Chapter 1042

Xu Fengyi lay motionless on the bed; this dignified, luxurious beautiful woman had become an old woman with white hair and a gaunt appearance, and Hu Xiaotian could hardly believe his eyes—how could his mother have changed so drastically in just three months, what illness could have tormented her into this state?

Huo Shengnan had been staying by Xu Fengyi's side; seeing Hu Xiaotian finally return, her eye sockets reddened and crystal-clear tears shimmered in her beautiful eyes.

Hot tears poured like a breached river; seeing his mother in such a state, Hu Xiaotian's inner self was near collapse as he grasped her withered left hand, sensing that her body temperature still lingered, her pulse faint, her breath as thin as a silk thread—his loud shout upon entering the door had failed to wake her.

"What's going on?" Hu Xiaotian raised his head and looked toward Huo Shengnan.

Huo Shengnan bit her cherry lips and said: "Not long after you left, Madam fell ill. At first it wasn't serious, but later, when Sir Hu departed, the two suddenly had a fierce argument. The next day Sir left, and from that day Madam became consumed with worry. We summoned doctors for her, but she drove them all away. She ate nothing, drank nothing, and her condition worsened day by day. We took turns urging her to eat, but she stubbornly refused. Watching her hair turn from black to white and her body grow weak and feeble, I had no choice but to seal her acupoints and call a doctor. Yet all the renowned physicians in the capital we summoned said Madam's illness is of the heart—she has lost all hope and the will to live. Needles and medicine can treat disease, but they cannot change her heart."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but tear up at this point, his voice choking as he said: "My mother must have been worried about dragging me down, which is why she chose this desperate path."

Huo Shengnan said: "I saw Madam's spirits low, feared she might do something foolish, so I almost constantly watched her day and night. Sure enough, one night, taking advantage of the quiet, she tried to hang herself. I stopped her in time, I urged Madam to wait for your return, but she said she didn't want to see anyone. She held out like that for a month, and Madam grew moribund. Later word came that Li Tianheng of Xichuan refused the princely title, and we told her. She cared about your whereabouts, and suddenly said that even if she were to die, she wanted to see you one last time before death, so she reluctantly ate a little. But Madam still refused to speak, rejecting any physician's treatment. These past two days her condition has worsened, her mind clouded. She occasionally cries out; the doctor says she probably won't last three days."

At this moment, Xu Fengyi let out a long sigh, her voice trembling with tears, and said: "My poor child..."

Hu Xiaotian hurriedly knelt beside his mother's bed: "Mother! I've returned, I'm right by your side." He grasped her hands. Seeing her appearance, his heart felt as if cut by a knife. After calling out three times in succession, Xu Fengyi finally came to, opened her eyes, and a blurry face appeared before her. She trembled, saying: "Xiaotian... is... is it really you returning?" She reached out to touch her son's face, and Hu Xiaotian moved closer, taking her hand and placing it on his own cheek.

Xu Fengyi tremblingly stroked Hu Xiaotian's face, her sobs yielding no tears: "Child... you... you really have come back..." The image before her gradually cleared; seeing Hu Xiaotian's tear-streaked face, she whispered: "Don't cry! Mother is fine. Don't cry..."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Mother, you must get better; I have returned, and I will never leave you again."

Xu Fengyi slowly shook her head and said: "You will eventually leave... my son, you are going now... never to return..."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Mother, wait until you recover, I will take you with me; when Father returns, we will all leave together as a family."

"No!" Xu Fengyi shrieked sharply, her voice filled with great terror; her bony hands instinctively clutched Hu Xiaotian's arm, gripping so hard that her nails dug deep into his flesh. Hu Xiaotian endured the pain, not understanding why mentioning his father provoked such a strong reaction from his mother.

Xu Fengyi trembled, saying: "Don't... he won't come back... he won't care about your life or death... he's a liar... he's a liar..." Her emotions instantly surged, her chest heaved violently, her eyes widened, and her expression became terrifying.

Hu Xiaotian did not know what had truly transpired between his parents; in his memory they had always been respectful and loving toward each other. What could his father have done to drive his mother to such despair, to make her hate him so? Recalling the meaningful conversation Li Tianheng had with him when he left Xichuan, and the old beggar's assurance that he need not worry about his parents, could it be that his father truly is the villain Li Tianheng described, that he and Li Tianheng have been secretly plotting rebellion, and that he has kept this from both his mother and himself? Even if that were so, it would not suffice to make his mother so fearful; the Dakang emperor is foolish and corrupt, so it would be normal for his father to harbor rebellious thoughts. Yet his mother would not choose death over that; even if he took this sea voyage and never returned, abandoning them, she would still have him by her side—so why is she so desperate?

Xu Fengyi gripped Hu Xiaotian's arm tightly: "Xiaotian, go, leave now, promise Mother you will never see your father again, never..."

Hu Xiaotian sighed inwardly, his mother's mind addled, her reason clearly disordered; he softly comforted: "Mother, rest well; once you regain your strength, shall I accompany you away?"

Xu Fengyi shook her head firmly and said: "No, child, listen carefully—neither your father nor the Xu family can be trusted; they are not good people... they are utterly not good people..."

Huo Shengnan gave a glance, and together with several maidservants they all withdrew, for it would not be proper for outsiders to hear such words.

Hu Xiaotian coaxed gently: "Mother, I will heed your words and avoid them, would that be alright?"

Xu Fengyi nodded, then released Hu Xiaotian's arm; having exhausted her strength with those words, she lay on the bed gasping violently, only after a long while growing calm, murmuring: "You go... you must go now..." Being too weak, she fell into a deep sleep.

Hu Xiaotian wiped the tears from his cheeks, stepped outside, and saw Huo Shengnan waiting for him. Having spent this period constantly caring for his mother, she had visibly grown gaunt, and Hu Xiaotian felt moved: "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you during my absence."

Huo Shengnan softly said: "Between us there's no need for such pleasantries." In her heart she had long considered herself a member of the Hu family.

Hu Xiaotian was about to inquire when a report came from outside—it was the Yongyang Princess Qiqi arriving. Huo Shengnan whispered: "These days the Yongyang Princess has practically been coming every day to visit."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; Qiqi still had a conscience, for she now assists the Emperor in handling state affairs, truly burdened with myriad duties, yet finding time amid her busy schedule to come visit was already a rarity. Huo Shengnan chose to avoid them, and shortly after her departure she saw Qiqi enter accompanied by Quan De'an; also coming with her was the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Institute, Wang Zhenglun, who, like him, was a graduate of Xuantian Guan, and indeed was the junior disciple of Xuantian Guan's director Ren Tianqing.

During this period Wang Zhenglun came daily to take Xu Fengyi's pulse, yet what left this chief physician helpless was that the patient simply refused to cooperate with his treatment.

Hu Xiaotian clasped his fists in greeting to Qiqi and said softly: "I pay my respects, Your Highness!"

Qiqi's beautiful eyes fixed on his tear-streaked face, a hint of sympathy in her gaze, she spoke gently: "It's good that you've returned."

Accompanying Wang Zhenglun, Hu Xiaotian went first to take his mother's pulse; after Wang Zhenglun finished, he stroked his beard, sighed, and they stepped outside, where Hu Xiaotian respectfully asked: "Physician Wang, how is my mother's condition?" He was highly skilled in surgery, but treating his mother's chronic wasting illness was not his forte.

Wang Zhenglun sighed and said: "Commander Sir, to be frank, Lady Xu's illness arises from the heart; it began as a mere wind-cold infection, but Lady Xu steadfastly refused treatment, even rejecting food, and so it has dragged on, her condition naturally worsening. Physicians fear not the disease itself, but the patient's loss of the will to live; once that happens, even a celestial immortal would be powerless."

Hu Xiaotian nodded.

Wang Zhenglun said: "Commander Sir, it's good that you've returned; why don't you persuade Lady Xu, bolster her confidence to live on, perhaps there may still be a sliver of hope."

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Physician Wang, in your view, how much hope does my mother still have?"

Wang Zhenglun sighed again, shook his head, and said: "Lady Xu's situation is beyond hope; unless a miracle occurs, even if my senior brother were to return, he could not turn the tide."

Hu Xiaotian thanked Wang Zhenglun and had the steward Hu Fu lead him to get a prescription and have the medicine prepared.

Qiqi came to Hu Xiaotian's side, wanting to advise him but not knowing where to begin.

Hu Xiaotian asked: "How many days has my father been gone?"

Qiqi replied: "It is the eighth day since you left Kangdu."

Hu Xiaotian asked: "Any news?"

Qiqi shook her head and said: "For the first month there were still pigeon messages, but after that no further word arrived."

Hu Xiaotian whispered: "If they had smoothly reached Luosong, they should be returning by now." He felt a vague unease deep inside, yet could not pinpoint what was wrong.

Qiqi wanted to speak but held back, seeing that Hu Xiaotian's mood was extremely foul; now was not the time to discuss this matter. She said softly: "You have just returned; whatever it is, we can talk later. The urgent task is to lift Lady Xu's heart ailment so she may recover quickly." Yet Qiqi understood that Lady Xu's days were numbered; if one is bent on death, medicine cannot save them.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Please ask the Princess to intercede with the Emperor for my leave; after these two days I will myself go to apologize to His Majesty and give a full account of what happened in Xichuan."

Qiqi sighed and said: "The responsibility for that matter was never yours to bear; for any matter I will stand in your stead." Though merely a plain sentence, it fully showed her resolve to share fortunes with Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but glance at her; Qiqi had grown thinner, her eyes appearing large, clear and lively, gradually shedding her childishness to become a charming young woman everywhere.

First update—requesting monthly tickets! (To be continued... ^~^)"