Lu Shi Falls Ill
Since this was a play staged by Emperor Jing'an and Lin Ming, as soon as Emperor Jing'an and Hua Meng stepped down from the carriage, they saw quite a few people coming and going through the Hua Family's gates.
When the gatekeeper saw that the second young lady, who had entered the palace as an imperial consort, had actually returned, he was so startled that he was about to rush inside and announce her arrival.
Xiao Jiangzi was quick to notice and grabbed him. "Don't panic. Has something happened at the residence?"
As Xiao Jiangzi pulled the gatekeeper back, Hua Meng hurried forward and asked, "What happened at home?"
"Second Young Lady, madam is unwell. The master and young masters have invited quite a few doctors to the residence to examine her."
At those words, Hua Meng's eyes immediately reddened. "Mother has always been healthy..." she said in alarm. Then she turned to look at Emperor Jing'an.
Seeing Hua Meng's reddened eyes, Emperor Jing'an hurriedly turned to Xiao Jiangzi. "Xiao Jiangzi, hurry back to the palace and summon an imperial physician."
As soon as Emperor Jing'an finished speaking, Xiao Jiangzi immediately acknowledged the order.
This had been arranged long ago, and at this hour today, Imperial Physician Jiang would be the only one free in the entire Imperial Medical Academy.
Once Xiao Jiangzi had left, Emperor Jing'an led Hua Meng through the gates with long strides.
Only after entering the courtyard and seeing the Hua Family servants hurrying about did Emperor Jing'an sense that something was wrong.
He had agreed with Minister Lin to summon doctors on the pretext that a member of the Hua Family was ill, but now it did not look like anyone was pretending.
Lu Shi was indeed not pretending to be ill.
Lin Ming was sitting in the Hua Family's main hall. When he saw Emperor Jing'an arrive with Hua Meng, he hurriedly rose to greet them.
After ushering Emperor Jing'an into the hall, he looked at Hua Meng apologetically. "Mengmeng, your mother is ill. Go and see her." With that, Lin Ming let out a guilty sigh.
Hearing this, Hua Meng, who had just thought she had performed rather well, immediately asked in alarm, "Grandmaster, didn't we say she was only pretending to be ill?"
Emperor Jing'an was puzzled as well.
According to his agreement with Lin Ming, someone was indeed only supposed to pretend to be ill, but judging by the state of everyone in the Hua Family, it did not seem that way.
Seeing Hua Meng press for an answer and Emperor Jing'an looking equally puzzled, Lin Ming sighed again. "Lu Shi herself said that pretending to be ill would look too fake. Starting the day before yesterday, she bathed in cold water and exposed herself to the wind. Yesterday, she developed a high fever that wouldn't break, and today she's already delirious."
Hearing this, Hua Meng lost all her earlier composure. She sprang up and was about to hurry to the rear courtyard.
Before leaving, Hua Meng stopped and looked at Emperor Jing'an. "I'll go see my mother first." Then she bowed to Lin Ming before hurrying away.
After Hua Meng left, Lin Ming explained in detail how Lu Shi had made herself ill.
Lu Shi was a tough woman.
Her natal family raised and slaughtered pigs. From childhood, she had watched her father and brothers slaughter them, and later she had slaughtered pigs herself.
After hearing Lin Ming say that a master of the household needed to pretend to be ill so they could invite a doctor to the residence, she worried that the act would look too fake, even though it was so Emperor Jing'an could secretly see a doctor. So she had gone and made herself ill.
"Lu Shi is a good woman."
Because of his status, Emperor Jing'an would not address Lu Shi as "Mother-in-law," but at that moment, he was deeply moved by what she had done.
Hearing Emperor Jing'an say this, Lin Ming could not help nodding in agreement. "Lu Shi is indeed a good woman. It was precisely because she was so good that I agreed to let Tengfei marry her." After all, Father Hua had already passed the examination to become a scholar at the time, and with his guidance, Tengfei was sure to have a bright future, while Lu Shi was merely a butcher's daughter.
Though Emperor Jing'an was moved by Lu Shi's actions, he had not forgotten the real business that had brought him here today.
Lin Ming had not forgotten either. In the Hua Family, he was the old master, so he had no need for a servant to lead the way. He took Emperor Jing'an directly to a refined little courtyard that the Hua Family had set aside for him.