The next morning, just as the Emperor and Empress had risen, a eunuch rushed in, panting heavily from running, indicating something urgent had happened. Indeed, he had important news: “Your Majesty, it’s bad. The physician says Miss Lin has suddenly developed a high fever.” The Emperor hesitated briefly, then gave a bitter smile: “Poor Qingqing, her fate is too harsh!” The Empress sighed lightly: “I’m afraid we won’t be able to explain this to Prime Minister Lin.”
…In the Eastern Palace. “Physician, how serious is Miss Lin’s condition?” The Emperor asked as soon as he stepped into the Eastern Palace, neglecting even the morning court session, something he had never done even when ill. The physician replied, “Miss Lin’s fever is severe, and I… am afraid I cannot manage it…” Seeing Li Qin standing there, the Emperor’s anger grew: “If anything happens to Qingqing, see how you’ll explain it to the Lin family.” Li Qin suddenly had a strange thought, as if Qingqing were the Emperor’s child, and he had only accidentally caused her to fall into the pond. Why was the Emperor so furious? He gritted his teeth as if making a significant decision: “I will take responsibility for the trouble I’ve caused.”
The Emperor saw Qingqing’s face turning blue, her brows furrowed in pain, her breathing sounding as if someone was strangling her, emitting a harsh groan. Li Qin’s words seemed devoid of any remorse, which further infuriated the Emperor, who then turned and left in anger. The Empress hurried after him, signaling Li Qin not to act rashly. “Physician, is there no method at all? Are we just to wait for her fever to break on its own?” Li Qin asked urgently once the Emperor and Empress had left. The physician explained, “Miss Lin’s fever started last night; I’ve already instructed the maids to apply cold compresses, but there’s been no improvement.” The method of cold compresses was extremely risky, involving boiling snow water with medicine, then soaking fine silk towels in it to apply to various parts of the body. If the patient shivered, turned pale, or their skin turned purple, it was as if they were already lost. The physician, having tried such a dangerous method with no success, seemed to imply that even divine intervention could not help. Li Qin felt deeply saddened, thinking if he hadn’t insulted her the day before, she wouldn’t have been angry with him, and they wouldn’t have ended up by the lotus pond where she fell in. The more he thought, the more he blamed himself.
Seeing Li Qin’s distress, the physician, feeling sympathetic, whispered, “I’ve heard of a folk remedy, but…” Li Qin, recalling the “mouth-to-mouth” method from the previous day, blushed and thought if this “folk remedy” involved mutual heat transfer, like him soaking in snow and then holding Qingqing. The palace physicians, somewhat scholarly, had been reluctant to suggest such methods again. He said, “You can use a cloth or silk towel soaked in a special wine to wipe her neck, armpits, inner thighs, behind the knees, and palms and soles to reduce the fever. But this wine must not touch the heart area.” Li Qin urgently said, “Then have a maid cover her chest, and act quickly.” The physician explained, “Your Highness, you do not know. This wine is worth a thousand gold per ounce; if applied repeatedly to someone with a high fever, it can reduce the fever, but if applied to a normal person, it would dissolve their blood.” Li Qin said, “There are plenty of servants in the palace; whoever volunteers, I will reward them with ten thousand taels of gold.” Suddenly, laughter came from behind, as if someone had heard the most ridiculous joke: “Brother, you’re truly generous. Even ants cling to life, let alone humans. What use is ten thousand taels of gold if someone dies?” Li Qin angrily retorted, “What do you want then?” “Why do you always oppose me?” The Fourth Prince fearlessly met his gaze, articulating each word, “It’s not that I want to oppose you, but you want to kill Qingqing?” The imperial physician, seeing their intense confrontation, trembled and dared not even breathe. Li Qin, however, suddenly laughed, gritting his teeth, “Do you like her?” The Fourth Prince retorted angrily, “I pity her!” After speaking, without regard for Li Qin’s surprise and anger, he stormed out.
Qingqing remained unconscious all day, her breathing growing louder, eventually muttering incoherently. During this time, the Emperor, Empress, and Mr. Lin came to visit several times, each shaking their heads and sighing, at a loss for what to do. By evening, the physician advised Li Qin, who had been vigilantly by her side, to rest. Li Qin, with no choice, went down to have a meal. He was already slightly injured and, having been exhausted all day, had little appetite. Facing the table full of food, he suddenly remembered Qingqing’s accusation from that day: “Your Highness, do you know that this ‘simple meal’ of yours could feed three or four common families for a year?” If it weren’t for his damn pride, Qingqing wouldn’t have chased after him and ended up like this. He recalled Qingqing’s innocence and uniqueness when they first met, her talents, and the various moments they shared, growing more distressed with each thought. Looking at the exquisite food on the table, he suddenly burst into anger, “Crash!” He overturned the table, roaring, “Take it all away! From now on, anyone who dares to serve me such lavish food will face consequences.”
“Your Highness, who are you venting your anger on?” Just as the servants stood bewildered, the sweet and gentle voice of Yafu sounded from the doorway, carrying a hint of youthful innocence yet also a trace of authority. Li Qin, however, had no pleasant expression, sitting silently on the pearwood chair. Yafu felt slightly displeased, wondering why Qingqing, this elder sister, had such “charm.” She said to Li Qin, “Yafu knows you feel guilty. But remember, you are the Crown Prince; no matter the time, you are the most noble Crown Prince.” Having been constantly criticized by the Emperor and the Fourth Prince in recent days, hearing someone comfort him, Li Qin felt a bit clearer. He murmured, “Yes, I am the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince… and… I didn’t want her to fall…”
Yafu hid a slight smile, which was noticed by the Crown Prince. After all, she was still young, and her acting skills were not yet refined. Seeing his displeasure, she quickly changed her expression to a smile, “Let’s go check on our elder sister!”
Qingqing was resting in Li Qin’s main bedroom. The physician was not attending inside but was waiting at the door. Li Qin angrily said, “You quack doctor, why are you standing here instead of properly attending to her?” The physician stammered, “Your Highness, this… this…” Seeing his panicked expression, Li Qin thought something had happened to Qingqing and was about to rush in. The physician hurriedly blocked him, falling to his knees with a mournful face, “Your Highness, please do not make things difficult for this old servant.”
Li Qin suspected something was amiss, his anger subsiding as he smiled cunningly, “I won’t make it hard for you if you hit me twice.” The physician said, “I dare not, even if I had the courage of a lion.” Li Qin’s eyes narrowed, his face darkening, “So you want to die? How dare you block me, the Crown Prince.” The physician, knowing well the saying “Serving a king is like serving a tiger,” always reminded himself to be ready to sacrifice his life, but when faced with death, fear gripped him. Besides, he couldn’t stop Li Qin, who had already entered the hall.