Cheng Ying watched him for a while, sighing, then gritted her teeth and cleaned him, tucking him into bed. Prince Wu lay motionless, like a giant doll, letting her tend to him.
After cleaning him, Cheng Ying was exhausted herself, taking a quick bath and going to sleep.
The next morning, Cheng Ying was awakened by footsteps outside her door. Habitually turning over, she pressed against a burning body.
"Your Highness?" Cheng Ying opened her eyes, surprised to see Prince Wu still asleep.
This was unusual. Prince Wu always woke at dawn. What was wrong today? Calling him a few times, he finally stirred, squinting at the sky, then closed his eyes again weakly.
Cheng Ying shook him. "Your Highness, it's time to get up. Don't miss the morning court."
Prince Wu groaned feebly. "Hmm." He didn't move.
Cheng Ying sensed something was wrong. His body was burning hot. Touching his forehead, she was shocked by the high temperature. "You have a fever! What happened? You were fine last night..."
"What time is it?" Prince Wu rasped.
"Don't worry about the time. Stay still, I'll call for a doctor."
Cheng Ying quickly dressed, opened the door, and called out to the yard. "His Highness is ill. Quickly fetch a royal physician and inform the palace that His Highness cannot attend the morning court."
Servants immediately sprang into action, fetching doctors and sending messages. Maids brought cold water and towels to try to lower his fever.
Prince Wu was half-delirious, lying like a toothless tiger, unable to speak or move. Seeing Cheng Ying by his side, he closed his eyes again, reassured.
The royal physician arrived swiftly, examined Prince Wu's pulse and tongue, and asked about his recent habits. Prince Wu answered weakly, and Cheng Ying added details, though it didn't seem helpful.
"Perhaps it's just a common cold. His Highness is strong; rest and medicine will cure him." The physician wrote a prescription and handed it to Xiao Qiu. "Prepare this medicine. If there's no improvement, I'll return."
Xiao Qiu went to fetch the medicine. Cheng Ying saw the physician out and heard a deafening cry from outside the courtyard. "Ying Rong! What happened to you?"
Miss Xie had arrived.
Like a whirlwind, Xie Yuchan burst into the courtyard, pushing aside servants. Her expression was one of grief as she cried, rushing toward the main room.
Cheng Ying wisely stepped aside, letting her enter first.
Xie Yuchan ignored Cheng Ying, charging straight into the room and grabbing Prince Wu's arm. "Ying Rong, how are you? Where does it hurt? Why did you fall ill? Is it because of the weather or something you ate? Answer me!"
Prince Wu's veins bulged, trying to push her away. "Go... away!"
Misinterpreting his actions, Xie Yuchan hugged his arm tighter, placing his hand on her cheek, crying pitifully. "Ying Rong, don't worry. I'll take care of you. You'll get better!"
Seeing Prince Wu on the verge of exploding, Cheng Ying intervened. "Miss Xie, calm down. The doctor said it's just a cold. Rest and medicine will help."
"Get away!" Xie Yuchan shoved Cheng Ying, sobbing. "It's all your fault! If you had taken better care of him, Ying Rong wouldn't be sick! Go away! Stay away from Ying Rong!"
Cheng Ying was getting annoyed. A simple cold shouldn't cause such a scene. Accusing her without evidence, and clinging to a man who clearly disliked her, especially when he needed peace and quiet...
Prince Wu struggled to shake her off, visibly angry, but Xie Yuchan persisted, oblivious to his distress.
"Ice packs are ready!" A maid rushed in with ice bags, handing them to Cheng Ying.
Xie Yuchan stopped crying, snatched the ice pack, and applied it gently to Prince Wu's forehead. Cheng Ying watched, impressed and resigned. "Then I'll leave you to take care of His Highness."
"I certainly will. Stay out of it!" Xie Yuchan glared at her.
Cheng Ying glanced at the barely conscious Prince Wu, feeling both sympathy and helplessness. "I'll go to the kitchen to prepare some plain porridge. Send word if His Highness needs anything."
In the kitchen, Cheng Ying reflected on the situation. Despite her obnoxious behavior, Xie Yuchan genuinely cared for Prince Wu, having been groomed as his future wife since childhood. Her devotion was evident, even if misguided.
By evening, three doses of medicine had been administered, but the fever persisted. Occasionally, Prince Wu would open his bloodshot eyes, lips chapped. Xie Yuchan fed him water carefully, maids wiping his sweat and fanning him, but nothing worked.
Bai Lichan and Xie Yong visited, but their presence offered little help. Xie Yong returned to write a letter home, while Bai Lichan instructed a servant to run an errand.
The physician returned, still puzzled. Symptoms pointed to a common cold, but treatment wasn't working.
Xie Yuchan sat by the bed, crying softly. "Doctor, will Ying Rong be okay? What's wrong with him?"
The physician admitted defeat, prescribing another formula.
After the second dose, Prince Wu's fever subsided slightly around 2 AM, allowing him to sleep fitfully. Cheng Ying checked in, seeing Xie Yuchan still by his side, decided to rest in the maids' quarters.
The next morning, Cheng Ying found Prince Wu propped up in bed, Xie Yuchan feeding him porridge. Seeing them relatively harmonious, Cheng Ying felt relieved yet uneasy. She instructed the maids to continue caring for him and returned to the kitchen.
However, by afternoon, Prince Wu's fever spiked again, his body trembling uncontrollably. Cheng Ying summoned the physicians again, but they were stumped.
Late at night, four royal physicians examined him extensively, concluding they couldn't diagnose the illness. Cheng Ying, after a moment of shock, realized she needed help from outside.
"Xiao Qiu!"
Xiao Qiu, fetching water from the well, ran over. Cheng Ying ordered her to fetch Lady Cheng, whose mother was a disciple of the famous physician Kang Zao. Though Lady Cheng was deceased, Cheng Ying hoped her daughter might have inherited her skills.
"Hurry to the Cheng residence and bring Lady Cheng to treat His Highness. Go quickly!"
From her deceased mother, she had learned some medical skills; otherwise, for a disease that even the imperial physicians couldn't treat, there would truly be no hope. But things did not go as wished. After half a day, Xiao Qiu returned and informed Chiyong that Cheng Fengyi had followed her fiancé Zhai Rang back to meet his parents, having left two days ago. Zhai Rang and Baili Zan were from the same hometown, residing in Gong County, quite a distance from the capital. Even with fast horses, it would take at least a day to get there. And given the current situation, Cui Yi's sudden and severe illness might not last until the descendant of the divine physician could be brought back.
Chiyong dismissed Xiao Qiu and sat alone on the corridor, lost in thought. If everything still proceeded as she knew it, then Cui Yi wouldn't die at this time, so there was no need to worry. However, Chiyong couldn't help but fear what Xie Yuchan had said yesterday—because you didn't take good care of him. Undeniably, her rebirth had changed many things, both hers and others'. The one most deeply involved was naturally Cui Yi. So, could his sudden collapse be due to her?
If because of her, Cui Yi died earlier than he originally did, what should she do? While in a daze, Chiyong seemed to hear someone calling her name and quickly shook her head. "My Lady," a maid came out with a sorrowful expression, "His Highness asks you to come inside." Chiyong's heart instantly leaped into her throat.
She hurriedly entered the room. Xie Yuchan was still crying, seemingly too exhausted to yell at her anymore and was supported by maids to sit on a chair aside. Cui Yi lay on the bed, his face flushed with fever. Hearing her enter, he slightly opened his eyes. Chiyong approached the bedside, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief. Cui Yi's voice was hoarse as he spoke haltingly, "In the future... you will be the mistress of the Wu... Wu王府...of the main house, all..."
Chiyong was greatly startled, hearing his tone akin to giving final instructions, and quickly interrupted, "What are you saying, Your Highness? You're delirious from the fever. It's just a cold, nothing serious. In a few days, you'll be fine. I also had a serious illness when I was young, with high fever that wouldn't subside, but now I'm alright, aren't I?"
Cui Yi licked his dry lips, ignoring her words: "Listen, I only have you... one Empress. After my death... after my death, in this family... you will be in charge, but..."
Chiyong clenched her teeth, feeling an urge to cry. "You must observe widowhood for me!"
Chiyong: "..."
Cui Yi exhaled a hot breath: "You promised that as long as... I lived to a ripe old age..."
Chiyong's mind buzzed, and she couldn't hear anything else he said afterward. Just live to a ripe old age? A terrifying thought arose in her mind—could it be that he used some method to make himself appear terminally ill so that he could die for her sake?! Just as she was almost suffocated by her sudden conjecture, she heard Cao Qian's voice outside: "How is His Highness?" The maid seemed to answer something, causing Cao Qian to exclaim in shock: "How could this happen! Where is Her Ladyship?"
Chiyong hastily wiped away her tears and turned to instruct, "Please invite General Cao in to speak."
It was already the hour of Hai, and the sky was completely dark. Cao Qian was still wearing armor, looking weary as he ran in. Seeing Cui Yi lying on the sickbed, barely alive, his steps abruptly stopped: "This... Your Highness!"
"Shh, don't disturb him, Your Highness needs rest." Chiyong made a gesture for silence.
But Cao Qian clearly had something on his mind, frowning tightly. Seeing Cui Yi unable to speak, he clasped his hands towards Chiyong: "Ladyship, may I speak to you privately?"
Chiyong found it somewhat strange. What did he want to say that couldn't be said in front of Cui Yi? But glancing at Xie Yuchan sobbing nearby, she understood and nodded, following him to the outer room.
Cao Qian tried to lower his voice, but his anxiety was evident: "Ladyship, His Highness seems... seems to be in grave danger."
Chiyong was startled again and instinctively rebutted, "What are you talking about? It's just a fever. Once it subsides, he'll be fine."
Cao Qian anxiously scratched his head, sounding like he was about to cry: "This isn't an ordinary fever; it's the plague!"
Plague.
Chiyong was momentarily stunned, unable to react immediately. Then she heard Cao Qian continue: "A few days ago, many soldiers in the western camp fell ill. I also had a high fever for several days, barely surviving. Two days ago, while changing shifts at Qianling, I didn't know His Highness was sick. Upon returning, I learned that not only His Highness but nearly thirty percent of the soldiers in the western camp were down with the illness! Many have died, but General Pan concealed it, secretly sending the dead soldiers out of the city to be cremated. The military doctors all confirmed it was the plague, untreatable. Those who tried to escape were executed, their heads hung at the camp gate. Now, the western camp allows entry but no exit. I sneaked out."
"Ladyship?"
"Huh?" Chiyong snapped out of her daze, an idea suddenly forming in her mind. "General Cao, I have a request!"
Cao Qian replied anxiously, "Ladyship, please give your orders."
Chiyong clenched her fists within her sleeves and earnestly said, "Please ride Jinwu and immediately go to Gong County to find a Zhai family. Ask their daughter-in-law-to-be, Cheng Fengyi, to return and treat His Highness!"
Cao Qian was taken aback: "Cheng Fengyi?" Clearly, he hadn't heard of her.
"There's no time to explain now. With Jinwu's speed, you might make it back and forth between the capital and Gong County in less than two days. There might still be hope for His Highness," Chiyong said, still in great shock. The word "plague" was like a bolt from the blue, making her mind chaotic. She struggled to organize her thoughts and give instructions. "Please, His Highness's life depends on you!"
Hearing this, Cao Qian readily agreed and rushed off to the stables.
Hopefully, it's not too late... No! We must make it in time!
Chiyong clasped her hands to her chest and prayed silently.
As dawn approached, Cui Yi's fever had worsened to the point where he couldn't recognize anyone. He spoke unclearly, sometimes appearing as if he would never wake up but stubbornly held on. Chiyong and Xie Yuchan took turns watching over him, calling his name and wiping his seemingly endless sweat.
"Where is His Highness? Move aside, everyone!"
The first rays of sunlight streamed through the window as a woman's urgent voice echoed from the courtyard. Chiyong turned around and saw the renowned physician's descendant rushing into the room.
Cheng Fengyi was graceful and beautiful, yet exuded a bold demeanor. She loudly commanded everyone in the room: "Don't all stand here. Open the windows and doors, boil several pots of water. Where is the pen and ink? Bring them, I'll write a prescription for you to fetch the medicine."
The maids looked blankly at this strange woman who had burst in, but Chiyong quickly responded, "What are you waiting for? Do as Miss Cheng says!" The maids scrambled to comply.
Cheng Fengyi briskly walked to the bedside, rudely pushing Xie Yuchan aside and sitting down. She lifted Cui Yi's eyelids, felt his pulse, and sighed, "Indeed, it's the plague. Fortunately, I arrived in time." Then she rushed to the table, scribbled a prescription, and handed it to a maid: "Quickly fetch the medicine!"
Xie Yuchan sobbed, asking, "Will Brother Ying survive?"
Cheng Fengyi, unfamiliar with her, frowned slightly at her crying and answered, "The prescription was passed down by my mother's teacher, saving countless lives. Is His Highness any different? Does he need immortality pills?"
Despite her appearance, this daughter of a minister was straightforward and brave, speaking without the usual shyness of women. Even facing a prince, she referred to him as "just a mortal," earning Chiyong's immediate respect.