That’s when the maidservant told the whole story.
Since West Garden was surrounded by guards, everyone entering and leaving was registered, and their daily food and drink were delivered from outside.
Except for the initial incident when Wei Nanxun broke through the courtyard gate and was threatened, the mistress and servant had obediently stayed in the house. The other servants in the courtyard were opportunistic and, knowing that Madam Wang was in charge of the household, naturally wouldn’t go against the mistress.
Until now, West Garden had been peaceful, with no accidents.
Just yesterday, a Steward Qiu said he needed to enter the courtyard to report something to the young lady, but the guards stopped him, saying the young lady was unwell. To be safe, they temporarily detained the steward as well.
Logically, nothing had happened, and everything should have been smooth until next month.
But this morning, Zhixia suddenly ran out, saying that Wei Nanxun was sick, had been burning up all night, vomiting everything she ate, and was covered in red rashes.
The guards naturally didn’t believe her and sent her back.
Later, when a maid went to deliver food, she found Zhixia collapsed by the bed. She was also burning red, with small red rashes all over her face and hands, looking extremely frightening.
Madam Wang’s first reaction was disbelief. How could there be a plague out of nowhere? Could it be a common cold? She frowned and asked, “Have you found a doctor?”
The maid nodded, “Doctor Hu from the eldest young lady’s courtyard happened to be taking her pulse for a routine check-up and was about to leave when he heard about this and was invited over.”
“What did the doctor say?”
“Doctor Hu took one look and was so scared he wanted to leave, saying he couldn’t diagnose the illness. We pleaded with him, and he finally put on a veil and took her pulse, saying it was almost certainly the plague. Then he wrote a prescription and fled in panic, even leaving his coat behind. Now half of the guards outside West Garden have run away, and everyone in the mansion is panicking, saying that Seventh Young Lady has the plague and people will die.”
Madam Wang still felt something was wrong: “Wei Nanxun hasn’t gone anywhere. How could she get the plague while staying in her room? Could she be faking it?”
The experienced old nanny serving her whispered, “Madam, you may not know this, but if a person comes into contact with a diseased animal, they can catch this evil disease. West Garden is remote, with many wild cats, insects, and rats. Maybe she was bitten by something bad.”
Although Madam Wang didn’t believe it, the plague was no small matter, especially in this hot summer. It could easily spread.
If it really infected the entire Wei family and spread throughout the capital, it would affect the entire Wei family’s future, especially since her precious daughter was pregnant with the emperor’s eldest grandson and couldn’t afford any mishaps.
She immediately told the Old Madam and Wei Rongxuan about the matter. The three of them sat around the table, all with solemn expressions.
“Did the eldest daughter-in-law find another doctor?”
“Mother, this kind of matter requires a discreet doctor. Doctor Hu is the one we usually use. But I had someone write down Seventh Young Lady’s symptoms and ask at the pharmacies, and they all said it was almost certainly the plague.”
“Do you think she might be faking it?”
“I don’t think it’s likely. She’s been under house arrest all this time, and someone has been watching her, so she hasn’t stepped out of the courtyard. She couldn’t fake such a disease. Besides, marrying the crown prince is a blessing she’s been seeking for lifetimes. Why would she try so hard to fake an illness?”
For a moment, the room was silent. After a long time, Old Madam Wei said, “The eldest daughter-in-law is right. Then think of a way to get her out of the city. Even if she dies, she can’t die in the mansion.”
Madam Wang strongly agreed with this idea. She had long disliked Wei Nanxun, thinking she was a seductive fox spirit. If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, she wouldn’t have let her enter the palace to share the crown prince’s favor.
Only Wei Rongxuan disagreed: “The crown prince specifically asked to keep her. It’s inappropriate for us to act on our own without informing the crown prince about such a matter. Moreover, before Second Brother left the capital, I promised to take care of his children. I already feel guilty for arranging for his daughter to marry into the Eastern Palace without asking him. Now that A-Xun is seriously ill, how can I drive her out of the mansion and ignore her? Mother, I can’t do it.”
“Didn’t the crown prince leave the capital a few days ago on official business? The crown prince is a reasonable man. When he returns, we’ll explain the situation to him. Surely he wouldn’t make things difficult for his wife’s family for the sake of Wei Nanxun.”
No matter what Madam Wang and the Old Madam said, Wei Rongxuan still disagreed. He insisted on finding a doctor to treat Wei Nanxun as soon as possible and ensure her recovery.
Just as the three were at odds, someone pushed open the door and barged in.
“Father, are you only concerned about being fair to Second Uncle and completely disregarding your daughter’s life?”
Wei Mingzhao’s face was bloodless. She gently stroked her lower abdomen, looking at Wei Rongxuan with tears in her eyes.
Her appearance made everyone in the room nervous. Madam Wang was the first to react, quickly stepping forward to help her to a chair: “Zhao’er, why did you come here instead of resting in your room?”
“If I didn’t come, I don’t know how long you would have kept it from me. You’re actually going to let Wei Nanxun marry with me. Don’t Mom and Dad know what an restless personality she is? She was able to seduce the crown prince to break off the engagement in the first place, and who knows, she might poison my food in the future and trick the crown prince into abandoning me. Now that she has such a disease, it could easily infect the whole family. Does Father not care at all about the lives of his daughter and the grandson in my womb?”
“Zhao’er, how did you find out? Which loose-lipped maid…”
“Don’t blame them, Mother accidentally let it slip yesterday. Since Father feels indebted to Second Uncle and Seventh Sister, then let me take care of her, so that Father can rest assured.”
As she spoke, she actually turned to leave, scaring Madam Wang into hurrying forward to pull her back: “Zhao’er, Zhao’er! Don’t go, let me go.”
But Wei Mingzhao was particularly stubborn this time and couldn’t be persuaded. Madam Wang could only look at Wei Rongxuan: “Master, are you going to watch Zhao’er and her child go to their deaths before you’re satisfied?!”
With the mother and daughter threatening to die, Wei Rongxuan, no matter how guilty he felt towards his brother, couldn’t bring himself to be so heartless.
“Forget it, forget it, do as you say and send her out of the city. Send her to the estate to recover first. When she recovers, bring her back. I’ll deal with the crown prince.”
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a green-topped carriage drove out of the back gate of the Wei mansion.
The coachman was wrapped in a thick cloth, and a nanny, also fully armed, sat next to him on the carriage shaft. They hurried to drive out of the city gate at the moment it opened.
The carriage bumped along the road and finally arrived at the estate before sunset.
“Move her down and put her in that small house over there. Let’s get out of here quickly.”
“Nanny Wang, is this okay? Master told us to take good care of Seventh Young Lady.”
Nanny Wang curled her lips, too lazy to pay attention to this fool. They had to listen to the master, but the mistress controlled their lives. The mistress said to let them fend for themselves, who would dare to wade into this muddy water?
“Clothes and dry food are all prepared for them, what more care do you want? This is a deadly disease. If you want to die, you can stay here, but I have to leave quickly.”
As she spoke, she really put the person down and left. The coachman hesitated for a moment, and seeing the spots of red rash on the exposed arms of the young woman, he finally followed out in a panic.
“Nanny Wang, wait for me.”
After who knows how long, the sky gradually darkened, and everything was silent.
The person lying on the wooden plank slowly propped herself up on the bed: “Zhixia, wake up quickly, we’re out.”
“Let’s move people down and put them in that small house over there first, and let’s leave here quickly.”
“Mother Wang, is this not good? The master ordered us to take good care of the Seventh Young Lady.”
Mother Wang curled her lips, too lazy to pay attention to this fool, the master’s words must be listened to, but the wife is holding their power of life and death, the wife said to let them fend for themselves, who would dare to wade into this muddy water.
“Clothes and dry food are all prepared for them, what more care do you want? This is a life-threatening disease, if you want to die, you stay here, I have to leave quickly.”
Saying that, she actually put the people down and left, the coachman hesitated for a moment, seeing the spots of red rash on the exposed arms of the young woman, he finally followed out in a panic.
“Mother Wang, wait for me.”
After I don’t know how long, the sky gradually darkened, and there was silence all around.
The people on the wooden bed slowly propped themselves up on the bed: “Zhi Xia, wake up quickly, we are out.”