In one moment, an eminent monk came to visit. In another, there was an imperial doctor. Apparently, Concubine Xu was having a fever and was incoherently spouting nonsense. Even all of her servants were scared witless and fell ill. Concubine Xu was a loyal subordinate, so when Noble Consort Ruan heard about this, she immediately sent over two people to help.
The master of the main residence was sick. As the master of the side residence, Xiao Lan could not ignore this situation. Xiao Lan decided to visit Concubine Xu together with Qingyan. Lin Feilu naturally followed along. While she was reclining in her bed, drinking medicine, as soon as Concubine Xu saw Lin Feilu, her back began to grow cold again.
Concubine Xu was so frightened that she became haggard overnight and could only fall asleep after drinking her medicine.
There were many people walking around in the building, bringing water and medicine back and forth to her room. No one seemed to have realized that Lin Feilu had sprinkled a bowl of sugary water on the floor in front of Concubine Xu’s bed. Because Concubine Xu was feeling cold, there was a hot furnace burning constantly inside the room. The temperature of the room was very high. The sugary water dried soon after it was sprinkled, leaving no traces behind.
At noon, Noble Consort Ruan sent someone to ask about Concubine Xu’s condition.
A palace maid working under Noble Consort Ruan went to the main residence of Mingyue Hall. Just as she pushed open the door and went inside, she shrieked so loudly that she lost her voice.
Even the people outside the palace had also come running inside after hearing that scream.
Noble Consort Ruan’s palace maid turned pale, “Insects! Lots of insects!”
Everyone saw that the area in front of Concubine Xu’s bed was covered with ants and bugs. They were densely concentrated in that area, making people feel goosebumps.
The onlookers immediately got nervous and afraid. They began to whisper among themselves.
“Is it true that Concubine Xu has also become the target of an evil spirit?”
“I thought the eminent monks had already performed a purification ritual?”
“Evil spirits with deeper resentments are much more difficult to be rid of. Only the heavens know what evils this person has committed. We better leave as soon as we are done with our tasks. Let them solve their problems on their own.”
Noble Consort Ruan’s palace maid was severely frightened. After a quick look, she immediately returned to Yunxi Palace and reported to her master.
In this Imperial Palace, there was one empress and two noble consorts. As the daughter of the Chancellor of the Left, Noble Consort Ruan had huge influence because of her family’s prestige and had been in favor since she entered the Imperial Harem. She sent people to take care of Concubine Xu not because she cared about her, but because people in the Imperial Palace knew that Concubine Xu was on her side. If anything went amiss due to lack of attention, she feared that other concubines would be bitterly disappointed in her and leave her faction.
Now after she had heard the report from the palace maid who had returned, she was shocked and could not hide her disgust, “I have meticulously looked after her, but now my generosity is spent. Do not let her enter my Yunxi Palace from now on. She will only bring us bad luck.”
Concubine Xu had fallen out of favor for many years and had not given birth. In the past few years, while she relied on Noble Consort Ruan’s influence, she acted arrogantly and did many cruel things. In order to gain the trust of Noble Consort Ruan, she had also taken many lives with her hands. Now that she had lost her patron, it was determined that she would be fated with a bad ending.
Concubine Xu, who was still sick in bed, was not aware of this. She was having a fever and was experiencing nightmares. Eventually, she groggily woke up due to thirst. When she opened her eyes in a daze, she saw someone lying next to her.
Concubine Xu immediately screamed out of fear, but because her mouth was too dry, she could only let out a hoarse cry.