The storeroom of the Imperial Hospital was as bright as day in the night. More than a dozen candles were lit on the desks, the walls, and the floor stands, making the lighting no darker than daytime.
The two imperial physicians on night duty outside were greatly shocked to see that it was Gu Jupu who brought in the dinner and midnight snacks.
"I have never seen Director Gu so attentive."
Smacking his lips, the physician shook his head with a sigh, "Who told you not to be County Princess Linghui? If it weren't for the fact that there are no female physicians in the palace, the position of the Director might have even changed hands."
In the Imperial Hospital, seniority was secondary; those with better medical skills were more likely to rise. Seeing that Director Gu would retire in a few years, no one could yet say they were capable of taking his place.
Song Jinzhao flipped through the records from the year before Princess Yongjia's birth to three years after, and then went back to read the emperor's medical pulse records before Prince Qi was born. She confirmed that the signs of kidney deficiency began in the year Princess Yongjia was born.
It wasn't obvious during each routine pulse check, but looking at half a year's worth of records together made it very clear.
Song Jinzhao raised her eyes and looked at Gu Jupu, "Since Princess Yongjia's birth, the Emperor gradually showed signs of kidney deficiency. Did no one in the Imperial Hospital notice?"
Gu Jupu looked troubled, his chapped lips parting as if he wanted to speak but stopped.
Seeing this, Song Jinzhao raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does Director Gu have some unspeakable secret?"
Since Xiao Chengjing allowed Gu Jupu to stay by his side when summoning her, it meant he knew about the Emperor's infertility.
Gu Jupu slightly opened his lips and mumbled, his voice quieter than a fly.
"When the Emperor was young, he was overly indulgent in the bedroom. Furthermore, after Princess Yongjia was born, no other concubines became pregnant for a long time, so he became a bit too hasty in having them serve him."
Seeing his mouth moving but the sound gradually disappearing, Song Jinzhao leaned in closer to listen carefully. "And then? Your voice is too low, I can't hear you."
Gu Jupu exhaled, leaned in, and whispered so softly it was barely a breath, "The Emperor used some secret medicines."
Song Jinzhao straightened her back, her eyes slightly complex.
Looking at the medical records before Prince Qi was born, Xiao Chengjing's body didn't seem this weak.
Just how indulgent did he have to be to drain himself so quickly?
"How many concubines are there in the Emperor's harem in total?"
Gu Jupu held out his right hand.
Song Jinzhao asked, "Fifty?"
Gu Jupu shook his head.
Song Jinzhao widened her eyes, her tone rising at the end, "Five hundred?"
Gu Jupu nodded. "These are just the ones with official ranks registered in the books. The number of palace maids who have received the Emperor's grace is countless. Every year, a batch of them is granted special permission to leave the palace, so the exact number is impossible to count."
Song Jinzhao stared blankly with her mouth open, feeling nothing but astonishment.
What did he mean by impossible to count?
Had all the palace maids in the palace been favored by the Emperor?
Favouring them without giving them a title and then sending them out of the palace—could Xiao Chengjing not afford to keep them? He was already the Emperor, yet he still didn't want to take responsibility!
Did those palace maids who had been favored have anywhere else to go after leaving the palace?
Ordinary men wouldn't dare to marry them. If they hid the truth, they would be exposed on their wedding night, and their fate could easily be imagined.
No wonder the Empress was overly anxious and depressed. With a husband like this, it would be a miracle if she didn't suffer from depression.
However, despite all this, the imperial physicians had never mentioned this in previous medical records, which meant Xiao Chengjing's health must have been quite good in the past.
Seeing Song Jinzhao's unacceptable expression, Gu Jupu quickly tried to save face for the Emperor. "Most of the current concubines in the palace are older. After Princess Yongjia was born, the Emperor frequently used medicine and worked hard for three years. After that, no more palace maids were favored."
Song Jinzhao looked away with an indescribable expression and stared at the air. It was probably a case of the spirit being willing but the flesh being weak.
It wasn't that he didn't want to show favor; he just couldn't get it up anymore.
With bedroom affairs so frequent they bordered on indulgence, coupled with the use of secret medicines, Song Jinzhao began to doubt her previous speculations.
Perhaps no one had poisoned Xiao Chengjing; he had ruined his own body.
Even if someone had poisoned him, that person might have already left the palace.
Ruining the innocence of so many palace maids without giving them a title, it wouldn't be strange if someone harbored hatred and poisoned him. Some might have even been forced.
Being stuck with such an irresponsible emperor, it was perfectly normal to be unwilling.
"Besides the biological mothers of Prince Qi, Prince Ying, and Princess Yongjia, did no other women in the palace ever get pregnant?"
Favouring so many people, as long as there was no contraception, there should have been quite a few pregnancies.
Gu Jupu replied, "There were quite a few concubines who got pregnant, but the infighting in the harem was extremely fierce at that time. Many suffered miscarriages, and several babies died before they were even a month old."
"Afterwards, the Emperor cleaned up the harem once, and then Princess Yongjia was born. But since then, no concubine has ever become pregnant again."
