Chapter 28: The Sky Has Fallen

Mei Xianghan was guided to a bed by an attendant at the Jishi Hall. The taut nerves of Jian Aozhu and her companions eased slightly. It was said that the divine physician Sun possessed such profound medical skill that he could bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to withered bones.

Taking advantage of a moment while the physician was attending to the patient, Chunxi slipped out, unhitched a horse from their carriage, and secretly returned to the Minister’s residence to relay the news to the master and mistress. Upon hearing the report, Mei Songtao, the Minister of Works, and his wife, Madam Jin, felt as though the heavens had collapsed upon them.

A man who had navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for years, Mei Songtao maintained a steady, composed demeanor. He immediately summoned the family physician, who was dedicated to his son’s health, and set off for the Jishi Hall. Madam Jin, who doted on her only son, was shattered; by the time they reached the hall, she had to be supported by her maidservant just to descend from the carriage.

"My son! My poor child!"

The arrival of the elder Meis caught Jian Aozhu and Zhang Yan off guard. A chill ran down their spines, and they trembled uncontrollably.

"Lord Mei, Madam Mei..." Jian Aozhu stammered. "The divine physician Sun is treating him inside. He is a master of medicine; there is no need for you two to be overly worr—"

*Slap!*

Mei Songtao merely stood with a furrowed brow and a cold, grim expression, but Madam Jin was different. She strode forward and struck Jian Aozhu, leaving her head spinning and ears ringing.

"You shameless little harlot! You lured my son out in the dead of night, causing him to be beaten by your fiancé and triggering his critical illness... Let me tell you this: if anything happens to my son, even if you were of royal blood, let alone the concubine-born daughter of a third-rank general's household, I would never let you off."

Madam Jin’s face was twisted, her bared teeth appearing truly terrifying. She held a position of prestige; her father was the former Grand Chancellor Jin Ziguang, a trusted official appointed by the late Emperor to safeguard the young heir. Mei Songtao’s rapid ascent to become one of the Six Ministers of the imperial court by the age of forty was due entirely to the path paved by his father-in-law. Consequently, Madam Jin had always been arrogant, never tolerating the slightest harm to her son. Jian Aozhu dared not talk back; she clutched her stinging face and swallowed her bitterness in silence.

Madam Jin noticed the dragon-pearl hairpin in Jian Aozhu’s hair and snatched it back with a swift motion. "This is a precious heirloom of our Minister’s residence. Are you even worthy of wearing it? Do not soil our family’s belongings."

Jian Aozhu’s eyes burned with humiliation and hatred. *Just wait,* she thought. *I will return this humiliation tenfold in the future.*

Madam Jin then pointed a finger at Zhang Yan, wishing she could tear him apart. "And you! Failing to control your own woman proves you are useless, a waste, a coward. Letting her run around and act so recklessly, daring to lay hands on my son—you had better pray he is alright, or I will have your life to pay for his."

Madam Jin’s words were sharp as a blade, cutting and cruel. Having regained some composure, Zhang Yan stood like a chastised child, not even daring to meet her venomous gaze. His own father was merely a sixth-rank regional military commander, far below the status of the Jian family, to say nothing of the Mei or Jin clans.

"Doctor Wang, go inside and take a look as well," Mei Songtao commanded.

"Yes, my lord."

Seeing that there had been no news from within, Mei Songtao sent the family physician to join the consultation. About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the door creaked open. The group, suffering through their ordeal, rushed forward as the divine physician Sun and Doctor Wang emerged.

"Divine physician, how is my son?"

The esteemed physician, usually of impeccable grace, now disregarded all decorum. He was clad only in his white undergarments, and his expression was grim. It was the look that the family of any patient feared most. Madam Jin’s knees gave way, and tears streamed down her face. Mei Songtao prepared himself for the worst.

"Divine physician..." Jian Aozhu whispered, her own anxiety no less than that of the parents. After all, Mei Xianghan was her only escape from a life of misery and her gateway to wealth and prestige.

Whether they were in heaven or hell now rested entirely on the words of the divine physician. Sun surveyed the faces of those gathered and then fixed his gaze on Mei Songtao, who remained the most composed of the lot. "Sir, might we step aside to speak?"

"Please, physician."

Doctor Wang followed, and the three moved to a corner to confer in hushed tones. Moments later, Mei Songtao looked as though he had been struck by lightning. Even with his immense capacity for self-control, he nearly fainted on the spot.

"What did you say?"

The physician shook his head and sighed. "Doctor Wang has examined him as well; his conclusion is no different from mine."

It was only when Doctor Wang nodded in affirmation that Mei Songtao’s heart truly withered. He seemed to age ten years in an instant. His beloved son, the legitimate heir of the Mei family, a successful candidate in the provincial examinations—a man poised to achieve great honors in the imperial examinations next spring—was now...

"My lord, this matter should not be spread; let us return to the residence first," Doctor Wang urged. Mei Xianghan’s life had been preserved for the moment; things had not yet reached the absolute worst, and they had to keep their composure.

Mei Songtao walked toward the carriage like a man who had lost his soul, ignoring even his wife’s desperate calls.

"My lord, what is it? Tell me! Oh, my son..." Madam Jin wailed, feeling the sky collapsing. "Is my son gone? Is he gone?" She collapsed, her body limp.

Doctor Wang stepped forward to console her. "Madam, the young master is fine. He is stable. Let us return to the residence first."