Chapter 5 The air of boudoir affection became sticky at this moment.
The wind was strong on the winter night. The charcoal brazier was moved outside and soon began to go out, while the smoke grew thicker and thicker. Shen Mi was constantly on guard to avoid being discovered, so she had to take off her cloak and have Cuiwei lift it up to block the wind.
Without her cloak to keep warm, Shen Mi quickly became shivering from the cold, her fingertips so stiff that she could barely hold the paper money she was about to put into the charcoal brazier.
Cuiwei couldn't help but worry, "Miss, in order to be able to accompany His Highness as soon as possible, you've been enduring the bitterness of medicine these past two days, and your health was just starting to improve. Now it's gotten serious again..."
Shen Mi gently shook her head, "It's nothing, it'll only be a little while."
As she burned paper money in the charcoal brazier, she murmured softly, "Father, Mother, Brother, how are you? It is my fault for being unfilial; I was unable to come to Yanzhou to pay my respects this Winter Solstice. I hope you can see this paper money." She sniffed, "You don't need to worry about me. I'm doing very well in the Eastern Palace. I'm dressed in fine clothes and eat delicacies. The servants treat me with utmost respect, just like they used to do at home. Although I haven't seen His Majesty yet, I have met the Empress. She asked me about my health and said that I looked thinner than in the portrait." Shen Mi suddenly paused, because she vaguely heard voices.
Gu Zhan walked around the many hanging flower gates, and couldn't help but frown: "Sun Cheng, can you smell anything?"
Sun Cheng looked puzzled: "It seems there's something unusual about it."
Gu Zhan slowed his pace. "It looks like... something is on fire?"
Sun Cheng looked up and said, "It doesn't look like a fire. Behind us is Consort Shen's Qingluan Palace. It must have been a lazy palace maid who accidentally burned the medicine."
Gu Zhan nodded slightly and continued walking forward.
Shen Mi turned around hastily, only to see two crows taking flight from the withered branches.
Cuiwei also breathed a sigh of relief, "Don't panic, young lady, it's just a crow."
As Shen Mi filled the charcoal brazier with paper money, she was always filled with unease.
Sun Cheng, carrying a lantern, led the way for Gu Zhan. "Your Highness, be careful. It's strange. Where have all the palace guards on duty near Qingluan Palace gone? Could it be that they've all taken a break because of the winter solstice tonight? No wonder Consort Shen's medicine burned."
After passing through the last moon gate, Gu Zhan could vaguely see two slender figures and the firelight in front of them.
Because of the sound she had just heard, Shen Mi was already extremely uneasy. She was worried that someone would find out, but she also told herself that it was just a charcoal brazier and no one would notice Qingluan Palace.
But the approaching footsteps were so clear, like they were stepping on the door of her heart.
She forced herself to remain calm and continued, "His Highness the Crown Prince? His Highness has treated me very well; he even bestowed many gifts upon me that day..."
She couldn't help but turn back again, only to see a palace lantern. Without thinking twice, she snatched the cloak from Cuiwei's hand and covered the charcoal brazier where paper money was still burning.
"Shh." She gestured for Cuiwei to be quiet.
After recognizing the two as Shen Mi and her servant, Gu Zhan retreated behind the moon gate and gestured for Sun Cheng to move the lamp further away.
For a moment, all around was silent, and Shen Mi seemed to be able to hear her own heartbeat.
But that palace lantern never appeared again, as if it were just her hallucination.
After much deliberation, she still picked up the charcoal brazier wrapped in a cloak from the ground. The brazier was still a little hot, but she dared not let go and endured the pain as she carried it back to the palace.
After returning to her bedchamber and putting down the charcoal brazier, Shen Mi realized that her fingertips were burned.
"How could you lift this charcoal brazier by yourself, your fingertips are all red from the heat?" Cuiwei said with heartache.
"I'm always suspicious that someone is coming, which is inherently risky, so it's best to be cautious." Shen Mi didn't care about the injury on her fingertip. She had gotten used to holding a scalding hot teacup every day when she was being harshly reprimanded by Instructor Wu.
"It should be fine. If someone had found out, things would be fine by now. Besides, we've already brought the Charcoal Basin Girl back. Even if His Highness knows, we can just deny it to the death," Cuiwei reassured her.
"I hope so."
Gu Zhan saw the two figures leave quickly and sent Sun Cheng to investigate. Before long, Sun Cheng returned with a piece of unburnt paper money between his fingers.
Sun Cheng glanced at Gu Zhan's expression. Given the evidence presented in court, even if he wanted to speak well of Consort Shen, he couldn't.
Gu Zhan took the half of the paper money, a slight smile playing on his lips. Just as he suspected.
According to Sun Cheng, Consort Shen's health had improved in the past two days, but she suddenly fell seriously ill today and could not attend the banquet. It turned out that today was the winter solstice, and she wanted to secretly burn paper money for her parents and brothers.
Although this was a major taboo in the palace, he simply tossed the paper money into the lantern opening, and soon the half-paper money was burned to ashes and fell into the lampshade.
If no one else saw it and it got out, it would be seen as his lax management of his subordinates. If the censors found out, they would definitely impeach him. Just thinking about it was a headache. It was better to avoid trouble.
Sun Cheng thought the Crown Prince was going to get angry, but to his surprise, the Crown Prince just let it go. He thought the matter would be over so easily. However, the next day, the Crown Prince asked him to deliver burn medicine and a new cloak to Qingluan Palace. Although he was puzzled, he dared not ask any questions.
When Consort Shen saw what he presented, her face turned deathly pale.
Shen Mi gestured for Cuiwei to accept it, "Eunuch Sun, this is—"
Sun Cheng dared not hide the truth, his expression complex: "It was His Highness's intention."
Everything was left unsaid. Shen Mi had hoped that Sun Cheng had seen it, but the person last night was actually Gu Zhan? Didn't Gu Zhan mean that he had seen everything last night?
Without time to think it over, she simply nodded to Sun Cheng: "Thank you for making this trip, Your Highness."
Sun Cheng cupped his hands in greeting and did not linger in the Qingluan Palace. He also wanted to offer some words of comfort to Consort Shen, but after what happened last night, even though he had served the Crown Prince for many years, he did not know what the Prince's true intentions were.
After Sun Cheng left, Shen Mi sat down in the armchair as if she were exhausted. The panic that had been building up since she saw the palace lantern last night reached its peak at this moment.
Was Gu Zhan warning her? He was warning her that she already knew.
If Gu Zhanruo were truly angry, she could have directly exposed her, instead of leaving silently. Even if she did leave, she should have given her a verbal reprimand, instead of having Sun Cheng bring medicine and a cloak.
She recalled the incident a couple of days ago when Gu Zhan had sent his trusted physician, Imperial Physician Cheng, to examine her, along with the valuable gifts he had given her. Considering this incident, Shen Mi had an unrealistic suspicion—did Gu Zhan, though indifferent to her, still harbor some favoritism towards her?
Holding onto this faint guess, she dared not think about it any further.
For some reason, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and her throat felt a sharp pain. She thought it was because she hadn't slept well last night due to excessive worry, so she subconsciously reached for a teacup on the small table next to her to try to moisten her throat. However, her fingertips trembled so much that she couldn't even hold the teacup properly.
With a "crack", the Ru kiln porcelain cup shattered on the ground.
Cuiwei had just put the cloak back in the closet when she heard the noise and rushed over, only to find Shen Mi with beads of sweat on her forehead and no color in her lips.
"Miss!" Cuiwei gently wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. "Are you alright? Should we summon the imperial physician?"
Shen Mi breathed heavily for a moment, "It's nothing, I just caught a cold last night, and the chill got worse."
Cuiwei dared not delay. While soothing Shen Mi, she anxiously called out, "What are you all standing there for? Summon the imperial physician!"
The Crown Prince's change in attitude towards Shen Mi was evident to everyone in the Eastern Palace over the past two days. Although he left on the night of the wedding, he bestowed gifts upon the Qingluan Palace the next day and summoned the imperial physician. Even Sun Cheng came every day. Everyone knew the situation perfectly well. When they heard that Cuiwei wanted to summon the imperial physician, not only did no one delay, but they also helped Cuiwei to help Shen Mi to the bed.
Cheng Lin from the Imperial Medical Academy quickly arrived at the Eastern Palace. After examining Shen Mi, he couldn't help but frown: "The concubine's condition had improved significantly two days ago, but it's worse today. Could it be that she caught a cold?"
Shen Mi forced herself to stay clear-headed and made up a lie, "Perhaps the charcoal brazier in the palace was too dry last night, so I asked the servants to open the windows to let in some fresh air."
Cheng Lin sighed softly, "Liangdi's health is weak, and she should be resting and recuperating. Now that she has caught a cold, it will be difficult for her to recover without several months of herbal medicine."
When Shen Mi heard that it would take several more months, her heart trembled. Taking medicine for several months meant that she would smell of medicine on her body for several months and be unable to get close to Gu Zhan for several months. By the time she recovered, Gu Zhan's little bit of pity and care would probably be nowhere to be found. How would she make a living under Gu Zhan for the next few decades?
She coughed several times, finally calming down, and with a glimmer of hope, asked Cheng Lin, "Doctor Cheng, you just mentioned the method of using herbal decoctions to nourish the body, does that mean there are other methods?"
Cheng Lin withdrew the silk handkerchief draped over her wrist. "Although the herbal medicine method is slow, it is safe. If you want it to be faster, there is also acupuncture. However, acupuncture requires daily treatment, and it will take at most half a month to expel the evil qi from the body."
Shen Mi replied without hesitation: "Then we will use acupuncture."
Cheng Lin hesitated. “The needles used in acupuncture vary in length, and some acupuncture points are so painful that even a strong man would find it unbearable. Few people can endure it. Please think carefully, my lady.” As he spoke, he took out the needles he needed from his medicine box and spread them out in front of Shen Mi.
Cuiwei was startled after just one glance. "Miss, why don't we treat it slowly with medicine? You've been afraid of pain since you were a child. Even a slight bump can leave a bruise that takes a long time to fade."
Shen Mi looked at the neatly arranged needles, a layer of cold sweat seeping out of her back, and even her vision went black. She closed her eyes and gripped the quilt tightly.
Cuiwei thought Shen Mi was going to give up, but unexpectedly she opened her eyes and said decisively to Cheng Lin, "It's alright, a short pain is worse than a long one. Please, Physician Cheng, start acupuncture for me from today."
"girl……"
Shen Mi interrupted Cuiwei: "My mind is made up."
Seeing her resolute attitude, Cheng Lin turned to Cuiwei and said, "Please fetch a lamp."
Cuiwei couldn't dissuade Shen Mi, so she had no choice but to do as she was told.
Cheng Lin then had Shen Mi roll up her sleeves and heat the silver needles over the lamp flame one by one, first inserting needles into a few less sensitive acupoints.
Shen Mi was afraid of pain and needles. As soon as Cheng Lin started acupuncture, she closed her eyes, but she could clearly feel the silver needles being inserted into her acupoints one by one, and the pain gradually intensified.
The further she went, the more it felt like she was being subjected to a slow, agonizing torture. The pain penetrated from her skin into her veins and spread to her limbs and bones, as if countless insects were gnawing at her bone marrow.
When Cheng Lin looked up, he saw that Shen Mi's lip had been bitten and was bleeding. As a doctor, he felt a pang of pity: "Is Liangdi alright?"
"Please continue, Physician Cheng." Her voice trembled, almost a whisper.
"The last two needles will be very painful, but you don't have to force yourself to endure it," Cheng Lin reminded her while applying the acupuncture needles.
Shen Mi bit her lip and remained silent. She thought she could hold on, but after those two needles, her body trembled instinctively and her jaw loosened.
After the acupuncture was completed, Cheng Lin was also covered in sweat. After waiting for a moment, he removed the silver needles one by one and put them away. Throughout the whole process, this Shen Liangdi did not utter a sound. In his many years of medical practice, he had treated many patients, but this was the first time he had seen someone so patient. It would be a lie to say that he did not admire her.
Before leaving, he gave a few more instructions: "I will come again tomorrow to give the lady acupuncture. The combination of herbal medicine and acupuncture will make it more effective. However, during this period, the lady must not be sad or stressed, otherwise all the previous efforts will be in vain."
Shen Mi was speechless, so Cuiwei thanked her on her behalf.
After Cheng Lin left, Cuiwei finally couldn't hold back her tears and cried, "Miss, why did you do this to yourself?"
Shen Mi didn't have the strength to explain in detail, and forced herself to endure the discomfort, saying, "You may leave now, I want to rest."
After Cheng Lin came out of Qingluan Palace, he ran into Gu Zhan returning. He bowed and greeted him.
Gu Zhan asked casually, "Did you go to examine Consort Shen?"
Cheng Lin recounted everything that had just happened at Qingluan Palace to Gu Zhan.
When Gu Zhan heard "for ventilation," he couldn't help but smile, but he didn't interrupt Cheng Lin.
Finally, Cheng Lin remarked with emotion, "A woman as resilient as Consort Shen is truly a rare find in this world."
Gu Zhan offered no comment, only saying, "I understand." He then turned and headed toward the Hall of Diligent Governance without looking back.
She chose to have acupuncture herself, not because he forced her, so Gu Zhan didn't want to interfere.
After ten consecutive days of acupuncture treatment, Shen Mi finally recovered completely, her complexion improved significantly, and she stopped taking the herbal medicine.
Shen Mi carefully selected her dress, then bathed, burned incense, and applied rouge to her lips before heading to Gu Zhan's Hall of Diligent Governance.
Gu Zhan was playing chess with himself when he heard that Shen Mi had arrived, so he asked Sun Cheng to bring Shen Mi in.
Upon seeing Shen Mi's luggage, Sun Cheng understood immediately. He not only closed the door and left, but also sent the palace servants away.
Gu Zhan looked up at her, his fingertips pausing slightly.
The person before me had sculpted shoulders and a slender waist. She wore a peach-colored, pearl-embroidered, cross-collared ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) underneath, and a moon-white, wide-sleeved, open-fronted shawl over it. Her beauty was exquisite and elegant, and her demeanor was serene and composed. She truly possessed the grace of a light cloud veiling the moon and the elegance of flowing wind and swirling snow.
But only for a moment, he calmly withdrew his gaze: "What is it?"
"On the day of our wedding half a month ago, I was unable to serve you because of my own fault. I feel deeply ashamed, and that is why I have come to apologize to Your Highness." Shen Mi lowered her head. She spoke tactfully, but her ears burned red at the thought of what she was about to do.
Gu Zhan certainly understood her unspoken meaning. He looked at Shen Mi with a leisurely air: "Here?"
Shen Mi bit her lip, unsure how to respond. Then she heard the sound of chess pieces being tossed into the chess basket, and Gu Zhan's words: "Come closer."
She recalled the picture books that Instructor Wu had forced her to look at, and her hesitation deepened. But wasn't all her hard work in recuperating for this very reason?
She took a deep breath, moved to Gu Zhan's side, and was pulled into his arms by his arm, but she still didn't dare to look at him.
The air suddenly felt sticky.
A note from the author:
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