Chapter 185 The opportunity to break the deadlock
Looking at the porridge and side dishes in front of her, Meng Yan was a little unhappy.
In the early years, when she woke up, she would drink porridge and eat vegetables every day.
I finally got through that period, but now I have to start all over again?
However, she had been lying in bed for these days without eating or drinking, and when she woke up one morning she was starving. Even though the food in front of her was just watery soup, it was better than nothing.
Besides, she was a doctor herself, so she naturally understood that people who had been hungry for a long time should nourish their stomachs with light, soft food. So she had no reason to be picky, so she picked up the spoon and started eating.
The millet porridge is stewed very soft and has a pleasant fragrance. It also contains nourishing ingredients such as red dates and yam.
She scooped a spoonful and put it into her mouth. The sweet and thick porridge slid through her esophagus and into her stomach. Her body suddenly felt warm. Her stomach, which had been dry and tight for several months, was moistened. Her dormant taste buds also woke up and became active, and countless saliva poured into her mouth.
Meng Yan scooped a few spoonfuls of rice porridge, and then felt that it was troublesome to stir the spoon. She didn't care about her appearance, picked up the bowl with both hands, and swallowed it mouthful by mouthful.
Lu Haozhi sat on a chair beside him and said with a smile, "Eat slowly. There's another pot in the small kitchen. No one will compete with you for it."
Meng Yan rolled her eyes at him after hearing his teasing. "Your Majesty, why don't you try and see what it's like to go without food for months on end? I'd like to see if your Majesty's eating manners are better than mine."
Lu Haozhi laughed a few times and continued, "Yan'er, you've been sleeping for three months straight... If Xiahou Yu hadn't said you were actually recovering, I would have believed it... But it's strange, you slept like crazy, not eating or drinking, and now you suddenly woke up as if nothing had happened... What's going on?"
Meng Yan licked her chopsticks for a long while before she said calmly, "Your Majesty, I have seen Sister Wang."
"First Queen?"
Meng Yan nodded, "It was my elder sister who sent me back. She asked me to assist the Emperor... She also said..."
She was too embarrassed to tell Lu Haozhi the rest of what Wang said about their mutual affection and telepathy.
Lu Haozhi listened in silence, then nodded and sighed after a while, "I have always remembered the virtues of the late queen. When I return to the palace, I will definitely burn incense and offer sacrifices to her personally."
Meng Yan looked at him, suddenly feeling a bit teasing. She tilted her head and smiled, "Yes, I was lucky to meet Sister Wang, and she persuaded me so much that I came back... Otherwise, I would have gone on. The emperor is probably already preparing for my funeral by now."
Although this was said as a joke, it is actually the truth.
"No light or heavy!"
Lu Haozhi glared at her, then smiled and said, "Then all the concubines in this harem should express their gratitude to the late queen."
This was a bit incoherent and Meng Yan didn't understand it for a moment.
Lu Haozhi did not mention it again. He just ordered the palace maid to add more porridge for her, and he kept asking about her well-being.
Meng Yan ate two bowls of millet porridge and still felt it was not enough.
However, Lu Haozhi remembered Xiahou Yu's instructions. Yan'er had just woken up, and her stomach must be very weak. She should not eat too much. He did not allow her to eat any more and ordered the palace maids to clear away all the dishes. No matter how much Meng Yan begged, he would not listen.
Meng Yan also became angry for a moment, turned her back and ignored him.
When Xiahou Yu entered the house, he saw such a warm yet somewhat strange scene.
When he saw the slender figure sitting up on the bed, he was a little dazed.
For three whole months, he had lost all hope.
Meng Yan's symptoms were too bizarre. There was no record of them in any medical books he could find, from ancient times to the present, in the Central Plains or in foreign lands. He was still young and had limited knowledge, so he had no idea where to start.
The only thing he could do was to protect Meng Yan's heart and nourish her blood and strengthen her essence.
Meng Yan's body did not become weaker, but was getting better day by day. However, her consciousness seemed to have fallen into a bottomless abyss, and there was no sign of waking up.
Whenever the emperor asked, he would always say something comforting, but he actually didn't know when Meng Yan would wake up, or even if she would ever wake up.
As the days passed, her hope of waking up became increasingly slim. After regretting and suffering to the point of being almost numb, Xiahou Yu gradually comforted herself.
Maybe it's a good thing this way, he can always see her every day.
Just now, when Rong An came to deliver the emperor's message, saying that the imperial concubine had regained consciousness and asked him to come and take the imperial concubine's pulse, he could hardly believe his ears.
Imperial Concubine...Sister Yan...actually woke up!
Shock, ecstasy and a bit of unspeakable disappointment made Xiahou Yu's heart a mess.
Walking into Chunzezhai and seeing the unconcealed joy on everyone's faces, he finally felt the reality that Concubine Meng had regained consciousness.
Yes, she woke up, she was Concubine Meng.
Xiahou Yu lowered his eyes, restraining his surging thoughts. He stepped forward steadily and bowed to Lu Haozhi and Meng Yan. "Your humble servant greets the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine. The Imperial Concubine is delighted, and the Emperor is delighted!"
Meng Yan still had her back to him and said angrily without turning her head, "Why did the emperor call him here?"
The tone was a bit complaining, but also had a strong sense of coquettishness.
She was not angry with Xia Houyu, but was still angry because Lu Haozhi didn't let her eat more.
No matter how Meng Yan thought about it, she felt wronged. When she was reborn and opened her eyes, she couldn't eat meat for a long time because of Xiahou Yu's few words; now, because of his words, she couldn't even have a full meal.
Lu Haozhi leaned over, held her shoulders, and coaxed her in a low voice, "Yan'er, let Dr. Xiahou take your pulse first to see if there's anything wrong. After that, you can still be angry with me."
Meng Yan seemed unwilling and muttered something.
Xiahou Yu was still hunched over with his head lowered, looking humble, reserved, mature and dignified.
However, no one could see the trace of sadness that spread across that handsome face.
Lu Haozhi took some effort to coax Meng Yan to turn around.
Ruizhu, who was serving beside her, quickly put a soft pillow, put a handkerchief on the empress's wrist, and asked Xiahou Yu to examine her.
Xiahou Yu took Meng Yan's pulse, examined her tongue, and asked, "Madam, are you still feeling unwell?"
Without even raising her eyes, Meng Yan blurted out, "I'm not feeling unwell anywhere, I'm just starving. I'm terribly hungry."
Xiahou Yu paused slightly, then smiled softly, "Your Majesty, you have been sleeping for a long time. You should not overeat. You should eat small meals frequently to regulate your stomach and intestines. This is the way to maintain good health. I believe that Your Majesty will understand this principle."
It’s true!
Meng Yan didn't look at him, but glanced at Lu Hao.
What that probably means is that you only listen to him and not me.
Lu Haozhi smiled awkwardly and didn't dare to speak.
Xiahou Yu asked some other questions, then pondered for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty is fine now, but her pulse is a little weak, which is within my expectations. No problem, I'll prescribe a decoction. Your Majesty, take the medicine daily and eat a light diet, and you'll recover slowly."
After saying this, he wrote a prescription and handed it to the head palace maid Ruizhu. Seeing that the emperor and the imperial concubine had no further instructions, he took his leave and left.
After walking out of Chunze Zhai, he looked back and saw carved beams and painted buildings, and towering buildings. Thinking of what he had seen before, the intimacy between the two of them left no room for others.
Xiahou Yu smiled wistfully, took some heavy steps, and walked away step by step. He probably wouldn't be able to come to this place again.
Originally, it was a hopeless thing.
Looking at Xiahou Yu's apparently lonely figure, Meng Yan's expression was calm and composed.
With the disappearance of the spiritual vein, the memories that had been dug out of thin air returned to his mind.
On a summer afternoon, in that courtyard, in that cool young boy, and... my younger self following behind him.
To her, this was just a childhood memory. But what did it mean to Xia Houyu?
What kind of obsession made Xiahou Yu care about me for so many years? What was his mood in the previous life that made him become my enemy?
Meng Yan didn't want to go into details, as digging deeper would be of no benefit to either herself or others.
After sending Xiahou Yu away, Meng Yan got out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower.
He stayed in bed for three months. Although there were palace maids to serve and wipe his body every day, it was not very clean after all, and his hair became much stickier.
At the command, the Mu family hurriedly prepared.
Meng Yan said something to Lu Haozhi and moved over.
Standing in front of a white jade screen with a carved image of a lotus emerging from water, Meng Yan took off her dress.
The mirror-like screen faintly reflected a slender female figure.
Meng Yan was already tall, and she had lost a lot of weight in the past three months, making her look even more fragile. Her waist was so narrow that it was almost suffocating.
Ruizhu stood by and couldn't help sobbing softly.
Meng Yan glanced at her and slowly walked into the pool. "Silly girl, why are you crying?"
"Your Majesty has suffered so much for us all, but I can't do anything to help. I hate myself for being useless."
Ruizhu fetched the scented bath beans and rubbed her master's hair first, then she took out a hibiscus jade hairpin and tied up her mistress's long black hair, muttering to herself.
Meng Yan leaned against the pool wall, her arms draped over her sides like tender lotus roots, and laughed. "What a sincere, silly child! Everyone in this world always has their own duties and responsibilities. The Emperor has his own things to do, and I have my own things to do. And you, as a palace maid, naturally have your own things to do. As long as you do your part well, there's no question of who's wronged whom. Naturally, there's no such thing as someone replacing someone else. During the days I was lying down, Chunze Zhai was still in perfect order. That's more than enough."
She remembered every word that Sister Wang said to her in her dream.
Everyone has their own place in this world. No one can replace it, and no one can escape it.
And she, Meng Yan, now knows where her place is.
Ruizhu said, "Speaking of this, it's not entirely our fault. We have Young Lady Bai to thank. Everyone has been so busy lately. State affairs are heavy, and the Emperor is so busy and worried about the Empress that he has no time to attend to matters in the garden. The Empress Dowager is old and has to take care of the Princess. It's really thanks to Young Lady Bai's intercession that many things haven't gotten out of hand. The Empress Dowager even praised her, saying she has a wise heart and a kind nature."
Meng Yan listened and suddenly remembered something she had mentioned before, so she asked, "Yu Xin...what happened to her? You said she shaved her head before, what did she do?"
Ruizhu stammered, hesitating, "Well...Lady Bai will come over to pay her respects to the Empress later. The Empress will know the answer after she sees her."
Seeing her like this, Meng Yan became more suspicious, but the leader was dizzy after being soaked in the pool of hot water, so she couldn't think of any words to ask.
Ruizhu took out the osmanthus soap and washed the empress's body, while she told her everything that had happened in the past three months.
First, the epidemic among the people had subsided, and Meng Yan's prescription had a miraculous effect. Doctors in clinics everywhere regarded it as a treasure. The common people set up a longevity tablet for her, and a famous scholar wrote "Biography of a Virtuous Woman" for her.
There are even rumors among the people that the imperial concubine is a fairy from the Yaochi Lake who came down to earth to save the people from disaster.
Meng Yan listened and laughed. Most of the common people were ignorant and would make such remarks.
Just as he was about to say something, Ruizhu continued, "People are also saying that the Queen Mother specially sent the Imperial Concubine to the Emperor, but the Emperor was reluctant to make her Empress. So the Queen Mother got angry and wanted to take the Imperial Concubine back, which is why she fell into a coma."
Um?
Meng Yan felt her temples jump suddenly, and her mind, which had been drowsy from being soaked in the pool water, suddenly became clear.
This statement does not seem like something that can be fabricated by ignorant people, and the purpose behind it is too obvious.
Is this... Haozhi's work?
Meng Yan pondered carefully in her heart that during the three months when she was unconscious, this game must have become more intense.
The party headed by Liang Benwu was bound to make a big fuss about her coma, and even take this opportunity to force the emperor to establish a queen, and put Liang Chengbi on the throne.
Lu Haozhi's temper naturally won't be manipulated by others.
This group of people have the moral advantage, so Lu Haozhi naturally cannot punish them severely. Not only will it give people something to talk about, but it will also be extremely detrimental to the future court layout and selection of officials.
And this so-called folk rumor is basically Lu Haozhi's counterattack.
Although public opinion is small, if it is handled properly, it can have a huge impact.
Until now, the matter has probably reached a stalemate, but now that she has woken up, the time to break the deadlock has come.
The corners of Meng Yan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a lively smile.
After bathing, she changed into a lilac silk jacket with a cloud-patterned auspicious pattern, and tied a duck-yellow cotton skirt with gold embroidered patterns around her waist. She immediately felt light-hearted and refreshed.
Back at Chunzezhai, a brazier sat in the ground floor, silver charcoal glowing red beneath the copper wire mesh, and the heated kang (heated floor) was also blazing. Although it was early winter, the room felt as warm as spring, and even the several potted plants were thriving.
Meng Yan sat by the brazier, drying her hair, holding a gilded hand warmer in her arms. She couldn't find Lu Haozhi anywhere, so she asked someone and found out that the emperor had been summoned to the previous court recently.
She was feeling a little drowsy from the heat when she heard someone announce, "Noble Lady Bai has arrived."
Meng Yan quickly opened her eyes and saw Bai Yuxin walking towards her slowly.
She was dressed in black, and her once black hair was gone. She wore a gray felt hat on her shaved scalp!
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