The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan -
Chapter 335 - 334 No matter how much grace is still worth it (first update)
Chapter 335: 334 No matter how much grace is still worth it (first update)
The maid looked up at Li Xianyun with surprise and delight upon hearing her words.
It was widely rumored in the palace that Princess Hehui from Houtang was beautiful and charming, greatly favored by the Khan.
Moreover, she was gentle and virtuous, never arrogant with her favor, and extremely kind to those beneath her.
Not only that, but her medical skills were superb, and she had even saved Minister Xiao and Princely Heir Xuan.
Furthermore, she was quite resourceful, as she managed to render the Grand Imperial Consort, who had dominated the harem for many years, utterly helpless.
At the horse racing event, she was unmatched, even beating Commandery Princess Nan, who was renowned for her riding skills.
Every single matter was worthy of a fine tale.
As a lowly maid serving tea and water in Haoyang Palace, she had once seen Li Xianyun from afar.
At that time, Li Xianyun was seated on a high platform, with the Khan’s long arm resting behind her chair, almost as if he were holding her in an embrace, and his eyes were fixed solely on her.
There was an indescribable doting and affection.
That was the mighty, serious Khan, who intimidated others with a mere glance, yet so indifferent and distant, but in front of Li Xianyun, he could hardly conceal his smile, taking care of her meticulously, often leaning close to whisper with a smile.
Li Xianyun had not been in Khitan for long at that time, yet she had already won the Khan’s wholehearted adoration.
Seeing her up close today, Li Xianyun was even more beautiful than from afar.
Her beauty was breathtaking and profound, and her voice was also very gentle and pleasant to the ear.
The maid quickly prostrated on the ground and pleaded, "I implore the princess to save my sister. My sister has caught a serious illness and is close to death. The Chief said that if she’s not cured, she’ll be dragged out of the palace and left to fend for herself."
"I had no choice but to ask the Imperial Physcians to come and examine her, but they said they’re here to treat the royalty and nobility, not lowly Palace Attendants like us. They also said that if we want treatment, we must pay a consultation fee of ten Silver Taels, which I simply can’t afford."
Li Xianyun’s eyes turned icy, she had thought that after the incident with the Princely Heir’s near-drowning, she had already purged the Imperial Medical Bureau of its scourges, but it seemed that some had slipped through the net.
However, now was not the time to deal with these rotten fish and shrimp, the priority was to save lives.
Li Xianyun looked at the maid and said, "Lead the way, I’ll have a look."
The maid, upon hearing this, cried with joy and hurriedly got up from the ground, leading Li Xianyun and her entourage towards the living quarters of the Palace Maids.
In the palace, higher-ranking Palace Attendants usually lived with their masters in the chambers of the corresponding palace, while the lowest-ranking ones like them were housed in communal quarters.
Lowly maids and lowly Palace Servants lived in two separate large courtyards, where the living conditions were extremely poor.
How could a princess visit such a rundown place?
And if the Khan were to find out, he would surely be displeased.
Thinking this, Bater respectfully said, "My princess, the quarters are humble, perhaps it’s better to have the Imperial Physician attend to it."
Li Xianyun continued walking and replied, "Saving lives is urgent."
She had grown up in the countryside as a child; what kind of humble conditions hadn’t she seen?
The maid leading the way heard this and grew even more respectful of Li Xianyun.
They say seeing is believing, and now she finally understood what that meant.
She also finally understood why the Khan cherished the princess so much. Someone as beautiful and kind-hearted as the princess deserved all the grace bestowed upon her.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the maid brought Li Xianyun to a very spacious courtyard.
Around the courtyard, multiple single-story houses were neatly arranged one after another.
There were also seven to eight rows of single-story houses in the middle of the courtyard, with six rooms in each row.
This place was a far cry from the opulence of the palaces; separated by a single wall, yet they were two different worlds.
The maid led Li Xianyun to one of the houses and respectfully said, "Reporting to the princess, this is where my sister and I live."
As she spoke, she pushed the door open with a "creak."
The quarters looked sturdy and well-ordered from the outside, but upon entering, Li Xianyun realized that it was even more simple than the homes of ordinary people.
The room was equipped for dozens to live together in large communal beds lining the wall, with a peeling red-painted wooden cabinet placed at the head of each bed, all locked with iron locks, presumably holding the maids’ private clothing.
In the middle of the room stood an old, decrepit desk, and that was all the furniture there was.
The air was thick with an unpleasant musty smell.
Li Xianyun’s brows furrowed involuntarily; Guli, who had been managing the harem for these years, had embezzled a lot of silver.
Many areas of the palace had been hollowed out, and these lower-class palace attendants, being of no interest to anyone, naturally became targets for embezzlement.
Since it was daytime, the maids had all gone out to serve, and the vast lower chamber contained only a woman lingering on a sickbed.
Upon hearing noise, the woman lifted her head weakly, her face gaunt.
Though she looked in the direction of the door, she was severely ill, and her eyes had already begun to lose focus.
Li Xianyun walked over to her.
The maid hurried to move a chair for Li Xianyun.
The chair was broken and battered, with a small piece of wood missing from the middle, making it quite uncomfortable to sit on, but still, no one was willing to throw it away.
The maid placed her own blanket on the chair for Li Xianyun to sit on.
Li Xianyun took the blanket off and handed it back to her, saying, "If you all can sit on it, so can this consort."
The maid, deeply moved by her words, had her eyes moisten with tears.
In the rigidly hierarchical harem, no one had ever treated these lower-class servants as people, but here was the noble consort, treating them so well.
Li Xianyun took the sick woman’s withered wrist and felt her pulse.
During this time, the maid watched Li Xianyun intently, hoping to hear good news.
After taking the pulse, Li Xianyun examined the patient’s complexion and looked up at the maid, saying, "She has typhoid, but there’s still hope."
The maid, overcome with emotion, knelt on the ground and thanked Li Xianyun profusely.
Li Xianyun helped her up, saying, "Let’s focus on treating the illness first."
Youlan opened the medicine box, and Li Xianyun took out a porcelain bottle from it and handed it to the maid, saying, "One pill at a time, three times a day. If nothing unforeseen happens, after three days she should recover."
Li Xianyun’s medical box was filled with a variety of ready-made medicines, and since typhoid was a common ailment, she had brought some from Houtang to Khitan, which came in handy today.
The maid knelt on the ground and bowed deeply to Li Xianyun in gratitude.
"Get up. Go and save your sister. If there’s no improvement after three days, or any unexpected symptoms occur in the meantime, come find this consort at Khan Palace."
"Thank you, Consort," the maid said.
Li Xianyun, accompanied by her entourage, left the servants’ quarters.
Youlan, noticing the solemn expression on Li Xianyun’s face, asked, "My lady, are you all right?"
Li Xianyun glanced at her and replied, "Typhoid is no longer considered a serious illness, yet it nearly claimed a life."
If she had arrived just a bit later, the woman on the sickbed might have very well died.
Bater expressed his amazement, "My lady, did you say typhoid is not a serious illness?"
Li Xianyun nodded at him.
With a tone of sadness, Bater said, "Yet in Khitan, six out of ten people die from typhoid."
Li Xianyun frowned upon hearing this.
She had treated a few people with typhoid on her way to Tianshui County, but at the time she did not think much of it. Only now did she realize how severe the disease was in Khitan.
It seemed urgent for her to continue healing and teaching medicine.
Li Xianyun, with her entourage, returned to the Imperial Medical Bureau. As soon as they entered, a medical officer knelt on the ground and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Consort."
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