"What do you want? Come any closer and I'll yell!" Lanqin hadn't expected the other party to be so difficult, and she immediately regretted provoking these strange foreigners.
"Actually, I just have a bit of a crush on you, young lady. Why don't you come back with me? I'm sure I won't mistreat you." Several cold glints flashed in the man's eyes, but Lanqin couldn't understand his meaning. By the time she realized it, it was too late.
Mengdou and Mintuo each covered Lanqin from behind with a handkerchief. Lanqin felt a wave of dizziness and then instantly lost consciousness.
As she closed her eyes, she saw the man reveal a set of very white teeth, walking up to her and smiling.
Damn it, what are you laughing at? Wait until the girl wakes up~~~
The man ordered Mengdou and Mintuo to put Lanqin and her servant into sacks, one on each side, and then hoisted them onto their shoulders. Because the area behind the tavern was sparsely populated, and it was already getting dark, few people saw them doing this. Even if someone did see them, seeing their skill, no one dared to interfere.
"My lord, why did we tie up these two girls? Are we really going to take them back?" Meng Dou asked the man, puzzled.
“Take her back to the manor first. I think this woman is no ordinary person. Maybe we’ve caught a big fish,” said the man who called himself “this king.”
No one said anything more, and they carried Lanqin and her servant toward a secluded road.
Meanwhile, at the Fourth Prince's residence, chaos reigned. Lady Li finally returned with the Third Prince, and Doctor Zhou rushed to examine him, but he couldn't diagnose anything.
"How is the Third Prince? Doctor Zhou, you've been examining him for ages!" Madam Li roared fiercely. Now that the Fourth Prince and his wife were not around, she was the most honored person in the mansion.
"Your Highness, the Third Prince's pulse is somewhat unusual. Please allow me to examine him carefully before making a judgment." Doctor Zhou was slightly sweaty; he was unsure himself and dared not speak rashly. The Fourth Prince was not present, and discussing it with these women would only create more chaos.
At this moment, the Fourth Prince and his wife had arrived at Yonghe Palace. Upon learning that the Third Prince had suddenly fallen ill, they bid farewell to Consort De and hurriedly rode back with the Third Prince.
"Consort, the Master has arrived, and the Princess Consort has arrived too!" A palace servant suddenly came in to deliver the message.
Lady Li was startled and quickly got up to greet him. Sure enough, she saw the Fourth Prince striding towards them, with his wife following behind him showing a hint of anxiety.
"Master~" Madam Li curtsied, but before she could say anything more, she heard the Fourth Master ask, "How is Hongjun?"
"Doctor Zhou hasn't said anything yet. I've watched him examine Jun'er for a long time, but he still can't be sure what the illness is." Madam Li was already a little scared. She didn't want the Third Prince to have some serious illness, because then she would lose a son to rely on.
When Doctor Zhou saw that the Fourth Prince and his wife had arrived, he frowned and quickly went over to pay his respects.
"Doctor Zhou, no need for formalities. Tell me quickly, how is Jun'er?" The Fourth Prince had originally planned to stay in the palace for the night, but upon arriving at Yonghe Palace, he heard about Li's situation and was also worried about the Third Prince, so he and his group returned.
"Reporting to Your Highness, the Third Prince's symptoms are somewhat similar to smallpox," Doctor Zhou said cautiously, glancing at the Fourth Prince.
Upon hearing Doctor Zhou utter the word "smallpox," everyone froze on the spot, and Madam Li almost stumbled and fell to the ground.
Fourth Master stared at Doctor Zhou with a gloomy gaze, wishing he could squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Are you sure it's smallpox?"
Doctor Zhou felt a chill run through him, and trembling under the Fourth Master's icy gaze, he said, "Please, Your Highness, summon a few more doctors to take a look."
After hearing his words, the Fourth Prince pondered for a moment and then said to his wife, "You should arrange things for the Third Prince first. Send someone who has been vaccinated against smallpox to serve the Third Prince. Everyone else should stay away for the time being and not get close. I will go to the palace immediately and ask Father to send someone from the Imperial Hospital."
The princess nodded solemnly and said softly, "Please rest assured, my lord. I will take good care of things in the manor."
Li was completely stunned at this moment, and she could only stand up by being supported by Mingyan and Xiangqiao.
How could this happen? How could the Third Prince have contracted smallpox?
As the Fourth Master was leaving, Madam Li suddenly broke free from Mingyan and Xiangqiao's hands, rushed to the Fourth Master, grabbed his arm, knelt down, and cried, "Master, you must save Hongjun! I can't lose him, I can't!!"
The Fujin stared coldly at Li, who was crying with tears streaming down her face. She felt a pang of pain in her heart and thought: You've finally met your match. I'll make you taste the pain and despair of losing your child.
"You don't need to tell me that. I will ask Father Emperor to send the head of the Imperial Medical Academy to Hongjun," the Fourth Prince comforted him. Then he turned and left without lingering any longer, with Su Peisheng naturally following closely behind.
The Fujin walked up to Li and said with feigned pity, "Sister, it's still too early to tell whether the Third Prince has smallpox or not. There's no need to be so sad. Mingyan, help your mistress up."
Li took the handkerchief Xiangqiao handed her, wiped away her tears, and stood up with Mingyan's help. She said to the Fujin, "Fujin is right. I was just anxious and lost my composure."
The Princess Consort smiled slightly and said, "Carry the Third Prince into his own room. I will inform the Head Madam later and ask her to select some people who will not be infected to serve him. Although it is not yet confirmed, it is always better to be cautious."
Lady Li agreed. Her dramatic weeping just now was partly for the Third Prince and partly for herself. Now that the Fourth Prince and his wife had spoken like this, she naturally agreed. She had never been vaccinated against smallpox or had any other illnesses, so it was not appropriate for her to take care of the Third Prince.
“Madam, let me take care of the Third Prince. I had this when I was a child, so I should be fine,” said Granny Ma.
“That’s perfect. You’re the Third Prince’s wet nurse, go ahead.” Seeing Mama Ma say this, Madam Li immediately chimed in before the Princess Consort could speak.
The Fujin glanced at Li Shi, a barely perceptible sneer flashing across her face, before leaving with her entourage. The Third Prince lay quietly in Mama Ma's arms, and the others helped escort him and Mama Ma to the Third Prince's room. After that, no one dared to approach.
The head maid selected some servants who were immune to smallpox and sent them over. Panic gripped the entire Fourth Prince's residence; the mere mention of someone having smallpox filled everyone with dread. No one knew how the Third Prince had contracted it. If the source of infection was still within the residence, wouldn't they all be in danger? After all, the Third Prince almost never left the residence.
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