Perhaps because her hopes had been shattered so many times, Sui Sui could hardly believe her ears. It was not until Guan Liulang strode into the room and handed her a yellowed prescription that she finally believed it was true.
It turned out that Huan Jiong, in the name of a wealthy businessman, built a Beitianfang in the west of the city to take in abandoned children, especially those born with disabilities and abandoned by their families. Even ordinary Beitianfangs and Buddhist temples were unwilling to take in such children, who could only wait to die from birth. Those who were lucky enough to survive had to beg in the market, compete with wild dogs for food, and usually could not survive until the winter.
To this day, the monks in Beitianfang and the children they rescued do not know that the clothes they wear and the rice they eat all come from the evil King Chen, who poisoned his eldest brother.
On the one hand, he used living people to test drugs and despised human life, but on the other hand, he secretly distributed most of his wealth to Beitianfang to help those children who were abandoned by their biological parents at birth. Perhaps even he himself did not know why.
Sui Sui handed the prescription to Doctor Zheng and said, "Please take a look at this prescription."
When Zheng Fengyu was concentrating on reading the prescription, everyone's heart was in their throat and they could hardly breathe.
It wasn't just a moment, but it seemed like a hundred years.
Finally, Zheng Fengyu nodded and said, "This prescription and Zhao Kun's prescription have some overlapping herbs. Zhao Kun's prescription is missing some key herbs. This prescription is complete, so it should be correct."
The princess burst into tears of joy: "Really?"
Zheng Fengyu asked his medicine boy to copy down the prescription and prepare it according to the prescription. All the medicinal materials in the storehouse of Prince Qi's Mansion were moved to Shanchiyuan for emergency use. Among them were many rare and precious exotic medicines. All the medicinal materials required for the prescription could be prepared here.
The princess glanced at Xiao Ling and saw that her lips were pale. She said hurriedly, "General Xiao doesn't look well. Go to the side room and have a rest. What if His Majesty wakes up and you are exhausted? What will happen..."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Xiao Ling's body sway and suddenly fall down.
Little did she know that she had been struggling to hold on until now. When she saw Zheng Fengyu nod, her heartstrings suddenly relaxed, and her whole body fainted in an instant. She fell down with a blackout in front of her eyes.
Fortunately, the eldest princess nearby was quick to catch her, and together with the palace maids, she helped her to the couch and called Zheng Fengyu.
The medical officer checked her pulse and was shocked. "General Xiao has not yet recovered from the poison and probably hasn't had enough rest recently. How could he hold out until now with such a weak pulse?"
The princess thought that her mother was the instigator of all this, and she felt ashamed and apologetic: "Your Majesty was able to survive this time, thanks to General Xiao who risked his life to find the prescription for him. Please make sure that General Xiao is safe."
Medical officer: "I will do my best."
As he said this, he rolled up his sleeves and gave Xiao Ling acupuncture.
After the acupuncture, he tucked the cold sweat off his forehead and said, "General Xiao must stay in bed and rest. Don't run around or overwork. Otherwise, the disease will last a lifetime."
The eldest princess said: "I told her to take good care of herself."
Zheng Fengyu nodded, picked up his pen, wrote a prescription for warming and nourishing medicine, and gave it to the medicine boy to boil.
The princess ordered the palace maid to send Xiao Ling to the side room to rest.
Everything was arranged and the medicine soup was ready.
As usual, Zheng Fengyu first tested the medicine on fish to confirm that it was non-toxic. Then he asked the eunuchs to rub the emperor's teeth with alum and salt and feed the medicine to him.
…
The medicine she took was mixed with tranquilizers and sleep-inducing herbs, and she remained in a coma until the afternoon of the next day before waking up.
She was in a daze for a moment, and suddenly remembered what happened last night. She immediately sat up, but felt dizzy because she stood up too quickly.
Chun Tiao quickly supported her and said, "My lady, please don't worry. Your Majesty has already taken two doses of medicine. Zheng Fengyu checked your pulse this morning and found that it has stabilized. He will wake up soon."
She knew what Sui Sui was worried about, so she told him everything she wanted to know the most, and then she took a breath: "Your Majesty is sleeping soundly in the bedroom. The most important thing for you now is to rest peacefully, otherwise, if your Majesty wakes up, you will be exhausted again, wouldn't it be endless?"
Sui Sui was slightly relieved when she heard that Huan Xuan was safe, but she still asked Chun Tiao to help her get up and wash and change clothes. Although she knew that he had survived the danger, she still had to see it with her own eyes to feel at ease.
When they arrived at his bedroom, Huan Xuan was still sleeping. He didn't look as painful as he did last night, and his complexion seemed to be better.
Sui Sui asked Zheng Fengyu who was guarding the bed: "How is your Majesty?"
The doctor replied: "This antidote is suitable for your condition. Your Majesty's pulse has stabilized. However, your Majesty is seriously poisoned and has been delayed for some time. I am afraid you will need to take more medicine for a while to completely eliminate the remaining poison. After that, you must stay in bed and rest until your body is fully recovered."
He paused, frowned and said, "General Xiao, please forgive me for saying so much. Although your poisoning is not as serious as your Majesty's, you must not take it lightly, lest you develop a chronic illness."
What doctors fear most is encountering patients who do not follow medical advice and cause trouble, but it happens that all his patients are like this.
Sui Sui bowed to the medical officer and said, "Thank you for last night, Feng Yu."
Zheng Fengyu said: "General Xiao, there is no need to be so polite. These are all my responsibilities." Replying to him obediently and resting are more useful than any nice words.
But the patient was completely unaware and sat down in front of the bed.
Gao Mai led a group of eunuchs and palace servants to withdraw tactfully. Doctor Zheng couldn't stand there any longer, so he also withdrew.
Sui Sui and Huan Xuan were the only two people left in the bedroom.
Sui Sui raised his hand and touched Huan Xuan's forehead. It was still a little hot, but not as frighteningly hot as it was last night, and his breathing was not that rapid either.
She dipped a piece of clean silk cotton in water and gently touched his lips. His dry lips gradually became moist and soft.
She put down the silk cotton in her hand, and couldn't help but flick his long and thick eyelashes with her fingertips, then lowered her head and pecked him lightly on the lips.
It was just a touch like a dragonfly skimming the water, as light as a petal falling on the lake. Unexpectedly, the man's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and he opened his eyes, which were full of smiles. He asked knowingly: "Are you kissing me secretly?"
Sui Sui raised an eyebrow: "Are you pretending to sleep?"
Huan Xuan avoided answering, with a smile in his eyes: "Xiao Suisui kissed me secretly."
Sui Sui was neither embarrassed nor annoyed: "Yes, I want to kiss you, what's wrong?"
After saying that, she bit his lips.
…
Seven days later at midnight, the funeral bell rang in front of Chengtian Gate of Taiji Palace, followed by the bells of all the Buddhist temples in Chang'an. Less than a month later, this ancient city had seen off its first emperor.
Less than a month after the new emperor ascended the throne, he contracted an epidemic. No medicine could cure him. He languished for several days and died in the Liangyi Hall of the Taiji Palace. He was posthumously named Xiaowu.
During his lifetime, Emperor Xiaowu pacified the four towns and recovered Huaixi, but those were his deeds when he was still in the palace. He died of an epidemic a few days after he ascended the throne, becoming the emperor with the shortest reign in this dynasty.
Before his death, he issued a will to pass the throne to the tenth prince, ordered the eldest princess and Zhang Xiang to assist in the administration of the country, and ordered that the funeral ceremony be kept simple, canceling the ceremony of officials keeping vigil, and that the coffin lid be sealed after the emperor was buried to prevent the spread of the disease.
He also converted two farms in the capital into Beitianfang, and the interest from the farm produce was used to maintain the operation of the district.
Surprisingly, he gave his former residence as a prince and a courtyard in Chang'anfang in the south of the city, along with the slaves and servants, to Xiao Ling, the governor of the Three Towns.
Some people speculated that there was some unspeakable secret between the late emperor and General Xiao. An even more outrageous speculation was that General Xiao looked very similar to the late emperor's concubine who died in an accident several years ago, so the late emperor loved her so much that he gave her the palace and the place where they once lived together.
Some knowledgeable people regarded it as nonsense - the late emperor's reward was out of public interest, fearing that after his death, the ruler would be young and the country would be in doubt, and Xiao Ling would take the opportunity to start a rebellion, so he rewarded him generously to show his favor and leniency, but in fact it was an attempt to control him.
There were many different opinions at the time, and the truth was probably only known by the late emperor lying in his coffin.
However, despite this great favor, General Xiao only showed up at the late emperor's funeral and left. She did not appear at the burial or the funeral procession, which inevitably made people doubt her loyalty.
Fortunately, the regent princess knew the internal affairs and explained that General Xiao was ill and was now recuperating in the courtyard given by the late emperor, in silence, expressing gratitude for the late emperor's kindness.
General Xiao was indeed in the Shanchi Courtyard, but he was not mourning alone, but feeding medicine to a troubled patient.
The medicine could be finished in just a few gulps, but some people insisted on staying in bed and letting her feed it in small sips.
Sui Sui impatiently put down the medicine bowl and stood up: "Can't you sit up and drink it yourself?"
Huan Xuan immediately looked like he was dying, leaning weakly on the pillow, with a blush spreading from his cheeks to the corners of his eyes. His slightly wet lips were shining with water, and his eyes were even wetter than his lips: "I have no strength, I can't sit up..."
He paused and said, "This medicine is also suitable for your condition. If we each take half a mouthful, won't it be more effective?"
Sui Sui almost made him laugh out of anger, but when he looked at her with that look, she seemed like a serious person bewitched by a fairy, and she picked up the bowl as if possessed by a ghost.
She took a sip of the medicine and glared at him unhappily.
Huan Xuan opened his lips obediently, and then lowered his head to feed the medicine into his mouth bit by bit.
After she finished feeding her the medicine, Huan Xuan raised his hand, held the back of her head, and rubbed her lips.
She fed him a bowl of medicine mouthful by mouthful for half a day. Sui Sui put down the bowl in a bad mood and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Now her cheeks were as hot as Huan Xuan's.
At this time, the sound of funeral music and carriages could be faintly heard outside. It was the funeral procession of the late emperor.
Watching his own funeral carriage passing by his door, Huan Xuan had an indescribable feeling.
Sui Sui saw that he was stunned and smiled: "Do you regret it? It's not too late to fake your death now."
Huan Xuan: "Could it be that General Xiao regrets it?"
Sui Sui nodded thoughtfully: "Regret, who knew you would be so troublesome..."
Before she finished her words, Huan Xuan suddenly reached out and pulled her onto the couch, holding her tightly in his arms and rubbing her.
He knew her weaknesses very well. He poked her where itchy spots were. Then she felt itchy and soft, and kept pushing him away: "You're making trouble..."
Huan Xuan blew hot air on her earlobe: "I am a dead body again, General Xiao, come and subdue me."
After laughing and joking for a while, the sound of funeral drums gradually faded away. Huan Xuan held the breathless Sui Sui in his arms, sniffing the warm fragrance on her neck, and whispered, "Only fools would regret it."