However, the youth was in Qi Kingdom. Would they kidnap him to Nan Rui just to heal her heartache? This seemed unrealistic. Unable to think of a better solution, I advised her to focus more on her consort husband and A’fu, to enjoy family happiness and let time wash everything away.
Jiang Yunqiao’s story made me miss An Jin even more. My cold symptoms were worsening, showing no signs of improvement. Hongdi was worried and invited many physicians, but to no avail. Rumors began to spread in Fengzhu City, claiming that the Yu King’s illness was caused by lovesickness, with one absurd version alleging I was secretly in love with General Shen, who loved someone else, and that I had begged His Majesty for marriage but failed, thus falling ill.
I wanted to cry but had no tears. Although the physicians were helpless, they ominously mentioned that a minor cold could develop into a serious illness if prolonged. Hongdi was extremely worried and issued an edict seeking folk doctors.
Whoever could cure the Yu King’s illness would be handsomely rewarded. I found this somewhat exaggerated. I rarely fell ill, and it hardly seemed significant, but with such a reward, I felt like a frail princess in a play. In such stories, a handsome doctor typically cures the princess’s serious illness and falls in love with her.
As it turned out, someone did exactly that, claiming the imperial edict and requesting to marry the princess, which Hongdi agreed to.
Chapter Sixty-Six: Another Wave
When I heard this news, I almost jumped from my sickbed. According to information from my younger sister, the doctor was quite handsome, though his left hand was somewhat inconvenient. He met privately with Emperor Hongdi for a long time, and after their conversation, the emperor agreed to his conditions.
My imperial uncle was good in many ways but had a penchant for matchmaking. After trying to match me with General Shen, he now agreed to a doctor wanting to marry me. How eager he was to resolve my marital status! Breaking into a cold sweat slightly improved my cold symptoms.
I asked Jiang Yunqiao to persuade Hongdi to change his mind, but she gleefully said the emperor’s words couldn’t be retracted. This was the consequence of choosing the wrong friend, who took pleasure in my predicament.
