Chapter 186: High Fever
Lan Wu knew nothing of this; all she saw before her was a vast expanse of white.
Everything was white.
The golden bricks and crimson walls of the palace, the jade carvings and gilded screens—all were shrouded in a plain, unadorned white.
Was this… a funeral?
Lan Wu tried to take a few steps forward, but her feet felt as if they were treading on cotton, her legs too weak to support her as she moved.
She collapsed heavily to the ground.
The palace—the Hall of Supreme Harmony?
Whose funeral was it…
Where was Chu Mingheng?
Where was he?
A few palace maids dressed in white hurried past along the path, carrying white flowers in their hands.
Lan Wu stared blankly at them, wanting to follow, but her body felt as if it were sinking into the ground. When she looked down, it seemed as though she were trapped in a dark, murky swamp, struggling but unable to break free, sinking deeper and deeper.
…
After an unknown length of time, sounds finally reached her ears. She found herself in a grand hall where civil and military officials knelt, the voice of a eunuch echoing around her.
He called out, “Bow again—”
As the words fell, a sea of figures dressed in white knelt in unison below the steps, and the sound of weeping gradually grew clearer.
But where was Chu Mingheng?
Where was he?
Had he… died?
This thought flashed incessantly through Lan Wu’s mind as she frantically scanned her surroundings. Finally, in the innermost part of the hall, she saw a coffin lying silently.
Chu Mingheng was dead…
The night was quiet when a sudden commotion erupted outside the hall where Lan Wu resided.
Palace attendants hurriedly summoned Court Physician Chen Yi Nv, not daring to delay even a moment on the way, and hastily explained the situation to her.
“Just now, the wind picked up at night. A palace maid went to Her Ladyship’s hall to close the window and happened to hear Her Ladyship’s breathing grow heavier. The curtain around Her Ladyship’s bed wasn’t fully drawn, and the maid, concerned for Her Ladyship, took a closer look.”
“That’s when she discovered Her Ladyship had developed a fever at some point, and her skin felt burning to the touch.”
After listening, Chen Li asked, “When Her Ladyship went to the mountain with the princess to bask in the sun this afternoon, did she complain of the heat and remove any clothing?”
“No, Her Ladyship was just sitting and embroidering a handkerchief, then went for a walk with the princess. Her Ladyship’s illness has only just improved slightly; why would she remove her clothing?”
“I’ll go examine Her Ladyship first. You, go and have someone fetch more cool water.”
Entering the hall, Chen Li saw several people already gathered around the bed. The person on the bed was clearly gravely ill, unable to wake even when called, frowning and struggling in her sleep.
Chen Li took Lan Wu’s pulse and couldn’t help but furrow her brow.
At that moment, Lan Wu began to murmur something with great effort.
Chen Li was close enough to hear, even though her voice was faint.
She heard Her Ladyship calling for Your Majesty.
Simultaneously, Lan Wu’s struggles grew more intense.
“She’s experiencing febrile convulsions. All of you, quickly hold down Her Ladyship’s hands and legs. I’ll administer acupuncture—” Cold sweat beaded on Chen Li’s forehead. Convulsions like these were more common in children; in adults, they could range from mild to severe. Alleviating the symptoms was not simple and depended largely on the patient’s own condition.
Mujin and Lian Xi stepped forward, one holding down Her Ladyship’s feet and the other her hands, preventing her from thrashing about.
Chen Li retrieved silver needles from her case and swiftly, accurately, and firmly inserted them into Lan Wu’s body.
“Prepare some strong liquor as well. We’ll need it to wipe Her Ladyship’s body later,” Chen Li reminded a nearby palace maid during a brief pause in the acupuncture.
“Yes.”
As the palace maid hurriedly withdrew, she happened to see Princess Yizhen arriving at the entrance of the hall.
“How is Lan Wu?” Yizhen asked anxiously.
“Your Highness, Court Physician Chen says Her Ladyship is suffering from high fever and convulsions. They are already applying acupuncture inside…”
No sooner had she finished speaking than a sudden, explosive crack echoed from the sky—a clap of thunder.
Spring thunder rumbled in the distance, the light of lightning wrapped within dark clouds spreading toward the sky above.
The imperial carriage carrying His Majesty was rushing ceaselessly toward the territory of Changyong Mountain.
Chu Mingheng faintly heard the distant thunder and frowned slightly, lightly tapping the window frame.
In the next moment, Chen Kangan’s voice sounded by the window: “What are Your Majesty’s orders?”
“How much longer until we reach Changyong Mountain?”
“Your Majesty, it rained a few days ago, and the road is muddy, so progress is slower. However, we should reach the foot of Changyong Mountain in about half an hour or so,” Chen Kangan replied with a bow.
Too slow.
Chu Mingheng’s expression darkened slightly as he ordered, “Bring my horse.”
Bring the horse?
Could it be that His Majesty intends to ride ahead to Changyong Mountain himself?
Chen Kangan inwardly thought this was not good and quickly said, “Your Majesty’s horse is right behind. This servant will have it brought over immediately.”
Once the horse was led over, Chu Mingheng emerged from the carriage.
He mounted the horse, took hold of the reins, and slowly guided it forward a few steps before turning the horse’s head and looking down to survey the several groups of people before him.
Before Chen Kangan could even attempt to dissuade him, he heard the command: “Pass down the order: one unit of the Imperial Guards will accompany me to Changyong Mountain. The rest shall proceed as usual.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
With this order, the sound of hooves gradually rose, trampling through the muddy road as they galloped toward the distant Changyong Mountain.
The thunderclaps were like heavy hammer blows, as if threatening to shatter the night sky above.
A fierce wind howled through the night, heralding the arrival of an early spring thunderstorm.
Inside the hall, candles burned brightly. On the bed, Lan Wu was still muttering incoherently in delirium. Those nearby could hear her calling out for His Majesty.
But His Majesty had not yet arrived at Changyong Mountain.
“Court Physician Chen, Her Ladyship’s lips are a bit dry. Can we give her some water?” The palace maid was also anxious, noticing the dried skin on Lan Wu’s flushed lips.
Chen Li was still administering acupuncture—a task that required great concentration and care, even for her.
“You can give her a little warm water. Later, I will prepare the medicine. If Her Ladyship does not improve after drinking it, use strong liquor to wipe her body. We must bring down her fever quickly.”
“Yes, understood.”
After a while, the acupuncture session ended. Chen Li signaled to Mujin and Lian Xi that they could release Lan Wu.
The acupuncture had some effect, at least Lan Wu was no longer struggling or thrashing about.
Dan Shan stepped forward to feed Lan Wu water with a spoon. Unintentionally touching her burning body, she grew even more anxious.
She was fine during the day—how could she suddenly develop such a high fever at night?
Seeing someone come out, Yizhen quickly asked in a hushed voice, “How is she? Is she any better?”
“Your Highness, the court physician has administered acupuncture, but Her Ladyship’s fever has not yet broken. She says we must wait and see.”
Yizhen was also deeply troubled, pacing anxiously outside the hall. “If only I hadn’t let her go out to bask in the sun this afternoon. Who knows if she caught a chill from the wind?”
“Your Highness need not blame yourself. Court Physician Chen said Her Ladyship was troubled by nightmares in her sleep, which caused the high fever and fright. She will surely recover soon.”
In truth, Lan Wu’s illness truly could not be blamed on Yizhen. It was originally the anniversary of her death in her past life, and these past few days she had been feeling somewhat resistant, unable to sleep peacefully at night. Moreover, after learning from her dreams how Chu Mingheng had wasted his health in his previous life, falling ill and dying early, it felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart, making her unbearably stifled.
Tonight’s dream of entering dreams struck her like a sudden blow, directly placing her at Chu Mingheng’s funeral, which was why she could not wake up no matter how hard she tried.