Seeing that Kong Wanru was still holding on tightly and refusing to let go, Song Jinzhao straightened her back, walked to the door to slide the latch into place, and then returned. "No one can come in. Can I examine you now?"
Kong Wanru's arms relaxed, her slender limbs losing their tension as she fell back stiffly onto the bedding.
Song Jinzhao lifted the quilt. There was a strong, foul odor, but her trousers were clean.
This meant her maid was changing Kong Wanru's trousers every day; otherwise, they would have long since rotted into a blackened, unseeable mess.
Lifting her top, Song Jinzhao saw many old stretch marks on her loose, sagging belly. She pressed her hand against it. "Tell me if it hurts."
Kong Wanru clenched her back teeth and stared at the canopy above the bed in silence.
When Concubine Su led her people into the Spring Breeze Courtyard, she saw that all the maids and Liao Xiwen were standing outside. The only person missing was that female doctor, which meant she was already inside the room.
A breath caught in her throat, refusing to go up or down. She ought to be just like me, unable to bear children for the rest of her life.
Wanting to be cured so she could give birth to another child to steal my son's position? Don't even think about it. Keep dreaming!
She raised the corners of her lips, then stepped forward with a face full of worry to ask Liao Xiwen, "Eldest Miss, is Doctor Song examining Madam inside? I wonder how the situation is?"
Liao Xiwen looked back at the tightly shut door, sorrow covering her youthful and tender face.
She shook her head and said, "Mother told me to come out. I don't know how things are going inside either."
Concubine Su gently brushed the corner of her eye with her hand. "I have long heard that Song Jinzhao's medical skills are unmatched in the entire Anyang Prefecture. She even cured Old Madam Meng's incurable disease, so Madam's illness will surely be cured as well."
Seeing her so sad that she shed tears, Liao Xiwen thought of her eldest brother Liao Tingjun's health and couldn't help but speak up, "Rest assured, Concubine Su. Once Miss Song cures my mother's illness, I will have her go and take a look at Eldest Brother. Perhaps Eldest Brother's health can be cured too."
The fingers Concubine Su used to hold her handkerchief tightened slightly, as if she were about to crush the thin silk. A dark glint flashed through her lowered eyes, but by the time she looked up, it had vanished without a trace.
"For over ten years, what kind of medicinal soups hasn't he taken? He's been nourished with ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms, yet Tingjun's health has never shown any improvement."
"Madam's illness is more important. Let Doctor Song focus on treating Madam. As for Tingjun, I think we should just let it be. I don't expect him to be as lively and vigorous as an ordinary young man, wielding swords and spears. As long as he can live a little longer, I will be completely satisfied."
When she fell silent, Concubine Su's gaze landed on the tightly shut door. To think that even a biological daughter was kicked out during the consultation.
Recalling the words those doctors had said before leaving, an idea formed in Concubine Su's mind.
Tilting her head, she used her right hand, which held the handkerchief, to stroke the corner of her eye. With a shift of her gaze, the maid standing beside her looked up, met her eyes, and instantly lowered her head.
Concubine Su widened her eyes, suddenly remembering something, and spoke up, "Oh, right. The roasted squab Wang Zhong bought today might not be as delicious as the ones from Bright Moon Pavilion, but it was marinated with sour plums, making it refreshing and appetizing. I'll have the maid bring it over for Madam to taste."
Liao Xiwen smiled bitterly and shook her head. "Mother doesn't have the appetite to eat these things right now." If she could stomach meat, her health wouldn't have deteriorated to this state.
Concubine Su said, "Perhaps Madam will have an appetite after Doctor Song's diagnosis. Hongtao, hurry and cut the roasted squab, then bring it over."
The maid named Hongtao immediately curtsied and turned to leave, but she ended up bumping into another maid standing behind her, sending her entire body crashing toward the door.
Amidst a chorus of gasps, Song Jinzhao pulled her bloodied hand out from between Kong Wanru's legs. The bleeding wasn't heavy, similar to the last day of a menstrual cycle, but the color was a dark, almost blackish red, and the foul odor was pungent.
It was highly likely that a portion of the placenta or fetal membrane was still retained inside her body.
Her body had suffered too many miscarriages, causing severe depletion. It was simply no longer fit for pregnancy.
It was truly quite unbelievable that she had managed to carry this pregnancy to six months before miscarrying.
Startled by the screams, Kong Wanru instinctively grabbed the quilt to cover herself.
The impact didn't cause the doorframe to collapse or break; instead, Hongtao clutched her head, bent over, and slid down against the door to sit on the floor.
Before she could even sit steadily, her shoulders slumped to the right, and she curled up, collapsing onto the ground.
Bright red blood flowed onto the floor tiles. Turning to look at the protruding ring-shaped door handle, one could see fresh bloodstains lingering on it.
There was no sign of the door being broken open, but the person had already laid down.
Concubine Su clenched her jaw, her eyes darkening with gloom.
With so many people guarding outside, they still had to lock the door from the inside. They were simply sick.
Seeing Hongtao close her eyes and lose consciousness, Liao Xiwen immediately began to cry out, "Quick, go fetch a doctor! Hurry!"
Concubine Su grabbed Linglong's hand and pointed toward the room. "There's a doctor right inside. Once Song Jinzhao finishes treating Madam, she can take a look at Hongtao. There's no need to make another trip."
Hearing the conversation outside, Song Jinzhao shook her head and sneered. They really never rested.
Kong Wanru asked aloud, "How does it look? Can I still have children?"
Song Jinzhao, who was taking off her gloves, found it exceptionally grating the moment she heard her talk about having more children. This entire family was sick, courting death without taking a break.
"When Madam miscarried, the baby's placenta was not completely expelled from your body. Leaving it inside for a long time will cause infection and inflammation. First, we will use acupuncture combined with three months of medication to cure the illness."
"The damage caused to your body by twelve miscarriages over the years won't heal anytime soon. It will require a long period of conditioning. As short as a year, or as long as two to three years, and perhaps you might have a chance to conceive again."
As for how big this chance was and whether it would actually happen? Song Jinzhao couldn't guarantee that.
Kong Wanru excitedly propped up her upper body with her arms, her severely sunken, emaciated eye sockets widening. "You mean I can still bear children?"
Song Jinzhao closed her medical box, walked over to the bed, and stared at her.
"Given Madam's physical condition, it should have been very difficult for you to conceive previously, let alone safely carry it to six months before miscarrying. Have you taken any fertility-promoting prescriptions?"
What answered Song Jinzhao was pure silence. Without saying a single word, she had already given her answer.
"Do not use them anymore. With Madam's physical condition, even if you conceive, you won't be able to give birth."
"Even for a normal person, giving birth to a healthy baby is a rare feat. If you're not careful, it could result in two lives lost. It's not worth the risk."
Kong Wanru buried her head in the quilt and remained silent. As long as she could give birth to a child, she was willing to do anything.
Even if her health was poor, the estate could afford to support her.
At the very least, she still had her dowry. She would never let him lack medicinal herbs or run out of silver to spend.
Opening the door, what greeted her eyes was the bright red blood on the floor tiles. By the looks of it, her head was definitely busted open.
Song Jinzhao's gaze fell upon Concubine Su, sliding from her face down to the hem of her skirt. She was a bewitching concubine, perfectly exuding the charm of a thirty-year-old woman.
Amidst the rich scent of roses, there was a trace of musk so faint it was almost imperceptible. She must have used it last night, and now it had almost entirely dissipated.
As she scrutinized Concubine Su, the other party was also observing her.
Such a young girl, about the same age as Liao Xiwen, yet she was quite capable. She had turned the Guo family upside down, and now she had come to the Liao estate. She truly was a meddlesome scourge who caused chaos wherever she went.
Liao Xiwen took a large stride forward, grabbing Song Jinzhao's hand and asking anxiously, "Miss Song, how is my mother's condition?"
Concubine Su fixed her gaze intently on Song Jinzhao's face, desperate to know if Kong Wanru's infertility could be cured.
Song Jinzhao lowered her eyes, her expression grave. "The illness has been dragged out for too long and has become quite severe. Let's focus on saving her life first."
Liao Xiwen stood frozen, her mind racing. Did this mean Song Jinzhao could actually cure her mother's infertility? Otherwise, why would she agree to treat her in the first place?
A stray lock of hair by Concubine Su's ear fluttered in the wind, sticking to her cheek until she brushed it away with her hand.
Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile and pointed to the maid who had been carried off to the corner. "Doctor Song, please take a look at Hongtao. She accidentally bumped into the door handle just now and seems to have cracked her head open."
Linglong stepped aside. Song Jinzhao walked over under the eaves and lifted the maid's head. The back of her head was covered in blood, her hair matted into a bloody mess that obscured the wound.
To fake a fall only to smash into a door handle—was this not the very definition of poetic justice?
Karma had rarely struck so quickly.
Pressing a piece of gauze against the bleeding wound, Song Jinzhao instructed, "The cut is deep. Find a room and carry her inside first."
She used acupuncture to revive the maid, treated the wound, and wrote out a prescription.
Liao Xiwen was waiting outside the side room for Song Jinzhao. Seeing her emerge, she immediately rushed over with a wide smile. "My mother just asked the servants to open all the doors and windows in her room, and she even said she was hungry! Can her infertility really be cured?"
Song Jinzhao paused and looked deeply into Liao Xiwen's eyes. "Do you want a younger brother, Miss Liao?"
She seemed a little too invested in whether Kong Wanru could bear children.
Liao Xiwen glanced around. "My father has few heirs, and my eldest brother is not my mother's biological son. If I am ever bullied by my future in-laws, I fear there will be no one to back me up."
Song Jinzhao's lips twitched slightly. She averted her gaze and looked toward the doorway.
Pregnancy did not guarantee a boy, and even if it did, how could a brother nearly twenty years her junior possibly back her up?
Her own mother had endured twelve pregnancies just to have a son. Having a little brother was essentially like having a son of her own to raise. Let alone backing her up, it was far more likely she would end up sacrificing her own well-being to support him for the rest of her life.
Liao Xiwen was sixteen this year and would undoubtedly marry within a year or two. At this rate, it was anyone's guess who would be having a child first.
