Qingying fell ill.
She felt unwell when she returned to the manor that day, thinking it was because she had caught a cold. She asked Zhang Mama to make some ginger soup for her to drink. Unexpectedly, she started coughing incessantly that night and almost couldn't breathe. Yu Yue was so anxious that she hurriedly went to fetch the manor doctor.
The white-bearded old man had just rested and was drifting off to sleep when he was suddenly lifted up, leaving him terrified and disoriented.
"Young Master? What are you doing?"
Liu Chengfeng casually tore an outer robe off the screen and threw it at him, saying anxiously, "Doctor Qin, Shushu is sick, you must go and see her quickly."
Doctor Qin took off the robe covering his head and put it on, then pointed to the cabinet beside the bed, "The medicine box is over there..."
Before he could finish speaking, Liu Chengfeng had already picked up the medicine box, carried him on his back, and ran out quickly.
Yu Yue followed behind, trying to catch up even while holding up her dress.
On her way to find the doctor, she ran into Liu Chengfeng. He must have just returned from outside, as he still smelled of alcohol. He recognized her and realized she was Qingying's maid. Seeing her hurried appearance, he stopped her. When he asked what was wrong, he became even more anxious than the maid.
Doctor Qin was so jostled on his back that his beard was practically askew.
When they arrived at Qingying's bedroom, Liu Chengfeng put him down.
Doctor Qin was a little unsteady on his feet, standing barefoot on the ground. Before he could even process what was happening, a medicine box was suddenly stuffed into his arms, and then a little maid grabbed his sleeve and pulled him into the house.
At this moment, Qingying was lying on the edge of the bed, coughing so hard it looked like her lungs were about to come out. Her little face was flushed red and then purple, and her eyes were filled with tears. She looked extremely pitiful.
Doctor Qin, who had been dragged here by force, was initially annoyed, but seeing her like this, he could no longer be angry.
After taking his pulse and prescribing medicine, Doctor Qin was finally able to catch his breath, but his face looked extremely pale.
Liu Chengfeng was pacing anxiously outside the door. When he saw him come out, he immediately went up to ask, "How is Shushu?"
The old man immediately bristled and glared, "This young lady's illness has been going on for a while now, how could you be so careless? You actually let her inhale willow catkins! It triggered her wheezing. Luckily, I arrived in time, otherwise, even Hua Tuo himself might not have been able to save her!"
"Willow catkins?! How could this be..."
Liu Chengfeng's sharp gaze swept across the courtyard, and all the maids and servants knelt down, heads bowed, not daring to breathe.
"Where did Shushu go today? Who was attending to her?"
Yu Yue and Tong Xia moved forward on their knees, their voices trembling as they whispered, "Yes, we are slaves."
"Is this how you serve your master?"
Tong Xia was young, and she was usually quite afraid of this stern-faced young master. At this moment, she was so frightened that she was speechless.
Yu Yue spoke first: "Today...today you went to Princess Yongning's poetry gathering...perhaps the willow catkins by Moon Lake have bloomed, and I didn't notice, that's why..."
Liu Chengfeng took a deep breath and said coldly, "Go and collect your twenty strokes of the cane."
"Yes." The two secretly groaned, but dared not refute it in the slightest.
...
Wang rushed over as soon as she received the news.
"Shushu, my darling, poor child, how could it suddenly relapse?"
Qingying raised her head, her small face as pale as paper, with faint blue under her eyes. Her haggard appearance was heartbreaking to see.
Wang was heartbroken, tears welling in her eyes, her voice choked with emotion: "I told you long ago that it's only March or April when the weather is just getting warmer, and your health isn't good for you to go out too often, but your mother just wouldn't listen!"
Qingying held her wrinkled hand and gently comforted her, "It's alright, Grandmother. It's not Mother's fault; I was just not paying attention."
She hasn't had a relapse in the past two years, and usually looks rosy-cheeked and energetic. She had almost forgotten about it, and others inevitably overlooked it as well. She really doesn't blame anyone but herself.
She had just finished comforting Wang and seeing her off when Pan and Luo arrived together.
Qingying rubbed her aching temples, feeling exhausted, but she still managed a smile when she saw Madam Pan: "Mother."
"How are you? Are you feeling any better?" Madam Pan asked, holding her hand with concern.
"I feel much better after taking the medicine."
Madam Luo said, "I heard you were ill this morning, so I had some nourishing and invigorating herbs prepared. I asked Doctor Qin, and he said they are safe to eat."
"Auntie, you're so kind."
Seeing that she was not in good spirits, Pan was afraid of disturbing her recovery, so she did not stay long. After giving her a few instructions, she left with Luo.
After everyone in the room had left, Qingying asked someone to help her lie down.
"By the way, where are Yu Yue and Tong Xia today?"
She only had two first-class maids by her side, and she took them with her wherever she went.
The maidservant replied, "They were punished with a beating by the eldest young master, so they probably won't be able to serve you for the next couple of days."
Qingying was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood the reason. She sighed helplessly and said, "Go and take the wound medicine from my cabinet to them."
"yes."
She was up half the night because of her illness and barely slept. As soon as she lay down, she fell asleep in no time.
He was in a daze, sleeping and waking up repeatedly. When the time came, he was helped up, given his medicine, and then went back to sleep.
She could no longer distinguish what day it was or what time it was.
She was awakened by a rustling sound, and her thoughts gradually cleared. She heard something hitting the window frame.
"Miss Liu, Miss Liu..."
She propped herself up, rubbed her eyes, and saw the shadowy figure reflected in the moonlight on the window paper, and heard a deep male voice calling her.
She frowned, casually pulled off the cloak hanging by the bed, put it on, and walked to the window.
Because of her illness, she often needed to open the windows for ventilation, so the windows in her bedroom were hinged windows.
She opened the window latch and pushed it out.
A loud bang was heard, followed by a muffled groan from outside: "Ugh—hiss—"
Qingying was stunned for a moment, then peeked out the window and saw that it was Wei Huaixu standing outside.
She opened her eyes wide in surprise, "Why did His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly visit in the dead of night? And so...sneaking around like this."
At this moment, the man standing outside the window covered his forehead, which was throbbing from the impact, and tried his best to maintain his usual composure. His black clothes almost blended into the deep night.
"I... I heard that Miss Liu is ill, and I wonder if it is because she caught a chill from being out in the wind by the lake with me yesterday."
"No." Qingying's voice was a little hoarse, but still soft and gentle: "I had a relapse of my old illness because I accidentally inhaled willow catkins. It has nothing to do with Your Highness. You don't need to feel guilty about it."
Wei Huaixu was not relieved by her words; instead, he felt even more distressed. "You look so pale; you must be in great pain. What can I do to help you?"
Seeing his serious expression, Qingying couldn't help but smile.
"Is Your Highness trying to make me happy?"
"yes."
"Anything is acceptable?"
"Yes, as long as I can do it."
She thought for a moment and asked, "How is Your Highness's riding skill?"
"The palace has the best jockeys."
The implication is that he is a very good rider.
"How about... once I've recovered, you take me horseback riding?"
He frowned slightly, looking at the expectation in her eyes. After thinking for a moment, he still refused, saying, "Your body is not suitable for riding a horse."
"Why don't you just lead me slowly?" She lowered her eyelashes, looking somewhat disappointed, and whispered, "I've never ridden a horse before..."
The little girl's face was still pale, her head drooped, and her long, black hair was loose and slightly messy behind her. Her eyelashes were very long and fluttered like butterfly wings.
She was just like an abandoned cat, pitifully begging for mercy.
Wei Huaixu's words of refusal caught in his throat. After his Adam's apple bobbed, he finally managed to utter only a single word tinged with helplessness: "Fine."
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