Chapter 699

Rongguo Prefecture, Fengjie's courtyard.

The morning sun was rising, and the courtyard had been swept so clean that not a speck of dust remained; the Chinese roses were in full bloom, and the paulownia trees were lush and green, appearing exceptionally vibrant.

Maidservants serving tea and water shuttled back and forth along the veranda, entering and exiting the main room of the courtyard.

Two old women sat under the shade of a tree in the courtyard, whispering gossip as if afraid of disturbing the people inside the room.

In the inner chamber of the main room, Wang Xifeng leaned obliquely against a couch, smiling charmingly as she teased her daughter in the swaddling clothes; the shrewdness and capability on her face seemed to have faded, and her brows and eyes were filled with maternal love and tenderness.

Ping'er entered the room carrying a red-lacquered tray, on which sat a pink-glazed, silver-gilt bowl containing steaming bird's nest and lotus seed soup.

Wang Xifeng picked up the bowl and ate a few mouthfuls, then asked, "It's already this hour, why haven't I seen a shadow of Wu'er?"

Ping'er said, "Just now, a little maid from the Cong Sanye's courtyard came to pass a message, saying that Wu'er is feeling unwell today and needs to rest for a day, so she won't be coming over today."

Wang Xifeng put down the colored bowl in her hand and said, "Yesterday I saw her looking quite energetic; how could she suddenly be unwell to the point where she can't even come over? It sounds a bit concerning."

A girl at this age, although full of vitality, must still be careful with her health; if she develops a chronic illness, it will be a lifelong issue. You should go over and check on her too."

Ping'er collected the bowl and tray and said, "I'll go check on her in a while; perhaps it's just her period, and there's nothing seriously wrong."

Wang Xifeng asked again, "Sister Xi Ren came to see me yesterday, and later I vaguely heard her and Wu'er whispering; it seemed like they were discussing something?"

Ping'er smiled and said, "It wasn't anything important. Sister Xi Ren said that Bao Er Ye Bao is feeling unwell and has been sleeping restlessly at night recently."

"Because she heard that the physician Zhang Youpeng is a divine doctor, she wanted to invite him to see Bao Er Ye Bao."

Wang Xifeng's expression was somewhat disdainful as she said, "Making a mountain out of a molehill. If Baoyu isn't sleeping well at night, just go to the pharmacy and buy some ointment to stick on his temples, and that's the end of it."

"Is it necessary to invite a divine doctor to see him? A growing boy, lively and active—how has he become more precious than the Old Matriarch? This display is simply too extravagant."

"Although that Zhang Youpeng doesn't have as much fame as his brother, I've heard that Zhang Youshi's medical skills were all taught by him, which shows how deep his foundation is."

"Lin Meimei's deficiency syndrome—she has eaten so many precious medicinal herbs since childhood, yet it never seemed to get better; as a result, after being treated by him for half a year, it looks like the root of the illness has been severed."

"This is a truly great national expert; compared to those showy ones in the Imperial Hospital, he is far more formidable."

"To let such a divine doctor with miraculous hands come to treat Baoyu for restless sleep—isn't that insulting the divine doctor? They must think our Rongguo Prefecture is incredibly arrogant and rude."

Ping'er smiled and said, "My Lady is right. Later, Wu'er said that the divine doctor Zhang is not in the Divine Capital recently, and after he returns to the capital, she can ask the Cong Sanye to help invite him."

"When Sister Xi Ren heard this, she said there was no need to trouble him to invite him, and she asked me for the addresses of Zhang Youshi and Imperial Physician Hu."

Wang Xifeng asked, "Sister Xi Ren only asked for the addresses of the two physicians and didn't ask us to invite a physician on behalf of the public estate?"

Ping'er shook her head and replied, "She didn't ask us to invite one; she only said she would go back and discuss it with the Second Lady."

Wang Xifeng's eyes lit up, and she said, "This matter sounds suspicious. Sister Xi Ren coming over to ask for information about physicians is strange; it looks like she was instructed by the Second Lady."

"In the past, when someone in the mansion was ill, it was always the public estate that invited the physician, and all medical expenses and medicinal costs were paid by the public estate, not occupying anyone's monthly allowance."

"The Second Lady is not short of this bit of silver, but I know her mind best; she doesn't say it out loud, but in her heart, she still considers the Rongguo Prefecture to be their second branch's."

"Therefore, she would never miss the opportunity for the prestige of the public estate inviting a physician. Last time Baoyu broke his head, wasn't it the physician invited by our public estate?"

"Now she is being so secretive, and Sister Xi Ren won't let us call a physician ourselves, only asking for the addresses—could it be that they are calling one themselves?"

"Baoyu only has a problem with restless sleep; is it necessary to be so secretive?"

Ping'er said, "I didn't think deeply about this matter, but hearing what My Lady says, it really makes sense. I wonder what illness Bao Er Ye Bao has?"

Wang Xifeng's pair of watery phoenix eyes flickered, filled with a probing expression.

She called Feng'er, who was busy outside the room, and said, "Put aside what you are doing, go walk around the garden, and find out what illness Baoyu has."

Count's Prefecture, Jia Cong's courtyard.

After Ping'er spoke with Wang Xifeng and gave instructions to Lin Zhixiao's wife, she went to the East Prefecture to visit Wu'er.

When Ping'er passed the small gate between the two prefectures, she was far from being treated as poorly as Sister Xi Ren. When the old woman guarding the gate of the East Prefecture saw her, she smiled warmly and spoke with diligence.

Because everyone in the East Prefecture knew that Miss Ping had a proper status with the Count and was the Count's future woman, and she was currently managing the West Prefecture's family business for the Count.

Ping'er entered Jia Cong's courtyard. Every time she came over, she would always greet Jia Cong first, but at this time, she figured he had already gone to his office.

She went directly to the side room where Wu'er lived, but just as she reached the doorway, she saw Qingwen coming out of the adjacent side room.

Seeing Ping'er's actions, she pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "Sister Ping'er, are you looking for Wu'er? She is not in her own room today."

Ping'er asked curiously, "Someone passed a message this morning saying she was unwell, so I came to check on her. Why isn't she resting in her room, but running around everywhere?"

Qingwen's expression was strange, her face slightly red, and she said, "She is resting in a room, but not her own; she is in the Cong Sanye's room. Go check on her."

Ping'er felt strange in her heart, but she didn't think much of it. Wu'er was the Cong Sanye's personal maid, so it wasn't strange for her to be in his room, and the Cong Sanye was not at home now anyway.

She turned and headed toward the main room, not noticing the blush on Qingwen's little face behind her, who was teasingly laughing to herself...

Ping'er walked to the entrance of the main room, pushed open the door, and said, "Wu'er, I heard you were unwell, so I came to check on you. Is it your period?"

Before her words had even finished, she saw the situation in the room and was stunned on the spot.

She saw Wu'er wearing only her inner garments, sitting on Jia Cong's bed, her skin glowing like jade, looking spirited and even more charming than usual.

Jia Cong was holding a tray with a few small dishes on it, sitting by the bed and talking to Wu'er.

Wu'er was holding a bowl of porridge, and after taking a few bites herself, she smiled and fed a spoonful to Jia Cong; the two were exceptionally intimate and ambiguous.

Ping'er's pretty face turned red instantly, and she felt so ashamed she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into, inwardly cursing, "That dead girl Qingwen was actually teasing me."

"She really made me make a fool of myself, saying something about a period in front of the Cong Sanye—it's truly shameful."

She stammered, "Cong Sanye, don't you have to attend the morning court every day?"

Seeing Ping'er suddenly burst in, Jia Cong looked somewhat stunned and embarrassed, and Wu'er's face turned even redder as she subconsciously pulled the thin quilt on her body up.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Today happens to be a day off from court, so I can go to the office a bit later."

Because last night was Wu'er's first night, he stayed at home for a while longer to accompany her, but he didn't expect Ping'er to burst in suddenly.

Wu'er said with a red face, "Cong Sanye has already delayed quite a while at home; it's more important to go to the office to handle business first. I'll just talk to Sister Ping'er."

Jia Cong said, "That's fine. Rest peacefully and let Sister Ping'er keep you company."

After Jia Cong left the room, Ping'er finally let out a sigh of relief, and the strange, awkward atmosphere in the room slowly faded away.

Seeing Wu'er in this state, Ping'er suddenly remembered Wang Xifeng's teasing words from that day, and her pretty face felt like it was burning.

She instantly understood why Wu'er was unwell and needed to rest in bed—wasn't she lying on the Cong Sanye's bed?

She couldn't help but joke, "Wu'er, did you listen to the Second Lady's words and act coquettishly with the Cong Sanye last night..."

Wu'er's little face turned red, and she reached out to pull Ping'er's mouth; the two rolled into a ball on the bed, laughing and playing non-stop.

Rongguo Prefecture, Baoyu's courtyard.

The main room of the courtyard had its doors tightly closed. Sister Xi Ren was sitting at the doorway doing needlework when she saw Qiuwen walking over with a graceful waist, holding a tea tray in her hand.

She said, "Sister Xi Ren, is the Lady in the room? I've come to bring the Lady a cup of new tea."

Sister Xi Ren didn't stop her needlework and said, "I already brought tea just now. The Lady is having a private conversation with the Bao Er Ye and doesn't want anyone to go in and disturb them."

When Qiuwen heard this, her expression stiffened, and after glancing at the tightly closed door, she had no choice but to walk away with the tea tray...

The light in the room was somewhat dim, most of the windows were tightly shut, and a trace of stuffiness flowed through the air.

Lady Wang had just finished speaking earnestly, Baoyu's face was a dark purple, and his eyes were filled with grievance and anger.

He said, "Lady, don't listen to their nonsense. My body is perfectly fine; where would I have any ailment? There's even less need to see a physician."

Baoyu's heart was overflowing with sorrow and indignation. This muddle-headed Sister Xi Ren—he valued her so much, yet she actually leaked information in front of the Lady.

How could someone as pure and dashing as himself have such an unspeakable ailment? Those days were just because his body felt tired...

He was born with jade in his mouth, an extraordinary person favored by the gods; how could heaven mock him like this? This was absolutely impossible.

If this baseless matter were to spread and everyone started talking about it, what would he do?

By then, his lifelong purity and extraordinariness would be destroyed in an instant, and his sisters at home would also be heartbroken—how could he bear it?

Seeing Baoyu's strange expression, his eyes filled with sorrow and dullness, looking as if he were about to have an episode, Lady Wang couldn't help but frown slightly.

If Sister Xi Ren, Caiyun, and the others saw Baoyu in this state, they would probably be scared out of their wits.

But Lady Wang was different after all; her Baoyu had contracted this ailment, so it absolutely could not be delayed. Even if her son were to throw a tantrum, she couldn't care less.

She said, "Baoyu, I am your biological mother, and you are the flesh that fell from my body; what is there to be shy about with me?"

"You don't need to push it away with words. There are many people who have contracted this kind of ailment; it's not a rare thing, so don't feel it's hard to talk about."

"If you have an ailment, we will see a physician; as long as we treat it quickly, that's all."

Baoyu's expression was sorrowful and indignant as he said, "Lady, I know my own body. I absolutely have no ailment; it's all Sister Xi Ren making things up—it's truly absurd."

Lady Wang's face darkened slightly as she said, "If Sister Xi Ren is making things up, could it be that Caiyun is also making things up? This matter cannot be faked; you can't fool me, your mother."

When Baoyu heard Lady Wang's words, he felt even more ashamed. Not only was Sister Xi Ren gossiping, but even Caiyun was following suit.

Everyone in this courtyard was lawless, mocking and trampling on him like this—how could he face anyone in the future?

Thinking of this, his eyes became even more aggrieved and dull, and he subconsciously rolled his eyes, his whole body trembling slightly with anger.

Lady Wang said, "This time you must be obedient; a physician must be seen. If you throw another tantrum, I will tell the Master and let the Master decide for you."

Baoyu was just about to flare up, but upon hearing the word "Master," his mind instantly became clear and untainted, and the eyes he had half-rolled returned to normal.

Lady Wang advised again, "Baoyu, you must know the priorities. You are to marry Xia Gu Niang at the end of the year."

"If you don't quickly see a physician to treat your illness, how can you hide it after you get married? If the Xia family makes a scene, that would be terrible..."

When Baoyu heard this, his face turned pale, and thinking of Xia Gu Niang's outstanding beauty and graceful demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a heat in his belly.

Although he kept saying he didn't want to get married and spoke wildly and scoffed at the matter of engagement and marriage.

But he still admired a girl with such outstanding charm as Xia Gu Niang in his heart.

Being able to be close to such a girl and enjoy the romance of the bedchamber—he still longed for it in his heart...

If he let Xia Gu Niang know that he was impotent after they were married, wouldn't that be a total disgrace?

To be looked down upon by a girl because of his failure to live up to his reputation as a man who worships girls—that would be a catastrophe, worse than death!

Seeing Baoyu's expression changing, Lady Wang naturally knew her son well and realized she had hit the nail on the head, so she couldn't help but sigh in relief.

She said, "Later, let Sister Xi Ren and Caiyun help you pack your things and come back to the East Road courtyard to live for a few days, which will make it easier to see a physician and treat your illness."

"The courtyard here will be left for Sheyue and Qiuwen to guard and clean."

When Baoyu heard this, his face changed. For him, living under the same roof as his father, Jia Zheng, was an unbearable burden.

He hurriedly said, "Lady, I am willing to see a physician. I can do it in the West Prefecture; why is it necessary to go through the trouble of moving to the East Road courtyard?"

"Besides, I still need to show filial piety to the Old Matriarch daily, and the sisters also..."

Because he didn't want to leave the West Prefecture, the words slipped out, and only at the end did he realize it was inappropriate, swallowing them back, his expression somewhat awkward.

Lady Wang sighed and said, "Baoyu, you should be more alert. You are a person who is already engaged; you should know some taboos."

"What Sister Bao, Sister Lin—these are all baseless things; stop wasting your thoughts on them in the future."

"If you see a physician in the West Prefecture, there are too many people and too much gossip here; how can you hide things? As soon as a physician comes and goes, gossip will surely spread."

Baoyu's face turned ugly upon hearing this. He wasn't truly ignorant of everything; currently, the West Prefecture was managed by the first branch.

Jia Cong even specifically sent his trusted maid Wu'er to manage the house; as long as there was any movement, the news would surely spread to the East Prefecture.

The sisters would surely find out, and how would they look at him then? How could he, a pure person, survive?

Thinking this through, he didn't dare to say another word of nonsense...

After Lady Wang instructed Sister Xi Ren, she went to the Rongqing Hall to speak with the Old Matriarch, naturally helping Baoyu find a dignified excuse.

Seeing Sister Xi Ren and Caiyun start to pack, Baoyu's heart was once again filled with sorrow and indignation.

He, a person of bright moon and clear breeze, possessed a heart full of splendor, yet heaven insisted on mocking him with such embarrassment—how unfair the world was...

By the time Sister Xi Ren and Caiyun had finished packing, Lady Wang had returned from speaking at the Rongqing Hall.

Seeing Baoyu looking listless, she said, "I have already spoken with the Old Matriarch, letting you return to the East Road courtyard to accompany me for a few days."

"Your father will also take the opportunity to teach you your lessons. When the time comes, we will invite the physician there to treat you, so the matter can be kept quiet and no gossip will spread."

"I have already put out the word. I heard Sister Xi Ren say that you haven't collected the paper and brushes for study allocated by the public estate this month."

"Send someone to collect them from Feng-yaotou's place and just say you are taking them to the East Road courtyard for study."

"Do it for show on both sides, so that others won't be suspicious when you suddenly return to live in the East Road courtyard."

Sister Xi Ren, who was on the side, was about to go to Wang Xifeng's courtyard to collect them, but was hurriedly stopped by Baoyu.

He said, "Lady, I will collect these paper and brushes myself. Yesterday was Feng-jiejie's joy of childbirth, and there was much to do, so I haven't gone to see her yet."

In fact, Baoyu had plenty of free time yesterday to visit Wang Xifeng; it was just an excuse.

It was just that the topic of Xue Yima giving birth to a child that day still made him feel lingering fear.

Yesterday, when Wang Xifeng's child was born, the Old Matriarch, Xue Yima, and the sisters at home must have all gone to visit.

Baoyu thought that if he went over, wouldn't he be stepping on a landmine?

If Xue Yima saw him, she would likely, through the momentum of Feng-jiejie giving birth, start connecting things again.

In front of the sisters, she would talk endlessly about how Xia Gu Niang is easy to bear children and how he should have a son early—that would truly make him want to vomit, and how could he face people in the future?

If Sister Lin heard such words, he didn't know what she would think of him...

Therefore, Baoyu stayed in his courtyard all day yesterday without going out, to avoid being seen and to avoid the awkwardness of not visiting Fengjie's place.

But today, when Lady Wang mentioned collecting paper and brushes, Baoyu had other thoughts.

Because after yesterday, there shouldn't be too many people visiting Fengjie's courtyard; at least Xue Yima wouldn't go every day.

When Lady Wang heard Baoyu's words, she didn't think much of it; it would naturally be easier to cover up in front of outsiders if her son went to get the paper and brushes himself.

But Sister Xi Ren knew Baoyu's background well and also knew why he often went to Fengjie's courtyard, so she couldn't help but smile bitterly in her heart.

The Bao Er Ye was about to return to the East Road courtyard for treatment and would likely be away from the West Prefecture for some time, yet he was starting to act infatuated again, wanting to go to the Second Grandmother's courtyard.

In the end, there were two pretty maids there, but they were both the Cong Sanye's women; the Bao Er Ye kept doing these baseless things, and they were all things that couldn't see the light of day.

Rongguo Prefecture, Fengjie's courtyard.

Before the sun had risen high, Ping'er returned from the East Prefecture.

Wang Xifeng saw her and asked, "Is Wu'er's condition serious?"

Ping'er couldn't help but blush all over her face and said, "It's not serious; she just needs to rest for a day."

Wang Xifeng frowned and said, "You girl are strange. If she's not serious, she's not serious; why are you blushing?"

Wang Xifeng's eyes suddenly lit up, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Something's not right. If Wu'er is sick, why are you acting so ashamed?"

"I've guessed it—was it Wu'er who was on night duty for the Third Brother last night and did something good, so she can't straighten her waist today to handle business in the West Prefecture?"

Hearing Wang Xifeng speak so explicitly, Ping'er's face felt even hotter, and she said, "I didn't say anything; My Lady can guess for yourself."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "It seems my words are still effective; the little girl has finally opened up."

At this moment, Baoyu's voice came from outside: "Is Feng-jiejie well? I've come to see you."

Wang Xifeng was slightly stunned. Baoyu hadn't come to visit for some time, and he hadn't even come to visit when she gave birth yesterday, yet he suddenly came today.

She said, "So it's Brother Bao, come in and sit. Ping'er, pour some tea."

Baoyu entered the room and saw Wang Xifeng leaning against a couch, with a baby sleeping soundly in the swaddling clothes beside her.

He remembered the topic of Xue Yima giving birth to a son early and felt a slight discomfort in his heart; he only glanced at the baby once and didn't want to look a second time.

Fortunately, the old woman serving saw a guest visiting and carried the baby into the inner room, which made Baoyu secretly sigh in relief.

He said, "I am returning to the East Road courtyard with the Lady to live for two days today. Knowing it was Feng-jiejie's great joy, I rushed over to see you before leaving."

He saw Ping'er beside Wang Xifeng, pretty, dignified, and graceful, and felt very pleased in his heart.

He hesitated slightly and asked, "Why haven't I seen Sister Wu'er?" (End of chapter)