Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 194 - 178: Give Bao Shu a Little Brother or Sister

Chapter 194: Chapter 178: Give Bao Shu a Little Brother or Sister

Meng Qianqian asked Madam Wang about her daily habits, mainly to find out if she or Imperial Censor Wang had been drinking alcohol or taking any medicine.

Madam Wang replied, "I did take some medicine. It was when Rou’er had her engagement canceled last time. I was so upset I fell ill, and the doctor prescribed some tonics for me. Later, when you came to see me, I had already recovered and stopped taking them. As for alcohol, not a single drop. Wang Daniu doesn’t drink either."

By now, Meng Qianqian had grown accustomed to hearing the name Wang Daniu and no longer reacted strongly.

She asked Madam Wang for the prescription from that time: "It’s for replenishing qi and blood. Taking it wouldn’t have caused any issues."

Madam Wang breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good to know."

Meng Qianqian: "Do you have any other discomforts?"

Madam Wang replied, "Other than feeling sleepier than usual, no. My monthly cycle has stopped coming, so I thought it was menopause. I asked a doctor for something to regulate my body."

It’s said that for women, the seventh cycle of seven years marks menopause, around the age of forty-nine.

Though Madam Wang was far from that age, early menopause wasn’t uncommon.

No wonder Madam Wang had suspected that instead of considering the possibility of pregnancy.

After her initial surprise, Madam Wang became a little anxious. "Oh dear, I wasn’t prepared at all. Could it be..."

Meng Qianqian understood her concern, held her hand, and said, "Madam, your pulse is strong, and your body is healthy. There’s no need to worry."

When Meng Qianqian stepped out of the house, three young ladies immediately surrounded her.

Zhou Nanyan asked, "Sister Meng, is Aunt Wang expecting?"

Meng Qianqian smiled at the three and said, "You’re all going to be big sisters."

Wang Rou blushed and gave a shy smile, her previous tension dissipating.

Lin Xiaoru nodded without smiling, though everyone could sense her happiness.

The most excited was Zhou Nanyan, who exclaimed with exuberance, "Finally, I’m not going to be the youngest anymore!"

Among the younger generation of the four families, she was the youngest and always had to call everyone brother or sister.

When Imperial Censor Wang returned from court and learned that, after sixteen years, he was going to be a father again, he was overjoyed to the point of silliness.

Meng Qianqian returned to the Governor Mansion and shared the happy news with Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan snorted coldly.

Meng Qianqian: "You’re not happy?"

Lu Yuan: "Why would I care about someone else becoming a father?"

Bao Shu stumbled over and gave him a punch.

Lu Yuan: "..."

Nanny Li, who was also in the room, couldn’t help but muse, "Miss, you and Master Lu have been sharing a bed for some time now. Why hasn’t there been any news?"

Both Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan turned their faces away in embarrassment.

Nanny Li scooped Bao Shu into her arms, wiping her sweat with a handkerchief. "How about giving Miss Bao Shu a little brother or sister too? Bao Shu, would you like a little brother or sister?"

Bao Shu: "Chicken."

Nanny Li: "..."

The joyous news about Madam Wang left Nanny Li feeling a little envious.

She decided to forgive the absurdity of Master Lu’s actions on the wedding night and encourage him to spend more nights in the young lady’s room.

That evening, the dinner table featured a special dish: deer meat soup for kidney nourishment and vitality.

Under the sharp eye of the matriarch, Lu Yuan drank every last drop.

At his age, with a vigorous constitution, the inevitable happened—he ended up with a nosebleed that soaked the bed linens.

When Nanny Wan came in early the next morning to tidy up, she was stunned upon seeing the blood-streaked bedding.

"Master Lu, have your hemorrhoids flared up?"

Lu Yuan: That’s nosebleed... nosebleed!

Confined at home to recover, Lu Yuan had no choice but to drink several large pots of cooling tea prepared by the small kitchen under Meng Qianqian’s orders.

That afternoon, he sat in the study, trying not to get worked up as his little one tore up his calligraphy practice sheets, while sullenly sipping on the cooling tea.

Suddenly, Steward Cen came to report, "Your Majesty is here."

Lu Yuan said flatly, "What does he want this time? Didn’t he cry enough last time?"

Steward Cen coughed awkwardly and said, "Uh... should I invite His Majesty to the flower hall?"

Before he could finish, Zong Zhengxi appeared at the study door with a woeful expression on his face.

"Never mind. No need to invite him." Steward Cen tactfully retreated.

Lu Yuan glanced at Zong Zhengxi and resumed drinking his tea.

Zong Zhengxi, seeing that Lu Yuan was ignoring him, found himself a chair and sat down.

Before he even spoke, he began crying.

Lu Yuan frowned. "You’re the Emperor! Crying like this isn’t proper decorum. Don’t forget, you’ll be fifteen next month!"

Zong Zhengxi protested pitifully, "Father is... not doing well—"

Lu Yuan froze for a moment, then calmly asked, "What happened?"

Zong Zhengxi sobbed out his words, gasping for air. "I didn’t cry outside. I only came here to cry..."

Lu Yuan sternly said, "Speak of the main issue!"

Wiping his tears, Zong Zhengxi choked out, "Father has been unconscious for three days, his breathing is getting weaker, and the Imperial Physicians say... he might not make it through the night..."

Lu Yuan said coldly, "Why are you coming to me? Go to the Prime Minister."

Zong Zhengxi whimpered, "I wanted to go... but somehow I ended up here..."

Lu Yuan left the study.

Meng Qianqian stood under the corridor with a pot of cooling tea.

She had overheard the conversation just now.

Seeing Zong Zhengxi so distraught, she concluded that the Supreme Emperor might indeed be gravely ill.

The lack of public news wasn’t surprising. Matters concerning the state’s stability were handled with utmost caution to avoid unnecessary alarm and chaos among the people.

"Are you going to take a look?"

Meng Qianqian asked.

Lu Yuan’s gaze darkened. "I’ll send someone to confirm first."

He summoned Yu Zichuan and gave a few instructions. Yu Zichuan quickly left.

About an hour later, Yu Zichuan returned with a letter.

Lu Yuan handed it directly to Meng Qianqian. "It’s for you."

"Me?"

Sitting down on a stone bench in the courtyard, Meng Qianqian opened the letter.

It detailed the Supreme Emperor’s recent symptoms, pulse readings, the diagnoses by the Imperial Physicians, and their prescribed treatments.

It was essentially a meticulously prepared medical report.

After carefully reading it, Meng Qianqian turned to Lu Yuan and said, "’Fever with thirst but no aversion to cold indicates a warm disease.’ The floating and rapid pulse also matches. The prescription from the Imperial Hospital is appropriate. There’s no reason for the condition to worsen."

Lu Yuan pondered. "Poisoned?"

No stranger to schemes and plots, his guess was sharp and bold.

Meng Qianqian said, "Poisoning is indeed possible, especially if no tampering was done with the decoctions."

Lu Yuan asked, "If the decoctions were tampered with, can you tell?"

Meng Qianqian nodded. "Yes."

Lu Yuan stood up. "We’ll enter the palace and take a look. Regardless of what happens, I’ll protect you."

He went back to the study and said to Zong Zhengxi, whose eyes were swollen from crying, "Stop crying. We’re going to the palace."

"Oh." Zong Zhengxi obediently followed.

On the way, Meng Qianqian asked him about the Supreme Emperor, mainly focusing on his health and habits.

Under Lu Yuan’s authoritative presence, Zong Zhengxi answered everything in detail.

By then, Meng Qianqian had almost completely ruled out the possibility of tampering with the decoctions.

Could it really be poisoning?

At the gates of the Imperial Palace, the guards were visibly stunned to see Lu Yuan.

But whether it was due to the Emperor’s presence or Lu Yuan’s lingering prestige, not one of them dared to stop him.