After hearing the cook's words, Xie Jinyuan was still uneasy and sent for a doctor.
When the doctor entered, he saw a man of elegant demeanor standing with his hands behind his back by the couch.
Even the bailiff who led him in was respectful towards the man, making the doctor realize he was no ordinary noble. The woman on the couch was likely of unusual status as well.
Therefore, he dared not be negligent and stepped forward to carefully take her pulse.
While taking her pulse, Xie Jinyuan did not leave to avoid suspicion, as was common for high-ranking officials. Instead, he stood not far away, his gaze calmly fixed on the doctor's fingers taking the pulse and Qin Xianyue's sleeping face.
Time passed slowly. The old doctor would sometimes concentrate on his examination, and at other times, he would quietly ask a few questions about Qin Xianyue's usual condition.
To his surprise, Xie Jinyuan answered each question patiently, his tone steady, showing no sign of impatience.
However, his presence was too strong. Although his gaze was not sharp, it pressed heavily on the old doctor's back. Even though he had been practicing medicine for many years and prided himself on being unfazed by storms, he couldn't help but feel a prickle of unease on his back at that moment.
After a long while, the old doctor finally withdrew his hand, his expression growing solemn.
He looked up at Xie Jinyuan, then glanced at the sleeping Qin Xianyue, hesitating to speak, a look of indecision and difficulty on his face.
This was not a situation he had never encountered before.
For women in noble households, bearing offspring was paramount. If a condition was found to hinder this, the family would often show disdain, and the woman's situation would be precarious.
Moreover, they were currently in the duty room of the yamen, not a proper residence within the inner chambers. This woman... was likely without formal status.
If he told the truth, and this seemingly noble man were to reject her because of it, wouldn't he be creating a karmic entanglement for no reason?
Xie Jinyuan seemed to sense the doctor's unspoken difficulty. He led him a couple of steps outside before saying,
"Please tell me frankly about her condition, sir."
The old doctor's heart skipped a beat, and he said with a solemn face,
"This... Little Madam, her condition is indeed a bit troublesome. She has a constitution of uterine coldness, her pulse is fine and weak, and her qi and blood are deficient.
However, the medicinal soup that caused her to fall into a deep sleep today was of a cold nature. Cold illness encountering cold medicine is like adding frost to snow, severely depleting one's foundation."
He paused. Seeing that Xie Jinyuan's expression had not changed, only his eyes had darkened, he continued:
These kinds of potent medicines that temporarily relieve pain and induce sleep to escape suffering, while effective in the short term, do not address the root cause.
Relying on them for a long time will only cause the internal cold to become deeply entrenched and difficult to dissipate. If this continues month after month, the menstrual pain will only worsen, with each episode more severe than the last."
Xie Jinyuan had initially thought she had taken the medicine to sleep because the pain was unbearable and she didn't want to cause trouble.
He hadn't expected she had been enduring it like this all along?
Having lost her past memories, this habit of not causing trouble had become instinctual.
His eyes darkened like the night, and his voice carried no discernible emotion.
"Why does she have such severe uterine coldness?"
The old doctor stroked his beard and said after careful consideration,
"A woman's uterine coldness can be due to a naturally weak and cold constitution, or it can be caused by later carelessness and exposure to extreme cold.
However, such severe uterine coldness as the Little Madam's, indicated by her pulse, is not a recent development. It is most likely due to long-term improper care in the later years, severe invasion of cold, and a failure to treat it promptly, leading to a chronic condition.
If this is further delayed, the cold energy may congeal in the uterus, which could... be detrimental to offspring."
Xie Jinyuan immediately recalled the records stating that Qin Xianyue had once crossed an icy river in the border army in winter to save Gu Yanchi.
She was only thirteen years old that year.
All these years, with Gu Yanchi by her side, he was completely unaware of the monthly suffering she endured?
Or perhaps he knew, but simply didn't care.
If he had paid even a little attention just once and called a doctor, she wouldn't have had to endure this for so long, and it might not have affected her for life.
Was it worth it?
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his surface composure had returned.
"Is there a way to treat it?"
Hearing his tone, though calm, devoid of any disgust, the old doctor felt a bit relieved. He mused that this man, at least, had some conscience; he would likely treat the girl well, at least for the sake of potential offspring.
So, he picked up his brush, wrote out the prescription, and also instructed on how to decoct and take the medicine, as well as daily taboos.
As the doctor was about to leave, Xie Jinyuan suddenly asked again,
"Some say that a woman's condition like this might improve after marriage... is that true?"
The old doctor was taken aback, then understood. A hint of embarrassment crossed his face, and he coughed lightly, saying,
"From a medical perspective, a woman's constitution is yin. If she can receive yang energy to harmonize the body, yin and yang complementing each other, it can indeed be of some benefit in promoting the circulation of qi and blood, but..."
He looked at Xie Jinyuan's tall stature, assuming he was a vigorous man. He changed his tone and tactfully advised,
"The Little Madam's current coldness is deep-rooted and her foundation is unstable. Even if she engages in intercourse in the future, moderation is key.
It is a more stable approach to first regulate her body properly before considering the matter of offspring."
Xie Jinyuan: "..."
He hadn't expected the so-called "relief" to be for such a reason. The tips of his ears heated up almost imperceptibly, and he merely nodded slightly.
"Thank you, sir."
When Qin Xianyue woke up, it was already the next morning.
The tent was warm and cozy, and she was lying on a soft, thick mattress. Her lower abdomen still felt a slight heaviness, but compared to the tearing pain of yesterday, it had already eased considerably.
She had been lying down for a long time, and her body felt a bit stiff. She held her stomach and slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position.
Just as she was about to call out, she heard a faint rustling sound. A tall figure emerged from behind the curtain and stopped by her couch, looking down at her.
He was wearing black common clothes, his dark hair unbound, his phoenix eyes still clear despite a hint of lingering fatigue.
"Elder Brother?" Qin Xianyue's eyes widened in surprise. She looked at the remaining candle outside the tent, then at him, "You... you didn't stay here all night, did you?"
Xie Jinyuan put on the familiar lazy smile again and naturally sat down beside her.
"You're quite something, to drug yourself like that. You slept for a full six hours."
Qin Xianyue knew she couldn't hide it from him, so she lowered her head like a child who had made a mistake and mumbled softly.
"I... I had no choice."
Looking at her completely trusting yet slightly timid demeanor in front of him, the annoyance Xie Jinyuan felt from her not taking care of herself suddenly dissipated.
The charcoal fire in the tent made one feel drowsy.
He suddenly reached out, wrapped his arm around her slender waist, and with a slight pull, brought her to lean against the neatly stacked soft pillows by the head of the bed.
Caught off guard, Qin Xianyue instinctively clutched the corner of the quilt tightly, covering herself, her face a mixture of panic and helplessness.
"Elder Brother... What are you doing now?"
Xie Jinyuan looked at her with innocent and composed eyes.
"When you were little and unwell, didn't I always hold you like this?"
His gaze was so pure and open that Qin Xianyue felt she was overreacting.
Moreover, after he said that, some vague fragments seemed to flash through her mind.
The wariness and shyness in her heart gradually melted away.
She finally relaxed her body and leaned into his embrace, finding a comfortable position.
Seeing that she no longer resisted and was even leaning against him obediently, the pent-up frustration in Xie Jinyuan's heart did not subside; instead, it grew heavier.
He frowned and asked in a stiff tone,
"Do you know you were wrong?"
In his arms, Qin Xianyue responded meekly and softly, like a kitten that had retracted its claws.
"I know, Elder Brother."
Xie Jinyuan: "..."
He felt as if he had punched cotton.
Since he couldn't get angry at the frail patient, he could only attribute all of this to the good deeds of that scoundrel Gu Yanchi.
His actions on the training ground that day were ultimately too lenient.
As he was thinking this, the person in his arms suddenly moved and said timidly,
"Elder Brother... you seem different from before."
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