I said a few words to Lan Rong last night, and she fell ill today. I don't know if it's a coincidence or intentional.
As it happened, Hongli had something to ask her, so she decided to go over there. "I know, I'll go over as soon as I'm done."
Qiu Cha took her leave first, and Hongli continued writing his memorial. After finishing, he got up and went to Yiyun Pavilion.
Upon entering, they found Lan Rong lying in the tent, looking haggard, unlike her radiant self yesterday.
When he arrived in front of her, Hongli did not sit in the tent, but sat on a round stool to the side. Although they were not far apart, there was still a sense of distance between them.
This action was like a thorn piercing Lan Rong's heart. She couldn't help but sigh, Hongli really cared about Su Yushan! After Su Yushan made such a fuss, he immediately kept his distance from her and wouldn't even sit on her bed.
Lan Rong saw through him but didn't say anything. She slowly raised her eyes to look at him, "Fourth Master, you've arrived!"
He gave a soft "hmm" and casually asked, "Has the fever not gone down yet?"
With difficulty, Lan Rong shook her head and said in a hoarse voice, "Not yet, but it's less likely than when I tried to commit suicide this morning. At that time, my throat was swollen and painful, and my whole body was burning hot. I felt terrible. Now my body isn't so hot, only my forehead is hot. I should feel better after taking a couple more doses of medicine. Fourth Master, you don't need to worry about me."
Hongli turned to Qiucha and questioned, "It was raining last night, why didn't you put a robe on Lanrong? How can you serve her like this?"
Suddenly questioned, Qiu Cha felt extremely wronged, but dared not say that her mistress refused to wear it. For her mistress's sake, she could only take the blame and kneel down.
"It was my negligence that caused my master to fall ill. Please punish me, Fourth Master."
Lan Rong quickly pleaded for her, "Last night I was worried that you were waiting too long, so I kept urging her. She was flustered and that's why she made a mistake. It wasn't intentional. I'm fine. Please don't blame her, Fourth Master."
Speaking too hastily, Lan Rong couldn't help but cough twice, panting heavily. Hongli then ordered Qiu Cha to bring a cup of water. Qiu Cha fed her master a few sips, and Lan Rong finally calmed down and composed herself. However, she kept clutching her chest with her hand, her brows furrowed, as if she was in great pain.
Upon seeing this, Hongli asked her what was wrong, "Besides the fever, is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Lan Rong spoke with difficulty, forcing a weak smile, "It's nothing, I'll be fine after a while."
Qiu Cha hurriedly rummaged through the medicine box, took out a bottle of pills, and fed one to her master.
Hongli asked curiously, "What is this medicine for?"
Lan Rong smiled indifferently, "It's not medicine, just a sugar pill. I just took medicine and I'm afraid of the bitterness, so I'm sucking on a sugar pill."
Qiu Cha couldn't help but say, "Fourth Master, this is not a sugar pill at all. This is an old problem of hers. She was seriously injured back then. Although she was lucky enough to survive, she was left with a chronic condition. Whenever she gets emotional, her chest will ache. She has to take this medicine all year round."
Upon hearing this, Hongli remained silent for a while, then sighed, "So that injury had such a great impact. You've suffered all these years. If you hadn't shielded me from the sword, you wouldn't have had to suffer like this."
Lan Rong did not regret her decision. "I am your man, it is my duty to shield you from the sword. As long as you are alright, I will have no regrets even if I lose my life."
Originally, Hongli was indeed very grateful for Lan Rong's kindness, but after yesterday's events, he began to suspect that Lan Rong was someone his mother had arranged. When he saw Lan Rong again, his state of mind underwent a subtle change.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but no matter how sincerely she expressed her loyalty, he could still sense a hint of artificiality.
Once he had this thought, when he saw her weak and haggard appearance again, Hongli's feelings of pity and guilt began to gradually fade.
After a moment of silence, Hongli looked directly at her and said, "You were so badly injured back then, you must have been left with scars. The imperial physicians have scar-removing gel. I'll get a bottle when I have time. Try applying it and see if it can fade the scars."
"Thank you, Fourth Master," Lan Rong said gratefully, then her eyes dimmed. "Unfortunately, I've had this scar for four or five years, and I've tried many kinds of medicine, but none of them have worked. I've given up hope."
According to her, she still had scars on her body. Hongli feigned surprise and asked, "Then how did you pass the talent show?"
When suddenly asked, Lan Rong was slightly taken aback and paused for a moment before saying, "My father hoped that I could be selected, so he bribed the palace servants with money. That's how I managed to pass the first test. Fourth Master, please don't blame my father. He just hopes that I can marry into a good family."
During the selection of concubines, there was more than one nanny in the room. Narbu was only a fourth-rank Zuo Ling. It would be difficult for him to win over all the nannies with his abilities. Therefore, Hongli believed that Yushan's guess was the most accurate. Only his mother would have such means!
However, there is another possibility—Lan Rong is not the real Xiao Lan!
To verify the truth of this conclusion, we need to know if she has any scars. Her opinion doesn't count; we need to find a way to check. However, she is currently ill, so it's inconvenient for Hongli to check. He can only wait until she recovers before taking action.
Just as he was lost in thought, Lan Rong asked softly, "What happened last night? Why would Fourth Master ask about this in the middle of the night? Did Sister hear something and think that Fourth Master and I consummated our marriage, which is why she was jealous and angry with you?"
"She misunderstood, but it's been explained and it's all over now."
Lan Rong was filled with self-reproach and said in a guilty voice, "It's all my fault for not handling things properly, which caused you to misunderstand each other. It's all my fault, please don't blame your sister!"
Did he ever say he blamed Yu Shan? Her worries are far too unnecessary! "I don't blame her! She's just jealous because she cares about me too much, and she overthinks things. I'm just glad, I don't resent her."
Hongli smiled nonchalantly, his face unable to hide his delight. Lan Rong was speechless, unsure how to respond, and could only manage an awkward laugh.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
