Chapter 419

Chapter 419 – Embarrassing Or Not

Chapter 419 Embarrassing or not

First, it was indigestion, followed by a cold. It may not be a significant issue, but it had now been treated to such an extent. The physicians were skilled, so it was impossible for them not to have noticed and allowed such a major incident to occur.

That’s why the physician earlier was restless. The emperor had already expressed great concern, so they dare not be negligent.

Qu Moying pointed at the fragrant incense in the censer and said, “What kind of incense is this? It’s better for the Dowager Consort’s health to have proper air circulation.”

After taking a glance, Granny Yan replied, “This is the incense provided by the palace. The Dowager Consort has always liked it, and these past few days, with her discomfort, she wanted to use more of it. Is this incense not good?”

“It’s not that it’s not good, but for someone who is getting older and is ill, it’s better to use less of this kind of incense. Who knows if there are any ingredients in it that may contradict the medicine the Dowager Consort is taking?”

Qu Moying said.

She reminded Granny Yan, who nodded and then turned to look at Dowager Consort Qu, asking for her opinion. “What do you think?”

“Just remove it!” Dowager Consort Qu nodded with her eyes half-closed.

A palace maid came forward and removed the lit incense burner. Qu Moying glanced at Yu Dong, who took two steps forward and seemed a bit reckless while trying to pass by the palace maid but accidentally bumped into her, causing the incense burner to fall from her hand.

The sound of the incense burner hitting the ground startled everyone, and even Dowager Consort Qu opened her eyes and looked over.

Qu Moying furrowed her eyebrows slightly and said, “Yu Dong, apologize to the Dowager Consort!”

Yu Dong quickly kneeled down and pleaded, “Please forgive me, Dowager Consort.”

Following her, the palace maids in the palace also knelt down and begged for forgiveness from Dowager Consort Qu. The maid was secretly annoyed. If it weren’t for Yu Dong, an inexperienced maid who had just entered the palace, how could this trouble have occurred? But she didn’t dare to defend herself proactively.

Dowager Consort Qu, who had little strength, waved her hand at them, indicating that they were forgiven.

Yu Dong and the maid stood up, handling the incense burner with great care. The burning incense had already gone out, with a broken piece fallen on the ground. As Yu Dong helped clean up, she absentmindedly put that fragment into her sleeve. Meanwhile, the court lady tightly clutched the incense burner, while cleaning up the remaining ashes.

Both of them refrained from speaking but worked diligently. In no time, they finished tidying up. The maid quietly withdrew, leaving Yu Dong feeling somewhat flustered. She hurriedly stood behind Qu Moying, afraid to make any more mistakes.

Qu Qiuyan glanced at Yu Dong mockingly. Indeed, the master wasn’t competent, and this servant girl was the same. It was evident that she came from a humble background, her actions hurried and clumsy. Such behavior would surely disturb the Dowager Consort.

Ignoring Yu Dong’s embarrassing display, Qu Qiuyan looked at a bowl of medicine placed on the table. She got up and gently asked, “Dowager Consort, would you like to take your medicine?”

Dowager Consort Qu shook her head. She really didn’t want to drink that medicine; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been left there for so long.

“Dowager Consort, taking care of your health is crucial, especially when you’re unwell. How can you get better without taking medicine?” Qu Qiuyan said with a softer tone, showing evident concern on her face. Her hand had already reached the edge of the medicine bowl.

Dowager Consort Qu furrowed her brow slightly. She had no desire to consume the medicine. She raised her eyes to look at Qu Qiuyan, her gaze revealing annoyance and impatience. After being sick for so long, she had already grown weary of it.

“Don’t bring it over to me,” the Dowager Consort turned her back to Qu Qiuyan, effectively leaving her hanging there.

Qu Qiuyan was taken aback. She didn’t expect the Dowager Consort to be so dismissive, her face alternating between blushing and paling. If they weren’t in the palace, she would have pushed the bowl away and walked away in a huff.

However, she still had her wits about her, knowing that this was the palace and the person in front of her was the Dowager Consort. She gritted her teeth and calmly placed down the medicine bowl, as if she hadn’t noticed the embarrassment caused by the Dowager Consort.

“Dowager Consort, you won’t need the medicine for now,” Qu Moying reassured with a smile, trying to appease the Dowager Consort. Seeing her demeanor, it was reminiscent of a petulant child when they were sick, easily getting annoyed when things didn’t go their way.

Upon hearing Qu Moying’s words, the Dowager Consort’s body slightly turned, and a palace attendant helped her turn over.

“Have you had your breakfast, Dowager Consort?” Qu Moying raised her eyes to look at Granny Yan.

Granny Yan shook her head, wearing a worried expression. “Not yet. The Dowager Consort said she couldn’t eat; she has no appetite and doesn’t want anything.”

Taking medicine specifically for an ailment could easily dampen one’s appetite. Qu Moying had consumed plenty of medicine herself and understood this well. She also knew that the Dowager Consort despised taking medicine the most and didn’t want to hear the word “medicine.”

Her eyes glistened for a moment, and she smiled as she suggested, “Dowager Consort, would you like to take a walk?”

“I can’t walk!” The Dowager Consort sighed, indeed longing to go for a walk but feeling weak in her legs and feet, making it impossible to move.

“Just walk around inside here, go to the window and have a look. When I entered earlier, it seemed like a flower was blooming over there. I wonder what kind of flower it is; it looks beautiful.” Qu Moying extended her hand and pointed to the window, which was partly covered and obscured the view from the bed.

“Are the flowers outside the window blooming?” The Dowager Consort pondered for a moment, seemingly recalling something, her eyes gleaming with surprise.

“They are blooming, although not fully. They’re half-unfolded, making them even more beautiful. I wanted to ask the Dowager Consort what kind of flowers they are, as they look stunning.” Qu Moying said with a beaming smile.

Upon hearing this, the Dowager Consort regained her spirits. With the assistance of a palace maid, she managed to sit up with some difficulty, pointing her hand towards the window.

A maid approached and draped a cloak over her, then helped her shakily make her way to the window. The window was slightly opened, allowing a refreshing breeze to enter and dilute the scent of incense, making the air feel invigorating. Qu Moying and Qu Qiuyan followed behind the Dowager Consort as they approached the window.

Below the window, there was indeed a pot of flowers, the only one. It wasn’t large, but Qu Moying had indeed seen it when she entered. Judging by the carefully tended appearance of the flowers, they were in the early stages of blooming, emitting a refreshing scent. They seemed to be a type of chrysanthemum, although Qu Moying couldn’t quite identify the specific variety.

The fact that the leaves were only partially unfurled indicated that this had happened in the past few days, something the Dowager Consort must not have seen before.

She didn’t have many interests at the moment, but this single pot of flowers had captured her attention and she took great care of it. She hadn’t even seen the flowers in full bloom yet, which would surely captivate her even more.

She seemed optimistic, but she lacked vitality. She appeared indifferent to everything, as if nothing mattered anymore. This was not a good sign.

If a person lost the will to live, the situation became very precarious.

First, her spirits needed to recover, and then the appropriate medication could be administered for better results. Qu Moying had become quite knowledgeable in this area due to her long illness, similar to Lord Wei in some ways.

As expected, when the Dowager Consort saw the half-blooming flowers, her spirits improved considerably. She held Qu Moying’s hand and chatted incessantly about the characteristics of this particular flower. Finally, under Qu Moying’s persuasion, she returned to bed to rest. This exchange had rekindled some spirit in her, and she even felt hungry.

Looking at Granny Yan, she said, “Bring a bowl of porridge.”

Granny Yan responded and left. Qu Moying reached out and touched the medicine bowl, which had already cooled down and couldn’t be consumed anymore. She asked a palace maid to take it away and prepare a fresh batch.

Soon, the porridge and medicine were delivered. Qu Moying served a little over half a bowl of porridge to her before bringing the medicine bowl over with a smile. “Dowager Consort, it’s time to take the medicine. It’s necessary to consume it for your recovery. If you don’t, how will your body get better?”

Qu Qiuyan sneered from the side. She had said the same to her earlier, but it only earned her a cold shoulder. She couldn’t believe that Qu Moying wouldn’t face the same fate this time. She was eager to see Qu Moying’s embarrassed expression.

Maybe she would even spill the bowl, considering she had been the first and Qu Moying was just the second.

Imitating others was truly annoying!

“Taking the medicine won’t make much of a difference,” Dowager Consort responded, with a slightly improved spirit. She sighed and complained, “How can it be so easy? If it were that simple, the imperial physicians wouldn’t be so anxious.”

Qu Moying smiled and reassured her, “How can it be useless? If you move around a bit, have some light food, and then take the medicine, the effect will definitely be much better. I have already checked your pulse, and your pulse is fine, it’s just that your spirits and mood are low. You feel lazy, but it’s nothing serious. Once your mood improves, everything will be fine.”

Qu Moying’s smile and soothing words, coupled with her serious tone, made her appear interesting.

It was as if a child was trying to imitate an adult, and it was evident that she was making an effort to express herself, even though she lacked some confidence.

Dowager Consort smiled. She found this girl likable in everything she said and did. Seeing her sincere desire for her recovery, she didn’t resist anymore. She reached out and took the medicine bowl from Qu Moying’s hand. The medicine was no longer hot, so she tasted it before drinking it down.

Once Dowager Consort finished, Qu Moying quickly took the bowl and a palace maid came to assist her with a handkerchief.

Qu Qiuyan was so enraged that smoke seemed to come out of her nose. She had advised Dowager Consort before, but the old consort didn’t care. Moreover, she even scolded her, but now she was smiling at Qu Moying, looking quite pleased. Qu Qiuyan nearly crushed the handkerchief in her hand, but she dared not lose her temper.

She lowered her head, trying to suppress her jealousy.

“You, girl, you lied to me! It’s not that easy to recover. If it were, the physicians wouldn’t be so worried,” Dowager Consort sighed and playfully scolded.

But even if it was a lie, she felt it was for the better!

A person’s sincerity towards her can be seen at a glance, even after spending so long in the palace. Who was genuine and who was fake, one can always discern it to some extent.

If she didn’t possess such ability, she wouldn’t have become the only old Dowager Consort to remain in the palace.

“Dowager Consort, I didn’t deceive you. It’s truly harmless! Dowager Consort, you also know that I’ve always had poor health before. I even almost lost my eyesight. But later on, it gradually improved. I can consider myself a doctor who has experienced a prolonged illness and become skilled in some basic medical knowledge. The imperial physicians may not have prescribed strong medicines for you right away, fearing any adverse effects. Instead, they opted for a slow and gentle approach. Although it may take longer, it’s a more cautious method.”

Qu Moying softly explained.

As Dowager Consort Qu nodded repeatedly in response to her words, she pondered and realized the truth in them. The imperial physicians indeed refrained from using powerful medications, as it was customary in the palace. They feared that one wrong move could lead to serious consequences. Gradually administering treatment seemed to be a safer approach.

It appeared that she was not entirely helpless after all!

Of course, not dying would be the best outcome. Her current days were rather pleasant. She didn’t have to engage in conflicts with others. She lived quietly in a secluded corner of the palace, enjoying good food and restful sleep. Occasionally, she would catch sight of young girls who caught her eye. Who would want to die for no reason?

With these thoughts in mind, her anxiety subsided, and her spirits improved considerably. She chatted and laughed with Qu Moying, and despite Qu Qiuyan’s attempts to interrupt, she failed to do so. Qu Qiuyan felt a mix of resentment and anger but didn’t dare to act, so she could only stand aside and listen to their conversation.

Eventually, Dowager Consort Qu grew tired and wanted to rest for a while. Two imperial physicians came in to check her pulse. Qu Moying noticed that one of them was actually familiar—it was the same Medical Officer Zhang whom she had met earlier. Another physician accompanied him. After nodding to Medical Officer Zhang, Qu Moying and Yu Dong stepped out of the room.

Sensing the situation, Qu Qiuyan also stood up and respectfully withdrew to the outer palace.

Both of them knew that they couldn’t stay and hinder the physicians from treating Dowager Consort Qu.

“Was that Medical Officer Zhang just now?” Qu Qiuyan inquired as soon as they were outside the main palace. She had also had a face-to-face encounter with Medical Officer Zhang earlier.