The cold night was pitch-black and biting.
Yet inside Ruizhu Palace, it was warm as spring.
The Luminous Pearl in the corner emitted a gentle glow, illuminating the splendid inner hall.
Bai Zhi’er’s soft black hair draped over her shoulders, her small body buried under the covers.
Her big eyes blinked as she pondered how to make money.
Brother Fu Ce surely wasn’t wealthy either.
She had asked Sister Qingmei tonight.
As a marquis, even if the monthly salary is high, receiving 200 taels each month.
But over two thousand taels would require Feng Fuce to work strenuously for more than ten months.
Bai Zhi’er thought about how hard Feng Fuce worked, yet she had nearly spent a year’s worth of his salary.
The little one’s heart couldn’t bear it!
Just then, a coughing sound came from outside the door.
Qingmei’s concerned voice followed.
"Le Qiu, are you sick? I’ve heard you’ve been coughing for almost two days now."
The palace servant named Le Qiu was a second class night watch servant in Ruizhu Palace.
At this moment, her voice was somewhat hoarse: "Probably caught a chill while on duty the other night, and my head feels heavy."
"Have you been to the Imperial Hospital?"
"I have, but these days, many palace attendants have caught a chill. The Imperial Hospital is very busy, and they haven’t even checked my pulse, just gave a prescription to decoct myself."
Qingmei reached out to touch Le Qiu’s head.
"Oh dear! You have a fever, your body feels hot. How can you be on duty ? Let me replace you tonight. You should go back and get a good sleep first."
Le Qiu indeed felt unwell, thus did not decline.
After thanking Qingmei, she left.
After a while, Qingmei summoned a little eunuch for errands.
"With so many people catching a chill recently, I’m afraid it might spread, which would be terrible for the Princess’ health. Go to the Imperial Hospital and collect some extra prescriptions. After you return, brew them into medicinal juice, ensuring everyone in Ruizhu Palace drinks a little."
The little eunuch mumbled: "Those prescriptions from the Imperial Hospital are just broth; drinking them doesn’t seem to cure anything."
Qingmei tapped his head: "Don’t speak rashly, the effect is just slow."
The little eunuch quickly nodded: "Understood, Sister Qingmei."
"Go on, quickly now and hurry back."
After giving instructions, Qingmei turned and entered the hall.
At this hour, the little princess should be drifting off to sleep.
The Emperor had intended to come by to tell a story tonight.
But tangled in state affairs, he couldn’t make it for the time being.
Qingmei was about to cover the Luminous Pearl with a cloth.
However, she saw Bai Zhi’er with her big, black, watery eyes wide open, looking obediently at her.
Qingmei couldn’t help but be surprised and smiled as she asked, "Your Highness, why aren’t you asleep yet?"
Bai Zhi’er, in a soft voice, said: "Sister Qingmei, does someone catch a chill and get sick every winter?"
"Yes indeed," Qingmei came forward and tucked the little one’s quilt corner: "Every year, people catch a cold. This illness comes fiercely and can be contagious. If you accidentally catch the virus, it causes trouble."
"However, Your Highness need not worry, the Imperial Hospital is experienced in dealing with this, it just heals slowly."
Nonetheless, those palace attendants who catch a cold might have to be replaced.
There are rules in the palace that anyone close to the Emperor or Princess, if seriously ill, cannot stay to serve any longer.
Bai Zhi’er murmured: "It’s a cold..."
She gazed at the bed curtain in thought.
The palace is , surely the common people are too.
If she wrote a prescription that worked quickly.
And then asked Fourth Brother to help sell it at the price of one tael per sheet.
In a regular household, they could earn ten taels of silver a month.
One tael per sheet, it shouldn’t be considered expensive.
Selling a hundred sheets would fetch one hundred taels!
The rest she could save up slowly!
Surely she could repay Brother Fu Ce’s money.
Thinking of this, Bai Zhi’er closed her watery eyes and fell asleep peacefully.