“First Miss! What’s wrong with our First Miss?!” Chun Tao was so frightened that tears were about to spill out. She jogged along behind Xiao Rongyan and Bai Qingyu. “First Miss!”
“Quickly! Immediately carry Physician Hong to the side hall! Quickly!” Wei Zhong loudly instructed the Imperial Guards beside him. He ran a couple of steps, then turned back and said, “Also, go invite Imperial Physician Huang from the Imperial Medical Academy! Quickly! Quickly! Quickly!”
The news that Great Zhou’s Female Emperor had fainted while meeting with Mr. Xiao and the masked prince of the foreign tribes quickly spread throughout the palace.
Dong Shi was gathered with the Bai family’s Second Madam Liu Shi, Third Madam Li Shi, Fourth Madam Wang Shi, and Fifth Madam Qi Shi, playing with Little Eight while discussing the constant stream of messages sent by their maternal families during this period, telling Dong Shi about each family sending students to the women’s academy.
Upon suddenly hearing that Bai Qingyan had collapsed in the hall, she was so frightened that the teacup in her hands slipped, spilling water all over herself.
“I said A’Bao shouldn’t overwork herself! Shouldn’t overwork herself! A’Bao’s health was already weak before!” Third Madam Li Shi was so anxious that her eyes reddened. She turned to the nanny beside her and said, “Go! Bring those few hundred-year-old ginseng roots that the family sent over before—we might need them!”
Dong Shi was so frightened that all color drained from her face, but she still managed to stay composed and asked, “Has Physician Hong gone over?”
“Eunuch Wei has already sent people to invite Physician Hong and Imperial Physician Huang!” The little eunuch who came to report sounded panicked.
She set down her teacup, her sweaty hands gripping Nanny Qin’s arm as she stood up: “I’ll go see first!”
“Sister-in-law, I’m going too!” Second Madam Liu Shi also hurriedly stood up, her hands clutching her handkerchief tightly.
Fifth Madam Qi Shi also handed the Eighth Miss in her arms to her nanny: “I’ll go take a look too!”
Dong Shi was deeply worried about Bai Qingyan and didn’t stop them… Supporting herself on Nanny Qin’s hand, she lifted her skirt hem and walked outside, with Second Madam, Third Madam, Fourth Madam, and Fifth Madam all following behind.
Xiao Rongyan, disregarding his arm that was bleeding profusely, placed Bai Qingyan on the soft couch. His blood-soaked hand went to feel the pulse at Bai Qingyan’s neck—he could sense that her pulse was strong, but… too fast!
Could it be… poisoning?!
Xiao Rongyan remembered that when his imperial brother fell ill, his pulse had been extremely rapid!
Bai Qingyu turned and ordered, “Open all the windows! Quickly!”
Turning back, Bai Qingyu saw Xiao Rongyan reaching to loosen Bai Qingyan’s collar. He grabbed Xiao Rongyan’s wrist, his eyes dark and gloomy.
“I’m saving her, not taking liberties!” Xiao Rongyan shook off the slightly hesitant Bai Qingyu and, moving quickly despite the pain, slightly loosened Bai Qingyan’s collar.
Chun Tao knelt beside the soft couch, unable to help and not knowing what to do. Suddenly, she saw blood on Bai Qingyan’s back collar. Chun Tao was so frightened she burst into tears, frantically hugging Bai Qingyan’s legs: “Blood! There’s blood all over First Miss’s neck! First Miss! Miss… what should we do!”
Chun Tao turned her head, crying as she looked toward the door, then back at Bai Qingyan, sobbing helplessly: “Physician Hong! Why hasn’t Physician Hong arrived yet? Physician Hong, save her! Come quickly and save her!”
“A’Bao! A’Bao!” Xiao Rongyan called to Bai Qingyan in a low voice, only hating that he didn’t know medical arts.
Physician Hong, his old bones carried on an Imperial Guard’s back, rushed to the side hall. Getting down from the breathless guard’s back, he charged inside.
Seeing Physician Hong, Chun Tao crawled forward two steps, crying, knelt, and sobbed: “Physician Hong, quickly save First Miss!”
Upon seeing Physician Hong, Bai Qingyu’s eyes reddened, wishing he could rush over two steps faster and carry Physician Hong to his elder sister’s side.
Seeing Physician Hong had arrived, only then did Xiao Rongyan stand up and move away from beside the soft couch, telling Physician Hong: “Extremely rapid pulse, similar to my brother’s condition when poisoned! But there’s been no vomiting blood!”
“First Miss’s neck is covered in blood! Physician Hong…” Chun Tao said, suppressing her sobs.
These words startled Physician Hong, whose expression was grave. He stepped on a footstool and turned Bai Qingyan’s head to examine her. There was blood on the back of Bai Qingyan’s head, but it wasn’t from Bai Qingyan being injured. Physician Hong’s gaze fell on Xiao Rongyan’s hand, which was dripping blood downward and trembling slightly, and he understood what had happened. He instructed Little Yinshuang, who followed behind him: “Go bandage Mr. Xiao’s wounds.”
After speaking, Physician Hong sat directly on the footstool to take Bai Qingyan’s pulse.
Xiao Rongyan moved his injured hand behind his back, his brow furrowed tightly: “Please, Physician Hong, diagnose First Miss first.”
Yinshuang clutched the medicine box strap tightly, motionless. Her chest was bulging with delicious pastries she had brought—she had brought tasty treats for First Miss when she heard she was coming to see her. How was First Miss now lying there motionless?
“First Miss…” Yinshuang murmured, taking out the pastries from her chest, walking to the bedside, unwrapping the oiled paper, and calling to Bai Qingyan: “First Miss… eat! Tasty!”
“Go bandage Mr. Xiao’s wounds. Are this old man’s words not working anymore?!” Physician Hong scolded Yinshuang.
Yinshuang placed the pastries beside Bai Qingyan’s pillow, then responded with a sound, turned around, and looked Mr. Xiao up and down: “Bandage wounds!”
Physician Hong felt Bai Qingyan’s pulse, remaining silent the whole time. He could sense that Bai Qingyan’s pulse rate was slowly decreasing… trending toward stability.
Chun Tao knelt to one side, not even daring to cry aloud for fear of disturbing Physician Hong.
Before long, Imperial Physician Huang also arrived. Seeing that Physician Hong was already taking Bai Qingyan’s pulse, he took over from the clumsy Yinshuang to bandage Xiao Rongyan’s wounds.
Perhaps because Physician Hong had been taking the pulse for too long, Bai Qingyu grew extremely anxious and asked: “Physician Hong…”
Physician Hong raised his hand, signaling everyone around not to make a sound.
The hall fell silent. Xiao Rongyan, whose bleeding had stopped, saw that Physician Hong’s hand, full of wrinkles and brown age spots, remained motionless on Bai Qingyan’s wrist. After thanking Imperial Physician Huang, he took the gauze from the physician’s hands and casually wrapped it around himself a couple of times, then stood up and walked over.
But before he could get close, he saw Physician Hong suddenly look up, turning to look at him with unfriendly eyes that carried a hint of malevolent intent.
Xiao Rongyan’s steps paused, then he continued walking toward Physician Hong: “What’s wrong with First Miss? Is it poisoning?”
Before Physician Hong could get angry, they heard Second Madam Liu Shi’s voice from outside the side hall: “How is A’Bao?! Has Physician Hong arrived?”
Bai Qingyu’s palm tightened. Turning his head, he saw his mother, Dong Shi, entering the hall supported by Nanny Qin’s hand, and his hands clasped behind his back tightened.
The palace maids and eunuchs in the side hall knelt all over the floor.
“What happened?!” Dong Shi entered and looked at Chun Tao, who was kneeling to one side, as she asked.
Chun Tao felt as miserable as if her heart was being carved out. Crying, she said: “This servant was guarding outside the hall and doesn’t know what happened! If I had known… if I had known something would happen, this servant would never have left First Miss’s side even if it meant death!”