The wind was howling and two large braziers were lit in the house.
The green gauze curtain was hanging low, and Old Madam Song was holding agarwood beads in one hand and muttering to herself.
Baizhi and Qiuyan knelt at the bottom, tears in their eyes. They dared not speak loudly and only sobbed silently.
On the couch by the window, Song Lingzhi hugged the embroidered quilt, her eyes tightly closed, her willow-like eyes like smoke, tightly shrouded, as if she was sleeping restlessly even in her dreams. Her whole body was terribly hot, as if she had fallen into a furnace.
The temple is not like home. The mountain is blocked by heavy snow and even doctors are not allowed to go up the mountain.
In desperation, Old Madam Song could only ask the maid to find a clean handkerchief, wring out the water and put it on Song Lingzhi's forehead.
"It's really a sin. How could such a thing happen to me out of the blue?" Old Madam Song covered her chest with her hands, tears rolling down her face, her eyes full of sorrow and grief.
She pointed at Qiuyan and Baizhi and shouted angrily, "Is this how you serve the young lady? My poor granddaughter just had a serious illness, and now she has run into this kind of thing."
Since returning from Meilin, Song Lingzhi has been ill and his high fever has not subsided.
Naturally, no one cared about the little monk. Old Madam Song was only concerned about her granddaughter, and she always sent people to the mountain gate to see when she could come down the mountain and return home.
Mother Liu stood aside, helping to wipe the tears, and spoke for Baizhi and Qiuyan: "The old lady should also take care of herself. She is still in the temple now, not at home. Baizhi and Qiuyan are used to serving the young lady, so let them get up and serve her first, so that the young lady will not be left unattended."
Madam Song's voice choked with sobs, but she finally nodded in agreement: "You are absolutely right."
Upon hearing this, Baizhi and Qiuyan kowtowed in thanks.
As they were talking, they suddenly heard the voice of an old woman coming from outside the courtyard, saying that Master Yan had arrived.
Madam Song hurriedly invited him in and thanked him with a smile, "Thanks to Master Yan this morning."
At that time, Song Lingzhi fainted in the plum forest, and Bai Zhi was so frightened that her legs went weak and she couldn't stand up. It was Shen Yan who discovered her and called for help in time.
Shen Yan said calmly: "You are too polite, old lady."
Old Madam Song's eyes were filled with tears: "I don't know if my granddaughter can survive this. If she really..."
Suddenly, Bai Zhi cried out in the tent: "Madam, it's bad! The girl, she..."
My throat lost its voice and I could only sob.
Bai Zhi burst into tears.
Song Lingzhi's face was pale on the couch. He suddenly started to mutter incoherently and could not be woken up no matter how hard people called him.
Old Madam Song was so anxious that she shouted "Darling", and then she thought of finding someone to go to the main hall and ask a monk to chant sutras.
He was so angry that he tried to get up in a hurry. He panicked for a moment, his eyes went dark, and he almost fainted.
Mother Liu was beside her and quickly reached out to help the person sit down, sweating profusely in anxiety: "Madam, you must not fall down at this moment, the girl is still waiting for someone."
The people in the room were in a mess, at a loss of what to do, when suddenly Shen Yan said, "Madam, I studied medicine with my father for a few years, and I know a little bit about medicine. If you can trust me..."
Saving lives is important. Old Madam Song said repeatedly, "I trust you. Quickly, please ask Master Yan to come over."
…
Song Lingzhi had a long dream.
In her dream, she was still in Yilan Palace. The cold wind was howling outside the window. Tall pines and cypresses stood in the courtyard, and the whole place was devastated.
The little palace maids gathered in the corner, whispering to each other, and the sound of gossip could be heard everywhere.