As evening fell, it began to rain.
Qiu Tong sat by the bed, wiping away tears. Ying Xue was changing Xiao Man’s dressing when she noticed Xiao Man’s face was flushed and her body was burning hot; she clearly had a fever. Ying Xue immediately sent someone to fetch the household physician.
Yin Zhu braved the rain to fetch the physician but was stopped by the guards outside the courtyard and forced to return.
“Where is Doctor Ye? Why are you back alone?”
“The Old Madam has ordered the courtyard to be surrounded, and no one is allowed out.” Yin Zhu’s face was ashen. The Old Madam was truly ruthless!
Qiu Tong felt as if she had been struck by lightning. The Old Madam intended to kill Xiao Man, beating her so badly and then not allowing her to see a doctor. “Is it that no one is allowed out, or no one is allowed to call for a doctor?”
“We are not allowed to step out of Water Moon Pavilion even an inch. They’re probably afraid we’ll send word to the General,” Yin Zhu understood clearly.
This incident, in itself, wasn't a major affair. After all, it was Prince Qin who had cut off Miss Du’s tongue, and Xiao Man had acted to defend the General. Her actions could be considered understandable. But it was the Crown Prince himself who personally intervened at the residence!
The Old Madam placed the utmost importance on the reputation of the General’s mansion. With the Crown Prince personally visiting, if Miss Xiao Man were not punished, how could she explain to the Crown Prince?
What’s worse, the secondary wife had also gone to instigate the Old Madam.
“What should we do now?”
Everyone was pacing frantically.
“When it gets a bit later, I’ll go out to fetch a doctor,” Ying Xue said immediately. “You two look after Miss Xiao Man.”
“How can we get out with guards all around?” Qiu Tong asked.
“We’ll climb over the wall.”
Nong Yue had already sent a message to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion when Xiao Man was carried back to Water Moon Pavilion.
She had initially thought Xiao Man’s injuries were not serious, but who knew the Old Madam would be so heartless and intend to use this opportunity to kill Xiao Man.
Upon learning of Xiao Man’s poor condition, Nangong Yu felt a sense of unease.
Given Xiao Man’s martial arts prowess, how could she be in such a state after just one beating?
“Your Highness…” Si Ye cautiously spoke, “Should we…”
“Send a message to the army, stating that Xiao Man is critically ill.” Nangong Yu made a swift decision.
Outsiders could not interfere in the domestic affairs of the General’s mansion. This matter would require Xiao Zhen’s personal involvement.
Despite this, Nangong Yu was still worried. Thus, in the dead of night, he stealthily infiltrated Water Moon Pavilion, knocked Qiu Tong unconscious, and sat by Xiao Man’s bedside.
Perhaps due to Xiao Man’s injuries or the late hour, he could distinctly smell a delicate fragrance emanating from her, more potent than usual.
Nangong Yu reached out to lift the blanket, only to discover Xiao Man was completely unclothed. He quickly put the blanket back down.
He held the medicine in his hand, unsure whether to apply it or not. After a long silence, he finally lifted the blanket and began to apply the medicine.
Xiao Man’s wounds were still bleeding.
Nangong Yu’s brows furrowed. He was puzzled. After being injured for so long, why were Xiao Man’s wounds still bleeding?
He poured the medicine onto the wounds, but it was quickly washed away by the blood, rendering it useless.
Xiao Man was sleeping restlessly, her brows tightly knitted, her lips bitten hard as if enduring immense pain.
“Xiao Man, let go!”
Seeing that Xiao Man had bitten her lip until it bled, Nangong Yu grew anxious and quickly grasped her jaw.
Xiao Man finally let go, squeezing out the two words ‘Mu Rong’ from between her teeth, and then bit down on Nangong Yu’s hand.
Nangong Yu didn’t feel pain. Instead, he stared at Xiao Man with a look of surprise.
What secret was Xiao Man hiding?
And who was this Mu Rong?
Was he Xiao Man’s beloved?
Were there any nobles in the capital surnamed Mu Rong?
A noise came from outside the door. Ying Xue had returned with a physician.
Nangong Yu released Qiu Tong from her acupoint blockage, and with a flicker of his body, he concealed himself.
When Qiu Tong woke up, she noticed Xiao Man had bitten her lip and quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from her mouth.
“The doctor is here. How is Miss?”
Ying Xue brought the physician back. Upon seeing it was a male doctor, Qiu Tong immediately became anxious.
“Miss’s injuries are in such a private area. How can a male doctor examine her?”
“Her body wounds cannot be seen, but the doctor must at least take her pulse to bring down her fever,” Ying Xue was distressed. Where could they find a female doctor outside? There were only a few midwives with some medical knowledge, but in this situation, who would dare to let those midwives examine Xiao Man?
Qiu Tong heard this and immediately asked the doctor to take Xiao Man’s pulse.
The doctor took her pulse from behind a screen, his brows furrowed. “This is a blockage of qi, compounded by her injuries. Internal and external injuries have combined, causing a high fever. I will write a prescription to bring down the fever first.”
Yin Zhu accompanied the doctor to write the prescription for the fever, while Ying Xue and Qiu Tong remained by Xiao Man’s side.
Water Moon Pavilion was brightly lit. However, the lights burning through the night in Water Moon Pavilion signified that Xiao Man's condition was not good.
Remarkably, many people in the mansion seemed to be clapping their hands in delight at Xiao Man being beaten.
For the first time in a long time, the household slept soundly.
Even the Old Madam slept soundly until morning. During breakfast, she inquired, “What is the situation over there?”
“The lights in their quarters burned all night. The eldest miss’s maid tried to call the household physician, but as the Old Madam ordered no one to leave, the guards dared not disobey,” Aunt Xu chose her words carefully. “Old Madam, she has been beaten and punished. It would be best to let a doctor examine her. If anything were to happen, those outside who are unaware would surely spread rumors.”
The Old Madam, while eating her breakfast, said, “After breakfast, let Doctor Ye go and see her.”
“The eldest miss’s injuries are on her body. Doctor Ye is a man and may not be able to examine her. Should we send to the Imperial Hospital to request a female doctor to treat the eldest miss’s wounds?”
The Old Madam considered for a moment and then slowly said, “It’s too troublesome. Later, you take the General’s token and go to the Imperial Hospital to get a female doctor.”
“Yes, Old Madam.”
The secondary wife, Madam Yan, was serving the Old Madam her meal.
Xiao Man’s maidservant’s eagerness to sneak out and fetch a doctor last night suggested that Xiao Man’s condition was very bad. She wondered if Xiao Man would be left with any lasting ailments. If she did, it would be quite entertaining.
“Old Madam, this is not good! The General has returned to the mansion,” a wet nurse ran in, saying urgently. “He’s heading straight for the eldest miss’s Water Moon Pavilion.”
“The General is back?” Madam Yan feigned panic. “What should we do, Mother? Let’s also go to Water Moon Pavilion, lest the General blame Mother.”
The Old Madam, who had already stood up to go and see, sat back down upon hearing Madam Yan’s words and picked up her chopsticks to continue her meal. “So what if he’s back? He’s returned and hasn’t come to pay his respects to his own mother first. Instead, he’s concerned about that little girl of his. What, if that little girl doesn’t recover, is he going to make me pay with my life?”
Aunt Xu glanced at Madam Yan, lowered her head, and said nothing.
The Old Madam was not inherently cruel, but Madam Yan was exceptionally skilled at sowing discord. Every time the Old Madam was instigated by her, she would lash out at the eldest miss. If the Old Madam had favored the eldest miss, her actions would not have been so severe. However, the Old Madam had detested the eldest miss since she was a child.