After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 905 - 900: Edema

But Nanny Zhou is, after all, the confidante of the Empress, and in the situation where the Empress has already drifted away from the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager does not dare to overtly sever the Empress’s right hand. That is why the Empress Dowager had long harbored murderous intent towards Nanny Zhou but had yet to act upon it.

The Empress holds the Phoenix Seal; if her most trusted and capable nanny is removed without a traceable reason, how could the concubines in the harem miss such a good opportunity to suppress the Empress?

Consort Li would be the first one not to let it go.

The Empress Dowager is waiting for Nanny Zhou to leave the palace before making a move.

The Empress Dowager lacks patience, and Su Jin also lacks patience.

It is unpleasant to know the truth but still have to gather enough evidence to topple the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

This is a long-standing case, the most knowledgeable Doctor Feng was silenced, and the only way forward is to target the people around the Empress.

Only the Empress’s confidantes would know such secretive matters.

Since they are confidantes, it won’t be easy to get the truth out of them. All that can be done at the moment is to sow discord.

Once their loyalty is gone, it will be easier to pry open their mouths.

Su Jin chose Nanny Zhou, firstly because she was the Empress’s confidante, and secondly, because when Su Jin was born, Mrs. Tang had saved her from Nanny Zhou.

At that time, Nanny Zhou intended to bury Su Jin alive.

Starting with Nanny Zhou was equivalent to investigating two cases at once.

Just as Su Jin was losing her patience, an unexpected winter rain arrived.

The weather was already cold, and the rain made it even more bone-chilling.

The cold wind seeped into one’s neck, as if packed with ice.

Su Jin still wanted to enter the palace frequently to see if any opportunities arose, but with the cold weather, she didn’t even want to leave the house.

However, the colder it got, the better business at the Beauty Pavilion became.

While others saw a slump in business during the cold winter, Beauty Pavilion’s business thrived more than before.

The shop that previously sold ice now transformed into selling charcoal.

They sold ice during the blazing summer and charcoal amidst the snowy winter; not a penny would slip away from the honest shop’s hands.

Su Jin’s business skills became a hot topic in teahouses and taverns.

This is what it means to be good at business.

She had thought about selling charcoal in winter already when selling ice in summer, stockpiling a pile of charcoal, not only winning over the people but now having nearly driven the other charcoal sellers out of business.

It’s a common practice for charcoal sellers to stock up in summer and sell in winter, nothing surprising.

But this year, with Su Jin intervening, Beauty Pavilion needed charcoal, and they didn’t pressure the price for charcoal as other sellers did.

Su Jin’s charcoal prices were consistent. As long as the charcoal was good, she would take as much as offered.

Other charcoal sellers definitely couldn’t compete with Su Jin, thinking that Beauty Pavilion wouldn’t need too much charcoal stored. They thought to wait until Beauty Pavilion had enough and then they could stock up.

This wait lasted from summer to autumn...

Now it was winter, households burned less charcoal, and collecting more would cost much more, reducing profit margins significantly.

Without charcoal to sell, how could the business be good?

They could only watch as customers handed money over at the benevolent charcoal shop and were led to collect charcoal.

There wasn’t a speck of charcoal dust to be seen in the supposedly charcoal-selling shop, immaculate and clean, loved by customers.

Moreover, buying in large quantities came with extras like soap, which made it even more popular.

The rain drizzled down for three to four days, becoming sunny only on the fifth day.

The sky was as clear as washed jade.

The air was so pure it seemed like flawless jade.

Being cooped up indoors for several days made people languid.

At Prince NanAn Mansion.

Princess NanAn hadn’t gone out for days and sent a servant to invite Marchioness Jingguo and others to play mahjong.

As the servant stepped out, a maid came running in, saying, "Princess, a servant sent to Yinzhou has returned."

Princess NanAn’s heart leapt with joy, "Quickly, let him come in."

The servant entered swiftly.

Having traveled hurriedly, he was somewhat out of breath.

Seeing him, Princess NanAn asked, "Is Miss Nie well?"

The servant hesitated.

Princess NanAn’s heart sank, "Why aren’t you speaking?"

The servant hemmed and hawed.

Princess NanAn’s heart sank further, "I want to hear the truth."

Only then did the servant say, "I did see Miss Nie, but...."

Princess NanAn was beyond anxious.

The housekeeper’s mother got annoyed, "Stop stalling, do you need to be dragged out and beaten before you’ll tell the whole story?"

The servant hurriedly said, "I wouldn’t dare, it’s just that Miss Nie has changed a lot since she left the Capital, she seems very sick, swollen in the face, I nearly didn’t recognize her."

The servant was someone Princess NanAn trusted.

What he said about Nie Yao, Princess NanAn did not doubt, and it made her more afraid.

Initially, Nie Yao left the Capital supposedly to recuperate, but after so long, instead of improving, she seemed to worsen?

Princess NanAn was uneasy, wanting to ask Su Jin for advice.

The housekeeper mother blocked her, "Princess, please don’t go. If Princess Consort Zhenbei were willing to talk, she would have already informed the Commandery Prince; she must have promised Nie Yao not to say a word."

Going there would likely result in Princess Consort Zhenbei not saying anything and being put in a difficult position.

Princess NanAn sat down, her heart trembling, "Then, invite Doctor Wei over. He is the mentor of Princess Consort Zhenbei, with excellent medical skills derived from him; he must know what illness it is."

She wouldn’t make things difficult for Princess Consort Zhenbei, but she couldn’t suppress the urge to understand Nie Yao’s situation.

Nie Yao was in Yinzhou, quite a distance away. If it were only two or three days’ travel, Princess NanAn would have gone herself.

And then—

Doctor Wei was invited over.

Recently, more people were seeking Doctor Wei’s consultations every day.

The consultation fees were coming in rapidly.

The title of being Princess Consort Zhenbei’s mentor caused his fees to triple at the very least.

After all, in the eyes of many, the medical skills of an apprentice could not rival the master, and Su Jin was young.

With medical skills less competent, a fee of ten thousand taels was taken casually; the Empress Dowager was no exception. Better medical skills deserved more than an ordinary imperial physician’s fee, didn’t they?

The excessive fees made them hesitant, so they agreed on tripling the fee, becoming an unwritten rule.

Doctor Wei had just finished treating someone and returned to the palace when people from Prince NanAn Mansion sent in a card, specifically requesting Doctor Wei for a house call.

Doctor Wei lifted a cup of tea but hadn’t taken a sip before setting it down to pick up his medicine box for the visit.

Before treating, he assessed the complexion; Princess NanAn had a look of anxiety but didn’t seem ill.

Doctor Wei moved forward to pay respects, and Princess NanAn said, "Doctor Wei, please, have a seat."

Doctor Wei, "...."

Hmm.

Everyone speaks to him very politely now, thanks to his title as the princess’s mentor.

However, he was here to treat; should he not see the patient first?

Doctor Wei sat down and asked, "I wonder who in your residence is unwell?"

Princess NanAn said, "There is no one ill in our residence. We asked for Doctor Wei to find out what illness requires ten months of recuperation and causes facial swelling?"

Doctor Wei knitted his brows.

Just from these symptoms, how was he supposed to diagnose?

However, with his years of medical practice, Doctor Wei asked, "May I know if the patient is male or female?"

The question left them bewildered.

Does illness really differentiate between male and female?

"It’s a woman," the housekeeper mother quickly replied.

"Is she a married woman or an unmarried girl?" Doctor Wei asked again.

"She’s an unmarried girl."

Doctor Wei shook his head and said, "Then I don’t know what illness it could be."

Princess NanAn looked at him, "What if it were a married woman?"

Doctor Wei smiled, "I wouldn’t dare to say for sure, but if it were a married woman, the symptoms you described would make me first suspect pregnancy."

Princess NanAn, "...."

Housekeeper mother, "...."