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Young Madam Han giggled behind her fan, “Look at my younger sister-in-law, you should be modest earlier, waiting for the elders to finish praising before speaking. It seems you still like to hear compliments.”
Laughter filled the room, except for the eldest Madam, who felt awkward as she had been the one to invite old Madam Zhu initially, only to save face at Lu Man’s expense.
Princess Changting chuckled, “Zhanwei’s wife, please take a seat. Don’t listen to this little troublemaker, she’s just envious of you.”
Another round of laughter ensued.
Later on, Jiang Zhankun arrived with Fourth Young Madam Jiang. The newlyweds were dressed in vibrant red wedding attire, blushing with embarrassment but brimming with joy and happiness.
Fourth Young Madam Jiang had a moderate demeanor, not as refined as Lu Man, falling short even compared to Young Madam Han. Yet, her gaze was serene, clear, with a balanced demeanor, likely a pleasant person to be around.
The Princess was pleased with her granddaughter-in-law, presenting a gift and offering words of wisdom on expanding the family, respecting elders, caring for the young, and fostering unity within the family.
Lu Man also prepared a gift, a purple crystal bracelet. Typically, bracelets were given to elders, and as she was a sister-in-law, a bracelet was a suitable choice.
The family gathering was harmonious and joyful, a far cry from the tension of two years ago during the previous family ceremony.
After lunch, Third Madam invited Lu Man to the Mingfu Courtyard along with Jiang Zhankun. She wanted Lu Man to check her daughter-in-law’s pulse and suggest some dietary supplements to aid in her pregnancy.
Fourth Young Madam blushed and kneeled to thank Lu Man, “Thank you, Third Sister-in-law.”
After checking her pulse, Lu Man commented that she was in good health and only needed to focus on a balanced diet, without requiring any specific supplements.
From the end of May to early June, thirty-six pots of Night Yellow Flowers yielded seventy-two flowers, resulting in one thousand four hundred and forty-two yellow grams of medicine.
Although it sounded like a lot, the actual usage was quite minimal.
In the capital, the scorching heat persisted for several days, causing discomfort as many elderly and children fell ill due to heatstroke, resulting in unfortunate deaths.
Huang Ke Lai was remarkably effective in reducing inflammation and treating coughs and tuberculosis. The Imperial Hospital and the Crown Prince were aware that Lu Man had cultivated Night Yellow Flowers, so once the medicine was prepared, Lu Man willingly donated two hundred pills to the palace and one hundred to the Imperial Hospital. This time, she took the initiative to donate, if the Emperor had requested them through the Princess Changting’s residence, it would have been a passive act on her part.
Additionally, she had twenty pills sent to Jiang Zhanwei and General Xie each, two hundred to Tongren Hall, and reluctantly gave away two hundred more to those who insisted on having them.
With only five hundred and twenty-two pills left, meant to last until the end of May next year, she cherished them dearly.
These medicines were never given away for free. Huang Ke Lai from Tongren Hall was considered invaluable, only sold if absolutely necessary and when the patient was staying at the Tongren Medical Lodge, priced at five taels of silver per pill. Those gifted to the Emperor, the Imperial Hospital, and the military were rewarded with two hundred taels of gold. As for the noble families, they all sent generous gifts in return.
Lu Man firmly believed that without the influential Princess Changting standing by her side, the night yellow flowers, which brought her fame and fortune, would not have been protected.
As the peak of summer arrived, Princess Changting’s health deteriorated, suffering from heat-induced cough. After taking numerous Chinese medicines and around twenty Huang Ke Lai pills, she eventually recovered.
Old Madam Lu from the Duke Anguo’s residence succumbed to tuberculosis and passed away. Before that, Lu Man was invited to their residence and stayed for several days and nights, personally administering acupuncture, prescribing medication, and giving her doses of Huang Ke Lai. Due to the elderly lady’s frailty, her condition couldn’t be stabilized.
The old lady’s passing left Lu Man deeply saddened.
Another unfortunate case was the eldest Madam, Madam Hong. Initially afflicted by external heat, her condition worsened, leading to blood heat accumulation, injuring the yin fluid, causing dryness, and generating wind. She developed red itchy rashes all over her face and body.
Despite seeking help from imperial physicians and physicians from Jishi Hall, her condition remained untreatable. Moreover, the two maids attending to her also fell ill, covered in the same red rashes.
Due to Madam Hong’s aversion to Lu Man and their past conflicts, coupled with her fear of being harmed by Lu Man intentionally, she avoided seeking medical assistance from Lu Man or the physicians from Jishi Hall.
Madam Hong heard from the imperial physicians that Willow Bark Pill and Huang Ke Lai might have some effect on her condition. However, she didn’t dare directly ask Lu Man for the medicine, fearing that Lu Man might harm her. Instead, she had Jiang Zhanju request ten Huang Ke Lai pills and twenty Willow Bark Pills from Princess Changting. She believed the medicine given by Lu Man to Princess Changting wouldn’t be tainted.
One evening, before complete darkness fell, Lu Man and Jiang Yue sat on the Buddha’s bed in the hall, while Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu chatted on chairs nearby. The room was spacious, with ice inside, doors and windows open, not overly hot.
Jiang Zhanju and Young Madam Han suddenly arrived. Jiang Zhanju had no choice but to personally plead with Lu Man at Donghui Courtyard. With folded hands, he said, “I know my mother has behaved improperly, causing my younger siblings much distress. She is still my mother, and if there is a way, I ask you to help…”
Of course, Lu Man couldn’t reveal that Hong’s illness was due to consuming certain substances. Only the Princess, Marquis Jiang, Third Master Jiang, and Lu Man were aware of this fact. Among them, only the Princess knew that Lu Man was aware of this and provided the prescription. Marquis Jiang and Third Master were unaware, believing it to be an old formula obtained by their mother from the palace. The decision to proceed this way was made after careful deliberation between the three of them.
Reluctantly, she replied, “Young Master, it’s not that I don’t want to go, but I’m concerned that the eldest Madam may misunderstand my intentions. It might not be beneficial for me to visit.” Seeing Jiang Zhanju’s pleading eyes, she had to agree, “Alright, I will go. But I’m not specialized in treating wind-cold diseases, and there’s no guarantee of success.”
Upon hearing Lu Man’s acceptance to visit his mother, Jiang Zhanju was relieved and expressed, “Thank you, Third Sister-in-law. It’s best if you can help, but if not, it’s understandable.”
With the medicine box carried by Lu Man and accompanied by Jiang Zhanju and his wife, they headed to Minghe Pavilion.
Despite the evening setting in, the heat lingered, even as the sun had set. The cicadas’ chirping in the woods sounded sluggish.
To avoid contracting the illness, Lu Man and Lu Ying wore masks upon entering, offering one to Young Madam Han, who hesitated to put it on after looking at her husband.
Inside the room, Jiang Zhanju and Young Madam Han went into the bedroom first. Madam Hong lay on the bed with her eyes closed, sweat stains covering her white undergarments and trousers, with red rashes all over her face and neck, a frightening sight.
The floor was littered with broken porcelain pieces, and the room was crowded with sweating maids, their hair and clothes soaked with sweat. Despite the presence of many people and numerous ice blocks, the room still felt stifling, lacking ventilation, with an unpleasant smell of sweat lingering in the air.