The empress dowager smiled in satisfaction;
"My niece really is something isn't she? I really didn't make the wrong choice choosing her, She really is cunning and smart! She managed to draw the emperor to her side in one move! Very smart."
" I'm afraid she's too smart" the old maid replied worriedly
" No worries, no matter how smart she thinks herself, she still has not reached the level she can outsmart me yet! She's too naive to trick me. She should just obediently do her only work here or else.."
" Yes dowager, you're right"
The old maid helped the dowager to bed and they retired for the night.
Meanwhile in kunning palace, Yanhui finally fell asleep and everywhere was finally peaceful again. The emperor summoned Xiao Xiao and Xiao Qi to the mall hall to ask about what happened tonight that lead to her outburst, but they had no answer to give, for they were just as confused!. The emperor was angry at their inability to answer so he gave all servants in kunning palace punishments of 50 floggings. After he had given command for the punishment to be given out , he left to the inner room and sat on the bed beside Yanhui. Staring at her peaceful face as she slept, he wondered what triggered her, a strong confident and domineering girl to breakdown; was life at the palace, with him, so unbearable? But he quickly caught himself; she was from the Yan clan, no need thinking too much. He smiled in self pity and laid besides her to sleep.
Yanhui woke up the next morning with a resounding headache. She looked round and asked for water finding her voice cracked. Water was handed over to her. As she sat up with the person's help;
"Thank you"
"Hmm"
She heard a male voice! What was a male doing in her palace?!. She looked up in shock to see the emperor. What was the emperor doing in her room isn't he supposed to be in court or consort Shu's room? And where were her maids?
The emperor saw her strange look and coughed in embarrassment:
" Yesterday was quite The spectacle, so I decided to watch over you today and work from here"
" Watch over me? What could I possibly do "
" Don't you remember the events of yesterday? Or were you drunk? But I didn't smell wine on you" he mumbled.
Yanhui looked at him in confusion when she remembered what transpired the day before. She was depressed and missed home; her home and family in the real world. She held her head in pain and laid back down on the bed facing away, the tears coming back.
The emperor continued speaking as he walked to a desk filled with memorials to sit down:
"For those who don't know, they might think you've been bullied in the palace "
But he heard no reply only silence. He turned to her and Saw that she was faced away, her shoulders trembling.
"Hui Hui, what's the matter?" He said striding to her side.
"Nothing I'm fine, I'm just exhausted and want to sleep" Yanhui answered feeling very uncomfortable; her head aches and her throat burns.
" No, I can't sleep, the consorts haven't paid their respects yet" Yanhui tried to stand up but couldn't find the power to.
The emperor found 'Something was not right with her voice!'. He immediately felt her forehead and found it very hot :
" Forget about the morning greetings, you're burning up! Someone! Summon the royal physician immediately!" He commanded.
The emperor panicked, nothing must happen to the Yan empress; not now!. He was pacing round waiting for the physician's arrival. The royal physician finally arrived, he was quickly lead in by Cai Lun, the emperor's personal enunch. He quickly moved to bow to the emperor but before he could bow, he found himself dragged by the arms to the empress bedside. Asking no questions, he quickly knelt and put a handkerchief on her hands to read her pulse, turning to the emperor, he bowed:
" Your majesty, the empress has caught a fever and just needs to rest and stop worrying"
"Worrying?"
"Your majesty, the empress has excessive heat in her heart, a sign of worry and stress"
"Prepare the medicine"
" Yes, your majesty"
As he turned to leave, he was blocked by Cai Lun:
" The empress just have a fever, do you understand?" Cai Lun smiled
The royal physician turned to look at the emperor's cold back and broke out in cold sweat:
" The empress only caught fever from the chill last night nothing else" the physician bowed trembling.
Cai Lun made way for him to pass and instructed Xiao Xiao and Xiao Qi waiting outside to help with the medicine and help with Yanhui. Yanhui looked up, seeing what transpired but continued pretending to be asleep. Xiao Xiao walked in with a bowl of water and rag. She dipped the rag in water and wiped Yanhui forehead.
"Your majesty, your majesty " Yanhui heard a voice calling when she opened her eyes to see Xiao Xiao gently shaking her awake, when she realized that somehow her fake sleep became real. She sat up with Xiao Xiao's help who put pillows behind her back to support her.
" Your majesty, time to drink your medicine" Xiao Xiao pushed a bowl of black bitter smelling medicine towards her.
Yanhui recoiled back in disgust, she hated medicine with a passion! She hated swallowing tablets that barely touched her tongue in her world, much less a bowl of black looking, likely very bitter liquid medicine, that much touch her tongue!. Yanhui looked at her and smiled:
"No need, I'm feeling much better"
" But you need the medicine to recover quicker" Xiao Xiao insisted.
Yanhui felt another wave of headache and decided Xiao Xiao was right, she held her nose and immediately drowned the medicine. Xiao Xiao was surprised at how fast she was persuaded! She immediately turned to give her dried dates but another hand beat her to it.