After a day and night of utter abandon, ng Qianqian slept through another day and night. It wasn’t until the morning of the third day that she finally regained her strength.
Never again would she recklessly eat anything Princess Wanping gave her. The aftereffects were just too overwhelming.
Her body had recovered, but sorting through the specific mories of that chaotic day and night would take so ti.
It wasn’t the part where she overpowered soone with brute force, but rather certain things she had said to Lu Yuan.
Did Lu Yuan ntion Lu Lingxiao?
There also seed to be sothing about Chu Nan.
ng Qianqian pressed her temples and murmured, "Think quickly. Co on, think."
"Miss! Miss! Sothing has happened!"
Outside, Ban Xia’s panicked voice echoed urgently.
Soon after ca Nanny Wan’s voice: "Oh dear, Ban Xia, lower your voice a bit! The young lady has been recuperating in her room these past two days. Young Master explicitly instructed, if sothing’s wrong, go find him."
Ban Xia replied anxiously, "What’s the use of finding the Young Master? He’s not a physician!"
ng Qianqian opened the door. "Who’s fallen ill? Is it Changle or Wuyou?"
Ban Xia answered, "It’s the Second Miss! Miss, what’s wrong with you? Nanny Wan said you were recuperating... Are you ill too?"
Though she was worried about Miss Changle, her primary concern was still ng Qianqian.
"I’m fine," ng Qianqian said. "I’ll go check on Changle. Tell about her condition as we go."
She stepped out of the room.
Ban Xia hurried into the room and grabbed a cloak. "Miss, put this cloak on first."
"Alright, I’ll put it on myself."
While tying the silk ribbon on the cloak, ng Qianqian briskly headed outside.
Ban Xia followed close behind, explaining, "Second Miss played in the snow with the Young Master yesterday afternoon. She coughed a couple of tis during dinner, saying she’d choked a bit. I should’ve been more alert then... I was on night watch last night. Second Miss ntioned being cold, so I added an extra quilt and a brazier. But this morning, she woke up with a high fever and couldn’t get out of bed."
"Got it." ng Qianqian stepped into Shang Changle’s room.
Shang Changle lay in bed, her lips pale, her face flushed, and her breaths heavy and labored.
Shang Wuyou stood grimly by her bedside, his brows furrowed tightly.
ng Qianqian addressed Shang Wuyou, "Wuyou, I am a physician. Let check Changle’s pulse."
Shang Wuyou shielded his sister protectively. "Don’t you dare touch my sister! I don’t trust you!"
ng Qianqian replied calmly, "If you don’t trust , I can summon an Imperial Physician from the palace."
Shang Wuyou shot back icily, "Imperial Physician? Whoever you bring will obviously be your ally! She was perfectly fine at the Thousand chanism Pavilion; ever since you dragged her here, her health has deteriorated day by day. You claim to care about her well-being, but if you truly cared for her, you’d let us return to the Pavilion! If you need a hostage so badly, take ! Just let my sister go back!"
Ban Xia tried persuading him, "Young Master, the Miss certainly wouldn’t harm the Second Miss. The Second Miss is this unwell—let’s prioritize treating her first."
Shang Wuyou snapped, "I am not your family’s ’Young Master.’"
ng Qianqian furrowed her brows slightly. "Are you saying she’s been unwell for so ti now?"
Shang Wuyou replied, "She’s had several episodes of chest pain."
ng Qianqian’s expression darkened. "And why didn’t you ntion this earlier?"
Shang Wuyou retorted warily, "Why would I tell you?"
ng Qianqian said sternly, "If it were just an ordinary cold, even without my treatnt, she might have gotten through it herself. But chest pains? Those aren’t minor! By delaying this long, Shang Wuyou, are you trying to get your sister killed?"
Shang Wuyou said, "I have dicine."
ng Qianqian pressed, "Where is the dicine?"
Shang Wuyou replied, "She’s run out. So do you understand now? She must return to the Pavilion. Without that dicine, she’ll die!"
ng Qianqian asked, "So, she’s had a congenital heart condition?"
This brat—always doling out information bit by bit! Couldn’t he just explain everything at once?
In a steely tone, ng Qianqian commanded, "Now listen to carefully. Answer whatever I ask, and tell every single illness your sister has had since her birth—no omissions!"
Shang Wuyou turned his face away, clearly unwilling to listen.
ng Qianqian asked Ban Xia, "Has my grandfather returned to the mansion?"
Ban Xia answered, "He’s back. Are you planning to summon the Miao King? I’ll go right away!"
ng Qianqian paused for a mont and called out, "Tan’er!"
From the neighboring courtyard, Tan’er responded, "Got it! Off to fetch Grandfather Miao!"
She hopped away energetically toward her task.
ng Qianqian turned back to Shang Wuyou. "Now, are you going to step aside willingly, or wait until my grandfather arrives to beat you up before yielding?"
Shang Wuyou did have a healthy fear of the Miao King.
He’d heard that the Miao King had been out of the mansion for the past couple of days, which was the only reason he felt emboldened to act so defiantly toward ng Qianqian.
Reluctantly, he moved aside.
ng Qianqian stepped up to the bed.
Shang Wuyou edged closer again. "Even if it costs my life, I won’t let my sister out of my sight."
ng Qianqian replied, "Suit yourself."
She wasn’t about to do anything underhanded to Shang Changle, so it didn’t bother her if Shang Wuyou wanted to stare at her every move.
ng Qianqian checked Shang Changle’s pulse, lifted her eyelids to examine her pupils, and finally opened her mouth to inspect her tongue coating.
"Miss, how is the Second Miss? It’s not serious, right?"
Ban Xia asked softly.
Having tended to Shang Changle over these past few days, Ban Xia had grown quite fond of her.
Shang Changle was unpretentious, never made things difficult for the servants, and was a kind and gentle soul.
Shang Wuyou scoffed, "You couldn’t figure out anything, could you? Your dical skills are nowhere near as good as the physicians at the Thousand chanism Pavilion!"
ng Qianqian didn’t argue with him and instead instructed Ban Xia, "Notify Steward Cen to head to the Myriad Blossom Tower and invite Lady Yan here."
"Understood."
Ban Xia quickly departed.
ng Qianqian tucked Shang Changle’s hand gently back under the quilt and smoothed the edges. "Now, you can start talking. What illnesses has your sister had, and what symptoms has she exhibited?"
-
Since Pri Minister Xun’s downfall, business at the Myriad Blossom Tower had suffered a severe blow. In recent days, almost no clients dared to visit.
Lady Yan sat alone in her room, practicing the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles.
"Master, soone from the Governor Mansion has arrived."
The servant inford her.
"I’m not seeing anyone."
Lady Yan responded.
The servant hesitated. "It’s Steward Cen."
Lady Yan slamd the table and barked, "I said I’m not seeing anyone!"
The servant trembled. "Understood, I’ll send them away right now!"
Sothing dawned on her, and she called him back. "Wait. Ask who sent him."
Not long after, the servant returned and reported to her, "Master, Steward Cen said it was the young Madam Lu who invited you."
Lady Yan set her silver needle down. "Prepare the carriage."
-
Half an hour later, two carriages stopped at the gates of the Governor Mansion.
Steward Cen got out and personally lifted the carriage curtain for Lady Yan, but she stepped down on her own.
Standing on the icy stone bricks, she glanced up at the grand and imposing plaque overhead, a flicker of complexity glimring in her eyes. "Lead the way."
Steward Cen offered her a mask with both hands. "The young Madam requested that you wear it. She said you’re an old acquaintance of hers."
Lady Yan replied, "It’s unnecessary."
Steward Cen had no choice but to put the mask away and lead her to the courtyard where the twins resided.
The mont Lady Yan saw Shang Wuyou and Shang Changle, she instantly understood why ng Qianqian had suggested the mask.
At the sa ti, Shang Wuyou’s eyes landed on her. "Elder Yan?"
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