The Beloved Imperial Consort - Chapter 71
Tang Yi Ru helplessly watched the imperial physician leave. She was so infuriated she threw away the porcelain pillow from the bed.
Charlatan. They were all charlatans! Looking at the bloody stain on the handkerchief, Tang Yi Ru’s heart was swallowed by terror.
Half a month ago, she has suddenly fainted in the courtyard. After waking up, she used the medicine. However, not only she didn’t get well, on the contrary, she became weak and feeble. Her whole body was covered by cold sweat and during the night she coughed incessantly. Now, she even started to cough up blood!
Two imperial physicians have diagnosed her. She drank medicine every day. Yet, there was no improvement in her illness.
The one who has just checked her pulse was already the third imperial physician. He, too, kept saying that her heart was distressed and that she has put too much tax on her mind. He only told her to properly use the medicine and recuperate with peace of mind.
Distressed heart and too much tax on her mind? She, Tang Yi Ru, was like a transparent person in this estate. What was there for her to be concerned about and exhaust her thoughts? It was clearly a severe illness! A blood-coughing illness. How many people could pull through that? The hateful fact was there was actually no one who was able to diagnose it!
Tang Yi Ru had speculation. This inexplicable illness was, most likely, a poison! Unfortunately, she couldn’t count on the imperial physicians. The only one in this estate who was able to detect any clues was only lady Qi.
Tang Hui Ru wanted to secretly harm her last time. She was able to escape only thanks to lady Qi’s wittiness. She didn’t know whether this time she will be also able to avoid her doom.
Tang Yi Ru hastily ordered people to go and ask for lady Qi. Yet, she waited and waited, but nobody came. In the end, a servant girl came to report that lady Qi has inadvertently caught a cold. She was currently on the best rest and recuperating.
Tang Yi Ru looked coldly at lady Qi’s personal maidservant, wishing to throttle her. Very well. The pair of master and servant were actually treating her like a fool.
The previous few times it was a headache and a mild fever. This time, she has caught a cold. She didn’t know lady Qi was so sickly.
“Little sister is bed-ridden twice every three days1. Should big sister ask for the imperial physician to take a look at her?” Tang Yi Ru lifted the hanging screen and entered inside along with Shu Mei while looking at the woman on the bed whose expression has abruptly changed. She sneered.
Lady Qi didn’t expect Tang shufei would disregard her face and burst in. She immediately knew it was no good, that things were going to turn bad.
She has repeatedly rejected her visits and alienated her, making her angry. She now came to look for her trouble.
Lady Qi pulled out a stiff smile. She coughed weakly for few times, “This servant thanks for shufei’s concern. These are all small ailments. Nothing a recuperation won’t make better. There’s no need for the imperial physician.”
“We can’t drag the small ailments, can we?” Tang Yi Ru took lady Qi’s hand and looked straight into her eyes, “Or perhaps, little sister is not worried about touching a filthy thing?”
Lady Qi shook inside. She instantly understood that Tang Yi Ru became suspecting something.
No wonder she burst in so hastily and anxiously. Her life was at stake. She naturally won’t be able to sit still.
“That’s very kind of you to say so. This servant has been merely chilled by the wind. A little sweating will make this servant better.”
Regardless of whether Tang Yi Ru could ultimately obtain the clues, the information absolutely mustn’t come from her, otherwise, a disaster will befall her.
Lady Qi clenched her teeth and coped with Tang Yi Ru, playing it so well that not one drop of water could leak out2. However, her heart squeezed tightly.
Not understanding the facts, the terror of never knowing the truth. Just like the present Tang Yi Ru. She still suspected some woman wanted to hurt her. Lady Qi looked at Tang Yi Ru’s panicked heart that was forcefully suppressed under her cool facade. All of a sudden, she felt a desolateness of a fox who grieved fort rabbit’s death3.
Although she understood that the reason why Tang Yi Ru would incur upon herself such a calamity was certainly because she has violated his Highness’s taboo, however, she was still terrified inside the heart. His sixth Highness had turned a blind eye to women in the inner yard. He did not pity them at all. Now, he has even hardened his heart. Perhaps, in the entire inner yard, only that one from Danruo Courtyard was able to make his heart soften and carry her in his mind.
The more lady Qi thought the more saddened she became. Suddenly, she felt that none of her previous wishful thinkings could compare to living well. Contentedly living in her courtyard was always better than to end up dead like the woman in front of her.
Tang Yi Ru exerted all the possible tricks, yet she was unable to get any information from lady Qi. Seeing her play the fool even when she hinted at her, she could only go back with a cold face.
Since then, Tang Yi Ru’s condition has become worse and worse. In the end, she coughed up blood each day, unable to get out of bed.
In Danruo Courtyard, Mu Xi Yao has heard that Tang Yi Ru has again punished servant girls. She inwardly shook her head. That woman behaved more and more foolish as time went.
Tang Yi Ru naturally knew that it was bad this time. After venting restlessly her emotions these days, she was occasionally able to cool down and think deeply after which she would faintly detect some clues.
This strange illness was, she was afraid, to some extent related to that night that has made her disturbed for a long time.
In the end, she didn’t manage to break herself away from Tang Hui Ru’s calculation? Whose hand did she borrow to hurt her?
Lying on the bed, Tang Yi Ru gazed at the flickering candle outside the veil. Her expression gradually became dazed.
If she hasn’t let go of her older di sister’s hand at the bank of Wei Shui pond on that year, how would things look now?
Inside Danruo Courtyard, Zhong Zheng Lin took Mu Xi Yao’s hand and was about to settle down. However, he saw Zhao momo hastily come to report that shufei from Shuhui Courtyard was in poor health. She forcibly hung in there, seeking to see his Highness and cefei.
Zhong Zheng Lin’s expression was cold. He took the cloak passed by Mo Lan and draped it over Mu Xi Yao’s shoulders. Afterward, he gave her the hand stove so that she could cover her hands with it. Only then he did go over with her.
The woman lying flatly on the bed had a wretched appearance. Her expression was haggard.
“Your Highness.” It was already difficult for Tang Yi Ru to speak out. She has only called the man, yet her breathing was already disarrayed.
“Qie…is able to see your Highness in the end.” As soon as the words were said, tears rolled down from Tang Yi Ru’s eyes. The man standing in front of her was the only person she ever loved. Yet, she was never able to get close to him.
“Why is your Highness not willing to take a bit more pity on qie? The way your Highness treats qie cannot compare to one in a thousandth of how your Highness treats cefei.” The woman with short-breath looked mournful. Her face was a mask of pain. She looked straight at Zhong Zheng Lin. Her eyes never shifted.
Seeing her want to get the answer at all costs, Mu Xi Yao only felt there was nothing more foolish in this world than this.
Mu Xi Yao from the previous life was like this. Tang Yi Ru of this lifetime was also like this.
From start to finish, Zhong Zheng Lin didn’t give Tang Yi Ru a glance. He stood there with his hand held behind the back, his eyes were placed on the bauhinia inside the room.
“Bendian’s shufei is the first miss of Tang House. What does it have to do with you?” Zhong Zheng Lin’s voice was neither too fast nor too slow. But to Tang Yi Ru, it was as if she has been, in a split second, struck by lightning, making her collapse to the bed.
The imperial physician waiting outside quickly went in to apply needles. Chaos erupted inside the room.
Zhong Zheng Lin didn’t wait for the imperial physician’s report. He directly took Mu Xi Yao’s hand and went back.
Holding the little woman’s soft body, Zhong Zheng Lin finally felt more comfortable.
Tang House taught well their daughters. Both of them were ridiculous. Fortunately, there was Mu Xi Yao who was all he wished for. Otherwise, just these women of inner yard, they were simply all unbearable.
Mu Xi Yao’s little face rubbed against Zhong Zheng Lin’s chest. She found a cozy position and fell asleep on her own.
On the afternoon of the following day, news about Tang shufei passing away spread out from Shuhui Courtyard.
Since shufei passed away, the imperial prince’s estate has dispatched people to send the message to Tang House.
When sir Tang received news, he immediately rushed to the prince’s estate from the Ministry of Revenue. However, a quarter an hour later, he came out with a pale complexion and swayingly exited the entrance.
Earlier on, madam Tang has learned that her daughter was gone. Her eyes were already red and swollen from crying. Seeing him return to the estate, she threw herself on him and wailed till her heart was going to tear and lungs were going to split.
“Yu Zhi, this matter cannot be mentioned anymore. Otherwise, a great calamity will befall upon us.” Sir Tang, looking at his wife’s crazed appearance and soundly questioning, could only endure the great pain in his heart and comfort her over and over again.
He had two sons and three daughters. Now, two of his three daughters were gone and the whereabouts of the remaining one was unknown. When people reached their middle age, how can they not be pained to see their daughters successively pass away before them?
If it wasn’t for Qin Ru’s obsession, risking her life to assume other’s name and place, there won’t be today’s tragedy.
Recalling how has his Highness thrown before him the letter personally written by Tang Hui Ru with a cold face, sir Tang felt remorse and shame. Tears coursed down from his aged eyes. It was all him. He didn’t educate well his daughters. He didn’t educate well his daughters!
Translation notes:
[1] Twice every three days is a Chinese idiom meaning practically every day, frequently
[2] Not one drop of water can leak out is a Chinese idiom meaning foolproof
[3] If the rabbit dies, the fox grieves is a Chinese idiom meaning to have sympathy with a like-minded person in distress
