Chapter 113 The Prince's Lovesickness

"The Imperial Guard Captain must be here on official business, but what about these two?" Gongsun Xue pondered. "He's a stranger, married into the Cheng family, so why is he coming out of the backyard?"

"Is the master at home today?"

"It was the master who took General Xie to Yansheng Hall." Luzhu replied.

Gongsun Xue was a little confused, but didn't think about it any further.

On her way back to Yansheng Hall, Lu Tingwan passed by the study and went in. Cheng Xianzhi was sitting at a desk handling official business. There was a charcoal fire burning next to him and tea was brewing in the stove. Looking through the low window, she could just see half of a body, a straight figure reflected in the snowy scene. Lu Tingwan knocked on the window twice and smiled at the gentle young man inside.

"Cheng Xianzhi, thank you!"

Her voice was not loud, and Cheng Xianzhi could not hear clearly, but he could see what she meant from her lip shape and movements.

He raised his chin and nodded towards the main door, indicating that she should enter through that way.

As the door opened, he flipped through the documents in his hand and said softly, "It's cold outside. Come in and talk."

She rubbed her hands together and warmed herself by the stove, then sat down across from him. "Kyoto's winter is really cold. The snow keeps falling."

"It's even colder in the northwest," Cheng Xianzhi said suddenly. "You're afraid of the cold, yet you still want to go hunting?"

Lu Tingwan frowned, realizing that there was something behind his words, and happened to meet his glance.

"There's tea on the stove, help yourself."

She poured a cup and refilled his teacup.

"You are a cold person, but a nice person." She smiled happily.

Cheng Xianzhi paused at the document, shook his head and said calmly, "If it suits your taste, I'm a good person. If it doesn't suit your taste, I'm still a bad person."

She didn't argue with Cheng Xianzhi and just let him read without refutation.

The north wind knocked against the window frame. She picked up a cup of hot tea and sat quietly admiring the snow. A plum branch hung outside the carved window, and it seemed there were new buds.

Cheng Xianzhi was concentrating on his official duties, but a smile was hidden at the corner of his lips. Neither of them spoke, and they sat quietly until dusk. She only returned to Yansheng Hall when she felt sleepy.

At night, a bowl of red bean sweet soup was brought to Yanshengtang from the kitchen. Lu Tingwan had just taken the medicine and his stomach was still bloated, so he didn't want to drink it.

"Second Madam, you have only recently recovered from the injury you sustained when you blocked the knife for the Queen Mother, and now you are suffering from frostbite. You have also taken too much medicine, and your digestion is not good. This red bean soup is just right for replenishing your qi and blood and aiding digestion. Please drink some." Feng Xin coaxed her. Although she was clear-headed and steady in big things, she still had the heart of a child and would throw tantrums and act out of character.

Lu Tingwan arched up from the quilt, reluctantly reached out to take it, gulped down most of the bowl, and burped, "Feng Xin, I really can't drink any more."

She slumped back onto the pillow, clutching her flat belly. She stared at the dim light in the room, the cold wind howling outside the window. She stared at the swaying shadows, "When I was sick before, my mother comforted me like this too."

After that, the kitchen would send someone to deliver a bowl of red bean sweet soup every day. Lu Tingwan was tired of drinking it, and no matter how Ren Fengxin coaxed her, she remained indifferent.

Feng Xin was helpless and replied to the kitchen, "Madam said it's too sweet and she doesn't like it."

The kitchen servant went to the study to report Cang Shu, who relayed the message to Cheng Xianzhi, "The Second Madam said it was too sweet and she didn't want to drink it anymore."

"Hmm," Cheng Xianzhi reviewed the documents and sipped his tea leisurely, "Switch it to something salty."

The next day, the kitchen served red bean soup again. Lu Tingwan covered her mouth and nose when she smelled the red beans and dodged, "Feng Xin, did the Shangshu Mansion store more beans than they could eat in the winter? Why is it red bean soup every day?"

"This time it's not sweet, it's salty," Feng Xin said.

"Take it! Go!" No matter whether it was sweet or bitter, she couldn't stand the smell of it at all.

"But, but, this is the master's order. I must make sure you finish drinking it, otherwise Feng Xin will have trouble reporting to his superiors."

"Cheng Xianzhi?" Lu Tingwan was confused. He was extremely busy with the imperial guards and court affairs. He hadn't seen her for half a month. How could he still care about what she was drinking?

Every day, a bowl of red bean soup was delivered to Yansheng Hall and brought to Yingyue Pavilion. Gongsun Xue paused while drawing her eyebrows. "Red bean soup? To replenish qi and blood?"

"There are plenty of Ganoderma lucidum and ginseng in the mansion. Aren't they better than red beans for replenishing blood?" Gongsun Xue's beautiful face was reflected in the bronze mirror. "Red beans? Red beans bring about lovesickness."

She snorted softly, not knowing whether it was self-mockery or ridicule that Cheng Xianzhi's unspoken feelings needed to be placed in a bowl of red bean soup.

Luzhu picked out a gold-inlaid jade hairpin for her hair and said, "The Second Madam has already made a scene at Yansheng Hall and refuses to drink at all costs."

Gongsun Xue speculated that if Lu Tingwan's mind was on Cheng Xianzhi, she wouldn't have insisted on going to the palace. When she saw her relationship with Xie Zhao in the backyard that day, it seemed that they were even closer than Cheng Xianzhi.

Lu Tingwan didn't even wear the fox fur coat. He wrapped himself in the quilt, picked up the bowl of red bean soup and went to the study to talk to someone.

Han Zhou was talking with Cheng Xianzhi in the room when the door opened with a bang, and the wind from outside rushed in, carrying her anger with it.

The two of them looked up at the same time, looking at the dumpling man wrapped in the quilt with confusion, and then looked at each other.

Han Zhou saw that something was wrong, so he grabbed his sword and said tactfully, "Han Zhou will do it right away."

"What's the matter?" Cheng Xianzhi folded up the documents on the table, clearly caught a glimpse of the bowl of red bean soup in her hand, and the corners of his lips unconsciously raised.

She slammed the bowl of soup down, changing her tone as she tried to question him. She gritted her teeth and said, "Minister Cheng has many responsibilities and works very hard. I heard I'll bring you a bowl of red bean soup tonight to replenish your qi and blood and moisten your mouth."

"It seems that the servants in the kitchen are not competent and the soup they made is not to your liking. Then let Cangshu replace them with another group of people tomorrow." He said slowly.

The tone was clearly threatening, but it made Lu Tingwan even angrier. "If you, the mansion, are short of money, I can pay you my monthly salary. I'm not picky, but who wants to drink red bean soup all day long?"

Cheng Xianzhi raised an eyebrow, hiding a malicious intention, "I heard that you boiled the red beans I sent you in the palace. Don't you like drinking it?"

"What?" The tightly wrapped quilt fell to the ground, revealing thin clothes.

So he was holding a grudge?

Cheng Xianzhi stood up slowly, picked up the mattress that had fallen from her skirt, and wrapped it back around her, tightening it a few times. "If you don't like it, what's the point of cooking it?"

Lu Tingwan was speechless. This person was simply unreasonable and difficult to figure out.

Seeing her stunned, he didn't tease her and changed the subject, "The wind and snow have worsened. The emperor has been seriously ill and unable to attend court these past few days. Empress Dowager Jiang is attending court, and the ministers are almost all going to Jinhua Palace for meetings. Now is the time to use people. A few days ago, Jinhua Palace sent people to inquire about your health. I guess the Empress Dowager wants you to return to serve."

Lu Tingwan's eyes narrowed, and after coming back to his senses, he wrapped himself tightly in the quilt, curling up with only his head sticking out, looking rather cute.

"I am no longer in any danger and can return to the palace."

"You set a date, and I'll take you there." Cheng Xianzhi sat back in his chair, took a sip of the red bean soup, and savored it slowly. "It's not very tasty."

Lu Tingwan glared at him resentfully, "I'm glad you know. Tomorrow, I'll be back tomorrow."

The next day, the snow stopped. Lu Tingwan got ready early, put on some makeup, and got rid of the sickly look she had during these days of recuperation. She was once again charming in the scorching sun.

Cheng Xianzhi was wearing a purple official robe. The two of them sat in the carriage. She lifted the curtain and looked at the unmelted snow on both sides of the street. She turned around and said to the person sitting upright, "How long will the winter in Kyoto last?"

"If it's a cold year, it can snow in February."

She let down the curtain and said "Oh" with a heavy heart.

"What's wrong?"

Cheng Xianzhi was worried that she might be feeling unwell after not being in the palace for a long time, so he comforted her, "If there's anything wrong in the palace, tell me and I'll take care of it."

"Hmm?" She looked up in surprise. She wasn't worried about the palace, she was just homesick. "Hmm."

The emperor was seriously ill, and as the minister, he would not be idle. Lu Tingwan agreed and had no intention of bothering him with anything.

Cheng Xianzhi's peripheral vision was filled with her shadow. The carriage was very quiet along the way, so quiet that the only sound was the sound of the axle pressing through the snow. They arrived at the palace gate.

Lu Tingwan took her bag and got off the car first. Cheng Xianzhi lifted the curtain, and officials arrived at the palace gate one after another to line up.

She turned around to look for Cheng Xianzhi, but he hadn't gotten out of the car and waited for a while. Cheng Xianzhi simply said through the curtain, "Go in."

"Your lip balm looks great today."

Lu Tingwan's eyes were filled with stars as she smiled at him, "Thank you."

His deep gaze followed the thin figure as it walked away, and he only got off the car after it disappeared at the palace gate.

"This winter is tough. The transportation of supplies to the northwest and Shanhaiguan is extremely difficult. The Turks are rising up bravely. The soldiers of Shanhaiguan are risking their lives in the severe cold. They have to hold guns with their cracked hands, which is equivalent to wounded soldiers going to the battlefield. The medicines supported by various states and counties are not delivered in time, and the wounded soldiers cannot get timely medical treatment and resettlement after leaving the battlefield. Duke Jiang has been fighting with his soldiers for a month. Can the military supplies be delivered? Can anyone from the six ministries return to me?" Queen Mother Jiang sat behind the curtain, her voice deep and forceful.

All the officials sighed, and none of the six ministers dared to speak. Gongsun Yin was the first to step forward. "The military supplies allocated by the court arrived a month ago. Our Dalan has been affected by the snowstorm, and the Turks are also having a hard time. As for the medicine, the Secretariat drafted a document half a month ago instructing the six ministries to assist local officials in transporting the necessary herbs to the garrisons. If the local authorities are carrying out the plan smoothly, Duke Jiang should have received the medicine by now."

"I've received the reply from the Ministry of War. The medicinal materials from Shanhaiguan have been delivered smoothly. This winter, Dalan and even neighboring countries have suffered from snow disasters. Before the winter came, according to the prediction of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, we have instructed the cold-stricken counties to store winter clothing and food in advance. Compared with previous winters, the number of people endangered by wind and snow this year has been reduced by half. Only when the people are safe can the country be safe." Cheng Xian said.

"Since taking office, Minister Cheng has worked tirelessly for the people and the country. Even when injured, he continued to handle the affairs of the Winter Fighting Tournament. This is a blessing for Dalan," said Queen Mother Jiang. "However, the people's safety depends on the peace at the border, and only then can the country be strong. To defend Shanhaiguan, we need Minister Cheng to keep a close eye on the six ministries. The Turks are cunning and may attack us by surprise. Duke Jiang has guarded the border for many years and has made great contributions. I'm afraid he will have to spend the New Year at Shanhaiguan this year."

"The Queen Mother is absolutely right."

"My dear ministers, do you have anything else to say?" Queen Mother Jiang held her forehead with her hand, her voice sounding a little tired.

"Your Majesty is ill, the Queen Mother must take care of his health."

The pearl curtain swayed slightly, "Since there is nothing to say, then let's dismiss the court."

The phoenix sedan chair entered the Jinhua Palace and asked, "Lu Tingwan is back?"

"Your Majesty, I'm back. I just entered the palace this morning."

"oh?"

"She blocked the knife for me and just recovered from her injuries. I heard she's sick again. If it weren't for the busy affairs in the palace, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to get her back."

"Palace Supervisor Lu...after all, she wasn't raised by the Empress Dowager, but rather a member of Minister Cheng's household. Furthermore, their relationship seems to have become much more relaxed than before. I heard that when Palace Supervisor Lu was recuperating at the Cheng residence, Minister Cheng often stayed by her bedside, neglecting Madam Gongsun Xue for this reason."

"Humph, it's not necessarily a bad thing that Lu Tingwan and Cheng Xianzhi have feelings for me."

If Lu Tingwan could develop feelings for Cheng Xianzhi, the relationship between the Gongsun family and Cheng Xianzhi would have to be redefined. Moreover, given the current situation in the court, the relationship between Cheng Xianzhi and Gongsun Yin is subtle and cannot be detected by others. Queen Mother Jiang has everything in her plan.

"Palace Supervisor Lu was unwilling to ally with the Queen Mother and turned against her. Then, during the siege, he risked his life to protect her. This servant does not understand."

"That's right, you don't understand." Queen Mother Jiang was like a cobra, her sharp eyes gleaming with a fierce light. "Don't look at this person with the same eyes you would look at an ordinary person."

"I know how to use it."

"If she wanted to trade her life for the Queen Mother's trust, she wouldn't have to take such a risk."

"I don't understand either." The golden hairpin on the phoenix crown swayed, and Queen Mother Jiang had been thinking about this matter.

Lu Tingwan changed into her palace attire again and waited in Jinhua Palace for the Empress Dowager to come down from court.

"Greetings, Her Majesty the Queen Mother."

"You're healed," Queen Mother Jiang said, putting away her usual solemnity and becoming a little more friendly. "After Minister Cheng took you back, it's been both quiet and noisy around me, and my headache has come back."

"I should have returned to serve the Queen Mother long ago, but something unexpected happened."

"I heard that you went to collect herbs for Minister Cheng and were trapped in the snowy mountains and froze all night." Lu Tingwan replaced her hand warmer with a new one.

"The emperor is bedridden, and the officials are struggling to make decisions. My dear Minister Cheng is running the six ministries. You have devoted yourself to me and have done your best for me. You are both meritorious officials."

"Heaven bless Da Lan. Your Majesty, you are blessed by the heavens. The Dragon King will be well. The people say that auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. This year's heavy snow means an even better harvest next year." She took the heavy phoenix crown from the empress dowager's head and pressed her slender fingers on her temples. "Is this better, Your Majesty?"

"Well, your cooking skills really impressed me. Concubine Rong is about to give birth, and your return to the palace at this time is just the right time to relieve my worries. Accompany me to court tomorrow."

"As you wish."

Li Tingfeng's condition had not improved for a long time, and the Imperial Hospital was in a difficult situation. The news of the isolation of the patient was leaked from Jinhua Palace.

Dalan has no royal heir. If Li Tingfeng passes away, Queen Mother Jiang will have to choose an heir from the royal family who can succeed to the throne. Although it has been confirmed that the fetus in Concubine Rong's belly is a girl, she has been planning for many years and still has a plan in mind before the royal heir is born.

She had already chosen a successor from among her relatives. King Xicheng was lazy, pretentious, and had no ambition, but he had no desire for power. Such a person was easier for Queen Mother Jiang to control.

With the fighting competition imminent, Lu Tingwan could only see the purple-robed Shangshu, who was directing state affairs, from behind the pearl curtain in Hanzhang Palace. Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of that clear figure, separated by the palace walls, as she accompanied the Empress Dowager's sedan chair after leaving court towards Jinhua Palace.

After staying for a quarter of an hour, he disappeared into the wind and snow. Apart from patrolling time, Xie Zhao spent the rest of his time training in the training ground.

Half a month later, Concubine Rong gave birth to a prince on a snowy night. Lu Tingwan was ordered to come and found out that it was a dragon son. Empress Dowager Jiang's plan failed. She stood in the wind and snow, listening to the cry of the newborn, and felt that there was going to be a bloody storm.

Li Tingfeng immediately summoned Gongsun Yin, Cheng Xianzhi, and several other veteran ministers to prepare an imperial decree to appoint the crown prince.

After everyone left Hanzhang Palace, the eunuch kept Cheng Xianzhi, who had just left the palace, and Li Tingfeng summoned him alone to entrust his son to him on a snowy night.

"I am already dying, Queen Mother. The Crown Prince is still in his infancy. Concubine Rong has no power behind her, and the Jiang Party is well-established. I don't want the Queen Mother to raise Zhi'er. He will only become a puppet of the Jiang Family. Only if you become the Imperial Tutor can I rest assured."

"You owe me a life. I want you to protect the imperial power for the rest of your life. I envy you, but can you blame me for my selfishness?"

"Your Majesty, this is my duty. How can you blame me?"

Li Tingfeng glanced out the window and said, "This year's snow is heavier than in previous years. Next year, my Dalan will surely be peaceful and prosperous."

Cheng Xianzhi looked outside the hall and heard the whistling of the wind.

"Prince?" The inkstone in Queen Mother Jiang's hand broke instantly, oozing blood.

Lu Tingwan had sorted out everything when she returned. If the baby in Concubine Rong's belly was not a prince, why would Li Tingfeng and Cheng Xianzhi allow Jiang Haiyi to guard Shanhaiguan all the time? Moreover, these days, the power of the court has apparently fallen into the hands of Empress Dowager Jiang, but in fact, she has been unable to cope with all the affairs. She is retreating to advance, with the purpose of concealing her tracks.

"Hello, Prince!"