The Empress abruptly turned to look at the palace maid beside her, phoenix eyes sharp, a robe of auspicious floral patterns in true red draped over her, setting off her already beautiful face into incomparable brilliance.
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The Crown Princess has unbearable abdominal pain and cannot sleep at night; presumably His Highness the Crown Prince acted in momentary urgency,” the palace maid hurriedly said.
“He is the dignified Crown Prince of a nation—just because of this minor illness of the Crown Princess, is he supposed to loosen his robes and personally attend to her through the entire night?!” The Empress found it absurd even as she spoke, fingers curling as she supported her forehead. “He is not an imperial physician!”
Yet in the present situation, no matter how dissatisfied she was, she could not even mete out punishment.
Just then, a voice announcing arrivals suddenly came from outside Yihe Palace.
“Who has come?” the Empress asked with a frown. Already tense, she could not bear the slightest disturbance.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, His Majesty has once again bestowed medicine,” the eunuch outside raised his voice in reply.
The Empress laughed in extreme anger: “His Majesty is truly considerate.”
When she herself had been ill, the Emperor had not bestowed medicine, nor had he come to visit even once. Now that the Crown Princess was sick, he had sent medicine yesterday and again today—as if reminding her, an outsider, not to treat his daughter-in-law harshly.
To avoid the Pei family, and now she even had to avoid an Emperor who stirred people’s emotions!
Truly absurd.
Compared to the Crown Princess who now lay “ill” in bed, the Empress was more worried about her own son, the Crown Prince.
Even though this calamity had been avoided by using a substitute, she did not know when his own illness would recover—lest the Crown Princess spend her days in harmony with that substitute, deeply affectionate and devoted—what kind of situation would that be!
After a round of polite courtesies, seeing off Eunuch Li and his party, the Empress finally sat back in her chair, body and mind exhausted.
“If Your Majesty is troubled, why not have the Crown Prince and Crown Princess return to the Eastern Palace?” the palace maid beside her asked.
It was not as though there was no residence for the heir apparent within the palace.
“No!” the Empress rejected without hesitation, frowning as she closed her eyes to rest.
Even if she placed informants around them, she could not—nor would she—feel at ease letting a substitute and a Crown Princess ignorant of the truth return alone to the Eastern Palace.
It was too dangerous.
First, the Crown Princess admired the Crown Prince. Although she was currently unwell, newlyweds found it hardest to part, and there were many ways to be close. As long as it did not reach the final step, even if the substitute resisted in every way, there would be times he would have to comply out of fear of arousing the Crown Princess’s suspicion.
If Nanny Zhang were not present, one slap to knock the Crown Princess unconscious would suffice to deal with the matter, and afterward it could be glossed over—but the Emperor had also planted a watcher.
At the thought of Nanny Zhang beside the Crown Princess, like a door god, the Empress felt a thorn lodged in her throat.
Second, feigning illness was meant to delay the banquet, making the Pei family believe that matters had been exposed and they had no choice but to postpone. Noble Consort Pei also held authority to assist in managing the six palaces. If the two of them were not in Yihe Palace, should anything unexpected occur, the Empress might not be able to handle it in time.
The Empress had never encountered such a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
“Where is the Crown Prince now?” She had an intuition that these next few days would not be peaceful, and turned her gaze sideways to ask.
The palace maid bowed and replied, “His Highness the Crown Prince took a brief rest; he is now watching over the Crown Princess as she drinks her medicine.”
“This palace will go visit…” The Empress gave a soft “mm,” but before she could rise, she heard movement outside again. Her body paused, and she could not help but sigh meaningfully, “My Yihe Palace is truly lively today.”
A young eunuch was seen rushing in, kneeling as he spoke: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Second Prince, together with the Seventh Prince and several princesses, has come to pay respects. And as they have not yet met since the wedding, they have also come to visit the Imperial Sister-in-law.”
The Empress’s expression changed, her gaze revealing caution and scrutiny.
“Incidentally?” Nicely put.
The other children were of little importance; it was this Second Prince who must have been summoned into the palace by Noble Consort Pei to probe the Crown Prince.
“Go, quickly inform the Crown Prince that the Second Prince has arrived.” The Empress beckoned, speaking in a low voice to the palace maid at her side. Only after watching her hasten all the way to the side hall did she allow the eunuch to announce the princes and princesses’ audience.
The main hall of Yihe Palace was bustling without rest, tense and oppressive.
But at this moment, the side hall was quiet and peaceful, filled only with the thick smell of medicine.
“Your Highness, it is time to take the medicine.” Nanny Zhang entered carrying another bowl of bitter decoction, and in her other hand a small plate of candied fruits.
Cui Yiyu took the medicine from Nanny Zhang, stirred it with a porcelain spoon; the temperature was just right to drink, only then did he support Lin Yuanjin’s back, letting her sit steadily against the head of the bed. He brought the bowl to her lips, yet saw her shift back slightly, seemingly dissatisfied.
“Will Your Highness not feed me?” Lin Yuanjin blinked, pushing her luck as she spoke.
Cui Yiyu slowly raised his brows, lowered his eyes to glance at the dark, surely bitter medicinal soup, then at Lin Yuanjin. “A short bitterness is worse than a long one?”
He did not mind, but if she drank it spoonful by spoonful, it would likely numb Lin Yuanjin’s sense of taste entirely.
“Since the Crown Princess wishes to suffer—” Cui Yiyu followed her lead, lifting the spoon, scooping a small mouthful, steadily bringing it toward her lips.
“I was joking.” Lin Yuanjin smiled in surrender, pressing the spoon back into the bowl. She raised her hand to cover his, took the bowl, drew a deep breath, held it, and downed it in one gulp.
The bitter medicine entered her throat, instantly flooding her entire mouth, sliding down her throat—bitter from head to heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.
Lin Yuanjin was already pale; after this bitterness, her complexion worsened further.
Cui Yiyu casually set the now-empty bowl onto the wooden tray, picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour preserved fruit, and fed it into her mouth. He patted her back, voice low: “Alright, it’s finished.”
In the past, no one cared for Lin Yuanjin. No matter how bitter the medicine, she could drink it in one gulp without changing expression, eyes closed. When an intern nurse pierced her hand three times without finding a vein and grew so nervous her hands trembled, Lin Yuanjin could even comfort the other in return.
With no one to care, enduring a little more would suffice. As long as she worked hard, there would be results, even if perhaps only a little.
Reality, however, had brought her into an era where no amount of effort would yield results.
Fortunately, now someone finally cared for her. Even if by relatively despicable means, she could obtain concern and worry, could, like others, complain freely at the slightest discomfort, be intimate.
Lin Yuanjin liked this novel feeling, even becoming unconsciously immersed in it.
Compared to this feeling of being valued, what did it matter to suffer a little?
“Oh my, why fixate on this medicine?” Nanny Zhang said with a smiling gaze, seemingly earnest yet actually teasing. “Young husband and wife, there are many days ahead. The Crown Princess is pure and clever, His Highness the Crown Prince is humble and gentle; with such deep conjugal affection, why worry over this moment or that?”
Lin Yuanjin’s eyes paused, the fingers resting atop the quilt slowly curling. Her gaze gradually fell upon the young man at her side.
He possessed the most romantic and handsome features, yet when he lowered his eyes and said nothing, he seemed the most serene, an extreme contradiction emanating from his very bones.
Perhaps because there was no official business today, he wore a set of black casual robes. Flowing gold threads outlined his slender, upright figure; leather guards bound his wrists and waist, further revealing the discipline of his usual training.
“What is it?” Cui Yiyu seemed to be thinking about something; only upon noticing Lin Yuanjin’s gaze did his lashes tremble slightly, as if waking from a dream, turning his head to smile at her.
That smile was as false as a flawless mask—yet undeniably beautiful.
“Nothing.” Lin Yuanjin also lifted a smile, speaking lightly.
“One moment or one day.”
These five words, when rolling between the lips and teeth, could be chewed into bitterness.
After all, what they had was only this brief, forcibly pieced-together moment.
At this time, a palace maid hurried in, bowing through the screen to them, her voice urgent: “Your Highnesses, the Empress has sent this servant to deliver a message. The Second Prince has come with his younger brothers and sisters to visit the Imperial Sister-in-law, and has also brought… a physician from outside the palace.”
Hearing this, Lin Yuanjin did not feel nervous; instead, she found it amusing and joked, “Such deep concern—he even does not trust the Court Physician’s skills.”
A visit was just a visit, but bringing a physician was openly provocative, an aggressive move to find fault.
“Should the Crown Princess lower the bed curtains and speak from behind the screen?” Nanny Zhang frowned, thinking of a solution.
She had personally watched Lin Yuanjin collapse weakly onto the bed, without even the strength to hold a bowl; others had to serve her medicine—she must have suffered great depletion.
As an old hand in the palace, Nanny Zhang naturally knew of the discord and struggle between the Empress and Noble Consort Pei. Yet now using the Crown Princess as a pretext, sending the Second Prince to probe—this was truly lacking in virtue.
“How could that be appropriate?” Lin Yuanjin shook her head, turning slightly as she lifted the covers. Resting her hand on Cui Yiyu’s arm, she stood up, calling for the palace maids to dress her in a long skirt, drape an outer robe over her shoulders, and arrange her attire neatly.
Sensing Nanny Zhang’s gaze, Cui Yiyu restrained his instinctive stiffness, doing his best to support Lin Yuanjin’s slender waist and back naturally, guiding her to sit upon the chair.
The fingertips placed behind her back brushed inadvertently against her soft, lacquer-black hair, like silk gliding past; Cui Yiyu’s gaze paused, and without a trace, he withdrew his hand, stepping back, no longer looking at the cascading dark hair over her shoulders.
“Simply pin it up will do.” Lin Yuanjin did not notice the movement behind her, only instructing the palace maid to bind her hair and adorn it with jade.
The Empress had already sent people ahead to make arrangements; the palace maids worked swiftly, and without the need for heavy makeup, it did not take much effort.
When the announcement came, a group entered the hall unhurriedly, trailing silk and gauze, adorned with pearls and jade, adding a layer of extravagance to the originally tranquil hall.
With the Empress at the forefront, several young princes and princesses followed behind her. Among them, the Second Prince Zhou Heng was the most striking. He appeared about the same age as the Crown Prince; his complexion was like golden wheat, his almond-shaped eyes like stars, a smile upon his face. Though his looks were not as dazzling as his mother’s, there was a resemblance in spirit.
As soon as the Second Prince entered, his first glance fell upon Lin Yuanjin seated on the couch. His brows lifted slightly, and his smile carried a trace of intrigue. Raising his hand, he performed a salute: “This subject brother, together with my younger siblings, greets Imperial Brother and Imperial Sister-in-law.”
“Greetings to Imperial Brother, Imperial Sister-in-law.”
The little ones behind him performed their bows properly, their gazes fixed on the Crown Princess filled with curiosity and caution.
The young girl in plain attire wore no makeup, her lips pale, her body without any gold or jeweled adornment—as if such things would weigh her down. Yet within this resplendent palace, she remained pure and unalluring, like someone stepped out of a landscape painting.
Only, as a newly married girl, she inevitably lacked a certain charm.
And that Crown Prince brother of his had completely lost his former aloofness of avoiding women. He did not sit at the seat of honor, but instead sat close at Lin Yuanjin’s side, one hand supporting her back, his gaze gentle—where was even a trace of the Crown Prince’s pride?
Whether it was an act or not, who could say.
The Second Prince sneered inwardly, then began with courtesy: “I had long heard that Imperial Brother was fortunate to receive Father Emperor’s marriage decree, gaining a gentle and virtuous wife at his side. Seeing her today, it truly lives up to its reputation.”
After speaking, he looked at Lin Yuanjin again, his smile unchanged, yet his tone shifted: “Imperial Sister-in-law is dignified and graceful—able to make Imperial Brother, who has seen all the beauties of the capital, linger to care for her, even delaying the banquet for her sake. Truly, such conjugal affection is enviable.”
“This subject brother meets Imperial Sister-in-law for the first time; to avoid any discourtesy, I have specially prepared a meeting gift.” As he spoke, the Second Prince clapped his hands lightly, looking meaningfully at Lin Yuanjin. “The banquet is of great importance; surely Imperial Sister-in-law would not wish her illness to delay Imperial Brother’s affairs.”
“For this reason, I have invited a renowned physician from among the people, Doctor Liu, known as a rival to Hua Tuo—specifically to take your pulse.”
