Chapter 11 – Recovering from Illness

Exhausted and amidst the chaos, Xie Yi eventually fell asleep, or perhaps he fainted, because just before losing consciousness, he saw Xu Chun staring at him, tears in his eyes, pleading, “Brother Helan, please don’t sleep…” His breathing was labored, yet he still reassured Xu Chun, “It’s alright, I’m just tired, I need some rest.”

Death would indeed bring peace, but seeing the cat-like eyes looking at him, filled with tears, he couldn’t bear it, thinking that even if he had to die, it shouldn’t be here. He even had the presence of mind to think that if he truly collapsed here, the whole family of this frivolous young man would likely suffer the consequences.

Donghai’s master was Doctor Zhou Biao, who worked at Tong’an Hall, a clinic run by the Sheng family in the capital. He arrived hurriedly in the middle of the night, with a full beard and a voice like a bell. He first asked Donghai to show him the snake, then examined Xie Yi’s pulse, looked at the medicine applied to the wound, inquired about the treatment, and nodded approvingly. “Applying half externally and taking half internally, protecting the heart meridian with silver needles, leeches to draw out toxic blood—good, very timely response.”

He then lifted Xie Yi’s eyelid for a closer look. “No problem, the heart meridian is fine, he can be saved. The fever is normal, using Trichosanthes root is appropriate for the symptoms. Add Bufo venom, centipede, and ground creeper, attacking poison with poison to reduce swelling, relieve pain, calm the wind, and strengthen the heart. Continue administering it.” Donghai listened quietly on the side, saying, “I have the Bufo venom ready, but I didn’t dare to use it earlier.”

Zhou Biao said, “Be bolder. When snake venom takes effect, it often causes difficulty breathing. Using Bufo venom can strengthen the heart and prevent shock, attacking poison with poison.” As he ordered Donghai to prepare the medicine, it wasn’t long before it was delivered. After one dose, the fever slowly subsided, and his breathing visibly became more stable.

Xu Chun felt relieved when he heard Zhou Biao’s assurance. His eyes were red and swollen. “Thank you, Doctor Zhou.” If it weren’t for holding Xie Yi and feeling the warmth of his body and the rise and fall of his chest, he would always suspect that the other might stop breathing at any moment.

Zhou Biao said, “Young Master, there’s no need for formality. Don’t panic. Our pharmacy has a complete range of detoxifying medicines. This silver-ringed snake is commonly found in rural areas, and villagers often come to our clinic for treatment after being bitten by venomous snakes. As long as they receive timely treatment, it’s not too difficult to treat. If treatment is delayed, blindness can easily occur.”

Xu Chun said, “We didn’t expect there would be snakes in the forest outside.”

Zhou Biao glanced at him. “Young Master, this is clearly a snake raised by someone. Snakes hibernate in winter, where would such an old snake come from? Fortunately, this gentleman noticed quickly, severed the snake’s head swiftly, and bound his leg to prevent the poison from spreading to the heart meridian. These are common underhanded methods used in the inner quarters. This gentleman must have offended someone.”

Xu Chun felt even more heartbroken upon hearing this. “Brother Helan has a lofty temperament, he probably provoked someone’s jealousy.” He suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, “He mentioned earlier that someone was chasing him, telling us not to leave any traces. Go check the marks left by the fallen horse near the wall and find a way to cover them up.”

Chunxi said, “Don’t worry, Your Highness. They’ve already been taken care of. Moreover, it’s snowing now, and once the snow thickens by morning, there won’t be any traces left.”

Xu Chun sighed in relief. “That’s good. Pass the word down to everyone to watch their mouths. If anyone comes to inquire, cover it up properly and don’t reveal anything.”

Zhou Biao added, “I’ll give instructions at the clinic. Snake venom is difficult to treat, but there are only a few types of medicines. One inquiry and it will be clear.” While speaking, he prescribed several medicines, ordered them to be prepared immediately, and had them administered after reapplying the medicine. He then taught Chunxi and the others how to administer the medicine and performed acupuncture. Seeing that his pulse was stable, he went downstairs to rest.

When Xie Yi woke up again, he saw that the sky outside was particularly murky. He moved slightly and felt an arm tightly around him. He turned his head slightly and sensed a warm face almost pressed against his chest. Although his body was extremely tired, he still reached out to push gently. Xu Chun suddenly woke up, nearly jumping up. “You’re awake!” Then he quickly called out, “Donghai, Donghai, quickly get Doctor Zhou!”

Zhou Biao, who had spent the night downstairs, came up upon hearing that Xie Yi had woken up and took his pulse. He asked Xie Yi about the wound, to which Xie Yi replied, “My eyelids feel heavy, my vision is blurry, I can’t see clearly.” Just as he finished speaking, he felt the young rascal tighten his grip on his hand.

Zhou Biao lowered his head and checked his eyelids. “Don’t force yourself to open your eyes. It’s temporary blindness caused by the snake venom. Once the venom clears in a few days, your sight will recover. I’ll apply some medicine to your eyes and prescribe a diuretic formula to help detoxify. You should try to urinate frequently, rest well, and take good care of yourself these days. Avoid eating foods that trigger reactions, and don’t get angry. Later, when your heart meridian stabilizes, I’ll perform acupuncture on you.”

Xu Chun’s face was pale, but his voice tried to remain calm. “Brother Helan, don’t worry. Doctor Zhou comes from a family of doctors. He treats snake venom frequently. If he says it’s fine, it definitely will be.”

Xie Yi was unusually calm, his eyes slightly closed. Unlike most patients who would panic upon sudden blindness, he simply said, “Alright.”

Zhou Biao went out and ordered the preparation of the external eye medicine. Xu Chun, holding Xie Yi’s hand carefully, asked, “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll have someone cook meat porridge for you. Oh, don’t worry too much. A heavy snow fell last night, covering the traces left by your fallen horse. Tong’an Hall is also owned by my maternal grandfather’s family. I’ve given instructions to keep it secret. No matter who comes to inquire, they must not leak the news of your presence here. Rest assured and focus on recuperating.”

Xie Yi was somewhat surprised by the attention to detail from this frivolous young man, considering how he had arranged everything properly. He nodded slightly. “Thank you.”

Xu Chun watched his lowered eyelashes, his face resembling ice and snow, and was captivated. He stammered, “It’s nothing… Brother Helan, you just focus on recovering, there’s no need to worry about anything…”

Xie Yi said, “Just call me Ninth Brother.”

Xu Chun: “Ah… Are you the ninth in line?” He suddenly wished he could bite off his own tongue, remembering that the Helan family had been exiled and executed en masse. He hastily said, “Alright, then I’ll call you Ninth Brother.”

Xie Yi seemed to be pondering something, lowering his head. Donghai entered carrying the medicine. “The medicine is ready, Brother Helan, I’ll apply it for you.”

Xu Chun quickly said, “From now on, call him Ninth Prince.”

Donghai said, “Yes, I’ll apply the medicine for Ninth Prince.”

Xu Chun helped Xie Yi lie down as Donghai applied a thick layer of the translucent greenish ointment over his eyes and wrapped a bandage around them. He said, “Don’t worry too much. The toxins haven’t penetrated deeply. My master said that based on experience, recovery is possible. This ointment is made from fivefold fruit (五倍子), indigo leaf (青黛), Coptis (黄连), Phellodendron (黄柏), Magnolia (辛夷), Angelica (白芷), and powdered pearl, all of which have heat-clearing and detoxifying properties and effectively reduce swelling. It’s highly effective.”

Xie Yi remembered that this servant named Donghai had previously been silent, but now spoke fluently about medical principles and medicines. He recalled how during the chaos last night, the servant Chunxi had incredible strength, while Qiuhu was quick-witted. The few servants around Little Duke Xu were all top-notch talents.

Seeing that the bandage was securely in place, Xu Chun went out and ordered someone to bring duck meat porridge for him. He slowly spoon-fed Xie Yi, saying, “The entire duck was stewed with freshwater snails and golden thread orchid, then the lean meat was shredded and mixed with mung bean paste and glutinous rice to make duck meat porridge. It’s very delicious. I just had a bowl myself. It’s heat-clearing and detoxifying, and can help restore your energy.”

Xie Yi opened his mouth to eat. Indeed, he found the porridge soft and smooth, rich in flavor. He did indeed have a sore throat, a dry mouth, and no appetite, but he forced himself to finish the bowl of duck meat porridge. Xu Chun whispered to him to rest, but Xie Yi said, “There’s one more thing I need to trouble you with.”

Xu Chun hurriedly said, “Ninth Brother, please tell me.”

Although Xie Yi couldn’t see, he could still imagine the way Xu Chun was looking at him intently with his round, bright amber eyes, the corners slightly raised, with deep eyelid folds, showing the influence of his southern mother’s heritage. When he stared at someone, it made them feel that he was incredibly focused and spirited, like a cat.

Xie Yi said slowly, “I left in haste, so those around me are likely panicking. However, my enemies are powerful. There’s someone who came with me to your place before; he works in the Imperial Guard and is named Fang Zixing. Find a smart servant, Qiuhu would be suitable since he’s met him before. Go to the third household surnamed Su on Dengcao Lane and say you’re looking for Fang Zixing. When he arrives, tell him that I’m staying as your guest and ask him and Steward Su to cooperate to stabilize the situation in the mansion… Tell the public that I caught a chill from riding a horse and am convalescing, not seeing any visitors.”

Xu Chun hurriedly said, “Alright, don’t worry. I’ll handle it for you. But should I have some sort of token?”

Xie Yi thought for a moment and took off a jade pendant in the shape of a qilin from his waist. “Give him this.”

Xu Chun took it, looking at Xie Yi’s pale face and thin lips with a faint bluish tinge. He admired how, even in the face of life and death and sudden blindness, Xie Yi remained calm and composed. Feeling sorry for him, he covered him with a brocade quilt and said softly, “I’ll send someone to take care of it. You rest well. There will always be someone in the room to serve you, just the four servants, Chun, Xia, Qiu, and Dong. You know them all. If you need anything, just speak up.”

Xie Yi gave a light nod. He was indeed extremely exhausted, his thoughts already scattered. He wanted to sink into sleep, but he maintained his gentle manners. Xu Chun looked at him longingly for a moment before quietly stepping out. He instructed Qiuhu to handle the matter and told the four servants to serve him these days.

He was preoccupied, but first returned to the duke’s residence to greet his grandmother, father, and mother. He pretended to have made plans to dine with friends and excused himself by saying he would be staying outside again. He was usually quite casual with his spending, and many frivolous young men in the capital enjoyed playing with him. During the holidays, no one restricted him, and he became even more enthusiastic. Countless visiting cards were received by the gatekeeper of the Jingguo Duke’s residence. Even the Jingguo Duke himself wasn’t as popular as him. After all, among frivolous young men, it was whispered that the Jingguo Duke himself didn’t have much money and had to beg his wife for monthly allowance. But the Jingguo Duke’s heir was different.

The Jingguo Duke was a bit sour and, upon seeing him, adopted a fatherly tone and scolded him a few times. “Stop hanging around with those worthless friends and start making proper acquaintances. That’s how you can plan for a better future.”

Xie Yi agreed verbally and presented a piece of chicken blood stone from the bookstore as a filial offering to his father. “This was just collected by the staff below. I thought Father might like it, so I brought it for you.”

Upon seeing the exquisite box inlaid with mother-of-pearl, the Jingguo Duke was pleased. “I was looking for a good piece of material to carve a seal.” He gave him a few more instructions before letting him go.

Grandma usually didn’t bother him about dining outside, but she reminded him, “I’ve read through all the visiting cards sent by the gatekeeper. The Shun Prince’s heir is hosting a Snow Appreciation Literary Gathering and actually sent you an invitation. You mustn’t neglect it. Princess Consort Lin of the Shun Prince, daughter of the chancellor of the National University, Lin Jijiu, will certainly attend. All the scholarly young masters in the capital will be there. When you go, bring Guge with you, he can help you respond appropriately.”

Xu Chun answered casually, asking Xia Chao to fetch the invitation to check the time, and said to Xu Guge beside him, “Then I’ll go with older brother on that day.”

Xu Guge only made a calm bow, but Grandma said, “There’s no time to make new clothes in a hurry, fortunately, we just made clothes for the New Year. As for accessories, Second Daughter-in-law, you should pay more attention. Don’t lose face for our family when you go out. In our kind of family, even the managers who go out should present themselves decently.”

Sheng Shi, who was serving below, only bowed slightly and said, “Understood.”

Xu Chun’s mind was entirely on Xie Yi, paying no attention to these matters. Walking out, he rummaged through his room for a while, packing all the good medicines he kept in a bag, and then quickly left the residence and returned to Bamboo Branch Workshop.