Chapter 30 High Fever Persists Xiao Heng pushed open Gu Xi's door...
The next morning, Mu Yunqi came over with his medicine box as usual.
He had just sat down to take her pulse when Gu Xi's voice rang out.
"Imperial Physician Mu, I have a request."
"Your Majesty, please speak." Mu Yunqi stopped what he was doing.
Gu Xi hesitated for a moment, then said, "There are two palace maids who, because of me, are now unable to speak." Her eyes darkened as she continued, "I want to heal them, but..."
"But Your Highness is currently lacking medicinal herbs and needs my assistance."
Gu Xi nodded.
"Your Majesty, please do not stand on ceremony. Your humble servant will certainly do as you say."
"Thank you, Physician Mu. There's something else..." Gu Xi hesitated to speak.
Mu Yunqi waited patiently for her to finish speaking.
"I remember you mentioned that you have a younger sister in the palace who knows some medicine. It's inconvenient for me to go in person, could you please trouble your sister to make this trip for me?"
Zhu Yin and the others would easily be recognized as people from Weiyang Palace, and since none of them understand medicine, they cannot accurately judge the treatment's effectiveness. She doesn't know many people in the palace, and the only one she can think of is Physician Mu's sister.
Seeing that the other party did not respond, Gu Xi quickly said, "Doctor Mu, I was presumptuous. I was just saying it casually. If it's inconvenient, please don't take it to heart." She knew that she had been too abrupt and could only think of other solutions.
"Your Majesty, I was just thinking that Yun Ke would be very happy. She has always been a kind-hearted person," Mu Yunqi said with a smile.
Mu Yunke is his sister's name.
"Thank you so much, Physician Mu!" Gu Xi said, slightly excited.
"Your Majesty is too kind."
After explaining everything, Mu Yunqi began to take Gu Xi's pulse.
He looked into her dark circles, and saw a hint of sorrow in her eyes. He couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty doesn't look well today. Is something troubling you?" He paused, then added, "You should know that worry can harm your health. Please take care of yourself, Your Majesty."
Mu Yunqi looked at Gu Xi. He wasn't actually very familiar with her; their few meetings had all been about medical and pharmacological matters, and they hadn't had much conversation. But at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet that day, for some reason, he had completely trusted her and dared to do such an outrageous thing to the Empress Dowager.
"Thank you for your concern, Physician Mu." Gu Xi lowered her eyes, concealing the expression in them.
Over the next ten days or so, Mu Yunqi came several more times, ostensibly to treat her illness, but in reality, he brought her medicinal herbs and messages from Mu Yunke.
At first, the two palace maids dared not take the medicine, fearing that the emperor would blame them, since it was Zhao Fuquan who personally administered the medicine, which was the emperor's decree.
Only after Mu Yunke repeatedly assured them that the Emperor would not pursue the matter did they dare to take the medicine.
After these days of treatment, the two palace maids' conditions have improved. Even if they cannot recover to their previous state, they should be able to communicate normally.
Hearing this, Gu Xi felt a sense of relief and a faint smile appeared on her face.
After delivering the message, Mu Yunqi took his leave.
Watching Mu Yunqi's graceful departure, Hua Yue suddenly said, "Sister Zhuyin, don't you think Imperial Physician Mu is actually quite handsome, and a good match for our Empress?" She then looked at Zhuyin with an innocent expression.
She originally wanted the Emperor and the Empress to be together, but the Emperor displeased the Empress, so she doesn't like it anymore.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin jumped up in fright and quickly covered Hua Yue's mouth, saying, "Are you crazy?! Don't you dare hurt Miss!"
Hua Yue pried Zhu Yin's hand away and muttered softly, "There's no one else here, I was just saying it casually." How could she dare? Thinking of the Emperor's murderous gaze, she couldn't help but shudder.
Zhu Yin was also angry with the Emperor. Ever since that day, the young lady had been spending her days in the flower garden, sometimes for several hours at a time. She stopped reading books and practicing the zither.
A few days ago, after she gradually gained the trust of Cailian and Huayue, she stopped hiding her zither playing. Sometimes she would close the door and let them play for her. But now, more than ten days later, she hasn't even touched her beloved zither.
She knew that her mistress must be very sad.
"Miss, it's time for lunch." Time flies, and noon has arrived in noon.
Gu Xi hummed in agreement and remained in the flowerbed without getting up.
“Miss…” Zhu Yin approached, trying to help her up.
"Zhuyin, I can't eat..." Gu Xi said in a muffled voice.
"Miss, you can't keep doing this!" Zhu Yin said angrily.
Gu Xi usually doesn't eat much, but lately she hasn't been able to eat at all, and she's lost a lot of weight.
"Okay." Gu Xi pursed her lips, washed her hands, and went back to her room to eat.
She stared blankly at the porridge in the bowl for a long time, but in the end she didn't eat more than a few bites.
Zhu Yin looked at Gu Xi, who was still engrossed in the flowerbed, and felt a pang of heartache. If this continued, the young lady would get sick.
That night, Gu Xizhen fell ill.
She had just fallen asleep when she felt a burning sensation in her throat. She called out twice but received no response. She got up to drink some water and was about to go back to bed when she suddenly felt dizzy and almost collapsed to the ground.
"Miss, what's wrong?" Zhu Yin was worried when she saw that Gu Xi hadn't eaten anything that evening, so she came in to check on her. But when she entered, she saw Gu Xi squatting on the ground, leaning on the table.
Gu Xi buried her head in her knees, her voice weak: "Zhu Yin, I'm dizzy, help me to bed."
"Miss, why are you so hot?" As soon as Zhu Yin touched Gu Xi, she felt a wave of heat and quickly touched her forehead: "Oh no! Miss, you have a fever!"
Gu Xi hummed in response, her consciousness beginning to fade.
Seeing this, Zhu Yin quickly helped her to bed, covered her with a blanket, wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel, and gave her some medicine.
An hour passed, and Gu Xi's high fever persisted. In her delirium, she would occasionally utter incoherent words, which could not be heard when she got close.
Zhu Yin was worried that she would get a high fever, so she quickly woke up Cai Lian and Hua Yue and prepared to go to the Imperial Hospital to ask the imperial physician for help.
She had just stepped out of the room when she suddenly remembered something and pulled Huayue along as they left Weiyang Palace.
"Hua Yue, Miss has a high fever right now. Go to the Imperial Hospital and find Physician Mu. If he's not here, any other physician will do, understand?"
Hua Yue nodded solemnly: "And you, Sister Zhu Yin?"
Zhu Yin clenched her fists and said, "I'm going somewhere, I'll be back in a bit."
She knew why her mistress was sick, and she knew that what she was doing would upset her, but she really had no other choice; she couldn't let her mistress treat her body so recklessly.
"Go quickly!" Zhu Yin urged.
The two went their separate ways.
*
Inside the Qianqing Palace, the lights were on.
"Get out!" A little eunuch scrambled out of the main hall of the Qianqing Palace.
Zhao Fuquan closed his eyes briefly: "Which one is it?"
The young eunuch said tremblingly, "Chief Steward Zhao, this is the sixth one."
The Emperor smashed six teacups and chased away six eunuchs today, and two of them were even punished with a beating.
Zhao Fuquan looked at Xiao Heng, who was still reviewing memorials inside the room, and thought to himself that His Majesty was not planning to sleep tonight.
"You can go now," Zhao Fuquan said helplessly.
"Thank you, Steward Zhao! Thank you, Steward Zhao!" The little eunuch hurriedly retreated.
Zhao Fuquan took the tea tray from the eunuch, took a deep breath, and walked into the main hall.
"Your Majesty, this is newly harvested Beiyuan tea. It has a rich and mellow aroma. This servant has brewed a pot for you." This is the Emperor's favorite tea.
"I'm not drinking it, I'm throwing it away," Xiao Heng said without looking up.
"This...yes." Sigh, another pot of good tea wasted.
Zhao Fuquan thought to himself that this couldn't go on forever, and that the one who tied the knot must untie it. Finally, he steeled himself and decided to take a gamble.
He cleared his throat and said, "Your Majesty, I heard that Consort Gu has recently cured those two palace maids and they can now speak normally."
While observing Xiao Heng's expression, Zhao Fuquan continued, "I heard that he found a palace maid from the imperial kitchen to help him. That palace maid is Mu Yunqi's sister."
Xiao Heng paused in his actions and frowned.
Zhao Fuquan then explained, "Mu Yunqi is the Imperial Physician Mu from the Imperial Hospital. He was the one who treated the Empress Dowager with her in the main hall that day. He is also the one who usually takes the pulse for Consort Gu."
Xiao Heng continued reviewing the memorials in his hands.
Seeing that Xiao Heng was unmoved by the news about Gu Xi, Zhao Fuquan dared not say anything more, for fear of offending the emperor.
Suddenly, a young eunuch entered and shouted at Zhao Fuquan, "Chief Eunuch Zhao, a palace maid is requesting an audience!"
Zhao Fuquan quickly gave him a wink and hurriedly ran out, saying, "Keep your voice down! If you disturb the Emperor, you'll be held responsible!"
They really have no sense of propriety!
"Who is it..." Zhao Fuquan turned to look at the newcomer and exclaimed in surprise, "Miss Zhuyin! What brings you here?"
"Chief Steward Zhao..." Zhu Yin hesitated, "Is His Majesty here?"
Zhao Fuquan's eyes lit up: "Did Consort Gu send you?"
Zhu Yin shook her head, and Zhao Fuquan immediately deflated.
"His Majesty is inside. What brings Miss Zhuyin here?"
"Chief Steward Zhao, Consort Gu is ill, and I want to..." She wanted to ask the Emperor to visit her mistress, but her mistress had so resolutely driven the Emperor away that day, and she didn't know how to bring it up.
Zhao Fuquan instantly understood: "Miss Zhuyin, please wait for me a moment..." For some reason, he was certain that the Emperor would go.
Zhao Fuquan jogged up to Xiao Heng's side and said without even breaking a sweat, "Your Majesty, just now, the young lady Zhuyin from Weiyang Palace..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Heng immediately put down his pen and asked, "What happened to her?"
"They say Consort Gu is ill..."
Before he finished speaking, Xiao Heng had already stood up and strode towards the door, and Zhao Fuquan quickly followed after him.
Zhu Yin was still waiting outside the door when the Emperor came out so quickly: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"What's wrong with her? Have you called the imperial physician?" Xiao Heng didn't stop walking.
As Zhu Yin walked, she said, "Her Majesty's high fever persists. She hasn't eaten much these past few days and has been fainting. Hua Yue has already gone to fetch the imperial physician."
Xiao Heng quickened his pace.
Xiao Heng arrived at Weiyang Palace quickly. What usually took an incense stick to burn was covered in less than half an incense stick's time today.
He pushed open Gu Xi's door, and found that she was the only one inside.
She was completely enveloped in the thick brocade quilt, the flickering candlelight in the room making her thin cheeks appear slightly sunken, much thinner than when she had seen him that day. Her usually neatly combed black hair was now spread out on the bed, damp and clinging to her sweaty forehead and cheeks, her face flushed an unnatural red, and her body shivering slightly from the high fever.
"It's so cold..."
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Author's Note: We're on the list again this week! Thank you everyone for your support, I'm so happy! [Sprinkling flowers]
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