The Day of Transmigration, Shanbo Fell Ill

It is already the fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

That evening, Liang Shanbo was still perfectly fine.

As usual, after he and Zhu Yingtai washed themselves, they sat on their respective wooden beds, warming themselves by the charcoal fire, with the window slightly ajar to let in the charcoal smoke.

Then Zhu Yingtai blew out the lamp, and the two of them took off their clothes and went into bed.

Business as usual.

On the morning of the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, when Zhu Yingtai woke up, she habitually glanced at the wooden bed opposite her. Liang Shanbo had not yet gotten up, his quilt wrapped tightly around him.

Zhu Yingtai didn't mind. Although Brother Liang often got up early, he would sometimes sleep a little longer.

She got up, dressed, and washed her hands. Seeing that there was still no movement on the opposite bed, she walked to the bedside and softly called out, "Brother Liang."

Liang Shanbo did not respond.

She called out again, this time in a louder voice.

There was still no response.

She observed him carefully and found that Liang Shanbo's face was pale, his lips were tightly closed, and his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was enduring something even in his unconscious state.

Her heart tightened, and she disregarded the difference between men and women. She bent down and reached out to touch Liang Shanbo's forehead, which was burning hot and covered in sweat.

She touched Liang Shanbo's neck again, and it was equally frighteningly hot.

Her heart sank.

"Si Jiu!" she called out to the outer room, her voice trembling slightly.

Yin Xin was tidying up in the outer room when she heard the shouting and rushed in: "My lord, what's wrong?"

"Brother Liang has a fever, a very high fever." Zhu Yingtai straightened up, steadied her voice, and said, "Go and fetch a basin of cool water and a handkerchief."

Yin Xin responded and turned to leave. A moment later, she returned with a basin of cool water, in which a handkerchief was soaking.

Zhu Yingtai took the handkerchief, wrung it until it was half-dry, folded it into several layers, and gently placed it on Liang Shanbo's forehead.

The moment the handkerchief was placed on his forehead, Liang Shanbo's eyelids twitched slightly, but he remained unconscious.

Zhu Yingtai tucked his quilt in to keep out the cold.

Yin Xin stood aside, watching her young lady bustling about. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back.

After a moment, Zhu Yingtai whispered to Yin Xin, "Go and find out if Mr. Meng has arrived at the school."

Yin Xin responded and quickly left the schoolhouse.

After a while, Yin Xin returned, still panting, and said, "Mr. Meng has just arrived at the study."

Zhu Yingtai quickly stood up, glanced at Liang Shanbo on the couch, and said to Yin Xin, "You stay here and look after Brother Liang. I'm going to see Mr. Meng."

……

……

Zhu Yingtai hurried across the bluestone path and arrived at the door of Meng Wenlang's study in the front courtyard. She steadied her breathing and knocked on the door several times.

"Come in," came Meng Wenlang's voice from inside the door.

Zhu Yingtai pushed open the door and entered, bowing deeply to Meng Wenlang.

Meng Wenlang was sitting behind his desk when he saw her anxious expression and asked, "What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"

Zhu Yingtai's voice betrayed her anxiety: "Sir, Liang Shanbo suddenly developed a fever and fell into a coma today, and cannot be woken up."

Upon hearing this, Meng Wenlang's expression changed slightly. He immediately stood up and followed Zhu Yingtai out of the study.

The two walked along the cobblestone path and arrived at the schoolhouse.

Meng Wenlang entered the inner room and stood beside Liang Shanbo's bed. He bent down, reached out and touched Liang Shanbo's forehead, then his neck, and frowned.

He straightened up and turned to Zhu Yingtai, saying, "It's terribly hot. Quickly summon Li Cangtou."

Zhu Yingtai understood, left the schoolhouse, and after a short while, led a servant inside.

Meng Wenlang instructed the servant, "Quickly go to the city and invite Doctor Cui. If he is not here, invite another one."

The servant acknowledged and left.

……

……

After Cui Yigong arrived at the academy, Meng Wenlang personally led him to the school building.

This was an old medical worker, with white hair and beard, a slightly hunched back, and a medicine box hanging on his shoulder. He was quite famous for his medical skills in Qiantang County.

Doctor Cui sat down by the bed, first examining Liang Shanbo's forehead, then flipping his eyelids and examining his tongue coating, before placing his fingers on Liang Shanbo's wrist to carefully take his pulse.

After examining one hand, he switched to the other wrist, repeatedly cutting and probing for a long time. Then he bent down, put his ear to Liang Shanbo's chest, listened carefully for a while, and then gently pressed on his abdomen.

After a long pause, Doctor Cui straightened up, his brows furrowed, and stroked his white beard. He said, "This ailment is strange. The pulse is floating and tight, and the tongue coating is thick and white, which seems like a sign of wind-evil invasion, yet it doesn't seem like it."

He paused, then continued, "Fortunately, the pulse is still strong, not like a critical condition. I will prescribe a diaphoretic and fever-reducing formula for you to try first. If the fever subsides within a day or two, there will be no major problem; if it does not subside, we will consider other options."

Meng Wenlang nodded.

The physician, Cui, took out paper and pen from his medicine box, wrote down a prescription, and handed it to Meng Wenlang. Meng Wenlang glanced at it and then instructed his servant to prepare and decoct the medicine.

After giving a few more instructions, Dr. Cui took his leave.

……

……

On this day, Liang Shanbo remained in a coma with a persistent high fever.

Zhu Yingtai did not go to the lecture hall, but stayed in the school dormitory.

When the servant brought the medicine he had prepared, she lifted Liang Shanbo's head and fed him spoonful by spoonful with a small spoon. Liang Shanbo was unconscious and swallowed very slowly; sometimes the medicine would spill from the corner of his mouth, which she would gently wipe away with a handkerchief before feeding him again.

She frequently changed the cool handkerchief on Liang Shanbo's forehead; the handkerchief would warm up in no time after being placed on his forehead.

Yin Xin watched from the side, feeling both anxious and heartbroken. She was anxious because Liang Langjun had fallen so ill, and heartbroken because her young lady had been working so hard without rest, not even having breakfast.

Yin Xin couldn't help but whisper, "My lord, let's rest for a while."

Zhu Yingtai shook her head without answering. She then wrung out a freshly soaked handkerchief until it was half-dry and gently placed it on Liang Shanbo's forehead.

On this day, Wang Shu, Gu Jun, Sun Yuangui, Xiao Hu, and Yu Yanzhi all came to visit the sick.

Wang Shu and Gu Jun came together. The two sat by Liang Shanbo's bed for a while. Seeing Zhu Yingtai's worry and exhaustion, they said a few words of comfort to her before leaving. They were both touched by Zhu Yingtai's care and concern for Liang Shanbo, and felt that their sworn brother Liang was truly like a brother.

When Xiao Hu came to visit Liang Shanbo, he stepped forward, reached out and touched Liang Shanbo's forehead, his thick eyebrows furrowing: "Why are you so hot?"

He then said to Zhu Yingtai, "Don't worry too much. Brother Liang has always been physically strong. He can wrestle me and beat me in archery. How could he be troubled by a mere illness?"

Zhu Yingtai nodded: "Thank you, Brother Xiao."

Sun Yuangui came with Xiao Hu. He stood beside Xiao Hu, looking at Liang Shanbo on the couch with a worried expression on his face. He was unusually silent and sighed. Before leaving, he comforted Zhu Yingtai with a word.

Yu Yanzhi also arrived. He stood silently by Liang Shanbo's bed for a while, then turned and left.

Other students from the academy also came to visit the sick.

When everyone came to visit her in the hospital, Zhu Yingtai was even more exhausted. She had to take care of Liang Shanbo, deal with the guests, and be on guard at all times to avoid revealing her identity as a girl in the school.