Diagnosis and treatment (repair)

In a short while, Rongwei had prepared several towels that had been soaked in cold water and carefully placed them on Dou Yanxun's forehead to relieve his high fever.

Suddenly, Nongyu had a flash of inspiration and said softly.

"Actually... I heard that the old lady invited Physician Xu to examine the eldest young mistress's pulse and help her prepare for childbirth these past few days. This evening, I ran into Ru'er, who serves the eldest young mistress, as she went to fetch the medicine box. I suppose Physician Xu didn't have time to go back after finishing his examination today, so he stayed at the mansion to rest."

Lin Xu couldn't help but raise her head. She also remembered that when she paid her respects to Madam Bai not long ago, Feng Daizhu had mentioned in a lighthearted conversation that imperial physicians often came to take her pulse. But Imperial Physician Xu was, after all, a royal physician in the palace, and was famous for his skillful hands. He often went out of the palace to take the pulses of some high-ranking officials and nobles.

He only took Feng Daizhu's pulse to check on her health because of his consideration for Dou Huaisheng and his past private relationship with the Dou family. Now that she is in good health, is it a little inappropriate for her to go and bother him in the middle of the night?

As he was pondering this, Zhou Qi had already led his horse to stand in the courtyard, waiting for the carriage to be prepared so they could go to Lantern Alley in the old city to fetch a doctor. However, Lantern Alley was quite remote, and the alleys of the old city were extremely narrow; who knew how many more hours this trip would take.

Lin Xu turned around and saw that Dou Yanxun had an ice pack on his forehead, but even so, he still had his eyes closed and looked extremely painful. She held his hand, and the temperature of his palm was burning hot.

If we let him continue burning like this, things could get really bad.

"Go and fetch Physician Xu." After saying this, she tightened her cloak, her eyes darkening. "Light the lamps again, go to the storeroom and pick out some valuable jewelry. After dawn, come with me to Lingbo Garden to apologize to my sister-in-law."

Physician Xu happened to be awake. Upon hearing that something serious had happened in the mansion, he immediately put down his medical books and rushed to the villa.

Although Physician Xu was far from being a national-level expert, his medical skills were superb, which allowed him to serve in the palace. With a simple diagnosis, he deduced the cause of the illness and gently massaged Dou Yanxun's lung meridian. Soon, Dou Yanxun's expression eased considerably.

Physician Xu wrote out a prescription and personally took out several doses of warming and diaphoretic herbs such as ephedra and cinnamon twigs from his medicine chest. Zhu Ling carefully noted them down and hurriedly went to the kitchen to brew the medicine.

Physician Xu then said to Lin Xu, "Young Master Dou's condition is caused by internal heat and dampness, exacerbated by sudden rain exposure, which has weakened his spleen and stomach. If you can soak a cloth in cold water and wipe his entire body with it, you can quickly reduce the fever and relieve his coma."

Lin Xu nodded, relieved that there was nothing seriously wrong.

It was getting late, and Physician Xu was about to leave after sitting for a short while, so she saw him off for quite a while. She knew that Physician Xu was a kind-hearted doctor, but today's events had happened suddenly and he had been a great bother, so she naturally could not be impolite. Therefore, she gave Granny Qin a wink and slipped a purse full of loose gold into Physician Xu's hand.

Unable to refuse any longer, Physician Xu handed the purse to his accompanying apprentice. Before leaving, he took a closer look at Lin Xu by the moonlight in the courtyard, seemingly hesitant, but finally couldn't help but say:

"Perhaps I am being presumptuous, but I wonder if Madam Dou is related to a Liang family woman from the former capital city?"

Lin Xu was taken aback, and then Granny Qin smiled and said, "What Physician Xu said is correct. Our young lady's birth mother is Liang from Hecheng, and Minister Lin, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is our young lady's father."

Physician Xu suddenly realized and repeatedly bowed and apologized, saying, "So you are the daughter of Right Chancellor Lin. I was very disrespectful just now."

Physician Xu thought to himself, "As expected." He had noticed those eyes when he entered the room; they clearly bore a striking resemblance to those of an old friend from many years ago. Even after several years, he was absolutely certain he wouldn't mistake them.

He sighed inwardly, forced a smile, thanked her again, and was about to turn and leave. He had only taken a few steps in the moonlight when he heard a clear, melodious female voice, like snowflakes, sound behind him.

"—Physician Xu, why did you mention my mother just now? Do you know her?"

Physician Xu turned around and met her gaze, which was half inquisitive and half eager. He had spent half his life treating patients and saving lives, and he had seen countless people look at him with such an expression, placing all their hopes on his words, "The patient is out of danger."

The woman's eyes clearly shone with a captivating light, yet seemed shrouded in an impenetrable mist.

That was a tiny glimmer of hope that had been rekindled after hearing countless words of disappointment.

"I have had the honor of meeting Madam Lin a few times. Madam Lin is gentle and kind. There are many noble ladies coming and going in the palace, but Madam Lin is a rare person of pure and chaste character. And you and Madam Lin are very similar in appearance and demeanor. Today, I have overstepped my bounds. I hope Madam Dou will forgive me."

Lin Xu stood on the steps, the night breeze ruffling her clothes, yet she felt no chill. She watched as Physician Xu apologized repeatedly before departing with his accompanying apprentice, a thoughtful expression slowly rising in her eyes.

.

After a busy night, the moon had set and the stars had disappeared, and the sky was beginning to lighten. Dou Yanxun's high fever had finally subsided, but he was still drowsy. He glanced at Lin Xu once and then fell asleep again.

After a quick wash, she didn't want to linger. After paying her respects to Madam Bai, she went straight to Lingbo Garden with Zhuling.

It was well past the time for Dou Yanzhou to go on duty, and he was not at home. The courtyard of the main house was quiet. Passing through the covered corridor, there was a uniquely designed rockery built by the lake, and next to it was a dense apricot grove, with the flowers in full bloom, attracting many pink butterflies to flutter among them.

The young maid Ru'er, who was guarding the door, bowed respectfully upon seeing Lin Xu arrive. A lazy female voice came from inside the house, "Who has come?"

Lin Xu smiled and strolled into the bedchamber. "Sister-in-law, I've come to see you."

Feng Daizhu, who was half-reclining on the daybed, was startled to see Lin Xu and nearly dropped her teacup. Granny Zhao glanced at her, then discreetly wiped away the few drops of tea that had spilled on the table, and greeted Lin Xu with a smile as he sat down.

"Sister-in-law, it's been a long time. What brings you here today?"

Pretending not to notice Feng Daizhu's unusual expression, Lin Xu hurriedly went forward with Granny Zhao and carefully helped her sit up before sitting down with a smile.

"I just finished paying my respects to my mother. I was worried about my sister-in-law's health, so I came to check on her. I happened to have some gold hairpins made a few days ago. I think the gemstones are bright and beautiful, and they match my sister-in-law very well."

Feng Daizhu glanced at the tray held by Zhu Ling. Two gilded hairpins, of different sizes, adorned with intricately carved floral patterns and phoenixes, shone brightly in gold. On the tray also sat a remarkably lustrous, narrow-mouthed porcelain vase of mutton-fat jade. Being an expert on jade, she immediately recognized its exceptional quality.

Lin Xu smiled and said in a melodious voice:

"When I paid my respects to my mother that day, I noticed that my sister-in-law paid more attention to the magnolias in my mother's hall. I suppose my sister-in-law is also someone who appreciates and cherishes flowers. This porcelain vase is just a gift for my sister-in-law to keep some flowers and plants to relieve her boredom."

Feng Daizhu shifted her body slightly, holding her handkerchief and smiling gently:

"No wonder everyone says you're the most considerate; I feel embarrassed to even refuse." She waved her hand, signaling Zhao Mama to put the things away.

A moment later, a well-behaved young maidservant served tea, jasmine tea in a white porcelain teacup, its cool fragrance immediately wafting through the air. On the food platter were several delicate pastries, including lotus root pastry, red lotus petal pastry, and translucent crystal soap cake, along with a small plate of fresh, juicy loquats.

Lin Xu sipped the tea carefully, and couldn't help but chuckle softly as she touched the cup: "The jasmine tea here, sister-in-law, must be made from the freshest tender buds that were just harvested. It's so fragrant and delicious, truly exceptional."

Now that her pregnancy is more advanced, Feng Daizhu's waist is rounder, and her face is noticeably more swollen. Bathed in light streaming through the carved window lattice, her smile is gentle, but her eyes still betray an undisguised scrutiny. "Speaking of which, sister-in-law, you're becoming increasingly radiant and beautiful. I heard you were ill a few days ago; are you feeling better lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, sister-in-law. It wasn't anything serious, just a cold. I'm a bit weak, so I rested for a while and recovered quickly."

Feng Daizhu responded with an "oh," her expression showing some concern. Granny Zhao stood to the side, her expression strangely unsettling for some reason.

Lin Xu didn't take it to heart, and then heard Feng Daizhu say slowly, "It's good that you're alright. The weather has been fluctuating these past few days, and it's common to catch a cold. Lang Ge'er even had a cough for several days in a row, which worried me a lot. Just wear more warm clothes and take good care of yourself and you'll get through it."

After a pause, Feng Daizhu casually added:

"I heard there was some commotion at the villa last night, and even Physician Xu was summoned. Could something have happened?"

Lin Xu put down her teacup; she had been sitting for so long that even the tea had gone slightly cold. She raised her eyebrows, about to speak, when she heard the rustling of the beaded curtain in front of the hall, accompanied by the incessant babbling of children.

Granny Zhao glanced ahead and smiled, "It's Lang-ge coming to pay his respects."

Although Langge is currently being raised in Lingbo Garden, Feng Daizhu is nearing her full term and unable to provide adequate care. Therefore, Bai Shi often takes him to live with her, and arranges for four or five wet nurses and nannies to take meticulous care of him. As a result, Langge is spending more time in the main courtyard on weekdays. Even Bai Shi herself has joked that Langge cries incessantly whenever he is away from the main courtyard.

A glint of light flashed in Feng Daizhu's eyes. She quickly waved her hand, and a moment later, the wet nurse came in carrying Lang Ge'er.

Lang Ge'er is almost two years old now, and he's old enough to talk and walk. Today he's wearing a lake-blue cross-collar brocade dress with gold trim on the collar, a tiger-head hat, and a gold and jade necklace. You can tell at a glance that he's the most precious and pampered young master in the mansion.

Her fair face was smooth and soft, and her bright black eyes blinked. Even Lin Xu, sitting next to her, found her incredibly cute.

Feng Daizhu hadn't seen Lang Ge'er for a long time, and reached out to hug him, but her belly was too round and she couldn't. Zhao Mama was very worried and advised, "You're not feeling well, so let this old servant do it."

As they spoke, Granny Zhao took Lang Ge'er from the wet nurse and held him securely in her arms. Lang Ge'er and Granny Zhao were very close, and Granny Zhao had always taken good care of him in Lingbo Garden, so he wasn't afraid and nestled obediently in Granny Zhao's arms.

Feng Daizhu had no choice but to let Zhao Mama hold Lang Ge'er closer. She was overjoyed and was about to touch her eldest son's face when Lang Ge'er became more interested in the pastries on the table next to him and immediately turned his face away to grab them.

From the moment he entered, Lang Ge'er looked around curiously, even glancing at Lin Xu whom he hadn't seen in a long time, but he didn't look at Feng Daizhu at all.

The wet nurse stood awkwardly to the side and could only say, "The young master just ate breakfast this morning, drank a small bowl of chicken and tofu soup, and was fed again, so he shouldn't be hungry."

Feng Daizhu nodded and gently called out to Lang Ge'er, wanting to tease him. However, Lang Ge'er's interest was completely drawn to the loquats covered in dew. He reached out to grab them, ignoring Feng Daizhu's constant gentle calls from the side.