39

  Yan Yu knelt on the ground, crying and saying: "Yan Yu is disrespectful, it's so late but still came to disturb the Empress Dowager, please forgive me. It's just that my family's Crown Prince's consort suddenly got a high fever, and the imperial physician in our mansion followed the Fourth Prince to the Drunken Flower Pavilion. Having no other choice, I had to beg the Empress Dowager to let the imperial physician from Xiangfu Palace come over to help take a look. Please grant me this favor, the sooner the better."

  The empress dowager was so angry that she shouted: "This wicked child, how detestable! Quick, go and call my imperial physician to the fourth prince's mansion immediately. Prepare the sedan chair, I want to go over and take a look. Poor Feng'er, such a tragic event occurred in her family, but Rui'er, this wicked child, actually went to the Drunken Flower Pavilion again. It really makes me hate him to death!"

  Seeing Murong Feng's pitiful appearance, the Empress Dowager was heartbroken and immediately ordered the demolition of Zuihuatang. Little Dezi repeatedly dissuaded her, saying: "Empress Dowager, spare them for now, as it is more important to take care of the Fourth Prince's consort in this state."

  The imperial physician was busy for half the night, until dawn, when Murong Feng finally woke up, his fever had subsided somewhat, but his complexion still looked pale.

  Murong Feng saw the Empress Dowager and forced a smile, saying: "Grandmother, why have you come?"

  "Maple, the empress dowager really owes you an apology. Rui is a wicked child, and it's despicable. By dawn, I'll immediately send someone to demolish that Drunken Flower Pavilion and help you vent your anger." The empress dowager also didn't sleep all night, watching the imperial physician work busily. "Maple, just rest well and don't worry, this palace doesn't lack anything. Take good care of yourself for a few days, and when you're better, the empress dowager will make Rui that wicked child personally apologize to you."

  "Grandma, this can't be helped. If it really gets out, I'm afraid Feng'er will truly have no face left." Murong Feng's weak and feeble smile was clear and endearing, yet also faintly tinged with helplessness and sorrow. "It's not that others are to blame. That Yu Jiao girl may be a courtesan, but she too had no choice. Otherwise, which good daughter would willingly enter that fiery pit? Moreover, she sells her art, not her body. She's beautiful, dances well, and the Fourth Prince likes her - it's not like it's anything wrong. Grandma, just let it go."

  The empress dowager sighed deeply, unsure of what to say.

  "Grandma, you go rest, Feng'er is fine, just need to rest for a few days and she'll be okay." Mu Rong Feng's heart was actually filled with sorrow, but he didn't want to show it on his face. What could he do? Should he really force Sima Rui to come back? And what would happen if he did come back?

  "Unless I have Rui'er summoned back?" The Empress asked tentatively.

  "Never mind." Murong Feng shook his head slightly. "Let him be. I'm not feeling well now, and I just want to rest quietly by myself. For now, it's enough to just take a few days off, so there's no need to force the Fourth Prince to come back. Maybe Moon Jiao is also seriously ill and can't leave for the time being, even if we disturb him to come back, he might be preoccupied with his own affairs and only add to our troubles."

  The empress dowager was speechless. This little girl, how could she be so open-minded? Her openness made the empress dowager feel sad in her heart. In fact, as a woman, marrying a man and spending a lifetime with him is sometimes inevitable. Where did all those fairy tale romances come from?

  It's all because of that emperor's son who, on a whim, insisted on taking Murong Xue as his concubine, causing Lady Murong to feel humiliated and harbor thoughts of ending her own life!

  Simarui returned on the third morning after three days.

  As soon as he entered his own mansion, he felt that something was off, it was too quiet, so quiet that it startled him, and he shouted: "Wang Bao!"

  "Master!" Wang Bao immediately ran out from inside, and upon seeing Sima Rui, he exclaimed with extreme joy, "Master, you've finally returned! I was almost worried to death. If you hadn't come back, I'm afraid I would have been scolded to death."

  Simarui raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Wang Bao, who dares to scold you?"

  "Grandfather, don't talk to me for now, go take a look at the crown prince's consort instead." Wang Bao suppressed his smile and said softly, "She has been ill for several days and still doesn't seem to be recovering well."

  Simarui didn't react for half a day, staring at Wang Bao.

  "Grandfather, you'd better go take a look." Wang Bao urged in a low voice.

  Simarui glanced at Wang Bao for a long time, making sure he wasn't joking, before hastily rushing to Murong Feng's room. As soon as he entered the room, he smelled a strong medicinal scent and then saw Murong Feng lying on the bed. At this sight, Simarui felt like his heart had been stabbed with a knife.

  Murong Feng was sleeping quietly, his pale face frightening, his hair scattered on the pillow, as if it would disappear with a single blow of the wind.

  "Yan Yu!" Sima Rui's voice was like a direct cry from his heart, suppressing anger and sadness. "What is going on?"

  Yan Yu was startled by his voice and trembled as she said: "The Crown Prince's consort is ill."

  "I know, I'm asking you, what's going on here!" Sima Rui asked angrily.

  "That day you left - the morning of the day you went to Zuihuajie - Murong Furen, the mother of the Crown Princess, hanged herself at home. The Crown Princess rushed back but only managed to see her for the last time, and after returning, she didn't eat or drink anything, and by nightfall, she had a fever. The imperial physician followed you out, so I had to go to Empress Dowager's place to invite another physician over. The physician worked hard all night before the Crown Princess finally woke up. But now it's been two or three days, and the master's condition hasn't improved at all - she's often half asleep and half awake. The physician says it's due to heart depression, but we servants don't know how to make the Crown Princess happy, so we can only brew medicine for her every day." Smoke Jade was furious in her heart, thinking: "What kind of thing is this? Now you're anxious, why did you go out early?"

  "Why didn't you inform me at the time?" Sima Rui sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out a hand but not daring to touch, as Murong Feng's skin was deathly pale and seemed like it would shatter with a single touch.

  "Wang Bao came looking for you, but you didn't pay attention to him." Yan Yu said with her head lowered.

  Simarui was stunned, and didn't speak for half a day. Wang Bao had indeed gone to look for him, but at the time he was busy with Yu Jiao's affairs, so he hadn't paid attention, thinking that Wang Bao had just gone to serve him. "How have you been handling things these past few days?"

  "It's always been the imperial physician from Empress Dowager's place who comes to examine my illness and I've been taking medicine. The physician says that only slow nursing care can help. Crown Princess has come a few times, Snow Concubine has also come, and both Empress Dowager and Empress have come every day to visit." In Yan Yu's heart: You're the only one who hasn't shown up.

  Simarui was speechless and knew he was in the wrong.

  Murong Feng moved slightly on the bed, and Sima Rui immediately lowered his head and called out softly: "Feng'er, are you feeling better?"

  Murong Feng opened his eyes to see Sima Rui, and immediately gritted his teeth in hatred, saying: "Not good. And seeing you is even worse." After finishing speaking, he was stunned for a moment, and his heart felt somewhat strange. He should have ignored this person, why was he still talking to him?!

  Simarui's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a faint joy, smiling at Murong Feng. "Sorry, Feng'er, I really didn't know that so many things had happened in the past few days. But...that Yu Jiao, she injured her leg when we danced together that night, I didn't think..."

  Murong Feng's eyes closed slightly as he said faintly, "I'm tired. Don't bother me."

  "Alright." Sima Rui was actually overjoyed, as long as Murong Feng still spoke to him, it was enough. No matter how angry he was with him, as long as he still acknowledged him, it was enough. "Then I'll just sit here and not speak, is that okay?"

  Murong Feng didn't make a sound, as if he was ignoring the person in front of him.

  Simarui sat quietly, not daring to speak again. These past few days, although she was in the Moon Jade Pavilion, her heart had been empty and unsteady. As soon as she stepped into the Fourth Prince's estate, thinking that she could see Murong Feng, her heart was filled with joy. Now that she really saw Murong Feng, suddenly everything felt solid and at peace.