Chapter (25): Investigation

On the river, a ship was dancing on the thunderous waves and moved forward. As if dragons were storming in war. Some of the passengers had gotten sea sickness due to the unbalanced ups and downs. Times passed and they were embarked on the harbor Capital.

...

A wagon stopped by at the gates of Yu state, the capital of the Mei reign, a chubby woman stepped out. Stretching her body, "Ah, it's been a long time since I came here, so many changes." Her palm rested on her belly, "ah, my stomach still hurts."

She sneered widely, blocking the path after seeing gates, it didn't matter, right? It cost her an arm and a leg but they were here...

"Hey, go away! You don't let us get down!" another woman growled and faced those sharp flaring eyes of the chubby woman who was cleaning her teeth with a toothpick.

"Huh, you'll be there unless I pass you the way!" she answered, unnervingly.

"Hey, get lost!" the shouts came from backward of the woman and she shrugged, letting them go through push, she was strong, and neither of them could move her.

Smirking mischievously, she walked away and everyone in the wagon fell on each other. She laughed and strode away, keeping her bundle tightly.

"Where are you, Li Shu? Do you think that is easy to mislead me, you crafty wench?" her eyes sparkled as she passed the gate and entered the crowd of streets.

…

Early in the morning, Li Shu woke up while the middle of her eyebrows wrinkled, and her skin and lips were pale. She constricted her knees up to her chest and hugged them, gulping.

"Chaoxiang!!" screaming his name, the man wasn't the only one who stormed inside, yanking the door back.

"Oh, my heavens, Li Shu what is happening?" It was Ke Xin.

"Are you blind? I'm in pain!" she growled when her voice was running out through her teeth.

"Oh, you are on your period!" Chaoxiang stated and let out a breath.

Ke Xin blushed, her brother was too straight about this. Closing her eyes, she said, "I am going to take some medicine from the infirmary!"

She dashed out while still holding her breath, Li Shu was truly in pain while Ke Xin never had such a problem. Running outside, before getting close to the infirmary, the ladyship called her name.

"Ke Xin, how many times I must remark that a lady shouldn't run around like this?"

Ke Xin's mind was blank and panicked, even her tongue had lost its previous skill, they left her mouth rapidly which made the ladyship let out a deep sigh! Embarrassing!

"I swear to heavens that none of the words you uttered could make sense."

Swallowing the air, the maiden brought ease to her lungs, "Li Shu is in period pain so I am going to take medicine, she is roaring like a dragon! Her face is as pale as a corpse."

The woman frowned, "Go attend on the princess, she is having breakfast, I will take care of Li Shu."

The girl clenched her skirt, how could she go to the princess in a situation like this? The princess will realize it certainly.

"Yes, milady!" she bowed and left with slouched shoulders.

"Straight up your chest!"

Ke Xin pouted, "Do you have eyes behind you! Can't you just be sincere in urgent cases! Ah, poor Li Shu." she growled under her breath.

The ladyship walked inside the infirmary, dismissing the maidens with her to take care of the kitchen in her absence. Seeing one of the nurses, she asked, "where is physician Lu Mingyu?"

The nurse bowed, and answered, "The physician is in the dispensary, Ladyship Ma."

The old woman drew her way to the physician, the man was checking the herbs and taking notes. "the viper's bugloss has decreased, add it to the list." The man told his assistant.

Physician Lu Mingyu was a young half-breed man, his mother was from Sheed and his father was a physician from Di. Being skillful and passing the royal tests led the man here, and made him the princess's personal physician.

"Ah, lady Ma, how can I help you?"

"Come, physician Lu Mingyu, we need you to provide medicine for the princess's new maiden."

The physician grasped who she was talking about, everywhere was coming news of Li Shu, and he couldn't deny that he was keen to see the girl. Yesterday, he checked the princess's health and Fu Liu mentioned the girl.

"What are her signs?"

The woman pointed with her finger, wishing him to get closer, "Like our princess, she has terrible period pain."

The physician's eyes widened; the poor girl must have been suffering from harsh torsion of the muscles.

"Viper's bugloss tea is good for now; she must have had sweet lately that it had worsened it."

Heading for a box he picked some of the herbs and pointed to the door, "Let's see how horrible her situation is, if she had alcoholic drinks, she might have been vomiting by now."

Back to the residence, Li Shu asked for a jar to throw up, her stomach was burning like hell and this time had gotten worse than either time, remembering last night, she cussed, she shouldn't have drunk. How could she forget the date? Aunt Go Ju's remedy always could work and she didn't bother to take some of it.

"Chao, my guts are coming out!"

"Yichen had seen Ke Xin running to the infirmary." He was wearing a devilish smirk that annoyed her.

"What is that face? Are you happy that I am dying?"

He shook his head, standing up, he said, "I am going to make pads for you."

The girl nodded and with her hand showed the door. But it felt great that Ke Xin was serving her unconditionally, or at least it was unconditional so far.

Feeling the wetness on her cheeks, even her lips had gotten salty, why did she want to cry? From now onward, she would beg the heavens to send out the night sooner therefore, all of it would go away.

"This shouldn't happen!" her voice shivered; she was crying. Why was she even crying? Her nerves were pricked.

"I must investigate, time is passing, I don't want to live like this!" all her struggles and pains all of a sudden were screening in her mind. Tending to get on her feet, she fell again, with her back crooked.

"Lady Li Shu, physician Lu Mingyu is here."

Why? Why should they come now that her emotions were galvanized?

"Come in!" she couldn't send them away. Who would send her savior away? She wasn't mad, right? At least not yet, perhaps soon if she doesn't take her like back as a man.

The door ran wide and the ladyship came inside with the physician who turned to Chao and stated, "Do You have boiled water?"

"Yes, I'll bring you some." His eyes averted on his grace; she was crying! Dang it, she has been changing a lot lately. They must break this damn curse and come back home otherwise; the king of Di would be disappointed.

They didn't want the prince to lose his position, if he did lose it with the lowest possibility, all his siblings were heading to kill him. Fearing that he would rise to the upside-down throne they got.

Li Shu found the pain suffocating, this time. Initially, it was always painful but this time it was tormenting her.

"Li Shu, this is the princess physician, Lu Mingyu."

The ladyship instructed and the man approached, sitting beside the girl, he snatched his eyes from hers who was staring at him startled.

"The princess has such a gorgeous physician!"

The Ladyship coughed, biting her lower lip to suppress her laughter. This girl should display the other side of her pretty face at first sight.

Why did the guy blush? How stupid, why was he checking the princess, should not it be an old man or lady? It seems that Li Shu was wrong, she wasn't the only man who saw her body! Her blood was thundering in her veins. Why did she have so many men around her! It was not bearable!

Finding herself, she shrugged off the distracting thoughts, why did he care at all? It didn't matter, right? He wasn't a man to fling around a princess like the rest of the princes that had queued to marry her. How dumb is it to travel a whole land to marry a princess, what a cheap belief!

Taking her hand, the girl flinched and snapped Mingyu's hand! He exchanged a glance with the ladyship!

"Please let him, check your pulses! Don't be shy!"

Shy! Sobbing and gasping for air she replied, "I am not being shy! I don't like people touching me."

The young man nodded, "I understand but if I don't touch your skin, I wouldn't be able to hear your pulse. I'm afraid to give you a wrong remedy that might threaten your life."

Li Shu closed her eyes and extended her hand, tears were welling down on her cheek. It was embarrassing that they were seeing such an awkward shade of him. No one should realize who Li Shu was, her prestige as a prince would be downed in the abyss of hell if they discovered it.