Zhou Minghua frowned. It seemed that this matter should be related to Concubine Xian. However, this kind of thing was not something he could say due to his status, so he could only stand aside honestly.
Mingyu did not continue talking about this topic. After being silent for a while, she said: "How long will it take to know whether Shuiyue is infected?"
"It usually takes seven days to half a month to get back to the empress. If Shuiyue doesn't get sick after half a month, it proves that she has not contracted smallpox." After that, he advised: "The matter has not been finalized yet, empress.
Don’t worry too much.”
Mingyu Heshi murmured: "I hope God will bless Shuiyue and be safe."
Xiao Liuzi whispered: "Master, do you want to report this matter to the Queen Mother and the Emperor?"
Mingyu shook his head and said: "The matter has not been determined yet, so there is no point in making them worry. We will wait until there is a conclusion."
That night, no one in Kunning Palace fell asleep. Zhou Minghua also stayed here all night. At dawn, Mingyu sent Xiaoliuzi to the imperial hospital to wait there for the imperial doctor to arrive. Then he invited them all to Kunning Palace.
.
After all the imperial doctors arrived, their expressions changed with horror when they heard the word "smallpox". Some of them even took a step back unconsciously. It's not that they are timid, it's just that smallpox is too scary. Once infected, there is no cure.
It's understandable that you can only look at your own fate. Fortunately, in this situation, as long as you are careful not to touch it, there is no danger of infection.
The things on the embroidered pictures have dried after a night and can no longer be touched directly. However, this is not a difficult task. Zhou Minghua asked someone to get a glass of water and pour it slowly from the place he remembered before.
Something holds it, catching every drop of water.
Then Zhuang Zheng, Song Zihua and other imperial doctors used their own methods to collect water for examination, and the results were consistent - smallpox. At this point, there was no doubt that the embroidered pictures were contaminated with smallpox.
Mingyu held the armrest tightly and murmured: "Smallpox...how can there be smallpox in the palace? What is going on."
Zhou Minghua stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty said before that Concubine Xian would bring this embroidered picture back every night and bring it back the next day. It was the same thing yesterday. Why don't we invite Concubine Xian to ask."
Mingyu nodded and said, "That's all we can do." After saying that, he turned his eyes and said, "Xiao Liuzi, go and ask Concubine Xian to come over immediately. Also..." She hesitated for a moment and said, "Concubine Hui, Assistant to the Sixth Concubine.
Palace, now that such a big thing has happened, she should know that you send someone to call her too."
"Slave obeys the order." Shortly after Xiao Liuzi left, Mrs. Gao and Xiayue came to Kunning Palace one after another. As soon as Xianyue came in, she saw six or seven imperial doctors. Song Zihua was also among them. When he saw her coming, his brows
There was a hint of worry.
At this time, Mrs. Gao had already bowed and said, "I wonder what the purpose of your concubine is in such a hurry?"
Mingyu took a deep look at Xianyue who was still saluting, and said: "Last night, I found that the embroidery pattern I embroidered with Concubine Xian was wet in several places, and I could smell a strange stench.
I was confused for a moment, so I sent the Imperial Physician Zhou to come and have a look, and found that what wetted the embroidery was not water or soup stains, but pus from smallpox patients."
Gao said in shock: "How could such a thing happen? I heard that smallpox broke out in a village in Baoding Prefecture, but the emperor had already sent people to control it. How could it... appear in the palace with such pus?
Dirty and disgusting stuff.”
Mingyu stared at Xianyue, whose expression changed drastically and said, "Concubine Xian, you brought the embroidery pattern to me yesterday. Should you explain it to me carefully?"
Xianyue's heart was like a river, with ups and downs, smallpox... there was such a thing as smallpox on the embroidery pictures, but she knew very well that when she sent them, they were absolutely clean, with nothing but embroidery threads.
Other things, what on earth is going on?
Mingyu waited for a while, but Xianyue never spoke, and asked: "Concubine Xian, why don't you speak?"
Xianyue came back to her senses and hurriedly knelt down and said, "To tell you the truth, I don't know about this, and I don't know where the smallpox came from."
Mrs. Gao sneered and said: "What Concubine Xian said is really ridiculous. You brought the embroidery pictures. If you don't know, then who else knows?"
Xianyue ignored her and said directly: "I really didn't know anything about it. Yesterday morning, when I brought the embroidery pictures, my empress was there. There was nothing unusual at that time.
Mingyu said: "When you sent the embroidery picture over today, I was not feeling well, so I didn't look at it carefully. If it hadn't been a coincidence just now, I might not have known about it until now. As Concubine Hui said, besides me, this embroidery picture is
Outside the palace, you are the only one who has passed through my hands, and you really don’t know anything about it.”
Xianyue lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, I know for sure that I really don't know anything about this."
Mrs. Gao said coldly at the side: "That's really strange. Could it be that the smallpox ran into the palace on its own and came here to embroider the pictures on its own?" After a pause, she suddenly said: "I heard that the smallpox came here on its own.
, The Queen Empress was pregnant with a child before the second elder brother, but she lost it because of Concubine Xian. Concubine Xian, is this true? "
Xianyue secretly clenched her hands, stared at Mrs. Gao and said, "What does Concubine Hui want to say? That incident was an accident, and the Queen also knew it."
Gao said with a half-smile: "What happened back then was an accident, and you didn't know about what happened today, so you brushed it off really cleanly."
Gao didn't mention this matter, and Mingyu had almost forgotten it. Now that Gao mentioned it, her heart couldn't help but stir up troubles again. Back then, she trusted Xianyue very much, so she knelt in front of her and cried bitterly.
When she accidentally missed something, she had no doubts at all, but now...
Xianyue saw the change in Mingyu's expression and knew that she was affected by Gao's words, so she quickly said: "Empress, you treat me like a sister. I will never dare to be disrespectful or disloyal to you. You must never be disrespectful or disloyal to you."
Don't listen to Concubine Hui's instigation."
Mrs. Gao's face turned cold and said: "Concubine Xian, speaking of which, you have been by the emperor's side longer than me. How can you speak so rashly? I am just telling what I know. When will I be too provocative?"
?”
When Xianyue was about to tell the difference, Mingyu already said: "Concubine Xian, it’s okay not to talk about the past. I just want to ask you, this time, where did the smallpox on the Hundred Cranes Picture come from? What do I do with you?
They are all sisters, and today is the birthday of the Emperor's mother, so I don't want to cause too much trouble, but if you insist not to tell me, I will have no choice but to invite the Emperor to come over."
Xianyue's heart skipped a beat and she said, "Even if your Majesty invites the Queen Mother and the Emperor together, my concubine will say the same thing."
"Okay!" Mingyu nodded indifferently, called Xiaoliuzi and said, "Go to the Yangxin Hall and wait. The emperor will report the matter to the emperor as soon as he comes to court."