Chapter 188 Hot Spring
Qiu Heng was riding in the same carriage as the Princess of Jiayi when she asked Ling Yun, "Brother Ling, how are you? Has your headache flared up again?"
“I asked my older brother, and he said he slept quite well after using the incense you sent.”
"That's good." Qiu Heng said, still worried, "When we were in Suiyun, I didn't see Brother Ling have any problems. Was Brother Ling's illness very serious before he went south?"
Princess Jiayi shook her head slightly: "Although my elder brother was weak since childhood, he never had headaches. He suddenly developed headaches when he was fifteen. The imperial physician said that the capital was too dry, so he went to the south to recuperate."
"Will Brother Ling still go south?"
“My elder brother said he knows his own body well, so there’s no need to go now.” Princess Jiayi looked wistful. “Maybe it’s because my elder brother is good in every way that his health is not good. If only my elder brother were a little uglier.”
Qiu Heng forced a smile, a faint gloom settling over her heart.
It's truly worrying that Brother Ling, at such a young age, suffers from a headache.
"Aheng, how do you know how to make such an effective calming incense?"
"The Taoist priest who taught me how to make incense pendants taught me."
"It's a pity we didn't find it that time, and we even encountered spies." Princess Jiayi sighed, then her eyes lit up. "Aheng, let's continue the search. That Taoist priest is so capable, he must not be unknown."
"Perhaps the Taoist priest hasn't come to the capital, so finding him would be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Qiu Heng politely declined the Jiayi County Princess's suggestion.
Most Taoist temples are built on mountains, and for a princess of Jiayi County, it's best to avoid that.
We've arrived at Tangquan.
Princess Fu also brought her daughter, Princess Rongning, to stay for a while. When she heard that Princess Kang and the Lady of Changchun had come and brought Qiuheng with them, she immediately invited the two families to have lunch together.
Upon receiving the letter, Lady Changchun remarked to Princess Kang, "Princess Fu is much more enthusiastic than before."
In the past, they would always take the initiative to visit.
Even if Princess Kang disliked Qiu Heng, she had to admit: "Qiu Heng saved Princess Rong Ning, so she is different."
Whether you feel eternally grateful or believe you have already repaid the debt of gratitude, you must put on a good show to avoid being gossiped about.
Lady Changchun smiled and said, "I'm just benefiting from my sister's adopted daughter's good fortune."
Princess Consort Kang was not in the mood for jokes: "Having another adopted daughter will only cause more trouble. I'll be grateful if she behaves herself."
Her two children are both outstanding individuals, and she doesn't care about other people's children. She just couldn't resist her son's request.
Upon meeting Princess Fu, the two exchanged pleasantries. Princess Fu smiled and looked at Qiu Heng, saying, "Sixth Miss Qiu always impresses people."
"Your Highness is too kind."
"Look at her, she's usually generous and composed, but she can also turn the tide in critical moments. The Princess Consort is truly blessed."
Princess Kang smiled and said, "Princess, please don't make her too proud."
The young people sat at a table, and Princess Rongning asked Qiuheng about her affairs at the Prime Minister's residence.
Feng Caixing laughed and said, "Aheng, why don't you hire a storyteller? I'm sure many people will ask about him in the future."
Princess Rongning smiled and said, "Don't you know? The storytellers in the teahouses and taverns are already telling Aheng's story."
Feng Caixing was shocked: "It's cold and I haven't gone out, yet it's so lively outside? That princess is still pulling Ah Heng around asking me questions."
Princess Rongning shook her head: "The storyteller said that Aheng grew wings and could fly. Can we believe a single word of that?"
"Let me see where Ah Heng's wings are hidden." Feng Caixing pulled Qiu Heng along, laughing until tears streamed down her face.
After chatting and laughing for a while, the meal ended, and the group went to see the hot spring.
“Aheng, look, that’s a hot spring for one person only,” the Princess of Jiayi pointed out to Qiuheng.
Looking over, Qiu Heng saw that although it was called a hot spring, it was different from the open-air pool that Xue Han had taken her to see that day. Instead, it was a wooden house.
"It's quite convenient."
“There will be guards outside, so you can use it without worry, Ah Heng.”
Feng Caiyue cautioned, "Don't soak for too long, or you'll get dizzy."
Qiu Heng nodded.
Inside the city, Hu Si reported to Xue Han: "Sir, Miss Qiu Liu has left the city."
"It's not about asking you to remove the people keeping watch on you."
Hu Si quickly explained, "They were evacuated a long time ago. I just happened to see them, so I came to inform you, sir."
Seeing that Xue Han didn't react, Hu Si chuckled: "It seems to be going to the hot springs in the western suburbs. Tomorrow is a day off, aren't you going, sir?"
"You want to go?"
"I don't want to," Hu Si stubbornly denied.
He just wanted some snacks; he regretted refusing the red bean cake back then.
"Since you want to go, let's go together after we're done with our work tomorrow," Xue Han decided.
Hu Si: ?
Perhaps because of the change of location, Qiu Heng did not sleep well throughout the night, having one dream after another, and finally woke up suddenly with a lingering fear.
In the dream, Lingyun suffered a relapse of her headache and passed away.
The feeling of loss was so real that Qiu Heng was completely unable to sleep. She stayed up until dawn, hurriedly washed up, and went to the Princess Consort of Kang County. She only breathed a sigh of relief when Ling Yun came over and saw that she looked alright.
Ling Yun noticed that Qiu Heng's reaction was unusual. After leaving Princess Kang's place, he waited outside and soon Qiu Heng came out.
"Brother Ling, I was just about to come find you." Qiu Heng walked over.
"Is there something you need, Ah Heng? I heard from Mother that you have something to say to her."
"Brother Ling, how is your headache?" Qiu Heng asked as they walked.
Ling Yun didn't expect Qiu Heng to say this, and laughed, "I slept well after using the calming incense you gave me, and I don't have a headache anymore."
"real?"
"Of course it's true."
Qiu Heng, however, trusted her intuition more, or perhaps because she cared, she tended to think the worst: "But I think you're just trying to put our minds at ease."
Ling Yun chuckled: "Really, nothing's wrong. Why don't you believe your older brother?"
Qiu Heng walked in silence for a while, then frowned slightly: "I think Brother Ling is the kind of person who only reports good news and not bad news."
Ling Yun subconsciously raised his hand to pat Qiu Heng's head, but then silently lowered it again. "If there's a real problem, I won't force myself to do it, just like when I left the capital to recuperate in the south. Ah Heng, don't overthink things."
Qiu Heng couldn't see any trace of Ling Yun's attempt to hide his feelings, so she believed him for the time being: "In short, Brother Ling, don't force yourself. It will only make those who care about you worry more."
"I understand." Ling Yun replied with a smile, then noticed something was off about Qiu Heng's expression. "Aheng?"
"I'm relieved that Brother Ling is alright. I'm going to soak in the hot springs now. It's a rare opportunity to come here." After saying that, Qiu Heng ran off quickly, lifting her skirt, without waiting for Ling Yun's reply.
Ling Yun watched the girl run away and shook his head with amusement.
Despite all the remarkable things Ah Heng has done, she's still that same little girl running wildly across the mountains and fields.
Qiu Heng ran to the wooden house in one breath and asked the maid guarding outside, "Is anyone inside?"
"No."
Qiu Heng strode in and said to the maid who followed her in, "I'm used to being alone. You stay outside and keep watch so no one can come in."
"Yes." The maidservant respectfully withdrew.
Qiu Heng quickly shed her outer garments and sank into the hot spring.
The warm spring water provided some relief from the sudden pain.
Qiu Heng leaned against the pool wall and let out a long sigh.
Fortunately, it was much easier than the time I rescued the crown prince.
(End of this chapter)
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