Chapter 159 Learning of the Serious Illness
Seeing Xiao Yongjing's unusually intense reaction, Shen Yiqiu felt a growing sense of foreboding.
She lay motionless in the brocade quilt:
"Your Highness..."
Xiao Yongjing immediately bent down, almost frantically:
"I'm here. Are you feeling unwell? Would you like some water?"
He instinctively raised his hand, wanting to touch her forehead to check her temperature, but then stopped mid-air, remembering her injuries.
Shen Yiqiu gently shook her head:
"I just... feel weak all over, my bones ache... and my head is a little dizzy. Maybe it's because I was talking for a while and it drained my energy."
As she spoke, as if she were about to collapse, her eyelids slowly drooped, then she forced them open a crack:
“Your Highness, I want to... sleep a little longer. I feel at ease knowing you are here watching over me, but seeing your worry makes it impossible for me to fall asleep.”
She took a soft breath:
"There must be many things outside that require your attention... the Song family... and our marriage... we can't keep delaying you. Go and attend to your business, let me rest alone for a while, okay?"
Although Xiao Yongjing wanted to stay by her side, he eventually gave in when he saw her strong-willed demeanor.
He carefully tucked the blanket around her.
"Alright, you should rest well. If you feel unwell, immediately have someone summon me."
Shen Yiqiu nodded and obediently closed her eyes.
Xiao Yongjing stared at her for a moment, making sure her breathing was gradually stabilizing, before leaving the inner hall with a few glances back and gently closing the door.
The moment the palace doors closed, Shen Yiqiu opened her tightly closed eyes.
She listened quietly to the sounds of Xiao Yongjing whispering instructions to the palace servants to take good care of her outside the door, until the footsteps gradually faded away, before slowly sitting up.
As soon as the palace doors closed, she beckoned to the maidservant who was serving nearby:
"Go and bring me my maids Qingzhu or Baimei. I want to make sure they are alright."
The maid looked troubled.
"Your Highness, His Highness has ordered that you require absolute rest and that no one is to disturb you..."
Chen Yiqiu frowned:
"You just heard it yourself, His Highness the Crown Prince is about to marry me. Such an important event requires me to consult with my trusted confidants and choose clothing and jewelry. If this delays the auspicious time, can you bear the responsibility?"
The maid was so frightened that she immediately knelt down:
"Please forgive me, Your Highness! But... everyone in the Eastern Palace obeys His Highness's orders. If I were to disobey His Highness today, I fear... I fear I will not see the sun rise tomorrow."
Her voice trembled, and it didn't seem fake.
Shen Yiqiu sighed. She hadn't expected the rules of the Eastern Palace to be so strict. Even an ordinary maid was so tight-lipped. Trying to get anything out of them would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Her eyes flickered, and she changed her approach:
“In that case, I won’t make things difficult for you. Just tell me which room my maids, Bai Mei and Qing Zhu, are in to recuperate? You don’t need to lead the way; I can go there myself.”
Seeing that the maid was still hesitant, Shen Yiqiu deliberately put on a stern face, and a sense of oppression immediately arose:
“If you don’t tell me, I will search every single room in this Eastern Palace! I am currently seriously injured. If I lose my strength and collapse in some corner during the search, and something happens to me… do you think you can escape responsibility?”
She softened her tone and made a promise:
"Don't worry, just tell me the location. I will never reveal to anyone that it was you who told me. Even if anything happens to me later, it will never implicate you."
The maid struggled for a moment, but could not resist the combination of soft and hard tactics, and whispered quickly:
"They... are recuperating in the West Third Chamber. Your Highness, please... please take good care of yourself!"
Shen Yiqiu immediately interrupted her:
"Okay, you can go now. I need to rest."
After the maid left, Shen Yiqiu did not immediately set off.
She looked around the palace and found that everything was complete, from dressing table to clothing, all of which were exquisite.
She casually stroked the several dresses hanging to the side; they were all made of the finest brocade and Suzhou embroidery, in the elegant colors she preferred, and in size exactly to her liking.
Clearly, Xiao Yongjing had prepared all of this long ago, demonstrating the depth of his intentions.
A slight stirring ran through her heart, but she had no time to examine it closely at the moment.
He quickly changed into a set of casual clothes that were easy to move in, and slipped out silently through the side door.
Instead of heading directly to the West Third House, she keenly observed that the figures of guards could be vaguely seen in the distance, quietly converging towards the West Third House.
Presumably, the maid eventually dared not conceal it and reported her movements to Xiao Yongjing.
Why was he so nervous? Was he afraid she would run away, or... afraid she would discover something, or... disappear?
Driven by a strong intuition, she turned to the medicine storage bureau specially set up by the Crown Prince's Palace, relying on her memory.
When she woke up, she noticed that her internal energy was stagnant and that she felt a strange sensation when moving her wrist, which was not like a simple external injury.
She quietly approached the side room of the medicine storage bureau, and as soon as she reached the window, she heard anxious conversation coming from inside.
"Have everything been arranged at the West Third Branch?"
Xiao Yongjing's voice was devoid of any warmth.
The guard beside him responded respectfully:
"Your Highness, we have increased manpower and integrated them into the daily patrols. This will ensure the safety of the Crown Princess."
"Your Highness, why not escort the Crown Princess directly? This clandestine arrangement is surely..."
Xiao Yongjing interrupted him:
"She is stubborn by nature. If we openly obstruct her, it will only arouse her suspicion. Let her go and find it herself, and she will feel at ease. Remember, never stop her. Just protect her secretly and make sure she doesn't leave the East Palace."
Shen Yiqiu was startled; he was indeed monitoring her every move.
Immediately following was the sound of Xiao Yongjing conversing with the imperial physician:
"Have you heard anything from the people we sent to search for renowned doctors in rural areas?"
The imperial physician's voice was filled with fear, and he knelt down repeatedly:
"Your Highness, we have done our best! Ancient books do indeed record miraculous doctors who can cure rare poisons, but that 'Ghost Hand Saint Doctor' has disappeared for many years, and his whereabouts are hard to find..."
"Moreover, the poison that the Crown Princess has been afflicted with is extremely strange, seemingly a mixture of multiple toxins that have interacted and amplified each other, making its toxicity far more potent than anticipated... I'm afraid... I'm afraid..."
Xiao Yongjing spoke irritably:
"What are you afraid of?!"
The imperial physician, his voice trembling with tears, kowtowed repeatedly:
"Your Highness! This old minister dares not conceal the truth, but the Crown Princess's condition... I'm afraid it's not three months, it might even... not last a month!"
Xiao Yongjing was stunned. The jade thumb ring was crushed into powder in his palm.
"Is there... really no other way? Find a way for me, no matter what!"
"Your Highness, please forgive me! This old minister will do everything in his power to search for the most miraculous medicines in the world. If... if it is truly beyond saving, please... take care of yourself and do not grieve too much!"
Shen Yiqiu, standing outside the door, felt as if struck by lightning.
Poison? A mixture of multiple substances? Not three months... or even... one month?
Despite her best efforts to prevent it, she was unaware that she had already been poisoned and was on the verge of death.
Shocked, she instinctively took a step back, accidentally bumping her shoulder lightly against the door frame, making a slight noise.
"who?"
Xiao Yongjing's stern shout came from inside the room.
Shen Yiqiu's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She came to her senses and, with all her might, slipped into the shadows behind the pillars, covering her mouth and nose tightly.
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