Gu Shaoyu touched her burning body and was extremely anxious. He quickly went to the palace to fetch the imperial physician.
When the imperial physician arrived, Aunt Cui pulled him aside and whispered, "When you examine the lady's pulse, feel if it's slippery."
The imperial physician immediately understood; he was thinking that the Grand Secretary's wife might be pregnant.
He immediately nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I will use the medicine carefully."
The imperial physician took his pulse, wrote a prescription, and filled the container with medicine, which was then boiled in the courtyard.
At night, Xie Zhaozhao was already somewhat drowsy. Gu Shaoyu gave her medicine, but she only responded with "uh-uh" sounds, and she didn't have the strength to get up.
Gu Shaoyu got anxious and started feeding him little by little with a spoon, coaxing him as he did so.
Manman was initially very anxious and upset, but Gu Shaoyu's coaxing voice, which sounded like he was comforting a child, lessened her distress considerably.
She quietly withdrew, found some rock honey, and after Gu Shaoyu fed her the medicine, she was about to stuff the rock honey into her mouth.
Gu Shaoyu stopped him: "Don't feed him anymore, it will ruin his teeth."
Xie Zhaozhao was fast asleep, and Gu Shaoyu sat beside her reading a book, watching over her. Manman was also watching from a short distance away.
Gu Shaoyu told Manman to go to sleep, but Manman refused.
The young lady is ill, and she must stay by her side.
At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), Xie Zhaozhao started sweating, and the heat in her body dissipated considerably.
Gu Shaoyu used a dry cloth to wipe her sweat, then helped her drink a bowl of warm water and told her to go back to sleep.
Xie Zhaozhao's fever hadn't completely subsided; she was only a little better after taking the medicine, but she still felt very hot to the touch.
Gu Shaoyu was anxious and kept applying cold compresses to his face.
At dawn, he wrote a letter to Bei Chen, asking him to go to the palace to ask for leave, saying that he was sick.
Bei Chen's expression was strange.
This is the first time since the Grand Secretary entered officialdom that he has asked for leave due to "illness".
He had to remind him, "Your Excellency, this reason could cause a huge reaction; His Majesty might even come to visit in person."
After all, I've never taken sick leave. If I take leave even once in a while, people will think I'm terminally ill.
Gu Shaoyu paused for a moment, realizing that concern could cloud judgment, and decided to ask for leave himself.
He stood up and said to Manman, "You watch over Madam for now, and give her another dose of medicine later. I'm going to check in and will be back as soon as possible."
Manman said, "I've made some tofu pudding on the stove. Have a bowl before you go. I'll take care of things here."
At Chenshi (7-9 AM), Madam Lu heard that Xie Zhaozhao had fallen ill from exhaustion, so she brought some nourishing foods to visit her.
Xie Zhaozhao took her medicine in the morning and was lying down.
Madam Lu held her hand, her eyes red, and said, "Sister-in-law, you saved Huanhuan's life yesterday, and you also saved mine. You are a living Guanyin, and you will surely be blessed with good fortune."
Xie Zhaozhao chuckled absently, "Second Sister-in-law, why are you saying such formal things? Huanhuan calls me Third Aunt, cough cough cough..."
I'm coughing so badly.
Manman quickly patted her back and said to Madam Lu, "Second Madam, Madam is currently unwell. Please go back and wait. Madam will definitely let you know when she recovers, okay?"
Of course, Mr. Lu understood that the patient didn't have the energy for idle chatter.
She left Xie Zhaozhao's bedroom and came out to help Manman brew the medicine.
"How is my elder sister? I heard she's ill?"
Xie Xiangxiang arrived at Qingpu Courtyard with her maid Chunling, who was carrying a box.
She handed the box to Manman and said, "The young master obtained some top-quality stone frogs from Jiangnan. They are excellent for clearing heat and detoxifying. Let's cook them for our elder sister!"
Such a rare stone frog was hard to come by. Manman accepted the stone frog, thanked Xie Xiangxiang, and brought her a brocade stool, asking her to sit down.
After talking about Xie Zhaozhao's illness for a while at her bedside, Xie Xiangxiang said seemingly unintentionally, "Yesterday I met Princess Yurong. She said that she would be holding a moon-viewing party at Huanjing Garden during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and she specially invited Grand Secretary Gu to try out a newly built painted boat."
Xie Zhaozhao's gentle and serene smile suddenly vanished as she said, "Princess Consort, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"
Princess Yu Rong, whose real name is Zhou Dandan, is the Crown Prince's younger sister.
She inherited most of her looks from Empress Wei Yingzi; her appearance was average, but she had an extremely enviable figure.
Those two mounds on her chest shouldn't be called mounds, they should be called "heaps", and yet she also had a huge butt.
When it comes to curves, no one can surpass her.
Her official title was Yu Rong, but the common people privately called her Princess Rou Dan.
It's not just about being fat!
This person has no reputation whatsoever.
In the very beginning, the man she chose to marry was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination in the fifteenth year of Emperor Hui's reign. She fell in love with him at first sight and insisted on marrying him.
However, the third-ranking scholar declined, saying that he was already engaged. Princess Yurong then went to the third-ranking scholar's parents and forced them to break off the engagement.
Under pressure, the third-ranking scholar's parents asked the woman to annul the engagement. Unexpectedly, the woman was strong-willed and committed suicide by poisoning herself.
The third-ranking scholar wept bitterly, then hung himself from a tree with a rope and followed the woman in death.
Princess Yu Rong was furious and took revenge on the man's parents and brothers by force and robbery, driving the entire family of the prospective father-in-law of the top scholar to the point of hanging themselves or jumping into a well.
From then on, Princess Yu Rong's reputation was ruined.
No one was willing to be her husband, and she no longer wanted to find one. Instead, she followed her aunt, Princess Xiyan, and kept a household of male concubines.
For each of her favorite male lovers, she would build a special pleasure boat for him.
Now, upon hearing Xie Xiangxiang say that Princess Yu Rong was after Gu Shaoyu, Xie Zhaozhao was clearly furious, coughing incessantly.
When Xie Xiangxiang heard the words "Lady of the Heir Apparent," she knew that Xie Zhaozhao was angry. She said awkwardly, "Don't be angry. I went to her place yesterday and I think I heard something like that. It may not be true."
"You should go back now, I'm a little tired."
"Elder sister, don't be angry. I won't say anything like that again. You can stew that stone frog and eat it with your rice and other dishes," Xie Xiangxiang said with a guilty look on her face.
"Okay, that's thoughtful of you."
The sisters still managed to maintain a semblance of decorum between them.
After Xie Xiangxiang left, Manman saw her off to the front gate.
Xie Xiangxiang smiled and instructed her, "Eldest sister's illness came on suddenly. These stone frogs are of very good quality. Stew them carefully for her. Don't skimp on them. Eat them as a meal. If you run out, I'll ask the young master to bring some back from Jiangnan."
She said with deep gratitude, "Thank you, Your Highness's wife."
Xie Zhaozhao lay in a daze until noon, when Gu Shaoyu returned.
He washed his hands and face before coming to her bedside, lifting the curtain, touching her hands, and stroking her head.
"It's still very hot," Gu Shaoyu frowned. "Have you taken your medicine?"
Xie Zhaozhao coughed and said, "I ate. Don't worry, it'll only be a matter of two or three days anyway."
Gu Shaoyu quickly patted her back and said, "I have already told Bei Chen that anyone who wants to visit the sick should be turned away."
Patients need rest the most, but visiting them and talking to them can actually worsen their condition.
Xie Zhaozhao felt uncomfortable thinking about Xie Xiangxiang's story about Princess Yurong inviting Gu Shaoyu onto the pleasure boat. Since she was ill, she became a little temperamental.
"Are you very familiar with Princess Yu Rong?"
"The year I passed the imperial examination with top honors, the Empress mentioned to His Majesty that she would betroth Princess Yurong to me."
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