Although Liyu was filled with doubts, she dared not ask more questions and hurried to fetch a physician as instructed. After an hour, Liyu brought in a physician around forty years old and said softly, “Your Highness, this is Physician Zhou who is skilled in the healing arts and quite famous in Chang’an City.”

Jirong nodded slightly without saying anything, merely extending her hand and saying, “Please, Physician Zhou, check my pulse.”

Though Physician Zhou didn’t understand why she asked him to check her pulse directly without even mentioning her symptoms, he had treated many high-ranking officials and nobles and knew that the most taboo thing when facing such people was to be talkative. So he asked nothing, responded with acknowledgment, and placed his fingers on that snow-white wrist. After a while, he withdrew his hand and said joyfully, “Congratulations, Your Highness. This is a pregnancy pulse. According to the pulse, the fetus should be over a month old.”

Jirong showed no joy and didn’t withdraw her hand, saying calmly, “Physician Zhou, please check more carefully.”

Physician Zhou thought Jirong didn’t trust his medical skills and was somewhat displeased. “This humble one has studied medicine since childhood for a full fifty years now. I wouldn’t lack such basic certainty. Your Highness undoubtedly has a pregnancy pulse.”

“Please check my pulse again, Physician Zhou.” Seeing Jirong’s insistence, Physician Zhou dared not offend this Crown Prince’s consort and had to suppress his displeasure to check her pulse again.

Same as before, it was undoubtedly a pregnancy pulse. He truly didn’t know what else needed to be examined – it was simply incomprehensible!

While Physician Zhou was secretly grumbling, the originally fast and slippery pulse suddenly became gentle and calm. But when Physician Zhou noticed this change, it quickly became fast and slippery again, as if nothing had happened.

Physician Zhou was shocked and puzzled. He was certain that the pulse change just now was not an illusion. Logically speaking, a pregnant woman’s pulse would maintain a fast and slippery state until childbirth and could never be as stable as an ordinary person’s. What was going on with Consort Ji’s pulse?

After this incident, Physician Zhou dared not be careless anymore and carefully examined Jirong’s pulse. Then another sudden pulse change occurred, the same as before – without warning and lasting an extremely short time. If he hadn’t been constantly checking the pulse, he wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

Strange, truly strange!

“What’s the result?” Jirong’s voice pulled Physician Zhou back from his thoughts. He hurriedly bowed and said, “In response to Your Highness, your pulse is somewhat… different from ordinary pregnant women.”

“I know, that’s why I summoned you here.” Jirong had discovered during her previous pulse checks that her pulse would occasionally become as gentle as an ordinary person’s, which made her suspicious. That’s why she had ordered Liyu to bring him here. “Do you know the reason?”

“This…” Although Physician Zhou had thought of a possibility, he dared not speak it easily. After hesitating for a long time, he said, “May this humble one feel Your Highness’s abdomen?”

Before Jirong could speak, Liyu had already scolded, “How dare you! Her Highness is of noble birth – how can you touch her at will? If you dare speak such nonsense again, then…”

“No matter.” Jirong interrupted Liyu’s words and said calmly, “Please, Physician Zhou, examine the fetus for me.”

Physician Zhou responded and carefully extended his right hand’s four fingers to press on Jirong’s abdomen. After pressing around the area, his face had already begun to turn pale.

Seeing his expression, Jirong’s heart sank. Could it really be as she suspected? That there was nothing at all…

Jirong struggled to suppress her thoughts and said, “How is the fetus’s condition?”

Her voice wasn’t heavy, but it frightened Physician Zhou so much that his hands and feet trembled. After a long while, he said in a trembling voice, “Any pregnant woman’s abdomen should be hard and firm, but Your Highness’s abdomen is hard yet soft. This humble one suspects… suspects…”

After waiting a long time without him continuing, Liyu couldn’t help but urge, “Suspects what? Speak quickly!”

Physician Zhou gritted his teeth and said rapidly, “This humble one suspects Your Highness is not pregnant at all!”

Liyu was startled, then shouted angrily, “You quack doctor, what nonsense are you spouting! Her Highness’s pregnancy is absolutely certain – how could she not be pregnant!”

Though ice blocks were placed around the room making it cool and pleasant, Physician Zhou was covered in sweat with weak legs, involuntarily kneeling down and saying, “This humble one is only suspicious and dare not be certain. Otherwise… Your Highness can pretend this humble one said nothing and request other physicians to examine.”

Liyu snorted lightly and said to Jirong, whose face had darkened, “Your Highness, don’t listen to his nonsense. This servant will go fetch another physician right now.”

Just as Liyu was about to step out of the main hall, Jirong’s ice-cold voice came from behind, “No need.”

After calling back Liyu, Jirong stared at Physician Zhou and said, “Are you certain I’m not pregnant?”

Physician Zhou kept his head down, not daring to speak. Jirong knew he was afraid of taking responsibility, so she said, “I pardon you from guilt. Just speak freely.”

“Yes.” Physician Zhou secretly breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her, saying, “First, Your Highness’s pulse differs from ordinary pregnant women; second, Your Highness’s lower abdomen is hard yet soft. These two signs both indicate Your Highness is not pregnant.”

Liyu scoffed, “Her Highness is only two months pregnant now, so what’s strange about her lower abdomen not being hard yet? Moreover, Her Highness’s menstruation hasn’t come, and she often feels nauseous and wants to vomit – if not pregnancy, what else could it be?”

“When any woman is pregnant, regardless of how many months, her lower abdomen will become hard – this point is absolutely correct. As for menstruation not coming, besides pregnancy, blocked qi and blood or excessive worry are also possible causes.”

Liyu felt panicked hearing this and quickly scolded, “Then how do you explain the pulse?”

Physician Zhou hesitated without speaking. This point he truly couldn’t answer. Whether it was blocked qi and blood or excessive worry, neither could change the pulse pattern. Could it be…

Physician Zhou secretly glanced at Jirong, only to find her looking at him, caught red-handed, frozen there not knowing what to do.

Jirong looked away and ordered Liyu to bring the medicine packet from before. “Look at these herbs – are there any problems?”

Physician Zhou responded and hurriedly focused his attention on this packet of herbs. Same as Jirong’s previous examination, this was just an ordinary fetal-stabilizing medicine with no problems whatsoever.

“So the problem of my missed menstruation and strange pulse is not caused by this medicine?” Jirong’s words made Liyu alarmed, and she hurriedly said, “Your Highness, don’t believe his nonsense. You clearly are…”

Jirong raised her hand to interrupt her words. “Whether it’s nonsense or truth, I can distinguish clearly. Here…” She stroked her flat abdomen and said sadly, “there is no child.”

“That can’t be, there must be. Imperial Physician Gao clearly said…” Halfway through her words, Liyu suddenly remembered what Jirong had ordered those two people to do before, and the repeated checking of Gao Qi’s medicine. Could it be… was it Gao Qi who caused this harm?

“Though pulse can diagnose illness, it’s not necessarily accurate. As far as I know, both medicine and acupuncture can change pulse patterns. Am I correct?” Seeing Jirong’s gaze turn to him, Physician Zhou hurriedly said, “Your Highness speaks correctly. Based on Your Highness’s condition, this humble one boldly speculates it should be caused by medicine.”