Feelings
Returning from her "pleasant" tea conversation with Prince Zhao at Qingfeng Tower, Jiang Wanzhi felt good about herself, believing she had successfully soothed her ally's possibly sour heart.
She even started brainwashing herself: Look, how understanding and considerate His Highness Prince Zhao is! He's just worried that I'll be used by that iceberg Prince Heng! I'll just be careful to keep my distance from now on!
However, it seemed that fate was deliberately working against her.
Just the afternoon of the second day, when she thought the matter of Prince Heng was over, Chun Tao came running to her with a pale face and told her some shocking news: "Miss! Something bad has happened! Someone from Prince Heng's mansion has come to summon the imperial physician again! They say that His Highness's condition has relapsed. The high fever that subsided yesterday has returned today, and it's even more dangerous than before!"
The candied fruit in Jiang Wanzhi's hand fell to the ground with a "plop," and the ease on her face instantly froze.
It's burning again? And it's even more dangerous?
Her heart sank, and the image of Prince Heng's pale face, contorted in pain by a high fever, seemed to reappear before her eyes. The good doctor had clearly said that once the fever subsided, there would be no serious problem... How could this be...?
A strong, undeniable sense of unease gripped her instantly, even more intense than before.
To go or not to go?
That damn problem has come again! And this time it's even more difficult than last time!
She had just "promised" King Zhao that she would "be mindful of her actions" and "stay away from trouble," so why was she running off to Prince Heng's residence? Wasn't she contradicting herself? What would King Zhao think? Would he still believe her?
But... if she didn't go, what if Prince Heng really...? She didn't dare to think about that scene. After all, it was a human life, and someone she had personally witnessed his vulnerability, even... someone who inexplicably made her feel uneasy.
"Jiang Wanzhi! Wake up!" She pinched her arm hard. "You're not a royal physician! What good will you do? Last time it was an emergency, but this time the Prince's mansion is definitely prepared! Going there will only be superfluous and will only bring trouble upon yourself!"
“But… what if those imperial physicians are useless? What if we need to use physical methods to lower the fever?” another voice weakly retorted.
"Can't the maids do physical cooling methods? Can't Yan Cheng do them? Why do you have to do it?"
“But… he seems… not to like strangers getting close…” Jiang Wanzhi recalled how Yan Cheng and the doctor were somewhat surprised that she had taken the initiative to stay last time.
"What does that have to do with you?! Who are you to him?!"
The internal struggle was driving Jiang Wanzhi almost insane. She paced back and forth in her room, restless and unable to sit still.
On one side is the newly established "alliance" full of hope and ease, and on the other side is a life that may be in imminent danger and that inexplicable concern.
Time passed slowly, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened. Jiang Wanzhi kept recalling Heng Wang's helpless appearance when he was talking in his sleep, as well as the complex emotions that flashed in his deep eyes when he was occasionally lucid, emotions that were different from his usual coldness.
Ultimately, emotion once again overwhelmingly triumphed over reason.
"I can't worry about that now!" Jiang Wanzhi stamped her foot, as if she had made up her mind. "Saving lives is the priority! His Highness Prince Zhao is so reasonable, I'll explain to him later... later! He should be able to understand... right?"
She dared not think too much about it, and without even changing her clothes, she hurriedly told Chun Tao, "I'll be right back. If Father asks, just say I'm asleep." Then she secretly slipped out of the Prime Minister's residence again and headed straight for the Prince Heng's residence.
...
The atmosphere at Prince Heng's residence was even more somber than before. Imperial physicians went in and out, their faces grave. When Yan Cheng saw Jiang Wanzhi return, a complex look of surprise flashed in his eyes, but more than that, a hope akin to seeing a lifeline.
"Miss Jiang, you..."
"Stop talking, take me to see His Highness." Jiang Wanzhi interrupted him directly, her tone resolute and unquestionable.
Inside the bedchamber, the smell of medicine was even stronger. Zongzheng Hengyu lay on the bed, his face even more flushed than before, his breathing rapid like a broken bellows, cold sweat constantly seeping from his forehead, and his lips chapped and peeling.
He was clearly in more pain than last time; even in his unconscious state, his body was convulsing slightly without his knowledge.
The skilled physician, upon seeing Jiang Wanzhi, exclaimed as if he had seen a savior: "Miss Jiang, you've come at the perfect time! His Highness has been poisoned, and this high fever has come on fiercely. Medicinal medicine is difficult to administer, and physical cooling methods cannot be stopped for even a moment. It requires immense patience and stamina. The manpower in the manor..."
"I'll do it." Jiang Wanzhi didn't hesitate at all, rolled up her sleeves and walked towards the washstand. This time, her movements were more skilled and determined.
She wrung out the towel, sat on the edge of the bed, and began to repeat the work from the previous night. She wiped her forehead, neck, and armpits, her movements gentle yet swift. She changed the water as soon as it became slightly warm.
Zongzheng Hengyu seemed to sense the familiar coolness and touch. His tightly furrowed brows twitched slightly, and he mumbled something incoherently, his voice broken and pained.
Jiang Wanzhi bent down and listened carefully.
"Cold...so cold..."
"Don't go..."
"...Mother..."
That pleading "Don't go" was like a needle gently pricking Jiang Wanzhi's heart.
She took a deep breath, softened her voice, and whispered close to his ear, "I won't go, I won't go... It'll be alright, things will get better..."
Her words seemed to possess a certain magic, and Zongzheng Hengyu's restless body miraculously calmed down a little.
Night deepened. Jiang Wanzhi tirelessly repeated the wiping motion, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. Occasionally, when drowsiness crept in, she would pinch herself hard to stay awake.
In the latter half of the night, Zongzheng Hengyu's body temperature seemed to rise again. He began to shiver violently, his teeth chattering, and he kept saying that he was cold.
"Cold...so cold..."
Jiang Wanzhi was extremely anxious, as physical cooling methods seemed to be having little effect. The doctor said this was a chills phase during a high fever, requiring her to be kept warm, but not too bundled up to avoid raising her temperature further.
Seeing him shivering in the cold under the covers, Jiang Wanzhi hesitated for a long time before gritting her teeth and making a bold decision.
She carefully lifted a corner of the blanket, sat down on the edge of the bed, and gently pulled Zongzheng Hengyu halfway into her arms before covering them both with the blanket.
Through the thin fabric of his clothes, his burning body temperature and shivering from the cold were clearly felt. Jiang Wanzhi's face instantly turned bright red, and her heart pounded as if it would burst out of her chest. She had never been so intimate with any man in her life!
Zongzheng Hengyu seemed to sense a warm source of heat and instinctively snuggled closer to her. His trembling gradually subsided, and he unconsciously let out a satisfied sigh.
Jiang Wanzhi froze, too stiff to move, only able to feel his hot breath on the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. The man's masculine scent mixed with the medicinal aroma filled her senses, making her dizzy.
"Jiang Wanzhi, you're really crazy..." she wailed inwardly, but she didn't loosen her grip on his arm. Because she could feel that it seemed to make him feel a little better.
After an unknown amount of time, perhaps the warmth of her body took effect, or perhaps the medication finally began to work, Zongzheng Hengyu's shivering gradually stopped, and his body temperature seemed to begin to slowly decrease. His breathing became steady and long, as if he had finally fallen into a deep sleep.
Jiang Wanzhi tried carefully to pull away, but found that one of his hands had grabbed her clothes at the waist and was holding them tightly.
She tried to gently pry it open, but couldn't budge it. Instead, because of her movement, Zongzheng Hengyu grumbled in his sleep, hugged her even tighter, and unconsciously rubbed his cheek against her shoulder.
Jiang Wanzhi: "!!!"
That's it! I'm completely immobilized now!
She was forced to maintain this extremely ambiguous position, feeling the steady heartbeat and even breathing of the man in her arms, while her own heart was pounding as if it were about to explode. Her cheeks were so hot they could fry an egg on them, and even her ears and neck were flushed red.
The candlelight burned quietly, casting their intertwined silhouettes on the wall, as intimate as mandarin ducks with their necks entwined. The bedchamber was so quiet that only their breathing and heartbeats could be heard.
Jiang Wanzhi was initially extremely nervous, but as time went on, waves of fatigue washed over her. Smelling the cool, medicinal scent emanating from him and feeling his steady breathing, a strange sense of peace slowly replaced her initial panic.
She looked down and could see his sleeping face so close to hers. Gone was his usual coldness and the pain of his illness; at this moment, there was a rare sense of peace and vulnerability between his brows, and his long eyelashes, like two small fans, cast faint shadows under his eyelids.
As if guided by a ghost, Jiang Wanzhi raised her other free hand and, with her fingertips, very gently brushed away a strand of black hair on his forehead that was damp with sweat.
Even she was stunned after making that move. What was she doing?!
Just then, Zongzheng Hengyu seemed to sense something, and moved slightly in her arms, uttering a muffled murmur, which seemed to be... her name?
"Jiang...Wan...Zhi..."
The sound was very soft and indistinct, but Jiang Wanzhi heard it clearly!
Her heart felt like it had been struck hard by something, and an indescribable heat surged through her body, a tingling sensation shooting from her tailbone to the top of her head.
Was he... calling her name?
This night was destined to be sleepless. Jiang Wanzhi held Zongzheng Hengyu in her arms, her emotions as complex as a ball of yarn played with by a cat. The intimate physical contact, his unconscious dependence, and that faint call... all clearly told her that some things were no longer the same.
As dawn approached, Zongzheng Hengyu's body temperature finally returned to normal, and his grip on her clothes loosened. Jiang Wanzhi was then able to escape, leaving the Hengwang Mansion almost as if fleeing in panic.
Back at the Prime Minister's residence, she buried herself in the covers, but sleep eluded her. The warmth of his palm seemed to linger on her wrist, the touch of his cheek still clung to her shoulder, and the name "Jiang Wanzhi" echoed repeatedly in her ears…
"It's over... Jiang Wanzhi... This time... it seems you've really failed..." she murmured to herself, her voice carrying a hint of resigned despair and... a secret sweetness that she dared not even admit herself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
