Early in the morning of that day, the sound of cicadas outside the window had gradually increased. Shen Qingwan woke up early and leaned on the bed. She was still worried about the flood. After thinking for a while, she supported her body with her frail arms and tried to get out of bed slowly.
At this moment, Lian Yun pushed the door open and saw that she wanted to get out of bed. She put down the washbasin in her hand and ran to Shen Qingwan's side. She supported her and said anxiously and a little annoyedly, "My lady, you haven't recovered yet, how can you get out of bed so easily?"
"I'm fine now, it's okay." Shen Qingwan's voice was light, but her weakness could still be felt. The high fever had depleted her strength.
"My queen, don't be so stubborn. Lie down quickly." Lianyun helped her to the bed again and found a soft pillow for her to lean on.
"I'm really fine. You see my fever has gone away." After she said that, she grabbed Lianyun's hand and placed it on her forehead. The temperature was indeed much more normal now, not as hot as it was a few days ago.
Lianyun withdrew her hand, nodded, and then sat down beside Shen Qingwan's bed, sighing, "The high fever has subsided, but your body has not recovered yet. Your trip to the south has been full of twists and turns, and now a fever has already drained your strength. I have to protect you well, otherwise the emperor will blame you when you return to the palace."
Shen Qingwan was stunned. She didn't expect Lianyun to suddenly mention Fu Yuheng. To be honest, she hadn't seen him for some time. She didn't know how he was doing in the palace, or whether he missed her.
Thinking of this, a faint blush appeared on her originally pale face. She hurriedly shook her head and told herself to focus on the flood control. Thinking of this, she gently pulled the corners of her mouth and opened her red lips, "I was negligent a few days ago. How can I blame you? If the emperor asks about it later, I will protect you."
"I am not afraid of the emperor's punishment. I just want you to take care of yourself." Lianyun knew Shen Qingwan's personality. She couldn't persuade her easily, and she felt helpless. She walked back to the table, brought the washbasin and towel to the bedside, and helped her wash.
"Lianyun, after you finish washing up, come with me to see the construction of the water conservancy project." Shen Qingwan knew that her body needed recuperation, but recuperation would take too much time. Her trip to the south was for the livelihood of the people. If she wanted to recuperate, she would do so after returning to the palace.
"You can't do that, Madam." Lianyun stopped wiping her hands, "Look at your body, you can't torment it anymore. The south is hot and humid, and plagues are common. Madam, you must take care of yourself. I know that you are worried about the flood control, but you don't have to do everything yourself. Now that various projects have been launched one after another, you just need to supervise them."
"You are now very knowledgeable when it comes to water management," Shen Qingwan curled her lips, "It seems that I have neglected your ability before."
"Your Highness, please don't make fun of me," Lianyun lowered her head and smiled shyly, "How could I understand these things? I just learned from following you."
Shen Qingwan rolled up her sleeves and gathered her long hair. "I will pay attention to it in the future and teach you more things." After that, she let Lianyun help her sit in front of the dressing table.
"It doesn't matter whether I learn or not. My greatest wish is that Your Majesty gets better soon." Lianyun picked up the wooden comb and gently combed Shen Qingwan's half-loose black hair.
"After you finish washing up, go call the governor over and tell him that I have something to ask him." She looked outside the door with a worried look on her face.
Lianyun agreed, combed Shen Qingwan's long hair, then packed up the washbasin and towel and left.
Soon, Li Chaoyang's voice was heard outside the door, "Madam, are you looking for me?"
"Well, come in and talk." Shen Qingwan sat at the table, her complexion looking better.
Li Chaoyang stepped in and sat opposite her. "Empress, are you feeling better? Why don't you rest in bed?" He spoke worriedly. His admiration for Shen Qingwan had grown day by day in recent days. She was an empress in the palace, but she had such endurance and wisdom, which was rare.
"Thank you for your concern, Governor. I'm feeling better now, but I'm still worried about the water control." Shen Qingwan picked up a cup of tea and took a sip slowly.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I know that Your Majesty cares about the people. I will send someone to report the progress of the project to you, so you don't have to go there in person to check it out. It's a hot summer day, so Your Majesty will be less likely to get a heat stroke. This is an ointment that I sent my servants to find. It can relieve heat and repel mosquitoes. Your Majesty can try it."
After saying that, Li Chaoyang took out a small green round bottle from his arms and gently placed it on the table.
"Thank you, Governor. Unfortunately, I am not strong enough to handle this. I can only ask you to supervise me more." Shen Qingwan frowned, but the dark circles under her eyes revealed her fatigue. "The people are in trouble, and the emperor is also very worried. I can only do my best to share his worries. The governor will still have to pay more attention to future matters."
Li Chaoyang nodded with a firm look in his eyes. Seeing his resolute face, Shen Qingwan felt a little more at ease.
"If there is nothing else, I will leave first and not disturb the queen's rest." Li Chaoyang stood up and bowed slightly to Shen Qingwan. Shen Qingwan nodded and watched him leave.
At the court, the case of Qian Minren's accidental murder finally made new progress under the investigation of the Dali Temple. It was found that the person who killed Qian Minren was not an outsider, but someone in his mansion. After Fu Yuheng learned the news, he ordered to intensify the investigation and bring the murderer to justice as soon as possible.
After returning to the palace, Fu Yuheng looked at the packed clothes alone, a little dazed. After dealing with Shen Ji's affairs, he planned to go to the south to investigate the people's sentiments and to see Shen Qingwan.
Sun Ning stood at the door and saw him lost in thought in the palace. He closed the door silently and did not disturb him.
The only person in the palace who could stir his emotions, apart from official business, was probably her... After all, she was different to him.
Even though he was in the bedroom, his thoughts had already drifted far away. Looking out the window, he felt as if something was missing in his heart, a little empty. Seeing that she had volunteered to go to the south to control the floods for more than ten days, and knowing that her flood control method had achieved good results, he was naturally happy in his heart, but she was no longer in front of him, and he could not always know whether she was doing well or not, so his heart was always hanging.