The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 1)

Chapter 115 - Disease

No one expected the plague to reach the palace so quickly.

After just two days of halting the prayers for blessings, a palace servant fell ill. That very afternoon, it was discovered that a maidservant from Wen De Fei's palace had also contracted the plague.

Panic quickly spread throughout the palace.

The Imperial Medical Bureau distributed mugwort and other simple herbal remedies to every corner of the palace as a form of basic protection, and soon, mugwort leaves were being burned everywhere.

Any palace servants showing signs of fever were moved to several newly designated courtyards for isolation.

Wen De Fei was the most anxious. Though the infected maidservant had not been in close contact, she had been wandering around the courtyard all day, raising concerns about possibly infecting others and endangering the child.

The First Prince, since birth, had not gained much weight and frequently required the attention of imperial physicians. How could he possibly withstand the plague?

Originally, the child had been raised in a side hall, but now he was moved to the main hall, where Wen De Fei cared for him personally. The wet nurse slept in the side room of the main hall and was forbidden to leave; anything she needed had to be brought to her.

Except for a few personal maids who served closely, no one else was allowed into the main hall.

Having gone through great difficulty to give birth to this child—since it was said that children born in the seventh month survive, while those born in the eighth do not—she had finally raised him to seven or eight months old. She couldn't afford to make any mistakes now.

At this critical moment, aside from the emperor, no one dared to send anything to Wen De Fei, fearing that if something happened to the frail child, they might be implicated.

Even so, Ningchen personally went to visit, as this was still his eldest son.

However, after the visit, his feelings became complicated.

They say babies sit at seven months and crawl at eight. In this summer heat, with fewer clothes, the Eldest Princess at this age could already sit on the couch and play. Yet, the First Prince couldn't even support his own body and had to be held, unable to even turn over.

At that moment, Ningchen also visited Wang Xiuyuan and the Second Princess. The little girl had just reached her first month, full of energy, her bright eyes twinkling like grapes.

In comparison, Ningchen couldn't help but feel biased. Who wouldn't prefer a healthy child?

Still, Wen De Fei was deeply favored, and Ningchen only grew more concerned about the First Prince.

Another key figure was Yang Baolin, who was pregnant, though with the Empress's care, she caused little worry.

In Yuxiu Pavilion, Ye Yun had requested some common cold-preventative herbs from the Imperial Medical Bureau. She ordered that several pots be brewed, and every servant in the pavilion drank a bowl each day as a precaution.

While the palace was taking such precautions, the situation outside the palace was even worse. Though the infected were being isolated, the number of cases continued to rise with no sign of control.

The Imperial Medical Bureau's lights burned through the night as the physicians pored over ancient texts, searching for remedies.

After days of watching Weirui Palace, they finally saw Zizhu, Yao Xiang's headmaid, secretly meeting Shen Pingzhi.

"I saw it clearly. When I went to fetch medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau, I saw Zizhu pulling Imperial Physician Shen aside to a secluded spot. It even looked like she handed him a purse," reported Bai Zhu as soon as he returned.