"Water..."
As soon as she leaned closer, a faint sound reached her ears, and Feng Yinwan realized that Feng Yiyi was not actually unconscious.
She murmured softly, her lips extremely dry. Her formerly pale face was now flushed red, and her fever was astonishingly high.
High fever, chills, facial swelling – these were indeed typical symptoms of malaria.
Feng Yinwan’s eyes narrowed, and she reached out to feel Feng Yiyi's pulse.
Throughout the entire process, Ye Tinglan stood silently by, not moving as she had instructed.
Turning her gaze to meet his intense stare, Feng Yinwan's heart skipped a beat. Just as she was about to rise, Zhao Yong burst in, shouting.
"Oh, Prince Mo, Princess Consort Mo, please leave quickly! I beg you!"
He covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, his voice muffled, yet he still cautiously stopped several meters away, fearing for his life.
Feng Yinwan glanced at him and stood up, stepping away from Feng Yiyi.
"It's malaria. There's no time to spare; immediate treatment is necessary."
Ye Tinglan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly at her words. Before he could respond, Feng Yinwan began to give orders.
"Lord Zhao, order someone to fetch a basin of hot water. This Princess Consort needs to treat Feng Yiyi."
"What?!"
Zhao Yong could hardly believe his ears.
"P-P-Princess Consort! I've already invited the most experienced physicians in the capital to examine her. This malaria is incurable!"
The first person who contracted it last night had already died. With such a deadly disease, Feng Yiyi's life was as good as over.
Before he could sigh, a sharp, chilling glare was directed at him.
Feng Yinwan's face was cold and stern, as if she were an entirely different person from moments before.
"Did you not hear me? Order someone to fetch hot water. Everyone else, withdraw from the prison and wait outside."
Her gaze lingered on Ye Tinglan for a moment, then she added softly, "Except for the Prince, everyone else must leave."
This included the prisoners in the front cells.
There were quite a number of prisoners held in the great prison. The constables of the capital prefecture were already few in number, and with the outbreak of malaria, fear had spread like wildfire.
Moving all the prisoners out was no small matter.
"Princess Consort, this matter might..."
Zhao Yong hesitated, his face troubled. Before he could finish speaking, Ye Tinglan interjected.
"Do as the Princess Consort commands. If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility."
Ye Tinglan's words were both a show of authority and a reassurance.
Hearing this, Zhao Yong dared not refuse any longer and immediately nodded. "Yes...!"
With Ye Tinglan present, none of the prisoners dared to act out. In less than half an hour, only Feng Yinwan and Feng Yiyi remained in the prison.
After the constables placed the basin of water down, they quickly retreated. Just as Feng Yinwan was about to begin, Ye Tinglan returned with quick strides.
Seeing her questioning gaze, he explained.
"The prisoners have been temporarily moved to the prisoner carts. Everything is fine outside. I've come in to keep you company."
Feng Yinwan's heart stirred slightly at his words. Just as she was about to nod, she suddenly remembered something, her movements halting, and her expression changed immediately.
Seeing her purse her lips and look at him with a conflicted, hesitant expression, Ye Tinglan, mistaking her for having changed her mind, frowned and showed a hint of displeasure.
"What is it?"
She had clearly agreed to let him stay just moments ago.
In an instant, Feng Yinwan keenly sensed a hint of petulance. Feeling guilty, she averted her gaze and said sheepishly.
"Your Highness, could you... step out for a moment?"
He had guessed correctly; she wanted to dismiss him!
Ye Tinglan's handsome face darkened, his thin lips pressing together tightly.
Before he could respond, he heard her speak awkwardly, "When I treat her, I will need to undress Feng Yiyi."
This situation was hardly appropriate for him to witness.
Unprepared for this, Ye Tinglan was also taken aback. The chill emanating from him instantly dissipated.
"There's no need for such trouble."
Then, Feng Yinwan saw him flick his sleeve and turn his back.
"..."
He really was something!
Since he couldn't be driven away, Feng Yinwan shook her head and focused on treating Feng Yiyi.
The prison door was pushed open again half an hour later.
Feng Yinwan removed her mask, her bright and beautiful face showing a hint of fatigue. Ye Tinglan followed her out, his profile sharp and his cold demeanor still unyielding.
Seeing them, Zhao Yong hurried forward. Before he could utter a greeting, Feng Yinwan's instructions came.
"Please trouble Lord Zhao to send someone to fetch paper and brush."
Without a word of protest, Zhao Yong immediately waved, "Quickly!"
A constable soon returned with ink and paper. Feng Yinwan took them and, in a short while, wrote out a prescription.
She held the paper in her palm, her handwriting a little distorted, but even so, it couldn't conceal the fact that her calligraphy was inherently unattractive.
Ye Tinglan watched from the side, his mind inexplicably recalling the note that had been passed to him earlier. His expression flickered almost imperceptibly.
He had never seen her handwriting before and had believed it to be true. He hadn't realized that Feng Yinwan's writing... was so distinctive.
After a moment of daze, Feng Yinwan handed the prescription to Zhao Yong.
"Lord Zhao, please have your constables purchase the medicine according to this prescription and have Feng Yiyi take it after it's decocted."
She had already given Feng Yiyi an antidote pill and had used acupuncture to clear the dampness, cold, and heat toxins from her body. With this prescription, she should be able to suppress the malaria.
Zhao Yong dared not delay and immediately ordered constables to rush to the market to buy the medicine. After giving the orders, he looked at Feng Yinwan cautiously.
"Princess Consort, is the malaria considered stopped like this?"
Naturally, it wasn't that simple.
Traditional Chinese medicine typically took time to take effect, and Feng Yiyi had been discovered at a very late stage. Whether she would pull through still depended on her own resilience.
Her beautiful eyes lowered slightly, and Feng Yinwan spoke, her voice cold.
"Order someone to carry Feng Yiyi out. If her condition stabilizes after she takes the medicine, send her elsewhere for separate isolation."
"After she leaves, all her belongings should be burned. All prison cells must be disinfected with alcohol and white vinegar. This disease is extremely contagious; extreme caution must be exercised."
Zhao Yong quickly nodded and ordered his men to follow her instructions one by one.
As Feng Yinwan had predicted, Feng Yiyi's condition did indeed improve after drinking the decoction. Without further delay, Zhao Yong immediately dispatched people to escort her out of the city for isolation.
Busy as they were, by the time they looked up, the sky was already darkening. Having not had a drop of water since waking, Feng Yinwan's vision swam, and her body felt suddenly weak, as if all her strength had been drained.
A clean scent wafted from behind, enveloping her. Feng Yinwan instinctively inhaled, and her eyes closed in relief.
When she opened them again, she was in front of the General's mansion. A rustle sounded near her ear, and Ye Tinglan leaned down to lift her from the carriage.
Her gaze met several pairs of eyes directly in front of the mansion's gate. Feng Yinwan flushed and immediately tried to struggle up. To her surprise, Ye Tinglan's steps were steady, and his arm supporting her behind the knees remained unmoving.
Seeing that her struggle was in vain, Feng Yinwan pursed her lips and, with a hint of embarrassment, said, "Please put me down..."
A gaze fell from above. Before he could speak, Yuping and Qi Xuan had already rushed out of the mansion in unison.