Feeding Her Spirit Spring Water

Lin Ming led Emperor Jing'an to the small courtyard the Hua Family had set aside for him. Several highly skilled physicians he had specially sought out among the common people were already there.

After leaving the hall, Hua Meng put away the greater part of the worry on her face.

She really was worried.

But with the Spirit Spring in hand, Hua Meng did not think her mother's illness would be beyond cure.

She had just stepped into her parents' courtyard when she saw her eldest sister-in-law, Liu Shi, coming out with a wooden basin.

The moment Liu Shi saw Hua Meng, a flash of joy crossed her eyes. "Mengmeng, you're back." With that, she hurriedly handed the basin to the maid outside the door. "Fetch another basin of well water."

As Liu Shi finished speaking, Hua Meng reached the doorway.

"How is Mother?"

"The fever has made her a little delirious. The physician prescribed medicine yesterday, but it hasn't helped much." As she spoke, Liu Shi stepped back to let her sister-in-law, who was now an imperial consort, enter first. "Early this morning, Father saw that Mother was too ill to wake up, so he sent your eldest brother to fetch Grandmaster."

As soon as Liu Shi said this, Hua Meng knew she had no idea that Mother had done this to herself.

That made sense. Though her eldest sister-in-law was the eldest daughter-in-law, the fewer people who knew about this, the better.

When Hua Meng entered the room, she saw that her other three sisters-in-law and her elder sister were all there.

They were about to bow to Hua Meng, but she waved a hand first. "We're family. There's no need for ceremony. Let me see Mother first." With that, Hua Meng strode to Lu Shi's bedside.

Lu Shi was unconscious. Seeing her mother, usually so full of energy, lying motionless on the bed with her face slightly flushed, Hua Meng felt a sting in her eyes.

She understood that if the emperor had not chosen her and used her return home as a pretext to seek treatment from physicians among the common people, Mother would not have had to feign illness at all.

And Mother had made herself genuinely ill not only because she feared that a poorly feigned illness would arouse suspicion, but probably also because she wanted to help her leave a good impression on the emperor.

Suppressing the ache in her heart, Hua Meng caught sight of her elder sister Hua Lian about to wipe Mother's somewhat chapped lips with a damp cloth. She hurried forward. "Sister, let me." As she spoke, she held out a hand for the cloth.

Hua Lian knew her younger sister was upset. Though she worried that her sister was too young to care for Mother properly, she also understood that, as daughters, her younger sister worried about Mother just as she did.

In truth, Hua Meng wanted more than simply to care for Lu Shi herself. While her sisters-in-law and elder sister were not paying attention, she had already prepared a drop of Spirit Spring water to restore the body.

Once she had the cloth, she used her body to block the view, then took the chance to feed a drop of Spirit Spring water into Mother's mouth as she wiped her lips.

Perhaps the Spirit Spring was remarkably effective, or perhaps Lu Shi knew Hua Meng had returned.

Hua Lian and the others had been unable to get Lu Shi to swallow any water, no matter what they tried, but not a bit of Hua Meng's drop of Spirit Spring water was wasted. Lu Shi swallowed it all.

It was only one drop, and Hua Meng had fed it to her carefully, so Lu Shi did not choke.

Once she stepped back with the cloth, Liu Shi brought over a handkerchief soaked in cool well water. "Mengmeng, use this to wipe Mother's forehead."

Hua Meng obediently did as she was told. She had barely wiped Lu Shi's forehead when, the next moment, Lu Shi, who had been unconscious all night and halfway through the morning, slowly opened her eyes.

At the sight, Liu Shi and the others were overjoyed. They rose and each set about a task.

One hurried to send word to Father Hua and the others, another went to fetch the medicine herself, and another brought warm water to wash Lu Shi and change her clothes.

While her sisters-in-law and elder sister busied themselves, they pushed Hua Meng to one side.

"Sit down and rest, Mengmeng. When Mother's medicine comes, you can feed it to her." Once the eldest sister-in-law, Liu Shi, spoke, naturally no one objected.

And so, after wiping Lu Shi's lips and forehead at the start, Hua Meng sat to one side and watched her sisters-in-law and elder sister bustling about.

By the time they finished, the Spirit Spring water Lu Shi had swallowed had also taken effect.

After taking her medicine, she leaned weakly against the bed. Seeing her beloved youngest daughter sitting not far away and watching her, she quickly smiled. "Did you come back with the emperor?" Without waiting for Hua Meng to answer, she continued, "I'm all right here. You should go attend to the emperor."

Hearing her mother's words, Hua Meng was reluctant to leave, but she knew she could not let Mother suffer for nothing. So she obediently rose and bowed. "I understand, Mother." Then she took leave of her sisters-in-law and elder sister before heading for the small courtyard.