Over the past few days, the Princess’s appetite had improved, and she’d regained some of the weight she’d lost. Her eyes were clear and lovely—from a distance, she resembled the Consort; up close, she took after His Majesty.
The Princess curtsied but said little, and unlike in the old days, she didn’t fling herself into the Emperor’s arms.
The Emperor sat straight-backed, sipping his tea. “Ah Huan, have you been sleeping well lately?”
“Ah Huan sleeps well.”
The Emperor opened his arms to her.
It was the familiar gesture from before, when she would tumble right into his embrace.
The Princess clutched the cloth doll the Consort had returned to her and lowered her gaze. In the end, she didn’t budge.
“Imperial Father, is Mother doing all right? I didn’t go see her yesterday.”
The Emperor withdrew his arms and nodded.
A faint osmanthus fragrance lingered in the Grand Hall—a scent the Emperor knew well. It had gradually become part of Ah Chu’s own aroma.
“Ah Huan, tonight Zhen will bring your Mother to visit you together.”
The Princess’s face lit up, her voice lively for once. “Thank you, Imperial Father!”
Cui Cheng kept pace with His Majesty’s strides, shaking his head in helpless amusement.
These years of commanding armies and conquering foes without resistance—His Majesty had probably never imagined a day when he’d need to call in reinforcements himself.
They hadn’t yet reached Zichen Hall when an eunuch hurried up to report that General Yu had arrived and was waiting.
The Emperor eyed Zichen Hall, so tantalizingly close, then sighed in resignation and turned toward Yanying Hall instead.
Yun Jichu slept until she woke naturally, but with no sign of Helian Jin, she knew he must be occupied.
She didn’t linger in bed and rose to work on her painting.
Lady Shuxiu’s expression was grave. “Your Ladyship, the Empress Dowager summons you.”
“The Empress Dowager?” Yun Jichu had nearly forgotten about her.
Along the way, Lady Shuxiu fussed over her with endless instructions.
“Your Ladyship has such a pure and kind heart, but people reveal their true natures over time. If the Empress Dowager doesn’t see it right away, no harm done.”
“When you meet her, Your Ladyship, just answer truthfully like last time. But if she asks about the Fengluan Palace incident from a few days ago, say you were too ill and delirious to know anything about it.”
“Don’t be nervous, Your Ladyship. The Empress Dowager shouldn’t make trouble for you.”
“Your Ladyship…”
“…” Yun Jichu glanced at Lady Shuxiu. “I was nervous at first, but watching you fret like this has actually calmed me down.”
Lady Shuxiu blinked in rare surprise. “This servant spoke out of turn.”
“I know you’re just looking out for me.”
Shuxiu demurred. “This serv—”
“Thank you, Lady Shuxiu.” Yun Jichu gazed at her earnestly, her eyes sparkling.
Shuxiu faltered, at a loss for words. “It’s this servant’s duty.”
“There’s no ‘duty’ about it—you’re good to me, and I know it,” Yun Jichu said.
Back in her old job, she’d dealt with stubborn clients who demanded endless revisions, only to pick the original draft. She never once thought that was just her “duty.”
Lady Shuxiu had tirelessly taught her the ways of navigating people, all out of genuine care—Yun Jichu could feel it.
So, it was time for a bonus.
Yun Jichu pulled out three banknotes. “Here—yours from now on.”
Lady Shuxiu couldn’t refuse and agreed to hold them for safekeeping.
As they stepped into Shouning Palace, Yun Jichu felt a twinge of pressure.
The Empress Dowager looked as if she’d been ill herself, her face pale and drawn as she sipped her medicinal tea.
Yun Jichu curtsied and took a seat, waiting for her to speak.
“I’ve heard you’ve been unwell lately. Feeling much better now?”
Yun Jichu replied smoothly, “Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager. I’m recovered.”
The Empress Dowager nodded and lapsed into silence.
Yun Jichu had something weighing on her mind. After pondering for a moment, she asked, “His Majesty’s headaches are quite severe. Over these years, has any method been found to alleviate them?”
When the topic turned to the Emperor, the Empress Dowager seemed to perk up a little. “His headaches defy physicians; he can only take medicine to nourish himself.”
She instructed her again. “You must take good care of the Emperor.”
Yun Jichu assented, her conviction growing ever firmer that Helian Jin had lied to her.
The Empress Dowager continued, “In these past few days of serving the Emperor at his side, have you noticed anything amiss with him? These years, he has toiled diligently over state affairs and pined deeply for the late Empress. This Dowager is truly worried about his health.”
Yun Jichu thought to herself that everything was amiss. There was a wound on his chest, his headaches struck without warning, and even his cough had yet to fully heal.
“His Majesty’s cough hasn’t cleared up yet. He hasn’t missed a single dose of medicine these past few days.” After a moment’s thought, she added, “His qi and blood are also deficient. I’m afraid he’ll need long-term conditioning.”
It felt almost like the two of them were holding a consultation right there.
The Empress Dowager paused for a beat. “The Empress is so attentive to the Emperor. This Dowager is gratified.”
For some reason, Yun Jichu felt that the Empress Dowager was far kinder in this moment.
Before she could finish the thought, the Empress Dowager’s gaze flicked toward Su Qiu.
Su Qiu brought over a bowl of tea and set it down beside Yun Jichu.
The Empress Dowager spoke with earnest gravity, though her words were hardly polite. “His Majesty sets great store by the Crown Prince, and This Dowager likes that child as well.”
“Will you treat him as your own son from here on?”
Yun Jichu answered with utter sincerity. “This Concubine regards both Highnesses as my own flesh and blood.”
The Empress Dowager smiled. “This Dowager believes you. But still, I fear that if you bear an imperial son someday, it may prove disadvantageous to the Crown Prince.”
“This is Contraceptive Soup. One bowl won’t harm your body, but you’ll never bear children afterward. Are you willing to drink it?”
Yun Jichu froze.
There was such a thing?
Lady Shuxiu, standing at her side, went pale as death. She gave Yun Jichu a slight shake of her head, silently urging her not to drink. If she did, there would be no chance of children ever again. What then?
Seeing her stunned into silence, the Empress Dowager let out a light chuckle and motioned for Su Qiu to proceed.
Su Qiu stepped forward. She poured a bit of the liquid from the tea bowl into a small cup, drank it down, and then turned the cup over to show it was empty.
“Your Ladyship, there’s no poison. Please set your mind at ease.”
Yun Jichu said, “Thank you, Empress Dowager.”
She lifted the bowl and drained it in one go, without the slightest hesitation.
It was sweet, with the flavor of red dates.
Lady Shuxiu looked ready to collapse at the sight of her finishing every drop, her face etched with heartbreak.
The Empress Dowager’s expression shifted through a complex range of emotions. She glanced at Su Qiu, only to find her rooted to the spot in shock.
“…” The Empress Dowager waved her hand. “This Dowager is weary. You may withdraw.”
The moment Yun Jichu stepped out of the Grand Hall, Lady Shuxiu hurried up to her.
“Your Ladyship, spit it out quickly!”
“How does one spit out a whole bowl of tea?”
Lady Shuxiu’s face was the color of ash. “Your Ladyship, with no hope of heirs now, how will you hold your place in the rear palace? His Majesty dotes on you alone for the moment, but what if the Crown Prince turns coldhearted in the future? What will you do then?”
Yun Jichu shook her head. “It won’t happen.”
“Rest assured—the Crown Prince and the Princess are my children.”
Lady Shuxiu was on the verge of tears. “Your Ladyship is far too pure of heart.”
“They truly are my children.”
Lady Shuxiu said, “This servant will surely find an antidote for Your Ladyship.”
“Absolutely not.” Yun Jichu thought of the shameless, worry-free days ahead. “Don’t bother looking.”
In Shouning Palace, Yu Rumei crushed the flower petals clutched in her hand.
“She never wanted children to begin with.” She murmured to herself. “A whole bowl—and once she knew it was harmless, she drank it without a second thought.”
“This means she has no ulterior motives at all. But if that’s the case, will she still harm His Majesty the way Wei Shan claimed?”
She had only meant to give her a little scare and probe Yun Jichu’s true intentions, but those actions had left her utterly confounded.
Su Qiu stood by, lost in thought. “The Empress spoke of His Majesty with genuine concern. It didn’t seem feigned.”
Yu Rumei suddenly said, “Could she have known that the bowl was a fake? Could she have known it was just red date soup?”
Su Qiu replied, “How could she? This servant smelled it before bringing the tea. There was no trace of dates—only the taste came through after drinking.”
“Meng Dong! Go at once and see if she spat up what she drank the moment she left the hall.” Yu Rumei ordered.
A moment later, Meng Dong returned to report. “The Empress’s face was as normal as ever, and she was chatting and laughing. It was Your Ladyship’s Lady Shuxiu whose expression was grim.”
“…” Yu Rumei truly couldn’t fathom this woman.
Su Qiu said, “Your Ladyship, perhaps the Empress isn’t as malicious-minded as Wei Shan made her out to be.”
Meng Dong, off to the side, recalled the incident from half a month ago during morning greetings and nodded silently in agreement.
Yu Rumei flung the flower petals from her hand. “This Dowager was too quick to believe Wei Shan. I nearly let him kill the Empress!”
“Your Ladyship needn’t dwell on it,” Su Qiu advised. “This servant will keep investigating the connection between Xue Gui and Wei Shan.”
Meng Dong said, “In these past few days, does Your Ladyship still wish to see Wei Shan? This servant feels that Wei Shan is no good sort, full of wild talk. He might well be the one harboring ill intentions.”
“What would I see him for? Earlier, he claimed that woman from Jiangnan would enter the palace today, but no sign of her has appeared.”
Su Qiu said, “This morning, His Majesty issued orders for a strict inspection of all carriages entering or leaving the palace. They even pried open every wooden bucket carrying vegetables. Word is that the woman nearly got caught but managed to slip away by sheer luck.”
“Never mind. Right now, I have no desire to see her.” Yu Rumei suddenly recalled something and spoke sternly. “Keep a close watch on Wei Shan. Until everything comes to light, he must not be allowed to wander freely.”
If the Emperor learned that she was harboring someone who had faked his own death, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Yun Jichu returned to Zichen Hall and tried to paint, but she couldn’t persist for even a quarter of an hour before she began rummaging around.
No longer as hesitant as the day before, she opened the curio cabinet beside the table and flung wide the cupboards, searching meticulously.
She had formed some conclusions about Helian Jin’s wound.
First, it had to be self-inflicted.
Second, there had been no fresh injuries in the past few days, or else the faint blood qi would not be so nearly undetectable.
Finally, it must have been a severe wound just a few days prior, or else it would have healed cleanly by now.
What on earth had driven him to it?
Didn’t it hurt?
With a clatter, something wrapped in dark satin spilled onto the floor.
It had been tucked deep within one of the curio shelves.
Yun Jichu crouched down and lifted the satin aside.
A delicate little jade dish lay there, surrounded by several scattered writing brushes.
They appeared to have lain unused for a long time; the bristles hadn’t been properly cleaned and still bore faint red stains.
Cinnabar for marking memorials, perhaps?
Yun Jichu picked up one brush and examined it closely. Only then did she notice how exquisite the handle was. The carved pattern wasn’t the usual plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, or chrysanthemums. Nor was it the rugged mountain peaks or a fisherman’s boat at dusk—none of the typical scholarly motifs.
Instead, it depicted a full, round moon with a pair of mandarin ducks nestled together beneath it.
A chill premonition crept into her heart. She picked up the jade dish for a closer look. Delicate clusters of petals unfurled boldly across its surface, graceful and vibrant: hibiscus flowers.
Her favorite flower.
As if compelled by some unseen force, Yun Jichu lifted the brush and sniffed its tip.
A faint metallic tang of blood.
Not cinnabar at all.
~~~