Chapter 60 - What Should I Do?
The boat had been sailing for three days under calm and sunny weather, without a single drop of rain. During the nights, attendants and their wives took turns to keep watch.
On that particular night, Luo Xiaoliu urgently knocked on Zuo Shaoyan's door and said, “Uncle… Great Lord… Lord Third is in trouble…”
One of the maids opened the door slightly and grumbled, “You're pushing your luck! Look at the hour; I'm already asleep!”
“Sister Qiong, could you please inform Master San that he's unwell, suffering from severe vomiting and appears quite ill. I had no choice but to disturb him,” Luo Xiaoliu pleaded.
“Are you seasick? You can get some medicine from the boatman,” the maidservant replied impatiently.
“No…” Luo Xiaoliu's face showed concern as he heard a low, hoarse voice from inside. He shouted into the room without hesitation, “Uncle, it's Lil' Six. San Ye is extremely ill. Please help.”
After a brief pause, Zuo Shaoyan emerged from his room, draped in a thick fox fur coat. Annoyed, he asked, “Explain clearly, what's wrong with Third Brother?”
Luo Xiaoliu then recounted everything he had observed, describing the vomiting, diarrhea, pale complexion, and a red rash on Zuo Shaoqing's body that made him appear near death.
Alarmed by the severity of the situation, Zuo Shaoyan wasted no time and followed Luo Xiaoliu into Zuo Shaoqing's room.
Inside, they found only a charcoal brazier to stave off the cold. The dim light revealed a figure wrapped in thick blankets on the bed, with Nanny Liu wiping away tears.
Zuo Shaoyan rushed forward and lowered the blanket, revealing Zuo Shaoqing's delicate face. He examined him closely and noticed his unusually pale complexion and the heat radiating from his forehead when he touched it.
“Third brother…” “Shao Qing…” Zuo Shaoyan called out softly, his eyelids twitching, but there was no response.
Tearfully, Nanny Liu explained, “Master San hasn't been feeling well for days and hasn't eaten much. The old servants assumed it was seasickness and didn't pay much attention. But tonight, he suddenly developed a high fever and a rash. It doesn't seem like seasickness at all.”
Since there was no doctor on board, only a boatman with some knowledge of medicine, Zuo Shaoyan wasted no time in calling the boatman for assistance.
The boatman entered respectfully and carefully examined Zuo Shaoqing's condition. He pulled Zuo Shaoqing's arm out of the quilt, felt his smooth, pale wrist, and began to assess his pulse with a concerned expression.
After some time, he finally released Zuo Shaoqing's hand and raised the blanket to loosen Zuo Shaoqing's belt.
While it wasn't an unusual procedure for a physician, Nanny Liu, who had been observing him closely, felt the boatman's gaze was inappropriate and instinctively slapped his hand away. “What are you doing?” she scolded. “I've never heard of doctors undressing patients during a pulse examination!”
The boatman remained unruffled. He rubbed his hands together and took a step back, calmly remarking, “If you don't investigate, how will you ever know?”
Just then, Zuo Shaoqing awoke. Initially disoriented, he surveyed his surroundings and inquired of Zuo Shaoyang, “Why are you here? What's wrong with me?”
After hearing Nanny Liu's brief explanation, he cleared his throat and helped Nanny Liu sit up, leaning against the headboard. He addressed the boatman, “I apologize for the overcautiousness of my wet nurse. We're all men here, and there's no harm in taking a look.” With that, he began unfastening his undergarments.
A sinister gleam flashed in the boatman's eyes as he approached with a smile, deliberately applying some oil to Zuo Shaoqing's chest before scrutinizing it carefully.
His sudden exclamation startled everyone as he stepped back, pointing at Zuo Shaoqing in disbelief. “This… it's so small!” He realized with dread that he had touched it several times earlier.
“What?” Everyone was taken aback. Zuo Shaoyan's maidservants, who had accompanied him, quickly shielded Master Zuo from any potential infection.
Nanny Liu lamented and threw herself onto the bed, weeping sorrowfully. “My Lord Third, why must you suffer…”
Zuo Shaoyan calmly pushed aside the elderly woman in front of him but refrained from advancing further. He turned to the boatman and inquired, “Are you certain?”
“With Third Master Zuo's symptoms and the rash on his body, it's undoubtedly smallpox!” The boatman declared before promptly leaving the room, leaving the others behind. He hastened to cleanse his hands thoroughly with soap and horn before reporting the situation to the captain.
In the room, everyone gazed at Zuo Shaoyan with questioning expressions. “What should we do now?”
“Dawn is approaching. Once we reach the next port, we'll seek a physician's diagnosis for Shao Qing. We can decide on our course of action afterward.”
Despite his words, deep down, everyone knew the symptoms strongly suggested smallpox. In their world, surviving smallpox was unheard of.
The most terrifying aspect was its contagious nature. Those surrounding Zuo Shaoyan cast unfriendly glances at Zuo Shaoqing. If San Ye perished and implicated San Ye and themselves, even a thousand deaths wouldn't suffice to atone for it.
The head maid from earlier suggested, “We shouldn't linger here any longer; it wouldn't be right to disturb San Ye's rest.”
Subsequently, only Zuo Shaoqing and the two servants remained in the room. As the door closed behind them, Nanny Liu burst into loud sobs, her cries echoing throughout the vicinity, prompting Zuo Shaoqing to abruptly sit up in bed. Only then did she gradually lower her voice.
She used a handkerchief to dab at the tears in the corners of her eyes, approached Zuo Shaoqing, and whispered, “Master, if we proceed with this plan, there's a risk Uncle might find out later. We might not reap any benefits from it.”
Zuo Shaoqing stretched his body, drained a cup of cold tea to ease the feverish sensations, and adjusted the blankets that nearly suffocated him. To feign illness, he had covered himself with not only two thick quilts but also several elderly women, making him feel uncomfortably warm.
“Don't fret; he'll remain oblivious,” Zuo Shaoqing reassured as he fetched a nearby basin and used a damp cloth to wipe away the faux red rash on his skin. It was dark outside, ensuring that the sporadic red spots he had created remained concealed.
By the time they reached the port, it was nearly noon. Zuo Shaoqing still appeared weak, wrapped in a blanket as if awaiting his impending demise.
Zuo Shaoyan instructed Luo Xiaoliu to seek a doctor. Given their unfamiliarity with the area, it took Luo Xiaoliu four hours to locate a silver-haired man with graying temples.
The doctor spoke in a thick local dialect, but fortunately, his accompanying medicine boys were proficient in the official language and began translating.
After assessing Zuo Shaoqing's pulse, he inquired about his symptoms and dietary habits over the past few days.
The medicine boy swiftly translated: “My master believes that this young master's constitution is excessively frail, and his previous injuries haven't fully healed. The long journey has taken a toll on his well-being. It's advisable for him to rest for a few days before continuing.”
“Not smallpox, then?” Everyone breathed a sigh of relief privately. No one wished to confront such a calamity upon setting foot outside the room.
“Why would it be smallpox?” The medicine boy, with his big black eyes, asked disdainfully, “Who mentioned smallpox?”
In the room, the boatman who had taken Zuo Shaoqing's pulse persisted, “He's experiencing diarrhea, a high fever, and a rash. If it's not smallpox, then what is it?”
The Old Doctor remained silent. After hearing his disciple's translation, he shot an angry glare at the boatman and launched into a lengthy explanation.
“My master contends that the vomiting and diarrhea stem from seasickness, while the high fever results from the young master's weak constitution. As for the rash on his body, it may have been caused by the anxious servant who attended to him.”
Nanny Liu glanced at everyone in embarrassment, as did the boatman. Her eyes welled up with tears as she reproached them and concluded, “I told you all along that I know nothing about medicine, yet you insisted on having me examine him. It's not my fault!” With that, she fled, disheartened.
In the rear of the gathering, Zuo Shaoqing observed her departure as if he had conceived a revelation. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, tinged with relief at narrowly escaping danger.
Zuo Shaoyan waved his hand, saying, “Alright, since it's not smallpox, there shouldn't be a significant issue. Let's have the doctor prescribe some medication.”
The Old Doctor stressed, after finishing the prescription, “You must rest well for a considerable period; otherwise, continuing on this path could cost you half your life.”
Zuo Shaoyan directed his men to escort the doctor and his disciple out, then sent Luo Xiaoliu to purchase the medicine. Afterwards, he furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
Zuo Shaoqing noticed his brother's unease and suggested, “Brother, why don't you and the others proceed? I'm afraid my recovery will take some time. I wouldn't want to slow you down.”
Zuo Shaoyan firmly replied, “What are you saying? We're brothers, and we embark on this journey together, so we should stay together. There's no reason to leave our ailing little brother behind.”
Zuo Shaoqing looked at him with emotion in his eyes, tears glistening, “Brother, I know you care for me deeply, but we're on a tight schedule to reach the capital for the examination. If my condition delays the Conference Test, I'll forever carry the burden of guilt.”
Seeing Zuo Shaoyan's wavering resolve, he continued, “Moreover, I'm not accustomed to life on this ship. I'd prefer to leave the mainland and rejoin you once we reach the capital. What do you think about me finding our elder brother?”
His sincere proposal seemed advantageous to both parties, so Zuo Shaoyan didn't object. He said, “Traveling with just the three of you would be too risky. I'll leave Senior Qin and Cheng Gui with you. Remember to be cautious on the journey.”
Though Zuo Shaoqing didn't wish to retain the two servants, he couldn't find a valid reason to decline, so he accepted.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢