After Qin Yongtao entered, his expression was not very pleasant. Dong Shi and Ye Shi quickly withdrew.

Xu Shi was puzzled. After Qin Yongtao sat down, he said, “Over all these years, how much silver have you subsidized the Imperial Consort in total?”

Hadn’t this question already been asked the day before yesterday?

Why ask again?

“Master, don’t you know our household’s financial situation? How much could there be? No more than a few tens of thousands of taels in total.”

This figure was acceptable to Qin Yongtao, after all, that was the palace.

“It was only in the early years when the Imperial Consort’s foundation wasn’t deep that we spent some. Later, with the Sixth Prince’s support, the Imperial Consort’s rank was elevated—why would she still need our subsidies? Every time there are celebrations, who knows how much the Imperial Consort gives in subsidies and rewards.”

Qin Yongtao nodded, his expression improving somewhat.

Having been idle at home these days, after hearing Qin Shuying mention the silver matter that day, he had specifically called the accounting office to go over the books. This investigation was quite alarming—the entire Qin residence was apparently just an empty shell now.

When dividing the household with the second branch, he had known the Qin residence was already an empty shell, but at least there were still incomes from estates and shops. It had only been two months—how was there increasingly a feeling of living off savings?

Xu Shi knew his concerns and said, “It’s the first half of the year now. The estates all require investment but have no income yet. The shops are the same. Come autumn, everything will be fine.”

This reasoning made sense, so Qin Yongtao said nothing more.

As the two were talking, Xu Shi suddenly felt uncomfortable in her stomach and dry-heaved several times.

Qin Yongtao frowned with some annoyance.

Seeing Qin Yongtao’s displeasure, Xu Shi quickly shifted the blame to Dong Shi, “Dong Shi’s management of the household has become increasingly careless. This morning’s meal had a strange taste. It was probably not fresh, making my stomach feel upset.”

Qin Yongtao paid little attention, said a few words, and left.

Xu Shi didn’t think much of it either. Later, she scolded Dong Shi a few times and let it go.

After a day, Xu Shi dry-heaved again, though not as severely as the first day. After being angry for a while and mocking Dong Shi some more, she let it pass.

After three days, she was still dry-heaving and began to feel something was wrong.

Qin Yongtao had stayed overnight in her room. To keep him there, Xu Shi had enticed him into intimate relations. Could she be pregnant?

This would be terrible—they were still in the mourning period.

However, at her age, although her monthly cycles hadn’t stopped, she was already in her forties. How could she possibly be pregnant?

Xu Shi didn’t believe it but feared the possibility, so she didn’t dare call a physician. She thought she’d wait until her monthly cycle—then she’d know everything.

But when the time for her monthly cycle came, there was no bleeding. Xu Shi panicked.

Counting from the day they had intimate relations, it had been over a month. Xu Shi couldn’t sit or lie still, yet didn’t dare tell anyone.

She didn’t even dare tell Qin Yongtao.

After all, that day she had put something in the food, and Qin Yongtao had lost control—that’s how it happened. If Qin Yongtao found out, a scolding would be inevitable, and the relationship they had just rebuilt would likely collapse.

Previously, with Nanny Zhang around, she could have quietly sent her out to inquire, or quietly had her bring someone in to ask. But she couldn’t trust the current Nanny Ruan at all. Jin Huan and Yin Huan had also been sent away. She didn’t have a single trustworthy person by her side.

Xu Shi was at a loss and began thinking of ways to get rid of this thing in her belly.

How could she get rid of it?

She first tried medicinal approaches, saying she needed to eat safflower and Job’s tears porridge. The kitchen prepared it, and Xu Shi ate large quantities. But the next day, the vomiting continued, yet there was no feeling of lower abdominal descent.

When no one was around, she would jump frantically, as high as possible, trying to dislodge the thing in her belly.

However, after jumping for several days, it was completely useless.

During this time, she had someone call Qin Yunyun back.

Xu Shi told her about the situation and asked her to help procure something that could abort the fetus. Qin Yunyun was terrified and brought the medicine in after two days.

The second gate always strictly controlled what could be brought in. Others had no way to bring things in—only Qin Yunyun could personally bring it to Xu Shi’s hands.

Xu Shi consumed everything at once. That night, she really felt some discomfort in her belly. Overjoyed, Xu Shi immediately got up and took some more.

The result was that the next day, when it was time to get up, the maids hadn’t heard any movement from Xu Shi. At first, they didn’t pay attention. When the sun was high and Xu Shi still hadn’t stirred, the maids felt something was wrong. One called for company, and together they went in to find Xu Shi lying motionless on the bed.

The maids were terrified and immediately called everyone up, then reported to Qin Yongtao and Dong Shi.

Dong Shi immediately called for a physician. The physician used silver needles to prick Xu Shi several times. Xu Shi slowly regained consciousness but only stared at people with wide eyes, unable to say a word.

The Qin residence had always used Physician Chen, but he had retired and returned to his hometown last year. They had changed to a different physician whom they didn’t quite trust yet.

The physician said Xu Shi had eaten something bad and likely suffered a stroke.

Qin Yongtao was single-mindedly focused on finding fault with the Empress, enthusiastically discussing with the Sixth Prince, when Xu Shi caused this incident. Qin Yongtao was beyond annoyed—how could Xu Shi have a stroke at this time?

Although it wasn’t easy for Xu Shi to enter the palace, she could still see Lianpin to some degree. If Xu Shi had a stroke, who would relay messages?

Even the Sixth Prince found it difficult to see Lianpin now.

Qin Yongtao didn’t trust this physician and called several more to examine her. They also said Xu Shi had suffered a stroke, but this physician also detected a slippery pulse.

Qin Yongtao used every means and much silver to seal the mouth of the physician who mentioned the slippery pulse. Even so, this incident frightened Qin Yongtao to his core.

He was still in mourning, and Xu Shi, at her advanced age, was actually pregnant…

This wasn’t good news—this was a scandal!

If outsiders found out, forget about impeachment by the censors—his future career would be completely ruined!

The Great Zhou governed through filial piety. As a third-rank official, if he had no sense of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame, even if he could return to office in the future, keeping his original position would require his ancestors’ blessings.

Moreover, Consort De and the Fifth Prince were still watching their side. Wasn’t this handing them the perfect leverage? The Fifth Prince would use this opportunity to crush the Sixth Prince underfoot, never to rise again.

While Qin Yongtao was anxious, Qin Kaiyu suggested: kill that physician.

Father and son discussed all night and felt this was the only way, otherwise the consequences would be endless. But when he had someone secretly watch the physician, he was told that the physician had already retired and returned to his hometown, never to return.

Qin Yongtao was dumbfounded, his face dark as the bottom of a pot: that physician was being watched by someone!