Chapter 405 Slap in the Face (Two Chapters Combined)
Princess Xinyang preferred quiet, so there weren't many servants in her courtyard, and they usually stayed in the front courtyard. Only Yu Jin and the Dragon Shadow Guards were allowed to enter the second courtyard.
Yu Jin was the legitimate daughter of a wealthy family. Unlike female officials who came from palace maid backgrounds, she earned her position in Princess Xinyang's household through her own merit.
After seeing off the Crown Princess, Yu Jin turned and went back to Princess Xinyang's room.
Princess Xinyang slept until evening before waking up, and felt a tightness in her chest.
Yu Jin walked over and saw that Princess Xinyang's complexion was not good. She gently raised her hand and took Princess Xinyang's pulse, asking with concern, "Princess, your pulse seems to be weak. Please drink some medicine first."
Yu Jin was not a female physician; it was only because Princess Xinyang had been ill for a long time that she had learned a little about medicine.
Princess Xinyang did not object. With Yu Jin's help, she sat up, and Yu Jin placed a pillow behind her back.
Yu Jin paused when she went to get the medicine.
There were two bottles of medicine on the table. One was a Heart-Protecting Pill that she had bought from a pharmacist in the Yan Kingdom, and the other was a Hundred Flower Pill that the Crown Princess had personally delivered earlier.
The Hundred Flowers Pill is extremely rare, even rarer than the Heart-Protecting Pill of the Yan State Pharmacist, and it is said to cure all diseases.
Yu Jin recounted that the Crown Princess had visited and presented him with the Hundred Flower Pill.
"Let me see it," Princess Xinyang said.
Princess had seen the Heart-Protecting Pill; what she wanted to see now was naturally the Crown Princess's Hundred Flower Pill.
Yu Jin picked up the Hundred Flower Pill from the table: "Huh?"
"What's wrong?" Princess Xinyang asked.
"Why is there a strip of cloth on the bottle? And there are words on it."
Gu Jiao wrote it with a fine charcoal pencil. It wasn't as bad as calligraphy, but it wasn't particularly beautiful either.
For a young lady from a scholarly family like Yu Jin, such handwriting is honestly a bit jarring.
But what truly puzzled Yu Jin was not the characters themselves.
Princess Xinyang looked at the bottle in her hand and asked, "Weren't there any strips of cloth before?"
"I don't remember. Am I mistaken?" Yu Jin frowned and looked up. "Long Yi."
Long Yi leaped down and landed three steps away from the two of them.
Yu Jin looked at him and asked, "Has anyone been here just now?"
Long Yi remained silent.
"Never mind, why did I ask you?" Yu Jin shook his head. This reminded him that Long Yi was guarding the room and wouldn't let any suspicious people in.
So it's possible that I remembered it wrong, or that I missed it, because there was a small strip of cloth on the bottle.
Yu Jin said with amusement, "It must have been written by the person who sells Hundred Flower Pills." The Crown Princess's handwriting isn't that peculiar.
This interruption caused Princess Xinyang to not take the Hundred Flower Pill first, but instead took two Heart-Protecting Pills that she always took.
Around midnight, Princess Xinyang developed a high fever, accompanied by severe chest pain.
"Princess!" Yu Jin came to the bedside in her nightgown without even putting on her outer robe. She lifted the bed curtains and looked at Princess Xinyang, who was lying on the bed, her face pale and her lips colorless. She was extremely anxious.
Princess Xinyang was not born with a heart ailment; it was something she developed in recent years. The death of her young master was a huge blow to her, and she seemed to collapse overnight, just like a perfectly healthy person.
In fact, the heart-protecting pills were quite effective at first, but as the condition worsened, their efficacy became increasingly ineffective, and now they can no longer suppress the symptoms at all.
Yu Jin thought of the Hundred Flower Pill that the Crown Princess had sent, and she poured one out.
The pills were white, but Yu Jin had never seen a real Hundred Flowers Pill before, so she didn't notice anything wrong at first.
She poured warm water and helped Princess Xinyang take the medicine.
The medicine took effect quickly; about 15 minutes later, Princess Xinyang felt less unwell, her palpitations lessened, and her chest pain gradually disappeared.
She slept soundly in the middle of the night, and when she woke up, her high fever had completely subsided.
Yu Jin wrung out a handkerchief and wiped her forehead while saying with satisfaction, "I never expected the Hundred Flower Pill to be so miraculous. If I had known this earlier, I should have found it for the princess sooner."
Princess Xinyang said, "Do you think the Hundred Flower Elixir is something you can just have whenever you want?"
Yu Jin smiled and said, "That's true. The recipe for the Hundred Flowers Pill has always been a secret of the Bai family of Zhao. Only one batch is made each year, and getting one depends entirely on luck. The Crown Princess is very thoughtful."
"Hmm," Princess Xinyang responded softly.
Yu Jin added, "Two Hundred Flower Pills a day are recommended. Now that the princess is awake, she should take one quickly."
Last night I felt terribly unwell and had no mood to see what the Hundred Flowers Pill looked like. But now, upon closer inspection, I realize it is quite different from the legendary Hundred Flowers Pill.
The Hundred Flowers Pill isn't actually made from a hundred kinds of fresh flowers, but it does use quite a few petals, so the pill itself has a slight floral scent.
But these pills... or rather, tablets, are white, colorless, and tasteless.
If it weren't for its truly remarkable effects, Princess Xinyang might have thought the Crown Princess had bought a fake Hundred Flowers Elixir.
"It seems rumors shouldn't be taken at face value." After saying that, she took the warm water that Yu Jin handed her and swallowed the Hundred Flower Pill.
Princess's return to the capital is a major event. It is only proper and reasonable for her to go to the palace to pay her respects to Empress Dowager Zhuang and the Emperor and Empress. She was exhausted from the journey a few days ago and was not feeling well. Now that she is much better, it is natural for her to prepare for entering the palace.
After breakfast, Princess Xinyang took the local specialties she brought from Fengdu Mountain and went to the palace by carriage.
The emperor was reviewing memorials in his study.
Eunuch Wei bowed and entered the room, saying, "Your Majesty, Princess Xinyang requests an audience."
The emperor was slightly surprised, put down the memorial in his hand, and said, "Quickly let the princess in."
"Yes." Eunuch Wei personally went outside and invited Princess Xinyang in.
Princess Xinyang stood in the imperial study, raised her arms, clasped her hands in front of her forehead, and bowed: "Your Majesty, I, your subject, greet you."
"Enough with the formalities!" the emperor said, extending his hand. "Rise!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Princess Xinyang straightened up.
"Uh... please take a seat!" the emperor said to Eunuch Wei.
"Yes." Without looking to the side, Eunuch Wei moved a chair over. "Please sit, Princess."
Princess Xinyang didn't stand on ceremony and readily sat down.
The emperor felt a little like rubbing his hands together.
To his shame, although Princess Xinyang was his younger sister, he always felt that she was his older sister whenever he was with her.
Others might not realize it, but only the emperor knew that Princess Xinyang was the one who most resembled the late emperor among his children.
They look alike, and their eyes are even more alike.
means……
He had never believed that the women in the harem had any tricks up their sleeves, except for Empress Dowager Zhuang.
But ever since the incident involving Consort Jing, he has never dared to underestimate any woman in the harem again.
Moreover, he had thought about it carefully these past few days. Princess Xinyang lost her mother's protection at the age of thirteen and was not close to either Empress Dowager Zhuang or Consort Liu. Under such circumstances, it would have been very difficult for her to protect herself.
But he had never heard of her being bullied by anyone.
Later, she married the Marquis of Xuanping in a high-profile manner, and then no one dared to bully her anymore.
Popular legend has it that Princess Xinyang was his most beloved younger sister; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen such an excellent marriage for her, given that many princesses coveted the Marquis of Xuanping back then.
Who would have thought that this marriage was arranged by the late emperor long ago, and he was just following the late emperor's last wishes.
Composing herself, the emperor asked her, "Weren't you ill? Why did you come to the palace?"
Princess Xinyang said, "I'm fine now. I'll go to the palace to pay my respects to His Majesty."
"Ah..." The emperor picked up his teacup and took a sip. "It's good that you're alright."
On the other side, Eunuch Wei also served tea to Princess Xinyang, but Princess Xinyang declined calmly, saying, "I have taken my medicine, so I will not drink tea."
"Yes." Eunuch Wei hurriedly removed the tea.
The emperor felt somewhat awkward around his younger sister. He took several sips of tea and asked, "I haven't heard from you in the past few years. How are you doing in Fengdu Mountain?"
Princess Xinyang calmly replied, "All is well, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."
Then, the conversation died down again.
The emperor awkwardly drank his tea.
Princess Xinyang spoke up: "I heard that Abbess Jing'an has passed away. Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."
Is calling him "Royal Brother" too hot to handle?
The emperor inwardly grumbled, but mumbled a vague "Mmm": "I'm fine."
The emperor did not announce Consort Jing's crimes for two reasons: first, he did not want to alert the remnants of the previous dynasty on the border; second, he did not want Ning'an to be implicated by Consort Jing's reputation.
Empress Dowager Zhuang had no objection to this.
This time, the emperor killed the conversation.
The emperor felt an awkward atmosphere permeating the entire imperial study.
We need to chat a bit more...
Suddenly, a thought flashed through the emperor's mind, and he asked, "By the way, didn't Marquis Xuanping go to see you? Why didn't he come back with you?"
"I don't know," Princess Xinyang replied succinctly.
emperor:"……"
The emperor wasn't too surprised by this answer. Their relationship had always been strained, and after Xiao Heng's death, it had become extremely cold.
Thinking of Xiao Heng, the emperor finally opened up: "Have you gone to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager?"
Upon hearing this, Princess Xinyang's expression finally wavered slightly. She gave the emperor a strange look and said, "I've been there. The Empress Dowager is not at Renshou Palace."
The emperor gritted his teeth and muttered, "Very well, he's sneaked out of the palace to play cards again..."
His muttering was very soft, so Princess Xinyang naturally didn't hear it, but her gaze remained fixed on his face. After a moment, she slowly spoke: "I heard that His Majesty's relationship with the Empress Dowager has improved considerably."
The Emperor did not deny it: "There is something I must tell you. The person who poisoned Aheng back then was not the Empress Dowager, but a head of the Shanggong Bureau named Zhang Xiu. She was bribed by the remnants of the previous dynasty and attempted to poison Aheng to frame the Empress Dowager and sow discord between me and the Empress Dowager. I only recently discovered the truth, and Zhang Xiu has already been executed."
"I see." Princess Xinyang lowered her eyes and said softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for seeking justice for Aheng."
The emperor said solemnly, "Only when all the remnants of the previous dynasty are eradicated can we truly avenge Aheng. You can rest assured, I will not let any of them go!"
...
After leaving Huaqing Palace, Princess Xinyang went to Empress Xiao's Kunning Palace.
She didn't stay long either; after paying her respects and leaving behind some local specialties from Fengdu Mountain, she departed.
While passing through the Imperial Garden, she unexpectedly encountered the Crown Princess, who had just come from the Eastern Palace.
"aunt!"
The Crown Princess's eyes lit up, and she walked towards her.
"Crown Princess," Princess Xinyang greeted her.
The Crown Princess, like a child seeing an elder, excitedly grasped Princess Xinyang's hand and said, "What a coincidence! I was originally planning to visit my aunt, but I didn't expect to run into you here."
Princess Xinyang looked at her and said, "You are now the Crown Princess, there is no need to be so polite."
The Crown Princess panicked: "Aunt... have we become estranged? In my heart, no matter who I am now or who I will be in the future, Uncle and Aunt will always be the elders I respect the most!"
Princess Xinyang sighed almost imperceptibly.
The Crown Princess asked worriedly, "Aunt, how are you feeling? I visited you yesterday, but you were unconscious. I was worried sick all night, my heart was in turmoil. I had no idea that your condition had deteriorated so much during those years on Fengdu Mountain. If I had known, I should have searched for the Hundred Flower Pill even more diligently... By the way, Aunt, have you taken the Hundred Flower Pill? How effective was it?"
"The medicine is very effective. Thanks to you, I can now walk around again." Princess Xinyang said, then paused and asked, "Where did you get your Hundred Flower Pill?"
The Crown Princess looked around, leaned closer to Princess Xinyang, and said in a low voice, "It was bought from a place called the Underground Martial Arts Arena. There is a swordsman from the Zhao Kingdom there, and he happens to have a bottle of Hundred Flower Pills."
The underground martial arts arena is a mixed bag, but it's true that you can only buy this kind of thing from an underground martial arts arena.
Princess Xinyang's last remaining doubts about the Hundred Flowers Elixir were dispelled.
Perhaps the Hundred Flowers Pill really is colorless and odorless, but people have distorted its true nature through legend.
The Crown Princess smiled slightly and said, "Aunt, if you're not in a hurry to leave the palace, why don't you sit in the pavilion? I'll keep you company for a chat. You've been gone for several years, and many things have happened in the capital. I'll tell you about them one by one."
Princess Xinyang did not refuse.
It wasn't because she wanted to hear about things in the capital; it was because she didn't want to offend the Crown Princess.
The two climbed the steps and sat down in the pavilion in the Imperial Garden.
The Crown Princess instructed the palace servants to prepare tea and snacks.
Yu Jin looked at the butter tea and rose cake on the table and smiled knowingly: "The Crown Princess still remembers the princess's taste."
The Crown Princess smiled and said, "Of course I remember! I remember everything my uncle and aunt like to eat! And everything Aheng likes to eat too..."
She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence.
Realizing she had brought up a sore subject she shouldn't have, she felt a pang of remorse and looked at Princess Xinyang with guilt: "Aunt... I'm sorry... I..."
Princess Xinyang's expression was calm: "You remember what Aheng likes to eat, there's nothing I can't say."
Yu Jin waved her hand, dismissing the palace servants.
Only she, the Crown Princess, and Princess Xinyang remained in the pavilion.
The Crown Princess said guiltily, "Aunt, I'm sorry."
Princess Xinyang said, "You don't need to apologize."
The Crown Princess opened her mouth: "I..."
Princess Xinyang said calmly, "There's no need to apologize for what you said, nor for becoming the Crown Princess. Aheng is already dead. Even if you were married, it would be perfectly acceptable for you to remarry."
The Crown Princess clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her eyes slightly reddened, and her throat tightened with emotion.
"How well does the Crown Prince treat you?" Princess Xinyang asked her.
The Crown Princess nodded, her voice choked with emotion.
Princess Xinyang nodded, "Then I'm relieved, Yujin."
She gave Yu Jin a wink.
Yu Jin understood, walked down the steps, and waved to one of the maids who was with her.
The young maidservant walked up to the pavilion.
Yu Jin asked, "Did you bring what I asked you to bring?"
The maidservant thought for a moment and said, "They've all been sent out."
Yu Jin said, "Isn't there still a box of thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum?"
"Oh dear, I forgot it in the carriage!" The little maid covered her mouth. "I'll go get it right away!"
After taking a couple of steps, she turned back sheepishly, saying, "This servant doesn't know the way..."
The young maid was brought from Fengdu Mountain; this was her first time entering the palace.
"I'll go get it," Yu Jin said to Princess Xinyang.
Princess Xinyang said, "No need, Long Yi will go get it."
The Crown Princess was completely confused by this statement. Who is Long Yi?
She looked down at the palace servants below the steps, but saw no one had left.
Long Yi remained hidden in the shadows, undetectable even to experts, let alone the Crown Princess.
There was only one box left on the carriage, so it was easy to spot.
Long Yi quickly went to the carriage and retrieved the box.
When Long Yi descended from the sky and flashed into the pavilion carrying a brocade box, the Crown Princess was greatly startled.
Princess Xinyang said to the Crown Princess, "Thank you for the medicine. This is a token of my gratitude." Then she said to Long Yi, "Give this token of my gratitude to the Crown Princess."
Long Yi refused.
Dragon Shadow Guards generally do not disobey their master's orders unless they do not understand them.
Princess Xinyang was a patient hostess. She pointed to the box, then to the Crown Princess, and explained slowly and deliberately, "The box in your hand is a thank-you gift for the Crown Princess."
Long Yi still wouldn't give it to him.
Princess Xinyang: "Then give it to me."
Long Yi gave it to her.
Princess Xinyang personally picked up the box to give to the Crown Princess, but Long Yi snatched the box back!
Even if the Crown Princess was foolish, she could tell that this bodyguard named Long Yi didn't want to give her the Ganoderma lucidum.
This is like an elder in the family asking a child to share candy with other children, but the child absolutely refuses, making everyone feel awkward.
The Crown Princess was especially embarrassed; her face flushed red. "Never mind, Aunt..."
“That doesn’t count,” Princess Xinyang said to Long Yi. “If you want the box, I’ll give you another one when I get back. It contains a thank-you gift for someone else.”
Long Yi refused to give it to him.
Princess Xinyang frowned: "If you don't give it to me, I'm going to get angry."
Just then, Gu Jiao happened to pass by in the Imperial Garden.
Long Yi leaped down and landed in front of Gu Jiao, shoving the box into her arms.
He then turned to look at Princess Xinyang.
His eyes and posture seemed to be saying something.
Don't be angry, I'll give it to you.
(End of this chapter)
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