Inside the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Gu Jupu swept a stern gaze over the fourteen imperial physicians standing in the room.
"Physician Xu, you will be responsible for Low-Rank Concubine Yan; Physician Hong, you are in charge of caring for Attendant Hai's dragon fetus; Physician Cheng, you take Female Attendant Wu..."
After assigning all fourteen men, Gu Jupu addressed them loudly, "Everyone must pay a hundred and twenty percent attention. If anything happens to the concubines you are responsible for, even I won't be able to protect you when His Majesty's blame comes down."
"If you encounter any tricky problems, you must immediately inform me and County Princess Linghui. Do not be negligent or let your guard down."
Physician Xu looked up, his eyes shining.
"So County Princess Linghui will be coming to the Imperial Academy of Medicine? Aside from matters regarding the pregnant concubines, can we consult her on other difficult medical problems?"
The other thirteen nodded in agreement. They also wanted to ask this question; it would be wonderful if they could learn County Princess Linghui's skill of cutting open stomachs.
Gu Jupu's face darkened. "You should put all your energy into the dragon fetuses. The County Princess is very busy and doesn't have that much time to answer your questions and clear your doubts."
Physician Cheng said, "Of course we value the dragon fetuses, but we can't just stay in the young mistresses' palaces all day without leaving."
Physician Hong added, "It is precisely because our medical skills are lacking that we must learn from County Princess Linghui. How can we let such a good opportunity slip by?"
Looking at the two physicians whose status was second only to his own, Gu Jupu pursed his lips and said, "The County Princess will enter the palace every morning to check the pulses of the young mistresses. Afterward, she might sit in the Imperial Academy of Medicine for a short while."
"Whether you can get the County Princess's guidance will depend on your own abilities."
At a temporarily cleared desk in the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Song Jinzhao was leaning back in a chair, reading medical books collected by the palace.
On her right side were tea and pastries.
"Head Physician Gu, may I take these medical books back to my manor to read?"
Gu Jupu stopped recording the pulse cases, looked up, and glanced at the stack of medical books on the desk.
"The County Princess may take any medical books from the Academy. Just remember to return them when you are done."
On a chair by the bookshelf, Physician Hong's fingers had almost rubbed the skin off his pen.
Hearing their conversation, he immediately took out a medical book preserved for hundreds of years from a drawer under the cabinet.
"This is a rare copy of a medical book my grandfather found early on. If the County Princess doesn't mind, you can take it back to read."
Looking at the old cover handed to the desk, Song Jinzhao reached out, took it, and casually flipped through a few pages.
The book recorded many diseases of various body parts and included real cases and treatment processes, like a summary of a doctor's many years of practice.
Judging from the years of the cases, this book was written over two hundred years ago.
"Thank you, Physician Hong. Some of the conditions in here are quite useful for reference."
Receiving a response, Physician Hong immediately pulled over a chair, sat next to Song Jinzhao, and started chatting with her.
"To be honest with the County Princess, I have studied some of the conditions in there for years but have never fully understood them."
Saying this, he reached out and quickly flipped through the book.
Sitting opposite, Physician Xu curled his lips and rolled his eyes at Physician Hong.
How did he let him get ahead? He intentionally brought a medical book from home; what a good scheme.
Returning from the palace, Song Jinzhao said, "Didn't you say you were bored staying at home? These are all rare copies collected by the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Study them well."
Song Shixue, who was holding her young brother's hand teaching him to write, had her eyes light up. She put down the pen and came over.
Opening any book at random, she found they were all ones she had never read.
She excitedly hugged the books and said to Song Jinzhao, "Sister, you are amazing! Can we copy these?"
Song Jinzhao shook her head and vetoed, "No, but you can summarize them yourself after reading. Just don't copy them word for word."
Song Shixue understood instantly.
She nodded vigorously, then carefully hugged the books and placed them neatly on the bookshelf behind the desk.
As Song Jinzhao went to the palace every day to hold the fort, it wasn't just Prince Qi and Prince Ying who caught on; the civil and military officials also started to form their own speculations.
A beaming Ye Liangyu held up a wine cup to toast Song Jinzhao.
"The County Princess is indeed formidable. Now, Lao Fei and I won't have to set our sights on the imperial clan's descendants anymore."
Even if only half of the fourteen concubines were carrying male fetuses, that would still mean seven princes.
Currently, the Emperor was in good health. Living until they were in their teens would be absolutely no problem, and by then, there would be many more choices.
After staying in the Imperial Academy of Medicine for seven consecutive days, the imperial physicians in the palace had all become familiar with Song Jinzhao.
The collision between modern medical ideology and ancient medical thinking often sparked considerable inspiration.
The imperial physicians broadened their horizons, and Song Jinzhao also gained a lot in return.
"This servant pays respects to County Princess Linghui. My lady is feeling unwell and her stomach suddenly hurts terribly. I beseech the County Princess to quickly go and take a look."
Song Jinzhao looked at the unfamiliar palace maid; she hadn't seen her in the palaces of the pregnant concubines.
"Who is your lady?"
The palace maid raised her chin. "My lady is Noble Consort Jin."
Song Jinzhao looked her up and down, thought for a second, and then turned her head to shout into the inner room.
"Head Physician Gu, Noble Consort Jin is unwell and requests your consultation."
The palace maid widened her eyes, frowned in dissatisfaction, and said to Song Jinzhao, "County Princess, Her Ladyship asked you to treat her, not Imperial Physician Gu."
Song Jinzhao asked in return, "Is Noble Consort Jin pregnant?"
The palace maid shook her head.
Song Jinzhao said, "The Emperor only ordered me to care for the dragon fetuses of the fourteen pregnant concubines. Noble Consort Jin is not pregnant, so she is not within my scope of duties."
Raising her voice, the palace maid retorted incredulously and angrily, "My lady is a Noble Consort! Is she not worthy of having the County Princess treat her?"
Song Jinzhao stood up and gathered her things, preparing to leave the palace.
"When people in the palace fall ill, they must seek an imperial physician, but I am not an imperial physician."
Watching Song Jinzhao's carefree departing figure, the palace maid felt as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly.
She stomped her feet in a huff and walked out.
Leaving a room full of imperial physicians looking at each other in dismay—so, should they send an imperial physician over to look or not?
Didn't she say Noble Consort Jin's stomach hurt?
Called out, Gu Jupu stood at the door in a dilemma. Going or not going right now were both bad options; he was bound to get a scolding either way.
In the end, he still went to the Palace of Eternal Longevity.
He really couldn't diagnose any illness, so he finally had to say she had caught a chill in the evening that affected her stomach. He threw out a few perfunctory words of advice and left.
She was clearly faking an illness. What was Noble Consort Jin trying to do?
After finishing his shift in the evening, Gu Jupu stopped by the County Princess's manor on his way.
Song Jinzhao was looking at account books.
"I went to the Palace of Eternal Longevity to check. Noble Consort Jin's health is perfectly fine."
Song Jinzhao replied, "Whether she is fine or not has nothing to do with me. There are dozens of imperial physicians in the palace; can't she find one to treat her?"
Trying to fleece her specifically, treating her as if she were easy to bully.
Gu Jupu looked troubled.
"Noble Consort Jin is, after all, the birth mother of His Highness Prince Qi and is deeply favored by the Emperor. If she whispers in the Emperor's ear, I fear His Majesty might blame the County Princess."
Song Jinzhao raised an eyebrow slightly. "A mother's honor depends on her son, and a mother's lowliness is due to her son. Tell me, in the Emperor's heart, who is more important: the dragon fetuses or Noble Consort Jin?"
Gu Jupu: "..."
