Chapter 36

During the cold and freezing days, everyone in the small households stayed indoors, and the streets were almost devoid of people, with only a few pedestrians walking in small groups.

The entire capital seemed like a still scroll, cold and desolate.

The Eastern Palace was no exception.

Despite the approaching celebration, the palace was shrouded in mist, its dark windows and empty beams giving it an eerie, desolate air.

Yiling and Shen Shufang sat facing each other by the bedside and had already been talking for a while.

The voices of the two women were quiet, like the buzzing of mosquitoes in the vast Eastern Palace. Every time their conversation faltered, the silence in the room became unsettling.

The red rooftops and green tiles could adorn the facade, but the lifeless atmosphere could not deceive anyone.

Even though Yiling never said much, Shen Shufang still awkwardly spoke up: “It’s so cold today, and such a large palace with only myself and the Crown Prince living here, it feels quite desolate.

Fortunately, new people will be arriving soon to liven up the Eastern Palace.”

Seeing that Yiling only nodded in agreement, she continued, “Actually, the Crown Prince is usually busy, and I don’t get to speak with him much. I’ve already heard that Zhou Ge Lao’s granddaughter is somewhat talented; maybe in the future, someone will keep me company.”

Yiling nodded but didn’t respond.

Noticing Shen Shufang’s pale face, she said, “I heard that Zhou Ge Lao’s granddaughter also knows a little medicine; perhaps she could look after you more.”

“There’s nothing I need looking after,” Shen Shufang replied. “It’s just that the cold weather makes people prone to small ailments.”

“Then, should the princess go to Shuize Peak?” Yiling suggested. “I went there yesterday, and the hot spring does have a miraculous effect.”

“No need,” Shen Shufang shook her head, supporting her head tiredly. “Shuize Peak is so far away, I can’t be bothered. Besides, with the Crown Prince’s birthday approaching, I have too many things to take care of.”

Since that was the case, Yiling didn’t say more.

She glanced at the sky outside and thought to herself that she really should leave, or the palace gates would be locked soon.

She then spoke to say goodbye, “Your Highness, it’s already—”

“Eat some pumpkin rice cakes,” Shen Shufang suddenly interrupted her. “They were made by someone in my palace. Simple but delicious.”

This was the second time Shen Shufang had tried to keep Yiling with food.

Although she didn’t explicitly say it, Yiling could tell.

So, Yiling stayed a little longer and sat with her.

They had already discussed everything they could, and there was nothing else to say. If she stayed longer, even Shen Shufang wouldn’t know what more to talk about.

After a long pause, only a few bites had been taken from the pumpkin rice cakes on the table.

Neither of them had an appetite, and seeing that it was almost time for the palace gates to be locked, Shen Shufang sighed and said, “It’s getting late; you should go back.”

She turned to instruct Feng Yu, “See Mrs. Xie out.”

Feng Yu had served Shen Shufang since her birth. She was over ten years older and now served as the head matron of the Eastern Palace.

Her demeanor was steady, and she didn’t speak much, simply accompanying Yiling out of the palace without saying anything.

Only when they reached the palace gates and Yiling was about to board the carriage did Feng Yu suddenly, impulsively, call out to her.

“Mrs. Xie!”

Yi Ling turned around. “Is there something, Aunt Feng?”

Feng Yu looked around, seeing that the servants from the Xie residence were giving them space. Only then did she feel comfortable enough to speak.

“I know I’m being presumptuous,” she said, bowing. “But there is something I wish to ask of Madam.”

“Aunt, please rise,” Yiling said, supporting her. “Does this have something to do with the princess?”

Feng Yu fell silent, unsure how to begin.

Shen Shufang had been ill for several days, and many people had come to visit her.

Some were sincere, some were fake, and some came with a subtle desire to watch her fail.

Shen Shufang not only didn’t turn anyone away but also forced herself to dress up and put on a strong face, not allowing anyone to see her weaknesses.

After several days of this, she was exhausted.

Her illness hadn’t gotten better and seemed to be worsening.

In fact, even if she had nothing to do, Shen Shufang’s illness wouldn’t improve. How could a heart ailment be healed with medicine?

Feng Yu understood Shen Shufang’s character well. Such a proud person would never reveal a hint of weakness to others.

She would swallow all grievances, even if it meant silently enduring. But if this continued, it would slowly break her from the inside out.

When Yiling visited the Eastern Palace these past few days, Feng Yu noticed that not only had Shen Shufang not pretended to be full of vitality, but she also often asked Yiling to stay longer, as if she had a lot to say.

But could those things be said?

No, she was the Crown Princess.

Outsiders only thought Shen Shufang was fortunate, coming from a noble family, favored by the Emperor at such a young age, and chosen to be the Crown Princess.

They pitied the Crown Prince, thinking Shen Shufang’s cold and aloof nature would make it hard for him to experience tenderness from his wife.

Only Feng Yu knew that Shen Shufang hadn’t always been so indifferent towards the Crown Prince.

They had known each other since childhood, like childhood sweethearts, and had a deep understanding of each other.

Feng Yu still remembered one summer night when Old Master Shen returned from a banquet at the palace, subtly hinting that the Emperor favored Shen Shufang and planned to marry her off to the Crown Prince.

At that time, Shen Shufang’s face had been calm, but inside, she had been overjoyed, unable to sleep for several nights.

From then on, she genuinely regarded the Crown Prince as her future husband and eagerly awaited the day she would enter the Eastern Palace.

But this was one-sided love, like petals falling from the flowers, with the river flowing on with no interest.

When the Crown Prince learned that he was to marry Shen Shufang, he began to distance himself from her.

Shen Shufang couldn’t understand, thinking the Crown Prince was merely being proper and avoiding suspicion.

It wasn’t until their wedding night in the Eastern Palace that the Crown Prince directly told her that he had only ever considered her as a sister and never thought of marrying her.

The love that had been budding in her heart for many years turned to ashes in that moment of their long-awaited wedding night.

Shen Shufang was so proud, she would never allow herself to lose to anyone, not even the Crown Prince.

“If you are indifferent, then so will I.”

She immediately told the Crown Prince that her life had ended the moment she was named the Crown Princess.

If Shen Shufang had truly been as resolute as her words, it would have been fine.

Feng Yu thought to herself, Being the wife of the Crown Prince, living a life of luxury and honor without love, would still be a kind of gain.

But seeing Shen Shufang these past few days, Feng Yu knew that deep down, she was still jealous and unwilling to share her husband with anyone else.

Even if her husband did not love her.

“The weather is getting colder, and the queen mother is sick, often feeling gloomy and unwell,” Feng Yu whispered to Yiling. “If the Madam has time, please come to the Eastern Palace and talk with the queen mother.”

Yiling knew this was the request she had expected.

How could she not notice Shen Shufang’s hesitation?

But after all, she was not the talented Mrs. Shang, and she wasn’t sure if she could speak a few heartfelt words with Shen Shufang.

“Okay, I’ll remember,” Yiling said. “I’ll spend more time with the queen mother.”

Just as Yiling was about to leave, Feng Yu added, “Thank you, Madam, but there’s one more thing…”

She laughed shyly. “It’s truly an unwelcome request, but could Madam help me find some saffron?”

On her way back to the Xie residence, Yiling kept wondering what she could do.

Even if it were a common man marrying a concubine, Yiling had no position to say no, let alone the Crown Prince.

After thinking for a while, Yiling felt that all she could do was care for Shen Shufang’s health as much as she could.

For instance, Feng Yu mentioned that Shen Shufang had been losing his appetite recently, and the imperial doctor suggested adding saffron to his food to help improve his appetite, making him happy over time.

Saffron was originally a tribute from the West and was almost impossible to obtain among the common people.

In recent years, the supply had been sparse, and it had not appeared in the tribute for two years.

The Eastern Palace had some saffron, but recently, when Shen Shufang saw his mother was unwell, he sent much of it to her.

Now, when he needed it, the remaining supply was running low.

With the Queen absent from the palace and Shen Shufang not having a good relationship with the queen mother, he could not bring himself to ask the Emperor for more.

So, after considering, Feng Yu thought that just because the Eastern Palace lacked it didn’t mean the Xie residence didn’t have any, which was why she turned to Yiling for help.

Yiling thought it was a small favor and agreed immediately.

Back at the Xie residence, she intended to ask Xie Hengzhi if he had any saffron.

She returned to her quarters with familiarity, opened the door, and froze for a moment.

Xie Hengzhi had only lit a few lamps, and the room was dimly lit. Alone, he was eating at the table.

The food on the table was prepared to his taste. He ate slowly, elegantly, but it seemed his appetite wasn’t very good.

The warm air from the room rushed toward Yiling, melting the chill on her clothes, but it also froze the expression on her face.

Earlier, in the Eastern Palace, she had felt lonely and cold, almost forgetting that returning to the Xie residence was the same scene.

When she heard her approach, Xie Hengzhi did not raise his head, as if he hadn’t heard her, continuing to eat his meal.

Yiling stood at the door for a moment before softly asking, “Is there saffron in the residence?”

Xie Hengzhi did not lift his head.

“Ask the Fu Rui; I don’t know.”

Yiling: “…”

She had known that trying to speak to him would be a fruitless endeavor.

She turned to find the Fu Rui.

Coincidentally, the Fu Rui was just coming out of the storeroom with some high-quality wound medicine to give to Xie Hengzhi. Upon seeing Yiling, he quickly bowed.

“You arrived at just the right time.”

Yiling asked him with a stern face, “Is there saffron in the residence?”

The Fu Rui replied truthfully, “Yes.”

Yiling: “How much is there?”

The Fu Rui: “…How much would Madam like?”

As expected of the Xie residence.

Yiling took a deep breath, her tone becoming much gentler.

“The Crown Princess is ill today and needs saffron to be added to her food. Have someone deliver it to the Eastern Palace. As for the amount, you decide, but don’t let them feel that we are lacking.”

The Fu Rui agreed and was about to leave when Yiling called him back.

“It’s cold, and the queen mother is in a bad mood. She often feels nauseous and has no appetite. See if there’s anything else good that can be sent to her.”

“I’ll think about it…”

“Oh, right. The Ren’an Tang Li Zhong pills are quite famous. Have someone buy some and send them to the Eastern Palace as well.”

While she was giving these instructions, Xie Hengzhi turned his head and looked over.

He was quite good at caring for others.

The Fu Rui listened to Yiling’s many arrangements and turned to leave. After taking a few steps, he remembered why he had come in the first place.

But since the lady was right in front of him, there was no need to disturb Xie Hengzhi anymore.

He handed the wound medicine directly to Yiling. “Madam, this is the medicine for the master.”

Wound medicine.

Upon hearing those words, Yiling let out a faint “oh” as she held the small bottle in her palm, which felt a bit warm.

She didn’t turn around but instead glanced furtively at Xie Hengzhi.

Seeing that he had already put down his chopsticks and was rinsed his mouth, she knew it was the right moment to speak.

However, just as she was about to approach him with the medicine, Xie Hengzhi set down his cup and stood up to leave.

Yiling: “…”

After soaking in the hot spring, Yiling’s body visibly improved.

But the capital was getting colder.

It snowed heavily today. In the capital, every household had sweet potato porridge simmering in their pots to nourish the body and preserve vitality.

In Jiangzhou, the custom was to steam red dates, remove the pits, mash them with flour and brown sugar until soft and mushy, then steam it again to make red date cakes.

The sweetness of the red date cakes depended on how much brown sugar was added. Mama Cao was unsure of Xie Hengzhi’s taste, so she specially came to ask Yiling.

“Master doesn’t seem to like sweets. Is it alright if I don’t add the brown sugar? After all, the dates themselves are sweet.”

Yiling, however, impatiently said, “If he doesn’t like sweets, then don’t prepare them for him. Why bother catering to him in everything?”

Mama Cao choked and silently walked away.

Since returning from Shuize Peak, Xie Hengzhi has still been busy coming and going, handling affairs. When he had some free time, he stayed at the residence reading and writing, occasionally showing concern for Yiling’s health.

Because Mallow found a lively little kitten, Linfeng Yuan appeared a bit livelier.

Everything seemed normal, but those who attended closely noticed the strange, inexplicable distance between Xie Hengzhi and Yiling, a vague, indifferent detachment in the air.

This state made Yiling feel uneasy and distressed.

Was it really that bad?

It was just a minor injury; why was she being so fussy about it?

Why not think about what she had done in Qingyang that was so morally wrong?

The more Yiling thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt, so she had Mallow bring the little kitten to her for comfort.

“I couldn’t find it!” Mallow said. “I don’t know where it ran off to; I’ve been looking for it all morning.”

No wonder Mama Cao had been so busy running around by herself; it turned out she had been looking for the cat the entire morning.

Yiling gave her a glance and stood up slowly.

“There’s nothing to do anyway; I’ll go look for it with you.”

The two of them, along with a few maidservants and young servants, began searching every possible hiding place where the kitten might be.

For a while, the entire Xie residence was filled with “meowing” sounds.

As Yiling and Mallow bent down to search in the back courtyard, they weren’t paying attention to the surroundings, focused only on the ground corners where a cat’s tail might be peeking out.

Suddenly, they heard a man’s harsh shout from not far away, followed by the sounds of fists and feet striking and weapons clashing.

Yiling and Mallow, both startled, almost jumped up. They grabbed each other and stepped back several paces, and only in their panic did they see the situation clearly—

At the corner of the back courtyard, a man covered in dirt was being pinned to the ground by several of Xie’s guards. It looked like this person had ill intentions.

“What’s going on?”

After calming her fear, Yiling finally spoke.

The guards didn’t notice Yiling’s presence and hurriedly explained, “Madam, we’ve noticed this person sneaking around the corner recently, so today we specifically waited here to catch him.

As expected, he appeared again.”

Yiling looked at the man. His clothes were plain and inconspicuous, and his appearance did indeed look somewhat shady and suspicious.

But how could an ordinary thief dare to target the Xie residence?

There must be some conspiracy behind this.

Thinking of this, Yiling’s previously calm thoughts began to waver again, and she felt uneasy.

“Quickly take him away and interrogate him properly. Also, have someone go to the palace and inform the master.”

After giving her orders, Yiling stopped looking for the cat and quickly returned to Linfeng Yuan with Mallow.

Not long after, the butler came to inform Yiling that the thief had been locked in the woodshed.

Although they hadn’t gotten any information out of him yet, several guards were closely watching him, so there was no way he could stir up trouble.

Yiling nodded and asked, “Has someone been sent to inform the master?”

The butler had originally planned to say that over the years, there had been at least eight or ten spies caught in the Xie residence, so it wasn’t necessary to specifically report to Xie Hengzhi. It could wait until he returned at night to deal with it.

But since the lady had requested it, the butler had no choice but to comply and sent someone to notify Xie Hengzhi.

Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, Xie Hengzhi returned.

Yiling’s worries were instantly dispelled upon his return.

Before he could even take off his cold weather cloak, Yiling stepped forward and said, “The guards caught a treacherous thief at the corner today!”

Xie Hengzhi glanced at her and quickly replied, “I know.”

“This person seems ordinary, but he was able to fight with the guards for a few rounds. He’s probably not just anyone,” Yiling continued. “You should go interrogate him quickly, before it turns into a disaster.”

“Keep him locked up; we’ll interrogate him in a few days.”

Xie Hengzhi casually tossed out this reply, and then a maid entered to tidy his clothing.

Yiling stared blankly as the maid packed several sets of clothes, a bit confused.
What was he doing?

Sensing Yiling’s confusion, Xie Hengzhi finally turned and said, “I’m going away for a while. You’re still recovering, so take care of yourself.”

So he had come back to the Xie residence just for this.

Yiling blinked and asked, “How long will you be gone?”

“At least two or three days, at most four or five,” Xie Hengzhi replied, just as the maid finished packing his things.

He always traveled light for official matters, especially when it was just a short trip and there was no need for excess baggage.

To Yiling’s surprise, her reaction was much stronger than expected, almost one of panic.

“Will you not come back that day?”

“The emperor is hosting the Jiao Ceremony, and I need to go to Daluo Mountain to inspect the preparations for the grand ceremony. Naturally, I won’t be able to return that day.”

Yiling knew full well the importance of this event, as the emperor worshipped the gods and the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony was the most significant event of the year.

Hearing Xie Hengzhi say this, Yiling’s heart sank.

“Do you really have to go?” Despite knowing it was a pointless question, Yiling still hesitated.

“Can’t someone else go instead?”

As expected, Xie Hengzhi didn’t need to say a word—his gaze alone answered Yiling’s question.

Such an important matter, even if the emperor was no longer in charge, Xie Hengzhi would never allow anyone else to take the credit.

Seeing Yiling in a daze, Xie Hengzhi didn’t say anything more, turned, and headed toward the door.

Just as he was about to leave, Yiling suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

“Take me with you!”

The past few days, Yiling had been troubled by the injury from the Maiko’s mistake, and she could sense that Xie Hengzhi might be somewhat cold toward her. She didn’t want to explain.

Now, the situation had come to this point, and she knew that Xie Hengzhi wouldn’t stay because of her.

Three or five days…

If he didn’t come back for three or five days, wasn’t Yiling finished?

She had just barely recovered from the injury from the Xishan’s water accident and didn’t want to become an unconscious, near-dead person again because of his departure.

The feeling of being utterly helpless is truly more terrifying than death.

“Just take me with you; I promise I won’t cause you any trouble. I can even make sure I don’t appear in front of anyone!” 

Yiling genuinely raised three fingers. “I’ll just follow you quietly; I won’t trouble you again!”

In her desperation, she almost said the word “again,” which nearly made Xie Hengzhi laugh.

It turned out she was aware of her own situation.

“Alright.”

Xie Hengzhi’s expression was already showing some impatience. “The Luo Tian Grand Ritual is not a trivial matter.”

It seemed Yiling thought he believed she was just making a fuss.

So, as he tried to pull his sleeve away, Yiling gripped it tighter.

“I’m not making a fuss! Do you remember what I told you a while ago?” Her hand trembled lightly as she spoke, “I’m not just talking nonsense. If you don’t come back, I really might faint. Life and death are unpredictable!”

Her voice carried a slight sob, and her eyes had turned red.

But when Xie Hengzhi heard her words, his expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of softening.

Yiling didn’t know what he was thinking or whether he believed her.

After a moment, he silently pulled his sleeve from her hand and turned to leave.