Yuxiu bowed to Qu Luqin and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Miss Luqin."
Qu Luqin felt relieved. This maid recognized her, and half of the task was done. She squeezed the handkerchief in her hand harder and said softly, "This was originally my business."
Now that things had been made clear, Yuxiu did not stay here to accompany Qu Luqin. She still had to serve Qu Moying with medicine. She called a little maid over and asked her to serve Qu Luqin here, and then she went back to the main room.
An hour had passed when Qu Moying "woken up". Qu Luqin watched from the window as the maid brought the medicine in. It seemed that he had woken up.
She bit her lip, her heart beating wildly. She sat back on the chair, stared at the handkerchief in her hand, squeezed it twice, looked at the floor tiles in front of her with an ambiguous look, and waited quietly for the news inside.
Sure enough, not long after, a maid came over and said that the Princess of England wanted to see her.
Qu Luqin stood up and followed the maid back into the main house and into the inner room. The gauze curtain in the inner room had been lifted and Qu Moying, with a pale face, was leaning on the couch. He looked listless and the corners of his lips were pale and bloodless.
"Greetings, Princess." Qu Luqin gathered all the thoughts in her mind and stepped forward to bow.
Qu Moying waved his hand, motioning her to sit down and talk.
Qu Luqin sat down obediently, her eyes falling on Qu Moying's face. Compared with last time, Qu Moying's complexion looked even worse. The previous rumors must be true. Looking at her like this and the fact that she looked unconscious when she came in just now, it didn't look good no matter how you looked at her.
The voice was also a little deeper than usual.
He repeated his purpose of visit, focusing on the Qu family's disapproval of Qu Zhizhen and his wife, and their desire to befriend the Ying Palace.
This was said very clearly, and he also repeated the reason why he did not send the person directly through the Madam.
After she finished speaking, Qu Luqin lowered her head politely, feeling a little reserved and uneasy.
"Thank you, cousin Luqin, but I don't need you here. You should go back. I appreciate your kindness."
Qu Moying took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
The voice was not loud, just faint enough for people nearby to hear, and the whole person looked listless.
The medicine bowl on the table had just been used, and there was still half a bowl of brown medicine liquid in it, which meant that the medicine had just been used.
Qu Luqin gritted her teeth and stood up, then knelt down in front of Qu Moying with a plop. "Princess Ying... If I go back... I'm afraid I'll have to... get married."
"Isn't it good to get married? Cousin Luqin is not young anymore!" Qu Moying asked in surprise. It is not strange for Qu Luqin to get married at her age.
"I... I don't want to get married. I'm a fifty-year-old... I'm a concubine's daughter, and I'm dispensable to the entire Qu family. If Princess Ying lets me go back, my grandmother will think I'm useless, and that... that person will marry me." Qu Luqin cried uncontrollably.
Lying on the ground and sobbing.
"Get up first." Qu Moying said.
Yuxiu came over and helped Qu Luqin up, saying, "Miss Luqin, don't be sad. If you have any grievances, please tell us. Our princess is here!"
This girl used to get along well with Qu Luqin, and now she spoke up to help her.
Qu Luqin looked at Yuxiu gratefully, stood up, wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and told her everything in detail.
It turned out that the palace had arranged a marriage for her, and she was to be the second wife of a minor official in his fifties. The grandson of that minor official was as old as Qu Luqin. Qu Luqin didn't want to, but she didn't dare to refuse. When she was originally in despair, the palace actually asked her to come and serve Princess Ying, which gave her a glimmer of hope in her despair.
As long as she serves the Princess of England well and can help her recover from her illness, it will be considered a contribution to the Qu family. When she brings it up again, her grandmother will consider her opinion and will not force her to marry such a man as a second wife.
If she really marries such a person, what hope will she have in the future
"Princess Ying... I'm just a concubine's daughter. I can't decide my own marriage, but I still hope that my marriage won't be so bad. If that day really comes, I... I really have no way out but death." After Qu Luqin finished speaking, she burst into tears again.
Seeing what she said, Qu Moying comforted her: "It's okay, it will all pass."
"Princess Ying, let me stay here and serve you until you recover. Don't worry, I will serve you well and won't cause you any trouble. After you recover, I will go back and talk to my grandmother about this matter. I... I really don't want to marry this man like this."
Qu Luqin said with red eyes, and her words did not mean to ask Qu Moying to plead for her, she just said that she would solve it herself later.
Compared to blindly relying on others, Qu Luqin's words make people feel sympathy and think that it is worth helping.
"In that case...you can stay!" Qu Moying no longer refused.
"Thank you, Princess Ying... Thank you, Princess Ying." Qu Luqin stood up and was about to salute, but Yuxiu quickly supported her.
Yuchun came in with a bowl of medicinal food, which smelled strongly of medicine.
"Princess, it's time for you to have some medicinal food." Yu Chun placed the medicinal food on the round table in front of the bed.
Qu Moying closed her eyes. She was already tired after talking to Qu Luqin just now.
"Princess, you have to eat. If you don't eat, your health will get worse... You must take good care of your body now, and there can't be the slightest mistake." Yu Xiu advised in a low voice.
Qu Moying lay there motionless. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he would have looked as if he had really lost his breath.
"Princess, please don't be willful." Yu Chun also advised.
Qu Moying remained motionless.
The two maids looked at each other and lowered their heads helplessly. They knew there was no way. If the princess didn't want to eat, there was nothing they could do. But how could her body survive without eating
"Let me do it!" Qu Luqin stood up and said in a low voice.
Yuxiu looked at her and nodded hesitantly. In this situation, since Qu Luqin was willing to try, she could only let her try.
"The princess' health has not been good to begin with. If she doesn't take medicine and medicated food properly, what will happen to her?" Yuchun was a weak maid. Her eyes became red as she spoke. She turned her head to the side and wiped away her tears.
The liquid medicine in the medicine bowl on the table, as well as the current medicinal food, all indicate that Qu Moying's health will only get worse and worse.
Looking at her current condition, and seeing that she had saved half of her medicine and couldn't use up all the medicated food, anyone could understand that the British princess's body might not be able to withstand a few days of tossing and turning.
Qu Luqin picked up the bowl of medicinal food, sat down in front of the bed, scooped some with a spoon, and said softly: "Princess, please use some first. It looks delicious. Just use a little. If your appetite is still poor, use some hawthorn water later. On the way here, I saw people buying candied haws. The hawthorns they used must be excellent. I ate one and it was very good."
Hawthorn tastes sour and sweet, and just hearing the taste makes one's mouth water.
The candied haws soaked in syrup make people inexplicably feel more appetizing.
Yuchun took it seriously: "Miss Luqin, our princess has a weak appetite and cannot use this kind of thing at this time."
Qu Luqin saw Qu Moying's eyelids slightly raised, and then closed again. She silently waved her hand to Yuchun, signaling her not to say such things, and then said: "It's okay to drink less hawthorn water. The princess has a poor appetite. She will feel sick of these medicinal foods if she keeps eating them."
Yuchun understood and this time responded, "Is that really the case?"
"Of course it is so. I heard it from my grandmother. She is old and has seen a lot. When she came, she specifically reminded me that she was afraid that the Princess of England might not have much appetite or that the medicines she had been taking had caused her appetite to drop." Qu Luqin said seriously.
"Well, I'll go prepare some for the princess now." Yu Chun agreed and deliberately raised her legs to walk away, looking like she was really going to prepare these things for Qu Moying.
Seeing Yuchun leave, Qu Luqin calmly put down the bowl in her hand, took out a new handkerchief and wiped the spoon, then picked up the bowl again, looked at Qu Moying who raised her eyelids slightly, then slowly opened her eyes and said, "Princess, please use a little. I have asked Yuchun to prepare the hawthorn water to stimulate the appetite. It will be brought over soon. After the princess has used this medicinal food, you can use it."
People who have been ill for a long time have a bitter taste in their mouths, and everything they eat tastes bitter. At this time, they really want to have some sour appetizers.
Qu Moying nodded.
Qu Luqin couldn't hide her joy. She scooped a spoonful and put it to Qu Moying's lips, and gently advised: "Don't worry, Princess. I will have people prepare hawthorn water in the future. But don't use too much. Princess is weak and her spleen and stomach are weak. Just use a little at this time. If you use too much, it may be bad for your health. And you have to ask the doctor first. It can't conflict with the medicine for Princess."
Everything he said was for Qu Moying's sake, and he acted like a man who wanted to gain a foothold here and try his best to please Qu Moying.
Listening to her current situation, she does need to please Qu Moying. Whether she can make her grandmother give in depends on how well she serves Qu Moying.
A faint fragrance emanated from Qu Moying's raised sleeves, very faint, yet very familiar.
Qu Moying's gaze fell on Qu Luqin's face. There was a slight gleam in his eyes, and then they were half-open and half-closed weakly, as if he was listening to Qu Luqin's words, but also as if he was not listening to her.
This state is very normal for a patient. He is already mentally weak, and looking at Qu Moying's condition, he really doesn't have many days left to live.
When the spoon was about to be put to the corner of Qu Moying's lips, Qu Moying suddenly turned his head away and frowned: "What's that taste? Do you feel uncomfortable?"
Qu Luqin's hand froze in front of Qu Moying's lips, but she didn't dare to force it forward. "What are you talking about, Princess? Is it the incense on my clothes? I have been using it before. If Princess doesn't like the smell, I will change my clothes now and come back to feed you the medicinal food."