Chapter 136: Princess Consort Qin

"Stop eating!" Chai Shao waved the servants away, then reached out to pull Yun Hao, who was right beside him.

"What is it?" Yun Hao muttered discontentedly, a chicken drumstick clamped between his teeth. He had been starving all morning and had only just started eating to line his stomach.

"Someone from the Prince's Mansion is here, saying they'd like to invite you over to examine the Princess." Yun Hao had come to Beiping specifically to treat this Princess. Yet this Princess seemed exceedingly busy; in the two days since he arrived in Beiping, he had requested an audience several times, but Her Highness never had the time. Why on earth did she have time today, and why, damn it, couldn't she wait until he had finished his meal?

"Oh, my aunt's chronic illness has indeed flared up these past two days. You little rascal have all sorts of eccentric skills, go quickly and take a look at the old lady. Since we have nothing else to do, I'll accompany you." Qin Qiong had scrapes on his face, which Yun Hao had treated with alcohol. Imitating the methods of later generations, he covered the wounds with linen cloth, making him look very much like a wounded soldier.

At this point, refusing was out of the question. If he tried to back out, Qin Qiong would likely bare his claws and haul him away by force. Come to think of it, the Princess of Beiping was the Qin family's only surviving direct blood relative. No wonder Qin Qiong cared so deeply about this aunt's health.

Qin Qiong was coming along to escort Yun Hao, but why on earth was this fellow Chai Shao tagging along with such an eager grin? Judging by Chai Shao's secretive and mysterious demeanor, the guy harbored ulterior motives. Since Chai Shao wasn't volunteering the information, Yun Hao didn't bother asking. Among noble clans and aristocratic families, the golden rule for living a long life was never to know too much.

Seeing Hou Junji open his mouth several times only to swallow his words, Yun Hao knew the letter he had brought wasn't simple. Hou Junji made a good lackey, at least knowing enough not to speak when silence was required. If it had been Lai Shun'er or Qi Biao, they would have certainly scampered up to him with mysterious looks, badgering Yun Hao to guess. And when he failed to guess, they would sport the most punchable expressions imaginable before telling him everything, detail by detail, ensuring not even a punctuation mark was missed.

The residence was not far from the Beiping Prince's Mansion, and the carriage arrived in no time at all. The vermilion double doors studded with bronze nails remained firmly shut, and even the side gates were closed. Yun Hao, Chai Shao, and Qin Qiong were led inside through a small corner entrance.

The Prince's Mansion covered a vast area. Flanking the entrance were two stone lions taller than a man, bearing ferocious expressions and radiating an arrogant aura. Dozens of soldiers guarded the gates alone, for this was not merely a royal residence; it was also the headquarters of the Beiping garrison. All military and defense commands for the entire region of Yan and Yun were issued from here. One could say this was the frontline supreme command center facing the Tujue.

Following Qin Qiong through the corner gate, Yun Hao walked straight toward the inner courtyards. Qin Qiong was evidently well-acquainted with the place. Weaving through rooms and courtyards, they soon arrived at the grand hall in the rear of the headquarters. To Yun Hao's astonishment, female guards stood watch at the posts. This was an even grander display than Lady Dou's household. It seemed the Luo family truly passed down a military heritage, even keeping a retinue of female guards at home. Even as a founding Duke, Li Yuan did not put on such airs.

Qin Qiong observed the proper etiquette, reporting their arrival to the female guards according to protocol. The female guard wore a poker face, showing no warmth even toward the senior matriarch's maternal nephew. She merely dropped a single instruction—"Wait"—before heading inside to announce them.

"General Qin, does the Prince's Mansion keep female guards?" Yun Hao asked Qin Qiong out of curiosity as he watched the guard step inside.

"You brat, you wouldn't know. My aunt is a heroine among women; she can mount a horse and wield a spear to charge into battle, quite unlike the delicate and fragile women of other households," Qin Qiong said with immense pride when speaking of his aunt.

Good heavens! Yun Hao's mind instantly conjured the image of a brawny, hulking female warrior, though upon second thought, that didn't seem right. Li Xiuning could also take to the battlefield, yet she didn't look particularly burly nowadays. Old Qin was probably exaggerating quite a bit; if she could mount a horse with a spear and trot around a couple of times, that would already be something. They were family, after all, so putting a bit of gold leaf on their own faces was completely understandable! Perfectly understandable!

Emerging from within was a veritable mummy who looked at Yun Hao as if seeing a long-lost relative. Who else could it be but Luo Cheng?

"Brother Yun, many thanks for helping my cousin. My mother is inside and wishes to see you." Luo Cheng took Yun Hao's hand, displaying an extraordinary level of warmth.

Yun Hao followed Luo Cheng deeper inside, feeling that something was amiss. When he turned back, both Qin Qiong and Chai Shao had vanished. Good grief! What kind of game was this?

Seated upright on the bed was a woman in her forties, whose figure had already grown quite plump. The Sui Dynasty favored plumpness as the standard of beauty, and this woman was round and full to a fault. Indeed, the saying went that a fine man was hairy all over, while a fine woman carried plenty of flesh.

"Mother, this is the Brother Yun who treated my ailment. Despite his young age, his medical skills are remarkable. My face is entirely thanks to Brother Yun." Upon seeing the matron, Luo Cheng immediately began boasting on Yun Hao's behalf, making Yun Hao feel rather embarrassed. Originally, he had harbored the pure intention of teasing Luo Cheng, never expecting a clumsy strike to hit the target and cure Luo Cheng's acne. It seemed this method actually had some merit and deserved to be vigorously promoted in the future.

"It is truly rare for someone of such tender years to possess such skill. I heard that Elder Sister Dou's illness was also cured by your hand?" Lady Qin's voice was very soft, though slightly lacking in breath. If one listened closely, a faint rattling sound of phlegm could be discerned. Without asking, her condition was likely much the same as Lady Dou's.

"Replying to Your Highness, this humble boy did not cure the Grand Duke's wife. I merely managed to temporarily stabilize her condition." Yun Hao wasn't being falsely modest; he was stating the facts. If even the traditional medicine hospital in the capital couldn't cure that ailment, how could he dare claim he had cured it?

"You're an honest lad, aren't you? Come here and take my pulse. Let's see if this old body's ailment is something you can fix." Lady Qin was amused by Yun Hao's candor, but the laughter immediately triggered a violent fit of coughing. The cough was accompanied by phlegm, clearly indicating her respiratory tract was in a very poor state.

Did he even need to check? Coughing, phlegm, a chronic and stubborn illness. Coupled with the fact that any laughter left her gasping for breath, it was glaringly obvious that her airways were compromised. Her condition was essentially identical to Lady Dou's. He then cast his gaze around the room's furnishings. Very well, it seemed aristocrats of this era decorated their rooms in roughly the same fashion.

There were tapestries taller than a man, and carpets covered the floor. Exaggerating even further, Lady Qin had placed three gigantic charcoal braziers on the floor, and the room was poorly ventilated in the dead of winter. No wonder the moment he stepped inside, his nose was filled with the pungent smell of smoke and fire. It seemed the living habits of the Xianbei people still lingered among these Sui Dynasty aristocrats.

"Uh... Your Highness, let's forgo the pulse-taking. This humble boy has a few methods that can make you more comfortable. However, I cannot cure this illness; I can only manage it to keep the symptoms from flaring up." Pulse diagnosis was such a high-skill technical art—how on earth would Yun Hao know how to do that?

"Very well, making me more comfortable is already good enough." It appeared Lady Qin had been thoroughly tormented by this affliction, and though disappointed to hear Yun Hao couldn't cure it, alleviating her suffering was still a welcome relief.

"Quickly, have someone extract some radish juice, just a small bowl will do. Your Highness, please drink this first to clear your airways!" Radish was an excellent remedy for clearing stagnation and regulating breath, and best of all, it was something easily found even in the dead of winter.

Before Lady Qin could speak, Luo Cheng had already directed the servants to carry out the task.

"Your Highness, there are far too many charcoal braziers in here. The smoke and toxic gases they produce are major factors triggering your illness. Please have the windows opened and the braziers removed immediately." Yun Hao was already feeling lightheaded, a clear symptom of oxygen deprivation. Heaven only knew if he was about to suffer carbon monoxide poisoning, so it was best to eliminate the hazard as quickly as possible.

"Brother Yun, my mother's constitution is weak. Besides, without charcoal braziers in the dead of winter, people will freeze to death." Hearing Yun Hao's words, Luo Cheng grew anxious at once. In Beiping's winters, people freezing to death was hardly novel news; any day of the week, the patrolling guards could haul away a cartload of frozen corpses.

"Brother Luo can send someone to my residence to have a stove transported over here. That device does not produce toxic gas, and it is far superior to a brazier for heating." Witnessing Beiping's bitter cold, Yun Hao's entrepreneurial instincts had long been itching. If he partnered with the Luo family to manufacture and sell these stoves and honeycombed coal briquettes, it would unlock yet another massive vault of wealth.

"Oh, very well!"

At that moment, a servant entered carrying a freshly pressed bowl of radish juice. Lady Qin disliked the taste of radish, but since Yun Hao claimed it would alleviate her suffering, she pinched her nose and gulped it down.

As the small bowl of radish juice went down, Lady Qin immediately felt her breathing grow noticeably smoother. The medicinal effect was miraculous, cool and soothingly pleasant, and the results were practically instantaneous. Though she had initially looked down slightly upon this young child, it turned out he genuinely possessed some skill.

Seeing his mother's complexion improve, Luo Cheng's confidence surged as well. He grabbed Yun Hao and asked eagerly, "Brother Yun, if there are any other medical instructions, please tell us all."

"Actually, these aren't really medical instructions. Things like these tapestries and carpets are detrimental to Her Highness's condition and must all be removed. Furthermore, bedding, blankets, and similar items used by Her Highness should be taken outside and aired out on sunny days." Dust mites not only caused skin diseases but also inflicted severe damage on the respiratory tract, and furry items were the absolute easiest breeding ground for mites.

Uncovering a tapestry to reveal the white frost caked onto the walls, Yun Hao began to understand why walls of this era were completely covered in hanging tapestries. These items weren't merely decorative; they also served an insulation purpose. No doubt the ancestors of the Xianbei tribe had done the exact same thing back when they lived in tents.

"Alright, hurry up and clear these things away! Didn't you hear? These items are worsening my mother's condition." Luo Cheng directed the maidservants to tear down all the tapestries and carpets and toss them outside.

Lady Qin had no idea how these furnishings were connected to her illness, but the radish juice had undeniably boosted her confidence, so she tacitly allowed Luo Cheng to run her maids ragged.

"What else?" Luo Cheng asked immediately after discarding the blankets.

"Actually, this isn't a medical prescription either, just a tiny little trick that can alleviate Her Highness's symptoms." Yun Hao walked over to the small table in front of Lady Qin and casually picked up a peeled mandarin orange peel. True to an aristocratic household, they had fresh mandarins to eat even in the dead of winter. Presumably, southern fruits with such long shelf lives were the only ones capable of being transported northward.

"Wash the mandarin peel, cut it into shreds, pour boiling water over it, cover it tightly, and let it steep warmly for half an hour. Drink it as tea." Yun Hao's explanation was concise and to the point; mandarin peel tea was indeed a traditional folk remedy for respiratory illnesses.

"This thing can cure illnesses?" Lady Qin looked at the orange peel in Yun Hao's hand with some skepticism. She had never heard of such a useless scrap being able to heal the sick.

"Yes, drinking this as tea does indeed have therapeutic effects on Her Highness's condition."