Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 938 - 934: A Way to Survive

Chapter 938: Chapter 934: A Way to Survive

But Doctor Hong said, when you’re too hungry, you shouldn’t eat too much at once because it’s bad for your stomach, so Yingshuang counted several times to make sure that the number of cloud cakes was half of what Doctor Hong usually allowed her to eat, and only then did she bring them to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan looked at Yingshuang with a slight smile: "Yingshuang, you’ve brought me some goodies again!"

"Yes!" Yingshuang nodded vigorously, "Don’t eat too much, and... there’ll be more next time!"

Doctor Hong sat down on a small brocade stool, took out the pulse pillow to check Bai Qingyan’s pulse, and after a long time, exhaled deeply, inevitably scolding Bai Qingyan: "Young lady, you’re not taking your body seriously. You haven’t been able to sleep for such a long time... why didn’t you call me earlier for treatment? Do you not trust my medical skills?"

Seeing Bai Qingyan about to get up, Chun Tao hurriedly stepped forward to support her.

"Too many things, it’s not that I can’t sleep, it’s that I don’t dare to sleep..." She leaned against the cushion Chun Tao placed behind her and said to Doctor Hong, "Before... I never knew that governing a country carried such a heavy responsibility, with so many pressing matters waiting to be discussed and dealt with every day."

"Young lady, don’t try to fool me!" As soon as Doctor Hong took her pulse, he understood everything, "Young lady, a heart ailment... no matter how advanced my medical skills are, I can’t cure it, but having followed King of Zhen for so many years, I do understand the Eldest Princess, and if she knew she chose to liberate herself, only for young lady to be trapped in a prison of the heart, the Eldest Princess would never rest in peace!"

Doctor Hong put the pulse pillow back into the medicine box: "From a young age, the young lady was brilliant, understanding some things more profoundly even than King of Zhen and the Eldest Princess. You should know... the Eldest Princess living would be more painful than leaving. Leaving cleanly wouldn’t make her a stumbling block for the young lady in dealing with the royal relatives of the old dynasty! The Eldest Princess was the Eldest Princess of the Jin Dynasty, and with her around... those people counted as the young lady’s relatives!"

"Think about it, young lady..." Doctor Hong sat upright, solemnly gazing at Bai Qingyan, "If the Eldest Princess returned safely with the young lady this time, would those people not come weeping in front of the Eldest Princess, asking her to intercede on their behalf out of kinship? Would they not constantly remind the Eldest Princess that she is the Eldest Princess of the Jin Dynasty, forcing her... to help or not to help? Once the Eldest Princess speaks, no matter how difficult, the young lady would take care of it, as everyone in Bai Mansion knows! If the Eldest Princess refuses, would they deliberately blame the young lady, saying something like my aunt doesn’t care about kin, using this matter to make trouble?"

Lu Ninghuan stepped forward and bowed to Bai Qingyan: "Since the young lady returned, she has been busy. Ning Hua did not tell the young lady that the Eldest Princess’s body... couldn’t hold on for much longer."

Bai Qingyan looked at Lu Ninghuan, quite surprised because she still saw her grandmother as relatively hearty.

"If that’s the case, think about it, young lady, the Eldest Princess’s body couldn’t hold on for much longer, and if she returned with the young lady, and those people begged the Eldest Princess and she hardened her heart to refuse, and later when the worry was too much to bear, what would those who fear the chaos in the world say? Would they accuse the young lady of being responsible for driving her grandmother to death?"

Doctor Hong sighed at Bai Qingyan: "Young lady, after stepping out of grief and guilt, think about these principles carefully. With the young lady’s wisdom, you should understand better than this old man."

Doctor Hong looked back at Yingshuang: "Though Yingshuang is not smart, she understands that whether you live through bitter or laugh, it’s still a day. Even though Yingshuang lost an eye, she lives happily. Young lady... no matter how sad or guilty you are, the Eldest Princess cannot be brought back to life. Whether it’s King of Zhen, the Eldest Princess, or Duke of Zhen, they cherished the young lady deeply. How sad they would be to see the young lady suffer like this!"

Having said this much, Doctor Hong had said all that needed to be said. He stood and gave a deep salute to Bai Qingyan, instructing Yingshuang: "Carry the medicine box and let’s go!"

"Young lady... eat!" Yingshuang pointed at the cloud cake by Bai Qingyan’s bed, shouldered her medicine box, and hurried after Doctor Hong’s steps.

"I’ll see Doctor Hong off!" Chun Tao glanced at Bai Qingyan and hurriedly ran after them to lift the curtain for Doctor Hong.

Out of the corner of her ear, she heard Doctor Hong instructing Chun Tao to let Bai Qingyan drink some porridge first, watch over the medicine on the stove, and serve it promptly once ready. Lu Ninghuan stepped forward: "The Eldest Princess has not been well for a long time. This time, with King Liang’s revolt... the Eldest Princess couldn’t escape distress day by day, her body worsening day by day. If the young lady doesn’t believe it, you can ask Seventh Young Lady and Nanny Jiang."

Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes, picked up the cloud cake by her bed, unwrapped the messy kraft paper, and thought of Yingshuang, who was always elated by tasty treats despite having lost an eye, her eyes slowly turning red.

She tore off a piece and placed it on her lips, tasting a little sweetness after a mouthful of bitterness.

Nanny Tong saw Bai Qingyan lowering her eyes and eating the cloud cake, quickly poured a cup of water and handed it to her, reaching out to take the cloud cake: "Young lady, drink some water first, the small kitchen has congee simmering on the fire, young lady should have some before eating solid food, to avoid hurting the stomach."

Bai Qingyan handed the cloud cake to Nanny Tong and asked: "Has grandmother’s funeral already ended?"

Nanny Tong nodded with red eyes: "Yes, young lady, it’s over. The madams and Seventh Young Master said... not to disturb the young lady’s rest. Young lady has been too tired these days."

Bai Qingyan was silent for a moment before asking, "Has A Yun... returned?"

Nanny Tong shook her head: "Ninth Young Master has not returned yet."

"Have any court officials come to the mansion to seek an audience?" Bai Qingyan asked again.

Nanny Tong pressed her lips together, initially not wanting to disclose to Bai Qingyan, but Bai Qingyan was no longer just the young lady of Bai Mansion; she had become the Empress of Zhou.

She said, "Your maternal uncle and Minister Lu from the Court of Judicial Review came by once, but... knowing the young lady was asleep, they did not disturb. They said it wasn’t urgent, that it could be discussed after the enthronement ceremony."

She nodded, remembering the deposed Crown Prince, she lifted the thin quilt: "Nanny, help me dress."

Nanny Tong, in her heart, wanted to advise Bai Qingyan to rest well, but she also knew that the matters worrying the young lady were national affairs and couldn’t be delayed. She nodded: "Alright..."

·

The deposed Crown Prince and Qin Shangzhi were temporarily imprisoned in the dungeon.

However, because Bai Qingyan had instructed, the cells of the deposed Crown Prince and Qin Shangzhi were clean and tidy, and the prison guards were relatively affable. As long as the deposed Crown Prince’s requests weren’t excessive, the prison guards tried their best to fulfill them.

Coming back from Luohong City, being left in suspense for a few days, the Jin Dynasty’s deposed Crown Prince was even worried that Bai Qingyan might blame him for the Eldest Princess’s death and was planning not to give him a way out.