Phoenix Cries Return to Court

"Sister, as a woman and the wife of a high-ranking official, even if she didn't stay out all night, she ran out so quietly early in the morning without even saying goodbye to anyone in the mansion, leaving the whole mansion searching for her all morning. Should such behavior be treated lightly?"

She stepped forward, stood before He Guangzheng, and said in a coquettish voice, "If we indulge my sister today, and all the women in the Minister's household follow suit, acting as they please without any rules or regulations, then what order will our Minister's household have left?"

"If the servants and maids spread the word that Madam Wen went out on errands without even informing the master, wouldn't we be laughed at? What would become of the Minister's mansion's prestige? Where would the master's reputation be?"

He Guangzheng, sitting in the main seat, frowned deeply, his mood growing increasingly heavy.

"So what does my little sister want?" Lin Xihe asked, looking at Tao Qingqing's behavior with a half-smile.

Just as Tao Qingqing was about to speak, He Guangzheng hurriedly interrupted, "Then let her be confined in the courtyard and copy down the virtues of women."

He recalled Lin Xihe's words about planning for him and thought to himself that it was better not to offend her too much.

No sooner had she finished speaking than Lin Xihe let out a cold sneer.

She said slowly, "Thank you for your consideration, sir. However, although you are confining me to my quarters, please be sure to repay the money as soon as possible."

"Judging from what Master said, that pearl probably isn't a very good item. Please take it away quickly, sister, so it won't be an eyesore in front of me."

After saying that, she didn't even glance at He Guangzheng and Tao Qingqing before turning and leaving.

He Guangzheng and Tao Qingqing stood frozen in place, their expressions quite different.

……

Inside Zhaohua Pavilion, Lin Xihe felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest ever since she returned.

She wasn't bothered by He Guangzheng's insignificant confinement, nor was she angry at Tao Qingqing's provocation. Rather, it was He Guangzheng's demeanor and actions today that convinced her that he knew the inside story of the Eastern Pearl, and that the Eastern Pearl was definitely problematic.

But now, Tao Qingqing is clearly targeting her, making trouble for her at every turn, and has even had He Guangzheng confine her to her quarters. If she is trapped in the courtyard, how can she go to teach the Crown Prince on time every day?

We need to think of a solution.

Lin Xihe had actually planned her escape strategy beforehand and wanted to postpone it for a while, but Tao Qingqing's relentless pressure gave her an excellent opportunity.

Thinking of this, she immediately summoned Chun Ge, dismissed everyone else, and whispered a few instructions.

Although Chun Ge had doubts, she was certain that it was her wife who had given the instructions!

He nodded emphatically, "Don't worry, Madam, I will definitely take care of it."

……

In the evening, a startling piece of news came from Zhaohua Pavilion and spread like wildfire throughout the entire Minister's residence.

After dinner, the mistress of the house, Lady Wen, suddenly fainted and had a persistent high fever.

The local physician rushed over to diagnose the condition and ultimately confirmed it as smallpox, with extremely dangerous symptoms.

When the news spread, the entire government was shocked.

The people in the manor were talking about it, and they all said that it was because Madam Wen had left the manor without permission in the early morning and had been contaminated by the filth outside that she contracted this deadly disease.

Smallpox was a highly contagious and deadly disease; once contracted, the chances of survival were slim. Coupled with the claim that it was an "impure" disease, the rumors became increasingly exaggerated and bizarre.

For a time, everyone felt insecure.

Everyone in the mansion avoided it like the plague; no one wanted to risk this misfortune. Even He Guangzheng, upon hearing the news, only sent someone to deliver some medicinal herbs and didn't even dare to approach the courtyard gate.

Upon hearing this, Tao Qingqing was initially delighted, but then doubts began to arise.

Wen Shi's health has always been excellent, so how could she suddenly contract smallpox? And it just so happened to happen after she was confined to her quarters, which is too much of a coincidence.

She wasn't afraid of bad luck, but she was afraid that the Wen family would live too long, so she decided to personally lead her trusted confidants to Zhaohua Pavilion to find out what was going on.

But as soon as they reached the outside of the courtyard, they found the gate tightly shut, and two rough-looking old women with thick face towels were guarding the gate with gloomy expressions.

"Open the door! I want to visit my sister. How are her symptoms now?" Tao Qingqing cried out, her voice trembling with worry.

The next second, the gate to the courtyard creaked open.

With swollen eyes and a hoarse voice, Chun Ge said, "Madam Tao, please forgive me! The physician said this disease is highly contagious, and to prevent its spread, no one is allowed to enter."

As he spoke, he even coughed twice in a mock manner, as if he had also been infected.

Upon hearing this, Tao Qingqing's face showed even greater sorrow. She tried to force her way in, saying, "In that case, I must see my sister's condition with my own eyes to put my mind at ease and to properly report back to the master, so that no one will interfere or lie about her condition."

Just then, a violent coughing sound suddenly came from inside the courtyard, accompanied by the sound of breaking dishes.

A moment later, an old woman rushed out of the inner room in a panic, carrying several nightgowns that had just been changed out of their clothes. The nightgowns were covered with dense, ruptured pustules, stained with a few dark red streaks of blood, and emitted a pungent medicinal smell and a faint fishy odor that made one want to vomit.

The old woman's face turned deathly pale. She cried out urgently, "Make way! Make way! These clothes stained with the disease must be burned immediately! If they infect others, everything will be over!"

Tao Qingqing was so overwhelmed by the pungent smell of medicine and fishy odor that she took two steps back, her brows furrowed tightly, and her eyes filled with even more suspicion.

Suppressing her discomfort, she looked at the people around her and said coldly, "Do you know the consequences of conspiring to deceive our master? I will see my sister for myself today. If her condition is different from what you've said, then I will betray you all!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she carefully observed the reactions of the people in front of her.

Seeing their indifference, he felt a chill in his heart. Could it be that this wretched woman really had such a dangerous disease?

Just then, Lin Xihe's weak and hoarse voice came from inside the house, "Is that you, sister? Please go back... I really can't bear to let you see me like this..."

Before he could finish speaking, another heart-wrenching cough erupted.

Just then, the physician arrived in a hurry, carrying his medicine box.

Seeing this, she quickly dissuaded her, "Madam Tao, please go back! Madam Wen's illness has come on fiercely and is very dangerous. Her face is now covered with pustules, and she is unrecognizable. It's really unbearable to look at!"

As he spoke, he took out a prescription from his medicine box and handed it to Tao Qingqing. "Madam, please take a look. This is a prescription for severe smallpox. Two doses a day. Even so, it is still unknown whether we can survive these few days."

Tao Qingqing stared at the prescription, lost in thought.

Although she didn't understand medicine, she could tell that the herbs on the prescription were all precious herbs used to treat serious illnesses, and the physician's expression didn't seem fake.

Tao Qingqing shuddered involuntarily; she didn't want to get infected.

He then took off running as fast as he could, and before leaving, he did not forget to instruct his trusted confidant, "You stay here and keep an eye on this courtyard without leaving for a moment. Report any unusual activity immediately. I want to see if his illness, which came on so quickly, will also leave just as quickly."