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Cai Hua’s face showed fear as she hurriedly defended, "Sister, this can’t be blamed on our Consort.

The Consort is kind-hearted and compassionate.

Seeing Nanny Wen in unbearable pain, she merely requested Imperial Physician Huang for a diagnosis.

After the consultation finished, the Consort left for her noon rest, utterly unaware that Imperial Physician Huang was still here. "

Having said that, she then added in a tone full of softness and grievance, "Moreover, when the Consort was resting, it was you who first came asking for an audience without explaining the reason. Even after entering, you refused to reveal the truth. How could the Consort know it was such a serious matter? If it was so urgent, why didn’t you say so earlier? "

In just a few sentences, she had fired back Pang Ya’s words, completely exonerating Consort Zhen of any responsibility, and pushed it all right back.

On hearing this, Consort Zhen grasped Cai Hua’s hand tightly, as if she had found a pillar of support, and her heart suddenly became less panicked.

She nodded continuously, "That’s exactly it.

I was resting at noon and unaware of the situation.

If I had known it was so urgent, I would have had someone summoned immediately. "

Whether she was resting or not, she had to stick to that story.

Pang Ya was furious on the spot. On seeing Consort Zhen clear-headed and neatly dressed, there was no sign she had just woken from a midday nap.

What a clever-tongued maid!

Earlier, they had stalled and made excuses when no one was around, and now, just a few sentences later, somehow the blame had been shifted to their heads. She had seen much with Nanny Qi and knew how to discern truth from lies, and when had she ever accepted such treatment before?

Being hot-tempered by nature, bold as a chili pepper and even daring to disregard Noble Consort’s face, she was about to say something when Xiao Jizi yanked her away.

His eyes flickered sharply, as he took a deep look at the Palace Maid, wiped his sleeve across his eyes, and another torrent of tears poured out.

He stepped in front of Pang Ya, moved two steps forward, bowed deeply, his voice filled with grief and bitterness, "Responding to Consort Zhen, it’s not that we servants didn’t want to tell, but the matter is of great significance.

Nanny Qi instructed us to keep it secret, with many uninvolved people outside we couldn’t talk.

Now we really dare not hide it from Your Highness.

Before we came here, the person, the person had already. .."

He began to tremble, as if enduring immense pain, and finally gritted his teeth and continued, "The person’s bleeding hasn’t stopped, and it still hasn’t stopped now."

He was still referring to Xiao Qing who hadn’t completed her monthly cycle, which certainly meant the bleeding had not stopped. Muttering in his heart, if Xiao Qing found it strange, may it be forgiven, for in order to obey his master’s words, to take revenge for Xiao Qing, he was going all out.

After finishing his sentence, his expression was filled with sorrow as if he could not bear it any longer, and he covered his face with his sleeve to suppress his sobs, quickly winking at Pang Ya when no one was looking.

Understanding the hint through context, Pang Ya immediately grasped Xiao Jizi’s intention. Clenching her teeth with eyes full of resentful anger, she said,

"Consort Zhen, before we came, Nanny Qi said that the cause of the unceasing bleeding was still unclear. Only after Master Huang had a look did we know, and she warned us that the implications were vast and at all costs must not be divulged, fearing rumors would spread and cause baseless speculations in the Harem. She also worried that revealing the truth would frighten and worry Consort Zhen, but here the cunning servants hemmed and hawed, unwilling to give a clear answer, making it seem like they wouldn’t easily let Master Huang go, so we had to go against Nanny Qi’s wishes and tell! "

Consort Zhen’s head went "boom" at that moment, feeling as though the sky had shattered, a loud ringing noise echoing, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

She understood the subtext - Canglan Court’s resident was now suffering from hemorrhage, and the royal offspring within might not be saved. Moreover, the situation was complicated, very likely someone’s doing.

This was serious. If that were the case, even if she had a reasonable argument, it was ultimately her delay; she feared she couldn’t absolve herself of blame, especially with this maid’s furious and accusatory words, making it sound as if she had done it on purpose...

Her mind was thrown into great turmoil, and her mouth fumbled for words for a long time, her body swaying, on the verge of collapse.

Seeing the accusation thrown back at her, Cai Hua became anxious, and noticing that Consort Zhen had yet to respond, she hurriedly tried to speak up.

Xiao Jizi had been paying attention all along. Seeing her about to speak, he immediately began to cry loudly, interrupting her, and said in a loud voice:

"We servants are at our wit’s end, visiting the Consort to find her resting at noon.

Finally, when we get to see the Consort, Master Huang is nowhere to be found.

The Consort also said he wasn’t there, and Master Huang seemed to have vanished into thin air.

We servants couldn’t help being anxious.

Although we dared not go against what Nanny Qi said, we really couldn’t afford any delay.

We had no choice but to report the truth to the Consort to find out where Master Huang had gone. .."

With tears streaming down his face, he ended with a stern, mournful voice: "We also ask the Consort to keep this a secret.

Now only Canglan Court and Huaning Palace know of this.

It must not be leaked, or else it will provoke thunderous fury.

We servants are not afraid of death, but we fear implicating the Consort, leading to. .. to a misdirected punishment..."

In that instant, Consort Zhen’s face drained of all color, the continuous shocks and the words "implication," "thunderous fury," and "misdirected punishment" resonated with her, causing her pupils to tremble.

She felt as if a heavenly thunder had cleaved her mind, threatening to obliterate her very existence.

Without any regard for her image, she clutched Cai Hua’s hand and let out a sharp, piercing cry, "Why hasn’t anyone come yet? Hurry, bring them out, hurry..."

Otherwise, she would be done for. Nanny Qi would not let her go, and she could not bear His Majesty’s wrath!

Her voice became so piercingly sharp that it almost ruptured the eardrums of Cai Hua beside her, who shivered with fright.

Cai Hua cried out in pain as her arm throbbed. The shock ran through her, already intimidated by Xiao Jizi and Pang Ya’s coordinated acting, and then caught off guard by Consort Zhen’s scare.

She had initially hoped to delay things a bit, but now she couldn’t stall any longer. She responded immediately, "This servant will go check now."

Enduring the pain, she freed her hand from where Consort Zhen gripped it and rushed to Nanny Wen’s room. She needed to clean up her own mess. If Consort Zhen or anyone else were to find out, she would likely be the first to be blamed.

She had made preparations earlier to delay things, but now she dared not take that risk. She was afraid of being discovered.

Although she had been mentally prepared to clear herself, Xiao Jizi’s words had made her realize that Consort Zhen was now in disarray and desperate for a scapegoat.

If the person from Canglan Court had an issue, Consort Zhen might push her out to take the blame, since it was her who had stopped them earlier, and Consort Zhen could pretend ignorance using the excuse she had given!

Pang Ya and Xiao Jizi, who initially glared furiously, were also startled by Consort Zhen’s shrill voice, pausing and exchanging glances.

Pang Ya’s anger dissipated as she internally rejoiced. However, keeping her glee hidden, she immediately switched to a look of anxious crying and let out another loud sob, "Hurry! Why is that eunuch taking so long? Is he doing it on purpose?"

Adding fuel to the fire without fear of escalating the situation, she felt a satisfying thrill. Excitement glinted in her eyes, but her face expressed nothing but urgent concern. She continued to wail without shedding a tear, making it look exceedingly incongruous.

Consort Zhen became even more panicked, flailing her hands desperately. The palace maids could barely hold her steady, and she kept repeating, "No, no..." on the verge of madness.