Hua Zhi took note of the matter, then reached out again to feel Yan Xi’s forehead. Her brows slightly furrowed as she leaned down, pressing her forehead against his.
Shaoyao moved closer and asked, “Is he feverish?”
“A little.” Hua Zhi straightened up and signaled to Liu Xiang to prepare warm water, into which she poured strong liquor.
Rolling up her sleeves, Hua Zhi wrung out a cloth and placed it on Yan Xi’s forehead. She poured some liquor into his palms and rubbed them continuously. Meanwhile, Shaoyao climbed onto the bed, removed Yan Ge’s socks, and had Liu Xiang pour some strong liquor into her hands. After warming her palms, she began massaging the soles of his feet.
Amid the pervasive scent of liquor, the two exchanged a few casual words from time to time. When tired, they took turns resting briefly as the fever subsided, only to repeat the process when it rose again. They repeated this several times throughout the night until dawn, when the fever finally stabilized.
Yawning, Shaoyao said, “Hua Hua, you should get some rest.”
“I have to lead the ancestral worship this morning. If I sleep now, I’ll just have to get up again soon. It’s better not to sleep at all.” Hua Zhi nudged the yawning Shaoyao onto the bed. “You sleep on that side. I’ll call you if needed.”
Slowly, Shaoyao remembered that it was the first day of the Lunar New Year. As the head of the household, Hua Zhi had to serve as the Chief Officiant—there was no chance for her to sleep in. How carefree I am, Shaoyao thought, yawning once more. Unconcerned with rules like “men and women should not share the same seat after the age of seven,” she lay back, curled up, and fell fast asleep.
Hua Zhi took the quilt Liu Xiang handed her and covered Shaoyao with it. Turning around, she whispered, “You should rest too. Have someone else take over.”
Liu Xiang shook her head. “This servant is not tired.”
Just then, Nian Qiu pushed the door open, followed by Fu Dong carrying a wooden tray. Tiptoeing closer, Nian Qiu said softly, “Miss, please rest for a while. This maid will keep watch here.”
“I can’t sleep anymore.” Hua Zhi stood and walked to the table. Fu Dong hurriedly poured a large bowl of golden chicken broth, its steaming aroma sparking a bit of appetite in Hua Zhi.
She slowly finished the bowl of soup and ate some pickled vegetables to cut the richness. Soon after, Ying Chun and Bao Xia entered with toiletries to attend to her. After washing up, Hua Zhi felt much more refreshed.
Helping the young lady sit down, Ying Chun led several senior maids in kneeling and kowtowing. “We wish the young lady good health, peace, and smooth sailing in the new year.”
Hua Zhi had grown accustomed to this annual ritual. She raised her hand slightly and said, “All of you, rise. I’ll give out the red envelopes later.”
The maids stood up, carefully concealing their worries. Ying Chun came forward to style the young lady’s hair, while the others went about their tasks.
From start to finish, everyone moved quietly and spoke softly, careful not to disturb the two who were fast asleep.
With her eyes closed, Hua Zhi mentally reviewed the day’s tasks. They weren’t too many, but neither were they few—mostly trivial matters. She decided to leave them to Fourth Aunt, who usually managed the household affairs anyway.
Once ready and seeing that it was almost time, she returned to the bedside and felt Yan Xi’s forehead again. The fever had not returned.
“Nian Qiu, stay here and attend to him. If anything happens, report to me immediately.”
“Yes.”
Just as Hua Zhi was about to leave, her hand was suddenly grasped. Startled, she turned and unexpectedly met a pair of tender, affectionate eyes.
The owner of those eyes smiled and called out, “A Zhi.”
Hua Zhi’s lips moved slightly. After a moment, she sat on the edge of the bed and helped him sit up, instructing, “Water.”
Ying Chun quickly brought warm water. Hua Zhi took it and held it to Yan Xi’s lips, letting him drink half a cup before stopping. Then, carefully, she helped him lie back down.After finishing all this, the indescribable feeling in her heart finally seemed to have passed. She looked at Yan Xi and asked, "How do you feel?"
"Much better." Gu Yanxi pretended not to notice her emotional shift and smiled faintly. "What time is it?"
"It's still early. Do you want to sleep a little longer?"
Gu Yanxi didn't want to sleep, but seeing that A Zhi had clearly freshened up, he nodded anyway. If he didn't sleep, A Zhi wouldn't be able to attend to her own matters.
Just then, Shaoyao sat up drowsily, half-closed her eyes as she checked his pulse briefly, then hugged the quilt and fell back asleep instantly, completely unconscious.
Seeing her reaction, it was clear there was nothing seriously wrong. Hua Zhi was amused and stepped forward to tuck her in properly. She casually straightened Yan Xi's quilt as well and asked him, "Do you need to send any messages outside?"
"Call Wang Rong over. I need him to handle something."
Hua Zhi nodded and left the room under the man's gaze. Seeing Wang Rong standing guard in the corridor didn't surprise her at all. "He's calling for you. Don't talk for too long—he needs to rest."
Wang Rong bowed in acknowledgment, his attitude even more respectful than before. They had always known the Heir valued the young lady greatly, but after last night's events, they finally understood just how much.
Seeing Mr. Wang enter, Nian Qiu tactfully excused herself.
"Heir."
Gu Yanxi closed his eyes. "What's the situation in the palace?"
"The Emperor stayed in the imperial study all night without leaving. The Empress Dowager has detained the Moon Consort and ordered all palaces to refrain from moving about. The Sixth Prince attempted to leave the palace last night but was detained by the Empress Dowager in the Palace of Blessings and Longevity."
"Grandmother is overseeing the rear palace?"
"Yes."
Gu Yanxi sighed and slowly opened his eyes. It was his lack of filial piety that had forced his grandmother, who had long abstained from managing affairs, to wade into this muddy water.
Wang Rong glanced at the Heir and continued, "Lai Fu managed to pass a message amid the chaos. He said the Emperor's sudden change of heart must be related to the Moon Consort. He asked me to convey that it wasn't that he didn't want to inform us earlier, but that he hadn't known about it beforehand. He's rarely permitted entry into the Moon Consort's Like Orchid Palace, and the people he originally placed there have lost contact with him—they're probably useless now."
Lai Fu had been subtly warned by the Emperor several times recently and had since minimized contact with the Heir. At least on the surface, the two had almost no interaction.
"So, the Like Orchid Palace is now entirely under Haoyue's control, and no one outside knows what's happening inside?"
"Yes."
He had underestimated Haoyue. A Zhi's wariness of her was justified. But it was too late for regrets now. Gu Yanxi pondered briefly. "Have the Third and Fourth Princes been visiting the palace frequently recently?"
"Yes, much more often than before."
"Investigate and see who Haoyue has had contact with."
"Yes."
"Notify Chen Qing: keep all the attentive people and rewards within the Heir Apparent Residence. Take my mother's dowry and all other belongings away. Send the items I'm accustomed to using to the southern city residence, and seal the rest in the northern city mansion. During this time, pay attention to guiding the rumors in the city. I suspect someone will use this incident to smear A Zhi. Follow the clues and see what you can find. Also, send a message to the Lu family telling them not to act rashly."
"Yes."
"Aren't we going to kill Haoyue?" Shaoyao sat up yawning; this was the only thing she cared about.
"Not now. No matter what we think, Grandmother must currently stand with the Emperor to stabilize the situation. Don't do anything unnecessary. I won't let Haoyue get away with this."Shaoyao was extremely displeased. With a displeased snort, she hugged the quilt and retreated to the corner.
Gu Yanxi ignored her and turned to Wang Rong, saying, "Pass down the order: everyone is to go into hiding. Do not let anyone seize any leverage at this time."
"Yes."
"Dismissed."
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