An Sheng, the commander of the Inner Factory, had reported sick leave.
To be precise, he had reported sick leave for the sake of his wife.
This was what the servant sent to deliver the message before the Emperor Chengde had said:
“Your Majesty, Lord An is slightly unwell, nothing serious, but Lady An is frail in health. After returning home, she fell ill and took to her bed. Lord An and his lady share a deep bond of love, so naturally he feels her pain as his own, cherishing and caring for her. He is now personally tending to her day and night, thus requesting sick leave. May Your Majesty grant this indulgence.”
Emperor Chengde mused for a moment, then waved his hand: “Approved.”
“Convey my oral decree: summon the chief imperial physician to personally visit the An residence to take Lady An’s pulse and treat her.”
Emperor Chengde then pointed at the head eunuch: “You shall go in person, leading the escort.”
“Yes, this servant obeys Your Majesty’s command.”
“Wait. I recall that last year a neighboring kingdom presented a casket of Eastern Pearls. Go to my personal treasury and take a thousand taels of gold and a hundred bolts of silk as well. Send them together as my gift.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
An Sheng had no need to attend the morning court, and A Mei’s days had become quite comfortable.
After the previous night’s exertions, A Mei refused to get out of bed. An Sheng, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, simply stayed in bed with her, indulging in a lazy sleep.
When they had slept enough, A Mei still didn’t want to get up. She pestered An Sheng to read storybooks to her. Helpless yet indulgent, An Sheng cradled her in his arms against his chest, leaned against the bedpost, and held up the storybook, turning pages one by one as he read to A Mei in a gentle voice.
At some point in the story, something seemed to strike A Mei’s funny bone, and she burst into giggles.
A Mei turned around in An Sheng’s arms, lifted her head to meet his doting gaze, and laughed so much that she trembled like a flower in the wind. Her eyes curved into charming crescent moons, and the moist glimmer in their corners flickered straight into An Sheng’s heart.
“I can’t take it—this is too hilarious!”
“Husband, keep reading, quickly.”
Her supple, moist lips parted and closed with an alluring sweetness.
An Sheng’s breath caught, his gaze darkening. He cupped one hand behind A Mei’s neck, intending to lower his head...
Thump, thump, thump—
A knock sounded.
“My lord, my lady.”
Wu Da’s voice came again from outside the door.
An Sheng’s face darkened. He took a deep breath: “Speak! What is it?”
“Someone has arrived from the palace. His Majesty has sent Head Eunuch Li and the chief imperial physician. They have specially come to take the lady’s pulse.”
An Sheng pondered for a moment, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly: “Have Eunuch Li wait in the main hall. You go and bring the chief physician here.”
“Yes, my lord!”
A Mei was somewhat surprised. She blinked and asked An Sheng: “Husband, why must they take my pulse? I’m not sick.”
An Sheng lifted the corner of his mouth and raised an eyebrow: “Not sick? Last night, you were clearly chilled and frightened.”
“But still, it wasn’t that bad. With you by my side, A Mei wasn’t really afraid. My feet just got a bit cold from stepping in water when we got off the carriage. Now I’m perfectly fine,” A Mei said truthfully.
An Sheng hummed in response: “It was still too much hardship. I let my lady be put through the wringer.”
A Mei: ...
Soon, the knock came again. They had arrived.
An Sheng got off the bed, made A Mei lie down obediently, and carefully tucked in her blanket. Without even putting on his outer robe, he opened the door in just his inner garments.
The one who came was none other than the chief imperial physician.
This showed how much Emperor Chengde currently favored An Sheng.
The chief physician himself was fully aware of the situation. He first bowed to An Sheng and then began to take Lady An’s pulse. His expression was grave, his manner cautious, and he dared not be negligent.
But the more he felt the pulse, the more his brows rose.
This... this wasn’t right.
Hadn’t the messenger said Lady An was so ill she couldn’t get out of bed?
A Mei blinked. She felt the physician’s expression was rather serious, and he hadn’t spoken for a long time, so she couldn’t help asking: “Chief Physician, how is my pulse?”
The moment A Mei’s voice rang out, the physician’s eyelid twitched.
In traditional Chinese medical diagnosis, a physician observes, listens, asks, and feels the pulse.
At this moment, Lady An’s pulse was steady and strong; her complexion was ruddy; her voice was clear and vibrant; her confidence brimmed; and her eyes sparkled with vitality, full of spirit...
Just then, a sharp, piercing voice, with a hint of insidiousness, shot straight into the physician’s ears.
“Chief Physician, how exactly is my lady’s condition?”
Trembling inwardly, the physician’s eyes flickered with hesitation. After careful deliberation, he finally said: “Lord An, rest assured. Illness comes as suddenly as a mountain falls, but it recedes as slowly as unraveling silk. Lady An is blessed with good fortune, turning danger into safety. As far as I can see now, she is no longer in any serious peril.”
Commander An gave him a faint, ambiguous smile and said, slowly: “My lady was frightened last night and caught a chill. Now she is bedridden, unable even to get up. How can you say she is no longer in serious peril? You’d better take her pulse again carefully. Don’t let a moment of carelessness undermine the skill befitting the chief imperial physician. Once you’ve diagnosed properly, prescribe the appropriate medicine. Ah, and this illness shouldn’t heal too quickly—prescribe several doses of herbal medicine for my lady to slowly recuperate.”
The chief physician broke out in a cold sweat. Then, a flash of understanding passed through his eyes. He quickly replied: “To be frank, Lord An, I still have some doubts about the pulse I just took. Allow me to take another reading.”
An Sheng curled his lips in satisfaction and nodded.
As the physician reached out to take A Mei’s pulse again, she who was supposedly too weak to get up stared wide-eyed. He then furrowed his brows, assumed a grave air, and solemnly declared: “Lady An’s pulse is weak—arriving slow, receding fast; inward solidity with outward emptiness. This indicates a cold condition, compounded by fright and anxiety, unsettling the mind. Treatment will take some effort. However, Lady An is still young; with proper care, she will surely recover to her former health.”
Having finished speaking, under A Mei’s stunned gaze, the physician carefully looked toward An Sheng: “Lord An, will such a report suffice?”
An Sheng gave the physician a meaningful glance, the corners of his mouth turning up in a triumphant smile: “Truly worthy of being the chief imperial physician. Your medical skill is precisely to my liking. Please proceed to write the prescription for my lady.”
A Mei, who had witnessed the entire exchange: ...
The physician was led away by Wu Da to write the prescription. An Sheng picked up his outer robe and began to dress.
A Mei sat up in bed.
“Husband, it feels like that physician was blatantly lying.”
An Sheng chuckled scornfully: “To reach the position of chief imperial physician in the Imperial Hospital, telling blatant lies is the most basic skill.”
“But if he goes back and reports this way, and His Majesty later finds out I’m not really sick, wouldn’t that be deceiving the emperor?”
An Sheng cast a sidelong glance at A Mei, lifted his chin slightly, and skillfully fastened the cloth knots on his collar: “How is that deceiving the emperor? Those words aren’t from us. If anyone is deceiving, it’s him. What does that have to do with us?”
“But you made him say it,” A Mei pouted, giving An Sheng a playful glare. Then, she hid a smile, her eyes full of admiration: “A Mei thinks the way you threatened him just now was really impressive.”
An Sheng shrugged with a dismissive sneer: “He knew better!”
A Mei finally understood and pouted: “So complicated. Husband, where are you going now?”
An Sheng fastened his belt: “His Majesty sent someone over, along with gifts. I’ll go to the front hall for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
A Mei’s eyes lit up, her water-bright pupils glistening: “What gifts!”
An Sheng was amused by A Mei's look of a little money-grubber. He stood still in front of the bed, leaned forward slightly, and gently tapped the tip of her nose. His tone was soft and indulgent as he said, "I don't know what it is either. Why don't we go take a look first? If it's something Madam likes, I'll bring it back to our room for you. How does that sound?"
"Good!"
