Chapter 1219 - 895: Drastic Medicine
Shang Ruyi was drinking tea, heard him ask, and discreetly took a sip of tea, then smiled and raised her head: "What, does Doctor Du want to see Yuanyuan?"
Du Ruoming quickly said: "I am merely concerned about the Young Master’s health."
Shang Ruyi said: "He is fine."
"That is good."
"However, the nanny just said she took him outside for a walk, it’s about time they came back."
As Shang Ruyi spoke, she looked outside, and just then Tushere walked in holding a thick bundle, with the nanny following behind her, not holding the child, but covering her nose with her hand.
When the two saw there were people in the hall, they curtsied accordingly.
Shang Ruyi looked at Tushere: "Why are you holding the child?"
Though Tushere was her personal palace maid, normally if she was entering or leaving with Yuanyuan, she would hand the child over to her; but if the nanny was present, the child was almost always in the arms of the familiar, close nanny.
Tushere didn’t speak immediately and glanced back, seeing the nanny looking anxious, and before she could say anything, the nanny sneezed several times.
Tushere quickly said: "Nanny Feng seems to have caught a chill."
"What?"
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi frowned, and the nanny could only lower her hands, revealing her reddened nose and slightly red eyes, lowering her head and softly saying: "Please forgive me, Princess. I seem to have caught a chill and worry it might pass to the Young Master, so I had Miss She’er hold the Young Master."
Tushere said: "I told you to be careful the day the wind blew, and you didn’t listen, now look what happened."
This Nanny Feng was a woman in her twenties, who fled with her husband from the war to Central Pass, but just after arriving in Chang An, she encountered an epidemic. Her husband died of illness, and she lived on with a posthumous child, but unfortunately, the child was weak and passed away before six months old. With no work or way to survive, she almost followed her husband and son in death, but luckily saw a notice recruiting nannies for the palace. She applied and, due to her fair looks, nimble work, and gentle temperament, was successfully selected and entered Qianqiu Palace.
These days, she treated Little Yuanzi as her own, and upon hearing Tushere’s rebuke, she immediately knelt before Shang Ruyi with guilt.
"I deserve to die."
"Enough with the talk of deserving to die."
Shang Ruyi frowned, then glanced at Du Ruoming sitting before her and smiled: "Luckily Doctor Du is here, if it’s not too much trouble—"
Du Ruoming immediately stood up: "How dare I, how dare I."
Although by rank, a mere nanny wasn’t enough to warrant a visit from an Imperial Doctor like him, the nanny’s health directly affected the Young Master, which could not be taken lightly. So when Shang Ruyi spoke, he immediately stood up to oblige.
He walked over, not hesitating as much with a nanny, and directly observed her complexion and took her pulse.
Turning back, he said: "Princess, this Nanny Feng indeed caught a chill. I will promptly prescribe some medicine for her; after taking it and resting for two days, she will be fine."
Shang Ruyi said: "Much appreciated."
"Just doing my duty. For the next two days, it would be unwise for Nanny Feng to be close to the Young Master."
"Naturally. Let Yuanyuan stay with me these two days. Once you are well, you can take care of the child again."
Nanny Feng said: "Yes."
Meanwhile, Du Ruoming had already taken out paper and pen, directly walked to the table on one side, and began writing a prescription. Tushere, holding Little Yuanzi who kept wriggling in the bundle, eagerly leaned over to see the prescription and suddenly said: "Speaking of which, Doctor Du, Nanny Feng’s health is important, but you should also be careful with the medicine. Avoid using fierce drugs to make her recover quickly, as it might affect her milk."
Du Ruoming, hearing this, glanced at her: "Miss She’er seems knowledgeable in medicine?"
Shang Ruyi said: "She’er, don’t talk nonsense."
Tushere stuck out her tongue, stepping back, and Shang Ruyi smiled: "Doctor Du, don’t mind her; I’ve idly read a few medical books myself, but wouldn’t dare to prescribe for people. I’m afraid of a lawsuit over accidental death. I told her some things, and she learned and then showed off before you."
With that, she scolded Tushere: "We’re wielding big swords before Guan Gong."
Du Ruoming immediately laughed along: "If the Princess were to practice medicine, I’m afraid I’d lose my place to eat."
"You’re joking."
"However, Miss She’er’s words are reasonable. I am considering the prescription carefully, as Nanny Feng’s health affects the Young Master. If the medicine is too potent, it could indeed affect the Young Master’s health. Yet, if the medicine is too mild, it might not work quickly."
"Illness lasting beyond the year would be troublesome."
"Indeed,"
Du Ruoming thought for a moment, then bowed down to amend the prescription, removing several ingredients like immature bitter orange and ephedra, and then said: "This prescription will be gentler, and later the Imperial Medical Bureau will prepare some incense for use in Qianqiu Palace; that way, she should recover."
Shang Ruyi said: "With both external and internal treatments, things are naturally much more reliable."
Thus, she let Tushere take the prescription, and signaled Wo Xue to give a reward to Du Ruoming, who, with heartfelt gratitude, soon left with his medical box.
After he departed, Shang Ruyi took the bundle from Tushere.
The thick bundle, when in her hands, felt like a heavy stone, requiring effort to hold steadily. She looked down at the little face inside the bundle, its cheeks rosy from the wind, but unlike the bright redness at birth, now appearing full and soft. Especially as the child opened his eyes wide to look at his mother and suddenly broke into a grin, creating two dimples under his eyes, looking absolutely adorable.
Little Yuanzi kept reaching out, as if trying to grasp the person in front of him, while giggling.
Shang Ruyi laughed: "You little rascal, not cold?"
"Hee-hee, hee-hee-hee-hee."
The clear laughter filled Qianqiu Palace, warming the cold palace in the winter. Shang Ruyi’s face brightened with a smile, playing with the child for a while before looking up to see Nanny Feng standing beside, gazing at her: "Princess, I—"
Shang Ruyi gently said: "You should go and rest well these next two days."
"The Young Master—"
"I am this child’s mother, do you think I cannot take care of him well?"
"I dare not!"
"Go ahead, you haven’t rested properly these days, take the opportunity to relax. Soon it will be New Year’s Eve, I’ll need you to look after the Young Master then."
"I understand."
Nanny Feng curtsied and then turned and left.