A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 434: Chapter 434: Did you come to see if I’m dead?

The Empress Dowager was furious.

”How preposterous! A mere medical officer trying to deceive me! If everything is fine, why do you need to go there every day!”

Back when Consort Xian Pin was in a similar situation, Imperial Doctor Zhang only went every two or three days. Not like now, going once a day, and for half a day each time!

The Imperial Physician’s legs went weak, and he knelt down.

”Empress Dowager, please calm your anger!”

The Empress Dowager slammed the table.

”Speak the truth at once!”

The Imperial Physician dared not hide anything further and laid bare Honored Lady Shih’s condition completely.

After hearing everything, the Empress Dowager’s complexion changed drastically. She was overwhelmed with emotions but initially had the physician sent away.

Once the Imperial Physician had left, the Empress Dowager’s tears flowed freely.

”Qingyun, how can I be at ease!”

Sister Qing, also uncertain what to say, offered comfort, ”After all, it hasn’t reached that point yet, and surely the Noble Consort also has regrets!”

The Empress Dowager was both saddened and angry.

”Regrets? If she had regrets, it wouldn’t have come to this!”

With that, she angrily commanded, ”Go, bring her to me. I want to question her myself!”

Sister Qing hesitated a bit.

”Empress Dowager...”

The Empress Dowager’s expression turned cold.

”Go at once!”

Sister Qing had no choice but to comply and left.

Within a quarter of an hour, Noble Consort Shih arrived.

Upon entering, she carefully knelt down.

”Greetings to my royal mother!”

The Empress Dowager, overcome with anger and sorrow, hurled a teacup onto the floor in front of Noble Consort Shih, tears streaming down her face.

”I thought of you as a sensible person, but I didn’t expect you to be so muddled!”

Noble Consort Shih, seeing the shards of porcelain on the ground, felt her heart tremble with fear.

”My royal mother!”

She pretended not to know and said plaintively, ”Your humble daughter doesn’t know what she did wrong to anger my royal mother?!”

The Empress Dowager stood up, approached slowly, her gaze filled with disappointment.

”Did something wrong? I don’t need to say it; you know full well in your heart! I will just ask you, do you have any conscience at all? She is your own cousin! She is from a respected family. I allowed her into the palace for your sake, and for you, she was pregnant for ten months! Shih Wanxin, do you really have a conscience? That’s a life! No, two lives!”

Noble Consort Shih’s heart was instantly thrown into turmoil. Her eyes darted about, full of panic.

”My royal mother...”

”I... I didn’t, I haven’t done anything!”

”I... I just wanted her to be well, to frequently send her nourishing soups. I only wanted what’s best for her!”

Noble Consort Shih presented the excuse she had prepared well in advance. It was just sending some nourishing soup. Nobody could pin the blame on her for that. Therefore, she was innocent!

The Empress Dowager laughed out of sheer anger.

”Nourishing soup? Wanxin, when you were pregnant back then, why didn’t you fill your belly with nourishing soup every day? On New Year’s Eve, when she was just over six months pregnant, she was already so frail! Now, at eight months, can she truly not hold on any longer?”

That child was gone—something the Empress Dowager had hoped never to mention again for the rest of her life. But now, it couldn’t be avoided!

Noble Consort Shih’s deepest wound was forcibly reopened.

She was filled with anger, sorrow, jealousy, and fear. All these emotions mingled together, and she was on the verge of collapse.

”Yes! She just can’t hold on anymore! It’s my doing that Honored Lady Shih is like this! But why? Why does she get to have a child, Consort Xian Pin also gets to have a child, yet my child just...”

Before she could finish speaking, she burst into loud sobs.

The Empress Dowager watched coldly, scoffing, ”Your child is lost. Who isn’t sad? I am sad as well. But why did you harm Wanying? Isn’t the child she carried yours as well?”

The Emperor made it clear early on that this child would be raised by you, the Noble Consort! So, what more could you be dissatisfied with!”

Noble Consort Shih continued to weep bitterly.

”Give the child to me? What use is that? Am I supposed to not only raise the child but also take care of Honored Lady Shih? With the birth mother right there, will the child be filial to me or to her in the future?”

The Empress Dowager was furious.

”So you planned to have Wanying killed, did you? You schemed against her... intending to remove the mother and keep the child?”

Such a vicious heart! To wish a woman dead as soon as she gives birth, how ruthless one must be!

”Yes! Exactly!” Noble Consort Shih suddenly burst out laughing. ”What’s wrong with what I’ve done? Once she’s dead, I’ll treat the child as if I bore it myself. From then on, I will be its birth mother—its only one!”

The Empress Dowager’s face turned ashen.

”You... you’ve gone completely mad!”

Before she could finish speaking, she clutched her chest, her eyes rolling upwards uncontrollably.

At last... the Empress Dowager’s face turned pale, and she collapsed.

Noble Consort Shih did not move to help. Instead, she just watched, a trace of glee in her eyes. The Empress Dowager is truly my greatest obstacle! If not for her, no one could see through my tricks. If not for her, Shih Wanying would be at my mercy. What if... the Empress Dowager were to die? As Noble Consort Shih pondered, her eyes filled with malice.

Sister Qing heard the sudden silence from within and, feeling uneasy, quickly entered to see what had happened. She saw the Empress Dowager collapsed on the floor and the Noble Consort still kneeling. She was instantly shocked.

”Empress Dowager!”

Noble Consort Shih quickly hid her gaze, pretending to be scared silly.

”My royal mother... My royal mother!”

Sister Qing paid her no mind and hurriedly shouted to those outside, ”Someone come, fetch the Imperial Physician! Fetch the Imperial Physician!”

Ningshou Palace was instantly thrown into chaos, and Noble Consort Shih was pushed to the side. She watched the hustle and bustle of the palace attendants, her expression somewhat dazed.

Sister Qing said nothing more and, with the help of other palace attendants, moved the Empress Dowager onto the bed.

The Imperial Physician arrived quickly. He took her pulse, inquired about her condition, and prescribed a decoction, remaining busy for over a Shi Chen.

The Empress Dowager had been overcome by a fit of rage, causing phlegm to cloud her senses and making her faint. Only after the Imperial Physician administered acupuncture and had a decoction fed to the Empress Dowager did he conclude his treatment.

Sister Qing pressed for answers, ”Is the Empress Dowager in any serious danger? When will she awaken?”

The Imperial Physician said, ”There’s no serious danger for now. She might awaken in one Shi Chen at the earliest, or after a full night’s sleep, by morning.”

He then added a reminder, ”The Empress Dowager’s constitution cannot endure any more agitation. For the elderly, emotional instability and intense anger can be very harmful to the body!”

Sister Qing nodded repeatedly.

”Naturally. We are grateful for your efforts, Imperial Physician.”

The Imperial Physician bowed and left.

Noble Consort Shih dared not leave, so she found a stool to one side and sat down.

Sister Qing looked at her and said respectfully, ”Noble Consort, it would be best for you to return first. The Imperial Physician said Her Majesty the Empress Dowager might not awaken until morning!”

Noble Consort Shih was frightened and looked bewildered.

”Sister Qing!”

Sister Qing sighed.

”Your Highness, there’s no need to say more. Please return.”

Noble Consort Shih knew she couldn’t stay any longer and departed, dazed and distraught.

What I fear isn’t that the Empress Dowager’s health has taken a turn. It’s... the fear that she’ll reveal my secrets! If Cousin finds out about this... Noble Consort Shih felt a chill in her heart and dared not think any further!

She returned to Xifu Palace, trembling, and had a restless night.

Early the next morning, before even having breakfast, she hurried to Ningshou Palace.

The Empress Dowager had already woken up and was drinking porridge.

Upon seeing her arrive, the Empress Dowager calmly dismissed everyone except Sister Qing, then sneered, ”Have you come to see if I’m dead yet?”