Sui suddenly broke out in red rashes, throwing the imperial court into chaos.
Now, everyone knew this clever and endearing young master Lu was the apple of Consort Yun’s eye—so much so that even the Emperor, out of love for her, doted on him as well.
If anything happened to him, the entire palace would be on edge.
With his fair face dotted in red bumps, Sui barely understood what was happening before Emperor Jingxuan scooped him up in one arm and strode briskly outside.
By the time he regained his senses, he was already lying on a bed in the side chamber of the Zichen Hall.
The imperial physician arrived swiftly. Before he could even straighten his crooked black hat upon entering the hall, he was pulled to the bedside in the inner chamber.
"Examine him at once!"
Emperor Jingxuan’s expression was tense, his voice laced with urgency.
"If you fail to cure him, you will answer to me."
The physician immediately felt the pressure and hurriedly checked Sui over.
Sui lay obediently on the bed, his reddened rashes slightly swollen, making him look as if he had been attacked by a swarm of summer mosquitoes.
But it was autumn—where would mosquitoes come from?
After some thought, Imperial Physician Fang cautiously asked, "Might I inquire what the young master ate or came into contact with today?"
"It was peanuts!"
Yun Wan, who had rushed over upon receiving the news, declared firmly.
She had arrived in such haste that her face was free of makeup, her attire simple, and her brows furrowed with deep worry.
Seeing her, Sui whimpered pitifully, "Mother... I’m so itchy."
Yun Wan rushed to the bedside, grasping his small hands to stop him from scratching. Softly, she soothed, "My dear, you mustn’t scratch. Let Mother blow on it for you. Does it hurt anywhere else besides the itching?"
Sui shook his head.
Only after seeing his condition for herself did Yun Wan turn to explain, "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician, my Sui has never been able to tolerate peanuts since he was little. If he eats them, his body breaks out in rashes."
This had been discovered when Sui was just one year old. Once, his rice porridge had been flavored with crushed peanuts for aroma, but after eating it, his entire body had erupted in red spots, terrifying Yun Wan. From then on, she had never allowed him near anything containing peanuts.
Imperial Physician Fang’s brows relaxed slightly. "Peanuts? Then it must be an allergic reaction."
With years of medical experience, he had seen many people born with allergies to certain things—some would carry it for life, while others might outgrow it as they matured.
Emperor Jingxuan narrowed his eyes, a glint of something unreadable flashing within them.
A palace attendant sent to investigate returned and reported, "It’s true! The pastry the young master ate earlier was five-nut flavored—it contained crushed peanuts!"
Now that the cause was known, the solution was straightforward.
Imperial Physician Fang prescribed an anti-allergy powder and an itch-relief ointment. Just when everyone thought the matter was settled, Sui began to develop a fever that afternoon, his body burning hot.
Yun Wan’s heart clenched with fear once more. "How could this be? Last year when Sui had rashes, he didn’t run a fever..."
Last year, during a wedding banquet for the second branch of the Lu family, Sui had sneaked some peanuts and returned with a face full of bumps, claiming the peanuts had "bitten" him. Aside from that, he had shown no other symptoms—after applying ointment, he had recovered by the next day, let alone developing a fever.
Emperor Jingxuan took her cold hands in his, comforting her gently, "Don’t panic. Imperial Physician Fang is a seasoned expert in pediatric care. Sui will be fine."
Imperial Physician Fang nodded. "The young master’s fever isn’t caused by the allergy but by an underlying cold and internal heat. The allergic reaction merely brought it to the surface."
In short, Sui had already been on the verge of falling ill. Even if he hadn’t accidentally eaten peanuts, he would have developed symptoms in a few days.
Yun Wan immediately recalled the previous day, guilt washing over her. "It’s my fault. Yesterday, he came all the way from the Hongwen Institute to the Qiyun Palace to find me, and his hands were icy from the wind, but I didn’t pay it any mind."
With the season changing, children were especially prone to catching chills if not carefully tended to.
Seeing Sui’s flushed face from the fever and his restless sleep, Yun Wan felt as if her heart were being sliced apart.
Emperor Jingxuan gently stroked her back. "My lady, don’t blame yourself too harshly. Children fall ill often—we’ll simply be more careful in the future."
Imperial Physician Fang also reassured her, "Your Highness, set your mind at ease. The young master has a strong constitution. Once the fever breaks, he’ll recover quickly. However, until the rashes fade, his skin will remain itchy. Be sure to keep him from scratching and breaking the skin."
When he had first taken Sui’s pulse, Imperial Physician Fang had been surprised. The boy appeared slender, but his pulse was vigorous and robust—his vitality was as strong as the sturdy young heir of the Duke of Chengen’s household, who was built like a little black ox.
With the physician’s reassurance, Yun Wan finally felt some relief.
After Imperial Physician Fang administered acupuncture and Sui drank a dose of medicine, he sweated out the fever. By evening, his temperature had finally subsided—likely thanks to his sturdy constitution.
Yun Wan, still uneasy, remained by the bedside the entire day, watching over Sui closely. Whenever he stirred restlessly in his sleep, she would softly pat his hand and hum a lullaby to soothe him.
The gentle, melodious tune lingered in the air. Emperor Jingxuan, who had just entered, paused at the doorway, not making a sound to disturb them.
Once the song ended and Sui’s faint brows relaxed, Yun Wan picked up the ointment prescribed by the physician, preparing to apply it to his rashes.
Emperor Jingxuan stepped forward, taking the ointment from her hands. "My lady, let me do it."
"Your Majesty," Yun Wan murmured softly.
After a full day, her face was etched with exhaustion.
Seeing her like this, Emperor Jingxuan’s eyes softened with concern. "You’ve been here all day. Go rest—I’ll apply the medicine."
Logically, there were plenty of palace attendants to care for Sui, but as a mother, only by seeing her child with her own eyes could she truly feel at ease.
While Yun Wan worried for her son, Emperor Jingxuan worried for her—he knew better than anyone how much energy she truly had.
Yun Wan hesitated, but Emperor Jingxuan patted her shoulder. "Be good."
"I’d hate for you to fall ill from exhaustion just as this boy recovers."
Finally persuaded, Yun Wan leaned against him briefly. "Then I’ll trouble Your Majesty."
As she rose to leave, Emperor Jingxuan took her place by the bed. He lifted Sui’s sleeve and carefully scooped out some ointment with a small bamboo spatula, applying it to the reddened patches.
This was his first time tending to a child, so he was extra cautious, controlling his movements to avoid waking the boy before finishing.
To avoid disturbing Sui’s sleep, only half the candles in the chamber were lit. Under the soft glow, Emperor Jingxuan worked with quiet focus, ensuring no rash was left untreated.
Bathed in the gentle light, his usual imposing aura softened, the sharp edges of his features appearing more tender.
Pausing by the beaded curtain, Yun Wan turned back and caught sight of this tender scene, her expression momentarily dazed.
......
Once the entire jar of ointment had been used, Emperor Jingxuan exhaled quietly.
In the candlelight, he silently studied the peacefully sleeping Sui.
Truth be told, the boy was quite pleasant to look at—even with the rashes, he wasn’t unsightly, only more pitiable.
Pale from illness, his twin topknots splayed across the pillow, his sleeping face was the picture of innocence.
After a long moment, Emperor Jingxuan pinched Sui’s plump cheek lightly, then brushed a finger over his brows, murmuring, "Listen here, little one—get better soon."
"If you do... I’ll give you a horse and teach you archery."
He considered it—this promise wasn’t too extravagant.
Not that the boy could hear him anyway.
"Really?"
A weak, childlike voice suddenly piped up.
