HomeSerendipityChapter 67: The Eldest Young Master

Chapter 67: The Eldest Young Master

Lu Chang ignored the people entering the hall and quickly carried Ming Shu to the center, carefully setting her down in an armchair. He crouched beside her and felt her forehead.

Ming Shu felt dizzy and heavy-headed, only sensing Lu Chang’s cool hand against her forehead.

“Brother, I’m fine,” she said, her voice still congested.

“She has a fever, and her forehead is very hot,” Lu Chang explained to Mother Zeng, then asked Ming Shu, “Where else are you feeling unwell?”

Ming Shu shook her head. After enduring for most of the day, she now felt completely drained, dizzy, and light-headed.

“She’s burning up,” Mother Zeng also felt her forehead and exclaimed, “We need to see a doctor.”

“I’ll take her to the medical clinic. Mother, please help remove her cape.” Lu Chang made a quick decision and stroked Ming Shu’s head, his tone gentler than ever before. “Ming Shu, let me carry you on my back to the clinic.”

“No need, I can walk myself.” Ming Shu lost her usual energetic spirit but tried to stand by holding the chair’s back.

The yamen runners from the Kaifeng Prefecture who had been watching from the side suddenly spoke up as they were about to leave: “Wait, we…”

“Chen Zhong.” Constable Ying’s stern voice cut off the runner’s words just as Lu Chang shot them a threatening glare. He then addressed Lu Chang, “Young Master Lu, given Lady Lu’s condition, it’s best not to go out in the wind. I’ll have Chen Zhong fetch a doctor here instead.”

Though he was anxious about official business, he wouldn’t force the issue at such a time.

It was rare for Constable Ying to speak so considerately. Lu Chang’s expression softened slightly, and after brief contemplation, he said: “Thank you for your trouble, Constable Ying.”

Constable Ying gave a slight nod and ordered the runner beside him: “Hurry!”

The runner rushed out of the Lu residence.

Lu Chang’s eyes were fixed only on Ming Shu, paying no attention to Constable Ying. Constable Ying didn’t stand on ceremony either, seating himself in a chair near the door and silently watching the street scene outside.

“Would you like to lie down inside?” Lu Chang asked Ming Shu.

“It’s stuffy inside.” Ming Shu shook her head again. After taking a few sips of water and being covered with the cape Mother Zeng brought, she closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to look at Constable Ying. “Constable Ying, did you come to our home about Wei Xian’s matter?”

Constable Ying turned his head then, looking at her weak appearance, and said: “It’s about the Wei family matter, but there’s no rush. Let’s wait until you’ve seen the doctor first.”

“If it wasn’t urgent, would you be sitting here waiting?” Ming Shu saw through him instantly, managing a weak smile with her usual wit. “If you have questions, just ask. Don’t let it delay your investigation. Do you have any leads on the Night Pearl Powder case?”

Constable Ying nodded: “This morning we dragged the lotus pool again, and as expected, we found the sachet that originally contained the Night Pearl Powder. The sachet was torn and submerged in the lake. I asked Madam Wei, and she confirmed it was Wei Xian’s sachet for storing Night Pearl Powder, matching our deductions. Unfortunately, last night I had already ordered a search of everyone’s shoes in the Wei household, especially the main suspects, but found nothing.”

Although the Night Pearl Powder clue was crucial, it didn’t lead to identifying the culprit. The case remained stalled, with no evidence of murder except confirming Wei Chao had entered the East Garden. Wei Chao also insisted he had only gone to borrow money from Wei Xian, argued briefly with him at the garden entrance about gambling debts, and left when Wei Xian refused to help. According to Wei Chao, Wei Xian was still conscious when he departed.

These statements matched what Wei Chao had told Song Qingzhao and Lu Chang during their visit, consistent with the testimony in Constable Ying’s records.

After explaining the background, Constable Ying asked: “I came here to ask if you noticed anything unusual during your three days at the Wei residence that you might have overlooked?”

Upon hearing that the Night Pearl Powder hadn’t helped identify the killer, Ming Shu felt disappointed and replied: “I’ve already told you everything I know, holding nothing back, even including the secrets I got from Second Madam. What else could I have overlooked?”

She rubbed her head, which was throbbing. She couldn’t recall anything else, but mentioning the Wei family secrets prompted her to ask: “Have you found any leads about those two concubines in the Wei household?”

“We’ve sent people to investigate,” Constable Ying replied concisely, without revealing much information to Ming Shu.

Ming Shu responded with an “Oh” and tilted her head to the side, leaning against Lu Chang’s arm. Lu Chang, seeing her exhaustion, interrupted their conversation: “That’s enough questions for now.”

Constable Ying noticed Ming Shu’s fatigue and was about to stop asking questions, but Ming Shu, with closed eyes and scattered thoughts, mumbled: “The major conflicts in the Wei household with Wei Xian involve just a few people. Wei Chao… Yan Shao… Strictly speaking, Ding Xuan didn’t have any direct conflict with Wei Xian, and then there’s Du Wenhui, but Du Wenhui isn’t capable of killing Wei Xian… Plus she’s always followed by Madam Lu, who’s Wei Xian’s own choice for the inner courtyard. You should have seen how Madam Lu monitors Du Wenhui… watching her every moment, reporting everything to Wei Xian daily…”

“Wait, you said Madam Lu reports to Wei Xian daily?” Constable Ying suddenly interjected.

“Yes, everyone in the Wei household knows that. What’s so surprising? She’s Wei Xian’s spy in the inner courtyard and around his wife, even more frightening than Ding Xuan. She reports everything to Wei Xian daily, no matter how trivial.” Ming Shu replied casually with closed eyes.

“I understand now. Thank you.” Constable Ying stood and cupped his hands in farewell.

Just then, the runner arrived with the doctor. As the doctor entered, Constable Ying didn’t wait for the runner and said: “Chen Zhong, stay here to help. I must leave first.” With that, he hurried away, leaving the confused runner at the Lu residence.

Ming Shu opened her eyes: “Brother, what did I say that made him leave so urgently?”

“Never mind him, let’s focus on your health first.” Lu Chang had no interest in the Wei family matters and brought the doctor to Ming Shu’s side.

Ming Shu nodded, not thinking further about it.

After diagnosing the illness and writing a prescription, the doctor left.

Ming Shu’s condition wasn’t serious – just a common cold, but it came on suddenly with a high fever that wouldn’t break. After the doctor left, she went upstairs to rest. Fearing contagion, Lu Chang had her sleep in his room. Mother Zeng continuously applied cool compresses to her forehead, while Lu Chang himself went to fetch and brew medicine while also preparing dinner, never stopping for a moment.

Dinner was a soft porridge, and following the doctor’s instructions, she was to eat before taking medicine. Unfortunately, after eating half a bowl of porridge and taking the medicine, she unexpectedly vomited everything up, including both food and medicine. This left her even more weakened, with eyes red as if she’d been crying.

Lu Chang could no longer remain calm. In his twenty years of life, this was the first time he experienced such helplessness.

After cleaning up the mess on the floor, he rushed out to the medical clinic again, describing Ming Shu’s symptoms to the doctor. The doctor said it was a digestive disorder and wrote a new prescription. Lu Chang fetched the medicine and brewed it again.

After all this trouble, by the first watch of the night, Ming Shu finally managed to eat something and keep the medicine down, falling into a peaceful sleep.

“Mother, it’s very late. Please go to sleep. I’ll watch over Ming Shu,” Lu Chang said softly to Mother Zeng.

“Alright, call me if anything happens.” Mother Zeng tucked Ming Shu’s blanket in and left the room.

Lu Chang sat by the bedside watching her, gently brushing away strands of hair stuck to her cheek.

In the yellow candlelight, Ming Shu had lost all her usual vibrancy, appearing as fragile as a small boat in turbulent waves, seeming weightless. Yet the weight she placed on his heart surprised even him.

Though Ming Shu was in a daze, she never lost consciousness completely. She knew she had vomited after taking the medicine, making a mess of the room, and knew someone had been constantly by her side, changing her cold compress, giving her water, and feeding her medicine on schedule.

The fever-reducing medicine was given every two hours, and he never missed a single dose.

When she called out from the cold in the night, someone wrapped her tightly in thick blankets and held her close for warmth, just like her mother’s care during childhood illnesses, attending to her every need until dawn.

She didn’t know when she had fallen into deep sleep, but when the street vendors’ calls, noisy commotion, and hurried footsteps reached the upper floor, her consciousness gradually returned. Slowly opening her eyes, she found the sky outside was bright, though she wasn’t sure of the time. Turning her head, her gaze met a profile just inches away.

Lu Chang sat on the floor, napping with his head resting on his arm at her bedside, his half-loose hair scattered across the pillow and trapped under his arm.

Even in sleep, his brows were slightly furrowed, as if ready to wake at any moment.

In that instant, her chest felt warm with emotion.

Her brother had stayed up all night caring for her without even changing his clothes.

Lu Chang wasn’t sleeping deeply, and at the slight movement from the bed, he immediately opened his eyes.

His eyes were somewhat bloodshot, and when he met Ming Shu’s gaze, there was a moment of confusion before he quickly came to his senses. “You’re awake?” he asked while sitting up straight and reaching to feel her forehead.

Her forehead wasn’t as hot as yesterday, which finally gave him some relief.

“Brother, I’m fine now. What time is it? How long have I been sleeping?” Ming Shu asked as she slowly sat up.

Her body still felt sore, but it was much better than yesterday’s chaotic state.

“Just past noon. Mother has made porridge for you, it’s still warming on the stove. Would you like some?” Lu Chang said.

She had slept for quite a long time.

Ming Shu nodded, then held him back saying: “I can manage. Brother, go freshen up.” She gestured at her chin to indicate to him, “Your beard…”

Lu Chang touched his chin, feeling the sparse stubble that had emerged.

“Tomorrow is the Palace Announcement Ceremony, your big day. As the new First Place Scholar who achieved all three levels, you must look radiant when you enter the palace to meet the Emperor. You can’t appear before people with stubble.” Ming Shu said with a smile.

Lu Chang helped her sit properly and was about to speak when they both heard the sound of things being thrown and smashed downstairs.

“What’s happening?” Ming Shu asked puzzled.

With only Mother Zeng downstairs, Lu Chang didn’t know what had happened either, so he said: “I’ll go check. You rest.” With that, he went downstairs. Ming Shu sat alone in the room for a while, but hearing no one coming back up, she grew worried and got dressed to go downstairs.

Just reaching the bottom of the stairs, she saw Lu Chang blocking the main door, coldly telling those outside: “Take your things and leave.”

Outside were several well-dressed people who, despite Lu Chang’s harsh dismissal, remained extremely respectful and didn’t dare to act rashly. They just picked up the scattered gift boxes from the ground and presented them to Lu Chang again, saying: “Please calm down, Young Master. If you won’t accept the other items, that’s fine, but these are tonics that the Master specially sent after hearing about Lady Ming Shu’s illness. Please accept them so we can report back.”

Young Master?

Ming Shu sniffed – had the Lu family members come to their door?

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