The princess lay quietly on the bed like a withered lotus flower. Qiu Chan was wiping her body.
"Did you see Chunliu and Xiahe when you went out that day?" Fujin asked, staring at Qiuchan.
“Yes, I saw them. I spoke to them as the Fujin instructed. Chunliu was mindful of her mistress and agreed to go and speak to the old master. Xiahe didn’t seem too happy; I heard she left the eldest princess’s side and got married,” Qiuchan said.
"Hmph, Xia He is clearly unwilling to get involved with me anymore. That heartless, lowly servant girl, once I'm out of this mess, let's see what kind of good days she'll have!" The princess said bitterly, her voice trembling with resentment.
Qiu Chan's hand trembled as she hurriedly tried to hide her panic.
"What are you afraid of?" 1036
The princess noticed Qiu Chan's hand and said.
"This servant, this servant just didn't hold the cloth properly," Qiu Chan quickly covered up.
"Those who serve me faithfully will never be treated unfairly by me, don't worry. As long as you serve me well, you, Chunliu, and Dongxue all came with me after marriage. I will find you good families and give you a grand and glorious wedding," the princess said. However, because she was ill, she didn't speak with her usual certainty and smoothness, and she stammered.
"This servant doesn't want to get married. This servant will serve the Fujin for the rest of her life." Among the four maids, Qiu Chan was the most unassuming. When Chun Liu and Xia He were around, she didn't stand out. Now that the two of them had married off to the eldest princess, Ling Xiu was the only one in charge here. She had no temper and just did her job.
Just then, the Fujin suddenly heard the sound of a flowerpot bottom coming in from outside.
"Hmph, is that her?" A faint smile lingered on the Fujin's lips, but it vanished in her indifferent expression.
A moment later, Lanqin and Songshi, along with their respective maids, followed Lingzhi into the Fujin's bedroom. Actually, Lanqin and Songshi rarely visited the Fujin's bedroom. The room was indeed luxuriously furnished, likely consisting of her original dowry items, almost all of them exquisite pieces.
When Qiu Chan saw Lan Qin and the others arrive, she immediately went to the Fujin, placed a thick cushion behind her back, and then gently pulled her back so that she could lean against the cushion.
Lanqin and Song looked at the Fujin, and they could hardly connect her with the Fujin who was once dressed in gorgeous clothes and with exquisite and elegant headdress. The woman sitting on the bed looked haggard, with almost no jewelry in her hair, wearing only undergarments, and her face was pale. She looked like a person who was terminally ill.
Song had initially thought that the Fujin (principal wife) had some kind of scheme, but seeing her current appearance, she was already half convinced.
Lanqin could not hide her surprise; she had not expected that the Fujin was indeed so seriously ill.
"How is the Lady's illness?" Lanqin seemed to be asking Qiuchan, but it also seemed like she was asking the woman in bed.
"Thank you for your concern, Consort. I'm sure you're very pleased with how I look now." The First Lady looked at Lanqin, who was dressed in a light blue brocade cotton robe with gold thread embroidered with the character "福" (fortune/blessing), and over which she wore a light pink cotton overcoat. Her complexion was excellent. She wore a more formal kingfisher feather and gemstone headdress than usual, and the tassels at her temples swept across her delicate profile. She was indeed beautiful and dignified, much better than she had been back then.
Lanqin looked at the Fujin's face but ignored her sarcasm and continued to ask, "How many doses of medicine does the Fujin take each day? What is the condition of her illness? Go and summon Doctor Lin."
The Fujin was surprised by Lanqin's attitude. She had expected Lanqin to take advantage of her misfortune and mock her, so that she could put Lanqin in a position of being disrespectful and unrighteous. However, Lanqin did not play by the rules as she had imagined.
Dr. Lin arrived shortly afterward, bowing his head respectfully as he listened to Lanqin's questions.
"Dr. Lin, let me ask you, what exactly is the princess's illness, and why is it getting worse with each treatment?" Lan Qin asked sternly.
"Reporting to Consort Lin, you've only caught a cold. Just follow my prescription and take the medicine, and you should be better in five or six days," Doctor Lin said anxiously. Actually, he was also puzzled as to why Consort Lin's illness wouldn't improve.
“What are you saying? Our Lady of the House has been getting the medicine according to your prescription every day, but she still can’t get out of bed,” Lingxiu said, unable to help but defend herself, seeing the implication in Doctor Lin’s words.
"That's not what I meant. Unless the Princess Consort catches colds repeatedly, she wouldn't be so difficult to recover from." Seeing that Lingxiu was quick-witted and seemed to be criticizing his medical skills, Doctor Lin also became quite blunt. However, since she was just a maidservant of a disgraced Princess Consort, there was no need to be polite.
"You! Qiu Chan and I have been taking good care of the Fujin, how could she possibly catch a cold again?" Lingxiu said angrily, not expecting Doctor Lin to be so sharp-tongued.
"If the Princess Consort hadn't caught another cold, why would she be lying in bed unable to get up?" Seeing Lingxiu's anxiety, Doctor Lin became increasingly convinced that this was the only possibility. He knew that the Princess Consort's condition had worsened under his care, and if the master came to hold him accountable, he wouldn't be able to escape responsibility.
"This lady is ill because of her own troubled mind. I have no reason to blame Lingxiu and Qiuchan for not taking care of me, nor do I blame Doctor Lin for the poor medicine he prescribed," the lady said when she saw them arguing.
“What worries you, Madam? You should relax and rest now. Doctor Lin, you may leave now. Go and prepare the medicine for Madam. I will personally attend to you as you take your medicine,” Lanqin said.
Dr. Lin withdrew as if he had been granted a pardon.
Seeing Lanqin winking at her, Madam Song quickly said, "Let me also serve the Fujin. Serving the Fujin is something that we concubines should do."
Looking at Lanqin and Songshi, Fujin felt as if she couldn't spit out a mouthful of phlegm, and she started coughing repeatedly.
Cough cough cough~~~
The Fujin coughed, seemingly exhausted after speaking. Lingxiu quickly went behind her and patted her back.
"Sister, why don't we take turns? I'll serve the Princess Consort her medicine today," Lanqin said, observing the Princess Consort's expression.
"This concubine takes her leave. I will come to see you again tomorrow, Madam." Madam Song bowed and then left with her maid.
Lanqin, supported by Cui Niang, sat down on a dark red sandalwood chair by the window, and then fell silent.
Immediately, the room became very awkward. Suddenly, the Fujin said, "Lingxiu, Cui Niang, you two go out for a while. I have something to say to the Fujin."
Seeing that Lanqin indicated that it was alright for her to leave, Cui Niang followed Lingxiu out.
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