Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 780 - 778

Chapter 780: Chapter 778

Glittering frosty stars, the north wind blowing gustily; the night was deeper in its tranquility embedded within the chilly whistle of the northern gale.

Shangguan Ruixi, who had surreptitiously returned to the palace gates after seeing off the Princess, wife of Prince An, began his vigil once more.

Even if he knew it’s impossible to get in by simply standing guard, he would feel uneasy not doing so.

Waiting anxiously throughout the night, finally, the palace gates were due to open.

At this time, the ministers who would attend the morning court hadn’t even arrived.

Regardless of it not being dawn yet, he went straight to Cining Palace to seek an audience,

The maid who guarded the Cining Palace overnight blocked his way: "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager hasn’t woken up yet, please wait a moment!"

"What about the Crown Princess?"

"The Crown Princess is in the Buddhist hall."

"Lead the way!"

"Your Highness, without the Empress Dowager’s consent, this servant dare not lead you to the Buddhist hall privately!"

"Impudence! I, the Crown Prince, am just going to see my wife, the Crown Princess, who is nothing more than copying Buddhist scriptures in the Buddhist hall and certainly isn’t a criminal! Why should I need the Imperial Grandmother’s approval to visit the Crown Princess! Are you treating the Crown Princess as a criminal? Do you even still recognize your master?" Shangguan Ruixi was filled with rage after hearing this. Based on this attitude, these slaves didn’t regard Du Yijin as their mistress! It was simply absurd!

"Your Highness, please calm down, this servant doesn’t dare to!" The palace maid knelt down fearfully after hearing his words. Treating the Crown Princess as a criminal was a grave disrespect, she dared not admit such a thing.

"If you don’t want to be the one to wake the Imperial Grandmother with a racket, then lead the way! The Crown Princess was still running a high fever the night before yesterday, and she wasn’t fully recovered yesterday. If something were to happen to her, your ten lives wouldn’t be enough to pay for it!" Shangguan Ruixi decided not to waste any more time with this palace maid.

The maid was startled by his words, and this time she didn’t dare to delay any longer and took Shangguan Ruixi to the Buddhist hall straight away.

The Buddhist hall had lost all of its heating tools last night, it didn’t even have a single stool, just a table to place offerings.

If the Crown Princess, who was already ill, had to endure the cold all night, she didn’t even dare to think about what could happen...

The palace maid pushed the door of the Buddhist hall open and Shangguan Ruixi immediately saw Du Yijin collapsed on the ground.

"Yijin!" Shangguan Ruixi pushed the palace maid who was blocking his path and rushed in.

The palace maid was also shocked to see Du Yijin collapsed on the ground! The Crown Princess couldn’t have passed just from feeling weak due to copying the Buddhist scriptures! Even the eldest princess had been punished by the Empress Dowager before!

Shangguan Ruixi looked at Du Yijin’s pallid face, he reached out to feel her forehead. As he feared, it was frighteningly hot, even hotter than the night they got married!

"Get Doctor Luo! Are you deaf or something?! Don’t just stand there!" As Shangguan Ruixi carried Du Yijin and headed out, he sternly rebuked the indifferent palace maid.

The palace maid regained her senses and immediately ran off to get Doctor Luo.

She now knew the severity of the situation. Although Du Yijin wasn’t favored by the Empress Dowager, she was still the Crown Princess! Last night, the Empress Dowager ordered them to cut off all heating in the Buddhist hall and to leave Du Yijin be. So, they did exactly that. But if something did happen to the Crown Princess in the Buddhist Hall, they truly would be held responsible! Especially for not discovering the Crown Princess’s collapse earlier. This single mistake would be enough for them to face punishment.

Shangguan Ruixi held Du Yijin in the warm flower hall, and placed her on a heated bed.

Doctor Luo came over quickly. On seeing the condition that Du Yijin was in, he was taken aback. He placed a handkerchief on her wrist to feel her pulse, only have his brow gradually furrowed in concentration.

"The Crown Princess has cold invading her body and wind-cold attacking her lungs, and her high fever isn’t subsiding. Her body temperature is too high, it’s perilous if not lowered immediately. I’ll first prescribe a medicine for her to drink to see if she can keep it down, then prepare a medicinal bath to see if we can lower the temperature a bit. If the fever doesn’t reduce, I’m afraid there is nothing I can do," Doctor Luo sighed inwardly. This girl had more than her fair share of hardship! However, he certainly wouldn’t pry into matters not meant for asking and began to write a prescription.

The Empress Dowager, having been woken by the disturbance, had been wanting to vent her anger. She had just come out only to hear Doctor Luo’s words and was shocked speechless!

"Doctor Luo, will the Crown Princess be alright?" It was simply a punishment to copy scriptures, how could she have suddenly become critically ill? If anyone didn’t know any better, they would think that she had done something to Du Yijin! What does it mean when Doctor Luo says there is nothing he can do?!

If Du Yijin were to lose her life due to this, it would make the world believe she was so wicked as to have abused her new daughter-in-law to death the day after the wedding! Then wouldn’t she have gained a reputation of being brutal?

That’s not acceptable! It’s absolutely outrageous! She clearly hadn’t done anything at all! The Empress Dowager felt that she never had luck when it came to dealing with Du Yijin!

"The cold has entered her body and wind-cold has struck her lungs; it’s severe. If we can manage to feed her some medicine and get her fever to subside a bit before tonight, it will be better, otherwise, I’m afraid there is nothing I can do," He was worried about Du Yijin’s abdominal cold, fearing she might vomit anything she was fed. If she couldn’t keep down the medicine, how could she get better?

"I don’t care, if you fail to treat her, prepare to join her in death!" The Empress Dowager said angrily upon hearing this.

She didn’t want to tarnish the whole life’s reputation of being benevolent and kind, especially because of this shameful daughter-in-law in her twilight years!

"I will do my utmost." Doctor Luo bowed, then handed the finished prescription to the palace maid, instructing her how to prepare the medicinal decoction.

Once the medicine was prepared, Shangguan Ruixi fed it to Du Yijin personally. Yet, just as she had just swallowed, Shangguan Ruixi barely set the bowl down when she vomited it all out.

"Bring another bowl!" Shangguan Ruixi’s face changed instantly. She really couldn’t keep down the medicine. If she couldn’t drink the medicine, how could she get better?

The palace maid brought another bowl of medicine, Doctor Luo had warned earlier that the Crown Princess might vomit the medicine, and asked them to prepare a few more bowls.

Shangguan Ruixi fed Du Yijin another two bowls of medicine, but she’d vomited it all out again.

Doctor Luo furrowed his brows.

Just then, a palace maid came to inform that the medicinal bath was ready. Doctor Luo suggested, "Let’s have the Crown Princess take a medicinal bath first."

Maybe after a medicinal bath, she might be able to keep down the medicine.

Shangguan Ruixi carried Du Yijin to the bathhouse. Seeing that he was unwilling to leave, a palace maid said, "Your Highness, please go out first, your presence here will only get in our way."

Only then did Shangguan Ruixi leave. He really didn’t know how to properly assist someone taking a bath and was afraid of causing more harm than good.

Most of the time, Shangguan Ruixi needed help to get dressed. He remembered fumbling when taking care of Du Yijin that night. Now, in such a crucial situation, he didn’t dare to waste any more time.

After about 30 minutes, Du Yijin was carried out by a palace maid. Shangguan Ruixi quickly stepped forward to take her from the palace maid and held her in his arms. She appeared to have a slight flush on her face now. Shangguan Ruixi pressed his face against her forehead, her temperature was still frighteningly high but it seemed to have decreased a little.

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