Chapter 77 Invitation to the Hunting Party
In the Yangyi Palace of the Imperial Palace.
“Your Majesty, Doctor Chen and Miss Su are here.”
A little eunuch walked into the hall and whispered, for fear of disturbing Xia Hourui who was resting on the couch with his eyes closed.
Concubine Qin was leaning against the couch and rubbing the legs for Xia Hourui; hearing the words, she revealed a flicker of harsh countenance in her beautiful eyes.
Xia Hourui opened his eyes and said in a hoa.r.s.e voice, “Let them in.”
“Yes.”
Concubine Qin looked at Xia Hourui with a smile. “Your Majesty, Miss Su is skilled in medicine. I believe she’ll help you recover.”
Xia Hourui suddenly fainted during the compet.i.tion of Su Muge and Zhang Yue three days ago. At that time, Concubine Qin highly recommended that Su Muge should treat Xia Hourui but she was stopped by Xia Houmo.
Concubine Qin thought it would annoy Xia Hourui, but he seemed to be ignorant of this matter and had no change in his att.i.tude towards her.
Nevertheless, Concubine Qin felt even more upset about his reaction and had been taking good care of Xia Hourui these days.
Seeing that Xia Hourui’s att.i.tude towards her was really no different, she finally felt slightly relieved.
However, Concubine Qin resented Su Muge for her acting one way to her face and another behind her back!
Soon, Doctor Chen and Su Muge entered the hall one after another.
Learning that Su Muge was to treat the Emperor with him the day before yesterday, Deputy Director Chen was so angry that he immediately threw the centennial ginseng to the floor.
But it was the Emperor’s instruction after all; Doctor Chen had no guts to blatantly disobey the imperial edict.
“Pay my respects to you, Your Majesty.”
Concubine Qin helped Xia Hourui sit up, and Xia Hourui waved weakly at the two to let them get up.
“No need to serve me here. Go back to take a rest.” Xia Hourui looked at Concubine Qin and said.
Concubine Qin put on a slight smile on her face but clenched her hands in her sleeves. “Yes, Your Majesty. Please excuse my departure.”
After Concubine Qin left, Eunuch Yi closed the door of the hall, leaving only four of them in the room.
Xia Hourui glanced at Su Muge and Doctor Chen. “From now on, Su Muge, you’ll treat me with Doctor Chen, do you understand?”
Su Muge lowered her head. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Okay.”
Just as Su Muge was to check Xia Hourui, Doctor Chen suddenly covered his stomach with a painful groan.
“Ouch, it hurts …”
Eunuch Yi raised his eyebrows and could only step forward to support Doctor Chen. “Doctor Chen, what’s wrong with you?”
Doctor Chen frowned with his face wrinkled as a dehydrated chrysanthemum. “Ouch, please forgive me, Your Majesty. I suddenly had a stomachache. I’m afraid I’ve got a gastrointestinal problem.”
Xia Hourui exhaled heavily and said to Su Muge, “Go to see Doctor Chen.”
“Yes.”
Su Muge walked to Doctor Chen who gave a secret glare at her. He thought it was well concealed but was still caught sight of by Su Muge.
She reached out to take his pulse. Judged from the pulse, his stomach caught a cold indeed as well as a little inflammation.
Seeing Su Muge let go of his hand, Xia Hourui asked, “How’s he?”
“Your Majesty, Doctor Chen caught a cold, which affected his stomach. I’m afraid he has to recuperate for a few days.”
Hearing the words, Doctor Chen promptly knelt in front of Xia Hourui. “Your Majesty, please forgive me. It may be getting cold these days and I haven’t taken much notice …”
“Forget it. Stay at home for rest these days and come back when you are better.”
Doctor Chen kowtowed repeatedly to express his grat.i.tude. “Thank you very much, Your Majesty.”
And then he retreated with the help of two little eunuchs.
“Since Doctor Chen is unwell, you treat me by yourself.”
“Yes.”
“I took the blood sample of Your Majesty three days ago for research. It has been confirmed that the poison has been in your body for at least half a year.”
Xia Hourui put on a grave look. “Continue.”
“Your daily meals and tea must be carefully examined before being sent to you. If there is any problem, those people wouldn’t be fine now.”
Eunuch Yi also had no idea how Xia Hourui was poisoned; they had paid great attention to many details.
“In my opinion, we’d better find out the root cause of poisoning before detoxifying Your Majesty.”
Xia Hourui nodded. “I’ve already had it investigated secretly, but nothing has been found.”
Su Muge was not surprised by such an answer at all; she had already expected that the man must be somebody to be able to poison Xia Hourui without any notice.
“I’ll start my treatment to Your Majesty from today; I hope you can fully cooperate with me so as to maximize the therapeutic effect.”
Xia Hourui looked at her with interest. “You mean, I should listen to you during this period?”
Su Muge hurriedly said, “No offense, Your Majesty. I just hope you’ll try your best to cooperate in diet and rest so that you can recover faster.”
“Okay, I promise you.”
A patient’s promise to cooperate with the treatment was the best thing for a doctor.
Su Muge took out several lists.
“Here are some recipes of medicated diet for Your Majesty, as well as some notes and my treatment process.”
Eunuch Yi took it over from Su Muge and handed it to Xia Hourui.
After reading it, Xia Hourui laughed out loud.
“Little girl, you are very thoughtful.”
“According to the procedure you wrote, I shall take a medicated bath for the first three days?”
“Yes.”
Xia Hourui smiled at Eunuch Yi and threw the list to him. “Got it? Hurry to prepare it!”
Seeing Xia Hourui in a good mood, Eunuch Yi smilingly took it over and went out. “Yes.”
Eunuch Yi went to the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine in person and asked to brew the medicine according to the prescription. After everything was done, he supervised the medicated bathwater to be carried into Yangyi Palace.
“For the first three days, Your Majesty, you need to dredge the meridians and collaterals on your body to make detoxification easier later.”
Since the medicated bath was the only procedure for the first three days, Su Muge left the hall as soon as Xia Hourui came out of the bathtub.
Strolling outside the Yangyi Hall, Su Muge looked around in the small garden. It was autumn now, and the falling leaves appeared to be a little bit bleak.
But after crossing a semi-circular arch, she suddenly lit up her eyes.
“The flowers are blooming so gorgeously.”
Hearing her words, the little eunuch walking ahead said with a smile, “Miss Su, the Emperor likes the white orchids beside the bathing pool so much that he’ll go to see them in person every day.”
Su Muge slightly glanced at the few cl.u.s.ters of orchids without much attention.
“Miss Su, Miss Su, wait a minute.”
While Su Muge was following the eunuch out of the Palace, she was stopped halfway by a little palace maid.
The little maid ran to her and saluted to her while gasping. “Miss Su, it’s so nice to see you. These days our Princess has been worried about you. She wants to invite you to the hunting party on the 1st day next lunar month. Here’s the invitation.”
While speaking, the little maid put an invitation into Su Muge’s hand and turned around to take leave of her before she could see it clearly.
Su Muge felt the little palace maid quite familiar but just couldn’t bring it to mind for a moment. Could she be a maid in the palace of Ninth Princess?
“Miss Su, it’s getting late.” The eunuch reminded her in a low voice.
Su Muge looked at the setting sun; the Imperial Palace would be locked after sunset, and it would be impossible to get out without a token.
Su Muge stopped wondering and accepted the invitation. If she didn’t want to attend, she could just pretend to be sick on that day.
“Let’s go.”
Su Muge got on the carriage and returned to Su Mansion. As soon as she got off, two maids greeted her.
“Pay my respects to you, the eldest Miss.”
Su Muge looked at them and found they were Su Lun’s major maids, Sulian and Rouxin.
The two wouldn’t wait here for no reason; they must have been sent by Su Lun. “What’s up?”
The two were somewhat displeased with Su Muge’s indifferent att.i.tude, but considering her recent rise in status, they could only reply smilingly, “The eldest Miss, Madam Lin is here to thank you. She is in the main hall now accompanied by our Madam.”
“Madam Lin is here.” Su Muge felt a little surprised but reasonable. After leaving a prescription to Lin Mansion, she hadn’t been there for a few days.
“Yes, My Lord asks you to come over after coming back.”
Su Muge nodded. “I see.”
Seeing Su Muge carrying the medical kit, Suian reached out to help her carry it but was avoided by Su Muge.
“Go and call Yueru here.”
Refused by Su Muge, Sulian revealed some resentment in her eyes. After Rouxin gave her a wink, she went reluctantly to Peachblossom Courtyard to deliver the message.
Before they reached the main hall, Yueru ran over out of breath.
“Miss, you are back.”
Su Muge felt amused to see her flushed small face and reached out to hand her the medical kit.
“Wait outside after a while.”
“Yes.”
As soon as Su Muge arrived outside the main hall, a little maid came in to report.
“Madam, the eldest Miss is back.”
An was talking to Madam Lin; hearing this, she said with a smile, “Hurry to invite Miss in. Madam Lin has been waiting for her for a while.”
An’s words sounded to be joking but was actually blaming Su Muge for being so impolite to make the guest wait so long.
However, Madam Lin was too joyful to care anything about such formalities. Moreover, Su Muge had been treating the Emperor in the Imperial Palace.
On entering the hall, Su Muge saw Madam Lin sitting in the guest seat and looking at her with a smile.
Seeing Madam Lin’s expression, she knew that General Lin’s condition must have improved.
Su Muge stepped forward to salute but was immediately stopped by Madam Lin.
“It’s Okay. Don’t be over-courteous. I’m coming here to thank you today.”
Seeing Madam Lin being so polite to Su Muge, An thought of her perfunctory att.i.tude to her just now, and the smile on her face became a bit stiff.
“Thanks to Miss Su’s help a few days ago, I’m much better now. I come here today to express my grat.i.tude to you.”
Madam Lin asked her maids to bring in plenty of honorarium gifts as thanks.
Su Muge looked at the gifts with a much sincerer smile on her face. “Madam Lin, you’re being too courteous.”
After a few chats with Su Muge, Madam was ready to leave.
“Oh, by the way, I almost forget to say that there is a hunting party every year in the capital. You and your mother haven’t been there, right? I have an invitation for your mother. Let her join in the fun.” While speaking, Madam Lin took an invitation from her maid and handed it to Su Muge.
Su Muge looked at the invitation in her hand, which was a little different from the one she received in the Palace.
“It may not be to go hunting. In this clear and refreshing autumn weather, it’s also good to go outing for relaxation.”
Su Muge saw Madam Lin’s kindness and accepted the invitation.
“Thank you very much, Madam. Lin.”
Seeing Madam Lin giving the invitation to Zhao instead of her, An went so angry that she clenched her hands tightly and pinched her nails into her flesh without feeling any pain.
After seeing Madam Lin off, Su Muge returned to Peachblossom Courtyard.
Looking at Su Muge’s fading figure, An suddenly withdrew her smile on her face.
b.i.t.c.h, we’ll see how long you can be so proud!