Chapter 326 — Nursing the Sick (Extra Update, Begging for Pink Votes)
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
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After seeing off the imperial physician, Song Yan headed to the Xixiang Courtyard.
Song Han rushed at him. "Brother, I'm scared!" His lips were pressed into a pout, as though he were fighting hard to hold back tears.
Dou Yan, standing to one side with hands clasped in a respectful attitude, found it strange to watch.
A boy of thirteen, already tall enough to reach Song Qi's chin, yet acting spoiled like a child of five or six.
Song Sui did not find it odd in the least. He patted his younger brother's shoulder lightly and comforted him in a low voice: "It's all right. Father has taken his medicine; a few days of quiet rest and he'll be fine." Having said this, his gaze fell on Dou Yan.
Dou Yan said at once, "Rest assured, Heir, I will take Luoyan from Uncle's rooms and help Uncle brew his medicine."
At a moment like this, even a mere show of propriety had to be done beautifully, so that no one could find the slightest fault with it.
A flicker of relief passed through Song Yan's eyes, and he went with Song Han into Song Cen's inner chamber.
Dou Yan took Luoyan to the tea room.
There was a ready-made stove there; all one needed was the medicine pot, and the decoction could be boiled.
Luoyan looked about seventeen or eighteen, with apricot eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, very pretty indeed.
She was a senior maid in Song Cen's rooms, who had entered the household after Lady Jiang's death from illness. As for whether she still performed the duties of a bedchamber maid, Dou Yan did not care. Attended by Suxin, he took a teacup, sat down, and drank his tea, watching Luoyan brew the medicine without any intention of lifting a hand himself.
Luoyan was taken aback, but she quickly lowered her head and hid the surprise in her heart, nimbly filling the medicine pot and fetching water.
A young maid came in with hushed, hurried steps: "Madam, the Elder Lord and the Elder Master and the Second Master have arrived. They say they have come to inquire after Lord Zhenguo's illness."
Luoyan could not help stealing a glance at Dou Yan from the corner of her eye.
She saw Dou Yan give a silent nod, and the young maid slipped out of the tea room as lightly as she had come.
She knew this was Dou Zhiwei sending her word in secret. As though she had seen something she ought not to have seen, she hastily lowered her eyelids.
Before long, a clatter of footsteps came from outside.
Suxin went to lift the curtain and peered out through the gap. Turning back to Dou Yan, she said, "Not only the Elder Lord's family has come—the Second Lord's family is here as well."
Dou Yan said mildly, "They came quickly enough," and then said nothing more.
Suxin did not speak either.
An oppressive silence filled the tea room.
Song Cen's inner chamber was filled with an oppressive silence as well.
The father was ill, yet he would not let his own son nurse him, and instead kept his eldest nephew behind to look after him...
Hearing Song Cen's decision, the family of Song Maochun, who had come to visit the sick, were exceedingly awkward. Song Maochun forced a smile and tried to reason with Song Cen: "How about... letting the Heir stay nearby to help with brewing the medicine and such?"
Ever since the fire at the Yingzhenguo Estate, Song Maochun had come to know just how formidable Song Yan was.
He had not expected Song Cen to look ready to tear all pretense to shreds.
Song Maochun could not help secretly regretting it.
Had he known, why would he have hurried over so eagerly? Now look at this mess—he had failed to flatter anyone, and his son had become a tool in the contest between Song Cen and his son.
Song Cen's attitude, however, was utterly resolute.