A group of people walked to the front gate. The young maid was startled and knelt down, looking fearful. "Your servant greets Her Majesty the Empress."
The maids were not unfamiliar with the Empress, as she was the young madam's favorite sister.
The young madam had two great hobbies: peach blossoms and her sister. She was obsessed with peaches and doted on her sister to an extreme. Even now, numerous imperial physicians had declared that she would not survive until tomorrow.
Yet, she had endured day after day because her beloved sister had not yet arrived. They had always wondered why the Empress hadn't come.
Thinking back now, the Empress must have gone to beg Lord Nangong for help, otherwise, why would Lord Nangong appear? The young maids prayed silently that the young madam would be alright.
Liu Liu, already anxious, lifted her skirt and ascended the stone steps. Without waiting for Cui'er and Qiao'er to help her, she hurried towards her sister's chambers.
Lord Huang and the male guests of the manor were in the outer room. The bedchamber was filled with people sitting around the bed. When they heard the rustling of the bead curtain, they quickly looked up. Upon seeing the Empress's figure, they prepared to rise and pay their respects.
Liu Liu waved her hand dismissively. Her gaze swept over her sister on the bed, and she was startled.
Who was the person lying on the bed? Her breathing was so faint, almost imperceptible. Her peach blossom-like face was so thin that only bones remained. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her cheeks were pale and exposed, her lips had lost their color, her chin was pointed, and strands of white hair had even appeared on her temples.
Who was this woman? Liu Liu stumbled back a step, her slender fingers pointing directly at the bed. She looked up at her mother and father, who also seemed to have aged considerably.
"Who is she? Who is this woman?"
When Madam Liu heard Liu Liu's words, she knew her daughter could not accept her sister's emaciated state. Even they had been shocked when they first saw her.
Was this still their beautiful daughter?
What kind of illness had she contracted that in just a month of absence, she had become so critically ill? The doctors were helpless, claiming they could not diagnose the cause.
Prime Minister Liu had gone to invite the imperial physician Nangong Yue, but he couldn't even get an audience. The man refused to see him, let alone save his daughter.
"Liu'er, my good daughter, your sister she..." Madam Liu sobbed uncontrollably, unable to say more.
A wave of crying filled the room: the elderly madam of the Huang family, her brother-in-law's male concubines, and her mother and father.
They wept together in sorrow, as if her sister were truly beyond recovery. Liu Liu stepped forward and spoke in a cold voice.
"Stop crying, everyone. My sister will be alright. Why are you crying? She's just sick, and she'll get better soon."
The crowd was silenced by the Empress's reprimand. They knew the Empress could not accept the reality of her sister's grave illness, which made their hearts ache even more. Nevertheless, they dared not cry out again.
After all, the Empress held a noble status, and no one dared to defy her words. Only Madam Liu continued to weep softly. Prime Minister Liu, suppressing his grief, looked at his younger daughter.
The two daughters had been inseparable since childhood. Prime Minister Liu greatly feared his younger daughter's excessive sorrow, as she was already unhappy in the palace. He opened his mouth to call out softly, "Liu'er?"
Liu Liu ignored her father and turned towards the door, calling out softly, "Nangong Yue, come quickly and examine my sister! What's wrong with her? What illness does she have?"
Prime Minister Liu was astonished that Nangong Yue had arrived. He hadn't expected his daughter to invite Nangong Yue. Earlier, he and his wife had chided their daughter for not coming sooner to see her sister. It turned out their daughter had gone to seek out Nangong Yue.
He presumed she must have suffered much indignation. Nangong Yue was known for his arrogant nature and was not easily persuaded.
A young maid lifted the curtain, and Nangong Yue, as handsome as a descending celestial being, slowly walked in. Everyone seemed to see a glimmer of hope. It was said that there was no patient Nangong Yue could not cure, only those he was unwilling to treat.
Prime Minister Liu stood up and gestured for everyone to make way, then reached out to support his wife, who had been crying continuously for days and was extremely weak.
Seeing her father and mother age so suddenly, Liu Liu's heart ached. She reached out and held her mother's hand, speaking softly.
"Mother, please don't worry. Lord Nangong will cure my sister. You all should leave. There are too many people, which will make it difficult for Lord Nangong to concentrate."
In truth, her mother understood her daughter's intentions. She feared that if their eldest daughter met an unfortunate end, the parents would be unable to bear it. She understood Liu Liu's thoughts; Liu'er had always been the kindest. Madam Liu reached out and embraced her daughter, tears falling like rain.
"Liu'er, what if your sister..." Madam Liu's words trailed off, but everyone understood. The atmosphere became incredibly heavy. Liu Liu patted her mother's back, just about to comfort her, when Nangong Yue, standing by the bed, spoke coldly.
"She's not dead yet? Why are you crying?" Although his tone was cold, his heart ached. Seeing the pain of these family members, he wished he could experience it once himself.
Liu Liu glanced back at Nangong Yue. She knew Nangong Yue was not as indifferent as he appeared on the surface; his coldness was a pretense. In reality, he was a person severely lacking in security, always yearning for family affection, something he never had.
"Alright, Mother, you all should leave now," Liu Liu gestured for her mother and father to lead Madam Huang and the others out. Even though Nangong Yue had come, they must not provoke him, lest she be unable to invite him again.
The people in the bedchamber gradually left, until only Liu Liu and Nangong Yue remained. To avoid suspicion, Cui'er also stayed in the bedchamber.
"Please examine my sister and tell me what is wrong. I always thought she was fine. Although she was sometimes lonely, I never imagined she would be so seriously ill. This illness has likely been accumulating for a long time." Liu Liu moved aside, and Cui'er brought over a carved round stool.
Nangong Yue sat down with a stern expression, his gaze fixed on the patient, no longer looking elsewhere. As long as he was willing to treat, his patients were his everything, which was why he had cured so many people.
The bedchamber became quiet and cold. The wind blew in through the window, carrying a chill. Outside, the peach leaves had turned yellow and were falling, one by one, into the room. The light silk curtains fluttered, creating a sense of desolation.
Time ticked by, inch by inch. Nangong Yue took her pulse, examined the sister's blood and energy, and took her pulse again. He stood up, bowed, and said very earnestly,
"Your Majesty, Madam Huang is not ill."
"If she's not ill, how can she be critically ill? Can't even you diagnose what illness my sister has?" Liu Liu panicked, her hands unconsciously gripping Nangong Yue's arm. Her fingertips were as cold as water. He felt her slight tremble, her fear, her trepidation.
This indifferent person had never yielded to anything, yet now she was afraid of losing her family, so cautious and delicate. He suddenly wished he were the one lying on the bed, for then, even if only one person cared for him, he would die without regret.
Nangong Yue gently patted her hand and said softly, "Don't panic, I haven't finished speaking yet."
Upon hearing Nangong Yue's words, Liu Liu forced back the tears in her eyes. It seemed Nangong Yue still had something to say, suggesting there was still hope.
This man is truly something, she thought to herself, chiding him. She looked up at him, and at this moment, he seemed like her god. If he were a god, oh, please save my sister.
"Her heart has died. With a dead heart and no desires, she can only continue to live mechanically day by day. It's like a wilting flower. For your sister to recover, the one who tied the knot must also untie it.
I believe she must have once loved a man. Now, I want to know where that man is. It's unlikely to be your brother-in-law, is it? If it were, she should be very happy, shouldn't she?"
Liu Liu was stunned. Her sister had someone she loved, but that person was not her brother-in-law. Memories of the past flooded her mind. Her sister had always smiled when her brother-in-law took a concubine. Her sister never acted jealously. Her sister even said it wasn't her brother-in-law's fault.
It turned out this was because her sister didn't love her brother-in-law. If she had loved him, she would have suffered, she would have been jealous. How could she not understand this? She couldn't help but feel regret.
But for now, she needed to know who her sister loved. Mother must know. Liu Liu looked up at Cui'er and said with a heavy heart.
"Cui'er, please go and invite Madam in."