Chapter 190: One’s Honor Is Everyone’s Honor, One’s Loss Is Everyone’s Loss

Zhang Yue’s residence in the back courtyard consisted of three main rooms, with the farthest east being a heated pavilion. A stove was used for warmth in winter, along with a heated bed, making it the warmest place inside. Since Zhang Yue disliked heat and preferred cold, he usually slept in the western room, and he didn’t allow the others to stay there at night. As a result, Lingxi slept in the heated pavilion with Amber and Qiuhen. One midnight, when she woke up in a daze, she suddenly felt that the person beside her was burning hot. She quickly got up and touched them, realizing that Amber had a fever. She promptly woke Qiuhen, hurriedly got dressed, and went outside to wake the wives of the Cui and Li families. She also sent someone to call a doctor.

Although a doctor was brought in soon and prescribed medicine, and Qiuhen prepared it for Amber to take, her fever grew worse by dawn. Seeing that Zhang Yue hadn’t returned, Lingxi ordered someone to find a better doctor in the county town while repeatedly applying cold towels to Amber’s forehead, feeling increasingly anxious.

“Mother…”

Having stayed by Amber’s side all night, Lingxi was overjoyed to hear her voice as Amber deliriated from the fever. She quickly reached into the quilt and grasped her hand tightly, saying urgently, “Amber, stay strong! I’ve already sent for a doctor. Master will probably be back soon!”

“Mother, I don’t want to leave… I’d rather go to Hainan with you… Don’t abandon me…”

Hearing these fragmented words, Lingxi frowned. Although she knew Amber came from an official family, countless officials had been exiled by the emperor in the early years of the Yongle reign. Though she had seen Amber’s records, she didn’t know exactly which family she belonged to. So, upon hearing the word “Hainan,” she became puzzled.

If her family elders had been killed and her family reduced to slavery, how could Amber’s mother go to Hainan?

Qiuhen entered carefully, carrying a bowl of medicine, and placed it on the tea tray on the plum-patterned lacquered table by the bed. She bent down to look at the unconscious Amber, then stood up, unable to hold back her tears: “She was fine when she came back last night. How could she suddenly fall ill? Sister Lingxi, Amber and I have served Master for years. Usually, it’s just a headache or fever that goes away after taking some medicine. Why is she so seriously ill this time? The doctor said so many things… I really can’t…”

Seeing Qiuhen cry, Lingxi also felt a tightness in her heart, but she had to get up and comfort her. After offering a few words of reassurance, she suddenly heard noise outside. Turning her head, she saw a figure rushing in at great speed—wasn’t it Zhang Yue? She was about to tell him about Amber’s illness when Zhang Yue, without saying a word, sat down on the edge of the bed, his face filled with unmistakable concern. Seeing this, she gently pulled at Qiuhen’s sleeve; when there was no response, she half-dragged her out.

After pulling Qiuhen away, she peeked back in and saw Zhang Yue still sitting at the head of the bed in a daze. She cleared her throat lightly to remind him, “Young master, this medicine was just prepared by Qiuhen. Shall I feed it to Amber while it’s still warm?”

“Mm, okay…” Zhang Yue replied absentmindedly before quickly regaining his senses. He turned around and said, “You and Qiuhen have been working all night. Go rest on the kang for a while. I’ll feed her the medicine.”

Hearing this, Lingxi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. She bowed slightly, quietly pulled back the curtain, and left, feeling mixed emotions. When she went outside, she found Qiuhen sitting on the kang, hugging her knees in a daze. Remembering how strangely Amber had fallen ill, she lifted the curtain and left the room. She went to find Cui’s wife to inquire about the official who had accompanied Amber the previous day, then ordered him to be brought to the small meeting hall while she hurried over to question him.

Ever since hearing that Amber had suddenly fallen ill, Zhang Yue’s heart had been pounding rapidly. When he entered the warm pavilion and saw her face flushed red with a persistent high fever, his worry grew even stronger. He struggled to help her sit up and then carefully fed her the medicine spoon by spoon. After finally finishing feeding her, he noticed her cheeks still had that strikingly red hue that was both beautiful and alarming, causing him to frown deeply.

Even though illnesses can come swiftly and leave slowly, she had been fine when he left last morning—how could she suddenly become like this?

“Mom, don’t leave me! I’m scared… I don’t want to stay… Dad’s gone, why do you want to leave me too…”

Suddenly hearing these fragmented murmurs, Zhang Yue was startled. He quickly removed the handkerchief from her forehead, soaked it in a copper basin, and prepared to place it on Amber’s forehead. Yet as soon as his hand touched her scorching forehead, he felt the person beneath him jump up suddenly and embrace him tightly. With her warmth and softness in his arms, even he, who was usually composed, was momentarily stunned. He then gently patted her back a few times.

“Amber, it’s okay, it’s alright. You’re just having a nightmare!”
But Amber seemed not to hear those words at all, continuing to murmur to herself, “Mother, don’t leave me… Even if Hainan is harsh, I still have you… I’m not sick; I’m not afraid of the hardships on the road… Mother, let me go with you. I don’t want to stay in the capital… Mother, I’m also from the Qiu family—don’t leave me!”
First Hainan, and now this mention of Qiu—Zhang Yue immediately stiffened. Though he had guessed that Amber came from a noble family, he never expected her to be a descendant of Qiu Fu, the Duke of Qi. He only knew that Qiu Fu had died in battle in the north, his entire army nearly wiped out, resulting not only in the loss of his ducal title but also in his entire family being exiled to Hainan. From Amber’s tone, it seemed she had lost her freedom because her mother, worried she might suffer on the journey, used some trick to keep her there due to illness.
Recalling how he often advised Amber to be optimistic and accept her fate, telling her she was too quiet and scolding her for always looking gloomy and needing to smile more, he now felt a tightness in his chest. Everyone in this era was bound by their clans; even someone as powerful as Qiu Fu, if he made a mistake, would drag down his entire family. Despite having many subordinates, he ended up with no one to intercede for him. No wonder it was said in The Dream of the Red Chamber that everyone rises and falls together—those once glorious families could collapse in an instant.
When Lingxi lifted the curtain and entered the room, she saw Zhang Yue gently pushing Amber’s hand aside and helping her lie down slowly. She could even hear Amber’s muffled murmurs. Yet Zhang Yue didn’t frown even once. He stepped forward slowly and said in a low voice, “Young master, Ma Dianshi has brought Dr. Ming, the most skilled doctor in this county. Shall we let him come in to examine Amber?”
“Good,” Zhang Yue replied, standing up without hesitation and nodding. “Go and invite him in.”
The old doctor with gray hair and a slight beard was led by the Cui family. As soon as he stepped into the warm room, he felt the warmth. Seeing someone lying on the bed and a young man standing beside her, he immediately realized they must be the local officials. He hurried forward to pay his respects. Before he could bend down, he felt a pair of hands firmly supporting him, causing him to straighten up instinctively.
“Dr. Ming, I’ve heard you’re highly skilled and can bring the dead back to life. No matter what precious herbs are needed, please make sure to cure her. I know a doctor should use inspection, auscultation, interrogation, and palpation, but since this is an emergency, we can’t be too cautious about propriety. Please do your utmost.”

Dr. Ming was forcibly brought there while he was seeing patients, as several officials from the county yamen dragged him over. He initially thought the county magistrate had some urgent illness, but upon entering the yamen, he learned it was just a matter related to a beloved maid, and he felt somewhat dismissive. However, seeing Zhang Yue’s serious demeanor and his insistence on following certain rules regardless of gender, Dr. Ming realized he had to show his true skills and quickly agreed. He placed a small pillow on the edge of the bed and saw Zhang Yue lift a snow-white wrist from under the covers and rest it on it. Dr. Ming quickly focused his mind, placed two fingers on the wrist to feel the pulse, examined the other hand as well, and carefully observed Amber’s complexion.

“May I take a look at the previous prescription?”

When Dr. Ming first arrived, Lingxi and Qiuhen had stepped back. Now, Zhang Yue hurriedly asked the Cui family to fetch it, and it was brought shortly after. Seeing the doctor frown at the prescription, Zhang Yue’s heart sank. Although traditional Chinese medicine was common these days, there were good and bad practitioners—could it be that the previous doctor was incompetent?

“The prescription is indeed correct, but this isn’t just a minor case of cold. This young lady suffers from yin deficiency in the heart and liver, with emotional distress that has persisted for years without relief. Now, with the minor cold acting as a trigger, the situation is quite serious. To be honest, in such cold weather, even if the fever is reduced immediately, it could still be extremely dangerous. I can only try to prescribe a remedy that might keep her safe for now, but if she’s to recover fully, sir, you’ll need to take her to Qingzhou Prefecture. There are other skilled doctors there, but one in particular, Dr. Feng, is extremely talented. He only sees patients in his clinic and never goes out, and he has a peculiar temperament. I’ve experienced his skills firsthand and know just how remarkable he is. Sir, you must take this young lady there personally.”

Zhang Yue nodded as he listened. When he heard they needed to go to Qingzhou Prefecture, he quickly asked, “The roads are rough in such cold weather—how can the patient endure it? Is Dr. Ming really not confident he can cure her?”

By this time, Doctor Ming had already sat down to write a prescription, writing swiftly while explaining, “For ordinary typhoid, I can surely claim that the medicine will cure it. But for symptoms like this heart and liver stagnation, especially with such a severe onset, I can only suppress it temporarily. I dare not delay treatment, otherwise, if something goes wrong, my master will scold me as an incompetent doctor who harms people. As long as we prepare a well-secured carriage on the road, with quilts and hand warmers for warmth, we should be fine by the time we reach Qingzhou Prefecture. This dose of medicine will induce sweating and reduce fever, and once the fever subsides slightly, my master can take her on the road. If this illness isn’t cured thoroughly, even if this young lady recovers, she may remain mentally confused, suffering for life.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue didn’t dare neglect it. He quickly took the prescription to have the medicine prepared and then insisted on keeping Doctor Ming around just in case. After sending them away, he didn’t return to the chaotic house but went straight to find Peng Shisan to arrange the next steps.
Although he was extremely worried about Amber, he couldn’t afford to be careless this time either. Otherwise, not to mention Amber, even he himself would be in trouble, let alone risking countless others!