Chapter 463

The Concubine's Daughter's Guide Chapter 470: Trivial Matters (Part 2)

Physician Liu murmured his compliance.

Lady Eleven turned scarlet but couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Mo Yan..." Lord Xu knit his eyebrows.

Lady Eleven averted her face and whispered, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

Unable to hear clearly, Lord Xu leaned closer, only to see that even her neck had flushed red.

He couldn't help but caress her face—it was scalding to the touch.

"Can't you even tell me?" Lord Xu looked at Lady Eleven with a tender smile.

She cast her eyes downward. "You... you should have someone else ask me instead!"

Lord Xu was startled.

Why?

The thought flashed through his mind, leaving him with mixed feelings.

"Why can't it be me?" He fixed his gaze on Lady Eleven, his expression turning somewhat stern, his voice warm and resonant.

Because it was too embarrassing!

Lady Eleven was at a loss for words and could only say, "Just... just have someone else ask, alright?"

Her expression held a touch of willfulness, taking on a coy tone.

Lord Xu's gaze deepened. "Then... shall I have Song Mama relay the questions?"

Lady Eleven thought for a long moment before gathering her courage. "Fine, let Song Mama ask then!"

Lord Xu chuckled and gently drew her close. "You silly thing."

His fingertips traced her spine, feeling the uncomfortably prominent bones.

"Mo Yan..." He hesitated.

When had Lady Eleven grown so thin?

Lord Xu found himself choked up, unsure of what to say.

Having someone else ask, though still embarrassing, wouldn't leave her as mortified as when Lord Xu questioned her. Between the two, she'd rather have Song Mama do it. Perhaps because they were husband and wife, she was even more reluctant to expose certain private details to him?

Lady Eleven was growing breathless in Lord Xu's embrace and gently pushed against him, whispering a reminder, "Physician Liu is still waiting outside the bed curtains..."

Lord Xu slowly released her.

She let out a relieved breath.

But then, Lord Xu suddenly leaned in to brush a kiss against her cheek, repeating the questions Physician Liu had asked earlier.

"My lord..." Lady Eleven was taken aback.

What made him change his mind now?

Lord Xu’s gaze held deep emotion.

"Don’t worry me like this," he murmured softly. "Jin Geer is still so young!"

Eleven Miss’s eyes suddenly brimmed with tears.

Her thoughts turned to Eldest Miss, who had passed away from illness, and to frail Chun Ge...

Eleven Miss leaned close to Lord Xu’s ear and whispered Physician Liu’s words to him.

Lord Xu chuckled and pulled her into his embrace. "Just close your eyes—then you won’t feel shy."

"It’s a hemorrhage," Physician Liu replied firmly this time. "First, administer the Yi Zhong Yi Qi tonic. If that doesn’t work, add aconite."

Lord Xu had already composed himself. After a moment’s thought, he asked, "Given her condition, can acupuncture be used?"

Physician Liu looked startled and took a while to respond. "We’d need to needle Pishu on the back, Yinbai on the foot, Baihui on the head, Qihai on the abdomen, and Zusanli on the leg..."

Pishu was on the back, Yinbai on the foot, Baihui on the head, Qihai on the abdomen, and Zusanli on the leg.

Without hesitation, Lord Xu only asked, "Will it be effective?"

Recalling how Lord Xu had relayed messages earlier, Physician Liu replied, "It should work faster than medicine and yield better results."

"Then proceed with the acupuncture," Lord Xu declared resolutely. "I will speak to my wife."

Physician Liu regarded Lord Xu with newfound respect and said respectfully,

"My lord, have someone sent to my residence to fetch the needles. I will begin the acupuncture for Madam immediately."

Lord Xu nodded and entered the bedchamber.

This was beyond Eleven Miss’s expectations.

She looked at Lord Xu, her face unreadable.

"I know this might shock people," Lord Xu said, fearing her refusal and trying to persuade her repeatedly. "But our child is still so young, and hemorrhage is extremely dangerous. For the sake of our child, you must at least try."

He then clasped her hand. "Doctors care like parents. To them, patients are like their own children, regardless of gender. Besides, I will be present when Physician Liu performs the acupuncture. If you’re truly too embarrassed, I can ask him to prescribe a sedative. You can take it, fall asleep, and then he can proceed."

"There’s no need," Eleven Miss replied with a faint smile, squeezing his hand in return. "I’ll trust your judgment, my lord."

Lord Xu exhaled in relief. Since night was falling and the person sent to fetch the needles would take some time, he invited Physician Liu to have tea in the main hall and inquired in detail about the precautions for Eleven Miss’s condition.

"Her ladyship’s condition began in childbirth, but it is most aggravated by excessive worry," Physician Liu explained. "She often feels weary and listless, always wanting to rest. My lord should encourage her to rest more and fret less. With both acupuncture and medicine, I believe she will recover swiftly."

Lord Xu nodded and asked about dietary precautions.

Their discussion lasted an hour before a servant arrived with the silver needles.

But now Physician Liu wavered.

Without pause, Lord Xu rose and headed to the side chamber.

Eleven Miss whispered to Lord Xu, "Must I remove everything?"

"Can needles pierce through cloth?" Lord Xu teased. "Just your underbust wrap."

Very well—she’d pretend she was going for a swim.

Lady Eleven removed her clothes and lay on her side facing inward.

Lord Xu looked at her delicate frame and couldn't help but lean down, gently kissing her back.

Like a butterfly’s brief perch, so light it might go unnoticed, yet it seared like a brand, leaving a heat that carried a hint of pain.

She shivered slightly.

Dr. Liu’s hands did not directly touch Lady Eleven’s skin, yet he placed the needles precisely. As soon as they entered, the areas around the tips tingled with numbness, swelling, and weight, then gradually spread, bringing a soothing warmth akin to soaking in a hot spring.

She had seen traditional Chinese doctors before and knew she had encountered a master. Her body and mind relaxed, and she grew more confident in her recovery.

She closed her eyes and soon drifted into a deep sleep.

Dr. Liu was beaded with sweat.

He had initially worried about needing to apply the needles through clothing, but now... this made the process far more accurate.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

The biggest risk with acupuncture was a patient’s tension—not only would it diminish the effects, but it also increased the chance of errors.

Lord Xu, however, remained concerned. He carefully observed Lady Eleven’s expression, noting how her initially tense face soon softened as she slipped into slumber. He asked softly, "How is she?"

"All is well, all is well," Dr. Liu replied gently, holding the needles. "Sleeping is even better."

Lord Xu asked no further. Once Dr. Liu finished the treatment, he left Amber to attend to Lady Eleven while he escorted the doctor out of the side chamber.

A maidservant entered and, upon seeing Lord Xu, immediately lowered her head and flattened herself against the wall to make way.

"Should the needles be applied in a series or intermittently?" Lord Xu asked Dr. Liu as they walked toward the main hall.

"A series of sessions would be ideal," Dr. Liu replied, his usual brisk tone returning. "Though intermittent sessions would also suffice."

Lord Xu chuckled. "Let’s proceed with a series, then." As he turned to have the kitchen prepare a meal, he noticed the maidservant entering Lady Eleven’s room.

The elder madam oversaw household matters and had even taken charge of Xu Sijie to allow Lady Eleven to rest undisturbed. Only a few maids familiar to Lady Eleven remained in the side chamber... What business did that woman have there? Recalling Dr. Liu’s warning about Lady Eleven avoiding stress, he pointed at her and demanded, "What is going on?"

Fangxi, who was accompanying them to the main hall, hurriedly replied, "She is the one sent by the madam to deliver a message to Bowstring Alley."

Was it regarding Twelve Miss’s marriage?

Lord Xu did not press further. After seeing Dr. Liu off, he summoned Amber.

Without Lady Eleven’s instructions, Amber hesitated to elaborate. "She only asked for Fourth Aunt to come over. Beyond that, I don’t know the details."

That was typical of Lady Eleven—the more critical the matter, the calmer she remained.

Lord Xu gave a slight nod and returned to the side chamber.

Jin Geer was fresh from his bath, and Lady Eleven was playing with him.

Seeing Lord Xu enter, she smiled and pointed at him. "Look, Papa’s here!"

Jin Geer gazed at Lord Xu with round, shining eyes.

Lord Xu’s chest warmed. He gently patted Jin Geer’s head and asked softly, "Have you eaten enough?"

Jin Geer continued staring at him without blinking. Lord Xu laughed, pecked his cheek, then took the child into his arms and sat by the bed. "Are you feeling better now?"

Here is the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

"It was quite comfortable during the acupuncture," Eleventh Lady said with a smile. "Otherwise, I didn't feel much else." As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Jin Geer squirming in his swaddling clothes. "Quick, quick!" She hurriedly picked up the child. "Our Jin Geer needs to pee." As she spoke, she untied the binding straps of the swaddling clothes.

A golden stream arched through the air before landing on the polished bluestone floor.

"This little one!" Lord Xu chuckled. "Quite clever!" His tone carried a hint of relief.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but laugh. "All babies are like this, aren't they?"

"How could that be?" Lord Xu took the child back. "I've seen Prince Shun's son—he didn't open his eyes until half a month after birth and was still wetting himself at three months. He's nowhere near as clever as our Jin Geer!"

As the saying goes, every child is precious in its parents' eyes!

Lord Xu amused himself by playing with the baby, but Jin Geer wasn't particularly interested, yawning before pursing his tiny lips and falling asleep.

Seeing this, Eleventh Lady pulled back the blanket. "Put Jin Geer down. If you keep carrying him around, he might get used to it and cry when no one's holding him."

Lord Xu was surprised. "Does the child sleep with you?"

Instead of answering directly, Eleventh Lady smiled. "I just can't let him go."

Lord Xu recalled how, the last time Eleventh Lady was asleep, she woke the moment he reached out to touch Jin Geer—like a lioness springing awake when her cub is touched...

Gently, he placed the child under the covers and turned to Qiuyu beside him. "Tell a maid to bring me wash water."

The room suddenly fell into silence.

Tian Ma shot anxious glances at Eleventh Lady.

Eleventh Lady also felt uneasy—if he stayed the night, what would happen to Gu Shi? And if Gu Shi wasn't here, what if Jin Geer woke up in the middle of the night?

"My lord," she said with a smile, "Jin Geer wakes up several times at night and makes quite a racket..."

Was this why Eleventh Lady hadn't been resting well? Others gained weight after childbirth, but she kept getting thinner.

"I'm at home with nothing to do now, with no morning court to attend," Lord Xu said dismissively. "If he's noisy at night, I can help calm him down!"

***

So sorry! Family matters delayed me!

The bonus chapter will have to wait until tomorrow noon!

My apologies! PS: About the postcards—I looked everywhere at noon but couldn't find any. I've ordered some online, but they'll take a few days to arrive. Please bear with me!