Chapter 148 - 128
"Besides you, who else is in Weiyang Palace?"
The Emperor was, of course, asking about the other concubines.
"The Empress Dowager chose two concubines to attend to you while you are sick. The Empress wanted to volunteer, but the Empress Dowager refused her and named Hui Pin. She summoned me as well, though she didn’t explicitly order me to come... Perhaps she was hoping I would offer. That suited me just fine. The Noble Consort also wanted to come, but..."
Jiang Xian’s voice trailed off.
The Emperor stopped her. "I understand everything."
’As a man, he trusted the Noble Consort, but as the Emperor, he could not stand under a collapsing wall. This precaution against her was also a way to protect her—if the Rong Family truly rebelled, the best she could hope for was to be made a princess, a title far less prestigious and powerful than Noble Consort. If the Rong Family had treacherous ambitions, it would be like holding the Noble Consort over a fire, forcing her into an impossible situation where she would be condemned no matter what.’
’The best solution was to not test human nature.’
’If he gave the Rong Family no opportunity, she could remain his favored and honored Noble Consort in peace.’
He rested in Jiang Xian’s arms for a while.
The Empress Dowager was right; the Emperor had a strong constitution. The late Emperor had surely made physical health a key factor when choosing the Crown Prince, to avoid the instability that would come from appointing one heir after another only to have them fall ill. As someone who was rarely unwell, this bout of severe sickness was a shock. The Emperor felt aches all over his body and was completely devoid of strength.
He wanted to hold Gu Pin, but he couldn’t even manage that.
"You... let go of me. This illness is contagious. You can’t leave Weiyang Palace now that you’re here, but you can stay in a side hall. We can burn mugwort to keep us separated. I will have them keep it a secret. If the Mother Empress asks, we’ll just say you’ve been attending to me in the inner chamber the entire time."
The Emperor’s voice was hoarse. It took him two seconds to finish each sentence, and his words sounded like the tip of a knife scraping across gravel.
’He had already thought of everything for her.’
Jiang Xian couldn’t help but be stunned. The last time she’d been this dumbfounded was when the Noble Consort, disregarding her own reputation, had protected her from the dangerous task of attending the sick. Jiang Xian had always seen the harem as her workplace, the concubines as her colleagues, and the Emperor as her boss.
’But colleagues don’t do things that hurt themselves to help you. A boss would never be this concerned for your safety. They only think of how to work you to the bone without reporting on-the-job injuries, offering compensation, or paying for overtime.’
Instinctively, Jiang Xian disobeyed the Emperor. "No, I’m not letting go."
"This illness is contagious."
"Your Majesty, then don’t think of me as a person. Just pretend I’m a little cat or puppy at your side."
"...You should spend less time with Chen Changzai."
’She’s even started picking up her brand of nonsense.’
Seeing that the Emperor was awake, the Imperial Physician on duty outside carefully brought in a bowl of medicine, asking Gu Pin to help the Emperor drink it slowly. The Emperor saw her stubborn refusal to let go and relented, sipping the medicine one mouthful at a time while resting in her arms.
He was so sick that his sense of taste seemed to have been scorched numb, and he couldn’t even taste the medicine’s bitterness.
"Ever since I was little, whenever I had so much as a headache or a fever, a whole crowd of people would surround me to serve me. Now that I am the Venerable Emperor, I only want you by my side... Xian’er, when you were little and got sick, did your parents also take care of you this attentively? Is that why you’re coddling me like a child?"
Jiang Xian’s hand faltered for a second before she resumed feeding him the medicine.
’The original owner of this body, on the other hand, had been treated very well by Ms. Zhang. Whenever she fell ill, there was indeed an adult who would care for her with tireless devotion.’
’But in her previous life, she’d never had such care.’
"I... don’t get sick. Even if I do, it’s not a big deal. I can still do whatever Your Majesty needs me to."
"How can you say something so foolish, that being sick is no big deal?" The Emperor tried to grasp her hand, but his fingers only brushed against it, lacking the strength to hold on. "When one is unwell... one must rest properly. What did your parents teach you? No matter. Now that you are in the palace, you will follow the palace rules. And my rule is this: if you fall ill in the future, you must rest and recover fully. You are not to defy this edict. Do you understand?"
Jiang Xian didn’t understand.
People who are financially independent and self-reliant tend to have a stubborn, pragmatic streak.
The Emperor wanted to coax her some more, but he soon closed his eyes and fell back into a deep sleep. She had no choice but to withdraw from the inner chamber.
The moment Jiang Xian stepped out, Hui Pin leaped back five paces.
Jiang Xian didn’t even spare her a glance. After describing the Emperor’s condition to the Imperial Physician, she heard him say, "The palace maids and eunuchs of Weiyang Palace are all kneeling outside the main hall, awaiting Your Ladyship’s instructions."
"Hold on,"
Hui Pin, who had been pretending to be invisible on the sidelines, suddenly sprang to life. "While it’s true that we are both of the *pin* rank and both hold titles, I have been a *pin* for far longer. I am your senior. Therefore, I should be the one in charge of attending to the Emperor."
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Pin turned to look at her.
Her gaze, surprisingly, held a hint of nostalgia.
’Nostalgia for what?’
Hui Pin was baffled. When Gu Pin didn’t respond, she grew angry. "Gu Pin, you’ve only just been promoted to the rank of *pin* and are in charge of a single pavilion. You can hardly be considered the mistress of a palace. Your father is nothing more than a regional official. By any measure of sentiment or reason, I should be the one to take the lead."
’So timid and submissive when it came to the actual work of attending the sick, but she comes out swinging when it’s time to fight for credit.’
’Now *this* was the familiar workplace atmosphere she knew so well!’
’All she needed now was someone from accounting who pinched pennies for the company while making life miserable for their colleagues, and the picture would be complete.’
Just then, Hui Pin tilted her chin up, looking down her nose at her.
Hui Pin had expected to see shock, anger, or humiliation on her face. But instead, Jiang Xian simply looked down and produced a Jade Pendant. "This was a gift from the Noble Consort. She said seeing this pendant is the same as seeing her, and that I should use it to take charge as I see fit."
"You think I’m afraid of the Noble Consort?"
Jiang Xian retorted, "Aren’t you?"
...
Hui Pin fell silent for a moment before saying, "For the sake of you having saved my aunt, I’ll defer to you this once. Don’t get too pleased with yourself."
* * *
Arriving outside the main hall of Weiyang Palace, Jiang Xian instantly understood why concubines were sent to attend to an ailing emperor.
The task was as much about showing loyalty as it was about nursing.
A sea of palace maids and eunuchs knelt outside the main hall. When a master falls ill, regardless of the true cause, the servants are always blamed for ’negligent care.’ If the Emperor recovered, they might get off with a beating. If the Emperor died, they would all be put to death.
Liang Yuyin stood to the side, his face grim.
"Anyone else who dares to cry will be removed from service in Weiyang Palace! Send them to the Imperial Prison to be taught a lesson they won’t forget!"
When he saw Jiang Xian, he quickly composed his expression, greeted her, and reported, "Three timid eunuchs and palace maids who started crying have already been taken away." Jiang Xian nodded in understanding. ’In a crisis like this, crying and wailing will only unnerve the other Palace Attendants and spread panic. Harsh punishment is the only way to restore order.’ "For the next steps, we await Lady Gu’s clear instructions," Liang Yuyin finished.
Liang Yuyin had his own plan as well.
’If Jiang Xian proved to be someone who could only win favor but not bear responsibility, he would simply coax her into following his lead, while making sure to give her due respect publicly.’
Jiang Xian collected herself and said, "There’s no need to kneel here. Nor do we need people praying for good fortune; others in the harem are already doing that. Pass on my orders. Divide the palace maids and eunuchs into two groups for day and night shifts. At any given hour, I need half of the staff to be rested and ready for my command. They will work in pairs. Before their shift ends, they are to check each other’s temperature. Anyone showing signs of a fever must be taken off duty immediately."
"Have the Palace Attendants boil water. Nothing the Emperor touches is to be used a second time. Burn whatever can be burned. What cannot be burned must be sterilized in boiling water."
"Likewise, all cleaning throughout Weiyang Palace must be done with boiling water."
Ancient brewing techniques were primitive. Even modern liquor isn’t strong enough to be used as a disinfectant, so the alcohol produced in Yan Chi was certainly not up to the task. With a pained heart, Jiang Xian redeemed some disinfectant powder from her system and mixed it into the large vats of boiling water the Palace Attendants had prepared.
Jiang Xian paused, then turned back to ask:
"Hui Pin, aside from managing the Palace Attendants, I intend to personally wait on the Emperor—to eat and sleep in the same room. Do you wish to join?"