"Consort Li's child didn't survive?" Xue Zining was also surprised by the news.
Although her medical skills were not exceptional, she had taken Li Consort's pulse that day. Li Consort's pulse was strong and vigorous, so how could the child be lost within just a few days?
"But what did Consort Li eat?"
Xue Yan shook her head, "The maids by Consort Li's side said that everything Consort Li ate and used was normal."
"Did she see anyone?" Xue Zining asked.
Xue Yan thought for a moment and said, "It seems she went to the tea house early in the morning."
The tea house?
Xue Zining suddenly remembered that she had seen Consort Li coming out of the tea house that day.
"Xue Yan, send Feng Wu to the tea house to check for any clues."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Accompany me to the Li residence." Xue Zining left the imperial study.
Li Chenxuan never imagined that after a night of intimacy, his child would be gone today.
The imperial physician watched the bowls of medicinal soup being poured down, his brow furrowed. "My lord, the consort seems to have lost the will to live. This will not do if it continues."
Li Chenxuan trembled all over. He tightly held Jiang Xinqin's hand on the bed and whispered, "Xinqin, hold on..."
"My lord, Your Majesty has arrived!"
Li Chenxuan was startled, released Jiang Xinqin's hand, and walked out.
Jiang Xinqin stared wide-eyed at the man slowly leaving her, biting her lower lip tightly.
"Li Chenxuan, if you don't have me in your heart, why did you marry me?"
"If you married me, why didn't you treat me well?"
"Consort..." Xiu'er noticed her anomaly and shouted loudly.
Jiang Xinqin glared, gritted her teeth, and squeezed out word by word from between her teeth, "Li Chenxuan, I hate you..."
Xiu'er trembled all over. She quickly said, "Consort, you..."
The imperial physician breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "The consort has woken up and is out of danger."
As the imperial physician walked out, he saw Li Chenxuan and the Empress and quickly stepped forward to bow. "Your Majesty."
"How is Consort Li?" Xue Zining asked.
The imperial physician replied, "The consort has woken up and is out of danger. However, after this incident, the consort's body is likely severely depleted and will require more tonic medication."
"Prescribe whatever you need. If it's not enough, I have more at the palace," Xue Zining said.
Li Chenxuan quickly said, "Your Majesty, absolutely not."
"Chenxuan, Consort Li's health is paramount. If she doesn't recover, how can that be?"
Hearing this, Li Chenxuan no longer refused.
"Since Consort Li is fine, I will return to the palace. You should stay at home and take good care of Consort Li these few days. If anything happens, send someone to inform me."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Xue Zining turned and left the Li residence.
Getting into the carriage, Xue Zining suddenly said, "Xue Yan, go to the tea house where Consort Li visited that day."
Xue Yan nodded and instructed the coachman to change direction.
The carriage stopped in front of Jufu Tea House.
Xue Zining got out of the carriage. As soon as she stepped into the tea house, a waiter immediately came forward. "Two young ladies, please come in."
"Second floor," Xue Zining said, walking directly upstairs.
The waiter behind her quickly stepped forward to block Xue Zining's path and said with a smile, "This young lady, the second floor is full. There are only seats on the first floor."
Xue Zining heard this and looked up at the waiter. "Full? I just saw no one inside from outside. How can you say it's full?"
The waiter was startled. With a look from Xue Zining, Xue Yan stepped forward to block the waiter, and Xue Zining walked past.
The waiter tried to reach out and stop Xue Zining, but Xue Yan slapped his hand away and said coldly, "My mistress is delicate. How can a vulgar person like you touch her?"
The waiter was stunned. He subconsciously felt that the hand he was hit by from the young lady in front of him hurt terribly.
Xue Zining went up to the second floor. A man who looked like the proprietor came over. "Young lady, which private room have you taken a fancy to?"
"This one!" Xue Zining casually pointed to one.
The man said with a smile, "Young lady, this private room is already occupied."
"There was no one here just now, and now there is?" Xue Zining said, then suddenly made a move and kicked open the door of the private room.
The door fell to the ground with a bang. Inside sat a woman in white, wearing a veil hat.
The woman turned her head and said calmly, "Does this young lady have something to say?"
Through the veil hat, Xue Zining saw a faintly visible face, very unfamiliar.
She stepped forward and cupped her hands slightly. "I apologize, I didn't know someone was in here."
The man behind her twitched his lips. This young lady's ability to lie with her eyes open was even better than his.
"It's fine," the woman said calmly, turning back.
"Young lady, as you can see, this room is indeed occupied. Why don't you choose another private room?"
Xue Zining walked forward and said, "Since we meet, it's fate. This young lady, since it's fate, could we have two cups of tea?"
The veiled woman, without turning her head, merely said, "Young lady, we are strangers. I never have tea with people I don't know."
"Aren't we acquainted now?" Xue Zining walked forward two steps and sat opposite the veiled woman.
The veiled woman looked up at her. She saw that the woman under the veil hat had cold eyes, even a hint of chill.
Although the face was unfamiliar, these eyes gave her an indescribable feeling.
"A few days ago, did you have tea with Consort Li together?" Xue Zining asked.
The veiled woman looked at the young woman in front of her, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. "Who is Consort Li?"
Xue Zining smiled faintly upon hearing this. "The wife of Imperial Censor Li Chenxuan."
"And who are you?" the veiled woman asked, looking up.
"Consort Li's close confidante," Xue Zining said.
"What does that have to do with me?" the veiled woman said indifferently.
"Today, after Consort Li left this tea house, she had a miscarriage."
The veiled woman looked at her calmly and said, "Young lady, why are you telling me this?"
"What did you say to Consort Li?" Xue Zining asked, word by word.
The veiled woman looked at her and said, "Young lady, I don't understand any of this, nor do I know anything. Also, I don't know any Consort Li. If you continue to pester me, I will ask the proprietor to call the authorities."
Xue Zining stood up and said, "I hope you truly haven't done anything?"
After saying that, she left.
The veiled woman sat there for a long time before she chuckled softly, "Xue Zining, you still couldn't recognize me."
In the carriage, seeing the Empress with a cold expression, Xue Yan couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, do you think that woman is problematic?"
Xue Zining looked up and said faintly, "Problematic and not problematic at the same time."
Xue Yan was a little confused. "Your Majesty, what do you mean by problematic and not problematic?"
Xue Zining stopped speaking and fell into deep thought.
In the evening, Feng Wu also returned. The veiled woman's name was Chang Anning. She was looking for her relatives in the capital, but it seemed her relatives had moved away and were no longer here.
"Your Majesty, this Miss Chang has shown no abnormality," Feng Wu said.
Xue Zining nodded. She hoped her intuition was wrong.