The Third Princess, Namin, was now fourteen and eating the food of a fifteen-year-old. She had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, bearing a striking resemblance to Yan Yu from back then. Looking at the Third Princess, who was increasingly resembling Yan Yu, Madam Wu felt a mix of emotions.
Now, Namin's marriage is still undecided, and Wu is extremely anxious. She once went to Lanqin, hoping that Namin would marry in the capital so that she could still see her in the future.
"Wu Xiha, Aunt Wu heard that your father is looking for a marriage for you!" Wu asked after hearing a little bit of news.
“Aunt Wu, Namin isn’t even married yet, why am I in such a hurry!” Wuxiha winked at Namin and said.
Wu chuckled upon hearing this and said, "You've all come of age and are ready to get married."
Namin blushed slightly, but Ushiha remained oblivious and said, "I want to stay with my father and mother for a few more years, there's no rush."
Wu looked at Wuxiha, then at Namin, and said nothing more, only urging Wuxiha to use more.
Meanwhile, upon hearing Lanqin's words, Zhang Mama invited Doctor Lin to the Chrysanthemum Garden to examine Shuiling's leg injury. This was Doctor Lin's first time visiting this inexpensive little courtyard where the concubines lived. Before Shuiling, a concubine named Yun had lived there, and he had never been invited to treat her before.
When the door was pushed open, Doctor Lin was shocked by the rudimentary furnishings of the room. The environment was worse than even the room of a favored maidservant to the concubine. Yet, this was clearly the room of another concubine serving the Fourth Prince. The room was quite small; an outer room, simply white, with a moon archway leading into the bedroom.
"Madam Ji, Doctor Lin has been summoned. And the concubine, being so kind, immediately sent me to fetch Doctor Lin as soon as she heard that Madam had injured her leg." Zhang Mama led Doctor Lin through the main hall into the house. The room was not only simple but also extremely cold. Doctor Lin found it strange; even the servants' quarters had some charcoal, so why was there no heating in Madam Ji's room?
Before she could figure these things out, Doctor Lin had already followed Granny Zhang to Shui Ling's bedside. It turned out that Shui Ling had broken her leg, and since there was no charcoal brazier in the room, it was very cold, so she had no choice but to crawl into bed.
"Madam Ji, the doctor has arrived. I still need to go and shovel the snow over there," Zhang's mother said casually.
"Thank you for your trouble, Mom." Shui Ling was leaning against the pillow, her face a little pale.
Doctor Lin had often seen Shui Ling before, and seeing her like this now, he felt a pang of pity. Shui Ling's affair with the emperor was known throughout the entire household. Who could she blame for her current state?
"Madam Ji, I was rude." Doctor Lin gestured for Shui Ling to pull back the blanket at her feet, as he needed to check the injury on her leg.
Shui Ling sat up slightly and then went to lift the blanket covering her feet. The blanket wasn't very thick and looked damp. Seeing that she was uncomfortable, Doctor Lin said "Excuse me" and then helped her lift the blanket.
Dr. Lin rolled up Shui Ling's trouser leg to examine her injured calf, which was indeed swollen. He took out a pair of gloves from his medicine box, put them on, and then began to feel Shui Ling's shinbone.
"It shouldn't be a fracture, thankfully, it's not too serious. But you really shouldn't move around for the next few days, it's best to rest in bed for ten days. I'll prescribe some more medicine for you, both external application and internal administration, that should help you get better," Dr. Lin said gently.
"Thank you, Dr. Lin. But Shui Ling can't go with you to get the medicine in this condition," Shui Ling said softly, quite unlike her usual lively and outspoken self.
"I'll have that servant bring it over. Madam Ji, please don't worry. But this medicine needs to be decocted every day. How do you prepare it here?" Doctor Lin looked around the room and couldn't even see a piece of charcoal.
"I begged Zhang Mama and gave her some money to help me cook it." A hint of helplessness flashed in Shui Ling's eyes.
"That's all we can do. Madam Ji, rest well and don't move around too much." Doctor Lin gave a few instructions, then picked up his medicine box and left.
As he reached the door, Doctor Lin seemed to remember something and asked Zhang Mama in the gatehouse, "Why is there no charcoal in Madam Ji's room? In this cold weather, where are her provisions?"
Mrs. Zhang was taken aback, then said in a somewhat sarcastic tone, "This Madam Ji comes from the South Courtyard, she's not used to using charcoal. She finds the smoke too pungent and didn't burn it."
Doctor Lin said "Oh," and then added, "I'll have someone bring the medicine over later. I'll trouble Zhang Mama to brew it for Madam Ji."
Mrs. Zhang repeatedly agreed, but after Dr. Lin walked away, she glared at his back and gave him a fierce look.
"I say, could it be that this Doctor Lin has feelings for that woman and is meddling in her affairs?" Zhang Mama said as she entered the gatehouse and saw Qiu Mama throwing chestnuts into the black coal basin.
"You can't say things like that," Qiu's mother said, glancing at Zhang's mother. "She fell like that, so let's keep an eye on her. It's just a matter of brewing some medicine."
“You said it yourself, so you cook it for her.” As soon as Zhang’s mother sat down, she picked up a handful of peanuts from the small table and started peeling them.
“Alright, they’re all down on their luck. I’m telling you, you shouldn’t be so harsh on her,” said Qiu’s mother.
“Where have I been harsh on her? Didn’t you see how arrogant she was when she first arrived? She thought she was the prince’s woman. I think she’s not even as well-dressed as the maids who have a good face in front of her,” Zhang Mama said, glaring at her.
It turned out that Shui Ling had fallen. She herself didn't care, but she couldn't not report it, so she went herself, just to save face in front of Lan Qin. When Shui Ling first arrived here, she had quite a few disagreements with this Zhang Mama. Now that Shui Ling has lived here for almost a year, she has realized her situation and has softened her attitude towards Zhang Mama.
Before long, a servant arrived with the medicine. Mother Qiu then began to prepare the medicine for Shui Ling. She placed a container in front of Shui Ling's house, then took some charcoal from her own room and started decocting the medicine.
Lying in the room, Shui Ling smelled the medicine, her heart filled with bitterness. But this situation was entirely of her own making; who could she tell? When she reached marriageable age, Lan Qin had approached them several times. Si Hua couldn't let go of Du Zhiqian, and Shui Ling also had someone she couldn't let go of—the Fourth Master.
Lanqin never imagined that Shuiling had been secretly coveting becoming the Fourth Master's woman all along. Until that day, when Shuiling boldly wore her own clothes, slept in her own bed, and dreamed of one day becoming her, the Fourth Master actually came true. The two of them got into bed in a daze, and the Fourth Master, drunk, mistook her for Lanqin.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
