Wen Mohan didn't know how he returned to the Prime Minister's mansion. He was utterly dejected, like a walking corpse, as Gui Yi helped him into his room.
Lady Wen, the Prime Minister's wife, had waited for Wen Mohan for a long time. When he finally returned, his appearance was most unusual. His clothes were soaked with snow, but he paid no mind to changing them, collapsing onto his bed to sleep.
"Han'er, change your clothes before you sleep."
However, Wen Mohan had already fallen asleep. No matter how much Lady Wen called him, he showed no response. Lady Wen had no choice but to call for servants to change his clothes and then ordered ginger soup to be made and forced down him.
"Gui Yi, where did young master go? Why is he like this?"
Gui Yi remained silent. He could not divulge the young master's affairs to anyone without his permission, not even to the Prime Minister and his wife.
Seeing Gui Yi's silence, Lady Wen was both angry and distressed. Her son, she thought, was like flawless jade, a gentle scholar. Yet now he was in such a wretched state. How could she not feel heartbroken?
"Speak, is it because of Xiao Man?" Lady Wen, looking at the restless Wen Mohan asleep, asked angrily.
Gui Yi glanced at the unconscious Wen Mohan, then lowered his head. He too disliked Xiao Man, but the young master liked her. Therefore, he could not do anything to harm Xiao Man, lest he suffer the same fate as Wen Moyu! Su Dan Novel Network.
In the latter half of the night, Wen Mohan developed a high fever, throwing the Prime Minister's mansion into chaos.
The mansion's physician stayed in the outer room, but the medicine seemed ineffective, showing no sign of reducing the fever. Wen Mohan's pale face was flushed with heat.
In his sleep, Wen Mohan seemed to be in great discomfort, struggling constantly as if tormented by a nightmare. He began to babble incoherently. Lady Wen wept with anxiety. Her daughter was already beyond hope, and if her son were to fall ill, she would not want to live either.
"Man'er, no, don't, Man'er…" Wen Mohan murmured incessantly, calling out Xiao Man's name.
Lady Wen's eyes were red with worry. "Gui Yi, are you still not going to speak? Look at your master, what has that vulgar woman done to him?"
Gui Yi remained silent. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak, but that he couldn't. Once he spoke and revealed the truth of Wen Moyu's death, the lady would likely not be able to bear it.
Seeing Gui Yi's stubborn refusal to speak, Lady Wen trembled with rage. "Guards, drag him away and beat him! Beat him soundly!"
The guards dragged him away. Gui Yi offered no resistance, allowing them to take him. It was merely a beating; it wouldn't cost him his life.
Wen Mohan was having a terrible nightmare. In his dream, he saw Xiao Man being humiliated. He wanted to shout, to cry out, to save her, but he was powerless. He hated his own incompetence, and yet the person capable of saving Xiao Man not only refused to help but also added insult to injury!
Wen Mohan felt an overwhelming surge of hatred. Why did everyone have to hurt her? Xiao Man's despairing eyes made him wish to destroy the heavens and the earth.
Lady Wen sat by the bedside, secretly shedding tears. Wen Mohan's fever finally subsided, and he stopped babbling, but he remained unconscious. An uneasy atmosphere permeated the entire mansion.
Meanwhile, Xiao Man, consumed by worry over Prince Qin's蛊毒 (gu poison), was unaware of the events unfolding outside.
"What's wrong with Miss? She's been rather absent-minded these past two days." Qiu Tong had never seen Xiao Man lost in thought for so long, not even noticing she was holding her book upside down.
Yin Zhu also found it puzzling. Xiao Man's inexplicable distraction, as if burdened by something, made her wonder, "It seems ever since she returned from the Prime Minister's son's capping ceremony, she's been like this. Did something happen at the Prime Minister's mansion?"
"That's not right. Miss was quite happy that night she returned from the Prime Minister's mansion. She even ate half a bowl more rice."
"Right, and at night, Miss asked for hot water to be brought into the room…" The maids looked at Xiang Xue, who had spoken. After everyone else had retired, she had asked for hot water to be brought in. What was she doing?
"Could it be that 'he' has arrived?" Qiu Tong asked cautiously.
The maids grew even more worried. If 'he' had arrived, and Miss asked for hot water late at night… it was too suggestive!
At this moment, Ying Xue hurried back from outside, bringing the scent of wind and snow with her. The maids quickly helped her brush off the snow. "Where did you go? Why are you covered in snow?"
"Oh, Miss's usual incense ran out, so I went to buy a box," Ying Xue replied immediately. "Where is Miss?"
The maids gestured towards the inner room. Ying Xue peeked in and saw Xiao Man staring blankly at her book. "It's been two days, why is she still like this?"
"Ying Xue, you've always been the boldest. Why don't you go and talk to Miss?"
Ying Xue nodded, but she didn't rush into the room. She waited until the chill had dissipated and she felt warmer before entering.
"Miss."
Xiao Man seemed not to hear. Her gaze appeared to be on the book, yet also not on it.
"Miss!" Ying Xue raised her voice. Xiao Man started, and the book fell to the floor. Ying Xue quickly picked it up and handed it to Xiao Man. "Miss, what's wrong? You've been looking so distraught for the past two days."
"It's nothing. Perhaps it's just too cold," Xiao Man said, twisting her neck. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes!" Ying Xue nodded. "Princess Han, Wen Moyu, has gone missing. Furthermore, many people witnessed her committing an act of public debauchery that day. King Han, in his rage, gave Princess Han a letter of divorce. But after that, Princess Han disappeared without a trace. Rumors are spreading outside that King Han has killed her!"
"Killed her? He wouldn't dare!" Xiao Man scoffed. As long as the Prime Minister's mansion stood, Nangong Cheng wouldn't dare kill Wen Moyu.
"Then where has Princess Han gone?"
"Heaven knows," Xiao Man said indifferently. Wen Moyu's scandal was widely known, and the Prime Minister's mansion must have lost face. Wen Mohan must be blaming her in his heart right now. "What is the reaction of the Prime Minister's mansion to this matter?"
"The Prime Minister's mansion?" Ying Xue replied quickly. "The Prime Minister's mansion is in utter disarray; they have no time to concern themselves with Wen Moyu!"
"Is something wrong with the Prime Minister's mansion?"
"It's not that something is wrong with the Prime Minister's mansion, but that Young Master Wen is in trouble. I heard he's been unconscious for two days and hasn't woken up. The Prime Minister has invited the head of the Imperial Hospital to the mansion, but Young Master Wen still hasn't woken up. I heard he was stimulated."
Xiao Man's heart skipped a beat. Could Wen Mohan's coma be due to the events concerning Wen Moyu? Xiao Man felt a pang of guilt. Wen Mohan had never done anything to harm her; on the contrary, he had often helped her. Now, in her revenge against Wen Moyu, she had also deeply hurt Wen Mohan.
"Miss, do you think Young Master Wen is… because of Princess Han's matter…"
Xiao Man remained silent. Besides this, she couldn't think of anything else that could have stimulated Wen Mohan. She knew they had a deep sibling bond, and she had warned Wen Mohan to stay away from her, as there was no possibility of reconciliation between her and Wen Moyu.