East Palace —
Inviting the Moon Palace.
The Crown Prince has been staying here recently, and the palace maids and eunuchs inside and outside the palace have become quite numerous.
Consort Shangguan, who had been targeted, regained favor and became incredibly popular.
"Wow wow wow~"
It was a hot day, and the little princess developed many red rashes all over her body and cried incessantly.
Shangguan Xian'er's brows furrowed with worry, her beautiful eyes fixed on her daughter, her heart aching.
"Your Highness, Physician Hu has arrived."
Shan'er rushed over to report, her forehead covered in sweat.
"Doctor Hu? Why not Doctor Qian?"
Shangguan Xian'er murmured, not daring to ask further questions; examining her daughter was more important.
"Pass it on~"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Shan'er withdrew and soon brought in an old man.
The old man, dressed in the robes of the Imperial Medical Academy and with a medicine chest slung across his shoulder, bowed deeply as he entered the hall.
"Your humble servant Hu Xianqi greets Your Highness, the Consort."
Shangguan Xian'er's voice was slightly hoarse, with a hint of sob in it:
"Please excuse the formalities, Physician Hu."
Her daughter was a piece of flesh that fell from her belly, how could she not care?
Seeing this, Caixia helped her mistress to sit down and comforted her:
"Your Highness, with the imperial physician here, the little princess is blessed with good fortune and will surely be cured."
"Um."
Shangguan Xian'er also hoped for this, after all, she would never be able to have another child, and her daughter was her only bloodline...
After examining the young princess, Physician Hu frowned, carefully examining the rash-like substance. Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he was terrified. He stepped back, trembling, and hurriedly said:
"Your Highness, may I speak with you in private?"
Shangguan Xian'er's heart skipped a beat. Seeing the imperial physician's appearance, could the situation be very serious?
"May I ask, Your Highness, how many days has the young princess been experiencing these symptoms?"
Physician Hu looked very serious and began to ask questions carefully.
"One day, the wet nurse said last night that Chan'er had a poor appetite, was spitting up milk, and was drowsy. This morning she had a fever and developed a rash, so she quickly sent someone to fetch the imperial physician..."
Shangguan Xian'er said in a trembling voice that the Crown Prince had dined at her place last night, and in order to secure his favor, she had momentarily forgotten to arrange for someone to fetch the imperial physician that very night.
If the imperial physician were summoned, the commotion would be too great, and the crown prince might lose interest...
"Your Highness, I am not very knowledgeable and may have made a mistake in the diagnosis. I hope you will invite more doctors to examine me again."
Physician Hu tactfully expressed his concern that he might have made a misdiagnosis and delayed the patient's treatment.
Caixia steadied her swaying master, her tone cold and hard, and retorted:
"Doctor Hu, what do you mean by that?"
"After my examination, I discovered that the young princess may have contracted smallpox."
"This humble official dares not speak presumptuously, therefore I hope that Your Highness will summon more doctors for diagnosis."
Doctor Hu broke out in a cold sweat. The young princess was too young to be suffering from smallpox, which was a very difficult disease to treat.
The wet nurse rushed out in a panic, knelt down, and reported:
"Oh no, Your Highness, the little princess has vomited again!"
"Doctor Hu, your medical skills are superb, please save Chan'er's life."
Shangguan Xian'er knelt down and pleaded desperately.
If it really is smallpox, wouldn't her daughter Chan'er be destined to die young?
No, she couldn't let Chan'er die like that!
"Your Highness, please rise. This humble official will do his utmost."
Physician Hu had no choice but to comfort the heartbroken concubine, sighing inwardly, "The little princess has such a hard life."
This smallpox disease came on fiercely and spread rapidly!
Medical records from ancient times show that death occurs within half a month to a month after infection!
If you're lucky, a rash will appear on your forehead, cheeks, wrists, arms, torso, and lower limbs three to five days after the onset of the illness.
It starts as red macules, then turns into papules, and after two or three days the papules turn into vesicles, and then the vesicles turn into pustules.
Three or four days after the pustules form, they gradually dry up and form a thick scab.
If the high fever subsides and the fainting and vomiting cease, then it can be considered that you have survived the ordeal of death.
Of those who survived smallpox, very few survived...
How old is the little princess now?
"Thank you for your help, Physician Hu."
Shangguan Xian'er forced back her tears and bowed gracefully.
Then he instructed Caixia to send someone to inform the Crown Prince.
Then he ordered all the servants to gather in the courtyard and began questioning them one by one...
Chan'er couldn't have contracted smallpox without a reason!
Someone must be trying to harm her, to harm her Chan'er!
The commotion at the Inviting Moon Palace was quite significant, and the Crown Princess had spies everywhere in the Eastern Palace.
Before the news of the young princess contracting smallpox could be leaked out of the Inviting Moon Palace, it had already spread throughout the Eastern Palace at the suggestion of certain individuals.
Cao Xinrou, on the other hand, naturally received the news as well.
Granny Cao walked in from outside the hall and gestured for the servants to wait outside.
"Granny, do you think the Crown Prince might...?"
"No, you are the Crown Princess, and you are pregnant now. Even if that lowly person wanted to frame you, the Crown Prince wouldn't..."
"Have all the people been dealt with?"
"Yes, don't worry. You can stay in the palace and rest well during your pregnancy. To outsiders, this old servant will say that you rushed to visit the little princess after hearing the news that she had smallpox, but slipped and fell, and can't get out of bed..."
"Yes, Granny is indeed very thoughtful."
"This is what this old servant should do."
After a few gentle words, the two smiled knowingly.
......
Yunshui County
"Something's happened, Princess! A villager in Mijiu Township has contracted smallpox, and it has spread to his entire family. Now the whole township has smallpox!"
"Is the news true?"
"That's true."
"Then how come you're alright?"
"Um, I had it when I was a kid."
The man hurriedly said that he was not lying; he had indeed suffered as a child, but God did not take him away!
"Oh, calm down."
Jiang Yue nodded, indicating that she understood, and would think of a solution.
The visitor was confused, but he was obedient.
They quietly withdrew and waited on the stone steps outside the princess's residence, not daring to leave.
The only one who can save the people of Mijiu Township is the princess!
Jiang Yue locked herself in her study and searched for information about smallpox in the system.
After cramming a lot, she copied the important information onto paper.
Smallpox vaccination, spotting, and inoculation.
She can't handle all of this by herself.
"Knock knock knock~"
"Mother, it's me. I have something important to report!"
It's Yao Yao. No wonder the maid didn't stop her.
"Enter--"
The study door was pushed open, and Qingyao rushed in.
He was holding a booklet in his hand, and looked like he had run all the way here, panting heavily.
“Mother, I heard that someone in the village has contracted smallpox. This booklet contains the results of our research with Grandpa. Perhaps it can come in handy!”
"oh?"
Jiang Yue's eyes lit up, and she reached out to take the booklet her daughter handed her.
It's like a pillow being delivered to someone who's just fallen asleep!
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