Chapter 18: His Majesty is indifferent to women.
It's because of Lin Yuan.
Wang Fu's heart suddenly ached.
The medicine sent by the Grand Marshal's wife appeared right under Wang Fu's nose.
According to Xiao Xun's instructions, the medicine treatment should have ended when it reached Wang Fu.
He intercepted the medicine, but the imperial physician who came to examine his pulse would notice something amiss.
But he insisted on letting the medicine enter the palace.
Wang Fu straightened up: "This servant did this for His Majesty."
Xiao Xun's heart was burning with nameless anger: "Disobeying the emperor's orders and acting on your own, Lin Yuan was not yet recovered and was forced to take medicine, almost dying. And you say this is for my sake?"
“If the palace maids hadn’t been allowed to touch that medicine, how could His Majesty have arrested the Grand Marshal’s wife?” Wang Fu stared intently at Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun suddenly felt that the person in front of him, whom he had known for more than twenty years, had a stern yet unfamiliar gaze.
"His Majesty knows that it is just a bowl of medicine. If it is not actually forced into the mouth of the palace maid, and if it does not cause trouble, how can it arouse public anger? How can the Grand Marshal's wife be willing to admit her guilt? And how can the Grand Marshal bow his head?"
Wang Fu paused for a moment, then said, "The Grand Marshal's wife died not because she intended to harm the palace maids, but because she plotted to murder His Majesty's heir, the eldest son."
Xiao Xun coldly retorted, "I have my own plans on how to make the Grand Marshal's wife confess her guilt. It's not your place to decide."
Wang Fu lowered his head again, almost touching the ground, and bowed: "Yes. This servant did indeed act on my own initiative. This servant thought I understood Your Majesty. If Your Majesty cannot make up your mind, this servant will help Your Majesty."
"You think you understand me? You're nothing but stubborn, self-righteous, and arrogant." Xiao Xun clenched his fist, angrily flicked his sleeve, and took a step closer.
Tea splashed onto Wang Fu's face, even getting some on his eyelashes, but he didn't wipe it away.
Her wet eyelashes hung heavily down: "Your Majesty has endured and plotted for so many years, and I have seen it all. This opportunity cannot be missed."
These words, when heard by Xiao Xun, seemed to be his own voice; he could barely hear himself speaking.
"Then, Lin Yuan, can I really lose her?"
Xiao Xun learned that Qu Yan's men had smuggled medicine into the palace. Although everything was under his control, he himself had become the variable in this plan. He resolved to return to the palace as quickly as possible.
On horseback, he watched the sun in the sky gradually dim and sink, and his heart sank with it.
Wang Fu gave a barely perceptible sneer: "Isn't His Majesty's fondness for Lin Yuan somewhat due to her resemblance to the daughter of the Eldest Princess and Prime Minister Su?"
These words struck me like a thunderbolt.
"……What did you say?"
"Now that the great cause has been accomplished, His Majesty has summoned Prime Minister Su and his daughter back to the capital. As the daughter of the Prime Minister and the Princess, his daughter is of noble birth and has been His Majesty's childhood sweetheart. They are deeply in love and everyone knows that she is the most suitable candidate for Empress. Lin Yuan is just a palace maid, a person of humble origin. She knows her place and only wishes that His Majesty and the new Empress will live in harmony."
Wang Fu's words, falling into Xiao Xun's ears, became like dense needles piercing his skull, creating a buzzing sound:
"But she was envied because of His Majesty's favor. In this palace, she not only lost her reputation but also bore the guilt of losing a prince. Now that His Majesty is about to establish an empress, it is the best thing for the new empress. It is also the best thing for her."
"...while she still doesn't know that I am favored by His Majesty simply because I bear a resemblance to the daughter of the Eldest Princess."
Xiao Xun heard a bitter laugh, seemingly a self-mocking laugh:
"People of humble origins also have pride and integrity. This integrity has nothing to do with social status."
“This servant does not regret what I have done, and this servant has not failed His Majesty. The only person I have wronged is Lin Yuan.”
“She carried everything on her shoulders and received nothing in return. She came to me begging for a ride through the freezing cold, and I agreed.”
The pricking pain spread throughout Xiao Xun's body, making each word difficult to utter.
"Tell me, where did you send her? Where exactly did she go?"
Wang Fu sighed, “Does Your Majesty not understand Lin Yuan? Although she is a weak woman, she is actually very resilient and has her own ideas. She asked this old servant to drive her, but only so that I could give her a ride along the way. When we arrived in Yingchuan, she insisted that I not see her off, probably because she had guessed what was going on today. After seeing me off, she found her own carriage and left. I really don’t know where she went.”
The wind blew open the inn's window, carrying Wang Fu's voice in wisps.
Like an unbreakable thread, it wraps tightly around a person's face, body, and heart, drawing blood.
"Your Majesty, please let her go. Please?"
Xiao Xun stared blankly at the blackened puddle of water, where no one had been seen for a long time.
The water trembled in the wind, spreading freely and reaching towards the starless sky.
Under the dark sky, Wang Lu helped Wang Fu, who was limping from kneeling for too long. He was granted permission to stay in Yingchuan to celebrate the New Year with his adoptive father.
Wang Fu stopped and glanced back at a brightly lit mansion.
"Call me Uncle. This is the last thing I can do for you."
The sigh mingled with the neighing of two galloping horses.
Wang Fu recognized the man who dismounted as Ling Feng, the Minister of the Imperial Household Department.
Upon closer inspection, Wang Lu realized that the other person was a member of the Imperial Guards who had made a secret journey.
The Imperial Guards were dressed strangely, in brown short robes, covered in snow and wind, and wearing worn-out straw sandals.
They hurried along without stopping, heading to Xiao Xun's residence to report back.
*
Lin Yu rushed forward, took off his sheepskin coat, and draped it over her shoulders.
"Ah Yuan, what brings you here?"
He rode to Cuiwei Mountain with He Ji that morning.
Along the way, He Ji held the reins absentmindedly, muttering to himself, "The pulse is deep and weak, it shouldn't be wrong."
Lin Yu interrupted him: "What will happen if we use something that's from the coldest part of winter?"
"In mild cases, it damages the Yang energy, leading to spleen deficiency, stomach cold, and cold hands and feet."
"And what about the more serious cases?"
“In severe cases, especially in women, the cold pathogens linger in the body, invading the meridians and internal organs, which is detrimental to fertility, and in some cases, can even endanger life.”
"Will it cost him his life?" Lin Yu suddenly reined in his horse, and Sheng Yun neighed towards the sky.
He Ji's horse suddenly stopped, startling him so much that he almost stumbled and tumbled off its back.
"Oh, isn't A-Yuan perfectly fine? If it weren't for my miraculous medical skills, even a regular doctor wouldn't be able to detect this pulse. It's far from being life-threatening. But I—" He Ji said sullenly, half of his body slumped on the saddle.
Shengyun approached Heji, and Lin Yu grabbed Heji's shoulder and helped him up.
He Ji settled down, but found that the pressure on his shoulder hadn't lessened. Through his fur coat, he could feel Lin Yu's fingers stiffly embedded in his bones, as if she had forgotten to move them away.
The voice beside me sounded somewhat weak: "If we really used something that was extremely cold, what should we do?"
He Ji hissed, "It hurts."
The hand on her shoulder tightened its grip: "Will it hurt?"
“Yes,” He Ji said mournfully, “yes, I am in pain.”
Lin Yu then let go of her hand.
He Ji rubbed his shoulder: "If it has really been used, then we can only take good care of ourselves in the future. We should eat warm and nourishing foods, avoid cold foods, and use yang to supplement yin."
They walked forward in silence for a while, until the sky grew increasingly white and the road disappeared from sight. The horses' hooves kicked up snowflakes, blinding them.
After a long pause, Lin Yu broke the silence again: "What kinds of foods are associated with the Great Cold? Is it possible to accidentally eat them?"
"There are many cold-natured foods, such as melons and fruits. However, as long as you don't overindulge, they won't harm your body and won't accumulate over time to become extremely cold. There are quite a few cold-natured medicines, such as forsythia, scrophularia, gromwell, and coptis."
Lin Yu took a deep breath: "Will these medicinal herbs be used for common minor aches and pains, such as colds?"
"Alas, ordinary medicinal drinks, at most, can only be drunk for ten days, and the total amount is only one or two ounces, which is far from enough to reach the extreme cold."
He Ji tightened the reins in his hand, and amidst the rustling sound of footsteps on the snow, he pondered and said, "Unless it's a pot of various cold-natured medicines, and the coldest kind at that, such as bezoar and snake gall, which is drunk three times a day like tea, or someone deliberately purified the medicine—that would be poisoning it."
Lin Yu's fur coat was very large, covering Lin Yuan's body with a clanging sound, and the brim of the hat covered half of her face.
Lin Yuan blinked her eyes and said, "I heard from the people in the Prince's mansion that there was a civil unrest here. I was worried about it, and the mansion just happened to send soldiers to support us, so I got on their carriage and came here together."
Xiao Jin leaned closer: "Master Lin is a master strategist, capable of winning battles from afar." He patted Lin Yu's shoulder, raising an eyebrow teasingly, "It's a pity that there are still people at home who are worried."
Lin Yu ignored her and said to Lin Yuan, "Knowing that this place is in chaos, you still came all this way. If you get hurt or sick, wouldn't that be adding insult to injury?"
Lin Yuan exhaled a puff of white breath and laughed, "I just paid my respects to the Princess Consort of Huaiyang. She helped me find some women's items in the manor. The entire manor is currently in a state of chaos due to the snow disaster. Since I was free, I volunteered to escort these items over by cart. This is a timely help, not adding insult to injury."
"Women's items?" Lin Yu couldn't help but ask.
Before Lin Yuan could answer, Xiao Jin interrupted, "You're about to get married and you don't even know what women's items are? Those are truly a lifesaver, like firewood and charcoal ash!"
Lin Yu glanced at him, her face slightly flushed, and she didn't say anything. Xiao Jin praised Lin Yuan, "I noticed this morning that Yuan is just as meticulous as Master Lin."
The sound of "Ah Yuan" made Lin Yuan blush deeply.
She tried her best to change the subject, but suddenly noticed the sudden redness and swelling on Xiao Jin's face: "Eh, Your Highness's face is—is it frostbitten?"
"Ah, oh, yes, it's too cold here." Xiao Jin guiltily touched the spot where he had been punched earlier, but the pain had subsided due to the cold.
Knowing she couldn't persuade Lin Yuan to change her mind, Lin Yu said, "Since you're here, let's go to Lao Si's place and have some warm soup first."
He Ji was both surprised and delighted to see Lin Yuan.
A man in his forties spoke eloquently to the three women beside him, saying that the diagnosis Master He had just made for him, "excessive yang energy, yin unable to overcome yang," meant that he was strong and vigorous, and his virility was greatly enhanced. He Ji did not argue, casually echoed a few words, and then hurriedly pulled Lin Yuan aside, afraid that she would hear these crazy words.
Back in the thatched hut, he rummaged through the doctor's medicine box and found some cinnamon twigs and poria cocos, and brewed a bowl of warming and dampness-dispelling soup.
The medicine burned a path through Lin Yuan's body.
The enthusiasm for disaster relief has also soared.
"Thank you, Goddess!"
After drinking the porridge, the disaster victims grasped Lin Yuan's hands and thanked her repeatedly.
At that time, the soldiers and officers who had been working day and night for two days heard the commotion and became indignant.
They had just been criticized and scolded by everyone because of the age of the woolen blankets they were given and the thickness of the quilts.
Looking up, they saw a woman and another person, who was wrapped up tightly, holding hands.
The woman was fair-skinned, with her hair neatly tied in a bun, and a jade pendant tucked into her hair at an angle, from which a string of pearls dangled, pausing as she spoke.
Among the vast, dusty, and disheveled disaster victims, there were indeed a few who resembled immortals.
The anger that had welled up in their hearts subsided by a third.
"It's my sister-in-law!"
Lin Yuan heard the voice in the crowd but did not think it was being called.
It wasn't until another "Sister" reached her ears that she looked up and saw A-Yao.
The jade hairpin in her hair stood out conspicuously in the crowd.
She herself was wrapped up tightly, which made A Yao stare at her blankly for a long time before she recognized her with her pair of clear phoenix eyes.
Lin Yuan couldn't help but nod in praise of the hairpin, saying, "It's so beautiful!"
"Shouldn't we thank the goddess?" Ayao smiled happily and affectionately took Lin Yuan's hand. "When I came home that day, my brother and sister-in-law kept asking where this hairpin came from, saying it looked like it could be exchanged for several piglets. I was annoyed by their questions, so I made up a story that a goddess in heaven gave it to me."
Lin Yuan smiled too.
The jade hairpin was a gift from Xiao Xun to Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan initially agreed to stay and serve in the side hall of Jiaofang Palace, but Wang Fu said that staying there would only involve serving tea and grinding ink.
She doesn't need to serve him with anything, like keeping watch, changing clothes, or combing his hair.
Seemingly to reassure her, the royal attendant specifically mentioned, "His Majesty is not interested in women."
When Lin Yuan heard this, it was interpreted as him being averse to women and having homosexual tendencies.
Since the founding of this dynasty, six emperors have passed through the country, many of whom had this kind of fetish, and even the powerful and noble in Chang'an have pursued male homosexuality.
Lin Yuan felt even more uneasy, but she firmly believed what Xiao Xun had said that day, "He did not take advantage of her vulnerability," and she felt a little sympathy for the Empress.
Wang Fu mistook the surprise on her face for joy, and the lowered head she was pondering for a nod, and happily went to report back immediately.
"What was her expression like when she agreed?" Xiao Xun asked.
"Your Majesty, Lady Lin looked delighted." Wang Fu's smile deepened. He hadn't seen Xiao Xun smile in a long time.
Lin Yuan could only think positively. His Majesty only visited the Jiaofang Palace for a total of eight or nine days a month, yet her monthly salary increased.
More importantly, if she were in the side hall, she could retrieve the small black iron knife.
Unfortunately, they returned empty-handed for ten days in a row.
Could it be that His Majesty abandoned her that day?
She felt a pang of regret. What a waste of her brother's jade; its quality and color were superb, carved with phoenixes and dragons, and it had become even more lustrous with the passage of time.
That was the most valuable thing in the house.
That day, clinging to a sliver of hope, she searched high up on the bookshelf.
"What are you looking for?"
A familiar voice suddenly rang out, even though this day was clearly not a day that fell on the 1st, 5th, or 10th of the lunar calendar.
Before Lin Yuan could think, she stumbled and almost twisted her ankle, then knelt down: "Um, no, I wasn't looking for anything, I was just wiping, wiping the cabinet..."
Seeing Lin Yuan's face suddenly turn pale, and her words stop in frustration as she hides her empty hands in her sleeves, Xiao Xun couldn't help but want to laugh.
He realized it was probably the small knife. But for some reason, he just wanted to tease her: "I've been watching you search for ages."
He glanced at the bookshelf, a half-smile on his face. "It's on such a high shelf; someone your size probably can't reach it. Tell me, what's missing? I'll help you find it."
Lin Yuan hesitated for a long time before finally managing to say, "It's a hairpin, a jade hairpin."
After saying that, the figure in front of him did not move an inch.
She looked up and saw the smile on Xiao Xun's lips, then realized the teasing in his words.
Not only that, he was also subtly referring to the incident at Jianzhang Palace that day.
The knife was not found, but Xiao Xun gave her a jade hairpin the next day.
"Since you left your things here with me, it's only right that I compensate you."
He flipped through the book in his hand, speaking casually without even glancing up at Lin Yuan wearing the hairpin.
Although Lin Yuan still felt sorry for her brother's jade, she really liked the hairpin.
Even if they were determined to leave the palace, they still packed it into their bags.
She was very good at comforting herself; even if seeing an object reminded her of someone, it wasn't the object's fault. Such a beautiful hairpin, even if she didn't wear it anymore, could at least be exchanged for some money or food.
Now, by some twist of fate, this hairpin has been given to someone else.
Lin Yuan thought, "Hmm, it's pretty good too."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Xiao Xun, who was indifferent to women: Wang Fu, how could you be so treacherous?!
-----
Wang Fu: Before she knew it, he was favored by His Majesty simply because he bore a resemblance to the daughter of the Eldest Princess.
Xiao Xun: Luckily, she doesn't know.
Lin Yuan: Guess if I know or not [eating melon emoji]
The next update will be at 9 AM on Saturday, a long chapter of 6,000 words, hehe.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
