Font Size:
Worried about a potential conflict, Xin Rui led Shen Yu’an into her courtyard.
The courtyard was only bustling with servants and maids going about their tasks.
Xin Rui smiled and said, “Zhu Zhu insisted on visiting her maternal grandparents, so I had Wen Qin take her there.”
Shen Yu’an nodded in understanding, realizing why she hadn’t called Bai Ji over earlier. It wasn’t appropriate to summon a male visitor with only the two of them in the courtyard, and Shen Yu’an appreciated the discretion.
During their conversation, Xin Rui also inquired about what Shen Yu’an had written on the prescription.
Both external and internal applications, with many dirty substances included. Among the ingredients for internal consumption, there were even two highly toxic herbs.
Xin Rui was so shocked that she considered turning back to snatch the prescription from Lady Xie’s hands to prevent a potential catastrophe.
Shen Yu’an, with a smile, restrained her, and after Xin Rui repeated her concerns, Shen Yu’an assured her that the prescription could genuinely treat the unexplained rash that had appeared on Qi Yiran’s body.
Furthermore, even Xin Rui, who had a lot of trust in Shen Yu’an, felt that the prescription had an element of jest, making it even more unlikely for Lady Xie to use it…
So, there was nothing to worry about at the moment.
The only concern was that Lady Xie might refuse to use the medicine Shen Yu’an had prescribed, which would likely lead to a period of suffering for Qi Yiran.
Shen Yu’an didn’t linger in Xin Rui’s courtyard. After a short conversation, a servant came to inform her that Bai Ji was waiting for her outside. They then returned to the Bai estate together.
Upon returning, Shen Yu’an recounted the events at the General’s household to Bai Miaqing. Even Bai Mingxi, upon hearing that Qi Yiran had contracted an unusual illness that even the city’s prominent doctors couldn’t cure, couldn’t help but remark that it served her right.
Shen Yu’an then immersed herself in exploring the city with Bai Miaqing, visiting almost every nook and cranny. The capital city lived up to its reputation as a bustling place with a more informed network of information than Longxian Village.
On the third day of Shen Yu’an’s arrival in the city, while she and Bai Miaqing were at a teahouse listening to a storyteller narrate a tale of a destitute scholar falling in love with a young lady, they overheard other news as well.
This news came from the capital.
Although the discussions were veiled due to their relation to the palace affairs, Shen Yu’an managed to piece together the information. The Emperor, who had managed to cling to life through precious herbs and various ‘elixirs,’ had now deteriorated further. He spent his days confined to his bed, barely conscious for a small portion of the time.
The Emperor’s sons, who had returned to the capital, were fiercely competing to serve him in his ailing state. Their dedication stemmed largely from the fact that the Emperor had not yet named a crown prince, leaving them all with hopes of succession.
However, before the Emperor’s severe illness, the palace had been under the control of Consort Rong, a situation that had only solidified in her favor since the Emperor’s sickness.
Some of the princes, realizing the unfavorable situation, quickly found excuses to withdraw from the capital and positioned themselves in their respective territories.
Meanwhile, the border situation was dire, with disturbances caused by the barbarians in the western regions. The territories on the western border were in turmoil, as the Emperor’s sisters and brothers from Consort Rong’s family held positions there but lacked competence.
The barbarians escalated their provocations, and Great Wei suffered a series of defeats.
If it weren’t for the soldiers and officers that Prince of Wuding had trained so rigorously, the border regions would have likely fallen long ago.
The area where Shen Yu’an and her companions were located, in the southern border region connecting to Daliang, maintained a friendly relationship with Great Wei.
But with Great Wei now facing both internal and external crises, it seemed almost tempting to provoke them like a cat taunting a mouse. General Xiangnan, who was now stationed at the border, was undoubtedly growing impatient and would likely want to take a piece of them to teach them a lesson.
The various princes who had returned to their own territories were also not at ease. They continued to test the waters in various regions. Compulsory conscription and requisitioning of supplies had made the lives of the common people unbearable, leading to many families fleeing their homes.
Shen Yu’an was concerned about Fei Yanchen’s situation in the capital. However, being in the city, she couldn’t travel to the mountain behind the village to find Fei Xi and ask him to deliver a message. So, she wrote a letter and entrusted it to the Tranquil Bookstore.
For the next few days, Shen Yu’an anxiously waited for Fei Yanchen’s reply. However, the communication channel through the Tranquil Bookstore was not as swift as the large black hawk Fei Xi had in his possession.
After several days of waiting, she still hadn’t received any word from him. Shen Yu’an absentmindedly rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. Bai Miaqing reached out and waved her hand in front of Shen Yu’an’s eyes to get her attention.
Bai Miaqing could only entertain Shen Yu’an with some interesting stories.
“You haven’t been out in the past few days, so you probably haven’t heard about Qi Yiran’s situation,” Bai Miaqing remarked.
“Hmm?” Shen Yu’an’s interest was piqued, so Bai Miaqing continued.
“Remember when you told me about what happened at the General’s household when you returned the other day? You were confident that Lady Xie wouldn’t use the prescription you gave her. It turns out you were right. After you left, she started searching for doctors in the vicinity of the capital. In just a few days, the rash on Qi Yiran’s body had spread to her face.”
“And those doctors brought in by the General’s household all said they couldn’t treat the illness and couldn’t even determine the cause.”
Due to these delays, the rash on Qi Yiran’s body had become even more severe. It had spread not only to her neck and arms but also to her face, chest, and back.
Qi Yiran, in her current state, was close to madness. Eventually, someone had the idea to bind her hands and feet with cotton fabric to prevent her from scratching her own face, even though her appearance had already been drastically altered.
With no other options, Lady Xie ‘s illegitimate son, Qi Hao, who had learned about the prescription that Shen Yu’an had given and realized it didn’t look like a conventional medical prescription, came up with a devious plan.
They found a young maid and rubbed Qi Yiran’s already ulcerated wounds on the girl’s face.
Within a day, the young maid’s face showed the same symptoms as Qi Yiran.
Originally, they wanted to wait for the young maid’s condition to worsen a bit more before using the prescription left by Shen Yu’an. But Qi Yiran’s daily suffering made it clear that they couldn’t wait any longer.
Lady Xie and Qi Hao used the young maid as a human guinea pig.
Though the process was far from pleasant, the results were relatively promising. The wounds on the young maid’s face gradually began to heal.
Finally, they dared to apply the ointment to Qi Yiran. However, the foul odor emanating from the mixture used for the external application was nauseating. It was even worse for Qi Yiran, who had to endure it day and night.
As Qi Yiran, her face already disfigured by the strange rash, watched Qi Hao, who had smeared her with the noxious-smelling salve and then retreated to avoid the smell, she couldn’t hold back her tears. Her tears washed away streaks of the salve before it could be secured with cloth strips.
The ointment found its way into her open mouth, causing Qi Yiran to retch from the stench.
Chaos erupted in the room, and Qi Hao, overwhelmed by the situation, left in a panic, leaving Qi Yiran in the care of the busy maids.