Chapter 16: Mingxuan Falls Ill

Taking over the imperial estate's accounts was like a boulder thrown into a still lake, causing Su Wanrou to bury herself in her books for the next two days. The thick ledgers, meticulously recording the distribution of land, tenant names, crop yields, and the conversion of money and grain, were incredibly complex. She dared not be negligent, constantly reviewing past records and seeking clarification from Gu An on anything unclear, often working late into the night.

Gu Yangui saw her efforts but didn't say much. Only late at night would he have someone bring her a warm cup of calming tea, or when she was rubbing her sore eyes, he would gently remind her, "Don't rush, take care of your eyes."

This simple act of care warmed Su Wanrou's heart, and her fatigue seemed to lessen somewhat.

That afternoon, Su Wanrou had just finished sorting out an account book and was about to rest for a moment when she suddenly saw Mingxuan's wet nurse, Granny Zhao, running over in a panic, her face pale: "Madam! Madam! Something terrible has happened! The young master... the young master has developed a high fever!"

Su Wanrou's heart sank, and she immediately stood up: "When did this happen? Did you call the family physician?" As she spoke, she quickly walked outside.

"Well... well, after he woke up from his nap, I noticed his face was flushed, and when I touched his forehead, it was burning hot! I've already sent someone to fetch the physician!" Granny Zhao followed behind her, stammering anxiously, "He was perfectly fine before his nap, even mentioning that you promised to tell him a new story this afternoon..."

When Su Wanrou arrived at Mingxuan's "Songtao Courtyard," the little one was lying drowsily on the canopy bed, his face flushed, breathing rapidly, his lips cracked, and occasionally uttering painful murmurs. His usually bright eyes were tightly closed, his long eyelashes wet with tears and stuck to his eyelids, making him look extremely pitiful.

"Mingxuan! Mingxuan!" Su Wanrou sat down on the edge of the bed, gently held his burning little hand, and called out with heartache.

Mingxuan groggily opened his eyes, saw it was her, pouted in grievance, and large tears rolled down his cheeks: "Mother... I feel unwell... My head hurts so much... My whole body aches..."

"Don't be afraid, Mommy's here. The physician will be here soon." Su Wanrou gently wiped away his tears with a handkerchief, her voice so tender it could melt hearts. She turned to ask Granny Zhao, "Have you tried any physical methods to lower his fever? Have you tried applying a warm compress to his forehead?"

"We tried it, but it didn't work very well," said Granny Zhao hurriedly.

Just then, the family physician rushed over with his medicine chest. After carefully taking his pulse, examining his tongue, and inquiring about his symptoms, the physician frowned slightly: "Madam, the young master has caught a seasonal illness. The wind and cold have entered his body, causing a high fever. The weather has turned cooler recently, and children are more susceptible to illness due to their weaker constitutions. This illness came on suddenly, so bringing down the fever is crucial; otherwise, it may damage his health."

"Please make sure to use the best medicine, sir. Just let me know if you need anything," Su Wanrou said immediately.

The physician nodded repeatedly: "I will do my best. I will prescribe a medicine now, starting with a strong one to expel the heat and toxins. However..." He hesitated slightly, "This medicine is quite potent, and after taking it, you may vomit and sweat profusely, so the process will be a bit difficult."

"As long as the fever goes down, I'm not afraid of the hardship." Su Wanrou said decisively, "Granny, quickly send someone with the physician to get the medicine and brew it immediately!"

"Yes, Madam!"

The medicine was quickly decocted, the thick, dark broth emitting a bitter smell. Granny Zhao held the bowl of medicine, trying to feed it to Mingxuan, but the child was delirious with fever and disliked the bitterness of the medicine, his jaw was clenched, and the medicine dripped down the corners of his mouth, making it impossible to feed him.

"Young master, be good, open your mouth and drink the medicine, and you'll get better..." Granny Zhao was sweating profusely with anxiety.

Mingxuan just shook his head and cried, waving his hands in refusal.

Seeing this, Su Wanrou took the medicine bowl and said softly, "Mingxuan is the bravest, isn't he? Look, your mother is here with you. This medicine is a little bitter, but it's a little warrior helping you fight off illness. Our Mingxuan is a little general; after drinking the medicine, he'll have the strength to lead the little warriors into battle, okay?"

Her voice was soft, carrying a magical, soothing power. Mingxuan sobbed, looking at her with his watery eyes, seemingly taking some of her words to heart.

Su Wanrou gestured to Zhao Mama to help Mingxuan up slightly. She scooped up a spoonful of medicine, blew on it gently, and brought it to his lips: "Come on, let your mother feed you. It'll only be a little bitter. After you finish drinking it, we'll have a small spoonful of honey, which is very sweet."

Perhaps it was her gentleness and patience that worked, or perhaps it was the metaphor of "little general" that encouraged him; Mingxuan hesitated for a moment, then finally opened his mouth slightly. Su Wanrou carefully fed him the medicine.

Although his little face scrunched up in pain, Mingxuan resisted the urge to spit it out immediately. Su Wanrou quickly fed him another spoonful, repeating this process until he finally swallowed the small bowl of medicine. She then immediately put a small spoonful of honey into his mouth, and the child's brow relaxed slightly.

"Mingxuan is great!" Su Wanrou praised him generously, wiping the sweat from his forehead and the medicine stains from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief.

After administering the medicine, the real ordeal began. As the medication took effect, Mingxuan began sweating profusely, his entire body drenched in sweat, yet he complained of the cold and shivered uncontrollably. Su Wanrou ordered people to continuously change his sweat-soaked nightgown and undergarments, wipe his body with warm handkerchiefs, and cover him with an additional thin blanket.

Soon, he started vomiting again, bringing up the medicine and a little honey water he had just drunk. His face was pale, and he sobbed weakly. Su Wanrou personally held the spittoon, showing no disgust at the filth, and gently patted his back. After he finished vomiting, she fed him a few sips of warm water to rinse his mouth.

All afternoon, Songtao Courtyard was bustling with people, preparing medicine, changing clothes, wiping, cleaning... Su Wanrou stayed by the bedside the whole time, personally taking care of her, never leaving her side for a moment. Her hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to her cheeks, but she didn't bother to tidy it up. Granny Zhao urged her to go back and rest several times, but she shook her head and refused.

“He needs someone with him most at this time. I’m here, and he feels more at ease.”

As dusk fell, Gu Yangui returned home from the yamen and rushed over upon hearing the news. Upon entering the inner room, he smelled a strong medicinal odor and saw his son, whose face was still flushed and who was fast asleep on the bed, and Su Wanrou, who was sitting by the bed, looking tired but still focused on wiping his forehead.

"What's going on?" Gu Yangui's voice carried a hint of tension that was barely perceptible.

Seeing him return, Su Wanrou felt reassured and quickly got up to briefly explain the physician's diagnosis and her care. "...The medicine was administered, and she sweated quite a bit, but the fever is slow to subside, and she vomited again just now. The physician said that if the fever can be brought down by the middle of the night, there will be no major problem."

Gu Yangui walked to the bedside and reached out to touch Mingxuan's forehead. The burning temperature made him frown. He looked at the faint dark circles under Su Wanrou's eyes and the medicine stains on her clothes, and said in a deep voice, "You've worked hard. Go have some dinner and rest. Let the nannies watch over things here."

Su Wanrou shook her head: "I can't eat. My husband has been busy all day and hasn't eaten yet. Go and have something to eat. I'll stay with Mingxuan and wait until he's calmed down before we talk."

As they were talking, Mingxuan on the bed began to squirm restlessly again, crying out incoherently, "Mother... Mother... don't go... Xuan'er is scared..."

That single word "Mother," though mumbled, clearly reached the ears of Gu Yangui and Su Wanrou.

Gu Yangui paused slightly, her gaze shifting between complex emotions as she looked at the fragile child on the bed. Mingxuan's birth mother had passed away early, and the child had almost never called her "mother." Now, in her illness, this unconscious cry revealed a deep sense of dependence and vulnerability.

Su Wanrou's heart seemed to clench at that call. She immediately sat back down on the edge of the bed, took Mingxuan's waving little hand, and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Mother's here. Mother will stay here with Xuan'er. We won't go anywhere. Xuan'er, don't be afraid..."

Her voice was gentle yet firm, miraculously calming the anxious child. Mingxuan gradually calmed down, his breathing became more even, and he gripped her fingers tightly, as if grasping a lifeline.

Gu Yangui watched this scene, his deep eyes churning with emotion. He saw Su Wanrou showing no disgust at the child's illness and filth, saw her gentle and patient comforting him, saw the genuine worry and heartache in her eyes… This was no pretense. She truly cared for Mingxuan.

He remained silent for a moment, then turned to the outside and instructed, "Bring dinner to Songtao Courtyard. Also, have the kitchen prepare some light porridge and side dishes, keep them warm, so they can be taken at any time."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

That night, the lights in Songtao Courtyard stayed on until dawn.

Su Wanrou barely slept, constantly wiping Mingxuan down to lower his fever, feeding him water, and observing his condition. Gu Yangui didn't return to his study in the front courtyard either, but instead handled some urgent official business in the outer room, occasionally coming in to check on him. He didn't say much, just silently stayed by his side, or relieved Su Wanrou so she could rest for a short while.

In the latter half of the night, Mingxuan's high fever finally began to subside slowly. Although he still had a slight fever, he stopped talking nonsense and fell into a deep sleep. Su Wanrou touched his forehead, breathed a long sigh of relief, and only after her tense nerves relaxed did she feel her whole body feel weak and sore as if it had fallen apart.

Gu Yangui handed her a glass of warm water: "Drink some water, go and rest for a while, it's almost dawn."

Su Wanrou took the water glass, her fingertips trembling slightly from exhaustion. She looked at Gu Yangui's equally weary face and said softly, "Husband, you should rest too. There's court tomorrow. I'll stay here at Mingxuan."

Gu Yangui looked at her pale face, reached out and gently wiped away the fine sweat from the tip of her nose with his fingertips: "It's alright, I'll stay with you."

Those three simple words carried an undeniable weight. Su Wanrou felt a warmth in her heart and did not refuse again. The couple sat and stood in the inner room, watching over their child until the first rays of dawn appeared.

At daybreak, the royal physician came again to check his pulse, a smile on his face: "Congratulations, Your Excellency and Madam, the young master's high fever has subsided, and his pulse has become much more stable. With two more doses of mild tonifying medicine and a few more days of proper rest, he will recover completely. It was truly fortunate this time; if we hadn't taken good care of him and brought down his fever in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Su Wanrou finally felt completely relieved, but a wave of intense fatigue washed over her, and she swayed slightly.

Gu Yangui reached out and supported her waist in time, instructing the physician and Granny Zhao, "Take good care of the young master. Madam is overworked and needs rest." After saying that, he half-supported and half-carried Su Wanrou away from Songtao Courtyard without further ado.

Back at Jinse Courtyard, Su Wanrou fell asleep almost immediately. She slept very soundly, only waking up leisurely in the afternoon.

When she woke up, Yun Que was by her bedside. Seeing her open her eyes, she said happily, "Madam, you're awake! Would you like something to eat? We received word from the young master that he's awake, has drunk half a bowl of porridge, and is feeling much better. He even asked about you, Madam!"

Su Wanrou was overjoyed and immediately got up to wash and dress. After having a simple meal of congee and side dishes, she hurried to Songtao Courtyard.

Mingxuan was indeed much better. Although his face was still a little pale, his eyes had regained their sparkle. He was leaning against the headboard, being fed water by Granny Zhao. When he saw Su Wanrou, his eyes lit up, and he softly called out, "Mother!"

Su Wanrou quickly walked over, took the bowl of water from Zhao Mama, fed him herself, and then touched his forehead to confirm that his temperature was normal before she was completely relieved.

"Mingxuan is so brave, he's driven away the illness." Su Wanrou praised him with a smile.

Mingxuan smiled shyly, then reached out his little hand and tugged at Su Wanrou's sleeve, whispering, "Mother, last night... were you with me the whole time? I think I dreamt of you... you were as gentle as you..."

The child's words were innocent and pure, yet they brought a lump to Su Wanrou's throat. She gently pulled Mingxuan into her arms and said softly, "Yes, Mother will always be with Xuan'er."

Zhao Mama wiped away her tears and said with emotion, "This time it's all thanks to Madam! If Madam hadn't stayed up all night to watch over him, how could the young master have recovered so quickly?"

At this moment, Gu Yangui also returned from court and went straight to Songtao Courtyard. Seeing the mother and son snuggling together, especially Mingxuan's complete dependence on Su Wanrou, his cold and hard lips softened.

He walked to the bedside, and Mingxuan immediately said proudly, "Father! I'm all better! Mother said I was so brave!"

Gu Yangui patted his son's head, but his gaze fell on Su Wanrou's face, with a hint of barely perceptible approval and...gratitude.

"You've worked hard," he said softly.

Su Wanrou smiled and shook her head: "It's good that Mingxuan is alright."

After this incident, no one in the household dared to underestimate this young second wife. She not only had the ability to deal with unruly servants, but also had a kind heart to treat young children, especially the young master Mingxuan, whose dependence on and closeness to his stepmother was evident to everyone.

End of Chapter 16