Xu Rong eventually pulled Xiao Xin aside and spent a little time quietly explaining to him what had happened.
Therefore, avoiding that woman was to prevent Xiao Xin from refusing if he was unwilling, so that there would be time to think of an excuse to refuse.
After listening, Xiao Xin seemed to come to his senses a little, and said, "Oh."
Then he sat down in the main room, rolled up his sleeves to reveal his wrists—there was still a little ink stain on the lower edge of his palm—and said to the old man in gray, "Thank you for your trouble."
The old man was taken aback for a moment before quickly sitting down and taking his pulse.
The middle-aged woman did not stay any longer, but instead moved away. However, the house was narrow, so she could only retreat outside. Xu Rong saw that she did not want to listen in on the diagnosis, and thought to himself that it was no wonder that the Crown Princess had a good reputation. It was rare for someone to be so considerate. He then signaled to Bai Fu.
Bai Fu understood and went over to invite the woman to the next room for tea.
Xu Rong then waited in line to have his pulse taken.
She was in a relaxed mood. Although this matter came suddenly, apart from the period immediately after she transmigrated, she had always been healthy, and hadn't even caught a cold in almost a year. This was just a formality. As for Xiao Xin, he didn't show any signs of illness, and unlike her, he hadn't fallen, so he wouldn't have any problems either.
Then she watched as the old man's expression gradually became serious.
No, no way—?
"Please use the other hand, sir." The old man bowed slightly.
Xiao Xin switched to his left hand. He didn't seem to care about anything, but he noticed Xu Rong's gaze, looked up and met her eyes, and then—
"I'm fine." He was annoyed.
"Huh? Hmm." Xu Rong quickly concealed the shock in his eyes, but his mind couldn't help but wander.
She had seen doctors for quite a while, and it turned out she was really fine. There was no need for all those examinations. For example, when she was nearing recovery, the doctor only listened to her pulse for a minute or two and that was it. Patients' pulses vary, but healthy people's are all pretty much the same. Whether she was well or not, you could tell just by listening.
Even in her time, it was pretty much the same. People often complained about doctors' bad attitudes, but doctors' time was precious. The more indifferent the attitude and the faster the consultation, the less serious the problem was. If they were slow and meticulous, asking about your well-being and diet, then you should be careful.
"How have you been, sir?"
Xu Rong's heart skipped a beat.
What you fear most is what happens.
"As usual," Xiao Xin replied.
The answer was too broad, so the old man asked further in detail: "When do you get up? When do you rest? What are your daily meals like?"
“Around dawn or midnight, for meals—” Xiao Xin paused, then continued, “as usual.”
The old man looked up and pondered for a moment before asking again, "From the beginning of the morning to the beginning of the night—about three hours—did you sleep soundly during those three hours, sir?"
Xiao Xin did not answer immediately.
It's supposed to be midnight, so how can one put down their books and go to sleep immediately? One has to quickly tidy up their pen and ink, and even after going to bed, the article will inevitably linger in their mind. By the time they finally fall asleep, it's almost dawn.
The old man looked at his face and understood. He shook his head and said, "If you can clear your mind and fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, sleeping only three hours a day is fine. But if you still can't put down your books and poems after lying down, or even write in your dreams, then you are exhausting your energy. I can see from your pulse that you have a slight deficiency of qi. You are young now, so it is not a problem, but if this continues, it will inevitably damage your vital energy, and it is even possible that you will suffer from both blood and qi deficiency."
Xu Rong and Xiao Xin listened to it together.
Xiao Xin: "Oh. Thank you."
He stood up to offer his seat to Xu Rong.
Xu Rong was shocked. She reached out and pulled him back to sit down, questioning him, "What are you doing? The doctor said you're weak, and you just say 'oh'?!"
Xiao Xin's expression finally changed, and the change was quite obvious: "I'm not weak. The doctor said it's nothing serious."
"You're still so careless! You're not weak today, but you'll be weak tomorrow!"
Xu Rong was furious—she hadn't been this angry before, just surprised, but he had gotten himself into this state and still dared to argue with her so stubbornly. Her surprise turned into anger, which was not only directed at him but also at herself. She had seen Xiao Xin's hard work, but she hadn't considered how much effort he had put into it. He was certainly talented, but his late start was too obvious. How difficult would it be for him to catch up with other scholars like him and even surpass them?
Sincerity can move mountains. These eight words are simple to say, but to truly achieve them, one must offer up one's heart and soul.
"Ahem." The old man coughed lightly. He was old and experienced, and it was not uncommon for patients and their families to argue in front of him, a doctor. He remained calm and said, "This lady is right. If you don't take a minor illness seriously, it will inevitably turn into a serious one. You must be careful, sir."
After a moment of silence, Xiao Xin said, "I understand."
Xu Rong calmed himself down and asked the doctor, "Does he have any other problems?"
Xiao Xin's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but say, "I didn't—"
Finally, the old man shook his head: "Grandma, don't worry. Grandpa's foundation is good. He just suffered too much. If he can rest and recuperate properly, he will recover."
Xu Rong was about to nod, but when he heard him mention the word "foundation," he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, "Old sir, the second young master was born prematurely. Is his foundation really fine?"
The old man was surprised: "Really? I am not knowledgeable enough to see that." He stroked his beard and looked at Xiao Xin's face again. "In that case, you have taken good care of yourself. But you must not be careless and must take good care of yourself."
In this day and age, even full-term babies born healthy may not survive, let alone premature babies, hence the doctor's statement.
Xu Rong responded on his behalf, "We have taken the old gentleman's instructions to heart." He then inquired, "Does the second young master need a prescription or medicine for his symptoms?"
The old man thought for a moment and said, "I will prescribe a medicine to replenish your vital energy. If you are willing to take it, you can take it for seven days as a course of treatment. If you are not willing to take it, that is also fine. The important thing is to be frugal and relax. If you can do that, it will be better than taking medicine."
Xu Rong nodded again, noting everything down.
Then it was her turn to take his pulse.
Sure enough, it was quick when it was her turn. To be on the safe side, the old man checked the pulse in both her wrists, which took only the time it would have taken to check Xiao Xin's wrist. He stopped after a short while and said, "Grandma's blood and energy are abundant, and she is very healthy."
Of course, she sleeps almost twice as much as Xiao Xin, and she doesn't worry about anything in her daily life. Since she got married, she has only been angry once, and it would be a miracle if her health didn't improve.
Xu Rong got up, and Xiao Xin finally behaved himself this time, inviting the old man to the east side room to write the prescription. Xu Rong then invited the middle-aged woman back over, chatted for a few words, and learned from her conversation that her surname was Jin. Because of her seniority and her service to the Crown Princess, everyone in the palace called her "Auntie".
Aunt Jin did not linger. After the old man finished writing the prescription, she took her leave. Xu Rong gave each of them a red envelope. The old man asked for a consultation fee, so she naturally accepted it. Aunt Jin declined slightly, but Xu Rong smiled and gave her another one, which she accepted. Her attitude became even more amiable. She did not go to see the other people in the Changxing Marquis's residence, but went straight out of the mansion to return to the East Palace to report her duties.
At this hour, the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince had just finished their afternoon nap. The Crown Prince was about to go out when she asked to see him. Knowing what she was going to do, he paused in his tracks.
The Crown Princess, seated before her dressing table, gestured: "Tell me, did it go smoothly?"
Aunt Jin curtsied and said, "Your Majesty's orders have naturally been fulfilled. The second young master and second mistress of the Xiao family are both very grateful for Your Majesty's kindness and love."
The crown prince asked calmly, "How was the diagnosis?"
Aunt Jin unconsciously became more respectful—for a servant, being able to read the master's expression is the most basic skill. Ever since returning from the birthday banquet of Marquis Cheng'an, the Crown Prince seemed to be unhappy. Although he didn't show it on his face, his irritability was evident in his every move, which made the atmosphere in the Eastern Palace more solemn.
Aunt Jin had a guess in her heart, but even if she knew she was right, she dared not reveal a word. She simply said honestly, "Your Highness, when I went there, Her Majesty instructed me not to listen in on the diagnosis, so as not to make my good intentions awkward."
The crown prince's expression darkened further, and he took a step to leave.
"But—" Aunt Jin realized that her reply did not meet the Crown Prince's expectations, and hurriedly said, "But when I was away in the next room, I vaguely heard arguing in the main room. When I returned, I saw that the Second Madam's brows still showed some anger, and Doctor Yu was accompanied by the Second Young Master of the Xiao family to write prescriptions. I suppose—I wonder which one of them has diagnosed something wrong."
The Crown Princess tried to stop her, but Aunt Jin spoke too quickly and she couldn't stop her in time. She could only wait for her to finish speaking and then sighed helplessly: "I told you to leave, why are you talking about other people's private affairs?"
Aunt Jin said timidly, "Your Highness, I was being nosy. I just thought His Highness meant well."
"That's right, I'm just listening, I won't tell anyone else."
The Crown Prince stopped leaving and went back to the Crown Princess's side. He dismissed a palace maid who was serving her hairpins and ornaments, looked around the dressing table, picked up a phoenix hairpin, and held it up to the Crown Princess's head while laughing, "Crown Princess, the person you sent out is honest and said she doesn't know who it is. You are far more intelligent than her. Can you guess who it is?"
The Crown Princess initially remained seated and unmoved, saying, "This concubine does not know."
But the Crown Prince wouldn't let it go, trying to put the phoenix hairpin into her hair bun—he didn't manage to put it in, and instead messed up her newly combed hair bun. She reached out to snatch it, but the Crown Prince raised his hand high, so she couldn't grab it. She could only say, "—The one who's not angry! Alright, Your Highness, it's a woman's thing, you don't even know how to use it, why are you making a fuss here?"
The Crown Prince threw the phoenix hairpin back onto the dressing table, but still didn't leave. He leaned down, rested his head on the Crown Princess's shoulder, and whispered, "Yes, how can someone with a problem have the nerve to be angry?"
The Crown Princess had a hint of a smile on her face.
The Crown Prince said, "Ying'er, you're laughing at me. Are you trying to say that I'm the only one who's unreasonable?"
The Crown Princess raised her hand and gently touched his face, shaking her head as she said, "Your Highness, all I want to say is that your honor and disgrace are one with mine. If anyone laughs at Your Highness, I will not laugh either."
"Then what are you laughing at?"
"I am happy for Your Highness, and I am also happy for myself." The Crown Princess said, lowering her head slightly to look at her lower abdomen, her voice becoming very low and soft, "Doctor Yu said... Your Highness is fine, and if the recuperation goes smoothly, perhaps next year, I will be able to give birth to a little prince for Your Highness."
The Crown Prince followed her gaze, his eyes softening as he spoke again, his tone becoming leisurely: "That junior scholar, I'd like to see his expression now, and see if he dares to talk big to me."
The Crown Princess disagreed this time: "As the Crown Prince, Your Highness should set an example for all the people. How can you laugh at your own subjects?"
"Who will laugh at him? Am I such a petty person? I am merely—"
Before the crown prince could finish speaking, he shook his head and chuckled to himself.
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