Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

When Xiao Xiao arrived at Prince Rui's mansion today, she happened to meet Lu Baixu and Xiao Ce at the gate, so she followed them directly to Yunqi Courtyard.

Inside the Yunqi Academy hall, by the time Lu Baixu was taking Mu Wanning's pulse, she was already sweating profusely from the tip of her nose.

Although Chuixing Courtyard isn't as warm as Yunqi Courtyard, it's still not cold at all.

Compared to that, Yuehuayuan was no different from an ice cellar.

Xiao Xiao quickened her pace. When they left Yunqi Courtyard together, they were heading towards Chuixing Courtyard. Not long had passed, and Brother Bai Xu should still be there. It would be best if he could go and treat Sister-in-law Xi.

When she arrived at Chuixing Courtyard, panting, she pushed open the study door, bringing in a gust of cold wind.

Xiao Ce was engrossed in his book when he looked up blankly and saw her face flushed. She slowly closed the book she had just opened.

"Didn't they go to the Yuehuayuan Academy?"

"Brother Bai Xu is gone?!"

"I'm gone."

He answered casually, always with that relaxed demeanor.

"Brother Ce, you've gone too far! I originally thought you just disliked Sister-in-law Xi, but I never imagined the Prince Rui's mansion would treat her so harshly!"

Xiao Xiao strode towards the desk, her voice urgent and angry.

Mistreated her?

Xiao Ce frowned. She said they should live in peace, and they had been living in harmony ever since. He really couldn't see how this could be considered mistreatment.

"Sister-in-law Xi has caught a very bad cold, it's a pity Brother Bai Xu just left..."

Xiao Xiao's eyes reddened with anxiety, and she made no attempt to hide her anger.

"Didn't the servants at Yuehua Courtyard go to fetch the imperial physician?"

Xiao Xiao slowly lowered her eyes and turned the book back to its original page.

"Brother Ce, Sister-in-law Xi is your lawfully wedded wife, yet she is so ill and no one in the household cares! In her Moonlit Courtyard, the heating is off, and good medicine is not used. A dignified princess of Chu, suffering from a cold, can only rely on the little medicine she brought from Chu to get through it!"

"No ground heating?" Xiao Ce looked up. The affairs of the manor had always been handled by his mother. Neither his father nor he and his brother ever interfered in these matters.

When he first learned that she was marrying into the Prince Rui's mansion, his mother probably just casually prepared a courtyard for her. He had seen the desolation and loneliness of that courtyard before.

Only then did he suddenly remember that the Du family physician seemed to have taken leave recently. Hadn't she gone out of the manor to fetch a doctor?

Xiao Ce closed the book in his hand again, his expression gradually becoming gloomy.

"Lu Ming, go and fetch a doctor."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Yongle, you go back first."

"I still need to go see Sister-in-law Xi. She's been coughing nonstop ever since I got there, and I haven't even had a chance to say two words to her!"

"Go back, otherwise you might catch a cold."

"But……"

"Your presence will disturb her rest."

"Oh well."

Not long after Ling Xi drank the medicine, her eyelids became so heavy that she couldn't lift them, and she drifted off to sleep.

I thought a good night's sleep would help, but before long I started shivering from the cold and curled up in bed with my hands and feet freezing.

When Granny Qi realized something was wrong and reached out to touch her forehead, she found that she had developed a high fever. Granny Qi could no longer sit still and quickly ordered Wushuang to go out of the mansion to fetch a doctor.

Yesterday she was going to ask the Du family doctor for help, but he took leave. Ling Xi also said that colds need to be treated gradually and that it would take two more doses of medicine to see results, so there was no need to make a big fuss.

But now that she saw the person was delirious with fever, Granny Qi dared not delay any longer and only regretted not insisting on going out of the mansion to fetch a doctor yesterday.

Just as Wushuang was about to step out the door, the tightly closed bedroom door was gently pushed open from the outside, and a figure in black slowly walked in, carrying with him a chilly aura from outside.

The people inside were all startled and panicked instantly, so they all knelt down and bowed.

"The Crown Prince?!"

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

No one expected that the Crown Prince would suddenly grace Yuehua Courtyard with his presence.

This was the first time the heir had set foot in Yuehua Courtyard since the princess married into the Prince Rui's mansion. He hadn't even appeared on their wedding night, and his sudden arrival left everyone in the room flustered, heads bowed, barely daring to breathe.

The moment Xiao Ce stepped into the room, he felt a chilling aura surrounding him, just like the bitter cold outside.

He glanced around casually. There were four or five charcoal braziers burning brightly in various places in the room, the charcoal fire crackling, but the room was barely warm.

Perhaps, the Prince Rui's mansion did indeed mistreat her.

He withdrew his gaze and walked straight to the bed, his eyes landing on the person sleeping soundly on it.

Even in her deep sleep, Ling Xi's brows were tightly furrowed, clearly indicating that she was in great discomfort. Her cheeks were flushed, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, dampening the stray hairs at her temples.

Xiao Ce looked down at her weak appearance, a hint of seriousness flashing across his originally indifferent eyes.

"Why wasn't a doctor called?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a faint chill.

Granny Qi's heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward to reply:

"Your Highness, Physician Du is on leave and not at home. The Princess previously said that taking a couple more doses of medicine would be effective. Now that the Princess is unconscious, we were just about to go and fetch a doctor from outside when Your Highness arrived first."

Xiao Ce did not respond, but leaned down slightly and reached out to touch Ling Xi's forehead. As soon as his fingertips touched it, he was burned by the scalding temperature and his brows furrowed.

He quickly withdrew his hand, his fingertips twitching unconsciously, his eyes growing even colder. The crowd was so frightened by his expression that they dared not breathe, lowering their heads and remaining silent.

"Bring her cloak."

Although she didn't understand why the prince wanted the princess's cloak, Pei Lan quickly took it off the clothes rack and presented it to him respectfully with both hands.

Xiao Ce took the cloak and carefully lifted Ling Xi up, first wrapping her up tightly with the cloak, then taking off his own cloak and wrapping it around her again.

The servants in the room watched helplessly as their princess was wrapped up and carried out of Yuehua Courtyard.

When Ling Xi opened her eyes again, she was greeted by a smoky gray bed curtain she had never seen before. She turned her head blankly, and the surrounding furnishings were even more unfamiliar.

She felt dizzy and weak all over, unable to even lift a finger.

"Princess! You're awake?"

Ling Xi didn't answer; she didn't have the strength. Pei Lan first fed Ling Xi hot water, then half a bowl of hot porridge, and Ling Xi finally felt a little bit of strength return.

"Where is this?"

"This is the Crown Prince's bedroom."

Pei Lan was overjoyed to see that the princess was finally able to wake up and eat something. Ling Xi, however, almost coughed up the mouthful of porridge she had just swallowed.

"Cough cough cough... Where do you think we are?!"

"The Crown Prince's bedroom."

Perrin patted the back of her hand to soothe her breathing while holding the remaining half bowl of porridge in the other hand.

"Xiao Ce's bedroom?"

Ling Xi's eyes widened in disbelief, as if she were in a nightmare.

"Yes, not long after Princess Xiaoxiao left yesterday, the young master went to Yuehua Courtyard. Seeing that the princess was so ill, he carried her to Chuixing Courtyard and even invited the best doctor in Jinling City for her!"