Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 198 Nearly a Miscarriage

Hua Yan pondered for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, carefully going through the details of these matters, and found no oversights in her plan.

The musk lily was presented by Manager Fan of Yongfeng Grain Shop in Lin'an. It was sent to the Tang residence along with the spicy eggplant, but the physician of the Zhen family determined that the musk lily was not suitable for ornamental use. Therefore, this flower was exclusively available to the Tang residence. (Chapter 56)

As for the sandalwood incense, Zhou Niangzi will handle the rest without any problem; Zheng Shan is an old hand at this, and inciting the people will be a piece of cake for him, so no one will find out.

"You are already aware of what has happened recently. If the concubine is unaware of it, there is no need to inform her."

Hua Yan gave her some instructions.

Mingyue nodded in agreement. She obeyed Madam Yun's orders and was absolutely loyal to the owner of the Cloud Garment Pendant.

"Mingyue, do you think I'm cruel?" Hua Yan smiled at Mingyue and asked, taking her hand.

At this moment, Hua Yan smiled charmingly, her eyes like deep, dark pools. When Mingyue first saw Hua Yan, she was immediately struck by her beauty and was momentarily mesmerized.

When she came to her senses, two blushes rose on Mingyue's cheeks, and her reply was stiff and somewhat naive.

"My master said that people in the martial arts world should retaliate in kind."

"Pfft-"

Hua Yan couldn't help but chuckle softly, then said solemnly, "The concubine is kind-hearted, but inevitably indecisive. She may find it difficult to accept some of the secrets behind the scenes. But then again, even those in the inner quarters must face trials. After this matter is over, I will personally confess to the concubine."

Although Hua Yan trusted Mingyue, there were some things she couldn't say through others. Furthermore, since this matter was being kept from the concubine, Hua Yan didn't want the concubine to learn the truth through Mingyue.

In the latter half of the day, close to the Shen hour (3-5 PM).

The tranquility of the inner quarters was instantly shattered when the princess and her entourage returned to the palace—the princess had indeed gone through a miscarriage.

Granny Gui urgently summoned the palace physician and sent Chen Ling to the palace to deliver a message to Prince Jin.

Madam Jiang did not stop her. At this moment, she was heartbroken and felt that she had never truly understood this daughter. In the past, she was spoiled by her father and brothers in the mansion, so her slight arrogance was understandable. But since she married into the Prince's mansion, everything had changed.

Consort Hui had just instructed her to rest at the Prince's residence yesterday, and I had sent a message overnight, advising her not to go to Guangci Temple in person... She hadn't listened to her stepmother's words at all. She also ignored Madam Song's advice, which led to her being jostled by the crowd at the temple gate and suffering a miscarriage. If Prince Jin knew this now, he would probably only blame her.

Only after the royal physician examined her pulse and confirmed that the fetus could be saved did Madam Jiang leave the palace as if she had lost her soul.

Inside the palace, after receiving the news, Prince Jin only sent Jingming to take Imperial Physician Sun back to his residence. The Empress and Consort Hui each sent two nannies to Ruyi Palace.

After all this commotion, it was already late at night.

When the princess fell ill, Consort Zhen, along with Consort Guo and others, stayed at the Ruyi Palace to attend to her. They not only had to care for her but also take care of the imperial physicians and nannies who came from the palace.

During this time, Consort Zhen summoned Song Chenghui and Consort Shen to her side for questioning. The situation outside the mountain gate could not be kept secret, and Consort Zhen was speechless after hearing it.

Consort Shen was filled with fear, and after calming down, she developed a high fever. Song Chenghui remained relatively calm; if she hadn't carried a whip with her and hadn't been riding in the same carriage as the Princess, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

In the stillness of the night, Consort Zhen lay on her bed, murmuring softly, "The Princess Consort nearly miscarried, and the Prince didn't even return to visit her..."

Hua Yan paused slightly as she was closing the window, then turned around and replied, "His Majesty is seriously ill and just finished a religious ceremony today. It's understandable that Your Highness is unable to leave the palace for the time being."

Consort Zhen suddenly felt hot and ordered Hua Yan to bring an ice basin.

Hua Yan had no choice but to leave the bedchamber. She brought an ice basin from the flower hall and placed it on the table at a distance. She then took a peacock-patterned round fan and used it to fan the concubine to cool her down.

Consort Zhen took the fan from Hua Yan's hand. "You must be tired after a long day in the palace. Get some rest. Although Mother didn't say it, she has probably found news of your uncle. Don't worry, your uncle will surely be blessed."

Hua Yan leaned against the bed railing, her heart strangely calmed down. "Thank you for your kind words, Miss. If we really find my uncle, then Sister Huanyun will have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel."

Consort Zhen fanned herself gently, a smile blooming on her lips. "Although I am not very familiar with Huanyun, I admire her and hope that she can get what she wants."

A messenger arrived from Ruyi Palace early in the morning, exempting her from today's morning greetings. However, to avoid giving anyone cause for gossip, Consort Zhen still went to Ruyi Palace with Hua Yan and Meng Zhu to visit her.

Apart from Consort Shen falling ill, Consort Guo Zhaoxun and Consort Qu Qu, along with Consort Song Chenghui, also arrived.

Separated by a four-panel screen, the princess said calmly, "I am fine. I just need to rest for a while. Granny Gong reported that Madam Yun is coming to the mansion today. Consort, please send someone to the gatehouse to tell her that there is no need to come to Ruyi Hall to pay her respects."

The princess's voice was slightly hoarse, and Hua Yan could also detect a hint of dejection in her words. It seemed that the Prince of Jin had received the letter but had not returned, and the princess was ultimately feeling somewhat lost and worried.

This saved Madam Yun a lot of trouble.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), Huayan and Mengzhu went to the gate of the mansion to greet them. Madam Yun, as usual, went to Ruyi Palace with gifts and handed them over to Granny Gui. Huayan saw that Granny Gui was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday and looked dejected.

Madam Yun not only brought the eldest daughter-in-law and the fifth and sixth young ladies with her, but behind Mama Wei were Huanyun and Xiangru dressed as maids.

When the group arrived at Yunyi Palace, Consort Zhen was seeing Madam Yun for the first time since her return visit three days after her wedding. After calling her "Mother," tears welled up in her eyes.

After the sisters exchanged greetings, Consort Zhen noticed that her mother seemed to have something to say, so she instructed Mengzhu and Ruizhu to take the young mistress and the two young ladies to the backyard. In the pavilion by the pond, Donggua had already prepared many drinks and snacks.

Only Hua Yan and Huan Yun remained in the flower hall.

Madam Yun pulled Consort Zhen up and down for a close examination. "Your complexion is alright. Since the Zhen family physician is unable to come, I will have Xiangru take your pulse later."

Hua Yan had already guessed from Huan Yun's expression that her uncle was definitely alright. After learning the whole story from Madam Yun, she immediately knelt down with Huan Yun to thank Madam Yun and the head of the family for their great kindness.

Consort Zhen personally helped the two up, and Lady Yun said softly:

"Zhou Bai has been trapped in the Luan Di clan for nearly ten years. The secret letter sent back by the master did not mention the specific reason, but this matter could be big or small, and the court will definitely investigate it again. However, you don't need to worry. Considering Zhou Bai's merits, the prince has ordered the master to take him back to the capital. Judging from the time, he should be able to return around mid-July."

Prince Jin was actually doing it out of consideration for the Tang family, but Madam Yun did not say so explicitly.

However, Hua Yan and Huan Yun were both insightful people. After a little thought, they realized how troublesome their uncle (Zhou Bai) would have been if the Tang family hadn't guaranteed his safety during the war between the two countries.

Having understood this, Hua Yan felt even more grateful to the Tang family. The promise made by the head of the family was truly of paramount importance.

Seeing that Hua Yan seemed hesitant to speak, Madam Yun said, "Don't worry, once your uncle returns to the capital safely, the manor will arrange for you to meet."

"Thank you ma'am."

Facing Hua Yan, Madam Yun was filled with mixed emotions.

It wasn't just because of her keen insight—she could deduce the prince's thoughts simply by placing former members of the Qingguo Duke's mansion within the palace—but also because of her methods for dealing with the princess in the inner quarters. From spices to musk and lilies, and even anticipating that the princess's closure of the temple would anger the people, she sent people to incite unrest...

It's truly a series of interconnected schemes; even now, the Jiang family remains unaware that they've been tricked multiple times yesterday...

Unbeknownst to others, the Tang family had spies in Physician Sun's residence, and they sent back news early in the morning that although the princess had managed to keep the baby, her condition was actually not good and she was at risk of miscarriage at any time.