Jiang Rongyin sat up, and Baoyin wrapped a garment around her.
The woman's body was crisscrossed with bruises, purple and blue. Baoyin was on the verge of tears.
"Let's go. We're returning to Guanghua Dian."
Taking advantage of the sparse crowd, she took the small path. If anyone saw her coming out of Donggong, that would be the end of her.
Baoyin nodded and helped Jiang Rongyin dress.
It was raining outside today as well. There were few servants on the palace paths, and the two quickly walked back to Guanghua Dian.
Jiang Rongyin steadied herself against the door frame, feeling her head heavy and muddled.
"This servant will go fetch the imperial physician."
"Don't."
Seeing Baoyin turn to leave and fetch the physician, Jiang Rongyin reached out and grabbed her.
"The physician will find out."
Hearing Jiang Rongyin's words, Baoyin's heart ached as she helped Jiang Rongyin lie down on the bed. "Then this servant will go get some fever-reducing medicine."
Over the past year, Jiang Rongyin had never dared to fall ill, because illness meant summoning the imperial physician.
The physician would be able to diagnose her body's condition.
Once the matter was exposed, she would die a miserable death.
Jiang Rongyin lay on the bed, unable to stop coughing.
By the time Baoyin returned with the medicine, Jiang Rongyin was already feverish to the point of delirium.
She hurriedly brewed the medicine and fed it to Jiang Rongyin.
She kept wiping Jiang Rongyin's body with damp cloths.
After a whole morning of fussing, Jiang Rongyin's fever finally came down.
At noon, Jiang Rongyin woke, drank a bowl of plain congee, and then fell back into a drowsy sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already evening. The rain outside had stopped, and Baoyin was asleep, slumped by the bedside.
Hearing Jiang Rongyin cough, Baoyin opened her eyes. "Princess, are you still unwell?"
"Much better. Thank goodness for you."
Jiang Rongyin smiled and said this to Baoyin, but before Baoyin could reply, Xiang Ming's voice came from outside.
Baoyin was the only serving maid in Guanghua Dian.
Earlier, fearing that her affair with Jiang Yun would be discovered, Jiang Rongyin had dismissed everyone.
Moreover, Jiang Rongyin's Guanghua Dian was in the most remote part of the palace, and she was out of favor. Those maids and eunuchs couldn't wait to leave.
When Xiang Ming arrived, there was no one to announce him, so he had no choice but to raise his voice.
Baoyin rose angrily to go over, but then heard Jiang Rongyin say, "Help me up. I'll speak to him myself."
If she didn't let Xiang Ming see her current state, Jiang Yun would think she was feigning illness to avoid him.
Wasn't he supposedly swamped with the matter of the Jiangnan private taxes?
Where on earth did Jiang Yun find the energy to torment her every day?
The bedchamber door opened, and Xiang Ming looked at Jiang Rongyin, her face ashen and clearly frail.
"I'm ill. I cannot serve His Highness."
As she finished speaking, a cold wind blew in from outside, and Jiang Rongyin coughed uncontrollably.
She looked up at Xiang Ming. "I am truly sorry."
Seeing Jiang Rongyin in this state, Xiang Ming had no choice but to nod and leave.
Watching Xiang Ming depart, Baoyin helped Jiang Rongyin back to the bedchamber to rest.
"Baoyin, don't close the window."
Jiang Rongyin sat on the bed and spoke to Baoyin, who was just reaching out to close the window.
If she could stay ill forever, she wouldn't have to go to Donggong to see Jiang Yun again.
Once she endured until the Yanshe Yan, she would be free to soar as she pleased.
"Princess doesn't want to get better?"
Baoyin tilted her head and asked. With the window open and the cold wind blowing in, Jiang Rongyin's illness certainly wouldn't heal.
Jiang Rongyin smiled without answering and lay back down.
Feigning illness wouldn't fool someone as paranoid as Jiang Yun. It had to be a real illness.
Xiang Ming returned to Donggong with the news that Jiang Rongyin was ill.
"Ill? Has the imperial physician seen her?"
Jiang Yun frowned and asked, and Xiang Ming nodded in reply: "The Ninth Princess is seriously ill. This subordinate went to the Imperial Medical Academy to inquire. No imperial physician was summoned; there is only a record of Baoyin collecting medicine."
Xiang Ming would not lie to him, so Jiang Yun waved him off.
It seemed she had overexerted herself last night, and that was why she had fallen ill.
Jiang Yun drew a deep breath and said nothing more.
Over the next few days, things remained the same. Jiang Rongyin's illness did not improve; instead, it grew worse and worse.
During this time, Jiang Yun sent Xiang Ming over once. Seeing Jiang Rongyin cough more and more severely, even Xiang Ming found it strange.
She took medicine every day—how could she be getting worse?
After he brought this back to Jiang Yun, the man held a brush in his hand and let out a scoff: "She isn't ill. She simply doesn't want to come see me."
"Send Physician Zhang over. Tell him that if he cannot cure Jiang Rongyin, he need not remain in the Imperial Medical Academy either."
Xiang Ming acknowledged the order and turned to go to the Imperial Medical Academy to find Physician Zhang.
Though Jiang Rongyin had been ill these past two days, her ears had enjoyed much more peace.
In Guanghua Dian without Jiang Yun, Jiang Rongyin felt the very air of the bedchamber smelled much better.
"Princess, Princess! Guard Xiang is bringing Physician Zhang this way!"
Baoyin hurried in. Jiang Rongyin, who had been sitting there studying the Tingzhou map, quickly put the map away.
Physician Zhang was Jiang Yun's personal physician.
The monthly Ping'an Mai was always taken by Physician Zhang for him.
Jiang Rongyin had not expected that after avoiding Jiang Yun for only two days, he would send a physician to examine her.
Once Physician Zhang finished the examination, her illness would have to be cured whether she liked it or not.
Before long, Xiang Ming arrived with Physician Zhang at Jiang Rongyin's bedchamber.
As soon as they drew near, they heard coughing from inside.
Baoyin came out, and Xiang Ming spoke: "His Highness ordered me to bring Physician Zhang to examine the Ninth Princess."
"Princess, the Princess's illness is nearly better. There is no need to trouble Physician Zhang."
Hearing this, before Xiang Ming could speak, Physician Zhang directly knelt down: "I beg the Ninth Princess not to make things difficult for this humble official. His Highness said that if I cannot cure your illness, I need not continue to serve in the Imperial Medical Academy."
Physician Zhang was over fifty. Now kneeling at the entrance of Guanghua Dian, looking up with tearful eyes, he appeared truly pitiable.
"Baoyin, let Physician Zhang in."
After a long moment, Jiang Rongyin's voice came from inside, and Physician Zhang shakily rose to his feet and walked in.
The lowered gauze curtains surrounded Jiang Rongyin. She leaned against the edge of the bed and extended one hand.
Physician Zhang stepped forward to take her pulse. After a short while, he said: "The Princess's illness is already mostly cured. It is only that recently you have indulged in coolness, and the cold wind has entered your body, which is why it has lingered."
"This humble official will prescribe a dose of medicine for the Princess. You will be well by tomorrow."
Physician Zhang raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow and smiled toward the figure behind the gauze.
Jiang Rongyin only replied with a single word: "Good."
Jiang Yun must have known she was feigning illness, which was why he told Physician Zhang that if he could not cure her, he need not remain in the Imperial Medical Academy.
After Physician Zhang finished writing the prescription, Baoyin followed him back to the Imperial Medical Academy to fetch the medicine.
Jiang Rongyin wore a trace of worry. Well, now it was settled—the medicine would cure the illness completely.
By then, who knew how Jiang Yun would torment her.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded within the bedchamber. Jiang Rongyin had just turned her head when she saw a hand reach in.
Layer upon layer of gauze was lifted aside, and Jiang Yun bent slightly at the waist to look at her: "Have you finished hiding?"
His dark eyes carried a sharp, imposing air. Jiang Rongyin swallowed nervously: "I was only afraid of passing my illness to Your Highness, which is why I dared not go to Donggong to attend to you."
"How thoughtful of you."