Chapter 72: Sudden Illness

The atmosphere in the Xue family was not as relaxed.

After leaving the Lotus Garden, Xue Qinghe didn’t go far before she realized that Liu Yuerong had sent someone to follow her.

A ball of anger, disappointment, shame, and sorrow churned in Xue Qinghe’s chest.

She returned to the Xue family, only to feel her whole body go weak.

“Second Miss,” Qiu Xin’s eyes also felt dark. She blinked hard and cried, “I really did it for you…”

“Why did you lie to my sister?” Xue Qinghe asked in a trembling voice.

“I am…”

“For me?” Xue Qinghe weakly echoed, then asked her, “Is this really for my good? I trusted you so much. You put me in such an embarrassing position…”

During the lake outing, Xue Qinghe was the victim of the pushing incident.

But because of Qiu Xin’s lie, Xue Qinghe became the “perpetrator” in the eyes of others.

“When you said those things at the palace banquet, I should have been wary of you.” Xue Qinghe’s voice trembled even more violently.

Hearing this, Qiu Xin suddenly raised her head, her eyes reddening. “Second Miss, are you blaming me? Second Miss! You are kind by nature, but too much kindness will turn into weakness! You don’t fight or grab anything, how will the people who follow you survive? I’m willing to suffer with you, but what about others?”

“But you shouldn’t have lied…” Xue Qinghe’s eyes filled with tears.

It was also painful for her to punish Qiu Xin.

Because Qiu Xin had indeed accompanied her through many difficult nights.

“There’s no right or wrong, it’s just that I’m not as skilled as the eldest Miss, and she played me.” Qiu Xin said angrily.

Xue Qinghe retreated a step in disappointment, “You still haven’t realized your mistake…”

“Second Miss, I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Enough!”

Xue Qinghe wiped away her tears and refused to look at her, stumbling towards the main hall.

Since Mrs. Xue left, Xue Chengdong had been returning home more often.

Xue Qinghe was going to see Xue Chengdong.

“It was the Liu family girl who wanted to harm my sister, but it ended up like this.”

Xue Qinghe’s voice was still trembling.

She told Xue Chengdong everything that happened today.

Xue Chengdong looked at Xue Qinghe kneeling obediently in front of him.

He was a little disappointed. He didn’t expect Xue Qinghe to be unable to handle such a small matter herself.

But Xue Chengdong didn’t show it on his face. He said, “Then according to the family rules, twenty lashes, and expel her from the mansion.”

Qiu Xin, kneeling outside, heard Xue Chengdong’s voice and fainted on the spot.

Xue Qinghe walked out, and the old woman beside her looked at her nervously and asked, “Second Miss, are you still going to hit her?”

Xue Qinghe rarely saw the people in the mansion treat her with such respect. She paused for a moment before coming to her senses and choked out, “Hit her.”

The old woman was relieved and swung her arm, grabbing the branch in her hand and hitting Qiu Xin.

Qiu Xin screamed in pain and woke up from her fright.

Xue Qinghe couldn’t bear to listen anymore and turned to leave in a hurry.

After Qiu Xin was expelled, she would find a way to help her. But for now, Qiu Xin had to bear the punishment.

“Who told you to corrupt the Second Miss?” The old woman scolded as she hit.

“Second Miss! Second Miss…” Qiu Xin’s voice was shrill.

But she didn’t get a response.

She cried and screamed. When the thin branch hit her face, the blood from her forehead flowed down, blurring her vision.

After a stick of incense, a few old women quickly packed her belongings and drove her out, belongings and all.

Liu Yuerong sat in a carriage at the corner of the street. She lowered the curtain with a sense of relief and said, “Let’s go, we can go back.”

When Liu Yuerong returned home, her brother came towards her and said unhappily, “You went to see the Fourth Princess?”

Liu Yuerong nodded.

Master Liu said unhappily, “The Fourth Princess is vicious, you shouldn’t be too close to her.”

“Brother, how dare you speak ill of the Princess? Besides, she grew up with King Wei. I’m about to marry King Wei, and only by learning more about King Wei’s preferences from the Fourth Princess can I secure my position as the Princess of Wei.” Liu Yuerong said unhappily.

The more she said, the angrier Master Liu became. He said, “How can King Wei be a gentleman? At the poetry gathering that day, he clearly humiliated you, and you still…”

Liu Yuerong glared at her brother and said coldly, “Brother, didn’t you praise King Wei’s exquisite poetry before? How dare you speak of him like this?”

Master Liu was pained. “If I had known this, I would never have praised him in front of you. Yuerong, good poetry doesn’t mean that King Wei can be a good husband!”

Liu Yuerong couldn’t bear to listen anymore and covered her head. “I was humiliated today, and I still have to be lectured by my own brother when I come back…”

Master Liu sighed. “Alright, alright, does your head hurt again? I’ll have someone bring you medicine.”

Liu Yuerong lay down on the bed and had the maidservant serve her medicine.

Her physique was much stronger than Xue Qingyin’s, but she had accidentally contracted a headache when she was young. Later, she fell in love with King Wei, and her lovesickness made her headaches worse.

In contrast, Master Liu loved his younger sister much more than He Song Ning loved Xue Qingyin.

In fact, ever since Liu Yuerong was chosen as the Princess of Wei at the palace, making a grand appearance, her headaches had subsided. Now she was enjoying the limelight, why would she have headaches?

She was just trying to shut Master Liu up.

But after taking the medicine, she really started to feel pain after a while.

Liu Yuerong wanted to endure it.

She clutched the blanket, tightening her grip.

“Miss, why is your face so pale?” The maidservant exclaimed.

Liu Yuerong turned over, wanting to tell her not to shout.

But this small movement made her suddenly feel dizzy. At the same time, she felt a wet coldness on her back.

It was all cold sweat.

Liu Yuerong opened her mouth and finally couldn’t help but shout, “It hurts, my head hurts, ah!”

The maidservant had never seen her in so much pain before and jumped up.

Master Liu was also panicked. “Quickly, quickly, go get the Clear Thoughts Incense and light it!”

The maidservant nodded and went to find the Clear Thoughts Incense, knowing exactly where it was.

Sometimes, if the medicine didn’t work, they would light the incense as well. This was Liu Yuerong’s usual practice.

The Clear Thoughts Incense was quickly lit.

The fragrance quickly filled the entire bedroom.

At this moment, Liu Yuerong let out a painful howl from her throat and started rolling on the bed.

Master Liu had never seen such a scene before. He grabbed Liu Yuerong’s wrist and shouted loudly, “Quickly! Quickly go and call a doctor!”

By the time the doctor arrived, Liu Yuerong was convulsing all over.

It was as if her vitality had been drained in a very short time.

Even when the doctor took her pulse, she could only barely open her eyelids a crack.

She was going to die, she was going to die in pain, she would never… never pretend to be sick again!

The next day, Xue Qingyin woke up and heard the news that Liu Yuerong was seriously ill.

The news had spread throughout the entire capital.

Zhishu recounted, “I heard that the Liu family went to the gate of King Wei’s mansion in the middle of the night to beg for an imperial physician.”

Xue Qingyin was startled.

How did the world change so quickly?

Yesterday, Liu Yuerong was so full of energy when she reprimanded Qiu Xin! She even had time to shift the blame!

Nongxia asked curiously, “Did the imperial physician go?”

Zhishu shook her head. “I don’t know, it’s just said that Miss Liu is on the verge of death, at any moment she could…”

Nongxia whispered, “Then won’t King Wei become a widower before he even gets married?”

Zhishu said, “That’s only for ordinary people, how can a royal prince be a widower?”

Xue Qingyin nodded in agreement. “If she’s gone, he’ll just marry another one.”

Nongxia frowned. “That sounds so cruel.”

Xue Qingyin smiled. “Then I’ll tell you this, all men in this world, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, high or low in status, are mostly cruel.”

Zhishu smiled awkwardly beside her.

After all, the eldest master was her master.

The news of Liu Yuerong’s serious illness also reached the ears of Concubine Wan.

“Didn’t you send an imperial physician?” Concubine Wan said with a grim expression.

The old woman sighed helplessly, “Your Majesty has even bestowed ginseng.”

Concubine Wan’s throat tightened.

Ginseng slices are mostly used to prolong life… It shows how critical the situation is.

“Why is this Miss Liu sick now? Why at this time!” Concubine Wan was furious and smashed the cup in her hand.

The old woman sighed, “Perhaps she is destined to have a short life, unable to withstand the glory of the royal family.”

Concubine Wan didn’t care whether Liu Yuerong had a short life or not, she just wanted to know what would happen if the position of the princess was vacant again.

If Liu Yuerong died, the Liu family and King Wei’s mansion would not be able to marry.

If King Wei was eager to remarry now, it would inevitably lead to dissatisfaction from the Liu family.

In other words, in the end, her son would only have Qiao Xinyu!

What about the King Xuan?

The Emperor had not yet issued an edict to bestow marriage on the King Xuan.

He was probably going to bestow the Lu family girl on him!

Lu Shu Yi’s father was much more useful than Qiao Xinyu’s father!

Concubine Wan became increasingly anxious as she thought about it.

At this time, a minister named He Ji poured a cup of tea for Emperor Liang De, who had a gloomy expression.