Half an hour later, Sun Fengyu from the Shang Pharmacy arrived. He was already in his 80s and had experienced the great epidemic in the capital during the previous emperor's reign and treated many plague patients. No doctor in Chang'an knew more about epidemics than him.
Due to his advanced age, he no longer had to go to the palace to perform duties on weekdays. He just registered his name at the Shang Pharmacy and stayed at home to enjoy his grandchildren.
When the King of Qi's personal guards came to invite him, he was having dinner at home. He had half a bowl of rice left and had not had time to finish it. The personal guards urged him to leave, so he had to put down his bowl and chopsticks, change his clothes and go out. When he got on the carriage, the old servant's hat was still crooked.
When he saw the guard's anxious look, he thought that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi himself had been infected with the plague. When the carriage passed by the Prince of Qi's mansion, he curiously stuck his head out to ask the guard who the patient was.
The guard was vague: "It's a female relative, currently in a villa in the south of the city."
Feng Yu had never heard of any female relatives in the Prince of Qi's mansion, so he could only suppress his doubts. When he arrived at Tangli Courtyard, he was welcomed into the bedroom by a maid and was shocked to find that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi was sitting by the bed, holding the patient's hand tightly.
This patient might be suffering from an epidemic! Feng Yu was shocked. Who was this patient on the bed that could make the precious Prince Qi, who was so noble and respected, ignore his own safety and personally accompany him on the bed
Huan Xuan saw Sun Fengyu coming and asked the Imperial Physician Shu Cheng to come over. The two of them had a master-disciple relationship, and when Shu Cheng saw that his mentor was also invited by the King of Qi, he couldn't help but doubt who this woman was.
Sun Fengyu felt Sui Sui's pulse, asked about the acupuncture points that Sun Shucheng had just used, looked at the prescription he had written, made some additions and subtractions, and said to Huan Xuan: "In my opinion, this lady's illness is not like an epidemic, but rather liver depression and qi stagnation, and the evil wind has entered the body, which is why the disease is recurring. As long as she can get through tonight, sweat a little, and let the fever go, the cold should be fine. Please write another prescription for soothing the liver and relieving depression, and this lady can take it daily after she recovers."
After a pause, he sighed and said, "The effect of medicine is limited after all. It is still up to the people around her to comfort this young lady and make her feel at ease. She is young and has a lot of opportunities ahead of her. There is nothing she can't overcome."
Chun Tiao, who was standing by, heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that it was not an epidemic, and kept saying "Amitabha". But then she became suspicious. Her wife continued to eat, drink and have fun as usual after falling out of favor, and she didn't look sad at all. They, the servants, were secretly worried about her, so how could she have liver depression
Huan Xuan remained silent, lowered his eyes to look at the haggard woman under the lamp, and clenched his hands a little tighter, his palms still burning hot.
No one knew better than him why she had liver depression and qi stagnation.
He always thought that she was used to working and had a good body, not as weak as other ladies, and could withstand his torture. But now he realized that she was so fragile, like the weak candlelight on the bed, which could be blown out by a gust of wind. She was alone and helpless, and he bullied the weak and she had no way to deal with him.
After all, Sun Fengyu was too old to stay all night, so Huan Xuan asked someone to arrange a bed for him. He gave his apprentice a few instructions and then went to rest.
The Imperial Physician said to Huan Xuan, "Your Highness is a precious person, you should go and rest early."
Although his master said it might not be an epidemic, the cold could still be fatal.
"It's okay." Huan Xuan said. He didn't even take the epidemic seriously, let alone a mere cold.
He didn't think too much about it, and didn't even think about how shocking it would be for others to see him staying with an unknown woman like this. He knew in his heart that he was not completely bewitched by this woman, and he could always leave her if he wanted to. She was the one who was trapped, and since she was so deeply trapped, it didn't matter if he was a little nicer to her.
Huan Xuan dismissed the servants and still held Sui Sui's hand. He felt that holding this hand was like holding her life. He seemed to be back to the time when he was four years old, holding the bird he picked up stubbornly, thinking that as long as he warmed it with his body, its life would not fade away.
Sui Sui did not sleep well and often woke up with a startle. When she opened her eyes, she saw the man guarding her bedside and that familiar face. Sometimes she was lucid and knew it was the King of Qi, and sometimes she was confused and thought it was an old friend who appeared in her dream. In any case, her heart slowly calmed down.
I don’t know if it was the effect of acupuncture and medicine, or if the King of Qi was more fortunate than the doctors in Chang’anfang, but when the sky in the east turned pale, Sui Sui’s fever finally subsided.
Chun Tiao brought in hot water and wiped her sweaty body and changed her sweaty pajamas.
Huan Xuan watched from the side and found that this familiar body had become so thin that it looked a little strange. When he turned over, his ribs were faintly visible. After two months of separation, he often missed this body in the dead of night, tossing and turning and unable to sleep. But at this time, he did not have any lustful thoughts, but just felt a dull pain in his heart.
After changing clothes, the deputy secretary came in to feel Sui Sui's pulse and give him acupuncture. Seeing that there was a dark shadow under the king's eyes, he advised: "The lady's fever has subsided. Drink another dose of soup and sleep for half a day. It should be fine. Your Highness should also go and rest. When you are tired, it is easy to get sick, and the patient will not be at ease."
Huan Xuan then nodded slightly and said, "I'll trouble you, Secretary. If you have anything to say, please let me report it to you."
He squeezed Sui Sui's hand, slowly let go, stood up and returned to Qinghan Courtyard.
When Sui Sui woke up, it was almost noon. She seemed to have had a long dream. When she opened her eyes, she felt as if she was in another world.
Chun Tiao saw her wake up and said happily, "Madam, you are awake? Do you feel better? Madam had a fever last night and was convulsing and talking nonsense. You scared me half to death!"
Sui Sui smiled weakly and said in a hoarse voice: "I'm sorry, Sister Chun Tiao."
Chun Tiao glanced at her unhappily: "My lady's fever has subsided, and she has the energy to entertain me again."
After a pause, he lowered his voice and said, "My lady, do you know that His Highness stayed by my bedside all night last night!"
She also didn't understand what the Prince of Qi was thinking. He hadn't come to see her for two months and had even called back Nanny Gao. Anyone who saw her would have thought that he had completely abandoned this concubine from outside the palace. But when Lu Suisui was seriously ill, he ignored his own safety and entered the yard. He even stayed by her bedside all night regardless of status. For rich and powerful people like them, even if their wives were terminally ill, no husband would stay by their bedside all night.
Sui Sui was in a daze during her illness and could not remember what she did or said. She only vaguely remembered that she hugged Huan Xuan and cried bitterly. Looking back on it now, even she found it incredible. Perhaps because she was weak during her illness, she became particularly pretentious.
She also didn't know why Huan Xuan stayed by her bed all night. Was it because she cried so hard that he felt pity for her? Or did it trigger some memory between him and Ruan Yuewei? No one knew.
Sui Sui couldn't figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it. Anyway, she wouldn't stay in Chang'an for long, and by then all these would be gone with the wind, at best just a past event.
But the situation in Heshuo is still a little bit lacking. Xiao Tongan is her uncle, so she cannot do it herself. Once Xue Zhi can no longer hold back and gets rid of him, she can reap the benefits.
Just as he was thinking about it, the door curtain rustled and the King of Qi walked into the room.
He didn't sleep the whole night, and only closed his eyes for a while when he returned to Qinghan Courtyard at daybreak. Because he was worried about her illness, he didn't sleep well. His face was pale and there were obvious blue shadows under his eyes.
When Sui Sui saw him, she was about to stand up and salute him. Huan Xuan walked over and held her down, frowning and saying, "Still moving around, do you think you're not sick enough?"
He still had nothing nice to say, and his attitude wasn't necessarily gentler than before, but the reproachful tone in his words made Sui Sui feel vaguely uncomfortable.
Just as she was about to say something, Huan Xuan put his hand on her forehead and frowned slightly: "Better than last night."
Sui Sui said: "Thanks to your highness."
Huan Xuan sneered, his eyes not eyes and nose not nose: "When you are sick, you don't know how to ask someone to call a doctor, but you ask a doctor who can't treat illnesses to come. You are so smart."
Huan Xuan knew that she didn't go to ask for a doctor because she was afraid of night terrors. He hated her for being stupid even more: "She said she was from the Prince of Qi's Palace. Would the Jinwu Guards dare to stop her? She had to make herself seriously ill..."
Sui Sui didn't argue with him, but just pursed his lips and smiled: "Your Highness is right."
Seeing her so humble and submissive, Huan Xuan lost his temper instantly. He thought she would be a little bit petty with him, or at least show her grievance. But the heart-wrenching crying last night seemed to be just a dream. At dawn, she was as docile as a deer as before.
"From now on, stop looking back and worrying about this and that. You are mine, so you can be more arrogant." He stroked her forehead and said.
Sui Sui said yes, secretly finding it funny, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
Huan Xuan inexplicably felt that her smile had a special meaning, so he turned away and said, "When you recover, come back to the palace with me."
This village girl is so stupid and has such a heavy heart. She might get herself into trouble someday. It is better to keep her under his nose. She follows him so devotedly, so giving her the title of concubine is nothing.
Sui Sui thanked him, but said, "I live very well here. The yard was just renovated not long ago, and the training ground was also just built. It cost a lot of money. It would be a waste to just abandon it like this."
"It's not much." Huan Xuan said. This amount of money was just a drop in the bucket for him, but it was an unimaginable amount of money for a poor girl. Huan Xuan suddenly thought that her careful calculation and love of money were also very cute - when you like someone, everything will become cute.
Sui Sui continued, "I don't know anything. The palace has a lot of rules. I'm afraid I can't do it well..."
Huan Xuan thought about it and felt that maybe she would not be as comfortable in the palace as in this mountain and pond courtyard, so he stopped forcing her: "Okay." In fact, even he himself felt that the area near Anxingfang where the palace was located was noisy with traffic, and it was not as quiet and secluded as Chang'anfang, far away from the hustle and bustle.
He continued, "It's okay for you to live in Chang'anfang. I'll have someone send your name and household registration to Zongzheng Temple."
Chun Tiao was listening to this and was overjoyed. After being registered in the Zongzheng Temple, her wife would be the legitimate concubine of the King of Qi, and even the princess could not dispose of her at will. Even if she lost favor due to age and beauty and had no children, with this status, her fate would not be too miserable.
Sui Sui was stunned. She didn't expect Huan Xuan to suddenly change his mind and take her into the mansion. Although her household registration could be fake, it was better to have less trouble than more.
She pursed her lips and said, "I don't need any status. It is my blessing to serve His Highness. If His Highness takes a concubine before marrying a princess, I am afraid it will damage His Highness's reputation."
Huan Xuan didn't care about reputation the most. He was in charge of the army, so he would worry if his reputation was too good. But she was thinking about him wholeheartedly and was not moved by fame and fortune. He was naturally relieved and raised his eyebrows and said, "Those false reputations are of no use to me."
Sui Sui added, "Your Highness has already accepted a concubine before the princess married. I'm afraid the princess must be upset."
Huan Xuan knew that the princess was out of the question, but seeing how terrified she was, without any intention of refusing, she must have been really afraid of displeasing the mistress, so he said, "We'll talk about this later."
Sui Sui finally felt relieved: "Thank you, Your Highness."
Chun Tiao saw the duck in his mouth fly away, and he was angry and anxious, but he couldn't say anything, so he could only wink at her.
Sui Sui pretended not to understand and said, "Chun Tiao, I'm a little hungry."
Chun Tiao had no choice but to say, "There's some porridge cooking in the kitchen. I'll go get a bowl for you and prepare some light side dishes."
Huan Xuan said, "I will also have my meal here."
Sui Sui immediately said, "Your Highness, you should go to the kitchen to eat, lest you get sick."
Huan Xuan sneered and said disapprovingly: "It's too late if you want to be late."
He took out a jade tablet with a dragon carved on it from his waist and gave it to her. "Keep this. If you have any problems in the future, ask someone to bring the jade tablet to me. Even if it's in the palace, someone will immediately inform me. If I'm not here, the government offices in the capital will recognize this tablet. For something like yesterday, the Imperial Medical Bureau will send a doctor when they see the tablet."
Sui Sui was stunned. She knew that this jade token had a special meaning, but she never expected that he would give her such a thing. She was not sure what he meant.
She hesitated for a moment and said, "This jade token is too valuable. I cannot accept it."
Huan Xuan frowned impatiently: "Just keep it when I told you to. Why are you saying so much?"
As he said this, he threw the jade token beside her pillow, as if it were just a worthless stone.
Sui Sui had no choice but to put the jade pendant away: "Thank you, Your Highness."
Huan Xuan's expression eased a little, and he raised his chin modestly: "Don't think too much, I'm just lending it to you."
Sui Sui couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth: "I know."
As they were talking, a eunuch said outside the door: "Your Highness, lunch is ready."
Huan Xuan said, "Send it in."
The eunuchs came in one after another carrying food tables, plates and bowls, and set out lunch outside the screen. If the King of Qi wanted to eat here, he would not be able to get away with just porridge and side dishes.
Chun Tiao followed in and asked Sui Sui, "Madam, do you want to eat in bed?"
Sui Sui shook his head: "Help me up and wash and change clothes."
She had been lying in bed for a few days and felt her back and waist were stiff, so she wanted to get out of bed and stretch her legs.
After washing up, Sui Sui walked out from behind the screen and had lunch with Huan Xuan.
Huan Xuan asked someone to remove a couch and sat on it with her.
Sui Sui was afraid that she would pass the illness on to him. She couldn't afford to let the Prince of Qi fall ill as he was a precious treasure.
"Your Highness, please don't get too close to me." She said as she moved aside.
It would have been fine if she hadn't said this. As soon as she said it, Huan Xuan immediately stretched out his arms and pulled her to his side, saying unhappily, "I am more useful than the lucky doctor. I'll lend you some of my luck so that you can get well soon."
Sui Sui didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and could only follow him.
The two were about to eat when the eunuch's voice came from behind the curtain: "Your Highness, Prince Yuzhang wants to see you."
Huan Xuan frowned: "What is he doing here again?"
The eunuch said cautiously: "He said he came to visit the patient..."
Huan Xuan was about to ask someone to send him away when he glanced at Sui Sui and remembered that he still owed him a big favor for what happened yesterday. He didn't want to be so ungrateful. So he put down his chopsticks and said to Sui Sui, "Have some porridge first. I'll be back soon."
Sui Sui was more than happy to ask for it. She felt much more comfortable eating alone: "Your Highness, please go down. Don't keep the guests waiting for too long."
When Huan Xuan arrived at the courtyard, he saw Huan Minggui dressed up in gorgeous clothes. His slight apology immediately disappeared. He bowed to him and said, "Thank you for yesterday's matter, Sixth cousin. It's inconvenient for me to stay here today. I will prepare a feast and treat you another day."
Huan Minggui said, "Ziheng, you don't have to be polite. I'm here to visit a patient, so there's no need to be so particular."
After a pause, he said, "Is Miss Lu feeling better?"
Huan Xuan's eyebrows jumped: "Thank you for your concern, Sixth Cousin, Lu is fine now."
Huan Minggui looked up at the sun and touched his stomach: "It's already noon without me noticing."
Huan Xuan said, "There is a patient at home, so I will not invite you to have lunch today, so as not to pass on the disease to you."
Huan Minggui tilted his head and looked at him with a half-smile: "I am an idle man, it doesn't matter if I am sick. I just take this opportunity to lie at home and be lazy, which will reduce the trouble of social activities. But you, Ziheng, have so many important tasks in the palace and the army. The court can't do without you. You should take care of yourself."
Huan Xuan raised his eyelids and said, "Thank you for your concern, Sixth Cousin."
Huan Minggui took a sandalwood box from his personal attendant and said to Huan Xuan, "My foolish brother and Miss Lu are also destined to be together. These are for Miss Lu to nourish her body."
"Sixth cousin, you are too polite." He took the box and opened it, and saw that it contained a hundred-year-old mountain ginseng and a huge purple Ganoderma lucidum.
Huan Minggui has always been generous, but he would not give such treasures to others casually.
Huan Xuan just smiled calmly and said, "I will accept it on behalf of Lu first. When she recovers, I will ask her to thank her cousin in person."
Huan Minggui was puzzled, this boy was originally the most jealous. He just said a few words to Miss Lu on Lantern Festival, but his eyes looked as if he wanted to eat him alive. One could smell his jealousy from all directions. He didn't know how he changed his nature overnight.
Huan Xuan said, "Lu is still waiting for me to come back for dinner. She is very worried because of her illness. If I am not by her side, I am afraid she will be worried and lose her appetite. Please excuse me."
He bowed and told the eunuch, "Go to the cellar and get two jars of dry wine and grape wine, and bring them back to Prince Yuzhang's palace."
Huan Minggui looked at his hurriedly departing back, helplessly, and could only smile and shake his head.
Huan Xuan returned to Tangli Courtyard and finished his lunch with Sui Sui. He put down his jade chopsticks and said, "I have to go to the military camp in the capital. I'm afraid I won't be able to come back tonight. You should rest and recuperate, and don't worry too much."
Sui Sui didn't know which eye of his saw that she was daydreaming, but she nodded anyway: "Okay."
Her cheeks were thinner, her eyes looked bigger, and she didn't wear her hair in a bun, her long hair was scattered on her shoulders, she looked a little lovable, Huan Xuan's heart softened, he touched the back of her head and said, "Come back as soon as possible."
Sui Sui said, "Your Highness, it is more important to do your business. There is no need to rush around."
Huan Xuan just thought that she was thinking about him, and he felt that she was gentle and considerate. She always thought about him and would rather suffer injustice herself.
He should have left immediately, but he sat back on the couch and held her in his arms, not wanting to let go for a long while.
Until the eunuch said outside the curtain: "Your Highness, the carriage is ready."
Only then did Huan Xuan reluctantly let her go.
When they arrived at the palace, the guard commander Guan Liu brought a young guard with a drooping face to the front of the prince of Qi's horse and said, "Your Highness, it was this blind man who stopped Uncle Fu from entering the palace to deliver the letter, and almost delayed the life of Lady Lu."
Huan Xuan naturally didn't look happy when he saw the guard, but he just said coldly to Guan Liu: "Don't make it difficult for him. It was my order. He was just following the rules. There's nothing wrong with that."
The guard learned last night that the King of Qi had come to Shanchiyuan in person, and had ordered someone to invite the Imperial Pharmacy's official servant. He thought that even if he was not beaten with a stick, he would be fined one year's salary. Unexpectedly, the King of Qi did not pursue the matter, so he hurriedly bowed to express his gratitude.
Huan Xuan ignored him, lifted the curtain and got into the carriage.
Soon, the well-informed Chun Tiao told Sui Sui about this matter, and said angrily: "The guard stopped Uncle Fu from entering, and Your Highness let him go so easily. It was really easy for him."
Sui Sui said, "He was just following orders. It's not his fault."
She was a little surprised. She had thought that given Huan Xuan's personality, he would vent his anger on his servants. But then she changed her mind and realized that he was able to lead the Shenyi Army at a young age, rectify military discipline in just one year, and sweep away the chaos when the eunuchs were in charge of the troops. He was definitely not a man who acted on impulse.
Thinking about it again, he had always been clear about rewards and punishments for the guards and servants in the palace, and he punished the servants for sending chicken soup because they had indeed violated the rules. She had been watching from the sidelines these days, and the servants in the palace were loyal to the young prince.
A master who is moody and easily angered can never make people convinced.
His mood swings were probably directed only at her, and she couldn't help but smile bitterly.
…
When Huan Xuan's carriage was halfway along, a eunuch suddenly came galloping on horseback. He saw the carriage of the Prince of Qi from a distance and asked, "Is it His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi in the carriage?"
Huan Xuan ordered the carriage driver to stop the car and asked, "What happened?"
The eunuch dismounted, holding the emperor's handwritten note, and said, "His Majesty summons Your Highness to the palace."
Huan Xuan's face darkened slightly. The emperor knew that he was going to the military camp in the capital today. Something big must have happened, so he urgently summoned him to the palace.
Huan Xuan took the imperial edict and asked the eunuch, "What happened in the palace?"
The eunuch whispered, "Your Highness, the Imperial Guards found the body of His Highness Prince Chen in the forest outside the city."