Nursing care for pediatric patients was very important.

“We need to clean him, wipe him with warm water—his mouth, neck, and anus to avoid infection.” Qi Yue explained as she worked.

“Young Mistress, let me do it.” A’Ru said.

She had already changed into the same attire as Qi Yue.

Qi Yue looked at her and nodded, handing her the towel.

“You can use chopsticks to feed him water, even if it just moistens his lips.” Qi Yue said to Liu Er’s wife.

Liu Er’s wife nodded.

Throughout the night, the lights in the main room never went out. Everyone in the entire manor stayed awake, all gathered at the gate of Qi Yue’s courtyard, watching nervously and excitedly.

What they didn’t know was that outside the courtyard walls, almost the entire village was also standing there, equally nervous and excited as they watched this manor.

“Young Mistress, his temperature has dropped a bit.” A’Ru held up the thermometer, looking at it repeatedly before finally saying excitedly.

Qi Yue, who was cleaning her hands with alcohol, heard this and came over to look.

They examined the faint red line on the thermometer against the morning light.

“How many bowel movements last night? What was his temperature? You recorded it all, right?” Qi Yue asked.

A’Ru nodded and picked up a piece of paper from nearby.

Qi Yue took it and examined it carefully.

“Gou Sheng, Gou Sheng…”

A woman’s cry of alarm came from beside the bed, mixed with tears. The servants outside heard it and their hearts sank.

“Looks like it’s no use.” Everyone sighed and shook their heads.

Just then, the door opened.

A’Ru rushed out clutching a package of medicine.

The people in the courtyard were amazed again—hadn’t he died? By noon, they had their answer when they heard the child’s crying from the room, though it was very weak.

“…be good, you need to take medicine to get better.” Qi Yue coaxed the child while bringing the syringe to his mouth again, injecting the medicine.

The child resisted in terror. Even his mother’s comfort didn’t help, and ultimately the medicine wasn’t administered.

“You child!” Liu Er’s wife scolded, both angry and anxious.

“Ha, looks like your spirits are much better. Come, little one, that… I know this is bitter. If you take one sip, I’ll feed you one sip of sugar water, okay?” Qi Yue smiled, pointing to another bowl and drawing some liquid with another syringe. “Come, try this first. See, I’m not lying to you.”

As she spoke, she brought the syringe near the child’s mouth and gently squeezed out a drop or two.

The child’s dry lips immediately licked them, and his struggling expression eased slightly. Qi Yue smiled and tentatively brought over the syringe containing the Chinese medicine. The child finally slowly opened his mouth.

“What a brave child!”

“Wonderful! He took another sip!”

“Oh, is it sweet? Is it sweet?”

“Amazing! He finished it all!”

“You’ll definitely be a great hero when you grow up!”

One syringe after another of Chinese medicine was administered. Watching Qi Yue’s uninterrupted smile and hearing her constant words of encouragement to the child, Liu Er’s wife’s tears flowed again. She covered her mouth with her hand, blocking her sobs while letting tears flow freely.

Day and night alternated, sun rose and set.

Qi Yue, who had been arranged to rest for the second half of the night, woke up naturally. Upon waking, she immediately put on her clothes and came over.

Liu Er’s wife watched over her child without sleep or rest. Even when the child slept, she refused to rest.

A’Ru was carefully sprinkling lime and alcohol on the ground. Hearing movement, she quickly looked up.

“Young Mistress, he had two bowel movements last night. This is the stool.” A’Ru put down her work and brought over the soiled cloth.

Compared to the previous days, her attitude was very composed, as if she were holding two newly made embroidered handkerchiefs.

Qi Yue seriously took it to examine.

“He urinated, he urinated…” Liu Er’s wife suddenly called out, her voice filled with surprise.

Qi Yue was also delighted.

“Excellent! As long as we can control the dehydration and he can take medicine, the medicine will be effective.” She quickly put down the soiled cloth, efficiently washed her hands, put on a mask and cap, and walked to the child. From under the sleeping child, she indeed saw a wet patch on the newly placed diaper. Without caring that the child was asleep, she happily lifted him up and tested his weight. “A’Ru, readjust the fluid replacement ratio. This time it needs to be for oral administration.”

A’Ru quickly responded.

“Mother, hungry…” The child woke up from all the commotion and made mumbling sounds.

These words sounded like heavenly music to all three women. For the first time in days, Qi Yue could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

At Marquis Dingxi’s manor, Concubine Zhou also finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“That damned boy!” Marquis Dingxi smashed his teacup.

The teacup rolled to the ground, spilling water in a puddle beside a kneeling maid.

“Marquis, Marquis, please let this servant go to the manor to serve Young Mistress.” The maid raised her head, her pretty face streaked with tears as she spoke through sobs, revealing two small canine teeth on either side. It was none other than A’Hao.

“Get up. No one needs to go. Let that bastard go!” Marquis Dingxi shouted with a dark expression.

A’Hao looked up at the Marquis, her gaze involuntarily glancing at Concubine Zhou standing behind him.

Concubine Zhou gave her a meaningful look.

A’Hao bit her lower lip and forced an expression that was half-crying, half-smiling.

“Thank you, Marquis…” she said.

With teardrops hanging on her round face and her cherry-like mouth pouting, she looked pitifully adorable. Marquis Dingxi’s gaze couldn’t help but linger.

“You may go down first. The Marquis has his own arrangements.” Concubine Zhou said.

A’Hao immediately kowtowed and withdrew. The curtain fell, cutting off Marquis Dingxi’s reluctant gaze.

“Have that bastard come see me immediately.” Marquis Dingxi’s anger hadn’t subsided. “Also, sell those two women.”

“Marquis, that won’t do.” Concubine Zhou quickly advised, stroking his shoulder with a worried expression. “After all, they were chosen by Madam…”

Marquis Dingxi snorted.

“I’m not ignorant of her intentions.” He said. “Don’t involve yourself in this matter. Poor Yueniang doesn’t know how much she’s suffered.”

Concubine Zhou said nothing more, gently massaging Marquis Dingxi’s shoulders.

“Without the Old Mistress, she still has the Marquis. Yueniang is truly blessed in this lifetime.” She sighed.

“Beautiful women deserve good fortune.” Marquis Dingxi smiled, enjoying Concubine Zhou’s service as he closed his eyes.

When Concubine Zhou returned to her own courtyard, A’Hao was already waiting there, looking at her with tearful eyes.

“Do you still want to save your Young Mistress or not?” Concubine Zhou frowned and said in a low voice.

A’Hao nodded and was about to kneel.

“Then put away that expression.” Concubine Zhou frowned and said sternly in a low voice.

A’Hao immediately dared not cry or move.

Concubine Zhou examined her from head to toe, not missing an inch, until A’Hao’s hair stood on end and her whole body trembled.

“Do you know why Young Mistress is so unwelcome in this household?” Concubine Zhou asked slowly.

“Because, because the Prince doesn’t like Young Mistress…” A’Hao stammered.

Concubine Zhou smiled disdainfully.

“Men in this world have never failed to love beautiful women.” She said, caressing the plum blossoms arranged on the table. “The reason the Prince doesn’t like Young Mistress is because someone has been sowing discord behind the scenes. And the reason the instigator can be so unrestrained is because, in this household, apart from the Old Mistress, no one else speaks well of Young Mistress.”

“There’s also you, Concubine…” A’Hao looked at her eagerly and knelt.

“Me?” Concubine Zhou sighed. “I have the heart but lack the power.”

She touched her own face.

“I’m old, and in this household, there are more and more people younger and more beautiful than me. No matter how good a woman is, once she’s old, she’s nothing.” She said slowly, her expression somewhat desolate.

“No, no, Concubine is the most beautiful.” A’Hao stammered flattering words.

Concubine Zhou laughed.

“Don’t waste your sweet words on me. Sweet or not, I don’t care. I know your heart.” She smiled, reaching out to help A’Hao up. But she didn’t let go, instead examining her face again.

Though she couldn’t be called devastatingly beautiful, she was in her prime youth, with watery eyes and rosy cheeks that seemed to drip water when pinched…

“Those who can speak with authority now are all aligned with Madam. How do you think they would speak well of her before the Marquis? In this household, only the Marquis can control the Prince. A’Hao, do you know how you should help your Young Mistress now?” Concubine Zhou said word by word.

A’Hao stared at Concubine Zhou with wide eyes, her face gradually changing from red to white. Finally, she nodded heavily.

The next day, Concubine Zhou heard the news she wanted, though it wasn’t entirely satisfactory.

“The Marquis and Madam had a fight. He made Madam sell the two concubines, saying that before Young Mistress bears children, no one is allowed to add people to the Prince’s quarters. Then he summoned the Prince, but someone reported that the Prince had already left—heading to Young Mistress’s manor.” A’Jin said with some regret in her expression.

Concubine Zhou showed no reaction.

“That boy is cunning. Since he dared to say such things, he must be putting on a complete show.” She said calmly, using scissors to trim excess flower stems.

“After the Marquis heard this, his anger and suspicion were reduced by half.” A’Jin frowned.

“But there’s still the other half.” Concubine Zhou smiled, putting down the scissors. “What about A’Hao’s matter?”

“This morning, she took soup to the Marquis’s study.” A’Jin said in a low voice. “When she came out, it was already past noon.”

Concubine Zhou’s face was full of joy.

“So she’s already…” she said in a low voice.

“No,” A’Jin quickly said. “I already asked her. She said the Marquis wants to give her dignity—properly arranging her hair ceremony before taking her as a concubine, not letting people look down on her. The Marquis is always thoughtful and considerate.”

Concubine Zhou let out a cold laugh filled with indescribable bitterness and desolation.

“Considerate?” she murmured. “The more sentimental a man is, the more heartless he becomes.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

“By the way, since things have been discussed openly with the Marquis, you should find time to visit Yueniang at the manor. Persuade her and comfort her.” Concubine Zhou said.

A’Jin nodded happily and hurried out to prepare.

Just after A’Jin left, Concubine Zhou summoned a small maid and whispered something to her. Soon, an unfamiliar maid in her twenties with a tall figure entered.

“Have you prepared everything I asked you to prepare?” Concubine Zhou asked.

“Concubine, rest assured. Everything is ready, just waiting for the Prince to come over.” The maid said in a low voice.

Concubine Zhou nodded.

“Be extremely careful and thorough.” She warned solemnly in a low voice.

The maid nodded.

“As soon as the Prince enters that door…” Concubine Zhou turned to look at the trimmed plum blossoms, their buds about to bloom, “…he won’t be able to escape this fate…”