The long night stretches on, and I cannot sleep, consumed by sorrow.
Xuanyuan Yue dismissed everyone and sat alone by the bed where Xuanyuan Han was fast asleep. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and she looked worried. She gazed at his weak and pale face for a long time, lost in deep thought.
Suddenly, with a creak, it sounded as if the door to the outer room had been opened.
Xuanyuan Yue quickly looked up, and when she saw that it was the imperial physician bringing in a bowl of medicine, she happily asked, "Imperial physician, do you have a good remedy to wake up the royal uncle?"
The imperial physician entered and slowly shook his head at him.
Xuan Yuan Yue asked in bewilderment, "What is that in the imperial physician's hand...?"
"Princess," the imperial physician explained, "this is a decoction I prescribed to clear heat and detoxify, which can treat Your Highness's external symptoms and relieve the pain from the thorns prickling your body. As soon as Your Highness returned, I instructed General Cheng to apply my specially made ointment while changing your clothes. Now, please help Your Highness take this internal medicine as well. This combined internal and external treatment will better and faster destroy the lesions and greatly reduce Your Highness's pain."
As Xuanyuan Yue listened, her eyes were fixed on the steaming bowl of medicine that the imperial physician was holding. Then, lost in thought, she said, "Physical injuries can be relieved and cured with medicinal soups made from the herbs that are appropriate for the condition, but what about those in the heart?"
Upon hearing this, the imperial physician first looked up sharply at Xuan Yuan Yue, his eyes widening in surprise. After a moment's thought, he replied, "Your Highness is in the prime of your life, full of vigor and vitality, and has experienced countless battles. Such a minor superficial injury would have been nothing to worry about in the past. However, this unconsciousness suggests that he is suffering from a deep emotional burden. As the saying goes, 'a heart ailment requires a heart remedy.' My medicine can only alleviate the symptoms; beyond that, I am powerless. I fear only the princess can help Your Highness. Alas..."
The imperial physician subtly conveyed a message to Xuan Yuan Yue, implying that only she truly understood the source of the King of Qin's inner turmoil, and only she could help him. After speaking, the physician let out a heavy sigh.
The only imperial physician in the Prince of Qin's mansion, Physician Yue, like Granny Zhang, was a loyal servant who was personally appointed by the late Emperor and followed Consort Xuanyuan Han's mother for her entire life. He is now over forty years old.
Although he wasn't as attentive or knowledgeable about the affairs of the Qin Prince's mansion as Zhang Mama, he had heard some things. In particular, he had long sensed the hidden feelings that Xuan Yuanhan had for Yi Shangyun, especially regarding the times Yi Shangyun was injured and recuperated at the Qin Prince's mansion.
Physician Yue was a widower who had lived a life of mutual respect and affection with his only wife, but for some reason, they had no children.
When he examined Xuan Yuanhan's injuries and took his pulse earlier, he noticed something amiss. Later, he overheard people talking about how Xuan Yuanhan and Yi Shangyun had fallen off a cliff together, and Yi Shangyun's fate was unknown. As someone who had been through similar experiences, he quickly realized the real reason for the Prince of Qin's unconsciousness: it was essentially a heartache caused by the pain of separation.
The sigh that Physician Yue uttered from the bottom of his heart was a lament for the helplessness of countless lovesick men and women in this world, for "lovers are ultimately unable to stay together," a tragedy that is never unique. This sigh was not only for King Xuanyuan Han of Qin and Yi Shangyun, but also for himself and his deceased wife.
A moment later, just as he was about to step forward to feed her the medicine, Xuan Yuan Yue suddenly came to her senses and stopped him, saying, "Give the medicine to me, and you can go and rest too."
"Princess, please take good care of yourself and don't worry too much. His Highness Prince Qin is a lucky man; he has seen all kinds of storms. I believe he will recover." While comforting Xuan Yuan Yue, Physician Yue handed her the bowl of medicine as instructed, then turned and quietly withdrew, gently closing the door behind him.
Xuanyuan Yue stared silently at the medicinal soup in her hand, which was slowly emitting wisps of white steam. She said, "Uncle Qin, please wake up soon. Yun'er is in trouble, and the envoy to Dongning will be returning soon. Yue'er's heart is in turmoil."
A moment later, while listening to the howling wind and rain outside the window, which made her feel somewhat frightened, she reached out and scooped a spoonful from the bowl, then blew on it to her lips, and fed it spoonful by spoonful to Xuan Yuanhan.
"Actually, Yue'er knows that Uncle is definitely suspicious of Mei Zhixuan, suspecting that he didn't return to the country after the wedding, but still harbors ill intentions towards my Western Qin. He suspects that he deliberately brought Yun'er from the west of the city to Wanjiao Pavilion in the south. But Yue'er doesn't understand why he would do that. Yun'er and he are not familiar with each other, and they have never had any grudges against each other. What reason would he have to treat Yun'er like this? Or, or has Yue'er really misjudged him?" Finally, she murmured to herself as she gently wiped the medicine soup from the corner of his mouth.
The night was long, and no one but Xuan Yuan Yue could understand the complex emotions and torment she felt. If she couldn't marry Mei Zhi Xuan, the man she loved, she would inevitably be arranged to marry Tuoba Ze, the eldest prince of the Northern Lie Kingdom.
But as the saying goes, "Men fear choosing the wrong career, and women fear marrying the wrong man." If Mei Zhixuan, whom she has always thought of as ethereal and gentle as jade, is also such a cunning, unpredictable, and ruthless person, what should she do?
Although Xuan Yuan Yue's heart was filled with anxiety and inner turmoil, her feelings for Mei Zhi Xuan were already deeply etched in her mind, irreversible, as firm as a rock, and she was determined to marry no one but him. There was no way she could ever take them back in this lifetime.
But often, when people are young, they may impulsively encounter the restless, restless self within them and mistakenly give their hearts to the wrong person. In such cases, the outcome is often already predetermined, and at best, it will be a tragic life story with a magnificent ending.
Although Xuanyuan Yue was the eldest princess of Western Qin, she could not escape the arrangements of her own fate.
Of course, these are all things to be discussed later.
Meanwhile, in the western part of the city, in the dead of night, the entire mansion was in an uproar.
Yan'er, Yi Shangyun's personal maid, noticed that Yi Shangyun's return home had already passed, but he had not returned for a long time.
Then I heard that Yi Shangjun had returned to the mansion and spread the news that he had heard on the street during the day about the sealing off of Wanjiao Pavilion in the south of Xiqin City.
All of this led to Yan'er having an extremely bloody nightmare that night. Unable to fall back asleep after waking up, she got up and poured out all the worries and secrets that had been accumulating in her heart to the head of the family, Yi Shangkun. With Yi Shangkun's permission, she was ordered to have Yi Shangjun accompany her immediately to the south of the city to find Yi Shangyun and bring him back.
Just then, as soon as Yan'er stepped into Aunt Lan's courtyard, Yi Shangjun's younger sister, Yi Shangxue, looked at Yan'er with a disdainful expression and said, "Oh dear, what wind is blowing tonight that has brought the sharp-tongued Yan'er into our courtyard?"
Of all the people in the manor, the one Yan'er least wanted to see was Yi Shangxue, the arrogant and domineering concubine's daughter who bullied the servants. Spoiled since childhood, she lacked any of the gentle and refined manners expected of a lady from a prominent family. She was idle and uneducated, disliking all arts and crafts, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework. All she knew was how to be picky about food and clothing, be jealous, and look down on others.
But for the sake of her young master, Yan'er had no choice but to bite the bullet and enter the courtyard.
She swallowed her pride and bowed respectfully, saying, "Yan'er greets Miss."
"Miss? What Miss? Who is your Miss? I can't accept that title. In your heart, I'm afraid that apart from that useless ugly girl who was dumped, no one else is worthy of your attention!" Yi Shangxue stood on the stone steps of the hall, blocking Yan'er in the courtyard and said angrily.
"Yan'er is terrified. Why do you say such things, Miss?" Yan'er asked, bowing her head and acting obsequiously.
Yi Shangxue knew that all of Yan'er's words and outward respect were insincere. Seeing Yan'er cowering there, looking timid and innocent, she suddenly remembered the disrespectful things Yan'er had done to her in the past. The fire that had been burning in her heart for a long time seemed to ignite instantly. She immediately lashed out at Yan'er, yelling, "Hmph, what are you standing there for? Who are you trying to fool with that innocent look? Look at you, that shameless little slut, just like your detestable master, disgusting to behold. Speak up! What are you trying to do, putting on airs in the middle of the night? If you don't confess honestly, don't blame me for being impolite. Guards, bring out the family discipline!"
Suddenly, Yi Shangxue's face contorted with rage, attracting the attention of many servants and young men.
Soon, a maid came out of the inner room with a ruler and handed it to Yi Shangxue.
Yan'er was so startled that her thin shoulders trembled.
In no time, the not-so-spacious courtyard was filled with a crowd, and everyone started talking at once.
"Is it...is it Master who sent Yan'er to find Young Master?" Yan'er looked up and saw the imposing ruler in Yi Shangxue's hand, and murmured timidly.
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangxue's eyes widened immediately. She quickly walked down the stone steps, stood beside Yan'er, and roared through gritted teeth, "What did you say? You wretched girl, you're dead tonight. Let's see who can save you. Kneel down before me now!"
Just then, Yi Shangjun, who seemed to have undergone a complete transformation recently and was studying military strategy and sword manuals late into the night in his study, heard the commotion and quickly came out, one hand behind his back. He stood where Yi Shangxue had just been standing, looked into the courtyard, and exclaimed in surprise, "Yan'er... why are you here so late? Sister, what are you doing holding that ruler in your hand...?"
Before Yi Shangjun could finish speaking, and before Yi Shangxue could even begin to argue, Yan'er, wiping away tears that seemed to be a mixture of fear and anxiety, suddenly knelt on the ground with a thud...
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