Chapter 182: Chapter 88: Poisoning_2
She looked toward Lu Tong, her smile carrying a perfunctory softness, "Besides, I am faint-hearted and can’t stand to see such scenes. Doctor Lu, please go inside quickly."
Lu Tong acted as if she didn’t see her evasive behavior, saying nothing as she and Yin Zheng walked to the door and lightly knocked.
A wary voice came from behind the door, "Who is it?"
A maidservant from Meng Xiyang’s side stepped forward and said through the door, "It’s the Resident Doctor from the medical clinic on West Street, who is delivering medicine at our residence today. The Medical Officer and the Midwife have not arrived yet, so the lady specially instructed Doctor Lu to come and see the Princess Consort."
After a moment, a feeble voice came faintly from inside.
"Let her in."
The door creaked open halfway, and Lu Tong and Yin Zheng entered.
Upon entering, they were greeted with a pungent, fishy smell.
A tall maidservant stood by the door, her gaze full of wariness toward Lu Tong. She hesitated for a moment before she closed the door properly and turned to her, saying, "Follow me."
Yin Zheng stayed at the entrance, while Lu Tong followed the maidservant inside.
The bedroom was spacious; on a low table in the front room, there was a vase filled with fragrant osmanthus and on the side, a guqin was placed, covered with a thin veil of pale aqua. Behind a shelf hung a small scroll of birds and flowers landscape, and there was a whole set of celadon antique teaware on the table. The room wasn’t cluttered but immaculately simple and elegant at a glance.
The maidservant led Lu Tong to a bed in the inner room, where another maid in green clothes stood. Seeing Lu Tong’s arrival, she hurriedly drew the curtain of moon-colored gauze and pleaded, "Doctor, please, examine her quickly."
Lu Tong approached the bed.
On the intricately carved wooden consort bed lay a young woman, pale-faced with large beads of sweat rolling down her forehead, dampening the pillow’s silk.
She was born beautiful, bearing a six to seven points resemblance to Pei Yunmeng, yet with features that were a touch softer.
Lu Tong’s heart twitched slightly.
So this was Princess Wenjun, the legitimate eldest daughter of Lord Zhao Ning, Pei Yunshu.
Hearing the sounds, Pei Yunshu opened her clammy eyes and looked toward Lu Tong with an extremely weak voice.
"Doctor, I...I feel a bit better now..."
Lu Tong frowned. Despite the abundant fresh osmanthus in the room, the heavy scent of blood was undeniable. She reached out and lifted the light teal smoke-wrought double silk blanket off the woman, and her pupils suddenly constricted.
Beneath the woman, a small patch of bright red spread through the blankest like a flower dyed with red ink.
"Why are you bleeding?"
The maid in green hurriedly explained, "Doctor, our lady felt perfectly well early this morning. It was just a short while ago she suddenly felt discomfort in her abdomen, followed by some bleeding. Now the bleeding has stopped, and she has had the medicine to stabilize the pregnancy. The lady also feels less pain in her belly, and from her appearance, there seems to be no serious harm."
Bleeding...
Lu Tong asked, "Did she bump into something? Or was she provoked by someone?"
The maid shook her head.
Lu Tong’s brow furrowed slightly.
There was no warning before the pregnancy was disturbed, and even though there was bleeding and symptoms of abdominal pain, it had stopped. Just from what she had observed, the situation didn’t seem as critical as it had initially been described.
When she was in Su Nan, she had seen a Midwife deliver babies, but those were natural births. The Princess was still nearly two months away from delivering, so it wasn’t the time yet.
Moreover, despite her pallor, Princess Wenjun did not show signs of miscarriage. According to medical texts, the priority should be to stabilize the pregnancy.
The tall maidservant stood behind Lu Tong, watching her every move with intensity and an implicit warning in her voice.
"We have already sent for the Medical Officer from the Medical Officer Institute, and a well-known Midwife is on her way. The Princess Consort’s well-being is precious; Doctor, please remember to be gentle."
This was distrust of her.
Lu Tong said nothing, extending her hand to take Princess Wenjun’s pulse.
Pei Yunshu’s pulse was steady, and the recent distress didn’t seem to have much impact on her. The two maids were carefully replacing her bedding with clean ones, and Pei Yunshu’s expression, although still weak, had calmed down compared to when Lu Tong first entered.
The maid in green slightly relaxed, "Perhaps the medicine to stabilize the pregnancy is effective. Does the Princess Consort feel pain now?"
Pei Yunshu responded softly, "No, it doesn’t hurt anymore."
Lu Tong pondered thoughtfully.
The situation had been described to her as urgent; there was bleeding and symptoms of abdominal pain, yet it seemed to have subsided on its own before she did anything, and the pulse had stabilized. It looked like she could do nothing and retire successfully just by waiting for the Medical Officer from the Medical Officer Institute to arrive.
Of course, this was the best outcome for her, but Lu Tong still couldn’t understand one thing: how could there be sudden abdominal pain and bleeding without any apparent reason?
The maid brought a soft cushion to support Pei Yunshu’s back. Pei Yunshu looked at Lu Tong with her voice trembling slightly from nervousness, "Doctor, the child in my womb..."