After a moment, Wei Yan said quietly, “Elder Sister — in any case, I have wronged you.”
Wei Jieyu gave him a reproachful glare. “Say such distant, courteous things to me again and you need never come to my Lingbo Palace.”
Wei Yan laughed despite himself and let the subject drop.
Wei Jieyu thought of Ling Jingshu, still confined to her sickbed, and could not help but ask, “How is A’Shu now? She has been convalescing for half a month already, hasn’t she?”
Wei Yan nodded. Thinking of Ling Jingshu’s cheeks, still pallid to this day, his heart ached with tender concern. “I had originally intended for her to feign illness for a while. She said that feigning would be easy to see through and would arouse the Emperor’s suspicion — and if discovered, it would be the crime of deceiving the sovereign. It would be better to be genuinely ill.”
So that she might fall truly sick, Ling Jingshu had spent several nights in a row standing before the window in thin underclothes, letting the cold night wind blow over her, and in this way achieved the effect of very nearly fainting right before the Emperor.
Eunuch Ding, whether with deliberate intent or by chance, had summoned Imperial Physician Zhou to examine her.
Apart from Wei Yan, Imperial Physician Zhou was the most skilled physician in the Imperial Medical Academy. He ran a silken thread over Ling Jingshu’s wrist to take her pulse, then wrote out a prescription.
It was fortunate that she truly was ill — otherwise, she could never have deceived Imperial Physician Zhou’s eyes.
During the day Ling Jingshu made a show of obediently drinking her medicine and resting, while at night she continued standing in the wind. Her condition naturally fluctuated without improving, and she remained listless and sickly.
Eunuch Ding had looked in on her twice, and seeing that Ling Jingshu showed no signs of recovery, he had no choice but to report the truth to the Emperor. The Emperor was displeased in his heart, but there was nothing he could do.
“A’Shu had better not truly ruin her own health in the process.” Wei Jieyu sighed softly with worry.
Wei Yan’s lips curved in a wry smile. “Do you think I am not worried? But these are extraordinary times — I can only steel my heart and let her be.”
Only once the Emperor was thoroughly spent would Ling Jingshu’s illness be allowed to truly heal.
……
Bai Yu carefully carried the steaming bowl of medicine to the bedside. “Miss, the medicine is ready. It is time to take it.”
Ling Jingshu, lying listlessly on the bed, gave a faint sound of acknowledgment. With Qiao Yun’s support she sat up straight and, attended by Bai Yu, drank her medicine.
The dark brown decoction was intensely bitter; when she finished, the bitterness spread from the tip of her tongue all the way down to her stomach and lingered long after.
Bai Yu looked at the pallid Ling Jingshu, her heart heavy with concern. “Miss, the medicine is so bitter — have some preserved fruit.”
After more than half a month of illness, Ling Jingshu had grown thin and haggard.
Her face had become smaller, her chin pointed, and all color had left her cheeks. This thoroughly genuine sickly appearance had also silenced all idle gossip within Zichen Palace.
Otherwise, a female official lying in her room all day and neglecting her duties would have been difficult to justify. As it was, she was truly too ill to leave her bed, and the palace maids who had come to visit had all seen it with their own eyes — naturally no one had anything to say.
The true circumstances behind this illness had been kept not only from Qiao Yun, but from Bai Yu as well.
Ling Jingshu rallied her spirits, nodded, and placed a piece of preserved fruit in her mouth, which eased the bitterness somewhat.
There came a few knocks at the door.
Qiao Yun went to open it. Standing outside was Female Official Qian.
“Older Sister Qian is so busy ordinarily, yet she still remembers to come and look in on me — that truly moves me,” Ling Jingshu said apologetically, with a smile. “It is only a pity that my body is failing me and I cannot rise to greet you properly.”
Female Official Qian smiled. “You are still ill — you should be resting properly. There is no need for such words.”
So saying, she walked to the bedside and sat down, looked Ling Jingshu up and down with an expression of concern, and asked, “Little Sister, you have been drinking medicine for so long — is there still no improvement?”
Ling Jingshu gave a helpless, wry smile. “Illness comes like a landslide but departs like drawing silk. I fall ill so rarely — who would have thought that when I finally did, it would drag on this long without healing? I have already put so much trouble on Older Sister Qian and the others who keep coming to check on me. I truly feel terrible about it.”
A glint passed through Female Official Qian’s eyes. She smiled and said, “Little Sister’s constitution is weak, and recovery takes time — there is nothing to be done about that. The good news is that the Emperor has no shortage of attendants, so you need not rush. Just take your time to recover.”
Ling Jingshu offered a faint smile.
The rules within the palace had always been strict. A maid or female official who fell ill and recovered within two or three days was tolerable enough, but if the illness dragged on, they would invariably be sent away to convalesce elsewhere, for fear of passing the sickness on to their masters.
Someone like Ling Jingshu — ill for more than half a month and still comfortably ensconced in her rooms — was virtually unheard of. More remarkable still, Imperial Physician Zhou came every few days to examine her.
Imperial Physician Zhou was the most senior physician in the Imperial Medical Academy, with exceptional skill and long-standing prestige. Only the most favored consorts in the palace could summon him for a consultation.
That Eunuch Ding had engaged Imperial Physician Zhou to treat Ling Jingshu was clearly done at the Emperor’s instruction.
And so, even though Ling Jingshu was ill, no one dared look down on her. They flocked to her door to pay their respects, one after another, in the most enthusiastic fashion.
Female Official Qian was the most attentive and eager of them all.
Female Official Qian held Ling Jingshu’s hand and chatted idly, “Little Sister has been cooped up in her room these past days, so you probably don’t know how lively things have been in the palace! The Emperor has been showering Consort Wang with particular favor lately — there is talk of elevating her rank. And Noble Lady Wei has been managing palace affairs with such thoroughness that everyone holds her in the highest esteem. The Emperor is very pleased with her as well, and a decree conferring on her the title of Worthy Consort will reportedly be issued very soon!”
Although the harem held many consorts, only four held the true rank of Consort-Noble. Noble Lady Wei rising all the way to Worthy Consort Wei, and ranking just below Lady Li the Virtuous Consort — possessing both imperial favor and authority over palace affairs — was enough to make anyone envious.
Of course, what inspired envy was the feeling among the other consorts. For the female officials and ordinary palace maids and eunuchs, there was nothing to do but fawn and flatter.
Ling Jingshu showed a face full of delight upon hearing this. “Is that true? How wonderful!”
That Worthy Consort Wei held a special affection for Ling Jingshu was no secret within the palace.
Female Official Qian glanced at Ling Jingshu, and a faint sourness crept into her tone. “Once Noble Lady Wei becomes Worthy Consort Wei, who in this whole harem could rival her for favor? Little Sister has always been in the Worthy Consort’s good graces — you will certainly benefit from her influence in the days to come.”
Ling Jingshu gave a light smile. “Older Sister Qian is joking. I serve in Zichen Palace and have little opportunity to interact with Her Ladyship. What benefit could I possibly derive from her?”
Now there may be no opportunity, but who could say what the future held.
Female Official Qian inwardly chewed over this thought, but managed to hold back the words, and said with warm familiarity, “No matter how one looks at it, this is a good connection Little Sister has cultivated. Even I can only look on with envy.”
Ling Jingshu had her heart set on asking about the Emperor, and steered the conversation in that direction without making it obvious. “Older Sister Qian, is the Emperor’s health good of late?”
Female Official Qian blinked with a knowing air, covered her mouth, and laughed. “The Emperor has been summoning the palace consorts frequently — his health is wonderfully robust!”
Ling Jingshu let the corner of her mouth twitch.
Everything was proceeding exactly as anticipated.
She would just remain quietly ill and wait for good news to arrive.