20demayo Chapter 243 The Child's Concern
Chapter 243 The Child's Concern
Along the long corridor of the Nanzhao Kingdom's palace, Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao hurried along, their young faces filled with anxiety. Xiao Nanyi wore a dark blue brocade robe, the silver cloud patterns on the hem shimmering in the dim light, and the jade pendant at his waist swayed gently with his hurried steps; Xiao Nanyao wore a pale yellow silk skirt, the butterflies embroidered on the hem seeming ready to take flight, and she gripped Xiao Nanyi's hand tightly, her palms already sweaty.
"Brother, what happened to Great-Grandma? I'm so scared." Xiao Nanyao's voice was trembling with tears, her eyes were red and brimming with tears.
Xiao Nanyi pursed his lips, his expression solemn, trying to calm himself down as he comforted his sister, "Don't be afraid, Yao'er, Great-Grandma will definitely get better." But his slightly trembling voice still betrayed his inner worry.
When the two arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace, they found it filled with a strong smell of medicine. The Empress Dowager lay weakly on the couch, her face as pale as paper. Her once kind face was now bloodless, her eyes were closed, and her breathing was shallow. Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao quietly approached the couch, and Xiao Nan Yao could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
"Great-Grandma, please wake up, Yao'er has come to see you." Little Nan Yao cried as she grasped the Empress Dowager's hand. Those hands were thin and bony, devoid of warmth, which made Little Nan Yao's heart clench even tighter.
Xiao Nanyi fought back tears and said softly, "Great-Grandma, you must get better soon. We still want to go to the Imperial Garden with you and listen to your stories." His voice was choked with emotion, his heart filled with concern for the Empress Dowager.
At this moment, Gu Liuli entered the palace and saw the children's sad faces, which broke her heart. She gently hugged Xiao Nanyao and said softly, "Yao'er, don't cry. Great-Grandma will hear you. She will try her best to get better."
Sobbing, Xiao Nanyao asked, "Mother, why is Great-Grandma sick? Is it because I was naughty and made Great-Grandma angry?" Her self-reproachful appearance was heartbreaking.
Gu Liuli patted her head and comforted her, "It's not Yao'er's fault. Great-Grandma is old and not feeling well. The imperial physicians are trying to cure her. We must believe that Great-Grandma will get better, okay?"
Xiao Nanyi walked to Gu Liuli's side and said firmly, "Mother, I also want to do something for Great-Grandmother. What do you think I can do?"
Looking at the sensible Xiao Nan Yi, Gu Liuli felt gratified: "Yi'er, your and Yao'er's concern is the best encouragement for Great-Grandma. You can draw a picture for Great-Grandma, or write her a letter to tell her how much you love her."
Xiao Nanyi's eyes lit up, and he pulled Xiao Nanyao, saying, "Yao'er, let's go draw quickly. Great-Grandma will be very happy to see our paintings."
Back in their room, Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao immediately got busy. Xiao Nanyi picked up his paintbrush and carefully drew what he imagined the Empress Dowager to be like. In the drawing, the Empress Dowager sat in a pavilion in the Imperial Garden, her face beaming with a kind smile, while he and Xiao Nanyao played happily beside her. Not to be outdone, Xiao Nanyao used her colored pencils to draw a large heart, inside which she wrote, "Great-Grandma, get well soon, we love you."
After finishing the painting, they carefully carried it to the Empress Dowager's palace again. Xiao Nanyi gently placed the painting beside the Empress Dowager's pillow and said, "Great-Grandmother, this is a painting that Yao'er and I painted for you. You must see it when you wake up."
Xiao Nanyao also leaned close to the Empress Dowager's ear and whispered, "Great-Grandma, look, this is a heart I drew for you. Get well soon, I miss you so much."
Perhaps it was the children's love and care that worked, for the Empress Dowager's fingers twitched slightly. Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao's eyes widened in surprise. Xiao Nanyao exclaimed excitedly, "Brother, Great-Grandma moved! Great-Grandma heard us!"
As Gu Liuli watched this scene, hope shone in her eyes: "Great-Grandma has felt your love, she will definitely get better slowly."
In the days that followed, Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao visited the Empress Dowager every day, telling her interesting stories from the palace and singing nursery rhymes to her. Xiao Nan Yi would also share the interesting things he had learned with the Empress Dowager, while Xiao Nan Yao would pick the freshest flowers from the Imperial Garden and place them by the Empress Dowager's bedside, filling the entire palace with fragrance.
With the children's company and everyone's meticulous care, the Empress Dowager's condition gradually improved. Her complexion slowly regained its rosy hue, and finally one day, the Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes.
"Great-Grandma, you're finally awake!" Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao excitedly rushed into the Empress Dowager's arms, weeping with joy.
The Empress Dowager looked at the two adorable children with eyes full of love, and said weakly, "My dear children, your great-grandmother misses you so much."
Xiao Nanyao smiled through her tears: "Great-Grandma, we miss you too. You mustn't get sick again in the future."
Xiao Nanyi quickly added, "Great-Grandma, get well soon! We're waiting to play with you."
The Empress Dowager nodded gently and stroked their heads: "Good, great-grandmother will get better soon and stay with my darlings."
At this moment, the palace was filled with warmth and happiness. Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao's pure love for the Empress Dowager became the warmest force on the Empress Dowager's road to recovery.
The first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the palace of the Nanzhao Kingdom, casting dappled shadows on the floor through the carved window lattices. Inside Xiao Han and Mu Qingling's bedroom, however, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager's condition is truly worrying." Mu Qingling frowned, her eyes filled with concern, and she clutched her silk handkerchief tightly in her hand, unconsciously tugging at it.
Xiao Han sat on the edge of the bed, his face heavy, and sighed softly, "Yes, the Imperial Hospital is still helpless. What can we do?" He reached out and gently rubbed his temples, his exhaustion and anxiety evident.
Mu Qingling walked to Xiao Han's side and gently took his hand: "Your Majesty, we cannot sit idly by and wait for our demise. We must find a way. How about we send people to search for some renowned doctors among the common people?"
Xiao Han nodded slightly: "The arrangements have been made. I hope there will be a turning point." He stood up and paced back and forth in the palace, each step heavy with emotion.
The two arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace, where they saw her lying weakly on the couch, her face as pale as paper and her breathing shallow. Xiao Han quickly walked to the couch, gently took the Empress Dowager's hand, and said in a choked voice, "Mother, you must hold on. Your son will do everything he can to cure you."
Mu Qingling's eyes were also red, and she said softly, "Mother, you have always loved us. What will we do if something happens to you?" She raised her hand and gently tucked the blanket around the Empress Dowager, her movements gentle and full of concern.
The imperial physician entered to take her pulse, his brow furrowed, and he shook his head with a sigh: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager's pulse is becoming increasingly weak, and we are truly powerless to help."
Upon hearing this, a flash of anger crossed Xiao Han's eyes, but he suppressed it forcefully: "Think about it carefully again, isn't there any other way?"
The imperial physicians exchanged glances, none daring to utter a sound. Seeing this, Mu Qingling gently reassured them, "Your Majesty, the imperial physicians have done their best. Perhaps we should place our hopes on the imperial edict."
After the imperial edict was posted, the two men hoped every day that a skilled doctor would answer the call. One day, a eunuch rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, a veiled woman has answered the imperial edict."
Xiao Han and Mu Qingling exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise and anticipation: "Quickly, summon her in."
After the woman entered, she bowed to the two men. Xiao Han asked impatiently, "Are you confident you can cure the Empress Dowager?"
The woman replied neither servilely nor arrogantly: "This humble woman is willing to give it her all."
Mu Qingling carefully examined the woman, her eyes full of expectation: "If you can cure the Empress Dowager, we will definitely reward you handsomely."
After examining the Empress Dowager, the woman prescribed medicine. Mu Qingling personally supervised the preparation of the medicine, not daring to slack off in any step.
"Your Majesty, this medicine concerns the Empress Dowager's life; it must be done with utmost care." Mu Qingling looked at the medicine furnace with a solemn expression.
Xiao Han nodded: "Thank you for your hard work. With you here, I feel much more at ease."
After the medicine was prepared, Mu Qingling carefully carried the bowl to the Empress Dowager's bedside and personally fed her the medicine. She gently helped the Empress Dowager sit up and fed her the medicine spoonful by spoonful, her movements gentle and focused.
"Mother, you will definitely get better after drinking this medicine," Mu Qingling said softly, her eyes full of expectation.
After administering the medicine, Mu Qingling stayed by the Empress Dowager's side, not daring to leave for a moment. She would occasionally wipe the beads of sweat from the Empress Dowager's forehead with a handkerchief, her eyes full of concern.
"Your Majesty, please go and rest. I will stay here and watch over things," Mu Qingling said to Xiao Han.
Xiao Han looked at Mu Qingling with heartache in his eyes: "Don't overwork yourself, take care of your health."
Under Mu Qingling's meticulous care, the Empress Dowager's condition gradually stabilized. One day, the Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes, and Mu Qingling exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has awakened!"
Xiao Han strode into the palace and came to the Empress Dowager's bedside: "Mother, you've finally woken up. Your son and Qingling were so worried."
The Empress Dowager looked at the two of them with loving eyes: "You've worked hard. With you here, my heart is warm."
Mu Qingling grasped the Empress Dowager's hand: "Mother, please get well soon. We would like to accompany you for a walk in the Imperial Garden."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly: "Alright, I will definitely get better soon."
Sunlight streamed through the windows into the palace, illuminating the three women's faces and casting a warm glow of happiness. In this battle against illness, Xiao Han and Mu Qingling's care and dedication were like beams of warm light, illuminating the Empress Dowager's path to recovery.