novelraw Chapter 484 The Little Princess Is Sick Again
Chapter 484 The Little Princess Is Sick Again
The Wetnurse Nanny trembled as she knelt, terrified. Actually, the Noble Consort usually isn’t picky about these things. So why now? Why couldn’t even this little mistake be overlooked?Noble Concubine Shih just sneered.
"The Princess is already frail. What if she can’t sleep and starts crying from all this noise, and falls ill again?"
The Wetnurse Nanny hurried to offer comfort. "Noble Consort, you needn’t worry. The Little Princess is naturally well-behaved; she never fusses..."
That sentence shattered Noble Concubine Shih’s heart once more.
Never fusses? A child of three or four months that never fusses—isn’t that strange?
The Little Princess hadn’t even had her hundred-day celebration due to her weak constitution, nor had she been named. They didn’t dare to hold it, fearing it might be too auspicious for her to bear. Now, they could only concentrate on nurturing her carefully.
The Imperial Physician said that she would only begin to recover and grow stronger after she turned one.
But one year old... that’s still so far off!
Noble Concubine Shih felt very irritable.
"Enough, enough!"
She couldn’t be bothered to fuss over these Wetnurse Nannies anymore, so she issued a stern warning.
"You are serving the Little Princess and should prioritize her health. If I find you neglecting your duties again... I have plenty of ways to deal with you!"
The Wetnurse Nannies shivered with fear.
"We dare not do it again!"
Noble Concubine Shih, losing patience, waved her hand dismissively. "All of you, leave!"
Only after the Wetnurse Nannies came out, flustered and in a panic, did they dare to wipe off their cold sweat.
...
Days in July passed by, and in a few more days, it would be the Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Xia Ruqing thought back to last year’s Ghost Festival, when someone had dressed up as a ghost to scare her. Back then, she was heavily pregnant and wasn’t even afraid. Noble Concubine Shih had intended to make her miscarry, but she didn’t succeed. In the end, it was Lady Zhou who took the blame. Poor Lady Zhou lost her life just like that. The deaths caused by Noble Concubine Shih since she entered the palace weren’t just this one. Isn’t she afraid of retribution? The Little Princess has been in her care for so long and is still not in good health. Is it true affection, or is Noble Concubine Shih deluding herself? She cares for the Little Princess merely as a means to vie for favor. Where is the true love in that? It’s a pity for Shih Jieyu; it’s said Noble Concubine Shih won’t even let her see the Little Princess. Truly...
...
As the Ghost Festival approached, the Little Princess fell ill again. For some unknown reason, she had a high fever.
Imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau arrived in droves, each taking their turn to feel her pulse, but none could pinpoint the cause. Some said she had been frightened, some said she caught a cold, and others suggested she might have stomach trouble from something she ate. The opinions were many and varied, but each made sense in its own way.
A group of Imperial Physicians discussed back and forth, none convincing the others. Thus, the physicians dared not prescribe medicine too confidently. The child was too young; the slightest mistake could be devastating. In the end, they could only recommend some conventional fever patches to try first.
Noble Concubine Shih, as if she had received a divine remedy, took the medicine, personally watched as it was prepared, and then personally administered it to the Little Princess, little by little.
However, two Shi Chen after the medicine was administered, it was of no avail. The fever persisted.
Noble Concubine Shih panicked and immediately sent someone to call the Emperor.
...
That night, Zhao Junyao was staying with Xia Ruqing. She was sleeping very soundly.
When Zhao Junyao got up, he moved gently, trying not to wake her. But how could she not notice when the person beside her was moving? She immediately asked in a half-asleep daze, "Emperor? Is it dawn yet? What time is it?"
Zhao Junyao patted her. "It’s nothing. The hour is still early. Continue to sleep!"
She’s a concubine of Pin rank, and she watched over the child during the day; she must be exhausted. Rest is what she needs; there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, a Little Princess fell ill; they couldn’t possibly expect a high-ranking consort to stay up all night, could they?
Xia Ruqing obediently nestled into the spot where he had lain and continued to sleep with her eyes squinted shut.
...
Leaving Qingya Residence, Zhao Junyao walked in the moonlight, heading for Xifu Palace. The Xifu Palace was still brightly lit in the latter half of the night. The Imperial Physicians were enduring it, their eyes reddened.
Noble Concubine Shih came out to meet him, her face fatigued, wiping away tears. "Emperor! The Little Princess began to run a high fever at night. This concubine hurriedly called the Imperial Physicians, but even after the medicine was given, it had no effect!"
She truly did not know what to do!
Zhao Junyao frowned and went inside. The Imperial Physicians instinctively knelt in a row, prepared to accept the Emperor’s punishment—a ’scolding’ at best, or a ’beating with the rod’ at worst.
But who would have known? After all that waiting, the Emperor actually did not punish them! He sighed and merely instructed, "Do your utmost, that’s all!"
Then, he stood up to leave. Noble Concubine Shih wept as she knelt before the Emperor. "Emperor, it’s all this concubine’s fault! If anything were to happen to the Little Princess... this concubine deserves a thousand deaths!"
Zhao Junyao gazed at her, his eyes unreadable as they flickered between light and shadow. It took a good while before he finally answered, "It’s not your fault. I know you’ve tried your best!"
Having said this, he still turned and walked away.
Apart from some heartache for the Little Princess, his heart was devoid of other sentiments—no blame, no accusation. There used to be such feelings. His cousin, vivacious and clever, had grown up with him, and he had been very fond of her. When she erred, when she did foolish things, he would feel angry, and it would also cause him pain. But now, all of that was gone. She had committed too many foolish acts, too many for him to grieve over. Or perhaps, he simply stopped caring. He was unclear about it and unwilling to figure it out. In any case, it was immaterial. This was her only child now. The fact of her frailty was undeniable, just as the Imperial Physicians being at their wits’ end was a fact. If she survived, it would be a stroke of fortune; if not, then it would be the will of Heaven. As for the Noble Consort... well, she would have to fend for herself!
With that thought, Zhao Junyao proceeded back to Zhaochen Palace.
...
Noble Concubine Shih knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly. Not from sorrow for the Little Princess, but from sorrow for herself. If the Little Princess were to die under her care again, then she might as well give up any hope of having children of her own in this lifetime. The one she bore was simple-minded. And a child born to others, given to her, she had failed to raise. Although the Little Princess was premature, she had been well for four months; yet she still faced death. It meant her care was inadequate; there was no other reason. This was indeed the case.
After crying for a while, Noble Concubine Shih hurriedly got up and fiercely issued an ultimatum to the group of Imperial Physicians: "If anything happens to the Little Princess, I will have your entire families’ lives!"
The group of Imperial Physicians were terrified. However, some harbored resentment in their hearts. She was merely a Noble Consort, and her tone was somewhat presumptuous, not like the Emperor’s. Still, even if they resented it, they dared not neglect their duty. They were not treating just any consort’s illness but the Princess, the Emperor’s own flesh and blood. So, everyone endured it, as angering the Noble Consort would do no good.
...
That night was exceedingly restless for Noble Concubine Shih, and Shih Jieyu, who also resided in Xifu Palace, was equally distressed.
The main hall was ablaze with lights and bustling with activity as one Imperial Physician arrived after another. She was not foolish; how could she not understand the situation? Yet, even though she realized, she dared not go there. The Princess belonged to the Noble Consort now. The Noble Consort was her mother.