Lord Fourth shot a meaningful look toward Su Peicheng.
Su Peicheng understood. With a whish of his horsetail whisk, he dismissed the subordinates in the room before exiting himself to wait outside.
When the only people who remained were Lord Fourth and Chief Physician Feng, Lord Fourth shot a look at Chief Physician Feng, indicating that he could now speak.
Chief Physician Feng moved close to Lord Fourth and said softly, "Lord Fourth, I smelled some 'cold' medicine when I was in the Fujin's yard yesterday."
"Can't throat medicine contain 'cold' ingredients?" Lord Fourth asked, puzzled.
"Lord Fourth, medicine for the throat is supposed to be 'cool,' but the medicine I smelled was mostly 'cold.' If the Fujin is with child, it would not be good for her body." Chief Physician Feng was new here, but he already felt something was amiss since the day before.
However, he could not disturb Lord Fourth then, who was being intimate with the Fujin at that time.
After mulling over this for a night, he felt the need to speak to Lord Fourth so that he could secure his position in the residence.
If not, he would suffer in the future if anything happened to the Fujin.
Upon hearing this, Lord Fourth pondered deeply and thought back on Ruoyin's unusual behavior.
It was only after a long time that he spoke up and asked Chief Physician Feng, "Are you sure that the medicine is 'cold' and not for the throat?"
"Lord Fourth, I have worked as a physician in the palace for more than ten years. I would never mistake the smell of any medicine." However, Chief Physician Feng had the moral integrity to comment, "I am thinking it might be possible a quack outside has given the Fujin the wrong medicine."
Lord Fourth's face fell and his dark eyes turned frosty. He rose and walked out briskly. "We're going to the main courtyard!"
Chief Physician Feng complied and followed Lord Fourth silently.
Su Peicheng was still unaware of what was happening. Upon noticing Lord Fourth's stormy expression, he quickly followed as well.
Upon his arrival at the main courtyard, Lord Fourth did not instruct anyone to announce his presence before entering the residence immediately.
When he saw a steaming bowl of brown medicine in front of Ruoyin, he walked up to her and swept it to the ground with his right hand.
"Smash!" went the bowl, which shattered against the ground. All the medicine was splattered on the floor, and a medicinal smell perfused the air.
Ruoyin had no time to even rise before she was shocked by the scene that unfolded. Her heart raced wildly.
Everything had happened so suddenly that she was stunned.
At the same time, the gears in her brain churned rapidly. Did Lord Fourth suspect something?
Did he know that she was drinking contraceptive soup?
The thought of this possibility made her palms erupt in sweat.
However, she still affected confusion and asked, "My Lord, what is it? Today will be the last time I take this medicine."
Lord Fourth glared at her coldly and ignored her. In a mild tone, he instructed Su Peicheng, "Let Chief Physician Feng investigate if there is anything fishy with this medicine. Also, seek out all the medicine in the main courtyard!"
With that said, he settled himself on the fauteuil in the room and fiddled with the jadeite thumb ring in his hand, refusing to look at Ruoyin.
Ruoyin now understood that Lord Fourth definitely understood that there was something wrong with the medicine.
She stood at her original spot, feeling at her wit's end.
She understood that Lord Fourth was furious and would not acknowledge her anymore.
She felt hesitant and was so nervous that she was as tense as a tightly-drawn bow.
She watched helplessly as Chief Physician Feng tested the medicine on the ground and Su Peicheng brought in people to search the residence.
Lord Fourth might be gentle when he doted on her, but he was absolutely terrifying when he was in a rage!
When this man spoiled her, he was like an elegant and modest gentleman who felt like a cleansing spring breeze.
When he was boiling with anger, he was like a cold-blooded beast with the frostiness of a stranger and treated her like she was air.
It would have been better if he lectured her, but he simply had to look so icy. It made Ruoyin feel as if she had received ten thousand points of frost damage.
Since things had already come to this, Ruoyin could only wait it out. She sat down and was no longer able to feel as unrestrained as before. It was as though she was sitting on pins and needles.
While all of this happened, Lord Fourth did not cast another look at her.
And she did not look at Lord Fourth either.
After a short while, Chief Physician Feng finished his investigation.
Su Peicheng had found packets of medicine, which he placed on the table in front of Lord Fourth before retreating to the side.
As a servant, the matters of his masters were not something that he could interfere in.
Chief Physician Feng opened a packet, frowning involuntarily as he examined it.
He then walked toward Lord Fourth and bowed. "Lord Fourth, I examined the medicine in the packets, and they are all 'cold.' They correspond to the medicine in the Fujin's bowl, and if my conclusions are right… that is the prescription for contraceptive soup."
When these words were spoken, Ruoyin did not explain herself but only looked at Lord Fourth indifferently.
Upon hearing that the packets contained a prescription for contraceptive soup, Lord Fourth slammed the table in anger, causing the teacups on it to jump, fall off the table, and shatter.
Seeing this, Su Peicheng was so afraid that he broke out in a cold sweat and hurried to get all the subordinates and Chief Physician Feng out of the room.
It was better for them to avoid a fight between their masters.
Standing outside the door, he fell into thought. He could not understand why the Fujin would drink contraceptive soup. Didn't the Fujin want children?
"Fujin, don't tell me that you've accidentally bought a prescription for contraceptive soup instead of medicine for your throat," Lord Fourth said in a freezing tone in the house. He added, "Or that an external doctor got your medicine wrong. If so, they need not think about operating anymore!"
Ruoyin looked up and faced Lord Fourth squarely without any trace of her usual plaintiveness and innocence.
She only replied mildly, "One should dare to answer for what one did. I was the one who asked the medicine shop for the prescription. It is not their fault."
She admitted this mainly because she realized that Lord Fourth would not be fooled by her once he became strict.
It was more appropriate for her to put on her "professional face."
She would act coquettishly when she should, behave stubbornly when she should, and follow the rules when she should.
"Why did you do it?" Lord Fourth looked straight ahead expressionlessly. There was no telling what he was thinking. Suddenly, he switched the subject and asked, "You can't have been lying to me and drinking contraceptive soup for the past five years, can you?"
Ruoyin was speechless. She could not take the bag for this, for she had only started drinking it recently.
"Lord Fourth, I only drank the contraceptive soup because I was afraid that bearing a child right after my recovery from a serious illness would affect both my body and the child. I started drinking the soup just recently and have never drunk it before." Afraid that Lord Fourth would not believe her, Ruoyin even raised a hand to swear to the gods. "If my Lord does not believe me, I can swear to the gods that if I've drunk contraceptive soup for five years, they can strike…"
"Shut up! Have I allowed you to make such a vow?" Lord Fourth looked up and swept a cold glance at Ruoyin. "Don't imagine that I will believe you if you do that!" he said sternly.
Lord Fourth was really incensed this time. The doctor had already given her a full bill of health, but she was still drinking contraceptive soup and keeping him in the dark. It was outrageous!
But she did seem to have only started drinking it recently or she would not have tried to make such a solemn vow.