After leaving Qinghui Courtyard, Shen Wan first went to visit Shen Wei in the fourth household, chatted with her for a while, and then returned to Qinglan Courtyard.
Inside the room, the maid Dong'er was wiping the tables and chairs in the outer room. When she saw Shen Wan and Yin Shuang return, she whispered a few words in Yin Shuang's ear. Yin Shuang followed her into the room and quietly reported to Shen Wan, "Zi Yu sprinkled the medicine powder on the pastries this time."
Shen Wan then noticed the osmanthus cake on the table and cleverly sprinkled the medicine powder on it.
Shen Wan picked up a piece and started eating.
It seems she's about to get "sick," and she'll have to see what they're really up to.
Over the next few days, Shen Wan grew weaker and weaker. For the first two days, she could still stroll around the garden, but later she could only go to pay her respects to the old lady. Eventually, she couldn't even leave the house and was too weak to stay in bed.
On the first day she didn't go to pay her respects to the old lady, the old lady sent a maid to check on her. Knowing that she was weak, the old lady asked the second wife to fetch a doctor for her, and the doctor was brought by the second wife.
The doctor took Shen Wan's pulse but couldn't figure out what was wrong. He just prescribed a treatment and then took his leave.
Shen Wan took the medicine for two days, but it not only had no effect, but her illness worsened. Shen Jing and Shen Du came to visit Shen Wan and were shocked by her weakness. They immediately sent a note to the palace to ask the imperial physician for Shen Wan.
The imperial physician arrived quickly and was about to bow to Shen Jing when Shen Jing said, "Imperial Physician Xu, please quickly examine my daughter to see what's wrong."
Yinshuang brought over a stool, and Physician Xu sat down to take Shen Wan's pulse. After he finished, Shen Jing asked, "How is my daughter's condition?"
Physician Xu said, "Please forgive me, Your Excellency, but I truly have no way to cure the young lady's illness."
How can he get treatment if the illness is feigned?
There is no cure.
Moreover, even if he had a few extra lives, he wouldn't dare to ruin Prince Jin's plans; he had been warned beforehand.
Shen Jing grew anxious, "Physician Xu's medical skills are superb. If even you can't cure my daughter's illness, then what about her illness..."
Physician Xu could only follow the instructions of the Prince of Jin and say, "The eldest daughter's illness came on strangely; perhaps she will recover on her own one day."
Fearing that Shen Jing would press him for answers, Physician Xu quickly picked up his medicine box and took his leave.
Shen Jing's serious face was filled with worry as he looked at Shen Wan and said, "Why did she suddenly become so sickly? Even the imperial physician doesn't know the cause."
Shen Wan said weakly, "Father, don't worry, I'm fine."
With barely a whisper, Chen Jing's brows furrowed deeply. He instructed the steward, "Please have another imperial physician examine her. I don't believe that none of the many physicians in the Imperial Hospital can cure my daughter."
Isn't this just making things difficult for the imperial physicians?
Shen Wan said, "Father, didn't Physician Xu say that my illness is strange and might get better on its own someday? You don't need to worry about me."
Shen Jing said, "What are you talking about? You are my daughter. If I don't take care of you, who will?"
Just as he finished speaking, a maidservant came in from outside and said, "My lord, Prince Ling heard that the young lady is ill and has come to visit her."
Normally, Xie Jingyan shouldn't visit Shen Wan at the Marquis's residence before the wedding, especially not enter her boudoir. However, Xie Jingyan and Shen Wan's marriage was bestowed by the Emperor, and unless the other party dies, there will be no further changes to the marriage. Therefore, there's no need to adhere to the strict separation of men and women, especially since Shen Jing and Shen Du are also present.
"Let Prince Ling in."
Shen Wan leaned against the large pillow and heard the sound of wheels rolling. She leaned over and saw Xie Jingyan pushing the wheels in. Yin Shuang quickly went over to help lift the beaded curtain.
Shen Du watched his younger sister lean forward, his brows twitching almost imperceptibly. Her movements were so agile, she didn't seem weak at all...
Xie Jingyan pushed the wheelchair forward, bowed to Chen Jing, and greeted him, "Uncle."
Shen Jing said, "Your Highness is very kind. Since you're here, please spend a few more words with Wan'er."
Shen Jing turned and left, taking Shen Du with him.
Only Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan, along with two maids, remained in the room.
Xie Jingyan looked at Yinshuang and Ziyu. Yinshuang wisely withdrew, and Ziyu left after looking back several times.
After they left, Shen Wan looked at Xie Jingyan and asked, "Why are you here?"
Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan's pale face and reached out to wipe it.
Hands covered in white powder.
Xie Jingyan coughed lightly before replying, "You're sick, so I came to see you."
Shen Wan lowered her voice and said, "Others may not know that I'm faking illness, but don't you know?"
Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan with an innocent expression. "But others don't know that I do know. My fiancée is sick. Wouldn't it be too heartless of me, her fiancé, not to visit her?"
“Your father may not blame me, but your older brother will definitely not let me off the hook, so I dare not not come.”
Shen Wan, "..."
He makes a good point.
There was no rebuttal.
Although they were engaged, Shen Wan never took the marriage seriously. She felt uncomfortable whenever Xie Jingyan entered her room, and now that it was just the two of them, it was even more awkward.
Shen Wan said, "You've seen it all, you can go back now."
Shen Wan felt that what she said was perfectly reasonable, and she was even thinking of Xie Jingyan's feelings, but he just got angry for no reason. Xie Jingyan said with a sour face, "Can't you have any conscience? I came to see you even though I have difficulty walking, and you want to kick me out after less than three sentences?"
...But they had nothing to say.
Are we just going to stand there and stare at each other like this?
Shen Wan looked at Xie Jingyan, who turned his head away somewhat uncomfortably. "You should have heard it just now, your father told me to stay with you a little longer."
“…You don’t have to listen to my father so much,” Shen Wan said.
Xie Jingyan blurted out, "What if he doesn't marry you off to me if I disobey him?"
Shen Wan felt she needed to remind him, "My father's opinion doesn't count; your father's opinion does."
If she's not worried, why should he be?
Neither of them spoke, and the room was unusually quiet.
They looked at each other in silence. After an unknown amount of time, Yinshuang pushed open the door and came in. She walked to the bedside and whispered to Shen Wan, "Just now, the little maid in the courtyard came back from the Taoist temple and overheard the Second Madam and the Third Madam talking. They said that in the capital, there were couples who got engaged, but because their horoscopes didn't match, some fell ill and others died. The Second Madam said that Miss and Prince Ling's horoscopes didn't match, and she was worried that Miss's illness was due to being cursed. She wanted to find a Taoist priest to come to the mansion to tell her fortune..."
Shen Wan sneered, "So you were waiting for me here."
She looked at Xie Jingyan and saw a flash of murderous intent in his eyes, which were deeper than the summer night sky.
Others may not know, but Xie Jingyan is fully aware that the second wife helped Prince Jin to steal his wife. Now it's not just stealing his wife; they're trying to tarnish his reputation as a wife-killer.
Xie Jingyan was already in a difficult situation because his birth mother, Consort Chen, was not favored by the emperor and had broken her leg, so she could only travel in a wheelchair. If he were to add the reputation of being a jinx to his wives, he probably would never be able to find a woman to marry him in his lifetime.
These people are ruthless.
Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan, "What are you going to do?"
Shen Wan smiled and said, "With such a good opportunity, we must turn the tables on them."
She wants them to lift a rock only to drop it on their own feet.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
