulties.
Those noblewomen who had been carefully cultivated were none of them simple.
Both of them knew how troublesome they usually were.
It was also because of their formidable tactics that no one would submit to another, making the intensity of the palace struggles evident.
"Everything will be alright, Your Majesty!" Li Zhong comforted him.
"Yes, everything will be alright; then I will settle accounts with them one by one."
"Unfortunately, now is not the time; I can only let them check each other to maintain the general stability of the Inner Palace."
"Fortunately, they cannot interfere with My side and dare not easily touch it."
"Otherwise, I would even worry that they might directly lay hands on Me."
Li Zhong stood by, listening to Du Qian talk to himself, but no longer responded.
He knew in his heart that the Emperor was not without the ability to rectify the Inner Palace, but he was powerless.
Even if one was eliminated, the families behind them would quickly send another.
Then they would take over the staff left by the previous one and continue to fight with other Imperial Concubines.
Eliminating all of them was also unrealistic, as that would cause turmoil throughout the imperial court.
Therefore, Du Qian was too lazy to continue managing Inner Palace affairs, only needing to protect himself and his children.
As for whether they could grow up smoothly, it depended on their mother's methods and their own abilities.
After all, the Emperor was not omnipotent and could not always monitor every child's situation; there were always times of oversight.
Otherwise, so many wouldn't have died over the years, making him somewhat numb.
"However, to be honest, Shu Consort's methods are also quite formidable, being able to survive in such an environment."
"As long as she continues to maintain this, other Imperial Concubines will not easily provoke her."
"Coupled with My secret assistance, I think this place where I can rest assured will not be lost for now."
With this thought, Du Qian finished all the matters at hand.
Only then did he have time to come outside Vermilion Bird Hall, preparing to visit Shu Consort before leaving.
After a notification, Shu Consort Huang Yarou brought people out to greet him.
"My beloved consort, why did you come out? Your body is heavy now, and Huang'er (Imperial Son) is more important."
"In the future, you don't need to greet Me when I come, lest any accident occurs and harms Huang'er (Imperial Son)."
"Thank Your Majesty for your concern; This Concubine obeys!" Huang Yarou was not polite with him and directly agreed.
As for whether this would displease Du Qian, she didn't care about such things!
Anyway, whether he came or not, as long as he didn't disturb her slacking off and there was no life-threatening danger, it didn't matter.
This was also one of the things Du Qian liked about her, so his tolerance was quite high.
The two entered the room hand in hand and began to sit and chat.
Du Qian first expressed a few words of concern, and after confirming she was fine, he began to talk about other matters.
The two talked about everything under the sun, and the conversation was very pleasant.
This made Du Qian feel comfortable in body and mind, and the day's worries quickly dissipated.
Afterward, he did not stay overnight here, lest he attract more hatred for Shu Consort... Leaving the vicinity of Vermilion Bird Hall, Du Qian's face showed hesitation.
"Where should I go next? Should I go straight back to rest? Or...?"
Li Zhong, the Chief Eunuch who was by his side, was usually the best at reading expressions.
Seeing him stop, he quickly and cautiously asked: "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
"If there is anything This Servant can do, please command, Your Majesty!"
"Oh, is that so? What a coincidence!" Du Qian had a playful look on his face.
"I just happen to have a doubt, but I wonder if you dare to answer?"
Du Qian really wanted to know how the eunuch who had accompanied him the longest would ultimately answer this question.
Li Zhong, of course, dared not refuse: "Being able to serve Your Majesty is This Servant's honor."
"Therefore, no matter what doubt Your Majesty has, as long as This Servant knows it, I will certainly resolve it for Your Majesty!"
"You said that; don't go back on your word!"
Du Qian was not polite with him and directly asked a question.
"Then who do you think is the most suspicious in the Inner Palace regarding Shu Consort's poisoning this time?"
He didn't expect such a deadly question, and Li Zhong instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
"This..., This Servant is terrified, This Servant does not know."
How could he dare to answer such a question? It was too easy to offend people.
Even if His Majesty didn't blame him, the suspected parties would resent him.
One had to know that those women were not to be trifled with; if he wasn't careful, he might be secretly killed by them.
"Heh~, I knew you would say that; considering your loyalty, I won't make things difficult for you!"
Du Qian casually reassured him, but several suspects flashed through his mind.
"In the entire Inner Palace, there are only a few who would dare to poison Shu Consort."
"If I don't give them something to do next, they might strike again."
"It seems necessary to visit their palaces more often to keep them from being too idle."
"I imagine with them attracting the firepower, fewer people will be thinking about Shu Consort."
As for whether doing this would be unfair to these women, the Emperor didn't care about such things.
He coveted beauty, not affection; if one was useless, he would just replace her!
So, for the next few days, he would visit a suspect every day.
While satisfying his own needs, he also provoked the jealousy of other Imperial Concubines.
Then, during his rest time, he would sit back and watch the struggle, seeing how effective it was.
As they became busy, many Imperial Concubines who had been thinking about Shu Consort decreased.
