Chapter 141: Anger Unleashed

It wasn’t until the Eighth Prince and the Tenth Prince burst into Qimeng Garden accompanied by imperial physicians that Yan Yan realized the Ninth Prince was ill. She widened her eyes and looked at the Tenth Prince, her voice trembling as she asked, “Is His Highness alright? Is it serious? Where is he now? I must see him.”

After speaking, Yan Yan glanced anxiously at Dong E’s wife standing behind the two princes. “Madam, I will accept any punishment for breaking my confinement later. Please let me see His Highness now.”

The Tenth Prince looked at Yan Yan’s expression and felt a deep pang of emotion. Such a response truly showed that she was the one closest to the Ninth Prince’s heart. Those concubines who had retreated at the mere mention of the plague deserved nothing less than a harsh reprimand.

Of course, the Tenth Prince could not punish them on behalf of the Ninth Prince at this moment, but he had already made a silent resolution. Once the Ninth Prince awoke, he would make a thorough complaint.

Seeing the Tenth Prince remain silent, Dong E’s wife spoke with a sly tone, “You should check yourself carefully first; don’t catch the illness now that His Highness is recovering.”

The Tenth Prince glanced back at Dong E’s wife, then hurriedly said to Yan Yan, who was visibly trembling, “Yes, dear sister-in-law, quickly have the imperial physicians examine the children as well. If it is indeed the plague, that would be very troublesome!”

Yan Yan seemed not to hear the Tenth Prince’s words at all. She stepped forward, raising her voice a few degrees, “The plague? What plague? What kind of illness is that? I was told it’s just a fever.”

Her emotions surged. What kind of nonsense was this plague? Could it be contagious? She cursed herself for not having access to the internet earlier to look it up and could only keep questioning the Tenth Prince. The Tenth Prince was somewhat bewildered by her questions and looked pleadingly at the Eighth Prince.

The Eighth Prince frowned slightly at Yan Yan’s behavior and spoke sternly, “Yan, now is not the time to dwell on this. Have the imperial physicians examine you and the children immediately. If it is the plague, we cannot afford any delay.”

Yan Yan turned to the Eighth Prince, her brows knotted tightly and her tone sharp, “Now is precisely the time I must ask. You are concerned whether the plague will spread to the capital, but I only care about His Highness’s life. Your grand entrance here—does it not mean His Highness’s condition is dire?”

The Eighth Prince looked at Yan Yan in surprise, never expecting her to speak so bluntly. But Yan Yan paid no heed to his shock and turned directly to the Tenth Prince, shouting, “Where is His Highness?”

The Tenth Prince was momentarily stunned by her outburst, then pointed toward the study room. Yan Yan took a deep breath and turned to Cui’er. “Cui’er, I leave the children to you and Nurse Song. If anything happens, come find Tenth Prince. He will not let anything happen to His Highness’s children.”

Her eyes never left the Tenth Prince. At this moment, the only person she could trust was the brother who was closest to the Ninth Prince.

The Tenth Prince stared at Yan Yan for a while, still unsure how to respond. Yan Yan strode purposefully toward the study without hesitation. The Tenth Prince hurried after her.

When Yan Yan rushed into the Ninth Prince’s study, the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes were discussing the Ninth Prince’s treatment plan with Chen Danian and two imperial physicians in the outer chamber. The concubines who had been attending to him in the bedroom had already left, so Yan Yan’s sudden entrance startled them.

The Fourteenth Prince immediately stepped forward to block her, “Sister-in-law, the Ninth Prince’s condition is severe. You cannot enter freely.”

Yan Yan looked at the Fourteenth Prince and asked bluntly, “Why not?”

The Fourteenth Prince was at a loss for words. The Thirteenth Prince stepped forward, “His Highness’s illness has not yet been diagnosed, so we cannot confirm whether it is contagious.”

“I am not afraid!” Yan Yan glanced at the Thirteenth Prince, spat out those three words, and then entered the bedroom. The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes exchanged glances. Actually, Yan Yan was not without fear, but her desire to see the Ninth Prince outweighed everything. She also knew that the Ninth Prince would not die here. Even if history had changed, if he were to die here, she could not run away from it. After all, if history changed, she would be the prime culprit.

So Yan Yan walked in without hesitation. Seeing the Ninth Prince lying weakly on the bed, his normally lively and handsome face now pale and drained of color, her eyes instantly moistened. She approached him in disbelief and took his hand.

The moment she held it, Yan Yan was stunned. The Ninth Prince’s hand was burning hot, and his forehead was equally scorching. She looked at the imperial physicians outside in astonishment. “His Highness has a fever? Why isn’t it being reduced?”

Wang Quan’er, who had been attending to the Ninth Prince, could no longer hold back tears upon seeing Yan Yan rush in. She hurried forward, sobbing, “Madam, the imperial physicians have tried every method, but the fever won’t subside. Today is already the third day. I truly fear—”

“Why wasn’t I told earlier?” Yan Yan widened her eyes at Wang Quan’er. The Ninth Prince had been burning like this for three days, and she hadn’t known a thing—not a single hint.

Wang Quan’er was speechless, unsure how to answer. Fortunately, Yan Yan did not dwell on the question. It was merely an unconscious demand. Yet, once voiced, Yan Yan calmed herself. She knew the most urgent need was to bring down the fever, but these imperial physicians dared not act rashly without the Kangxi Emperor’s decree.

Holding the Ninth Prince’s burning hand, Yan Yan’s mind raced, recalling all the knowledge about reducing fever from her future life. She knew nothing of traditional Chinese medicine and had no time to resent herself for not having studied medicine before. Now all she could do was ease the Ninth Prince’s suffering.

With this resolve, Yan Yan quickly organized her thoughts and wrote them down on a piece of paper, entrusting Wang Quan’er to deliver it to Chen Danian. Chen Danian stared at the somewhat messy script on the prescription for a long moment before handing the note to the curious Thirteenth Prince beside him. He then said to Wang Quan’er, “Madam’s method is feasible, but if not done carefully, it could worsen His Highness’s condition. You should advise Madam to consider carefully before proceeding.”

The principle of reducing fever by sweating it out is one of the simplest medical theories—perhaps even a three-year-old child on the street would know it. But Madam Yan’s idea was too advanced and risky for the imperial medical office to bear. Yet Chen Danian did not outright reject her approach, because they desperately needed a breakthrough. If the Ninth Prince’s fever continued unabated, the imperial medical office might truly face ruin.