Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 169

Chapter 169: Warm Lanternlight Beyond the Window

Illness made her body ache and her temper soften into grievance. Hearing Su Qing speak that way, Mu Yunyao felt even more wronged. She pulled the quilt over her head and curled beneath it, wrapping herself up like a silkworm cocoon.

Su Qing was both exasperated and amused. “Mother has just made eight-treasure rice. Do you truly not want any?”

Only then did Mu Yunyao lift the quilt, revealing a pair of eyes as she said pitifully, “I do.”

“Then hurry and sit up. Although you are not allowed to bathe, you still must wash your hands before eating.”

Knowing Su Qing was worried, Mu Yunyao did not insist too strongly. After eating the eight-treasure rice and forcing down a bowl of medicinal decoction, she was pressed firmly back into bed.

Perhaps because she had slept too much during the day, she became wakeful by night instead. Su Qing had insisted on staying by her bedside, and Mu Yunyao had only managed, after much persuasion, to send her back. In the end, she barely succeeded in leaving only Jin Lan to keep watch in the outer room.

Mu Yunyao looked toward the window and, without meaning to, thought of the ice lantern from the night before. Had it melted away? It was rather a pity about that charmingly plump little cat…

As her thoughts drifted, her expression grew faintly dazed. When she came back to herself, she suddenly sensed something unusual by the window. A warm glow had appeared there.

Mu Yunyao rose, draped clothing over herself, and walked to the window. When she opened the lattice, she saw an ice lantern shaped like a rabbit embracing a candle. The lamplight was warm, swaying gently with the wind, yet never going out.

Hearing movement from inside, Jin Lan quickly asked in a soft voice from the outer room, “Miss, do you need anything?”

Mu Yunyao’s hand trembled. She closed the window. “I got up to drink some water. It is nothing now. You may continue resting.”

“Yes. If Miss needs anything, just call this servant.”

“I know.”

The warm glow of the ice lantern filtered through the window lattice. Mu Yunyao lowered her eyes, then returned to bed with a calm expression. Before long, she fell asleep.

The next day, her wind-cold still showed no sign of improving. Instead, it had worsened considerably, leaving Su Qing beside herself with worry. She sent for Doctor Zhang Chun again, who adjusted several ingredients in the prescription and instructed her to take the medicine for a few more days.

Mu Yunyao knew her own condition. Yet if she stubbornly refused the medicine, Su Qing might worry herself into illness. Thus, she forced herself to drink those bitter medicinal brews.

Jin Qiao carried in a charcoal brazier, while Jin Lan opened the window a narrow crack to let out some of the charcoal fumes. “Miss, for some reason, there are water marks on the window lattice again today. This servant looked, and the snow has not melted. How could water marks be left there?”

“Perhaps yesterday’s had not dried.”

Being ill had already ruined her appetite, and with the added bitterness of medicine, Mu Yunyao found her mouth tasted acrid no matter what she ate. She wanted nothing. Still, to ease Su Qing’s heart, she forced herself to eat a little more. By evening, her stomach felt uncomfortably swollen.

As night descended, Mu Yunyao lay in bed, tossing and turning. After a while, she suddenly heard movement by the window. She got out of bed, draped clothing over herself, and went over, but there was only an ice lantern—no trace of the person who had brought it.

This time, it was an ice lantern shaped like a galloping horse. Its hooves were lifted, its head raised as though neighing. It looked exceptionally spirited.

Mu Yunyao’s eyes darkened. She sighed softly, studied the ice lantern for a while, then closed the window with the back of her hand.

For the next dozen or so days, an ice lantern appeared at her window every night. She counted them carefully. Aside from the cat from the first night, the twelve zodiac animals were all present.

But on this night, Mu Yunyao waited for a long time and still did not see an ice lantern appear. Only when pale light began to brighten the edge of the sky did she finally lose strength and fall asleep. Yet she slept for less than an hour before waking again.

Seeing Mu Yunyao’s appearance, Jin Lan grew even more worried. “Miss, did you not seem a little better yesterday? Why do you look worse today?”

Mu Yunyao shook her head. Her gaze fell by the window, calm and without a ripple. Yue Wang had finally given up, had he not? Since that was so, she could be at ease.

Pressing down that small thread of emptiness in her heart, Mu Yunyao’s thoughts returned to their old stillness, like an ancient well undisturbed by waves. Yet once ripples had stirred, how could everything truly be the same as before? It was only that she had not yet noticed.

“Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival. Jinxiu Garden should open for business again. Have the flower lanterns and other things all been prepared?”

Jin Lan quickly nodded. “Replying to Miss, this servant has gone to look. Steward Qin has prepared everything properly according to your instructions.”

Mu Yunyao nodded. “That is good. Tomorrow is the first day of business in the new year. Naturally, it must be lively, prosperous, and auspicious.”

“Yes. Judging from today’s weather, tomorrow should be a fine day. It will surely bring a good omen.”

“Help me prepare. Tomorrow, I will go pay respects to Godfather and Godmother.”

Jin Lan was somewhat worried about her health. “Miss, your wind-cold has not yet fully recovered. Lord Cao and Madam Jin have also sent word for you to rest well first. Why not wait until you have recovered before going?”

“They are considerate of me out of affection, but no matter what, I should go pay respects on the Lantern Festival. That is my filial intention. Still, I am ill now and should not remain too long with Godmother, lest I pass the illness to her. I will go make a brief appearance, complete the courtesy, and return. It will not delay much time, nor will it worsen my condition.”

“Yes. Then this servant will go count the gifts now.”

“Go.”

Inside Jinxiu Garden, Zhang Chun carefully finished bandaging Yue Wang’s hand. “His Highness must take particular care to rest. In winter, wounds are already difficult to heal. In two days, you must ride back to Yuexi. If the wound has not healed, this journey will bring no small amount of suffering.”

“Many thanks, Doctor Zhang.”

“His Highness is too courteous. This humble one withdraws.”

Steward Qin entered carrying a meal. Seeing Yue Wang’s condition, his heart ached terribly. “His Highness, how did you injure your hand so carelessly? The wound is so deep that the bone can be seen. If it had shifted even slightly and cut the tendon, this hand would have been ruined.”

“It was only a moment of carelessness. Uncle Qin need not worry.”

“This old servant has served Master for many years. How could I possibly not worry? You should stop carving those ice sculptures for now. If Miss Mu likes them, this old servant can go buy a few lanterns and let His Highness choose one to send over.”

During the day, His Highness carved the ice sculptures; when the night was deep and still, he sent them over. Fearing they would be discovered, he then had to retrieve them before dawn. Such back-and-forth torment had made even him look thinner.

Yue Wang’s brows moved faintly. “She is ill now and cannot conveniently go out to admire scenery. I merely saw that she was pitiful, and that she has earned us so much silver, so I thought of a way to let her enjoy a little of it.”

“Yes, His Highness has always possessed a benevolent heart.”

At the side, Yu Yi could not help lifting his head. Silently, the corner of his mouth twitched. If one said His Highness possessed a benevolent heart, then the white bones scattered across the battlefields of Yuexi’s border might leap up and shout their objections.

Yue Wang nodded as though the words were perfectly reasonable. “Mm.”

Steward Qin withdrew and looked toward the Su Residence, sighing softly. Inwardly, he comforted himself: good things take time; good things take time…

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