Zhou Gu indeed developed a high fever during the night.
The Duchess urgently sent someone to invite Doctor Xu from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Dr. Xu was mentally prepared. When he was dressing Zhou Gu’s wound during the day, he noticed a significant depletion in his physical condition. Given the severity of his injury now, it wasn’t improbable that he would develop a high fever that night. As expected, the fever started to show its symptoms even before nightfall.
Carrying his medical kit, he hastened to the Duke Residence.
Zhou Gu’s fever surged violently. Doctor Xu prescribed a fever-reducing medicine. However, even after an hour, the fever hadn’t subsided. Startled, Dr. Xu switched to another prescription and increased the dosage. However, after the second dose and another hour passed, the fever remained unabated.
Zhou Gu was already delirious, spouting gibberish that was indecipherable.
The Duchess leaned in to listen and recognized the word "Rong". She deduced that he was calling for Su Rong.
She clutched Zhou Gu’s hand, anxiously asking Xu, the Imperial Doctor, "What are we to do? If this keeps on, will Gu’er be in danger?"
Dr. Xu continued to wipe his sweaty brow, his face now white. "If the fever doesn’t break, pure and simple, it will pose a threat to his life."
The Duchess’s face drained of color.
Doctor Xu was among the best physicians at the Imperial Medical Bureau. If his two prescriptions failed to break the fever, who else could they turn to?
"Let me think, let me think..." Doctor Xu took out his medical book, beginning to skim through it.
The ageing Duke and Sheng An, the eldest princess, were alerted about Zhou Gu’s fever, they hurried to Shuang Lin Garden.
Seeing Zhou Gu’s perilous condition, the Duke’s face turned ashen. He wished to speak but upon seeing Doctor Xu busily flipping through his medical book, he closed his mouth and instructed the housekeeper, "Bring doctors from the Capital City’s medical hall. Have them assist Doctor Xu."
At this point, he didn’t care about doctor’s etiquette. His grandson’s life was paramount.
The housekeeper apologized and promptly sent someone.
When Sheng An, the eldest princess, arrived at Zhou Gu’s bedside, she saw him muttering deliriously. After listening for a while, she failed to decipher his words and asked the Duchess, "What is Gu’er saying?"
Tears fell from the Duchess’s eyes, "He is speaking of Su Rong."
As for what exactly he was saying, it was indecipherable, fragmented with occasional "Rong" and "Xiao Qi" words.
Sheng An, the eldest princess, suddenly suggested, "I heard Su Rong, that girl, is quite skilled in medicine. After she moved into the Qingping Residence, she gave Qingping a prescription that even the Imperial Doctor from the Imperial Medical Bureau found astonishing. Someone, saddle a horse and hurry to the Buddha Temple, invite Su Rong."
The Duchess was instantly taken aback, "Mother!"
She hadn’t forgotten that Su Rong went to the Buddha Temple with Ye Guixue and prolonged her stay, implying their harmonious rapport. Going to invite her at this hour was inopportune.
With a stern face, Sheng An, the eldest princess, replied, "Although it’s not suitable timing, Gu’er’s life is at stake. Regardless of our intention to disrupt her relationship with Second Young Master Ye, she still possesses medical expertise. With Gu’er on death’s door, we have grounds to call upon her."
With clenched teeth, the Duchess nodded, "Mother, you are absolutely right."
She ought not to hesitate when her son’s life hung in the balance.
Thus, in the dead of night, a horse was raced out bearing Sheng An, the eldest princess’s token, warranting the City Gate to be opened. They departed from the Imperial City heading straight to the Buddha Temple.
The doctors invited from the leading medical halls in the Capital City arrived at Duke Residence, examined Zhou Gu, and studied the two prescriptions Doctor Xu had provided. They found Xu’s prescriptions were already the best, especially the second one with changed herbs and increased dosage. If such a prescription still didn’t work, they were out of options.
During ordinary times, Xu, the chief Imperial Doctor of the Imperial Medical Bureau, would undoubtedly be irritated with the invited doctors. However, considering Zhou Gu’s current condition, he was anxious about bearing responsibility. Seeing these doctors confirming his fever remedy as the best, he felt more than acceptance, even a small sigh of relief.
The old Duke was frantic too, "So, what should we do?"
"First, apply cold water to his forehead, then give him a body wipe down with alcohol." Xu, the Imperial Doctor, rolled up his sleeves, "I will do it myself."
As the chief of the Imperial Medical Bureau, he seldom performed these tasks himself, but the situation warranted it.
The aged Duke waved towards the eldest princess and the Duchess, "Both of you leave. I will assist Doctor Xu."
Sheng An, the eldest princess, and the Duchess had no option but to leave.
Zhou Gu’s dire condition, and the frantic search for doctors citywide, inevitably alerted the Eastern Palace. Yan Huisheng hadn’t retired for the night when he heard the news. He immediately instructed, "Prepare the carriage, I am going to Duke Residence."
The housekeeper immediately prepared the carriage. The gates of the Eastern Palace opened, and Yan Huisheng, escorted by his guards, left the Eastern Palace.
By the time he arrived at Duke Residence, Doctor Xu and the old Duke were applying an alcohol-soaked cloth to Zhou Gu’s body to reduce the fever. Sheng An, the eldest princess, and the Duchess were anxiously seated in the drawing room, their faces pale and hearts trembling.
Upon hearing of the Crown Prince’s visit, the Duchess hurried out, "Crown Prince, why have you come?"
Yan Huisheng was in a rush, "I heard Zhou Gu’s high fever is not subsiding. I came to check."
The Duchess nodded, "The Crown Prince is too kind to worry."
Yan Huisheng shook his head, stepping into the Drawing Room to pay his respects to Grand Princess Sheng An, "Great aunt."
Grand Princess Sheng An waved her hand, struggling to calm her mind, "Please sit, Crown Prince."
Yan Huisheng sat down and inquired about Zhou Gu’s current condition.
Grand Princess Sheng An sighed. She explained that the extremely dangerous current situation where the medicine is not working and they are using traditional methods to reduce the temperature. She also mentioned that she has sent someone to the Buddha Temple for Su Rong.
Yan Huisheng nodded, although he was not sure whether Su Rong’s coming would be helpful. But with Zhou Gu’s dangerous situation, it made sense to invite her.
The people from the Duke Residence sped up their horses. Half an hour later, they arrived at the Buddha Temple, knocking on the gate. The little monk guarding the gate, hearing that it was someone from the Duke Residence who wanted to see Lady Su Qi staying in the temple, did not dare to delay and hurriedly went to report to Lady Su Qi.
Su Rong was already asleep. She had not slept much the night before and had not been able to sleep much during the day either. By the time it was dark, she had already gone to bed early.
Hearing the hurried footsteps outside, she woke up, her eyebrows furrowed.
Fen Ling had been the first to get up, opening the door from the adjacent room to inquire of the visitor, "What’s going on?"
The guard from the Duke Residence showed the waist token of Grand Princess Sheng An, "Master Feng, I have been ordered by Grand Princess Sheng An to request Lady Su Qi to urgently come to the Duke Residence."
At that moment, the door of the adjacent room also opened, and Ye Guixue came out, asking gently, "What happened at the Duke Residence?"
The guard hesitated a bit, "Our Fourth Young Master has a high fever that won’t subside. Imperial Doctor Xu from the Imperial Medical Bureau has prescribed two prescriptions, but they can’t reduce the fever. Grand Princess Sheng An heard that Lady Su Qi has knowledge of the principles of medicine, so she invites Lady Su Qi to have a look."
Hearing this, Ye Guixue looked towards the adjacent room.
At this time, Su Rong had already dressed properly, came out of the room, and responded, "Alright, I will follow you down the mountain right away."
She turned her head to Ye Guixue and said, "If it weren’t a matter of life and death, Grand Princess Sheng An definitely wouldn’t send someone to invite me. I’ll go down the mountain first, Guixue, you..."
"You ride the horse I used for pulling the cart, it’s faster." Ye Guixue took over her words, "Go quickly!"
Su Rong nodded, said no more, and quickly walked out.
Fen Ling quickly returned to her room to get dressed, caught up with Su Rong, and said to the guard from the Duke Residence, "Give me your horse, you can find another one to go back."
The guard from the Duke Residence paused for a moment, and agreed.
So, Su Rong rode the horse that Ye Guixue used to pull the car, and Fen Ling rode the horse belonging to the guard from the Duke Residence. Once the gates of the Buddha Temple were opened, the two of them sped towards the Capital City.
When they had just traveled about twenty miles out, they encountered a group of assassins, about a hundred of them. Su Rong and Fen Ling looked at each other, their golden needles flew out of their hands simultaneously. The assassins were knocked down before they could get close.
Fen Ling found an opportune moment to snap her fingers, and hidden guards appeared. In no time, they killed the assassins, didn’t leave anyone to clean up, and continued on their way.
They traveled another dozen miles, and once again encountered a group of assassins. This group was using crossbows. When they heard the sound of horse hooves, they let out a volley of arrows. Su Rong and Fen Ling immediately drew their swords, protecting not only themselves but also the horses they were riding on.
The hidden guards quickly formed a square formation, preventing the arrows from getting close. When the assassins saw that the arrows were ineffective, they revealed themselves and attacked. This group of assassins were more numerous than the last one.
Su Rong was furious. Her golden needles, fine as ox hair, showed no mercy to anyone they hit.
After dealing with this group of assassins, they continued on their journey.
About ten or so miles later, Su Rong abruptly pulled on the reins of her horse and motioned for Fen Ling to stop.
Fen Ling also sensed something amiss, "Master, it seems like..."
"There is a hypnotic scent in the air." Su Rong reached into her breast pocket, pulled out a bottle, poured out a pill, and swallowed it. "Take an antidote."
Fen Ling quickly reached into her breast pocket as well. Since nearly being poisoned on their way from Jiangzhou to the capital, they had all learned their lesson. Each of them carried a sufficient amount of various antidotes. The antidote for hypnotics was the most common type.
The hidden guards, of course, also each took an antidote.
Su Rong urged her horse to continue. After about a mile, they ran into a third wave of ambushing assassins.
This group of assassins were all proficient in hidden weapons. The sounds of them slicing through the air came one after another. Without Su Rong and Fen Ling having to act, the hidden guards had already dispersed the hidden weapons.
Walking and fighting, they encountered four waves of assassins from the Buddha Temple to the Capital City. The guard from the Duke Residence had taken half an hour by fast horse, while Su Rong and Fen Ling took a full hour.
It was almost three in the morning when they arrived at the city gate.
Su Rong showed the waist token of Grand Princess Sheng An. The city guards, upon seeing it, looked again at Su Rong and Fen Ling; seeing their blood-stained clothes was heart-stopping. But recognizing it as Grand Princess Sheng An’s token, the city guards dared not question them and hurriedly let them pass.
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