"Sir, have I caused you trouble?"

Zhong Xiuxiu recounted the events at the Grandmaster Mansion to Chun Nuan, feeling quite worried.

"No." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Xiao Chunnuan didn’t take this matter to heart. If there were any trouble, it would be if she agreed to it.

No one can make her break the rules.

"The Commandery Princess said those things..."

"Don’t worry, the Prince Chu Mansion is overwhelmed with its own issues now."

Outwardly, Prince Chu and Princess Consort Chu were affectionate, deeply in love.

In reality, what was the sudden illness of Princess Consort Chu about?

It was because the matter of Prince Chu keeping a mistress was exposed to her, causing her to fall seriously ill due to emotional turmoil.

At this moment, Prince Chu was a bit panicked because Princess Consort Chu was a Foreign Princess married into the family, an alliance between two nations. If it was known why Princess Consort Chu fell ill, wouldn’t the foreign nation raise a fuss?

Even the Emperor was inquiring him about the situation.

"Uncle Chu, how is Auntie’s illness?"

"Reporting to the Emperor, the Princess’s illness is caused by accumulated longing turning into sickness."

Longing turning into sickness?

"The Princess misses her homeland, her parents, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when one misses family even more. This has exacerbated her condition. The Imperial Physician says she needs rest and cannot be stressed, and we haven’t even informed her about Qing’er’s childbirth."

"Qing’er has given birth?"

"Yes, indeed. On that day, Qing’er had a difficult labor. I specially sent someone to Chunshan Women’s Medical College to seek Xiao Chunnuan’s help. However, she wasn’t there, saying she was at the Champion Scholar Mansion delivering for the Champion Scholar’s Wife. So, my people went to find her at the Champion Scholar Mansion and waited over an hour, yet Xiao Chunnuan didn’t go to deliver Qing’er, saying she wasn’t accepting appointments."

"Emperor, you must help me out here. Since when can’t even a minor physician be summoned?"

If it weren’t for the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I would really want to eliminate that woman.

"Prince Chu, how do you expect me to assist you?" The Emperor, upon hearing the matter involved Xiao Chunnuan, became particularly mindful. Is Prince Chu implying he wants to hold Xiao Chunnuan accountable?

"Xiao Chunnuan is not a physician, just a teacher. Her refusal to make house calls is correct," the Emperor replied. "The Empress Dowager and Empress asked her to establish Chunshan Women’s Medical College to train more women in medicine and pharmacology, treating the sick and saving lives. I heard the female physicians of the Women’s Medical College have alleviated many women’s sufferings in the Capital, assisted many mothers in childbirth, receiving high praise. Yet, Prince Chu is asking me to intervene; what is the situation?"

Prince Chu... Was the Emperor favoring her?

"The Empress Dowager and Empress both enjoy conversing with her. I heard her pills are quite effective, alleviating the Empress Dowager’s longstanding sleep issues, which delighted her greatly."

Good, good, Prince Chu understood; Xiao Chunnuan’s greatest backing was the Empress Dowager.

No wonder she doesn’t regard the Prince Chu Mansion seriously.

Prince Chu returned from the palace feeling quite defeated.

What nonsense about being the Emperor’s uncle; truly inferior even to a minor Xiao Mansion.

"Prince..."

"Speak up if you have something to say, don’t dilly-dally,"

Prince Chu, facing Manager He, was wholly devoid of patience.

"Prince, Mr. Xiao is Doctor Xiao’s granddaughter, it’s said she has inherited Doctor Xiao’s skills. Prince, the Princess’s illness?"

"Oh yes, why didn’t I think of that?"

Prince Chu slapped his thigh: "Go, now into the palace, plead to the Emperor."

For the daughter’s childbirth, Xiao Chunnuan couldn’t be sought, but for the Princess’s illness, she could be.

As the Princess is a Foreign Princess, involving border stability, the Emperor is bound to agree.

In the Imperial Palace, the Emperor was discussing the Princess Consort Chu’s illness with the Empress Dowager.

"With the national treasury empty, and the borders unsuitable for conflict," the Emperor said, "I strive to replenish the treasury and strengthen national power within five years, but within these years everything requires prudence."

"Let Nanny Wan go to Zhao Mansion and bring Chun Nuan to look at the Princess Consort Chu."

"Yes, Mother."

Just as the Emperor left the Cining Palace, the eunuch reported: Prince Chu requested an audience.

"Prince Chu arrives just at the right time, the Empress Dowager, upon hearing of Princess Consort Chu’s illness, specially instructed Nanny Wan to invite Mr. Xiao to the Prince Chu Mansion to have a look at Princess Consort Chu."

"I am deeply grateful to the Empress Dowager, grateful to the Emperor."

Prince Chu... Wasn’t it said Xiao Chunnuan doesn’t make house calls?

So, what now?

Xiao Chunnuan never thought that she’d end up going to the Prince Chu Mansion after all, but the difference being that this time it’s to see Princess Consort Chu.

Accompanied by Nanny Wan, Xiao Chunnuan arrived at Princess Consort Chu’s bedside.

"Princess, Mr. Xiao is here to see you."

Princess Consort Chu didn’t open her eyes.

Chun Nuan looked at the dim inner room, feeling a pang of sorrow. Was the rumored love between Prince Chu and Princess Consort Chu really true?

The room was filled with a strong medicinal smell.

"Nanny Wan, have them open the windows."

"No, the Princess fears the cold."

Immediately, a matron stepped forward to stop it: "All along, the Princess has feared the cold, she can’t have the windows open."

"Open the windows, set up a screen in front of the bed," Chun Nuan said, "The Princess needs to go out more often, get some fresh air, the room’s air is too stale, even healthy people could get sick."

"Open the windows."

Prince Chu quickly said, "Listen to Mr. Xiao."

Xiao Chunnuan glanced at Prince Chu. At this moment, he seemed genuinely affectionate with the Princess.

Xiao Chunnuan sat by the bed and took her pulse: Heart knot, Qi collides at the chest.

It seems the Princess’s illness was not formed overnight, but due to prolonged depression and excessive worry, emotional imbalance leading to internal injury, causing organ dysfunction, possibly resulting in spleen weakness, liver Qi stagnation, chronic illness, ultimately culminating in a collapse.

Simply put: the Princess’s illness is a heart problem.

"Mr. Xiao, how is it, can it be treated? Whatever medicines are needed, no matter costly or hard to find, I will procure them."

"It can be treated," Chun Nuan said calmly, "The Princess’s illness requires the Prince’s genuine affection as the medicinal guide."

Genuine affection as the medicinal guide, how ironic!

A man who keeps a mistress, where would the genuine affection come from!

Prince Chu evidently didn’t anticipate such a response, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Prince, I need to privately talk with the Princess to inquire about the causes, so please ask the others to leave."

Prince Chu signaled the servants to withdraw, yet he remained standing there.

"Prince, you should also step aside."

"I and the Princess are one, how can I not listen?"

"It concerns the privacy of a woman, indeed inconvenient for the Prince to hear, Prince, please."

Chun Nuan firmly requested him to exit.

Nonsense about being one with the Princess, the Princess’s illness, it all stemmed from him!

Finding the root cause, she needed to prescribe strong medicine for Princess Consort Chu, and naturally, Prince Chu couldn’t hear it.