Chapter 317: Mo Lingwei’s Old Illness Flares Up Fiercely
Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Mo Lingwei’s Old Illness Flares Up Fiercely
Second Master Xie’s gaze grew complicated as he zoned out.
He recalled that Xie Yuanjiu had only sent him two letters in the past few months.
Each time, she just reported that she was safe. Beyond that, she never mentioned whether her life was actually going well or not.
’My daughter is a person of strong character,’ he thought. ’She knows she did wrong, so even if life is hard, she won’t come crying to me.’
But now, hearing Second Madam Xie say that Xie Yuanjiu had been trying to do good deeds...
As a father, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
No matter how much he despised Second Madam Xie, Xie Yuanjiu was, after all, his only child.
The candle on the desk burned down its wick. With a POP, the flame flickered.
Second Master Xie let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine. In that case, I promise you. Once Big Brother is home after this busy period, I’ll talk to him about Yuan Jiu’s situation."
Second Madam Xie was overjoyed.
"Wonderful, wonderful!" she said, ecstatic. "Husband, you absolutely must not forget."
Second Master Xie lifted his cold gaze to look at her.
"However, I have my conditions."
"The reason Yuan Jiu was punished by Big Brother and sent back to our old home was because she made a grave mistake in the palace and even tried to shift the blame onto Ningning."
"If Big Brother agrees to let her return to the Capital City, then after she comes back, you must have her go and apologize to Ningning."
The flame of joy in Second Madam Xie’s heart was instantly doused as if by a bucket of cold water.
Her face froze. "Apologize to the Commandery Princess..."
Second Master Xie’s expression immediately sharpened. "You’re unwilling?"
Second Madam Xie hastily changed her tune. "How could I be? My husband has considered everything thoroughly."
Second Master Xie had no desire to say another word to her, so Second Madam Xie tactfully left the study.
Once she was a little farther away, under a lantern in the corridor, she resentfully wrung her handkerchief.
She cursed under her breath, "Make my Yuan Jiu apologize to Shen Ningning? Pah! Who does she think she is?"
If it weren’t for Shen Ningning, her daughter would never have been driven out of the Capital City.
’It seems,’ she thought, ’that before Xie Yuanjiu returns, I have to find a way to make the Xie family despise Shen Ningning.’
As Second Madam Xie was pondering this, she walked to the front courtyard and saw Xie Ming’an hurrying back, travel-stained.
She quickly hid behind a nearby pillar.
Xie Ming’an wore a dark blue cloak with a white fox fur collar, which made his expression seem even more cold and imposing.
He had just rushed back from handling a case in the Capital region and hadn’t been back to the mansion for several days.
Unexpectedly, his first words upon returning were to the doorman: "Has Shen Ningning been back recently?"
The doorman answered truthfully, "The Commandery Princess has not been back, and the Master has also been too busy to return home for several days."
Xie Ming’an frowned imperceptibly and tossed his riding crop to the doorman.
"Understood. You may go."
After he left, Second Madam Xie emerged from behind the pillar.
A sharp glint flashed in her eyes.
’Just now, when I saw Xie Ming’an, I remembered—in this mansion, besides me, Xie Ming’an is the one who hates Shen Ningning the most!’
’If I want the Xie family to hate Shen Ningning, Xie Ming’an is the perfect opening!’
...
Mo Lingwei’s chill malady had flared up.
When Shen Ningning heard the news, she was in class at the National Academy.
On the platform, Mr. Han was discussing how Changling had taken advantage of their vulnerability to launch an attack on the border.
As he was passionately expressing his indignation, Chen Shaobei pushed open the door and entered.
"Miss Shen!" Chen Shaobei’s face was grave, his tone urgent. "The Crown Prince is ill. The Emperor has ordered me to escort you to the palace."
Shen Ningning was taken aback and quickly stood up.
The two of them bowed to Mr. Han in farewell before hurrying off together.
The carriage to the Imperial Palace moved extremely fast.
Shen Ningning’s small body swayed with the motion, and the Jade Rabbit Lantern Hairpin tucked in her black hair continuously refracted a cool, shimmering light.
"Brother Bei, the last time I left the Imperial Palace, I left behind a bundle of Spirit Grass. Did it not work?"
Chen Shaobei lifted a corner of the curtain, and a frigid wind carrying ice and snow flew in.
The white rabbit fur around Shen Ningning’s neck swayed slightly.
Chen Shaobei’s low voice was tinged with gravity.
"It’s no longer working. Actually, His Highness never wanted us to tell you."
"At first, a single stalk of Spirit Grass was enough to give him immediate relief."
"But the later it got, the more severe the attacks of the chill malady became. It reached a point where even taking four stalks of Spirit Grass at once couldn’t stop it."
"The last time, we gave His Highness all ten stalks of Spirit Grass you left, but unexpectedly, he still showed symptoms of the cold poison flaring up."
Shen Ningning’s heart dropped, and her small, round face turned deathly pale.
’How could Brother Ling Wei’s illness be getting worse and worse?’
’And by the looks of it, I’ll have to provide even more Spirit Grass.’
’But I already sent the newest batch of Spirit Grass from the Immortal Realm to the border to support Xie Mingxu and the army.’
’Right now, the Spirit Grass in the Immortal Realm is still growing.’
’What am I going to use to save Mo Lingwei?’
By the time the little one arrived at Zichen Palace with Chen Shaobei, the Emperor was in the middle of raging at all the Imperial Physicians.
On the White Jade Steps, beyond the imposing golden eaves of the palace hall, the sky was grim and overcast.
The Emperor’s furious voice was as if it had been magnified a thousand times.
"Every single one of you claims to be a master physician, boasting that you come from hundred-year-old lineages of medical families, but you can’t even cure the Crown Prince’s illness after all these years!"
"What use do I have for any of you? Get out! All of you, get out!"
The Imperial Physicians staggered away.
The Emperor’s gloomy gaze landed on Shen Ningning’s small figure, and a spark of hope ignited.
"Ningning, little Ningning, you’re finally here! Do you have any more Spirit Grass? Bring some more out, save Ling Wei’s life!"
The Emperor’s voice trembled. "This attack is so severe. His whole body is as cold as a block of ice."
Shen Ningning pressed her pink lips together. "Uncle Emperor, let me see Brother Ling Wei’s condition first."
The Emperor quickly cleared a path.
Upon entering, she saw that the underfloor heating was burning intensely and six braziers had been placed around the room.
Even so, as Shen Ningning approached the bed, she saw a layer of frost on Mo Lingwei’s eyebrows and eyelashes.
His complexion was cold and pale, as if he were merely asleep.
’He took ten stalks of Spirit Grass, and it had no effect at all.’
’An ordinary person who took ten stalks would have long since felt an unbearable, fiery burning inside their body.’
’But it couldn’t even alleviate Mo Lingwei’s symptoms...’
Shen Ningning stood up, frowning.
"Uncle Emperor, based on his condition, I’ll need to use at least twenty stalks of Spirit Grass for Brother Ling Wei."
"But... I’ve been sending Spirit Grass to the border recently, so I don’t have twenty stalks on hand right now."
’Even if they grow in the Immortal Realm, it takes two days for a new batch to sprout.’
The Emperor was devastated. His eyes widened as he mumbled, "Then... then what do we do? Is there really no other way?"
Shen Ningning comforted him, telling him not to worry.
The little one asked Chen Shaobei to run an errand for her: to go to her shop and bring back all the remaining Spirit Grass that was set aside for making soup.
She kept a stock at her shop.
Before Chen Shaobei left, Shen Ningning instructed, "Also, tell Aunt Yun that we can’t open the stall to help the common people as usual tomorrow. Have her close the shop for three days."
Chen Shaobei looked at Shen Ningning with a complicated expression and slowly nodded. "Alright."
The Emperor sat by the bed, watching as Mo Lingwei’s face remained frozen, covered in frost.
He was burning with anxiety, wishing he could suffer in his son’s place.
In that short moment, memorials reporting avalanches in several counties were delivered to the Imperial Palace by express riders.
Overwhelmed by state affairs and a relapsing Crown Prince, the Emperor’s eyes grew red.
"Why must the heavens’ tribulations fall upon my son? What have I done wrong to invite such a divine punishment?"
Shen Ningning sat beside Mo Lingwei, watching the Emperor’s haggard and weary figure.
She couldn’t help but sigh along with him. Just then, a eunuch rushed in from outside and announced joyfully, "Your Majesty, Chancellor Xie has brought the Divine Doctor, Sima Han!"