Chapter 24 The Empress bestowed upon her and Gu Zhan an aphrodisiac wine…
Gu Zhan placed his palm on the back of her hand and gently moved her hand away.
Then she heard a clear, crisp voice: "Your Highness!"
She couldn't be mistaken; it was Su Yuzhao's voice.
Shen Mi froze on the spot, her fingers wrapped around Gu Zhan's waist curling slightly inward, unsure whether to let go.
Let her go? She was the Crown Prince's concubine, bestowed by imperial decree and presented with the three letters and six rites. Su Yuzhao was not yet married, and her relationship with Gu Zhan was far from settled. Why should she let her go?
Why wouldn't she let him go? But everyone in Bianjing knew that the daughter of the Prime Minister Su and Gu Zhan were childhood sweethearts. Gu Zhan's younger sister, Princess Roufu Gu Chiying, was even closer to her, and Gu Zhan was very indulgent towards her, even affectionately calling her "Yuzhao." So why wouldn't she let him go...?
In the freezing cold, she was caught in a dilemma, yet she was clearly just an ordinary woman who had come to see her husband off on his long journey.
She couldn't see Gu Zhan's expression, but she heard him ask, "Why are you here in the dark?"
Gu Zhan's broad back blocked her view; all she could hear was the snorting of horses.
Not long after, Su Xingjian's voice came, "Your Highness, I have met you. It turns out that Yuzhao wanted to escort me to the city gate, but I said I wanted to come to the East Palace to meet Your Highness first, so she insisted on coming too."
“Su Xingjian, she’s being immature and mischievous, and you’ve been indulging her,” Gu Zhan scolded in a low voice. “If something happens to this young girl, Prime Minister Su only has one daughter. How will you explain that?”
Su Xingjian lowered his head, rubbed his nose, and admitted his mistake: "Your subject knows he was wrong."
"Alright, I'll meet you at Mingde Gate later. Hurry up and send the person back."
Su Xingjian bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness." He then turned to Su Yuzhao and said, "You won't listen to me, but surely you will listen to His Highness?"
Su Yuzhao remained silent.
Shen Mi heard the conversation between the group clearly, and with a surge of courage from who knows where, she gently nuzzled against Gu Zhan's back and called out, "Your Highness."
Gu Zhan then turned her around to face him, sighed softly, and said in a slightly stiff and distant tone, "It's cold outside, you should go back early." As he spoke, he reached out and brushed the snowflakes off her hair, patted her shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, this isn't my first time going to disaster relief. Also, the knee pads are very warm."
Shen Mi lowered her eyes and rubbed her chin against the inside of Gu Zhan's wrist. "Okay."
Gu Zhan released her and mounted his horse.
She met Su Yuzhao, who was riding away, and politely nodded to her.
Su Yuzhao, who was always talkative, smiled at her and asked, "Is Consort Shen also here to see His Highness off?"
Su Xingjian had already turned his back, but upon hearing this, he turned his horse around and looked back. When he saw her, he was surprised for a moment before bowing to her, his gesture seemingly a smile through the wind and snow.
Shen Mi's uncertainty.
She then heard Su Yuzhao say to Su Xingjian with considerable dissatisfaction, "Even Consort Shen was sent to His Highness, but you have so many rules."
Shen Mi didn't hear what they said after that; she just watched Gu Zhan leave.
Su Xingjian looked at his sister, "Shen Liangdi is His Highness's..." He paused here, recalling the scene of Gu Zhan turning around to embrace Shen Mi just now, pursed his lips, and lowered his voice, as if telling himself, "How can His Highness's wives and concubines be the same?"
Gu Zhan quickly spurred his horse to catch up, riding alongside Su Xingjian. He casually tilted his head and asked, "Why did I hear you and your sister talking about me? What were you talking about?"
Su Xingjian quickly concealed his slightly melancholy expression and said, "I was just reflecting on the close relationship between Your Highness and Consort Shen."
Gu Zhan didn't respond to that, but addressed him by his courtesy name, "Ziyou, you are about the same age as me, and you achieved fame and success a few years ago. Now that you are adorned with a red robe and silver fish, I'm afraid matchmakers will be knocking down the door of your Su family."
Su Xingjian twisted the reins around his hand a few times, "Your Highness is too kind."
Gu Zhan asked with a smile, "How about it? Aren't there any noble ladies in all of Bianjing that you like?"
Su Xingjian paused, head bowed: "Yes."
"Whose daughter is she? Tell me." After all, she was his former study companion, so Gu Zhan was also intentionally teasing Su Xingjian.
Su Xingjian tilted his head back and inhaled a mouthful of snow foam. "I'll tell Your Highness when things are going well."
Gu Zhan shook his head, "Alright, then I'll wait to drink Ziyou's wedding wine."
Shen Mi was unaware of all this. After she could no longer see Gu Zhan, she let Cuiwei help her back.
Perhaps because she had woken up once in the middle of the night and caught a chill, she had difficulty falling back asleep. She finally felt sleepy around dawn, and when she woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky. Normally, getting up at this hour would be considered very late, let alone in winter when it gets light very late.
However, since she usually stayed in the East Palace, the Empress felt sorry for her having to go to the Kunning Palace every day to pay her respects, so she exempted her from this formality and only allowed her to have a meal there on the first and fifteenth of each month.
Although she was a concubine in the Eastern Palace, Gu Zhan had not yet married the Crown Princess. In the entire Eastern Palace, apart from Gu Zhan, she was the most powerful person. She did not need to serve tea or pay her respects to anyone. She did not have many rules for the servants. If she got up late, it was fine.
She lazily got up, still wrapped in the quilt, and had barely stretched when Cuiwei called to her from outside the tent: "Liangdi, are you awake?"
Shen Mi responded.
Cuiwei then picked up the Hangzhou satin from outside and said, "Hurry up and get up. Her Majesty the Empress has sent a royal physician from the palace to examine the concubine's pulse and help her recover. I dare not say that you haven't gotten up yet, but I will say that you will arrive after you change your clothes. Tea has been served and someone is waiting for you in the flower hall."
Shen Mi was taken aback. She remembered that the Empress had indeed said yesterday that she would send the imperial physician out of the palace to examine her. She immediately threw off the covers, slipped on her shoes, and said, "Quickly help me dress and do my hair. Just tie my hair into a simple bun, as long as I can be seen in public."
Cuiwei and Danju, one on each side, helped her with a quick wash and then hurried to the flower hall of Qingluan Palace to see the imperial physician.
It wasn't Cheng Lin, who usually came to the Eastern Palace for consultations, but he wasn't exactly a stranger either. He was the imperial physician who had publicly diagnosed the pregnancy of the Princess Consort of Wei that day. He had white hair and beard and looked very experienced. Out of respect, Shen Mi nodded to the imperial physician.
The imperial physician put down his teacup, stood up, and bowed to Shen Mi. "Your subject greets Consort Shen. My surname is Liu, so please do not stand on ceremony."
Shen Mi sat down in the main seat and extended her wrist, saying, "I'm troubling you, Physician Liu. Since the Empress Dowager invited you, please sit down and have your pulse taken."
Physician Liu picked up his medicine chest, took out a silk handkerchief, and placed it on Shen Mi's wrist. Holding his breath, he took Shen Mi's pulse in both hands. After taking back the silk handkerchief, he asked, "Did you catch a cold when you were young, Consort?"
Shen Mi nodded and told the truth: "When I was a child, I was playful and did fall into the pool once, but it was summer at the time, so I didn't pay much attention to it. I haven't had any health problems in recent years, but has it had any impact?"
Physician Liu said, "Although it is summer, it is easy for cold air to enter the body. Although there are no problems in daily life, it is indeed difficult to conceive."
Shen Mi frowned. This was not a good thing. Gu Zhan and she had never consummated their marriage, and she could tell that Gu Zhan wasn't interested in it. If she were to suffer from this ailment, it would indeed be extremely difficult for her to conceive.
Seeing that she was not upset, Physician Liu said, "Don't worry, Consort. I have been in the Imperial Medical Bureau for many years and am most skilled in this field. Back then, Her Majesty the Empress had difficulty conceiving. After I treated her with medicine, she finally conceived Princess Roufu at the age of twenty-seven. That's why Her Majesty the Empress trusts and values me, and that's why she sent me to help Consort with her health."
Shen Mi understood the unspoken meaning in Physician Liu's words, which was also the Empress's intention. The Empress valued her and also hoped that she could give birth to a child for Gu Zhan to help Gu Zhan secure the throne. That's why she sent Physician Liu, whom she trusted the most, to take her pulse. So she smiled at Physician Liu and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Physician Liu."
Physician Liu then gave her some advice on health preservation, left a prescription, and said that he would come to the East Palace every five days to check Shen Mi's pulse and adjust the prescription as needed. Shen Mi thanked him, and had Cuiwei give Physician Liu some reward money before seeing him off from the East Palace.
Before long, the medicine was decocted and served.
Shen Mi, who was afraid of bitterness, stirred the medicine with a spoon. Suddenly, she remembered that Physician Liu had mentioned that the Empress had difficulty conceiving and only had Gu Chiying when she was twenty-seven. But wasn't Gu Chiying Gu Zhan's younger sister?
She found it strange, but then she thought about it again. Gu Zhan was seven years older than Gu Chiying. It was possible that she had damaged her body when she gave birth to Gu Zhan and had difficulty conceiving afterward. It was only after being treated by Physician Liu that she was able to have Gu Chiying.
Well, it's none of her business anyway. While the medicine was still warm and not too hot, she blew on it and drank it all in one gulp.
For the next month, Physician Liu indeed came to the East Palace every five days to take Shen Mi's pulse. Kun Ning Palace also continuously sent over some tonics, which Shen Mi accepted in full. She also went to Kun Ning Palace more often. The Empress treated her fairly kindly, but Gu Chiying still didn't like her much, which she didn't care much about.
Gu Zhan and Su Xingjian led the disaster relief team, traversing mountains and valleys for more than half a month before finally reaching Dingzhou. Along the way, they encountered aftershocks and were nearly buried in snow. After surviving this ordeal, Gu Zhan found a safe place and had his subordinates sit down and rest by the fire.
Su Xingjian remained with Gu Zhan, poking at the firewood in the fire with a stick he had found, and said, "Being the Crown Prince is tough for you. You have to be wary of the Emperor and not be too popular, lest you become too powerful and overshadow the Emperor. You also have to be wary of the Prince of Wei and not be too mediocre. And so, this difficult job of being the governor of Dingzhou has fallen on your shoulders."
Gu Zhan warmed himself by the fire, saying, "You know, I absolutely have to sit in that position, otherwise, how can I bring Mother back from the imperial mausoleum?"
Su Xingjian knew that he had his own difficulties, and said, "A while ago, I asked a trusted confidant to visit Consort Yang. When she learned that Your Highness had taken Consort Shen as a concubine, she was very happy. She asked someone to tell her that Your Highness had been alone for so many years. If you could meet a kindred spirit who understands you, she would be at ease."
“My mother always worries about me.”
Su Xingjian responded in a low voice: "Because of this matter, Your Highness has always harbored resentment towards the Empress over the years."
Gu Zhan hesitated slightly before saying, "Ziyou, we've been close since childhood. You know that I also resent Father Emperor for this matter. That's why I once said that I would never take a concubine in this life and would never let such a thing happen again."
Su Xingjian sighed softly, then thought of Shen Mi and asked, "What about Consort Shen..."
Such a cheerful and spirited woman was thus condemned to the deep palace by an imperial edict.
After the grand court assembly that night, he also thought that if he had met Shen Mi two years earlier, things might have been different. But now she was married to Gu Zhan, his lord, and he could only admire her from afar and not touch her. He could only have respect for her.
Gu Zhan simply replied, "I had no choice in the matter."
He lifted his robe, wanting to get closer to the fire and touch his snow-covered legs.
Su Xingjian glanced to the side and saw the knee pads on his knees, and casually said, "Your Highness, these knee pads look very warm."
Gu Zhan followed his gaze and said in a somewhat indifferent tone, "Oh, it was given to me by Consort Shen before I left."
Su Xingjian felt a pang of bitterness in his heart, but he smiled and said, "Your Highness and Consort Shen are truly the envy of everyone."
Gu Zhan dusted off his knee pads. "Or I could have you get married sooner."
Su Xingjian glanced away and didn't respond.
Gu Zhan spent more than twenty days in Dingzhou providing disaster relief. By the time he returned to Bianjing, it was already early March.
When he entered the capital, people lined the streets in response, eager to catch a glimpse of the Crown Prince's face.
Upon hearing that Gu Zhan was returning to the capital today, Shen Mi got up early to dress and wait for him at the city gate. She watched Gu Zhan ride his tall horse through the crowd. For a moment, his gaze seemed to sweep over her, but it did not linger.
Because she heard another voice from across the crowd: "Brother, Your Highness!"
The person she was following turned his head and looked in that direction.
A sense of desolation filled Shen Mi's heart. She quickly lowered her head, pulled Cuiwei aside, and said, "Let's go, we still need to go to the palace later."
Su Yuzhao's voice was loud, and it was hard for Gu Zhan not to be attracted to it. He glanced at her and then turned his head back. He seemed to have vaguely seen a familiar figure in the crowd just now, but he couldn't see her clearly. He looked over again, but he couldn't see her anymore. Perhaps he had imagined it.
According to the rules, Gu Zhan could not return to the East Palace first; he had to go to the Funing Palace to report to the Emperor. Unexpectedly, he met the Prince of Wei outside the Funing Palace.
When the two brothers met, they greeted each other, and the King of Wei patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Now you are increasingly capable of shouldering great responsibilities."
Gu Zhan stopped him, saying, "Brother, you flatter me. After all, I am the Crown Prince of Great Qi."
King Wei laughed and said, "Very well, I must go back soon. Your sister-in-law is pregnant now and is clamoring for the sour plums from the Han family in the east of the city. I heard they are in high demand. I will talk to Your Highness another day."
Gu Zhan nodded in agreement and politely asked, "I had no idea, did you just diagnose it?"
The Prince of Wei said, "It's too early. The imperial physician diagnosed it when the Empress Dowager hosted a banquet for the women of the palace on the fifteenth day of the first month. I don't think Consort Shen mentioned it to Your Highness."
Gu Zhan replied politely, "Then I will wait patiently for my elder brother's wedding banquet."
After watching the Prince of Wei leave, Gu Zhan turned and headed towards the Funing Palace. He understood that the Prince of Wei was showing off to him. Then he thought of two months ago, the night before he left the capital, when Shen Mi mentioned the matter of having children to him with a hesitant expression. That day happened to be the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
He suddenly realized that it must have been the Empress who pressured her.
He couldn't help but sigh, knowing that if the Empress brought it up, the matter would be difficult to resolve.
Shen Mi spent a long time talking with the Empress in Kunning Palace, but Gu Zhan didn't come. So the Empress sent her back to the East Palace. At first, she didn't think much of it. But when she returned to the East Palace, she saw a pot of wine on the table and looked at Danju in confusion.
Danju said, "Her Majesty the Empress said that since you and His Highness were separated for a short time after your wedding, she bestowed this pot of wine upon you so that you may wait for His Highness's return."
Shen Mi dismissed Danju, stared at the pot of wine, and thought of the Empress's instructions to her.
The Empress said that Gu Zhan left in a hurry and might not know that Princess Wei was pregnant. She would talk to Gu Zhan again today to make him pay more attention to the matter and to tell Shen Mi not to worry too much, as she had her own way.
So that's how it works.
Could this wine be the aphrodisiac from the palace?
Shen Mi dared not think too much. She heard footsteps and the sound of palace servants greeting Gu Zhan.
The door was pushed open.
She glanced at the pot of wine bestowed by the Empress, and her heart pounded wildly.
A note from the author:
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The author's note for my next book, "After Seeking Refuge with My Deceased Husband's Brother," should be directly linked below. Please bookmark it!
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Synopsis of "After Seeking Refuge with My Deceased Husband's Brother"
In the ninth year of her marriage, Ying Laiyi was forced to separate from her husband due to the war, and her husband's fate was unknown. While fleeing from the rebel army, she escaped to Liangzhou, which was defended by the renowned and meritorious general Lu Ce.
Lu Ce was her husband's half-brother. Hearing that he was not well received at home in his early years, he abandoned his studies to join the army. After ten years of fighting, he eventually became a regional warlord.
At first, Ying Laiyi was worried that Lu Ce would harbor resentment towards the Lu family because of their past mistreatment of him. Therefore, she always restrained herself and was careful in her words and actions in front of Lu Ce.
Lu Ce never called her "sister-in-law," but only referred to her as "Madam Ying."
She knew she was already living under someone else's roof, so how could she ask for more? She could only think of Lu Ce in everything, big or small, to repay his kindness in protecting her.
*
Before coming to Liangzhou, Ying Laiyi had heard that Lu Ce was ruthless. Previously, she thought it was a rumor. It wasn't until she received news of her husband and wanted to go to him for help that Lu Ce stopped her. Only then did she realize that she had never really known Lu Ce.
Lu Ce asked her, "Where did you run off to? Didn't you promise me you'd stay?"
She sensed Lu Ce's ulterior motives and replied with pursed lips, "Lu Ce, I am your sister-in-law."
Lu Ce forced her back into a corner: "We are both children of the Lu family. If my brother can do it, why can't I?"
*
From having nothing to becoming a powerful warlord in a chaotic world, Lu Ce never cared about matters of the heart.
Until he saw the woman among a group of disheveled and unkempt rioters, his heart stirred.
He pointed in the distance, and his subordinates understood immediately, making an exception and allowing her to enter the city.
At first, he only wanted to use Ying Laiyi's name to gain fame and reputation, and win the hearts of the people in order to make great achievements.
Later, he pretended to be a virtuous gentleman in front of Ying Laiyi and killed her capable subordinate who coveted her. She even thought about going to find that useless brother.
Then don't blame him; build her a golden house so that she will only have him in her eyes and heart.
Gentle and resilient noblewoman x cunning and ruthless hero
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