Although restricting He Ying prevented her from moving too much and hurting herself, the unbearable itchiness caused her to whimper incessantly. Her flushed face and the thorns that hadn’t been pulled out formed a particularly ghastly sight.
Imperial Physician Zhao had sharp eyes and acted deftly, only taking a few moments to remove the remaining flower thorns.
Soon after, he passed the medicinal powder to another palace maid. “Apply this to her face three times a day after you have washed it off. Do not allow her to leave the room and come into contact with the cold air. Further observation of her condition will be needed to determine when she can leave the room.”
He Ying began to writhe again as soon as he had finished speaking. The pain in her face and itch throughout her whole body were truly unbearable, but she was unable to voice her miseries.
Pei Yaran couldn’t refrain from asking, “Why is she wriggling so much?”
“This humble subject will take her pulse later. I will first give her acupuncture and moxibustion[*] so that she can sleep.” Imperial Physician Zhao took out a fine needle and inserted it in He Ying’s sleeping acupuncture point.
Not long after, He Ying’s movements began to calm down until she finally entered a deep slumber..
Imperial Physician Zhao immediately felt her pulse. His eyebrows furrowed as he placed He Ying’s wrist down.
“Replying to the Empress Dowager, perhaps Miss He has a hidden disease that has always been concealed within the body and has only acted up now. It could also be that there was something unclean in the parterre that is causing the issue. Whatever the case may be, please carry Miss He into the room to rest first. Also have the palace maids to help her wash her face and body immaculately. This humble subject will go to the parterre to take a look.”
Pei Yaran didn’t expect such a result. Why would she be writhing about without rhyme or reason if she was perfectly alright? If she really has a hidden disease, it would imply that Su Xi-er’s words were real. That would mean that I can no longer punish Su Xi-er.
Pei Yaran glanced in Su Xi-er’s direction, only to see her calmly standing to one side.
The more Pei Yaran took in this scene, the angrier she was. He Ying has become like this, yet Su Xi-er is fine and behaves like she is unrelated to this matter. Hence, she immediately pointed to Su Xi-er and barked out an order. “Su Xi-er, follow this Empress Dowager and Imperial Physician Zhao to the parterre to find out what exactly had contacted He Ying’s body.”
From the beginning until now, Pei Yaran had never believed that He Ying had a hidden disease. According to what Imperial Physician Zhao proposed, this kind of disease has been concealed for more than 10 years and only broke out now? How can that be possible?!
Su Xi-er replied deferentially, “Yes.”
Soon, Su Xi-er followed along as they went to the parterre in the Compassionate Peace Palace’s backyard, leaving a few palace maids to carry He Ying into the room. As they gazed at He Ying’s face, many of them felt that she would likely become disfigured from this accident.
Imperial Physician Zhao examined the parterre carefully. There was only one type of flower in the parterre that had flower thorns, and He Ying had just happened to fall onto those flowers. Could it be that there is also Xiang Grass inside the parterre and resulted in the human body to itch? If there isn’t any, it can only suggest that He Ying has a hidden disease.
After surveying the parterre, Imperial Physician Zhao reported truthfully, “Empress Dowager, this humble subject suspects that there is Xiang Grass in the parterre and it is a plant that causes people’s body to itch. If Miss He had been infected by something, this grass is very likely the culprit.”
Pei Yaran’s expression changed as soon as she heard that. “The Compassionate Peace Palace doesn’t have this kind of grass; only the Palace Side Quarters does.”
“Empress Dowager, the Xiang Grass relies on the wind to disperse its seeds, taking root wherever they land The patch of Xiang Grass in the Palace Side Quarters has already been fully removed. If the plant has appeared in the Compassionate Peace Palace, it also has to be removed as quickly as possible. We can’t be negligent in this matter. You have also seen how much Miss He was writhing. It is either because her body is itching or because she has a hidden disease.”
Pei Yaran mulled over it. If that’s the case, Su Xi-er would be totally unrelated to the incident!
At this moment, Imperial Physician Zhao glanced at Su Xi-er and respectfully informed, “Empress Dowager, this humble subject needs to inspect the parterre meticulously. There can’t be anyone approaching the surroundings of the parterre, nor can these untidy flower pots be moved as they also have to be examined.”
With that, Su Xi-er wouldn’t be able to move the flower pots.
Pei Yaran wouldn’t let go of Su Xi-er easily. Even if He Ying had fallen on her own, it would be hard for Su Xi-er to absolve herself of blame.
Hence, she instructed, “Su Xi-er, go and take care of He Ying. If you make any error, be careful of your head!”
Su Xi-er responded respectfully. “This servant will go now.” She then walked towards the other side of the Compassionate Peace Palace. She remembered the direction the palace maids had taken He Ying earlier.
As for the Empress Dowager’s ‘be careful of your head,’ it couldn’t even be counted as a threat. The Empress Dowager is not the only want who wants my head in Beimin’s imperial palace.
There was a large room with its own door, completely separated from the other three rows of rooms in the courtyard where the palace maids lived.
The room door and the periphery decorations were a step up from the other rooms.
It looks like this room belongs to He Ying.
Su Xi-er walked over before slowly entering the room.
This room was divided into the inner chamber and the outer chamber. When she walked into the inner chamber, she saw He Ying lying on the bed.
He Ying was groaning unceasingly in extreme discomfort. Her face was already covered with medicinal powder, but it didn’t blend into her skin very quickly.
The entirely white medicinal powder that laid on He Ying’s face made her look rather frightening.
Hearing footsteps, He Ying made an intense effort to turn her head, her slightly opened eyes recognising Su Xi-er. Just the sight of Su Xi-er made her body tremble, and her body began to itch again.
She used what remained of her strength to spit out some words through her clenched teeth. “Su Xi-er… you harmed me like this…The Empress Dowager won’t…pardon you…”
Su Xi-er came to her bedside and looked at her. “Miss He, how come it was this servant who harmed you? Imperial Physician Zhao said that you may have a hidden disease that has only acted up now.”
“You…nonsense, I don’t have a hidden disease.” If the diagnosis confirms that I have a hidden disease, I wouldn’t be able to stay in the Compassionate Peace palace anymore! These kinds of words can’t be randomly spouted!
Su Xi-er bent her waist and said softly, “How do you know that you don’t have one? Perhaps even you yourself don’t know about it. With your body writhing so much, if your condition isn’t due to a hidden disease, it would imply that you have been infected with something unclean in the parterre. Regardless of which it is, do you think the Empress Dowager will still keep you in the palace?”
Su Xi-er then took out a hairpin from He Ying’s hair and jabbed it towards her.
In an instant, He Ying was awake. Although the itch wasn’t as serious as before thanks to the medicinal powder, Su Xi-er had just poked her with a hairpin. Completely awake now, He Ying could feel the itchiness much more acutely.
Her legs rubbed against the bed quilt continuously and her lips were pursed tightly. As she looked at Su Xi-er with resentment, she couldn’t utter a single word.
“Miss He, the choice of which of the two scenarios you would like to go with now lies with you. If it is a hidden disease, the Empress Dowager might send you out of the palace with some silvers on account of you serving her for many years. Perhaps you can even find a good man and marry him. On the other hand, if you came into contact with something like the Xiang grass, the recent incident in the Laundry Service Bureau will be linked with the Compassionate Peace Palace.” Su Xi-er paused here.
He Ying opened her eyes abruptly and clenched her fists tightly.
She understood Su Xi-er’s words. I am currently forced to suffer in silence. I have absolutely no evidence to prove that Su Xi-er tripped me!
Yet, it’s an incontestable fact that my body feels itchy.
(* Moxibustion is a heat therapy in TCM that consists of burning a stick of dried mugwort on or near the surface of the skin to reduce irritation and a plethora of purposes.)
