Chapter Text
cough cough...
"Your highness if you're not well then you should stay in bed." Feng Xin spoke firmly as he patted Xie Lian on the back as he coughed into a handkerchief, Mu Qing nodded, "I can just relay the message that you're sick and won't be able to show." the prince only shook his head, "I'm fine, just a little something in my throat, surely I can attend," he waved his free hand as he folded his handkerchief shut with his other, not letting either get a glimpse of what he had coughed up, "There's no need to worry others if I choked on a stray fish bone you know." the two attendants didn't look convinced as they looked at Xie Lian and then each other, both having the same worries ringing out in their heads.
"But your highness-"
They were both silenced as he lifted his hand, signalling them to go quiet again, they were silent for some time before they conceded to his words and continued forward at his side, they didn't have any true evidence that Xie Lian was sick, let alone that he truly hadn't just choked and coughed out a tiny fish bone from lunch, afterall, they hadn't been able to see the handkerchief and what Xie Lian was hiding within it, keeping it tight in his hand.
Down the hall watching them go were Qianqiu and Jinshi, the older of the two looked down at the younger, "I saw something red in that." he whispered, Jinshi nodded, "Me too." the two had long started to suspect something was amiss but similar to Xie Lian's two attendants they had no proof, Qianqiu's attendant sighed as he looked at them, "It's impolite to spy on-..." he was about to continue before he was met by the look both young men had, a look of deep worry and concern, one that could not be culled by simple sayings of it being impolite to spy and peek into the eldest's business.
"We need to get him to see a doctor he's clearly sick." Qianqiu spoke firmly, Jinshi considered it as the other continued to argue with his attendant, "What if he got poisoned and no one noticed? What if he's caught something horrible?" the attendant paused as he considered it before he shook his head, "Your highness there is a chance that we might harm his image if we send for a doctor without strong evidence, a hunch can't get you an explanation." Jinshi bit the inside of his cheek, if it was at any other time, maybe, just maybe they would have been able to easily hail a doctor to see Xie Lian, but at that moment two imperial concubines were due to give birth and they couldn't exactly just draw attention away from them without strong reason.
Jinshi did study medicine to a degree but he didn't have the knowledge near necessary to be able to look at him impartially and diagnose the problem, his bias would get in the way. He wasn't listening to the two arguing but his thoughts were drawn to a specific person...
In his room alone he poked around and found a hair stick, a woman's one, a wooden stick with a crudely carved pattern at the top, "Maomao..." he whispered to himself as she suddenly returned to his memories, her face and the fun they had, and the idea she had to become an apothecary, her insistence in the matter at that...
Jinshi was struck with a bright idea, she could be perfect option for someone to see to Xie Lian and be able to keep it secret what happened with the prince to outsiders, afterall, if news got out...
He quickly shook his head and formulated a plan to evade all of the attendants and guards, he found his uniform robes, a pair of trousers and a simple shirt, both a darker color, he took the hair stick and placed it into his hair after tying all of his hair into a tight top knot with a piece of black ribbon. "Feng Xin and Mu Qing haven't been patrolling like they used to, too busy worried about Xie-ge." He peeked outside of his window, "Guards aren't in high quantity here..." he narrowed his eyes and considered the reason until it clicked in his mind, Qianqiu had the same idea as me didn't he? He shook his head before he made his way out of his room.
The noise and ruckus caused by Qianqiu's behaviour was enough to get Jinshi the chance to leave the palace gates before they noticed he was missing, he quickly jogged and found his own horse, he untied the horse and jumped on her back and started to ride ahead, luckily he didn't attempt to runaway on multiple occasions like his other brother heirs, his routes were not as strongly guarded as theirs, he quickly continued on his way, the horse trotting off to a familiar road, he recalled his memory as best he could, "Where was it Maomao lived...?" he hummed quietly as he looked around cautiously, how far away was he to the estate he had only visited once or twice as a child? Could he trust that Maomao would be able to help him?
He shook his head as he looked at road ahead and made his way forward, his attention kept forward on the mission he had set in his mind, even if Maomao wasn't able to help she knew people who were and that would be more than welcome in the place of complete inaction. The horse moved forward effortlessly under his command and he looked forward, his eyes catching on an oddly familiar house on a hill, he remembered it as Luomen's office and that being where he treated patients, he hadn't seen it in too much detail, only in passing years ago but now he was more than happy to ride up to the small building and knock on the door to ask for assistance, not as the moon prince, but as Jinshi, a boy who was worried for his older brother's health and safety.
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Maomao hummed softly as she made her way through the various shelves and inventory, she shook her head as she looked at them, "We're low on mugwort." she spoke aloud as Luomen lifted his head, "I see, we'll get more in the morning," she nodded and started to look into other shelves and drawers as there was a knock on the door. She perked up and made her way forward and opened it, "Who's there?" as she looked out she was met by the sight of a darkly dressed young man, he looked to be about her age, his robes were close and tight, his violet tinted hair being tied back in a knot and a simple hair stick being in his hair.
"I am Jinshi, I come seeking a physician to heal my brother." he raised his hand, like some sort of left over habit from some long bygone schooling habits that had ingrained themselves into him, she stared at him and then at the hair stick, it was the same one she had given to Jinshi, she blinked as she looked at him before she nodded and let him inside, "Gramps, an old friend came over for some assistance." Luomen nodded as his hands focused on grinding some herbs, "Has he now? Might you help him Maomao? I fear I won't be able to for some time, I have an early appointment in the morning." she nodded as she looked at Jinshi who's eyes started to glow in recognition.
"Maomao?" he repeated a smile growing on his face that made him look a whole decade younger than he really was, she nodded as she brushed off her yellowed apron, "Yes, seems like a lot has happened since we last saw each other," he nodded and sighed, "I wish I wasn't coming for such a grim reason however..." she raised a brow, "Grim reason?" he nodded, "Xie Lian might be dying, he's getting worse by the day, as far as I can tell he's got something similar to consumption but won't get it treated for some reason, or no doctor has managed to figure it out yet." she nodded as she listened and gestured him to sit down across from her on the low table. He sat obediently and started to recount details.
"He experiences frequent coughing, using a handkerchief to catch whatever was stuck in his throat, sometimes it looks red other times pink, I'm not sure as he puts it away as soon as he's done and washes them himself."
Maomao started to take notes on a notepad that had been previously left on the low table, she nodded for him to continue.
"He's been fatigued and especially pale, he's not even had the energy to go and spar with Qianqiu or me," she nodded as she made the notes, he gestured his hand by his head, "He gets these dizzy spells and whenever I try to hand him something he seems to miss the first few times," Maomao nodded as she repeated some parts under her breath, "Coughing, fatigue, dizziness..." she nodded as she looked at the herbs that were to her disposal, I don't have enough to work on just yet...
Jinshi looked at her before an idea clicked in his head, "How about you come into the palace and see him for yourself?" she snapped her head around so fast it would sting for a moment from the sheer speed which she did so, "Are you serious?" he nodded, "I can sneak you in, you just need to dress in dark clothes and it'll be easy to get you in." she considered it, the chances that a stranger like her would just be let into the palace were slim and the chances that Xie Lian would be out in public where she could reach him were even slimmer so she nodded, "I am willing to do so, give me a few minutes." he nodded.
She went to change while Jinshi waited outside, she looked at her things and picked up a small pocket flashlight and some herbs she knew could be brewed into a concoction to help with a cough, her dressed in a dark green men's style hanfu, she looked toward Luomen, "I'll be off." he nodded, "Be safe." she nodded, "I will."
Jinshi hummed as he prepared to jump onto his horse, once Maomao was outside he jumped on and offered his hand to her, she nodded and accepted his hand jumping up and letting him pull her up onto the saddle on the front, "Comfortable?" she nodded, "It's fine enough for me," he nodded, "Alright, we'll be at the palace in a few minutes." he spoke as he snapped the reigns and started to trot forward. She looked forward before she spoke, "How exactly are we going to get in?"
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"I did not think about that."
"Idiot."
The two were silent after a moment before he snapped his fingers, "I can just throw you into the hay before sneaking us around to my room and then Xie-ge's room!" Maomao blinked as she looked up at him, the silence passed for a few minutes as she considered it before she nodded, "That sounds good enough. But how exactly are we going to handle the horse?"
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"We can ditch the horse?"
"Did you seriously not think anything through before coming to get me?"
He was silent as he didn't meet her eye, Maomao shook her head and rubbed her eyes, "I swear. It's like you've never run away from home ever." Jinshi hummed awkwardly as a cold sweat was falling from his brow, she stared at him, blank faced before she face palmed, "Oh good deer this is your first time running away." he nodded before he looked over the path where they were to enter in the palace. The horse stopped as he tugged on the reigns, Maomao looked at the walls and any entrances before she hummed, "We can get in from that window." she pointed, Jinshi narrowed his eyes, "That's Qianqiu's room."
"Lang Qianqiu? The one who played with us at the peach festival all those years ago?" he nodded, they then looked at each other before they shared an agreeing nod, We sneak in through his room. The horse left behind they made their way to the window, hiding in the bushes they listened out for the sounds of others on the inside.
"I can't believe this! I was only trying to get help!"
"Lion prince Lang Qianqiu you must understand it is not appropriate behaviour for you to attempt to leave the palace without permission."
They heard more arguing before the door slammed shut and Lang Qianqiu groaned and fussed, "This is so damn unfair. I am just trying to get help for him and yet I get punished for it this is so stupid!" he groaned and complained, Maomao and Jinshi looked at the window before he reached up and knocked, Lang Qianqiu blinked a few times at the sound and walked over to the window before he opened it, he looked out left and right before Jinshi spoke up, "Down here." he looked and saw Maomao and Jinshi in the bush, crouching and hiding in the foliage.
Lang Qianqiu lit up as he noticed them, "You did it?" he asked in a whisper as he checked around for anyone looking out, before he helped them both into his room, Jinshi nodded, "Yes, I thought she or her grandpa would know something about what we're dealing with." she nodded, "You were trying to get help too?" Lang Qianqiu nodded, "Of course I was! I had to find a way to help him," he smiled as he looked at her, "Thanks for coming all this way." she nodded, "It is what I signed up for, so, how far away is his room?" the two men looked at her and then each other before they groaned, "There's 4 rooms between here and Xie Lian."
Maomao nodded, "Who's room is closest to his?" Jinshi pointed at himself, "Mine," Maomao nodded, "We can go to yours and wait until we get it be quiet." they nodded before Lang Qianqiu looked at Jinshi and Maomao, "I can cause a distraction!" they nodded, "Most thanks." Maomao said before Lang Qianqiu jumped out the window, the two looked after him as the sounds of yelling and shouting started.
"Your cousin hasn't changed much in 10 years."
"I'd say he's a little faster these days."
They quipped before they made their way down the halls, their sneaking drowned out by the sounds of many yelling and chasing after Lang Qianqiu.