Chapter 36 "He liked it when his wife acted coquettishly towards him..."

Chapter 36: Feeding the Medicine ==

The atmosphere inside the room was very quiet. In her drowsy state, Su Wanyue felt as if she were being roasted on a fire, her whole body hot and uncomfortable.

Especially when she tasted the bitter medicine, her brows furrowed even more, and she felt even more uncomfortable. Seeing this, Xiao Yu pressed his temples, his dark pupils fixed on his wife in his arms.

Finally, the medicine was administered to her in another way. The woman whimpered, her face scrunched up, and she tried to push him away.

But how could her strength compare to that of a man? Xiao Yu ran his large hand through her black hair, preventing her from moving, until he fed her the last drop of medicine before releasing her.

She was burning hot all over, so Xiao Yu simply got into bed and pulled her into his arms. The woman's fragrance reached Xiao Yu's nose, and he closed his eyes slightly.

As for the Seventh Princess and Granny Zhang, one went to wait in the side hall, while the other went to ask the imperial physician about the Princess's condition. Upon seeing that she was someone from the Noble Consort's side, the imperial physician respectfully informed the Princess that she was feeling unwell because she had caught a cold, and that she would feel better once her fever subsided.

The capital city is only so big, especially since the Prince Cheng's mansion had invited imperial physicians from the palace. This news quickly reached Qin Jue's ears. Qin Jue was quietly reading a book, but when he heard about this, his brows immediately furrowed. He asked the person who came to ask what was going on, since Wanwan didn't get sick much when she was in Nanqiong.

Could it be because she was in a bad mood after seeing Lu Qingchen yesterday?

"Your Highness, I heard that Princess Cheng caught a chill, which is why she is feeling unwell," the guard replied immediately.

Qin Jue instinctively wanted to go to the Prince Cheng's residence, instructing the guards not to tell Lu Qingchen about this. However, upon further reflection, he realized that since they were all in the capital, how could this matter be kept from Lu Qingchen? He straightened his white five-clawed python robe and closed his folding fan. "Go to the Prince Cheng's residence."

When the steward heard that Qin Jue had arrived, he was startled and hurriedly went to the gate of the mansion to greet him.

Qin Jue made his intentions clear in a friendly manner: he had heard that his sister was unwell and had come to see her.

This put the steward in a difficult position. On one hand, there was the noble-looking Princess Consort's own brother, and on the other hand, there were the orders from his master. The steward gave a wry smile and said, "Your Highness, our Prince Qin said that the Princess Consort has been unwell these past few days, so she is not seeing anyone."

Qin Jue's brow twitched. Could it be that his sister's illness was just an excuse, and that Prince Cheng had noticed something was wrong last night, so he was preventing his sister from seeing anyone?

However, this possibility is extremely slim.

Qin Jue asked calmly, "And what about His Highness Prince Cheng?"

"His Highness is currently taking care of the Princess in Zixia Palace, and he probably won't be around right now," the steward said politely.

The Prince Cheng's residence was surrounded like an impregnable fortress, so Qin Jue certainly couldn't just barge in. He lowered his head silently and said with a refined expression, "Then I'll come over again when my sister's health improves."

"Your Highness, please take care." The steward finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At noon, Su Wanyue was still asleep, but the kitchen had prepared lunch. A guard knocked on the door of Zixia Palace, and the tall and slender mistress came out.

The steward hurriedly informed His Highness that the Seventh Princess, Crown Prince Qin, and Zhang Mama, who served the Imperial Concubine, had arrived. Xiao Yu nodded slightly and said nothing, and the steward dared not say anything more.

Despite taking two doses of medicine, Su Wanyue's body remained burning hot. Seeing this, the imperial physician ordered his men to apply a cold compress to the princess's forehead and change it every fifteen minutes.

Qin'er was Su Wanyue's personal maid, so this task was naturally left to her. However, when Qin'er changed the handkerchief for the fourth time, she noticed that her mistress's lips were moving, as if she was murmuring something.

Qin'er subconsciously listened, because she was the closest and clearly heard what their princess was shouting. Qin'er felt a panic in her heart, her body stiffened, and she subconsciously reached out to cover Su Wanyue's lips.

The unusual scene behind the screen quickly caught Xiao Yu's attention. Xiao Yu stood up calmly, but his voice was deep and heavy, like a mountain pressing down, "What's wrong with her?"

Qin'er couldn't very well say that their princess was calling out to... her second brother and father.

Fortunately, His Highness was unaware of the existence of the Second Young Master and the Prince, and probably thought that the Princess was calling for Prince Xiang. Qin'er quickly said, "The Princess's lips are a little dry, she probably wants to drink some water."

Without saying a word, Xiao Yu poured himself a cup of hot tea, went around to the back of the screen, glanced at his wife who was sleeping restlessly on the bed, and told Qin'er to go down first.

Qin'er naturally dared not disobey Xiao Yu's orders. She glanced fearfully at the princess who still had her eyes closed on the bed, then bowed her head and retreated.

Xiao Yu sat down on the edge of the bed. Perhaps because his presence was too strong, the woman did not murmur softly, but her sleeping posture was still uneasy, and her brows were furrowed.

Xiao Yu gently stroked her furrowed brows with his fingertips, trying to soothe her unease. She was his wife, and he would not hurt her, but at the same time, he would not tolerate her still having feelings for her ex-fiancé.

Last time, she had already called out to her fiancé in her sleep.

At the same time, Zhang Mama returned to the palace to report to Consort Qin. She told Consort Qin that she had just caught a chill and would be fine once the fever subsided.

Consort Qin nodded, but her peach blossom eyes were furrowed. "Wei Yang is in poor health and still needs to be properly cared for. When the imperial physician returns to the palace, have him come to Chengqian Palace again."

The Crown Prince of Nanqiong still has the capital city; it wouldn't be good if he felt they hadn't taken good care of Weiyang.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Su Wanyue fully woke up in the evening. When she woke up, her mind was blank and she felt dizzy, as if she didn't know where she was.

She felt as if her body didn't belong to her, her head was heavy, and she couldn't lift her hands.

"You're awake." Just as she was lost in thought, Xiao Yu's magnetic, husky voice rang out.

"Your Highness." Su Wanyue's eyelashes fluttered as she met the man's jade-like face. His expression was deep, and he kept staring at her.

“You slept all day.” Xiao Yu leaned down slightly and placed his cool palm on her forehead.

Su Wanyue then realized that something was wrong with her body; in fact, she hadn't been sick for a long time.

Seeing her listless and lifeless appearance, Xiao Yu felt inexplicably uncomfortable. He said in a deep voice, "The imperial physician said that after taking a few more doses of medicine, Your Highness will be much better. Your Highness need not worry."

Lu Qingchen alone wouldn't make her want to die, would it?

Su Wanyue's fever had subsided, but her throat was still uncomfortable. Her throat was dry and itchy whenever she spoke, and she couldn't help but cough. "I'm sorry to have troubled Your Highness."

"We are husband and wife, Your Highness is too kind." Xiao Yu chuckled and fed her the water from the white jade cup.

Every word he uttered seemed to carry a hidden meaning.

Su Wanyue forced herself to suppress the strange feeling. She had slept for too long, and it was already dark outside. The servants brought out all kinds of food, but Su Wanyue still had no appetite.

Seeing this, Xiao Yu slowly ladled out a bowl of porridge and then fed it to her. Su Wanyue's face inexplicably turned red. She was no longer a child. Su Wanyue coughed lightly and said, "This concubine will do it herself."

Because someone was watching her, the bowl of porridge was quickly emptied. Seeing that he was still staring at her, Su Wanyue took a deep breath and ate another piece of osmanthus cake. She couldn't eat any more.

The woman was unwell, so dinner was prepared very lightly. Xiao Yu ate a little and then carried his wife back to the canopy bed.

Su Wanyue slept all day and wasn't sleepy at all at night. Her cheeks were still hot and her body was still a little feverish, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.

Seeing this, Xiao Yu said unhurriedly, "I will tell the princess a story."

Su Wanyue's eyelashes trembled slightly. She remembered the last time he talked to her about the way of governing a country. Her head was already aching, and she was worried that it would hurt even more after he finished talking.

Su Wanyue sighed softly, her almond-shaped eyes crinkling as she negotiated with him, "May I read storybooks?"

Because she was still feeling unwell, her voice was still hoarse, and her soft voice sounded like she was coaxing Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu met his wife's curved eyebrows and eyes, and naturally did not refuse.

He enjoys it when his wife acts coquettishly towards him.

Su Wanyue told him where the storybooks were. Her storybooks were all given to her by the Seventh Princess, and most of them were about romantic tales. Xiao Yu would never touch these books, but if his wife wanted to read them, he would let her.

Xiao Yu found the brocade box she mentioned, deliberately avoiding the one where the patriarch had granted his wife's wish to be with her lover, and took out a book that didn't seem too explicit.

Su Wanyue flipped through the storybook. Xiao Yu went to the hot spring to bathe. When he returned, his wife was engrossed in reading it, with a smile on her face, though she seemed a little embarrassed. Xiao Yu went over and hugged his wife, looking down at the words on the page.

[But then Prince Sheng's face melted like snow, and he suddenly pulled Princess Sheng into his arms, saying ambiguously, "Since you like this position so much, then I naturally have to satisfy my princess, don't I?" Princess Sheng cursed him as a bastard, but he made her speechless.]

Below the words were scenes drawn in ink.

Xiao Yu: "..."

Su Wanyue was reading a storybook until midnight when Xiao Yu poured her a cup of hot water. However, in the middle of the night, the woman's body temperature began to rise again, and cold sweat poured down her forehead.

The Zixia Palace was brightly lit, and Imperial Physician Zhang wrote another prescription and ordered the servants to prepare it.

About three or four days later, Su Wanyue's health improved significantly, and she stopped coughing. The Seventh Princess, who was staying at the Prince Cheng's residence, couldn't wait to see her as soon as she heard that Su Wanyue was fully recovered. Before she even entered, her voice could be heard, "Sister-in-law."

Su Wanyue smiled and looked up. Only after the Seventh Princess entered did she see Xiao Yu there. She pouted and said, "Sister-in-law, you're finally much better. You don't know, my brother hasn't let me see you these past few days."

Su Wanyue looked at the man, Xiao Yu, who remained calm and continued to draw her eyebrows. Su Wanyue's eyebrows were like distant mountains, with a touch of red. When her eyebrows were slightly raised, she was extremely charming, and her eyes were like autumn water. If it were the Seventh Princess before, she would never have imagined that her brother, who was extremely indifferent to women, would one day become so tender and draw eyebrows for his sister-in-law.

The Seventh Princess sat down on the rosewood chair next to her, but her gaze remained fixed on her brother and sister-in-law. Su Wanyue felt her face flush under her gaze and deliberately changed the subject, "Has the princess had breakfast yet?"

The Seventh Princess immediately said that she had already had breakfast. She also mentioned that the sun was very strong outside today and she wanted to invite Su Wanyue to the Magnolia Garden in the capital to admire the flowers.

I said that on purpose for my brother to hear, because my sister-in-law had just recovered from her illness, and my brother certainly didn't want her to go out, but staying in the mansion all day would be too boring.

Once the year-end is over, everything comes back to life, and the wind outside is finally not a cold wind, but a gentle breeze.

Su Wanyue shared the same thought as the Seventh Princess, believing that he wouldn't let her go out. However, the reality was quite the opposite. Xiao Yu placed a pair of peony hairpins in Su Wanyue's temples and said in a gentle voice, "The magnolias in the Magnolia Garden should be in bloom. However, the capital has been quite turbulent recently. If the Princess goes out, she should still bring someone with her."

Just as the Seventh Princess was about to speak, surrounded by palace guards, Qingyi brought in two maids who looked fierce and not to be trifled with. Their expressions were exactly the same as Qingyi's; in fact, their faces were expressionless.

"This servant greets Your Highness and Your Highness, and Your Highness's Consort."

"Your Highness, what is this?" Su Wanyue asked in surprise. These two maids did not seem like ordinary maids at all, but rather like guards, because they clearly possessed martial arts skills.

"Your Highness, these two are Qingyue and Qingrui, both skilled in martial arts. His Highness intends for them to serve by Your Highness's side and protect you in the future," Qingyi explained to Su Wanyue with a smile.

Su Wanyue's heart sank, and that feeling of unease surged into her mind again. Her hands, hidden in her wide sleeves, couldn't help but curl up.

She wanted to question him about his intentions, but she was afraid that she had misunderstood him. What if he just wanted the two maids to protect her, but she thought he had sent someone to monitor her?

“The Princess Consort needs two people who can protect her at all times. Both of them are secret guards of the Prince Cheng’s mansion, and they will definitely be able to protect the Princess Consort’s safety.” Xiao Yu said slowly, word by word.

Since the man had already said so, if Su Wanyue said she was unwilling, it would be because she had a guilty conscience or didn't know what was good for her. Su Wanyue gently pursed her lips, her eyes soft and gentle, "This concubine thanks Your Highness."

She had lost a lot of weight during her illness, making her look even more pitiful. Xiao Yu's Adam's apple bobbed as he resisted the urge to pull her into his arms.

The Seventh Princess was unaware of what the couple was thinking. When she heard that Qingyue and Qingrui were skilled in martial arts and were also secret guards of the Prince's mansion, she quickly asked them what moves they had. Qingyue and Qingrui answered promptly, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.

So Su Wanyue and her husband had breakfast inside, while the Seventh Princess watched Qingyue and Qingrui practice their moves outside the palace.

After Su Wanyue finished her breakfast, the Seventh Princess quickly pulled her outside. A carriage had already been arranged outside the mansion gate and headed straight for the Magnolia Garden.

After the New Year, the capital city was no longer as bustling as it used to be, but the imperial court was much more lively than usual.

One reason is that this year is the year of the imperial examinations, and many students have already entered the capital one after another. Some have even begun to make some connections. This process inevitably involves the struggle for the crown prince position among several princes, since the court has already been divided into several factions.

Another matter also involved the Seventh Prince. Logically speaking, His Highness the Seventh Prince had been recuperating in Fuzhou for a month, and his health should have improved. However, after New Year's Eve, the Seventh Prince's sword wound kept recurring, and even the Imperial Physician was helpless. At the critical moment, a woman of commoner origin used her medical skills to control the Seventh Prince's sword wound. This was quite a big deal. His Highness the Seventh Prince wanted to marry her. Before he even returned, the memorial to marry this commoner woman had already been sent to the Emperor's desk. The Emperor was furious in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and then severely reprimanded the Seventh Prince at the morning court.

Recently, due to Su Wanyue's poor health, Xiao Yu has not attended court for several days in a row. Mu Ziyi and Luo Qi told him about this.

To be frank, His Majesty still hopes that the Seventh Prince can marry a noblewoman from a wealthy family, so that he can counterbalance the power of the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng. The Seventh Prince's birth mother is already of low rank, and if he marries a commoner, he will be completely powerless to compete with the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng. This is definitely not the situation His Majesty wants to see.

The power struggles and infighting among the princes were tacitly approved by the Emperor.

However, the major clans in the capital are now very curious about this commoner woman who saved the seventh prince. She must have been a skilled doctor to save the seventh prince, but because she saved him, the seventh prince insists on marrying her. This woman must have something special about her.

Marrying a prince as his principal wife meant being included in the imperial family's records.

No prominent family in the capital would tolerate their son marrying a commoner woman, let alone a prince who already holds official rank.

Mu Ziyi and Luo Qi talked for a long time, but Xiao Yu remained silent. Mu Ziyi and Luo Qi exchanged a glance and roughly understood that this man was only interested in his princess and not in other women, including the fact that the seventh prince was going to marry a commoner.

Mu Ziyi and Luo Qi exchanged a glance, then bowed and withdrew.

Xiao Yu closed his eyes slightly. He didn't know how much time had passed when someone knocked on the door of the study. Xiao Yu got up with a dark look in his eyes. Mo Yu clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Yu, then took out a delicate little key from his sleeve and handed it to Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu glanced down at the key, took it, and Mo Yu lowered his head even further. These past few days, because of His Highness and the Princess, Mo Yu's heart had been pounding in his throat.

Xiao Yu turned and left, and Mo Yu hurriedly followed.

Su Wanyue and Qin'er were not there, and several maids were guarding outside. When they saw Xiao Yu coming with his guards, the maids, led by Chunzhi, hurriedly curtsied to him.

Xiao Yuwei raised his hand, and the maids stood up. Mo Yu waited calmly at the door.

Inside the Zixia Palace, a gentle breeze rustled the windows, causing the beaded curtains to sway. Xiao Yu flicked his wrist, revealing a locked, carved drawer. Inside were two items, one on the left and one on the right: a jade pendant inlaid with a magpie and a small brocade box. The man didn't take the jade pendant but picked up the brocade box instead.