Chapter 171: Requesting the Imperial Physician

Chapter 171: Requesting the Imperial Physician

The two of them had a thoroughly enjoyable time, boating at the Dragon Boat Festival fair and guessing lantern riddles, feeling as carefree and happy as they used to when they strolled the streets before Du Ruo married into the family.

When they returned, Cheng Yunshuo had bought a bunch of trinkets for Du Ruo, which filled her with pride.

Cheng Yunshuo doted on her—it was obvious to everyone.

There were even whispers that his doting on her resembled the way he used to dote on Xing Dairong.

These words reached Du Ruo’s ears.

She raised her bold eyebrows in disdain.

What did it mean "like Xing Dairong"? Who did Xing Dairong think she was?

In her master's heart, she has always been irreplaceable!

The next day, Cheng Yunshuo went on duty, while Du Ruo remained immersed in her joy. She walked around the backyard wearing the new things Cheng Yunshuo had bought for her.

Qiu Ling and Ling Long watched her from a distance, avoiding her sharpness.

The two of them couldn’t be bothered to argue or compete with her anymore. Since she was in favor, they let her show off as much as she pleased.

They had better things to do than argue with her. It was more peaceful to go to Lu Lingyun’s courtyard to embroider clothes and drink tea.

That was the life of luxury!

With no one to compete with, Du Ruo felt a surge of accomplishment, but also a hint of confusion.

These people were nothing to her!

That day, she suddenly received a letter informing her that her aunt was critically ill.

“Little Wei, tell the young mistress that my aunt’s condition has worsened, and I need to visit her.”

“Yes.” After a short while, Little Wei returned, “The young mistress has granted permission and has even arranged for a carriage.”

Du Ruo hurried out, but when she reached the main gate, the guards stopped her.

“Concubines are not allowed to use the main gate; please use the side entrance.”

Du Ruo’s face flushed with anger.

She had been in the Marquis’s Mansion for so long, always entering and leaving through the main gate because she had been a guest here as a young miss.

After becoming a concubine, she had been carried in through the side gate and hadn’t thought much of it at the time. The only other time she had left the mansion was during the Dragon Boat Festival fair when she and Cheng Yunshuo went out through the main gate. Today was the first time she was leaving since becoming a concubine.

And they were making her use the side gate.

“Do you know who I am? Are you not afraid my master will punish you when he returns?”

“Concubine Du, these are the mansion’s rules. Even if you complain to the lady or Lord Marquis, you’ll still have to use the side gate today.” The guard, surnamed Cheng, was an old servant of the Cheng family. Guarding the gate was an important task, and only trusted people were assigned to it. As the saying goes, a prime minister’s doorkeeper is a lord of the third rank, and servants like him, who had reached his level, were not afraid of concubines.

He was responsible for maintaining the mansion’s dignity, and he wasn’t afraid to assert his authority.

Hearing this, Du Ruo was momentarily stumped but then thought of all the grievances she had suffered since becoming a concubine. She snorted, “We’ll go through the side gate!”

And so she did.

Riding in the carriage, Du Ruo returned to her aunt's house.

Her aunt's condition had worsened recently.

Her face was pale.

The moment her aunt saw her, she beckoned her closer. Strangely, despite always finding her aunt annoying in the past, thinking she meddled too much and not wanting to see her at all, even secretly wishing for her death, now seeing her like this made Du Ruo's heart clench.

"Aunt!"

"A'Ruo," her aunt grabbed Du Ruo's hand, her face pale, "How have you been as a concubine?"

Hearing this, Du Ruo raised her eyebrows and smiled, "I'm doing very well. My Master dotes on me."

At this, her aunt's face showed a bit of relief, "Being a concubine is not the same as being a wife in status. You must control your temper. Lord Cheng's family is generous; you must not offend the primary wife. Serve Lord and Lady well and have a child soon."

She kept on advising her.

Du Ruo tuned her out, "Aunt, those are old-fashioned ideas. My Master really dotes on me. There's nothing wrong with being a concubine. With my Master's favor, the primary wife doesn't dare to punish me!"

"A'Ruo!" Her aunt gripped her hand tightly and was about to scold her when she coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

"Aunt!" Du Ruo called out urgently.

The people from her aunt's husband's family also came forward.

"Mother, please don't get upset!"

"Slowly, slowly!"

"What's wrong with Aunt?" Du Ruo asked hurriedly.

"The physicians have checked. Her illness is too severe; she might not have many days left."

"That won't do!" Du Ruo stood up, her face tense, "I'll go find another physician!"

"A'Ruo, physicians from the Imperial City have already seen her. Unless we can get an Imperial Physician to treat her..."

An Imperial Physician...

Apart from the nobility, ordinary officials couldn't summon an Imperial Physician, and their family was just a low-ranking official.

At that moment, Du Ruo spoke up, "I'll go get the Imperial Physician!"

Everyone looked at her.

"I'll go find my Master. He can definitely bring in the Imperial Physician!" Du Ruo's eyes sparkled.

Her Master doted on her so much; if she asked him, he would definitely help her summon the Imperial Physician!

With that, Du Ruo dashed back in a hurry.

That night, Cheng Yunshuo returned home.

Upon returning, he immediately headed to her Xiaohe Courtyard.

"Master!"

"What's wrong?"

"My aunt is critically ill and doesn't have many days left." Du Ruo looked at Cheng Yunshuo with a pleading expression. "I went back to see her today, and all the doctors said there's nothing they can do."

Cheng Yunshuo’s face clouded with sorrow. "Then you should spend more time with your aunt these days."

"That's not all." Du Ruo hurriedly grabbed his arm. "My brothers said that if we could get an Imperial Physician to examine her, there might still be hope. Teacher, can you help me invite an Imperial Physician to see my aunt?"

To invite an Imperial Physician...

Cheng Yunshuo's sorrowful face suddenly turned solemn.

Inviting an Imperial Physician wasn’t easy.

Even for the Marquis's Mansion, when treating the old Marquis or Lady Qin, they only invited Doctor Liu. Inviting an Imperial Physician was a matter of great face.

Either the emperor granted the favor, or you had to pull every string you had.

A senior male member of the family had to personally visit the Imperial Medical Institute to make the request.

Even when Qiu Ling had a difficult childbirth, the Cheng family didn’t go to such lengths to invite an Imperial Physician.

If Xing Dairong had been here, Cheng Yunshuo wouldn’t have hesitated to invite an Imperial Physician.

But now it was just Du Ruo's aunt...

"Teacher, I only have one aunt who has been very good to me since I was young. Can you just stand by and watch her go like this?" Du Ruo, oblivious to Cheng Yunshuo's dilemma, continued to plead, "If you just ask, the Imperial Physician will come. Please, just ask for me!"

Seeing Cheng Yunshuo still hesitating, Du Ruo turned her head, looking at him with a pair of glistening, stubborn eyes. "If you don't help me, I'll be angry!"

For a moment, Cheng Yunshuo saw a reflection of Xing Dairong.

That same liveliness, stubbornness, and playful spirit.

Xing Dairong had once said that Du Ruo resembled her.

The reason Cheng Yunshuo treated Du Ruo differently from the beginning was because her personality reminded him of Xing Dairong.

Cheng Yunshuo met her gaze and softly agreed, "I’ll invite them for you."