Several days passed without Deng Ying returning to the palace.
Two days before the Zhonghe Festival, the Imperial Palace distributed millet and white flour to each palace for making pancakes and fumigating insects.
Yi Lang developed a spring fever that left his throat swollen and painful. Later, he developed eye discharge and complained of discomfort for several days. The attendants of Wenhua Hall, not knowing any better, gave him too much cooling herbal water, which unexpectedly triggered diarrhea and quickly destroyed his appetite.
That day, he barely touched the porridge sent from the kitchen. With an empty stomach from the diarrhea, he sat weakly on the bed, looking pitifully at Yang Wan.
Yang Wan helped Yi Lang change into fresh clothes and brought him an incense burner to smell.
“Imperial Physician Luo said there’s mint added in here. It should feel refreshing, Your Highness, please try it.”
Yi Lang held onto Yang Wan’s arm and leaned in for a sniff, immediately sneezing twice.
Yang Wan offered him her handkerchief, “Is your nose a bit clearer now?”
Yi Lang shook his head, “Aunt, my throat and nose are still badly congested.”
Yang Wan set down the incense burner, “Ah… I haven’t taken good care of Your Highness. When the Empress was here, she never let Your Highness suffer like this.”
Yi Lang tugged at Yang Wan’s sleeve, “It’s fine, I always feel unwell this time of year.”
Yang Wan smiled and tucked the blanket around him, “Tomorrow I’ll go request leave from His Majesty for you. Your Highness should rest in bed for a couple of days.”
Yi Lang leaned back against the bed and said, “If Aunt goes to request leave from Father Emperor, won’t everyone in Chengrong Palace be punished? I’m fine, I’ll go to lessons tomorrow.”
As he reached for a book beside the couch, Yang Wan quickly handed it to him.
“Still reading?”
“Yes. I’ve fallen behind these past few days, and the Supervisor hasn’t come either. There are some parts the teachers explained that I still don’t understand. I’ve been wanting to ask the Supervisor about them. Oh right, Aunt, yesterday was his scheduled day for receiving the medicine. Imperial Physician Luo came, so why didn’t he come?”
“Hmm…”
Yang Wan hesitated, unsure how to explain to Yi Lang.
Yi Lang placed the book on his knees and said to Yang Wan, “Aunt, recently, both in and out of court, everyone’s cursing him.”
Yang Wan stroked Yi Lang’s head, “It’s alright, this time Your Highness can curse him too.”
Yi Lang shook his head, “I won’t curse him anymore.”
Yang Wan paused, “Why not?”
Yi Lang fidgeted with his sleeping robe sleeve, “The Supervisor told me something.”
“What did he say?”
Yi Lang looked up, “He told me not to tell you, Aunt.”
Yang Wan smiled, “So Your Highness and the Supervisor now have secrets from Aunt?”
Yi Lang lowered his head and turned a few pages of his book, “It wasn’t something good, so I don’t want to tell Aunt.”
As Yang Wan hesitated whether to probe further, Heyu lifted the warm curtain and entered, “Miss Wan, the Supervisor has arrived.”
Yang Wan stood up and looked at Yi Lang, “Your Highness…”
Yi Lang looked up at Yang Wan, “It’s fine, Aunt, let him in. It’s warm here, good for applying medicine.”
“Yes, thank you, Your Highness.”
With Yi Lang’s permission, Yang Wan immediately walked out of the sleeping quarters. Deng Ying was walking towards Yang Wan from behind the ground screen. Today he wore an ash-gray informal robe, his hair bound without a hat, appearing even thinner than before.
Yang Wan turned and lifted the warm curtain, “Come in.”
Deng Ying hesitated looking at Yang Wan, “Is His Highness also here?”
“Yes, but it’s fine, come in. It’s warmer inside.”
“Alright.”
Deng Ying entered the sleeping quarters.
Yi Lang looked up, acknowledged Deng Ying’s bow, and pointed to the chair beside the couch with his book, “Supervisor, please sit.”
“This servant thanks Your Highness.”
Yang Wan had Heyu bring a bowl of cooling herbal tea for Deng Ying, while she sat down beside Yi Lang’s bed, tucking the blanket around him more securely. She said to Deng Ying: “This tea was originally for His Highness, it’s good for spring fever, but His Highness drank too much the other day…”
“Aunt!”
Yi Lang’s face turned bright red, and Yang Wan quickly smiled, “Yes, yes, Aunt won’t say anymore.”
Deng Ying reached out to accept the tea, bowing to Yi Lang, “Thank you for Your Highness’s kindness.”
Yi Lang asked, “Supervisor, why didn’t you come yesterday?”
Deng Ying bowed deeply and replied, “This servant has failed Your Highness’s grace, please forgive me.”
Yi Lang looked somewhat embarrassed, “I didn’t mean to blame you, you don’t need to ask for forgiveness.”
“Yes.”
Yang Wan looked at these two who hadn’t met for a while, each maintaining their formality, and smiled, saying to Heyu: “Go fetch the medicine that Imperial Physician Luo left yesterday.”
As she spoke, she rolled up Deng Ying’s sleeve and said to Yi Lang, “Didn’t Your Highness want to ask him about your books? Which one? Aunt will get it for you.”
Yi Lang looked at Deng Ying’s arm, “Never mind, I’ll ask him next time in the study.”