Chapter 24 The street drums have ceased for over four months; wouldn't it be a violation for the general to leave the ward at this time…?

The Prince of Xiping asked blankly, "The Feng family? Ever since the forged letter incident, I have warned my household not to accept any letters or gifts from the Feng family, and not to respond to or listen to any members of the Feng family. It seems that some members of the Feng family have come, but I did not open the door and did not say a word."

"What about the eunuch who contacted you? Have you spoken to him again?"

The Prince of Xiping stammered somewhat embarrassedly, "I was so worried that Yanshan would be the site of the marriage alliance that I was busy finding people to find out how to leave the city. I was also afraid that you and the Emperor would see through my scheme, so I dared not see anyone or go anywhere. Naturally, I also dared not contact anyone in the palace."

Fu Sui laughed in anger. This matter was probably a trap prepared specifically for the Prince of Xiping. Unfortunately, the Prince of Xiping thought the wrong way. Although he fell into the trap, he went against the will of the person who set it up.

Prince Xiping looked helplessly at Fu Sui, who was sneering, and then at Yue Shanling, who was solemn and serious. He cautiously said, "You two, say something."

"Write a memorial, no, go directly to the palace and ask to see the Emperor. Cry or make a scene, beg the Emperor not to allow the marriage alliance with Yanshan, and tell the Emperor the whole story." Only the Emperor can investigate the palace officials. Whether the Emperor lightly dismissed the forged document because of his favor or because the Feng family still had a use for him, this matter is a good opportunity to test the waters.

Yue Shanling disagreed with Fu Sui's method: "This will surely result in reprimand."

“A few words of reprimand are ineffective; it is only when he has no friends to help him and no other options that he is in the Emperor’s favor,” Fu Sui reminded the Prince of Xiping in Yueshanling of the special circumstances.

Although the Prince of Xiping was not shrewd, he was diligent and immediately went to the palace gate to request an audience. Fu Sui originally wanted to give him some advice, but then thought that being too careful would only make the emperor suspicious that the Prince of Xiping had someone behind him, so it would be better to let him defend himself.

The Prince of Xiping had been rehearsing his words all the way, but when he finally arrived before the Emperor, he couldn't utter a single word of what he had prepared. The mere mention of Yanshan brought tears to his eyes. Thinking of the sorrow and grievances he had suffered over the years regarding Yanshan, and the covetousness of despicable people like Feng Xianyi, he was overcome with grief and could only kowtow and beg the Emperor.

The emperor dismissed all the servants, rubbed his temples, listened to the Prince of Xiping's tearful complaint, scolded the prince for his disheveled appearance and improper behavior, told him not to have any wild thoughts, and sent him home.

After the Prince of Xiping left, only Fu Sui and Yue Shanling remained on the painted boat, and the atmosphere became somewhat different.

Yue Shanling leaned back in his chair, his long legs casually dangling. The sun was setting, and warm red light streamed in through the window, casting dappled patterns on Yue Shanling's thighs and waist.

Perhaps for the sake of convenience in apprehending people, Yue Shanling was dressed even more simply today than on the Lantern Festival. His waist was bare except for a leather belt that cinched his robes tightly. The metal knocker gleamed in the sunlight, its flashes catching Fu Sui's eye.

"What is the princess thinking about?"

The deep, clear voice bounced lightly, like a small pebble thrown into the lake of Fu Sui's heart.

The afternoon sun was scorching, and Fu Sui felt her face and ears steaming. She got up and opened the window. A breeze from the pond carried the damp sound of singing past Fu Sui's ears, fluttering her golden hairpin, and she fell into Yue Shanling's arms.

"Green are your robes, deep is my longing." A courtesan on a small building by the riverbank sang in a melodious voice.

What kind of decadent music are they singing? It's really annoying.

The alluring breeze made Fu Sui's face grow increasingly hot, her heart hanging in vain, unable to touch the ground. She secretly resented the wind for being so ungrateful as to refuse to blow into the painted boat, and also resented that the boat was so cramped and narrow that there was nowhere to cool off.

Upon seeing Fu Sui standing by the window for a long time, Yue Shanling assumed that Fu Sui found the air inside the boat stuffy, so he got up and opened the remaining windows.

"I wonder when the princess will return the fish tally to this humble general."

Fu Sui turned around, his dark blue clothes clinging to his tall, imposing figure, like a frost-covered sword shattering the light and shadow on the ground. Suddenly, she didn't want to return the fish charm: "General, why are you so stingy? Can't I even borrow it for a few days?"

If it were anything else, Fu Sui could take it if he wanted.

"Your Highness, please allow me to enter the palace tomorrow."

No matter how much Fu Sui misbehaved, she couldn't bear to see him punished with a cane for missing court due to the absence of a fish tally. However, she was unwilling to return the fish tally.

"If the general wants to take it himself, do you expect me to deliver it to his residence?" She thought to herself, "If he comes to get it himself, I'll have to return it to him." With that thought, she turned and left.

Only after Fu Sui boarded the carriage did she see Yue Shanling slowly emerge from the boat. Seeing that the man was looking this way, Fu Sui hurriedly lowered the curtain, feeling both ashamed and annoyed. Why bother about how he got to the princess's residence? It was as if she had waited for him here all along. She hurriedly urged the coachman to set off.

When she returned to the manor, the street drums had already begun to beat. She sat in the small hall where Yan Tianqing had sat, counting the number of drumbeats, wondering if Yue Shanling would arrive before curfew.

"Princess, there's a guy outside who calls himself Yue Shanling..."

As the door-closing drum counted to two hundred and forty, Fu Sui heard the news she wanted to hear. Before the person outside could finish announcing, she had already lifted her skirt and rushed out.

Yue Shanling stood below the high steps of the Princess's mansion, looking up at Fu Sui who stood on the high steps.

"Why does the general not come forward? Does my mansion not eat people?" Fu Sui put on an air of composure and aloofness, his breath slightly out of his mouth, and the pearl hairpin in his hair swaying as he ran.

Yue Shanling stared at the swaying pearls for a moment, then stepped onto the stairs.

Like a little sparrow, Fu Sui happily led the way for the people behind her.

The young and strong servants at the gate, the burly guards scattered in strategic positions, the briskly walking old man passing by outside the corridor, and the hidden guards lurking in the shadows of the trees and under the eaves—the Princess's mansion, while not impregnable, was certainly well-defended. Yue Shanling smiled faintly at the graceful figure behind her; at least she was relatively safe.

The Princess's residence was far more elaborate and intricate than the Yue residence. Yue Shanling followed Fu Sui through halls and pavilions, and when he realized something was amiss, they had arrived at a house with exquisite windows and embroidered curtains.

Fu Sui pushed open the door and entered, only to find that Yue Shanling was three steps behind and stood still.

"Would the general like to come in and rest for a while?"

Judging from the layout, this should be Fu Sui's bedroom. How could Yue Shanling possibly enter a woman's private quarters? Even peeking from the outside would be impolite. Yue Shanling simply turned her back: "Please trouble the princess to bring out the fish-shaped talisman."

If he were to shamelessly barge into Fu Sui's bedroom, Fu Sui would immediately throw him out. His impeccable manners only made Fu Sui more reluctant to let him go.

She held the brand-new fish-shaped talisman and silently calculated, estimating that the street drums would be beaten six hundred times before she went out.

The maids lit the stone lanterns in the courtyard early in the morning, and the dim light and flickering candlelight outlined every detail of the man's body.

A faint whooshing sound came from the air. Yue Shanling nimbly turned to the side and caught the small object that was about to hit his back. It was a bronze fish-shaped talisman, its newly cast edges still a little sharp, and it was still warm.

A lone pavilion with long, arched eyebrows overlooks the mountains; only fish-shaped tallies are there?

The sneak attack failed, and Fu Sui frowned and puffed out his cheeks in regret. But when the man looked at him, he quickly put on a gentle and respectful expression: "General, you have been traveling all day and have probably not eaten yet. Why don't you stay at the mansion for a simple meal?"

The mountain ridges were deserted, and the princess lived alone here. It was inevitable that a man would linger in the princess's mansion after nightfall, which would arouse people's imaginations.

Seeing his resolute refusal, Fu Sui asked again, "The drumbeats have stopped. Wouldn't it be against the law for the general to leave the ward at this time?"

A mischievous smile crept across Yue Shanling's face, and his dark eyes, gleaming like jewels, seemed to hold the light: "It's not the first time, after all."

Fu Sui's cheeks flushed crimson, the absurd events of her drunken revelry during the Flower Festival flooding her mind, especially that bite... Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Yue Shanling's little finger, and the taste of soft, thin flesh seemed to linger on her tongue again. A sudden surge of heat rushed to her head, igniting Fu Sui with a fiery intensity.

"Although the defenses in Jiuru Lane are loose, they are still strict. General Yue, please go ahead. The ward head may even remember you as my beloved concubine."

The frivolous and intimate words slipped from his tongue, only to be met with the other person's reluctance to move away.

“The princess is beautiful and elegant, while I am a bookworm with an empty belly. How can I be worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as the princess?”

Fu Sui was infuriated by Yue Shanling's avoidance. If he had the heart to laugh at her drunken indiscretion, why was he so aloof? She repeatedly tested him, but he was determined to remain a heartless stone. Why hadn't that bite drawn blood, so she could know if his blood was just as cold and hard? Fu Sui slammed the door shut and went back inside, leaving Yue Shanling in the yard.

When she finally calmed down and looked out the window, the man was nowhere to be seen.

Late at night, Fu Sui pulled out a fish-shaped pouch, adorned with dark blue and gold, from under her pillow. The cool brocade, like its cool owner, was enveloped in the lingering scent of wind and snow. She pressed the pouch against her forehead, then lay down on the pillow and fell into a deep sleep.

Faint voices drifted in from outside the window. The princess was still asleep, and the maids and servants spoke in hushed tones. Fu Sui felt something pressing against her face. Opening her eyes, she saw a piece of dark blue fabric crumpled and disheveled, its frosty scent gone, now filled with the warm fragrance of a young woman.

She remembered the man from yesterday, who punched the fish bag twice. What kind of empty-bellied bookworm was that? How could he even think of such a thing? After punching it, she smoothed out the wrinkles, placed it under her chin, and hugged the pillow, lost in thought.

With a "bang," Fu Sui suddenly sprang up from the bed. Kou Yun heard the noise and came in from outside to investigate.

Fu Sui told Kou Yun to be quiet, and then hugged the quilt, pondering the events of yesterday.

If the marriage alliance rumors weren't for the Prince of Xiping, then it must be for Yanshan. Besides the Emperor, only princes and concubines could command the palace officials. Considering the previous forged letter incident, this terrible idea was most likely devised by that fool Feng Xianyi to force Yanshan to marry into the Feng family. It's just that Consort Feng chose to cooperate for some reason.

From the eunuchs who made the purchases, the eunuchs who made the recommendations, the eunuchs who relayed the messages, to the eunuchs who claimed to be from the Inner Palace Attendants Bureau, the people involved were not from one province or one bureau. Could Consort Feng really mobilize so many people without being discovered?

Moreover, for a prince to believe in his identity without question, there must be some proof. Since proof could be obtained, why choose someone so different from all the other palace attendants, so different that anyone familiar with the various palace officials and the emperor's close attendants could immediately tell it was an imposter?

Fu Sui broke out in a cold sweat. Perhaps the Emperor was taking advantage of the situation to test Prince Peng and Prince Xiping. If that were the case, it would be dangerous for Prince Xiping to expose the inner court official's identity. It couldn't even be explained by her familiarity with the inner court attendants, because she didn't need inner court attendants to accompany her when entering and leaving the palace. Logically, she shouldn't know the physical characteristics of every inner court attendant.

Fu Sui gritted her teeth. Sure enough, beauty can ruin a country. She was so blinded by that man yesterday that she didn't even think of this. That boring man has really done her a disservice.

She was on tenterhooks, pondering how to clear herself of suspicion of spying on the palace. Around noon, she received a note with bold, lifelike strokes on it, stating that the Emperor had angrily rebuked the Prince of Xiping the previous day and banished him from the palace. Since it was already curfew when he left the palace, a junior eunuch escorted him all the way back to his residence.

The fact that an imperial courtier could lead the way with a lantern shows that the Prince of Xiping had not aroused the emperor's suspicion, so he no longer needed to worry.

Fu Sui burst into laughter, looked at the last character "Yue" in his signature again and again, and carefully folded and put it away.

After laughing, Fu Sui selected a piece of fine cowhide and a piece of gold from the storeroom and had them made into a fish-shaped talisman bag. He personally wrote a congratulatory message wishing Yue Shanling a high promotion, took out his personal seal, stamped it with a pair of ginkgo leaves, and sent it to Xinghua Ward.

Qin An spent half a day in the storeroom, emerging with a sore back and aching waist. A maidservant with a young girl who had just started growing her hair was adding soil to the flowers. When they saw Qin An approaching from afar, the maidservant and the girl stood up and bowed respectfully.

Qin An was about to pass by the two people, but seeing that the girl was unfamiliar, he stopped and asked her a question.

Recently, the manor has received many precious plants, keeping the gardeners extremely busy. Unfortunately, Hong Gu's youngest son has fallen ill, and she has taken a few days off to care for him. Seeing that the manpower was insufficient, Hui Niang brought her niece to help, and the manor pays the young maid a daily wage.

Hui Niang pulled the little maid to show Qin An: "This is my nephew, named Shui Ya. I spoke with the eunuch a few days ago."

Upon hearing Hui Niang's words, Qin An recalled that such a thing had indeed happened. He gave a few words of advice, "Don't tire the child out," and was about to leave when he inadvertently glanced at something and his expression changed drastically. He exclaimed, "What is this?"

Hui Niang was startled by Qin An and quickly looked at Shui Ya. The little girl was staring intently at Qin An, who was handsome, when she was suddenly yelled at and hid behind her aunt. The clothes had already been loosened by the moving and lifting, and as the little girl dodged, a glaring red line was revealed at the crooked neckline.

Hui Niang cried out "Ouch!" and hurriedly reached out to untie the red rope around Shui Ya's neck. As she untied it, she begged Qin An for mercy: "It's a longevity lock for children. I'll take it off now and never wear it again. Please, Your Excellency, have mercy on me this time."

When Hui Niang came to the manor to have Qin An examined, she specifically told Shui Ya to take off the longevity lock, but Shui Ya put it back on.

Since it was an unintentional mistake, Qin An wouldn't be too harsh on her, since these people who tended the flowers and trees rarely appeared before the princess: "Keep it safe, there won't be a next time."

Hui Niang thanked Qin An profusely. After Qin An had gone far away, she put the longevity lock tied with a red string into Shui Ya's bag, telling her to keep it safe and repeatedly instructing her not to bring it into the mansion.

"There are so many rules in the noble household." Shuiya couldn't understand why a longevity lock made everyone so afraid.

Hui Niang patted Shui Ya's head: "Shui Ya, don't be afraid. If Qin Zhongguan says it's alright, then it's alright. Nobles have many rules. In the Princess's mansion, there's only one strict rule: no one can wear anything thin around their neck. Auntie, who does rough work, doesn't get to see the noble lady, so it's a bit more lenient. But those who serve the Princess can have injuries to their hands or face, but they absolutely cannot have injuries to their necks. If they have a scar on their neck, they can't stay by the Princess's side."

As for why, Hui Niang couldn't explain it either; the rules were set that way, and they just followed them. Shui Ya seemed to understand, but not quite. She hid her lock in her small purse and continued tending to the flowers and plants with Hui Niang.

The Kule delegation stayed in the capital for more than ten days and set off early on the fifteenth. Only the seventh prince stayed behind, and the emperor appointed him as a minor official in the Imperial Guard.

After examining the emperor's pulse that day, Lü Fengyu put away the wrist pillow.

How is Yong'an doing lately?

Lu Fengyu had worked at the Imperial Pharmacy for many years, and he was the one who treated Fu Sui when he first arrived in the capital.

"I just examined the princess's pulse last month. It's still her old problem of lung qi deficiency. She occasionally feels tired, weak, and has cold limbs. The princess doesn't like to take medicine, and she can't take the warming and tonifying medicine on time. Fortunately, it's all deficiency syndrome, and she can also take care of herself with her diet every day. Taking less medicine won't be a problem."

"That same illness..." The emperor only said half of his sentence.

When the body of Prince Jin was sent back to the palace, the palace was in chaos. He Yujing's people failed to keep an eye on Fu Sui, who ran to the front hall where the body was kept.

Qin An was quick-witted and swiftly covered Fu Sui's eyes, carrying her away. Although Fu Sui didn't have time to see the Prince of Jin's face, she still saw a dark red crack on his neck, which wasn't covered by the white cloth.

After Fu Sui arrived in the capital, the King of Han and his wife took their children to visit He Yujing and Fu Sui. The one-and-a-half-year-old third son of the King of Han was as cute as a lotus root, with a gold bead strung on a red string around his neck. Fu Sui, who had always been quiet and well-behaved, suddenly screamed incessantly, lost his breath, and fainted. It was Lü Fengyu who went to treat him.

"As the princess grows older and matures, she gradually forgets those past events, and there have been no abnormalities in the medical records over the years."

The emperor gently stroked the carvings on the armrest with his thumb: "That's good."

After Lü Fengyu left, Xu Asheng came in and reported, "Everything has been arranged. The hairpins needed have also been sent to the Empress Dowager. Please take a look and see if there is anything that needs to be added or changed." Xu Asheng bowed and presented a stack of lists.

The Emperor didn't even look at it, and waved his hand to tell Xu Asheng to take it away: "Choose your servants carefully, both inside and outside."

Xu Asheng said with a smile, "Don't worry, everyone. They're all clean-shaven, and there's not a single scar on their bodies."