Ji Qingrong was both mortified and anxious.
In order to win Lu Juan's heart, she had cast aside her dignity and reserve as the main wife, employing every trick she knew in the bedroom.
Despite this, they shared a bed nearly every night, yet her belly remained stubbornly empty. Instead, she had developed symptoms of an internal imbalance—a deficiency of yin and an excess of fire.
She bit her lower lip tightly, then released it, her tone laced with helplessness.
"Fifth Sister, as your elder sister, I won't hide this from you. When our eldest brother was sent as an envoy to Nanchu, I specifically asked him to find a miracle-working doctor who specializes in infertility. I've already seen every famous doctor in Lin'an City."
And by a twist of fate, that search ended up bringing their own fifth sister home.
"Eldest Sister, do you trust me?" Ji Qingwu asked.
Looking into Ji Qingwu's bright eyes, Ji Qingrong felt a flicker of doubt, but she nodded anyway.
Ji Qingwu studied her sister's complexion and began her calm analysis. "Eldest Sister, your constitution certainly needs careful conditioning. However, besides that, your pulse indicates a much bigger problem."
Ji Qingrong's heart tightened. "What is it?" she asked urgently.
"Eldest Sister, during your monthly courses, do your hands and feet turn ice-cold, yet you feel abnormally hot and always crave cold foods? And when your period is about to end, does it linger with spotting for several days before stopping completely?"
Seeing that Ji Qingwu had described her symptoms to a tee, Ji Qingrong nodded earnestly.
"That's exactly right."
Ji Qingwu said, "I suspect you've mistakenly taken some medicine that has damaged your fundamental constitution."
At these words, Mrs. Qiao's expression changed dramatically.
'Who would be so bold as to drug the Heir's wife?'
Hearing this, Ji Qingrong's expression turned even uglier. Her beautiful face suddenly paled, devoid of color.
Seeing her reaction, Ji Qingwu realized something. 'It seems Ji Qingrong took the medicine herself. She knew what she was doing.'
Mrs. Qiao noticed this as well and pressed her, "Qingrong, have you been taking any kind of medicine?"
Ji Qingrong's lips were pale. "Mother, I... I took birth control pills for a year."
Birth control pills?!
Mrs. Qiao was aghast. "Qingrong! How could you be so foolish!"
"When I had just gotten married, I was still young. I heard my second sister-in-law say that she had a difficult childbirth and suffered a massive hemorrhage. She nearly died. I was terrified, so I went to an old doctor at Qingchun Hall and had him prescribe me birth control pills."
Qingchun Hall was the most famous medical hall in Lin'an City, possessing countless rare and precious medicines.
Ji Qingrong knew such medicine shouldn't be taken lightly. She explained, "The old doctor assured me that the pills were mixed with nourishing herbs and wouldn't harm a woman's body. Besides, I made inquiries and found that quite a few noble ladies have used these same pills."
Mrs. Qiao poked her on the forehead, her voice thick with frustration. "And look where that got you! You've ruined your health. When you could have had children, you didn't want them. Now that you want them, you can't have them! What am I supposed to say to you! This is no different from sabotaging your own future!"
"There can't be anything wrong with the medicine. I investigated it very carefully beforehand," Ji Qingrong insisted stubbornly.
Her eldest daughter, Qingrong, had always been decisive since she was a child, and she rarely made mistakes. She was quick-witted and perceptive, excelling at managing household accounts, drafting lists, and overseeing domestic affairs. Mrs. Qiao had always trusted her completely.
But this had also fostered a habit of acting decisively without consultation, never accustomed to discussing her plans with others.
Mrs. Qiao's brow was deeply furrowed with worry. "Qingrong," she said sternly, "why didn't you come home and discuss this with your mother? You just followed your own whim and took those pills, and for a whole year at that."
Faced with Mrs. Qiao's reprimand, Ji Qingrong's resolve began to waver.
'But she knew that if she had told Mrs. Qiao, her mother would never have agreed. She would have just urged her to give birth to the eldest son as soon as possible to secure her position in the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion.'
'She just never imagined that her difficulty conceiving would be because of those birth control pills.'
But it was too late for regrets now. Her only choice was to pin all her hopes on her fifth sister.
Meeting Ji Qingrong's pleading gaze, Ji Qingwu said gently, "Eldest Sister, don't blame yourself. For a woman, childbirth has always been a walk through the Ghost Gate. It was right for you to find a way to prevent pregnancy when you weren't ready."
"Fifth Sister..." Ji Qingrong's eyes reddened again.
'In truth, she was blaming herself terribly. If she hadn't been so overly sentimental, she wouldn't have been dealt such a good hand only to play it so poorly.'
'As the Heir's wife, unable to produce the legitimate eldest son, she could only watch as her mother-in-law used her childlessness as an excuse to send one woman after another into the Princely Heir's chambers. Although she had used her own methods to secure Lu Juan's affection for now... what about the future?'
Mrs. Qiao heaved a long sigh. "Xiao Wu, is there any hope for your eldest sister's condition?"
Ji Qingwu asked, "Eldest Sister, do you have any of the birth control pills left? I'd like to identify the ingredients."
"I do," Ji Qingrong said after a moment's thought. "I didn't use them all. The remaining pills are in a box, inside the cabinet that holds my dowry in my room. I don't have them with me."
"There's no rush. I'll make a trip to the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion myself tomorrow."
The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Ji Qingwu took Jiu Jiu to Anju Garden, asking Mrs. Qiao and Nanny Li to look after Jiu Jiu.
She boarded the carriage Mrs. Qiao had prepared for her and set off for the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion. Leaning against the carriage wall, she closed her eyes to rest. Suddenly, she heard a horse neigh, and the carriage lurched to a halt.
Her head slammed against the carriage wall with a THUD.
Ji Qingwu opened her eyes, clutching her head. "What happened?"
The driver replied, "Fifth Missy, someone is blocking the carriage."
Before she could react, the carriage curtain was rudely yanked open.
The man's eyes lit up as soon as he saw her. "You must be Fifth Sister," he said, pleasantly surprised.
Ji Qingwu frowned, sizing up the libertine before her, who was dressed in a dark blue brocade robe with a White Jade Flute hanging from his waist.
'Stopping her carriage in the middle of the street and yanking open her curtain without permission... He has no manners whatsoever.'
Seeing her glaring at him, Ji Changyan gave a sheepish laugh. "It's me. I'm your third brother."
Ji Qingwu would have been better off not knowing. The realization only made her more furious.
'Ji Changyan's outrageous behavior—stopping a young woman's carriage in the street and accosting her without invitation—if word of this got out, people would say the Ji Family has no sense of propriety. In this society, the women of the Ji Family would be dragged into the gossip as well.'
"Fifth Cousin, long time no see." A voice tinged with amusement came from behind Ji Changyan.
Ji Changyan held the curtain open and turned. "Your Highness, your foresight is truly godlike. You recognized the Ji Family carriage at a glance and even guessed who was inside."
Prince Yong stood beside the carriage, his wanton gaze fixed on Ji Qingwu's face before it slowly slid down to her waist.
She was wearing a moon-white outer skirt made of silk with a cloud-patterned jacquard weave. Because the fabric was so flowing, her waist was cinched with a silk sash embroidered with light blue lotuses, its two pointed ends trailing at her side.
Ji Qingwu snatched the curtain from Ji Changyan's hand, blocking that cloying gaze.
She said coolly, "Your Highness, Third Brother, I have urgent matters to attend to. I'm afraid I don't have time to chat."
Ji Changyan was taken aback that his newly returned fifth sister dared to show him such disrespect.