Chapter 29: A Joyous Occasion

 Chapter 29: A Joyous Occasion

Mei'er swallowed nervously and continued, "The afternoon six days ago, Cui Mama came to find me. She told me to keep quiet and not speak a word about what I saw. She gave me five hundred taels in banknotes and told me to go home... She also said that in a few days, she would help me request a pardon to have my slave status revoked."

Mei'er felt ashamed and couldn't bear to meet Chu Qianchen’s gaze.

Five hundred taels... She could never save that much in her entire life, no matter how long she worked.

At that moment, Mei'er had been tempted. She thought that with such a large sum, she could buy a few acres of good land and find an honest man to marry. Then, her children would be respectable citizens.

Her head lowered slightly as she continued, "I agreed."

"Cui Mama asked me to pretend to be ill, to return home and rest, and she also reminded me to buy more food and not go out for the next few days. She said once everything was settled, she would come find me."

"I followed her instructions and didn’t leave the house."

Mei'er took a few days off from the stewardess and bought a lot of food, planning to stay indoors without going anywhere.

But not long after, she began to have a nosebleed. At first, she thought it was just the dry weather, but soon the bleeding became more severe.

As a servant, Mei'er never paid much attention to physicians. She had grown up thinking that when someone fell ill, it was simply a matter of enduring it. Whether it was a cold or fever, she believed that if you just waited it out, the illness would eventually pass. Mei'er thought this would be the same, that after a few days, her body would get better. However, each day, her condition worsened... When she realized she couldn’t take it anymore, she was already too weak to even leave the house to find a physician.

Chu Qianchen breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. Since Mei'er hadn’t left the house in the past few days, it would be easier to handle.

It seemed that Cui Mama knew the severity of the "Seven Days’ Fever" and had tricked Mei'er into staying indoors to prevent the disease from spreading, which would have caused an uncontrollable disaster.

In Mei'er’s previous life, she must have quietly died from the "Seven Days’ Fever."

She was just a lowly maid in the Marquis' residence, insignificant. Besides, at this point in her past life, the entire residence was immersed in grief over the death of Chu Yunmu. No one had paid any attention to the death of a small servant.

Chu Qianchen, with pinpoint accuracy, asked, “Last time, you told me you saw the eldest miss by the rockery, but why did Cui Mama come to find you and seal your mouth?”

“I don’t know,” Mei'er shook her head, a look of confusion on her face.

She truly didn’t know!

Chu Qianchen stared into Mei’er’s eyes and asked again, “What exactly did you see that day? Tell me everything in detail.”

Mei'er trembled as she spoke, “That day, I was sweeping by the lake and saw the eldest miss walking past the rockery on the opposite side of the lake…”

“Are you sure it was the eldest miss? Did you get a good look at her?” Chu Qianchen asked again.

“Well…” Mei'er tried to recall the scene, “I only saw her back. I couldn’t see her face clearly, but her figure and clothes were the same as the eldest miss. She was wearing a fiery red cloak…”

Chu Qianchen nodded, signaling her to continue.

Mei'er continued, “I didn’t pay much attention at the time and kept cleaning. Not long after, I saw the fourth young master climbing up the rockery to pick up a kite. I thought the fourth young master was with the eldest miss, so I didn’t go over. Then, the fourth young master fell from the rockery…”

When she remembered the scene, Mei'er still felt a chill down her spine.

Chu Qianchen pondered for a moment before asking, “A few days ago, did Chen Mama come to see you? Did you tell her that you didn’t see anything?”

Mei’er, feeling more ashamed, nodded and said, “I regret it…”

After saying this, the energy Mei’er had just gathered seemed to dissipate. She slumped weakly against the pillow behind her.

With all her questions answered, Chu Qianchen didn’t speak further. She walked to the window, opened it, and the cool breeze drifted in, scattering the heavy atmosphere of blood and death in the room.

The room fell into a deep silence until Hu Po returned with the freshly brewed medicinal soup, still steaming.

Chu Qianchen gestured for Hu Po to place the soup on the bedside and, after Hu Po stepped back, she said to Mei’er, “Drink the medicine.”

Mei’er struggled to sit up, her white inner clothes still stained with blood that hadn’t dried. She looked weary and in a pitiful state.

She trembled as she took the bowl of medicinal soup. The strong herbal fragrance filled her nose, bringing a sense of hope for survival.

The bitter soup slid down her throat, and soon, Mei’er felt warmth spreading through her body. Even her cold limbs began to gradually warm up, as if she had been pulled back from the gates of death.

“Second Miss…”

After putting down the empty bowl, Mei’er looked up at Chu Qianchen, who was standing by the window. With a veil hanging around her face, only half of her delicate features were visible, glowing under the soft spring breeze.

Golden sunlight poured over her face, highlighting her bright eyes, white teeth, and delicate features. The beauty of the blooming peach flowers outside paled in comparison to her radiance.

Chu Qianchen spoke calmly, “You need to drink this medicine for another three days. I will bring it to you every day. Hu Po just bought some pastries for you; eat them for now. But remember, you must not leave this room, do you understand?”

Her voice was as calm as ever, but to Mei’er, it felt like heavenly music.

Mei’er knew that only the second miss could save her, and she nodded eagerly, saying, “I will listen to the miss.”

She wanted to live. She had to live!

With everything that needed to be done finished, Chu Qianchen made no further stay. She said, “I’ll leave for now. I’ll come check on you tomorrow.”

As for the rest, Mei’er would have to handle it herself once she recovered. This matter not only involved Chu Qianhuang but also implicated Concubine Jiang. It was no longer appropriate for Chu Qianchen to interfere.

Once outside the room, Chu Qianchen signaled Hu Po to lock the door from the outside, just in case Mei’er broke her promise.

The noise from their activities attracted the attention of a woman living next door, who curiously peeked through the door.

Chu Qianchen instructed Hu Po, who removed her veil, to walk over and discreetly slip a silver tael into the woman’s hand. She said, “You’re from Wang Dacheng’s household, right? Keep an eye on Mei’er. If she leaves the house on her own, come into the manor and report to me.”

One tael of silver! The woman’s eyes immediately brightened, and she slapped her chest in assurance, taking the silver and saying, “Don’t worry, Miss Hu Po. I’ll keep a close watch. Even if the Prince of Chen returns to the capital, I won’t go to watch the spectacle!”

Chu Qianchen’s heart skipped a beat. She interjected, “Prince Chen is coming back to the capital?”

Her voice trembled slightly, a subtle unease in her tone.

“Indeed!” The woman nodded repeatedly, clearly guessing that the one wearing the veil was probably the second miss. She eagerly answered, “The imperial court has issued an official notice. Prince Chen is already in Jizhou and will be arriving in the capital in three days. I just came back from the main street, and everyone is talking about it.”

(End of this chapter)