Chapter 12: Royal Message
"Recuperation will be the best term."
Xiaofan thought for a while, "Does Xiuying... Do I have a deadly virus?"
'Deadly disease...'
'Deadly virus...'
The maid shook her head.
"I do have a disease... A virus... No! When am I dying?" Xiaofan who thought the maid silence meant acknowledgement continued. "Tell me! Tell me! No! No!" Xiaofan sat before the maid trying to make eye contact with her but the maid dared not look straight at her, she kept tilting her head to the side, ignoring the Empress's eyes. "Tell me! I must be dying! Ahhh!!" Xiaofan stood up wailing at the top of her voice.
"HER ROYAL MAJESTY, EMPRESS DOWAGER IS HERE!!!" the door maid announced.
Maid Yue's eyes shot at the door then back at her Empress's. 'The Empress Dowager is here?' she gave a start and stood up, she walked up to her lady and tried to pacify her. The wailing young lady ignored her and continued.
"I'm truly dying! I don't want to die!!"
Xiaofan whom was busy wailing decided to take a look at the flustered maid through her peripheral view caught sight of someone staring at her with their head tilted.
Her eyes shot open instantly, her mouth agape add she stared dumbfounded at the two women.
*****
In the village. Inside the Qings family house, Qing Bohai paced to and fro in his chamber while Qing Xiurong was sitting and rocking back and forth.
The both of them were thinking about the same thing. Their daughter Xiuying.
Qing Bohai: "I should have requested to bring her home instead! Now we are not even allowed to see her. We can't visit our own child..."
A maid came in with tea and served them both, she took the tea that had gone cold away with her.
"Request for an audience with the Emperor and If he grants it to you then you can request to be allowed to visit the Empress, my lord."
The man was obviously contemplating, he was utterly muddle minded on the case concerning his daughter.
He was cognizant of the importance of the Emperor's ban, but the truth still remains no one knew why he did it, for what reasons he did it and for the sake of it.
He drew in a sharp breath, probably due to much thinking, he decided to go along with his wife's opinion. "I will be leaving then," he said. He had just opened the door and came face to face with his son, Qing Qingshan. The young lad had a headband neatly tied to his forehead, part of his hair in a clean updo and the rest well-laid back.
His beautiful face had no spot on it, his lips a rose pink colour.
There was a scroll in his hand. "Father, a royal messenger had just left. He gave me this scroll to pass to you." He passed the scroll to his father, "A royal message from the Emperor according to the messenger."
Qing Bohai didn't waste his time on collecting the scroll as he tore the wrap away. The scroll dropped down. "FROM THE EMPEROR"
In the scroll it was written that the ban that was placed on the Empress has been lifted and is now allowed visits. The message was simple and ephemeral.
His expression changed instantly, but he still reread it to make sure he didn't read it wrong before.
Qing Qingshan studied him closely and noted, "Only news relating to sister Xiuying would please father, is that right?"
"Empress Xiuying! Mind your choice of word, do not go overboard!" Master Qing corrected.
"Yes father," there was a glint in his own eyes.
Qing Xiurong who was still sitting waiting for her husband to leave before she leaves, she was still sitting when she heard Qingshan speak, "A royal message," her heart skipped a bit.
She had been holding her breath unknowingly because it was when she heard "only news relating to sister Xiuying..." The other words she wasn't able to grab, that was when her chest fell. "Empress Xiuying." She only heard her master correct Qingshan.
Slowly she turned back to see the glint in Qingshan's eyes and felt her blood rush in high speed. Her master must be dumbfounded as he stood there, not moving, he looked like a piece of sculpture. She stood up with shaky legs and went to where he was standing. She reached for the scroll. Her eyes widened by every word she read. She reread it again thinking she was seeing things. She looked up to see Qingshan staring straight at her, she passed the scroll to him. "Read!" She commanded.
The young man finally blinked and read the content of the message for her to hear.
Truly. She is truly not seeing things! She wasn't hearing things as well as Qingshan had just confirmed it. Suddenly the person beside her made a beeline to the gate and left, not turning back to take another look.
Qing Xiurong watched him leave. I need to leave as well.
"Go inform your mother," she said to Qingshan, meanwhile her eyes didn't leave the road Master Qing just passed through. "Inform her we will be going to the palace once our lord returns."
"Yes aunt." Qingshan hurried away.
*****
Back at the palace. Xiaofan redressed her mattress, for the Empress Dowager.
She continued smiling at her which made Xiaofan uncomfortable. She tried her best to smile back but her cheeks were hurting as the smile was fake.
Great Empress Ruolan sat before Xiuying's chest, as Xiuying sat in front of her with Princess Nuying.
Nuying held onto Xiaofan, trying to make a conversation.
Empress Dowager: "Don't make her speak too much. Remember she had just woken up."
"Yeah ma'am." Princess Nuying smiled. She then turned toward the maid, "I brought alot of fruit for the Empress, make sure you serve them to her seven times daily. She is still weak and so do not allow her to do any embroidery,"
"Yeah, Princess."
Xiuying had always spent all her time Knitting and doing embroidery. She always sat in her chamber, staying away from real world and not concerning herself with the palace matters, no one knew she was dying inside.
Princess Nuying made little little conversation with Xiuying. Xiaofan made sure not to make mistake with her words. She picked them carefully.
From the corner of her eyes she saw the Dowager still smiling at her, "Royal mother, please have this." She poured dried mint leaves into a dish bowl and poured hot water. She sieved it and passed to the Dowager.
The older woman was all smiles.
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