Lin Qinghe withdrew her hand, looking at the unconscious You Rong with a troubled expression, at a loss.
If You Rong died of illness now, both she and You Rong would have failed their mission.
But in modern times, when faced with someone with a fever, she would know what cold medicine to give. She didn't recognize any of the traditional Chinese medicine in this ancient world!
Suddenly, Lin Qinghe remembered that the original body, relying on being Consort Duan's subordinate, had held sway in the East Palace.
Lin Qinghe walked to the hall and directly ordered, "Zhu Hong, His Highness the Crown Prince has a fever. Quickly go and summon an imperial physician."
Zhu Hong looked at Lin Qinghe strangely, "Sister Qinghe, if His Highness the Crown Prince is ill, so be it. Why do you need to summon an imperial physician for him?"
Lin Qinghe's eyes narrowed, and she rebuked, "Is it for you to question what I do?!"
Zhu Hong trembled and immediately knelt on the ground, saying fearfully, "Your servant dares not. It is just that His Majesty has decreed that no one in the East Palace may leave without his permission. Your servant truly dares not defy the decree and go out."
Lin Qinghe's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
She had forgotten about this.
She couldn't change the rules within the system. Lin Qinghe thought for a moment and changed her words, "Alright, I understand. You may rise. Now go to the kitchen and boil a bowl of hot ginger soup and bring it here."
"Yes, Sister Qinghe."
Lin Qinghe turned back into the hall to wait, looking at You Rong, who was delirious with fever and lying on the floor. She felt an indescribable annoyance.
Lin Qinghe shook her head vigorously. "Forget it! This You Rong is not that You Rong. Now You Rong is just a child in his teens. I am simply kind-hearted and cannot bear to see a child suffer..."
Lin Qinghe pulled up the feverish and unconscious You Rong from the floor, gritted her teeth, dragged him to the bed, and pulled the quilt over him.
After about a quarter of an hour.
Zhu Hong boiled a bowl of hot ginger soup and brought it into the hall. Lin Qinghe took the ginger soup and told her to leave.
Zhu Hong came out of the sleeping quarters and exchanged glances with Xiao Yuzi, both of them perplexed by Lin Qinghe's drastically different words and actions.
Zhu Hong whispered, "Little Yuzi, Sister Qinghe is so strange today. She actually said the Crown Prince was ill and asked me to leave the palace to summon an imperial physician. After learning we couldn't go out, she then instructed me to boil ginger soup and bring it in, as if she intended to give it to the Crown Prince."
Xiao Yuzi also found it strange.
Lin Qinghe usually wished the Crown Prince dead. How could she want to summon an imperial physician for him when he was ill?
After much thought, Xiao Yuzi decided not to dwell on it and lowered his voice, "Whatever Miss Qinghe does must be Consort's wishes. We servants should not meddle."
Zhu Hong nodded, "Yes, exactly..."
Inside the hall.
Lin Qinghe helped You Rong up and held the ginger soup, intending to force-feed him. But You Rong clenched his teeth tightly, and not a drop of the ginger soup could get in.
Lin Qinghe said helplessly, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you have such a high fever. If you don't drink some ginger soup to expel the cold and reduce the fever, before you can get your revenge and ascend to the pinnacle of power, you'll die of illness first."
Whether the unconscious You Rong heard Lin Qinghe's words or not, his tightly clenched teeth slowly loosened.
Lin Qinghe seized the opportunity and fed him the ginger soup bit by bit.
The large bowl of ginger soup was emptied. Lin Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief, had You Rong lie down again, and pulled the quilt over him.
But the thin quilt was not warm enough even on normal days. Moreover, You Rong had a cold today, and the quilt over him was practically useless. You Rong shivered, his thin lips moved, and he mumbled indistinctly, "Cold... so cold, Mother, your son is so cold..."
"Cold? You're cold, right? I'll find you a blanket!"
Lin Qinghe searched the entire hall. Not to mention bedding, You Rong didn't even have a thicker piece of clothing.
Was this the sleeping quarters of the Crown Prince? It was probably better than what the eunuchs and palace maids lived in!
Lin Qinghe was at her wit's end. She looked down at the thick cloak she was wearing.
She could bear being a little cold now. She couldn't let You Rong freeze to death, or she would also be in trouble.
Lin Qinghe took off her cloak, shook it open, and draped it over You Rong.
After a while, You Rong's pale face on the couch eased slightly. Lin Qinghe, however, was freezing. She rubbed her arms with her hands, occasionally exhaling hot air to warm them.
Lin Qinghe stared at You Rong with a resentful gaze.
Maybe she should take her cloak back and let You Rong continue to freeze. Looking at how obnoxious he was in the real world, he didn't seem so frail that a simple cold would kill him.
However, at the critical moment, Lu Nuan remembered that she was now the vicious head palace maid who wielded authority in the East Palace. This power was meant to be used.
Lin Qinghe walked to the hall and, ignoring Zhu Hong's astonished look, ordered her to prepare some brazier stoves and bring them into the hall, and then to fetch her a cloak.
After Zhu Hong brought the braziers and the cloak, Lin Qinghe finally felt warm and much better.
Lin Qinghe sat by the bed, her chin propped in her hand, looking at You Rong with a thoughtful expression, and sighed deeply.
How arduous her task was. She had to ensure You Rong's safety, help him successfully rise to power, and have a sweet romance with the heroine, all while keeping her own life intact.
She truly had it hard.
But thinking that after completing the mission, she could start taking on new tasks, obtain the position of Chief Tasker, and make her colleagues, who had always mocked her as a useless retiree, look at her with new eyes, Lin Qinghe would grit her teeth and complete this mission no matter how difficult it was!
Drawing on the memories of the original body's three months in the East Palace, Qinghe found more information about You Rong.
At this time, You Rong was fifteen years old. After his birth mother, Empress Wang, passed away, his father didn't care for him at all. He intended to depose him as Crown Prince immediately, but due to his maternal uncle, the Great General of Zhenbei, who held military power, he decreed that You Rong be confined to the East Palace, neglected and subjected to bullying.
The dignified Crown Prince of a nation lived worse than a palace servant on a daily basis.
Lin Qinghe's gaze became somewhat complex.
As Lin Qinghe pondered, she thought of the original body and couldn't help but complain, "But the setting of this original body is truly brainless. To believe Consort Duan's nonsense! Even if the Third Prince could become Crown Prince, why would a dignified Crown Prince marry a palace maid as his Crown Princess..."
Lin Qinghe sat by the couch, her thoughts churning. She tapped her fingers rhythmically when suddenly, her hand was tightly grasped by You Rong.
You Rong's brow furrowed, and he kept murmuring, "Mother, don't go, don't leave your son, Mother..."
Lin Qinghe's forehead developed three black lines. "Uh... is he mistaking me for his mother???"
But when someone so handsome pitifully held your hand and refused to let go, a normal person wouldn't be able to harden their heart. Lin Qinghe was no exception, even though this person had the same face as her nemesis and was indeed her nemesis within.
Lin Qinghe, unable to bear it, reached out her free hand and gently patted You Rong. "Okay, I'm not leaving. I won't leave. Sleep now, it's alright, just sleep..."
You Rong, who had been sleeping restlessly, gradually calmed down.
Lin Qinghe tried to pull her hand away, but the slumbering You Rong still held on tightly.
Lin Qinghe sighed helplessly, "...Forget it. Today, I'll play the mother to the end and let you hold on."