Today, the entire capital was abuzz with gossip about the Minister's Mansion.
From Ye Jingchuan’s scheme involving his wife’s dowry, to Ye Chutang intercepting the dowry and exposing Kong Ru’s poisoning of Tang Wanning, then Ye Anzhi’s matricide and subsequent arrest, and finally Ye Chutang’s scandal of being pregnant out of wedlock.
Each incident alone would have been explosive.
All happening together? Absolutely earth-shattering!
“Has the Minister’s Mansion offended the heavens? Dirty secrets keep surfacing without end,” people whispered.
“Offended the heavens? It’s clearly since the eldest legitimate daughter returned that one scandal after another has come to light.”
“When your mother and brother have been murdered, anyone would seek revenge!”
“But that’s no excuse for her to be so reckless and pregnant before marriage.”
“That’s just a rumor! Word from the Apothecary Hall says Miss Ye is inviting all the city’s doctors for consultations.”
“Really? Let’s hurry and see what all the fuss is about.”
Ye Chutang sat in her carriage, listening to the endless chatter as they arrived at the Apothecary Hall.
The place was packed with onlookers, shoulder to shoulder.
As soon as she stepped down from the carriage, a path was immediately cleared for her.
Though Ye Chutang appeared indifferent, her eyes flicked cautiously to the crowd.
Those spreading rumors would surely make another move.
“Smack!”
A foul-smelling fish was thrown at Ye Chutang’s feet.
Even a normal person would be nauseated by the stench, let alone a pregnant woman.
Ye Chutang shut down her sense of smell, merely furrowing her brow in a token gesture.
She raised her hand, pointing at the woman who had thrown the fish, and asked, “Who sent you? How much silver did they pay you?”
The woman, thinking the crowd would shield her identity, was stunned to be caught immediately.
Feeling guilty, she quickly tried to slip away.
“Smack!”
Ye Chutang kicked the rotten fish, sending it flying into the back of the woman’s head.
The fish burst open, its decayed innards splattering all over her.
“Ugh! Ugh…”
Ye Chutang mocked, “Half your body’s already six feet under, yet you still claim I’m pregnant? Impressive.”
Anyone could hear the dark sarcasm in her words—and agree.
If vomiting were proof of pregnancy, then men could get pregnant too.
Others with ill intentions realized that trying to make Ye Chutang vomit wouldn’t work, and quickly gave up.
Ye Chutang entered the Apothecary Hall without further trouble.
Shopkeeper Lin smiled and approached, “Miss Ye, these are the most renowned doctors in the capital.”
If they confirmed Ye Chutang wasn’t pregnant, the ugly rumors would collapse on their own.
Ye Chutang nodded, “Thank you all for coming.”
She glanced down at her soiled shoes and asked Shopkeeper Lin, “May I clean up in the back courtyard?”
“Of course, Miss Ye, please.”
Taking advantage of the chance to wash her shoes, Ye Chutang discreetly used silver needles to restore her sense of smell.
Returning to the main hall, she sat at the consultation table.
“Please, begin,” she invited.
Traditional Chinese doctors couldn’t determine virginity by pulse alone; they combined facial observations with pulse diagnosis.
So, Ye Chutang had no fear of being exposed.
Besides the doctors from the Apothecary Hall, six more had arrived.
One by one, they took her pulse, but none detected the slippery pulse characteristic of pregnancy.
Partly because the fetus was still very early—just over a month old—it was naturally difficult to detect.
Secondly, it was because she had briefly altered the pulse readings through the use of silver needles and diet.
"Miss Ye is not pregnant."
As soon as the doctors spoke, the crowd erupted in angry curses.
"Who on earth started this ridiculous rumor? It's so malicious!"
"Indeed, a woman's reputation is precious—this is an attempt to ruin Miss Ye's good name!"
"Such wickedness deserves punishment. Fortunately, Miss Ye is upright and has nothing to fear from baseless accusations."
"If we could find the person spreading these rumors, I’d spit on them myself!"
Hearing this, Ye Chutang spoke with conviction, "Rest assured, everyone, I will find out who is behind this!"
With that, she took out a hundred taels of silver and placed it on the consultation table.
"Please, doctors, take this as a token of my gratitude for your efforts. Let me treat you to some tea."
The doctors hurried to refuse.
"Miss Ye, your noble gesture in freely sharing the remedies for preventing and treating the plague is admirable. Helping to clear your name is the least we can do—there’s no need for you to spend money."
With that, the doctors made excuses about being busy at the clinic and left.
Seeing her goal achieved, Ye Chutang bid farewell to Shopkeeper Lin.
Shopkeeper Lin quickly returned the hundred taels to Ye Chutang.
"Miss Ye, I simply cannot accept this money for tea."
Ye Chutang did not refuse and accepted it.
Just as she reached the entrance of the pharmacy, she was stopped by an imperial physician sent from the palace.
"May I take your pulse, Miss Ye?"
News of Ye Chutang’s supposed pregnancy had reached the palace. The emperor wanted the truth and had sent his trusted imperial physician.
Accompanying the imperial physician was Divine Doctor Xue, who had just returned from the remote mountains yesterday.
Upon his return, Divine Doctor Xue had been summoned to the palace to treat the emperor’s condition of impotence and had stayed overnight.
Today, upon hearing of Ye Chutang’s situation, he had taken the opportunity to accompany the imperial physician outside the palace.
This young lady resembled her mother strikingly—her beauty could outshine all else.
Yet their temperaments were completely different.
One was gentle and reserved, the other radiated sharpness and boldness.
Ye Chutang did not respond to the physician but met the gaze of the middle-aged man sizing her up.
"Does this gentleman know my mother?" she asked.
The reason for her question was the trace of recognition in the man’s eyes.
Xue Dong said, "My name is Xue Dong, but everyone calls me Divine Doctor Xue."
Hearing this, Ye Chutang’s heart skipped a beat.
Her disguise could fool ordinary doctors, but not one whose medical skills rivaled her own.
"I didn’t expect that a mere rumor would stir Divine Doctor Xue himself," she said, testing him.
She wanted to see if he was here to undermine her or just a curious onlooker.
Shopkeeper Lin immediately invited Xue Dong inside.
Unaware of the true situation, he cheerfully said, "Miss Ye, a word from Divine Doctor Xue outweighs a thousand words from other doctors."
He had no idea he was unintentionally making things more complicated.
Ye Chutang bowed to Xue Dong.
"Thank you, Divine Doctor Xue, for saving me and my mother back then. I will certainly visit to express my gratitude someday."
"Miss Ye, no need for formalities. Money talks, after all."
The imperial physician, growing impatient with Ye Chutang’s endless words, urged, "Miss Ye, surely you are only stalling because you fear I will discover something?"
Ye Chutang knew the physician’s medical skills were mediocre and had no objection to his examination.
But his aggressive demeanor irritated her greatly.
"Such baseless rumors, I have nothing to fear. But I want to ask—are you here under imperial orders?"
Although the imperial physician was sent by the emperor himself, the emperor had expressly instructed that no one was to know about it.
He wanted to avoid any wild speculation about his intentions, which could spark unnecessary rumors.
“No, I came of my own accord to join in the fun,” Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow. “So, does that mean I can refuse to let you take my pulse, sir?”
The imperial physician could see that Ye Chutang was deliberately making things difficult for him and frowned in displeasure.
“Miss Ye, do you look down on me?”
He considered himself an official, after all, while Ye Chutang was still just a commoner—there was no reason for her to confront him like this.
But Ye Chutang nodded firmly.
“You’re right, sir. I really don’t have much faith in your medical skills.”
