The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0553 Smallpox Re-emerging (2)

This chapter hasnʼt been edited yet.

During the night, Zhou Yanʼs high fever subsided. Unfortunately, before Yuchen could even catch her breath, Zhou Xiaʼs condition worsened, and she also developed a fever.

Yuchen remained calm and immediately summoned Imperial Physician He to ask if Zhou Xia could be given the same medicine as Zhou Yan. Although Yuchen hadnʼt studied pharmacology like Yuxi, she understood that each personʼs body was unique, and even for the same illness, the medication dosage would vary. Otherwise, there could be complications.

Imperial Physician He shook his head, ”Niangniang, Junzhu is relatively weak and should not be given overly risky medication.” This implied that Zhou Xia couldnʼt be treated with the same medicine as Zhou Yan.

Yuchen asked, ”Are there any other alternatives?”

Imperial Physician He didnʼt have any perfect methods.

Zhou Xiaʼs fever worsened progressively, eventually rendering her unconscious. If the fever didnʼt subside soon, it could be life-threatening. Hearing Imperial Physician Heʼs warning that if the fever persisted, even if she didnʼt die, she would likely become disabled, Yuchen could no longer endure. Ignoring Imperial Physician Heʼs objections, she pressured him to prescribe a remedy. However, this time, luck was not on their side. Shortly after taking the medicine, Zhou Xia began to sweat profusely and then shivered uncontrollably.

Imperial Physician He could see that things were taking a turn for the worse.

Zhou Xia couldnʼt stand it any longer and weakly cried out, ”Mu Fei, Mu Fei, itʼs so painful...” Before Yuchen could respond, her voice faded away.

Yuchen held Zhou Xia tightly, shouting, ”Xia-er, Xia-er, whatʼs happening to you? Xia-er, Xia-er...” Unfortunately, Zhou Xia could no longer respond to her.

Imperial Physician He placed his finger below Zhou Xiaʼs nose and felt no breath. He immediately knelt down and said, ”Wangfei, please accept my deepest condolences. Junzhu has passed away...”

Hearing this news, Yuchen murmured softly, ”Impossible, it canʼt be!” Her Xia-er, who called her ʼMu Feiʼ just a few days ago, so gently, how could she be gone!

Momo Gui was just about to speak when she saw Yuchen fall to the floor and was immediately startled. She quickly helped Yuchen to the bed, clasped her hands together, and silently prayed that Wangfei hadnʼt caught smallpox.

After Imperial Physician He finished checking Yuchenʼs pulse, he quietly said, ”Wangfei has been working too hard lately, and now that sheʼs in distress, sheʼs fainted.”

Hearing this, Momo Guiʼs anxious heart finally calmed, and she was relieved that Wangfei didnʼt have smallpox. She clasped her hands together and murmured, ”Thank you, Buddha, for your blessing.”

Jing Wang was deeply saddened to hear that his son had survived, but his daughter had lost her life. He instructed the steward, ”Go to the Huangqi Temple and invite the monks to pray for Junzhuʼs salvation.” Jing Wang favoured Zhou Yan the most, as he was his heir, but he also had a special affection for his di daughter. Now that she was gone, he wanted her to rest in peace.

Before he could finish his instructions, a maid entered and reported, ”Your Highness, Wangfei is awake...”

Jing Wang rushed into the bedroom and softly asked the awakened Yuchen, ”Are you feeling better?”

Yuchen, staring blankly, suddenly grabbed Jing Wangʼs hand and said, ”Wangye, I just had a terrible dream. I dreamt that Yan-er and Xia-er were hurt.” She turned to Momo Gui and shouted, ”Quick, bring Yan-er and Xia-er here!”

Momo Gui knelt down with tears streaming down her face as she said, ”Niangniang, Grand Junzhu has already passed away. If you go on like this, she wonʼt be able to rest in peace.” She knew that Wangfei would be deeply saddened by Junzhuʼs passing, but she hadnʼt expected Wangfei to be so distraught.

As Momo Gui knelt down, everyone else in the room except Jing Wang, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, did the same.

When Yuchen heard Momo Guiʼs words, she sat up from the bed, and if Jing Wang hadnʼt held her down, she would have jumped out of bed. She sternly said to Momo Gui, ”How dare you say such things? My Xia-er is fine. Why would you curse her?”

Even the cold-blooded person had their soft spots. Momo Gui had watched the children grow up and was deeply affected by Zhou Xiaʼs sudden absence. To see Yuchen, whom she had nurtured since childhood, lose her composure over the childʼs death was unbearable to her. Momo Gui exclaimed, ”Niangniang, Grand Junzhu is indeed gone. Niangniang, you must take care of yourself!”

Yuchen shook her head, ”No, my Xia-er will be fine. I must be dreaming now... Yes, I must be dreaming.”

Jing Wang hugged Yuchen and comforted her, ”Chen-er, donʼt be like this. If we have lost a child, we can have another in the future.” Yuchen had always been calm and composed, so to see her so vulnerable and helpless was a first for him and caused a sharp pain in his heart.

Yuchen murmured, ”Gone, the child is gone, she will never come back...” Even if she had another child, that child wouldnʼt be Xi-er. Besides, she did not want to have another child after this incident.

At that moment, a maid came from outside with an urgent message that the Emperor had summoned Jing Wang to the palace. The fact that the Emperorʼs personal eunuch was sent to deliver the summons indicated the seriousness of the matter.

Jing Wang, who had always been diligent and devoted, did not feel at ease at this moment. His daughter was gone, his wife was in such a state, and yet he was summoned to the palace for consultation. Was it impossible to carry out matters without him?

The messenger whispered, ”Your Highness, the one who came is Eunuch Cai, the Emperorʼs personal eunuch.”

At that moment, Jing Wang did not want to leave Yuchen. The fact that the Emperorʼs personal eunuch had come clearly indicated that the Emperor had anticipated his possible refusal and, therefore, sent his trusted eunuch.

Jing Wang stood up and said to Yuchen, ”Rest well. You donʼt need to worry about Yan-er; I have instructed Imperial Physician Le to take care of him personally.” Jing Wang had already warned Imperial Physician Le that if anything happened to Zhou Yan, his entire family would be buried with him. With that warning, Imperial Physician Le dared not be negligent.

Yuchen remained silent, just gazing quietly at Jing Wang, which made him feel uneasy. He immediately held Yuchenʼs forehead and whispered, ”I will be back soon.” Duty-bound, Jing Wang dared not disobey the Emperorʼs order.

As Jing Wang left, Momo Gui stayed by Yuchenʼs side, dismissing everyone else. She tucked Yuchen in and whispered, ”Niangniang, you must hold on. The Grand Junzhu is gone, but Lord Shizi is still here! If anything happens to you, Lord Shizi will be in trouble in the mansion in the future.” This incident made it clear to Momo Gui that Jing Wang was unreliable. Wangfei had made the right decision.

Yuchen opened her eyes and swore, ”I wonʼt let anything happen to Yan-er.” With her daughter gone, she would not let her son suffer the same fate.

With extraordinary mental strength, Momo Gui remained calm despite Yuchenʼs behaviour, knowing that Yuchen had feigned distress earlier and not lost her mind. ”Niangniang, what shall we do now?” she asked.

A bloodthirsty gleam flashed in Yuchenʼs eyes but quickly returned to calmness as she asked, ”Have we found the mastermind behind this incident?” Anyone who could allow her son Xi-er and Yan-er to come into contact with something infected with smallpox on her watch must either have considerable power or be deeply hidden. Either way, it would be fatal for her and her children.

Momo Gui replied, ”Madam, I have asked Shiqin to investigate.” She had been by Yuchenʼs side for the past few days and had no time to find out why the two children had contracted smallpox. However, before the courtyard was sealed off, she instructed Shiqin to investigate the matter. Shiqin was Yuchenʼs most trusted senior maid and had sufficient authority.

Yuchen closed her eyes again and said, ”Then ask Shiqin.” One of the few people in the mansion must be the real culprit behind the scenes.

Jing Wang came out of the palace and heard Momo Gui say that it was Second Madam Song who plotted to end Zhou Yan and Zhou Xiaʼs lives. Jing Wang stared at Momo Gui and asked, ”How could it be Er Jiumu? Why would Er Jiumu want to harm Yan-er and Xia-er?”

Momo Gui knelt down, said nothing more, and simply brought in the old woman servant responsible for the crime and presented the physical evidence. Momo Gui looked at the small clothes on the table, pointed to the old woman servant, and explained, ”These clothes are tainted with dirty things, and this old servant has already had Imperial Physician Le examine them.” This old woman servant she brought was in charge of the laundry room and it wasnʼt too difficult for her to taint the clothes with dirty substances when no one was looking.

Jing Wang kicked the old woman servant in the chest and said, ”Speak! Why did you do this? Why did you harm Shizi and Grand Junzhu?”

The old woman servant was in pain but still remained silent. She had been placed in Jing Wangʼs mansion by the Song family. Although she knew that harming Zhou Yan and Zhou Xia would cost her her life, she had to obey the Song family.

As the Emperorʼs right-hand man, Jing Wang was not about to accept just one side of the story. He quickly ordered the steward to investigate the matter thoroughly and soon found out that it was indeed Second Madam Song who had poisoned his children, and he was now determined to kill her.

In the main hall, Jing Wang held Yuchenʼs hand and said, ”Donʼt worry, I will definitely seek justice for Xia-er.” If his Da Jiu were here, he would demand Second Lady Songʼs life right now. But now his Da Jiu was not here, and the acting head of the Song family was his Er Jiu. If Jing Wang went to the Song family now, his Er Jiu would surely not hand over the culprit. Instead of worsening relations and allowing the Yu family to take advantage of the situation, it was better to wait for Da Jiuʼs return and deal with everything at once.

Yuchen bowed her head in silence.

Seeing Yuchenʼs reaction, Jing Wang knew that she was angry, but he was also helpless. Even if he wanted to confront the Song family, the Emperor would not allow it.

When Momo Gui heard Jing Wangʼs solution, she frowned and asked Yuchen, ”Niangniang, is that all you have to say? You wonʼt do anything else?” Grand Junzhu was also Wangyeʼs biological daughter. Now that Grand Junzhu had lost her life, and Wangye could remain so calm, it only proved one thing—Grand Junzhu didnʼt hold much weight in Wangyeʼs heart.

Yuchen replied coldly, ”I had already guessed this outcome...” Although Jing Wang always claimed to love her deeply, when it came to difficult decisions, he was unlikely to act. For example, when she wanted Jing Wang to help her father secure the position of Left Assistant Minister of Personnel, Jing Wang refused. Because the Yu and Song families were currently fighting over that position, he did not want to be at odds with either of them.

Momo Gui asked, ”What are we going to do?” They couldnʼt let Grand Juzhu be harmed like this for no reason. But confronting them directly would be like killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of their own.

Yuchen calmly said, ”How would the Song family be so arrogant if it werenʼt for Empress Dowager Songʼs mediation?” The Song family relied on the Empress Dowager Song and Song Guojiu. If these two were gone, the Song family would no longer be able to stand tall. As far as Yuchen knew, the Emperor had tolerated the Song family all this time, only refraining from acting against them for the sake of balance in the court. If the Empress Dowager and Song Guojiu lost their influence, the Song family would be finished. Although Second Master Song was capable, he was far inferior to Song Guojiu. With only the Second Master Song, the Song family couldnʼt survive.

If one were to ask who Yuchen hated the most right now, it would definitely be Second Madam Song, Song Lingʼerʼs mother; the second most hated was Empress Dowager Song. If it werenʼt for the Empress Dowager Song hadnʼt let Song Lingʼer into the mansion before Yuchen married Jing Wang, and if she hadnʼt let the Song family and Song Lingʼer drive so many nails into the wangfu, her Xia-er wouldnʼt have died.

Momo Gui remained calm as she said, ”Niangniang, to capture the bandit, first capture the king. If the Empress Dowager and Song Guojiu are safe and sound, the Song family cannot be touched. Otherwise, not only will Niangniang fail to bring down the Song family, but may even be implicated.” Momo Gui knew Yuchenʼs temperament well. Yuchen wouldnʼt change her mind without sufficient reasons to convince her. Momo Gui continued, ”Niangniang, if something happens to you, Wangye will surely remarry. Itʼs uncertain whether the Lord Shizi will grow up well by then.” Even if Jing Wang was unwilling to remarry at that time, he would compromise once he was pressured by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Momo Gui used to think that Jing Wang was a good man, but now she realised that he might be a good servant and son, but he would never be a good husband or father.

Yuchen remained silent. In fact, she had never thought about bringing down the Song family because the Song family had already established themselves. Even if Song Guojiu was gone, there was still Second Master Song and the younger generation that had grown up. It wouldnʼt be easy to overthrow them completely.

Seeing Yuchenʼs reaction, Momo Gui thought she had convinced her and added, ”Wangfei, for a gentleman to take revenge, ten years is not too late.” The Song family was currently at the height of their power. It would be challenging to bring them down.

Yuchen made a sound of agreement, but in her heart, she pondered. In order to seek revenge, she must ally herself with the Empress. The Empress harboured a deep hatred for the Empress Dowager because of Zhou Shenʼs death. Yuchen couldnʼt handle the Empress Dowager on her own, but if she joined forces with the Empress...

Thinking about this, Yuchen bitterly smiled. Even if the Empress wanted revenge, she would never ally with her. The fewer people involved in such matters, the lower the risk.

Upon receiving the news, Second Madam Song knew that Zhou Xia had passed away. She snorted coldly. ”Han Shi must now understand the pain of losing a daughter.” She hadnʼt been able to sleep peacefully since her daughterʼs death. Now, she had finally vented her anger. Unfortunately, Zhou Yan was lucky enough to survive.

The maid beside her wondered, ”Madam, what should we do if that old woman servant confesses and implicates you?” The crime of harming the royal descendants was a serious matter!

Second Madam Song stood up and said, ”Letʼs go to the palace and have a chat with the Empress Dowager.” She knew very well that the Empress Dowager hated both her daughters-in-law. As long as she complained to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager would definitely be on her side.