Chapter 151: Critically Ill

Chapter 151: Critically Ill

Li Rong held a fragrant pill, staring intently at it, her well-maintained white and delicate hand trembling uncontrollably.

She lowered her head and whispered, "Really, should we give this thing to Niangniang?"

Fan Minghui was silent for a moment before calmly saying, "Niangniang has made her decision. Things have been prepared to this extent; there is no room for retreat."

Li Rong's eyes turned red. "Niangniang is already an Imperial Consort now. Empress Xu merely holds the title of Empress but has long been detested by the emperor and the Empress Dowager. Given time, when the first prince becomes crown prince and ascends the throne, she will eventually be the Empress Dowager. Why rush and take such risks?"

Fan Minghui sighed. "The longer the night, the more dreams. Even a sure thing has unforeseen possibilities. As long as Xu shi is still the Empress, the emperor will always have some reservations. Who knows if Xu shi might regain favor one day? As long as Niangniang is not Empress, nothing is certain."

Li Rong's tears fell. She knew her daughter well. Yao niang was the most stubborn child. Once she decided to do something, no one could persuade her otherwise. Now that even her husband had said so, there was truly no room for maneuver.

Li Rong clutched the fragrant pill, feeling as if her palm was burning, and choked, "What if something goes wrong..."

Fan Minghui sat beside her, put his arm around her shoulder, and patted it to comfort her. "It has been tested repeatedly. Those involved are safe, and the Imperial Physician has been bribed. Nothing will go wrong. Yao niang is the most cautious and steady. If she weren't sure, she wouldn't take the risk."

Li Rong's tears rolled down. Being a mother is so difficult. If a child lacks initiative, the mother worries endlessly. If a child has strong opinions, it makes the mother anxious.

On the fifteenth, Li Rong entered the palace as usual. Upon entering the hall, she saw Baoge but no sign of Xu ge. She sighed, "The first prince has moved, and it will be hard to see him from now on."

Fan Xueyao comforted, "He is growing older. In some time, he will have to invite Confucian scholars for daily lectures. There will be much coursework, and even I will see him less often. It's still okay for now."

Li Rong nodded upon hearing this. "You're right, Imperial Consort. As the eldest son of the emperor, even if he is young, he should be diligent in his studies and avoid indulgence in idle pleasures. Only then can he become a talent. Just like that third son, I watched him when he was young and clever. Everyone praised his intelligence. But who knew that as he grew up, he stopped reading, indulged in play all day, and gradually lost his talent. The old tutor was so angry that he resigned. He is older than the Imperial Consort by three years, and now that he has a family, he has accomplished nothing. It's truly regrettable."

Fan Xueyao felt a bit emotional but was not surprised. She had never been concerned about the third branch because she knew it was flawed from the root. Neither her third uncle and his wife nor their sons and daughters had any ambition or backbone.

Fan Yan did have some cleverness, but he didn't use it properly. He spent it on pleasing his grandmother to get more benefits or deceiving his tutors to avoid his studies. His nature was one of seeking comfort and avoiding work.

Even though he had some small cleverness and managed to get by, many people thought he was a good child, just a bit too lively and not very steady.

At that time, the family was just a small official family, better than the lower class but not ranking in the capital. The third branch had no wealth, so he seemed decent. But later, she entered the palace, gained favor, and the Fan family's status rose. Even as a mere commoner cousin from her maternal family, there were frivolous young men flattering him. Since he was naturally frivolous and enjoyed pleasures, he became increasingly flawed.

Fan Xueyao shook her head helplessly. She really didn't want to deal with such a person. Although she had no feelings for Fan Yan, she couldn't help but be implicated because, in the eyes of others, they were of the same clan and direct cousins. They were always connected.

So, she had long instructed Yan Ran and Li Si to keep an eye on the young masters of the Fan family. Anyone who dared to misuse her name would be dealt with immediately by Li Si. But this was kept hidden from Li Rong and Fan Minghui. After all, it was commonly believed that blood is thicker than water and that there were no deep hatreds between relatives.

"Niangniang should still have the third uncle discipline the third brother properly. Once the coursework is neglected, it's hard to pick up again. Even if he doesn't pass the imperial examinations, he should understand some principles. He's already past the age of adulthood; how can he continue to play around outside according to his whims?"

"Ah, yes, you're right. I'll remember to tell them when I return." Li Rong agreed, changing her expression to a smile as she took Fan Xueyao's hand. Her wide sleeves concealed their hands. "I have some happy news to share with you this time I entered the palace."

Fan Xueyao quietly put away the two fragrant pills Li Rong handed her, her expression remaining gentle and calm without a ripple. "Oh? What happy news is it?"

Li Rong smiled. "Your elder sister-in-law is pregnant again and is about to give birth. Her belly is quite big. I think it's a boy again. Chen shi is also strange; either she doesn't give birth, or she gives birth to three at once. The previous one was still breastfeeding when she got pregnant again. It's both laughable and frustrating." Although Li Rong spoke of such mundane matters, her smile seemed somewhat stiff.

Seeing this, Fan Xueyao didn't need to listen to know how much anxiety Li Rong was enduring in her heart. Thinking of her greed, Li Rong had endured so much anxiety, yet she smiled and said, "More grandsons will make Mother happy." She held Li Rong's hand.

Li Rong's hand was ice-cold and still trembling. Fan Xueyao gripped it a little tighter, and Li Rong suddenly gripped back just as tightly. Feeling her daughter's gaze filled with comfort and concern, showing no hesitation, Li Rong's heart ached and she sighed helplessly. Ah, children are indeed a burden.

After speaking for a while, Fan Xueyao said with a smile, "Mother, please sit here while I change clothes."

The female court official beside her relaxed slightly when she left, not suspecting anything.

Fan Xueyao entered the west secondary room and circled behind the screen. Hua Ping sent the new palace maids, Fu Zhu and Xiang Er, to prepare hot water and soap outside the screen. Fan Xueyao took out the fragrant pills from her sleeve, both the same size. She thought for a moment and gently applied pressure. One had no reaction, but the other flattened slightly.

She used a hairpin to pierce the flattened one, discarded the fragrant shell into the basin, and unfolded the thin gauze. After quickly reading the message on the gauze, she took it to the incense burner and burned it.

Entering the bedroom, she quietly instructed Hua Ping to grind the ink and took out a blank piece of thin gauze. She quickly wrote some words. There was no time to turn it into a fragrant pill, so she took out a gold hairpin. The hairpin was specially made, with the head and the body in two sections. By twisting it twice, it could be separated, and one section of the pin was hollow.

Fan Xueyao folded the gauze carefully and slid it into the hollow part of the hairpin, restoring it to its original state. She then handed the gold hairpin to Huaping, instructing her to take the hairpin along with a pair of pomegranate-shaped gold-inlaid coral and jade flower ornaments, and two fifty tael silver ingots with the design of "Blossoming Wealth," all placed in a box, to be given to her sister-in-law, Chen, from her natal family.

Pretending to have used the restroom, Fan Xueyao changed her skirt and re-entered the room to meet Li Rong. It only took a short while, and the female officials did not suspect anything.

On the way back, Li Rong's eyes were red. Yueyue, seeing this, thought that she was upset about leaving the imperial palace and said with a smile, "Why the sad face, my lady? It won't be long before we can enter the palace again, right?"

Li Rong forced a smile and replied, "You're not married yet, so how would you understand a parent's feelings? Being away from your child, even for a few days, feels like an eternity."

Yueyue pouted and said, "My lady, you really dote on the Empress... Unlike my mother, I rarely get to go home, and even when I do, she doesn't miss me much. All she talks about is my brother."

As Yueyue kept complaining about her partial parents, Li Rong was silently agonizing over the things she had given to her daughter.

At home, Li Rong kept the hairpin and replaced it with one of her own, which had never been worn outside. She then sent the one given by Fan Xueyao to Chen, while she herself took the hairpin apart to retrieve the secret message.

**

When she heard that Empress Xu suddenly expressed a longing for her wet nurse who had cared for her in infancy, Fan Xueyao knew that the time was right.

She took out the remaining incense pill and scraped a little powder from it, mixing it with water to drink a small amount daily.

As the weather grew warmer, mosquitoes became more troublesome. Baoge often played in the courtyard and was bitten on his face and head by mosquitoes, which was truly distressing to see.

On this day, the palace attendants were called to clean the ditches at the Spreading Fragrance Hall. A dozen young eunuchs came, lifted the stone slabs covering the ditches, and dug out the accumulated mud, exposing the fresh soil underneath.

The task was dirty and smelly, and the mud that fell on the floor made it messy. If it stained their clothes or shoes, it would be troublesome. Fan Xueyao came out to take a look but retreated to the rear hall when she saw the state of things.

The eunuchs rolled up their sleeves and wore cloth aprons to shield themselves from the filth, inevitably getting some dirt on their hands. As they exerted effort, they began to sweat. A plain-looking young eunuch spoke to his companion, put down the basket and shovel, and walked over with his dirty hands behind his back, slightly lowering his head. He asked Huaping, slightly lowering his head, "May I trouble this senior palace maid to fetch some water for washing hands? And one more question, where can I relieve myself?"

Seeing how sweaty he was, Huaping fetched some cool well water from the well pavilion for him to wash his hands and then asked a young maid to guide him to the latrine in the back, where they lent him a bucket to relieve himself.

The young eunuch, standing with his legs together, looked anxious, as if he might need to go at any moment.

The young maid, finding it both dirty and embarrassing, held the bucket at arm's length and quickly moved aside, leaving him to use it by himself.

After relieving himself, the young eunuch looked around to ensure no one was nearby. He then quickly took out a small shovel from his sleeve, dug a hole in the corner about two shovel depths deep, placed a cloth package into the hole, and buried it again. He splashed some of the dirty water from the bucket onto the ground to cover the freshly dug marks.

The young maid waited at the side door for a while, but seeing no movement, called out, "Are you done?"

The young eunuch hurriedly tucked the shovel into his sleeve and replied through the door, "Yes."

The young maid then opened the side door, only to find a wet patch on the ground with a foul smell. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I'm terribly sorry, Senior Palace Maid," the young eunuch said awkwardly. "I was in a hurry and accidentally spilled some." The young maid muttered a couple of complaints but let it go.

After returning to the front courtyard, the young eunuch joined the others in clearing the ditches and left after working for half a day.

Once he was gone, Fan Xueyao instructed Huaping to check the corner near the latrine in the back. If she found any unusual wet soil, she was to secretly dig it up and bring the contents to her.

Huaping followed the instructions and, after inspecting the corner, found the wet soil. Holding her nose against the foul smell, she dug it up and found a red cloth package. She brought it back and handed it to Fan Xueyao.

After examining the contents of the cloth package, which were as expected, Fan Xueyao instructed Huaping to put the cloth package back and bury it the way it was. Huaping followed the instructions.

In the Empress's quarters, Empress Xu was anxiously waiting on her throne. After a long while, she saw the female official enter. As soon as she dismissed the attendants, she asked, "How did it go?"

The female official replied, "The young eunuch has buried the item at the Spreading Fragrance Hall as instructed."

Empress Xu breathed a sigh of relief, a satisfied expression on her face.

**

The Imperial Consort suddenly fell ill, and her attendants reported it, summoning the Imperial Physician. As soon as he arrived, Chu Nan rushed over upon hearing the news. Fan Xueyao rarely fell sick, so when she did and called for the Imperial Physician, he came promptly.

"Your Majesty."

Fan Xueyao reclined against a large pillow, draped in a lotus-red robe. Her long, smooth hair flowed over her delicate garments, creating a graceful image for anyone who saw her. Due to her illness, her face was pale, and her once vibrant lips had lost their color. Seeing him enter, she mustered the energy to greet him, her voice weak and frail. Yet, her fragile appearance held an indescribable beauty.

Chu Nan, feeling heartache and pity, reached out and gently touched her hair, then turned to the imperial physician to ask about her condition.

The imperial physician carefully felt her pulse and asked the attendants about the various symptoms. After some hesitation, he said, "Based on the pulse, it doesn’t seem that the imperial consort is suffering from any specific illness. For some reason, she has inexplicably become weak. The pulse is light and weak, indicating a weakness possibly due to congenital deficiency and acquired disharmony, leading to chronic debility. However, no such congenital deficiency was found in previous diagnoses..."

Chu Nan, upon hearing the imperial physician's words, furrowed his brow deeply and looked at the physician with dissatisfaction. "Imperial Consort has been in the palace for seven years now, and all previous medical records showed her to be healthy without chronic illness. How could she suddenly develop this weakness?"

Unable to provide a satisfactory answer, the imperial physician eventually wrote a prescription for a tonic to nourish her blood and qi.

Initially, Fan Xueyao was only slightly weak, but after taking the tonic for several days, her condition did not improve and instead worsened. This time, Chu Nan was less patient. He demanded from the imperial physician how to treat her.

Kneeling with his head nearly buried in the ground, the imperial physician admitted his medical skills were insufficient and requested Chu Nan to summon more imperial physicians for a joint diagnosis.

Suppressing his anger at the physician's incompetence, Chu Nan nodded and instructed Li Huairen to summon the other imperial physicians.

News of the imperial consort's illness quickly spread. The attendants whispered to each other, "It’s such a mysterious illness. The imperial physicians from the Medical Bureau have all gone, but no one can figure out what the illness is. She’s been inexplicably weakening, often vomiting, and suffering greatly. It’s said that now she can only drink a little soup and can’t even eat a grain of rice."

"These symptoms are quite ominous... Could it be that she’s been possessed by some evil spirit?"

"That wouldn’t be surprising. She monopolizes all of the emperor’s affection. Which of the imperial concubines in the palace isn’t jealous and resentful of her? Even outside the palace, there are many who hate her."

A young maid, pursing her lips and looking sympathetic, remarked, "Alas, Imperial Consort is deeply favored by the emperor, and the first prince, whom she raised, is also highly valued and cherished by him. Future wealth and honor would have been within easy reach. It would be such a pity if something unfortunate were to happen now."

"You’re right. These matters don’t concern us. What’s most important is that the emperor loves Imperial Consort dearly, and her severe illness is troubling. He must be deeply saddened and distressed. At times like this, we attendants must be especially careful and meticulous, ensuring no mistakes are made to avoid being implicated."

"You’re absolutely right."