Fifty-Nine Worries

  "Mother," Zhang Yan said with a suppressed smile, "if you keep going, you'll end up dragging your younger brother into the river."

  The attendants around him secretly pursed their lips, and Lu Yuan exclaimed, "I just thought that your uncle is probably already in Huainan by now."

  In the Hou Mansion, there was a small pond with rippling water, surrounded by lush green grass. A little toddler was rolling around on the grass, giggling and showing off his newly grown teeth. He lifted his head and saw his sister, then crawled towards her with great effort, making "ga ga" sounds as he went.

  "I think so too." Zhang Yan smiled and bent down to pick up Ye'er.

  I don't know why, but she wasn't particularly good to this younger brother. Sometimes when she was in a good mood, she would hug him and go crazy for a whole day. When she was in a bad mood, she would secretly pinch him, of course not using too much force, until the child scrunched up his face and looked at her with a wronged expression. Yet, Zhang Yan still stuck to her the most, when he saw her, he wouldn't even want his father or mother, and would crawl into her arms with all his might.

  "You're worried about Uncle, aren't you?" She gently poked her brother's forehead and muttered to herself. In her heart, she was more worried than anyone else about that young man - where had he gone? Could he endure the hardships of a military campaign? Could he bear those arrogant officials who thought themselves superior? Had he seen blood? Had someone taken a knife to him...

  She was thinking chaotically, when suddenly, a thread in her mind just pulled like that.

  She was taken aback, stretched out her hand and slowly touched her forehead, furrowing her brow.

  Zhang Wan saw that she was wrong, curiously looked at her, shook her hand and repeatedly shouted, "Sister, sister."

  "What's wrong?" Lu Yuan walked over.

  "It hurts so much." Cold sweat dripped down from his forehead.

  "How can you have a headache at such a young age?" Lu Yuan furrowed his brow, and his cool hand touched her forehead, giving him a fright. "Oh, it's so hot! A'rang, go inside and lie down, Mother will find a doctor for you."

  Zhang Wei's voice was trembling with fear. With tears in his eyes, he sat outside his sister's bedroom on the hall, listening to his sister's cries from inside. He shouted wildly, "Sister, sister!" Desperate to get up and rush into the room to be by her side. But he was held down tightly by a young boy, who sternly warned, "Young Master, you mustn't rush in. Your sister is busy right now and can't attend to you, and you can't help her either. Let's just wait here."

  Can only wait here.

  In the bedroom, maidservants were coming and going, fetching water and wringing out towels. Lu Yuan took a hot towel from one of them and placed it on his daughter's forehead. "My head hurts so much," she said. Zhang Yan was rolling around on the bed, her hair disheveled and her sweat-soaked clothes clinging to her body, even her undergarments were wet.

  "Mother," she sobbed, looking at her mother, "my head really hurts." Her eyes were already welling up with tears as she curled up on the couch. Pitifully like a complaining and spoiled little cat.

  Lu Yuan stood at a loss in front of the bed, staring at his daughter, with sweat beading on the tip of his nose. "What's going on? Why hasn't the doctor arrived yet?"

  "Here comes," Tu Tu hastily said, "it's only been a short while, the doctor can't fly, after all."

  "But Ah Yan has been crying in pain."

  "Princess," Tu Tu sighed, "the more the little girl loves you, the more you can't panic. If you panic, she'll be even more scared."

  The crimson curtain came down, and the little maid inside tightly hugged Zhang Yan. She was so scared that her tears flowed wildly. Zhang Yan still cried out in pain, but no longer with the same strength as before, and her previously rosy face turned pale.

  Lu Yuan's tears dripped onto his collar, splashing small star-shaped stains.

  "He's here. He's here." The old doctor with a white beard was led in by the maid, "The doctor is here."

  After feeling the pulse, Lu Yuan asked, "I don't know what symptoms the little girl has?"

  "High fever, night sweats due to deficiency, rapid pulse..." The doctor stroked his white beard and said a lot.

  "Alright." Lu Yuan ordered.

  She calmly and slowly said, "I'm just asking you, how should my daughter's headache be treated?"

  The old doctor with a white beard was startled and said in a cold sweat, "Zhang's pulse is strange, I dare not make a diagnosis."

  "Princess," Tu Tu's face turned deathly pale as he stared at Lu Yuan, saying word by word, "This illness of the young lady seems to be caused by evil spirits."

  Lu Yuan was taken aback for a moment.

  She turned her head to look at her daughter lying on the bed, who had just drunk some soothing medicine and had fallen asleep with her eyes closed, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her face pale, and a thin quilt covering her body, which made Ah Yan's slender figure even more striking.

  Her daughter.

  She still remembered the chaotic air in the room when she gave birth to Ah Yan that year, the smell of incense, human breath, blood, and sweat mixed together to form a strange smell. A long time later, she forgot the pain of childbirth, but only remembered that smell.

  She fell asleep for three days and when she woke up, Ao Ge carried A Yan in his arms to her side.

  At that time, Ah Yan had just been born, small and delicate like a soft monkey, with pink skin glowing, so lovely, so beautiful. She proudly held Ah Yan and said to her husband, "This is my daughter."

  "Yes." Zhang Ao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's the princess' daughter"

  She smiled happily, raised her chin and shook her head, saying "No."

  Zhang Ao was taken aback once again.

  She corrected him, "It's our daughter"

  Do you know what is the strongest word in this world?

  It's mother.

  In order to protect children's safety, mothers spare no effort.

  Lu Yuan pursed his lips into a straight line and ordered the steward Zhang Chi, "Send someone in my name to knock on the door of the Chang Le Palace. Make sure that the Empress sends Dr. Chunyu to our mansion." He also ordered the elderly servant Zhang Da, "You go tell Master Hou that the young lady has a headache and ask him to come back quickly." Finally, he pointed at the maid beside him, "Zi Qie, you take care of the young lady." Then he looked at the little maid standing by the bed, "Tuo Mo, you follow me out."

  The cloud and water patterned floor tiles spread out on the ground in the room, and the anxious-looking Yu Ru sat up straight, looking at him. On the seat, Lu Yuan drank a cup of tea, "Ah Yan, have you ever had such a headache before?"

  "No." Mulan shook her head, "Not right." She furrowed her brow slightly, "I remember now, once, a little girl also cried out in headache."

  Lu Yuan's hand tightened, and beside him, Tu Tu was already anxiously asking, "When?"

  "It was just before winter last year." Chrysanthemum thought to herself, "That day, the young mistress went to the palace to pay respects to the empress, and gave her some homemade cosmetics and aloe vera gel. Then Master Fan's son escorted her back, but they went to the East Market, where they ran into Young Master Yan at a restaurant upstairs. The young mistress even played a game of Go with him, forcing Young Master Yan to concede defeat. After returning home, I chatted with her for a while that evening, and later she complained of a headache."

  Lu Yuan's face sank as he said, "Such a big thing, why didn't you report it to me?"

  "Back then, the mistress's headache wasn't this severe, she just lay down for a while and it was fine. The mistress said that such a small matter shouldn't be told to the princess, lest it disturb her." She spoke softer and softer, "I didn't think the mistress's illness was so serious, if I had known earlier, even with ten times my courage, I wouldn't have dared deceive the princess." Suddenly, from afar in the room came a clear sound of porcelain shattering on the ground, followed by Zi Qian's startled cry, "Mistress, bear with it for a moment."

  A loud crash was heard as Lu Yuan's ceramic cup also fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

  There is still a thread in my mind that is quietly pulling.

  Zhang Yan slowly came to, and what entered her eyes was the warm glow of the honey candle lamp. In her ears, she heard the sound of people outside the window, murmuring something in a strange and weird tone.

  "It hurts." She moaned.

  "Daughter, you're awake." Lian hurried over, secretly wiping away tears, and smiled, "Are you thirsty? Do you want to drink some water?"

  "Uh-huh." Zhang Yan nodded, took the ear cup handed over by Tuo Mei, and touched her lips to it. The water in the cup rippled with a red mark, which gradually dissipated. She tasted it vaguely and felt a bit of blood in her mouth. It wasn't until after reacting for half a day that she finally realized that she had unknowingly bitten her lip during one of her episodes.

  "What's going on outside?" she asked with her hands holding her head.

  "Oh." Xiang Xi forced a smile, "Madam has been shouting about headaches all along, it's really scary. The princess is worried that you've been possessed by evil spirits, and after discussing with the Marquis, they invited a Taoist priest to exorcise the evil spirit."

  Zhang Yan raised an eyebrow and got out of bed with a cold smile.

  "Ah, girl, what are you doing?" Lian hurried over to grab her. "Your head doesn't hurt anymore? It seems these doctors are quite effective after all."

  "The air is thick with the smell of smoke and it's making my headache worse." Zhang Yan glared at him, one hand holding her head and the other holding a cup full of hot water, which she slammed out the door with a loud crash. "Get out, all of you!" Outside, Fang Shi was silent for a moment before saying, "This young lady has been bewitched by an evil person."

  "Have you been bewitched by a scoundrel?" Zhang Yan's face turned bright red, her bright eyes wide with wonder, and her body temperature rose, making her even more radiant and dazzling. Mulan stared blankly for a moment before hastily picking up the cloak, "Young mistress, if you want to throw a tantrum, at least put on some clothes first, this is..."

  It's better if people don't see it.

  Zhang Yan was in a daze, not listening to her words at all. She looked around the room and saw the case table, wanting to pick it up and smash it outside. Zou Yun hastily held her tight, "Madam, take a look at who has come in before smashing it, it's not too late."

  "Ah Yan," Lu Yuan pushed open the door and came in, feeling relieved. "Dr. Chun Yu has arrived."

  It's finally on sale after being collected, and I'm in tears.

  Two more votes sought. Collecting recommended pink tickets, I want them all.

  But anyway, the most important thing is still the pink ticket.