Yingda saw that his master had only taken a few bites of the food before pushing it away, but he did not know what he should do to make him eat more.
He had no choice but to look for the widow on the other mountain.
Chu Yue was reading in her room right then. Her cheeks were a rosy pink, and her complexion was good. She did not look like she was sick at all.
She had intentionally decided not to go. After all, she had become a chef only because of the monk. She was not really there to work in the kitchen, so occasionally, she had to remind him of her existence.
Halfway through the book, she heard a familiar chirp outside.
Chu Yue put down the book and said, "Hupo, wait here. I'm going out for a walk."
"Milady, aren't you ill? You can't go out," Hupo quickly said.
"It's fine." Chu Yue waved her hand. She then put some powder on her face and feebly staggered out of the house.
It had to be said that Chu Yue usually looked pretty energetic, so the weak her now was a huge contrast to before. When Yingda saw her, he could not bear the thought of asking her to go and cook.
"The master asked you whether you've called for a physician to take a look at you," Yingda said.
Chu Yue smiled weakly. "Please pass him my thanks, but my life is worth nothing. I do not need to ask for a physician."
After saying that, she paused for a moment. "I did not go over to cook lunch for the master. Was he okay with the food from the temple?"
"The master only took a few bites," Yingda said truthfully.
When Chu Yue heard this, anxiousness appeared on her face. She even coughed a little, unable to help herself.
"That won't do. Food is incredibly important to the human body. If the master doesn't eat, he'll be incredibly hungry and unable to endure it. This won't do. I'll cook some food at home, so please bring it to the master."
Yingda hesitated for a moment when he saw that she wanted to cook even though she was incredibly weak. Even so, he nodded. "Alright."
Chu Yue went off to cook eight-treasure porridge. She had already soaked the ingredients through since she wanted to make it with Hupo, but they had more ingredients than were needed for two people, so it was fine even if she split a little with the monk.
Once she was done making the eight-treasure porridge, she had Yingda send it over.
The monk frowned when he saw it. He looked at Yingda and said, "She's sick, and yet you still asked her to cook?"
"I did not. She was anxious when she heard that you did not eat lunch. She said that food is very important for the human body, and if you don't eat, you'll end up being very hungry, so she made it in a hurry for you," Yingda said.
The monk remembered how attentive the widow usually was to him and did not say anything more.
"How is she?" he asked.
"She is indeed sick," Yingda said.
"She didn't ask for a physician?" The monk looked at him.
Yingda shook his head. The monk frowned, but said nothing. He only said, "I'll make do for dinner. You do not have to go over."
But even though he said that, when it came to the time for dinner, Chu Yue dragged her "severely sick" body over.
"Why did you come?" Yingda asked in shock.
"I'm worried that the master will not eat." Chu Yue shook her head. Then, she went into the kitchen to work.
When she entered the kitchen, the monk walked out from behind a tree. There was a resigned look on his face. Was the widow treating him like a child? She even said that he might not eat because of a temper tantrum.
"Go and summon an imperial physician." The monk looked at Yingda.
There was not even need to mention how shocked Yingda felt. The master was actually willing to use an imperial physician for a widow? But he did not say anything. He immediately went off to summon an imperial physician.
Chu Yue made a few fragrant vegetarian dishes and placed them on a stove before she brought it over.
She knocked on the door and asked softly, "Master, are you in there?"
"Come in." The monk's voice traveled over.
Chu Yue brought the food inside, and the monk saw that the widow's face was a little pale, even though it was usually rosy. She also looked so feeble that she was pitiful.
"If you're so ill, why didn't you ask for a physician?" the monk asked as he observed her.
"My life isn't worth that many coins. I don't need to call for a physician." Chu Yue might have looked weak, but she still put on a firm smile.
The monk watched her as she brought the dishes over. "Master, please enjoy the food. I'm ill, so I will go back first."
She looked to be worried that she would pass her illness to him.
"It's fine. Sit," the monk said.
Chu Yue pursed her lips, but she did not argue. Her fragile appearance made the monk pity her a little more, but he said nothing else and started eating his food.
Right after he finished eating, Yingda brought an imperial physician who was dressed in casual clothes. He was incredibly fast.
The imperial physician did not grumble about this in the slightest, because he thought that the emperor was the one who was sick. Who would have expected that he was actually brought to treat a woman?
Wait, why was there a woman in Longan Temple?
But the imperial physician was a man of great knowledge. He only needed to think for a bit before he found an answer in his mind. The emperor had abstained from sexual desires for three years, and it must have been hard for him. It was only logical then for him to find someone to keep him company. It was something that could be considered within reason.
"She is too weak. She needs to nourish her body and nurse her health," the imperial physician said after he checked her pulse with a handkerchief over her skin.
Then, he went out to write a prescription, but the woman spoke up at that moment. "Master, I am just a widow. My life is as worthless as an ant's. Why did you spend money to hire a physician for me?"
The imperial physician nearly slipped and embarrassed himself. 'My word, His Majesty is actually… keeping a widow as his concubine?'
"Don't belittle yourself," the emperor said to comfort her.
The imperial physician did not dare to continue listening to their conversation. He quickly went to the room next door to write a prescription.
Once he finished, Yingda said meaningfully, "Imperial Physician Chang, His Majesty trusts you."
There was no way Imperial Physician Chang did not understand his words. He wiped off his sweat and said, "I only came here to treat His Majesty."
"You may go back now." Yingda nodded.
Then, he brought the medicinal prescription to Chu Yue. She took a look at it and smiled wanly before she looked at the monk. "Master, I'm afraid that drinking medicine is the greatest fear in my life."
The monk looked at her and said, "You should not try to save up on that bit of money."
"Master, I must thank you for your kindness, but I truly did not need to consult a physician. I have lived my whole life like this. If I get sick, I will become well by gritting my teeth and soldering through it." Chu Yue smiled weakly. "I'm not the only one who does this. Many people live like this."
"Why do you not get yourselves medicine?" The monk frowned a little.
"What other reason can there be?" Chu Yue sighed softly. "It's not easy to live in this world, and it's already the greatest blessing heaven can give us if we can fill our stomachs. If I was not blessed with your kindness this year, my maid and I might not have been able to live through the winter, but that is fine. It makes no difference to the world even if I am no longer around."
After saying that, Chu Yue laughed in a self-deprecating manner.
The monk frowned.
But before he could say anything, the widow looked at him. Even though she was weak, she smiled in a very satisfied manner. "But compared to the others, I am still rather fortunate.
"When others are rejected by their husbands' families, they have no other means to survive, but I was taken in by Shangqing Temple. When others have no means to earn money, they have to live a frugal life, but I was able to run into you and obtain your protection. I have nothing about me that I can use to repay you, so please, allow me to bow to you."
As she spoke, she bowed sincerely to the monk.
He gently took her arms to raise her up. "You do not need to do that."
"I do." Chu Yue smiled. "Master, you might not know that you have saved me and my maid, and you allowed me to obtain a motivation to continue living. If you do not mind, may I cook for you for the rest of my life?"