Chapter 171: Miscarriage

Gongsun Yu's face turned ashen, tears spilling from her eyes, yet she did not move.

She took a deep breath before speaking: "Why is she here?"

The crown prince heard the voice and then saw that it was she who had entered.

For a moment, all his lust seemed doused with cold water, and a flash of guilt and panic crossed his phoenix eyes.

But then something occurred to him, and that guilt was quickly replaced by anger, as if she ought not to question him so.

Zhai Yu sat up, pulled the brocade blanket over himself with one hand, and said coldly, "Who let you in?"

The air fell silent for a moment.

Gongsun Yu's gaze fell on the woman beneath him; faintly visible on her fair skin were ambiguous red marks, and for a moment her head buzzed. Then a sharp pain came from her lower abdomen.

Gongsun Yu clutched her abdomen, her face growing paler, and she squeezed out a trembling tone, flustered: "... I'll leave now."

She had just said that and was about to turn and flee, but before she reached the door she spat out a mouthful of blood and then collapsed straight down.

All that was heard was a muffled "bang," followed immediately by the palace servants' cry: "Crown Princess!!"

Zhai Yu, who had just lowered his gaze, lifted his head again, his pupils constricting sharply, and almost instinctively shouted: "A-Yu!!"

Without caring about his disheveled clothes, Zhai Yu shoved aside Lady Song Liangdi, leapt from the bed, rushed over, and turned the fallen woman over.

Only then did he see that she had vomited blood.

The bright red blood was especially glaring in the lamplight, making her complexion look even paler.

Zhai Yu's hands trembled; he could not speak, only instinctively reaching out to lift her.

However, as his arm passed between her legs, he felt a warm, sticky liquid flowing from her, soaking her garments.

Zhai Yu's breath halted for a moment.

An unbelievable thought occurred to him; the motion to rise was stopped by this terrifying idea, his legs went weak, and he slumped back down.

He muttered, "No, impossible, how could this be......"

The imperial physicians had said she was unlikely to conceive.

Outside the door lay deep night; Zhai Yu held the woman in his arms, kneeling at the palace gate, his expression frantic, like a child lost in a forest, and he shouted:

"Summon the imperial physician, quickly summon the imperial physician!"

The next morning, Shen Shuangning entered the palace holding the waist tablet given by the crown princess.

A little eunuch led the way ahead.

Beside her followed a young woman carrying a medicine box, her features delicate, dressed in fine Hangzhou silk; it was Mu Yu.

Upon reaching the East Palace gate, Mu Yun said, "Let me speak plainly first: I am no divine doctor; even the many skilled imperial physicians in the palace cannot help, and I may not be able either, so consort, do not raise your hopes too high."

She was not being modest.

The master who introduced her to the profession was originally an itinerant veterinarian; she began by running to pigsties and horse stables with her medicine box, treating swine plague and equine diseases.

Later, when the northern border war grew urgent, she followed a refugee crowd into the army camp; just then the army horses contracted a soft-leg disease, the military physicians were at a loss, and she cured them, earning a great merit, after which she remained in the camp, idling away.

Military physicians were scarce; Mu Yu treated everything in the camp, occasionally going out to earn extra money. Though she never failed, she always felt she was a "quack," not a proper doctor.

Compared to the palace's imperial physicians, she was even less fit to be seen.

Thus, when she learned that Shen Shuangning had summoned her to treat the crown princess, Mu Yu felt guilty; but since the heir's lord had ordered her to come, she had to obey, especially since the consultation fee was truly generous.

Mu Yu was an outright money-grubber.

Upon hearing this, Shen Shuangning said, "Miss Mu, rest assured; just do your best in the diagnosis. If you truly cannot help, no one will blame you, so do not burden yourself."

Mu Yu smiled, with a hint of flattery: "You may call me Xiao Yu, just as you do with Qingyun and the others."

Not long after, the leading eunuch brought them to the side hall where the crown princess rested.

Shen Shuangning had not expected to see the crown prince outside the door.

At that moment the hall door was clearly open, yet Zhai Yu seemed afraid to step inside, hesitating in the doorway.

He seemed distracted; even when outsiders arrived, he did not notice them in time.

Only when Shen Shuangning approached, bowed, and called "Your Highness the Crown Prince," did Zhai Yu slowly come to.

His gaze lingered on her face a moment, then he frowned and asked, "How did you come here?"

Shen Shuangning briefly explained that she had come to treat the crown princess's illness.

Only then did Zhai Yu notice the so-called physician behind her, whose long eyebrows were furrowed even more deeply, as if they could crush a fly.

He politely refused: "The crown princess is already under the care of the imperial physicians; you need not trouble yourself. She is presently weak and unfit to receive visitors, so please return."

Shen Shuangning would not leave, insisting: "I have an appointment with the crown princess."

The implication was: "I'm here, what's it to you?"

The crown prince's expression instantly turned somewhat displeased.

Mu Yu hid behind Shen Shuangning, not daring to utter a word.

After a stalemate, a familiar palace maid entered from the hall—the same maid who had once come to the duke's gate to fetch her.

The maid's gaze swept past the crown prince and settled on the woman in mist‑blue robes standing to the side; her eyes brightened, she bowed, then said: "The crown princess has been waiting for you a long while, consort, please come in."

Presumably Gongsun Yu heard the commotion outside and knew she had arrived.

The face of the master of the Eastern Palace before them fluctuated between green and white.

Shen Shuangning glanced at the crown prince still blocking the way, then said politely but distantly, "Excuse me."

Zhai Yu felt a bit short of breath.

After all, he feared Shen Shuangning now that she held the title of consort to the Prince of Yan; he suppressed his displeasure and stepped aside.

Shen Shuangning looked straight ahead, thus bringing Mu Yu inside.

Zhai Yu had just lifted his foot, intending to enter, but as his toe touched the threshold, the maid swiftly placed her hand on the hall door and quickly said:

"Your Highness, please forgive me; the outside wind is cool, the crown princess has just awakened and is very weak, she cannot withstand even a hint of cold. I will close the door now to keep the chill out."

Zhai Yu's foot, suspended in mid‑air, froze; he had no choice but to sheepishly draw it back. He dared not go in.

Immediately, a soft "bang" sounded as the hall door was shut tightly by a palace maid from inside, shutting him out.

Upon stepping into the inner chamber, Shen Shuangning felt a heavy, oppressive atmosphere rush over her.

The windows all around were shut, making the place somewhat dim and stuffy.

In the corner, a silver brazier burned soothing incense, its smoke curling lazily, yet it could not dispel the faint scent of blood lingering in the air.

It was faint, yet it pricked like a needle.

Shen Shuangning looked up, and her heart sank sharply.

She saw Gongsun Yu dressed in plain white inner robes, half-leaning against the carved headboard, a thick brocade pillow behind her; though it was the scorching heat of midsummer, she was covered with a thick brocade quilt, her complexion pallid to the point of near-transparency.

Even her usually clear eyes had lost their luster, dim and gray, as if heaven had drained the last spark of life from her body, so fragile she seemed to shatter at a touch.

Shen Shuangning's heart gave a sudden thump; she hurried over, asking, "How did His Highness become this gravely ill after just one night? What happened?"

Upon taking her hand, she found it icy cold, and Shen Shuangning was startled.

Just last night when we parted, Gongsun Yu was perfectly fine; how could she become like this after only a few hours?

Shen Shuangning thought of the Crown Prince, who had been hesitating outside earlier, and her tone sank a little: "What has he done now?"

Before Gongsun Yu could speak, the elderly attendant beside her couldn't hold back her sobs: "The Crown Princess has suffered a miscarriage..."

"What?"

Shen Shuangning's face changed; she fixed her gaze on Gongsun Yu's face, seeing her tear-streaked and filled with anguish.

Gongsun Yu had been pregnant for two months, yet even she herself was unaware of it.

Her constitution was weak; she had suffered from internal cold since childhood, and her menstruation was always irregular—going two or three months without a period was normal for her.

The Imperial Physician had once said her body was like barren soil, unlikely to sustain a pregnancy; even if she managed to conceive, it would likely not be carried to term, and should she ever reach labor... she might well lose her life.

She had long since given up hope of bearing her own child, yet fate chose to play a cruel joke on her.

This child came silently, and at her most unbearable moment, departed just as silently... Gongsun Yu found it unbearable to accept, her heart feeling as if cut by a knife.

She could not forgive herself, nor could she forgive the Crown Prince.

At Gongsun Yu's direction, the attendant said only that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had quarreled the previous night, which had disturbed the fetus.

Shen Shuangning, however, suspected it was inseparably linked to Lady Liang residing in the Eastern Palace.

Of course, the Crown Prince was the true culprit.

Shen Shuangning suddenly recalled the rumors from her past life about the Eastern Palace, which said the Crown Princess had once miscarried—a baseless gossip that outsiders could not verify.

As it turned out, it was indeed true...

Since this was Gongsun Yu's personal grief, Shen Shuangning did not press for details, and had Mu Yu step forward to examine her.

As a female physician, Mu Yu placed her hand directly on the Crown Princess's pulse; seeing her expression grow grave, everyone present held their breath.

After a moment, she withdrew her hand and said, "The pulse is feeble and the blood depleted—this is half a step into the Hall of Yama."

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed color.

What this female physician meant was much the same as what the Imperial Physician had said, only she spoke bluntly without any softening.

For a time, the palace maids and attendants stifled their sobs.

Gongsun Yu's expression, however, remained light, her gaze extremely still, as if the dying person Mu Yu spoke of had nothing to do with her.

She turned to the equally distressed Shen Shuangning, gave a faint smile, and said in a soft yet firm voice, "I intend to divorce the Crown Prince, to bless them and also free myself."

"Living in the Eastern Palace is truly boring."

Shen Shuangning suddenly lifted her eyes to Gongsun Yu, feeling as if something had struck her heart.

In her previous life, she had decided to divorce Xiao Jingyuan because of Song Xizhi.

In this life, the Crown Princess intends to divorce the Crown Prince, and it too is because of Song Xizhi.

But can a woman who marries into the imperial family simply leave whenever she wishes?

Divorcing the Crown Prince is even harder than ascending to heaven, and one knows not how many obstacles will arise.

Crown Princess, either she will be deposed, or... she will die!