novelaction Chapter 320: Success or Failure of the Plan
Chapter 320: Success or Failure of the Plan
Chapter 320: The Success or Failure of the Plan
Chapter 320
"what?"
The Marquis's wife was shocked when she heard this. She didn't even bother to look for Luo Shuiyao. She hurriedly said, "Quick, send someone to call the doctor! Madam Sang, come and help me. I'll go over and take a look."
"Yes." Nanny Sang responded and waved her hand to signal the servant to go and call the doctor. The servant ran out at this, and Nanny Sang herself stepped forward to support the Marquis's wife. The master and servant walked quickly towards Qiuliyuan.
.........
At that moment, the Qiuli Courtyard was in turmoil, a constant interweaving of sobbing, footsteps, and scolding. Inside the main room, Lu Zhaozhao lay limply in the arms of a maid, unconscious. Her slightly tilted neck was bruised and purple, and the most serious wound in the middle, where the skin had cracked and oozed blood, was a horrifying sight.
This maid was one of Lu Zhaozhao's newly promoted maids. At this moment, she was holding Lu Zhaozhao in a panic, crying helplessly. Logically speaking, even if something happened, Qiuliyuan should not be in such a mess. But since Nanny Chu made a mistake last time, she accidentally fell in Cuizhuyuan and injured her waist, and she admitted to sending someone to harm Ye Yunxing, the Marquis's wife not only did not find a doctor for her, but also sent someone to throw her into the woodshed and locked her up for a night. If it weren't for the alertness of the old woman who delivered food the next day, Nanny Chu might have lost her life there. Although the person was rescued, he was disabled after all. The doctor said very clearly that Nanny Chu would probably be paralyzed in bed for the rest of her life.
After hearing this, the Marquis' wife could only sigh inwardly that it was retribution. She had originally wanted to throw Nanny Chu out, but Lu Zhaozhao repeatedly begged the Marquis' wife to give her a chance to live. Nanny Chu was now disabled, and she would definitely not survive if thrown out. It would be better to send her to a temple outside the city to pray for Ye Yunxing.
Accumulating virtue is indeed a good thing. After hearing this, the Marquis' wife thought for a moment and felt that even if this lowly woman died, it would not be of any benefit to her. It would be better to make use of her and send her to the temple to accumulate merit for her son, so she agreed. Lu Zhaozhao was overjoyed and sent someone to send Chu Ma away overnight. Now Lu Zhaozhao was the only one in charge of the courtyard, and she had no time to train a new one. Now that such a thing had happened, wouldn't Qiuliyuan be in chaos?
When the Marquis's wife and the others hurried over, they were greeted by this chaotic scene. She quickly waved her hand, signaling the servants behind her to handle various matters, and then walked into the main house with Nanny Sang. Upon entering, they saw the maid bursting into tears, and Lu Zhaozhao's face was pale and horrifying. The Marquis's wife immediately shouted, "Why don't you put the young lady in bed? Come, quickly carry the young lady to bed! Where's the doctor? Hurry and get him here!"
Nanny Sang quickly released the Marquis' wife and, along with the maids and servants, carefully laid Lu Zhaozhao flat on the bed and checked her injuries. Meanwhile, the servant who had been sent to fetch the doctor shouted an announcement outside the courtyard.
When Sang heard this, she shouted, "Come in!" The servant tugged at the old doctor's sleeve and pulled him in. The doctor took several deep breaths after entering the room, and without even taking a break, he ran to the bedside. When he saw the wound on Lu Zhaozhao's neck, he gasped, and without a moment's shock, he quickly took out some medicine powder and bandaged her.
The Marquis's wife watched from the side, frowning, not daring to interrupt the doctor's actions. A moment later, the doctor bandaged the wound and carefully examined Lu Zhaozhao. He breathed a sigh of relief after taking her pulse, then wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and stood up to report to the Marquis's wife, "Madam, your young lady's life is saved. With a few days of proper care, she'll recover. However, her throat..."
"What's wrong with your throat?" The Marquis's wife frowned and asked when she saw him hesitating when reporting.
The doctor lowered his brows and said, "Young lady, you have injured your larynx. I'm afraid your voice will be affected in the future. It may never recover as normal."
"How can that be possible?" The Marquis's wife was anxious. She knew how important a woman's voice and appearance were. If Lu Zhaozhao's voice was damaged, her appearance would be flawed. Given her status as a deceased parent, she wouldn't be able to marry into a good family in the future. I'm afraid even an ordinary official wouldn't choose such a woman as a daughter-in-law.
The old doctor understood her feelings, but could only say with shame: "Of course, it may also be that my ability is limited. Wouldn't Madam Hou ask other famous doctors to see you later?"
After hearing his words, even though she was anxious, the Marquis's wife knew she couldn't vent her anger on the doctor. So she told Madam Sang to pay the doctor and send him out of the Marquis's mansion.
Afterward, she sat alone by the bed, gazing at the now unconscious Lu Zhaozhao, a complex mix of emotions. Though she was disappointed in her, she still hoped for her well-being. She had been planning a way out for Lu Zhaozhao for the past few days, but she hadn't expected the child to be so desperate. She reached out and gently smoothed Lu Zhaozhao's hair when she noticed a stylish headband lying beside her pillow. The Marquis paused, then reached out and took it, contemplating the jewels inlaid on it. She fell silent for a moment.
Seeing this, the maidservant beside Lu Zhaozhao said, "Madam, this is what the young lady made for you overnight in recent days. She said that once she is gone, no one will be able to make a headband for you to relieve your headache, so..." As the maidservant spoke, she covered her face and started crying again.
She and Lu Zhaozhao's mother shared a deep sisterly bond, having known each other since childhood. When she fell into the water, it was Lu Zhaozhao's mother who saved her. Without her, she would likely have suffered more than just a head injury, so she always remembered this kindness. Later, when both married, Lu Zhaozhao's mother relocated far away, but even then, their bond remained strong, and their correspondence only brought them closer.
Upon hearing this, the Hou Furen's nose suddenly felt sore. She loved Lu Zhaozhao from the bottom of her heart; the child was sweet-spoken and filial. She had truly wanted to foster Lu Zhaozhao as if she were her own daughter, but she had never expected that, perhaps due to the trauma of her parents' affairs, Lu Zhaozhao's personality would become so erratic, leading her to commit such a grievous mistake.
She sighed, whispered to the maidservant beside her to take good care of Lu Zhaozhao, and then left.
When Madam Sang arrived, she saw her mistress standing in the courtyard, silently gazing at the blossoming flowers in the corner, her eyes slightly red. Madam Sang moved slightly, glanced inside, and sighed inwardly, thinking: Is Madam being soft-hearted again? But as a servant, what could she say?
She had no choice but to step forward and comfort her, saying, "Madam, as you instructed, I have invited all the famous doctors in the capital to treat Miss Lu. Don't worry, Miss Lu is a lucky person, and she will definitely get better."
Upon hearing this, the Marquis's wife nodded softly without responding. She just stared at the flowers quietly, not knowing what she was thinking about.
By the time the Hou family saw off the last doctor who had treated Lu Zhaozhao, their heart grew heavier. All the doctors agreed that Lu Zhaozhao's larynx was injured, impairing her voice. The Hou family was filled with grief, yet they didn't know how to resolve it.
Seeing her chapped lips, Nanny Sang stepped forward and said, "Madam, you haven't had a single drop of water since Miss Lu's accident. This is really harmful to your health. Why don't we go back first, have some food, rest, and then visit Miss Lu when she wakes up."
The Marquis's wife hadn't had a drop of water that afternoon, and now her body was a little weak. She had no choice but to follow Sang Ma's support and walk back with her strength.
The Marquis's wife said, "When the Marquis returns, I will discuss it with him and see if we can find a way to invite the imperial physician from the palace to come out. Perhaps he can help."
Nanny Sang held her hand, causing her to move slightly, but she quickly recovered. She felt a little troubled, thinking to herself: Madam, how can anyone just invite an imperial physician? But she dared only think about it in her mind, and in the end, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue to avoid further anxiety for Madam.
.........
Not long after the Marquis and his wife left, Lu Zhaozhao slowly woke up. The maid guarding her bedside noticed it immediately and hurried forward, asking happily, "Miss, are you awake?"
Lu Zhaozhao opened his mouth to speak, but could only utter a "hmm" with difficulty. His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, and both the master and the servant felt a tightness in their hearts when they heard it.
The maid was frightened and worried when she knew the doctor's diagnosis.
Lu Zhaozhao had never expected her voice to be so unpleasant. Seeing the maid standing aside with her head lowered, she didn't think much of it, thinking that she had injured her neck and the unpleasantness was only temporary. So she asked with pain, "Has the madam seen the headband?"