Jinshu’s inner thoughts struck Shen Qingtang’s heart like a stone, making her brow twitch violently!
She never expected the Crown Prince would use such a method to arrange a meeting with her in the palace.
Her hand clutching the handkerchief tightened, the earlier hesitation instantly dissipating, leaving only one thought: she absolutely must not see the Crown Prince at this time.
She needed to wait, to let some days pass until his absurd intentions faded, then she could peacefully enter the palace to visit her aunt.
But how should she phrase her refusal?
The Empress had specifically reserved precious fabrics for her, she couldn’t bluntly refuse outright, as it might arouse the Crown Prince’s suspicion.
Evening.
Shen Qingtang sat before her dressing table, watching the gradually deepening twilight outside the window, slowly forming a plan in her heart.
Though it was spring, the days were still warm and pleasant, but when the night wind blew, it still carried a bone-chilling cold.
That very night, after Jinshu and Huaping finished helping her bathe, change clothes, and withdrew, Shen Qingtang quietly rose, walked to the window, and pushed both panes open.
The night wind, carrying the cold air, rushed in, causing the bed curtains to sway gently.
Clad only in thin moon-white sleepwear, she walked barefoot to the corner, leaned her back against the cold wall, and slowly sat down.
The chill seeped through her clothes into her skin, and within moments, she was shivering uncontrollably, her teeth beginning to chatter lightly.
She wrapped her arms around her knees, curling herself into a ball, her fingertips turning pale from the cold, yet she refused to move.
Her body had been raised delicately; staying like this for one night would inevitably make her fall ill.
Only by being too sick to enter the palace was the most reasonable excuse.
But she didn’t dare to feign illness, because whenever she fell ill, her aunt or cousin would send the imperial physician to examine her.
The imperial physician’s eyes were the sharpest; not a single flaw could escape their notice. If they detected she was pretending, it would backfire.
The night grew deeper, moonlight streaming through the window lattice onto the floor, cold and clear like a layer of frost.
Leaning against the wall, Shen Qingtang’s consciousness gradually began to blur. Several times, she was so drowsy she nearly closed her eyes, but she forcefully pinched her arm, using the pain to stay awake.
She lowered her gaze to the moonlight on the floor, praying over and over in her heart: Aunt, please don’t blame Tangtang for being willful; Cousin, I beg you to quickly abandon those foolish thoughts…
She didn’t know how long she endured until, finally, a faint glow of dawn appeared outside the window, and the wind carried a hint of morning warmth.
Shen Qingtang pushed herself up slowly against the wall, feeling heavy-headed and light-footed, her entire body burning with fever, even walking felt unsteady.
Holding onto the window frame, she closed the window, staggered to the bed, and collapsed onto the bedding. Soon, she fell into a heavy, dazed sleep, the temperature on her forehead rising higher and higher…
Shen Qingtang burned with weakness, her eyelids heavy as lead, her consciousness drifting in and out of confusion.
She didn’t know how much time had passed when fragmented footsteps reached her ears.
Yang Shi, Madam Ding, and Ding Ru Shan seemed to have come to see her, and even Chengan Hou, who was usually buried in official duties and rarely stepped into the inner courtyard, stood in the yard inquiring about her condition.
Shen Qingtang was truly too unwell to even open her eyes before sinking back into a dazed sleep.
At some point, the imperial physician must have come to take her pulse. She faintly heard him softly instructing the servants about decocting medicine, his voice seeming to come through a fog. Before she could hear clearly, she fell back into unconsciousness.
Until a clear, cool scent of Dragon Saliva Incense suddenly wafted over, carrying a familiar sense of pressure, jolting Shen Qingtang’s consciousness awake a few degrees.
She shuddered, instinctively stiffening her spine, yet her eyelids remained tightly shut as she even softened her breath.
She dared not open her eyes, nor did she wish to face him.
Xiao Chengyu’s gaze fell upon Shen Qingtang’s fever-flushed cheeks, his brow furrowed tightly.
“She was perfectly fine when we last met. How did she fall ill so suddenly?”
Jinshu knelt on the floor, replying in a hushed tone.
Shen Qingtang knew that if she fell ill, Xiao Chengyu would surely come, but he couldn’t possibly visit every day. This one visit would likely be the end of it.
Afterward, if she remained “ill” for a month or so, she could enjoy some peace and quiet. Perhaps by then, the Empress Aunt would have already chosen a Crown Princess for him?
She had no idea how much time had passed before the room fell completely silent.
By the time she regained consciousness, the sky outside the window had already darkened.
Having stayed up all night and coupled with the fever, she had actually slept the entire day.
Seeing her awake, Jinshu and Huaping finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly ordered the servants to bring in the medicine.
Just then, steady footsteps echoed once more from outside the courtyard.
It was her elder brother, Shen Zheng, who had returned.
Shen Zheng currently served as a Captain in the Xiaoqi Camp stationed in the outskirts of the capital, responsible for training the elite cavalry. He spent most of his time stationed at the Martial Arts Field in the suburbs and rarely returned to the Marquis’s estate unless necessary.
Upon hearing of Shen Qingtang’s illness, he had rushed back on horseback.
Shen Qingtang’s voice was hoarse: “Is it my elder brother who has returned? Let him in.”
Shortly after, Shen Zheng lifted the curtain and entered.
His posture was as straight and sturdy as a pine tree, his powerful frame accentuated by a dark, close-fitting outfit. A long sword hung at his waist, its scabbard’s patterns faintly glimmering in the light.
Worry was etched across Shen Zheng’s handsome features. The moment he entered, he strode quickly to the bedside: “Tangtang, how did you suddenly fall so gravely ill?”
Shen Qingtang leaned against the headboard, a soft pillow propped behind her. She forced a faint smile, her voice still raspy from the illness: “It’s nothing serious. Perhaps I caught a chill yesterday while strolling in the rear garden.”
Shen Zheng nodded, his eyes lingering on her pale complexion as his tone grew more admonishing: “The weather is unpredictable these days, warm one moment and cold the next, with a significant temperature drop in the mornings and evenings. When you go out from now on, remember to have your maids prepare an extra cloak.”
“My illness isn’t that severe, yet I’ve troubled you to rush back all the way from the Martial Arts Field…” Shen Qingtang lowered her gaze, her fingers lightly clutching the brocade quilt, her heart filled with guilt.
Her falling ill had truly caused quite a stir for many people.
Shen Zheng’s expression turned serious: “What trouble are you talking about? Tangtang, I am your elder brother.”
He paused, a touch of tenderness softening his eyes, “Before Mother passed, she held my hand and repeatedly urged me to protect you well. If anything were to happen to you, I fear Mother would disown me as her son.”
At the mention of their mother, Shen Qingtang’s nose suddenly stung, her eyes instantly reddening as glistening tears welled up on her lashes.
She sniffled, her voice trembling softly: “Elder Brother, a few days ago… I dreamed of Mother. But when I woke up, I realized… I seem to have forgotten what she looked like.”
Shen Zheng’s brow furrowed abruptly, his tone instantly tightening: “Why are you suddenly thinking of Mother, Tangtang? Have you been wronged in the estate?”
His expression darkened, “Has Yang Shi treated you poorly? Or has some insolent servant neglected you? Tell me, Elder Brother will stand up for you!”
In his view, Tangtang had always been sensible. If she hadn’t been wronged, she would never have suddenly remembered their deceased mother.
Only a child who has suffered hardship with no one to turn to would long so deeply for a parent’s protection.