Font Size:
Chen Feng arrived at the entrance of the Bamboo Pavilion where the sedan chair had also arrived. Princess Rui stepped down with a three or four-year-old boy in tow. The boy bore a striking resemblance to the Seventh Prince but appeared pale and lacked vigor, clearly differing from a healthy child.
Approaching them, Chen Feng greeted them respectfully, saying, “Welcome, esteemed guests. Please forgive the distance in welcoming you.”
Princess Rui smiled and responded, “We’ve come to disturb early in the morning; please excuse the intrusion, Lady Feng.” She then turned to the young boy and said, “Xuan, say hello to Auntie.”
Upon hearing his mother’s words, Li Xuan looked up and called out to Chen Feng, “Auntie.”
He spoke slowly, with clear, serene eyes, devoid of joy or sorrow, resembling a newborn baby.
Chen Feng understood that the child had some intellectual challenges, but he was faring much better than Chu Hanyan had initially. The Seventh Prince, and Princess Rui showing goodwill might be due to seeing the improved intelligence of Chu Hanyan, hoping for assistance with this child.
Chu Lingxuan had mentioned to Chen Feng on multiple occasions to establish a good relationship with Princess Rui. Although not explicitly stated, Chen Feng speculated that the Chu family might have requests or favors to Prince and Princess of Rui.
Having interacted with Chu Hanyan for a while, Chen Feng knew how to handle children like him. Seeing a child so young in such a state likely indicated being a victim of palace intrigue. Feeling compassion, she crouched down, placing a thumb-sized jade horse pendant in her palm, a gift for Li Xuan.
Smiling at Li Xuan, she said, “Xuan, look at this little horse…” She rubbed her hands together, then opened them, but the jade pendant was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, Li Xuan asked, “Little horse, where did you go?”
Laughing, Chen Feng lifted him up, saying, “Come on, Auntie will help you find the little horse.”
Princess Rui was a bit bewildered, her son, who rejected everyone except her and his nursemaid, was now being carried away by Chen Feng, someone he had just met. Perhaps, fate had brought them together this time.
They entered the room on the east side, where Princess Rui was seated on the heated brick bed, and a maid served tea.
Chen Feng also settled on the brick bed, with Li Xuan on her lap. Rubbing her hands together, she then opened them to reveal the little horse pendant once more, exclaiming, “Oh, it’s back again.”
Li Xuan chuckled in response.
Placing the small horse in his hands, Chen Feng said, “Auntie is giving this horse that can hide away to Xuan.”
Li Xuan started playing with the little horse.
Chen Feng then had the maid bring out the remaining egg tarts for the guests. Li Xuan was immediately drawn to the tarts and enjoyed two pieces in a row.
Sensing that Princess Rui had something to share, Chen Feng dismissed the servants.
Princess Rui began explaining, “I’m not afraid to tell you, but this is an embarrassing matter for our royal household…”
Despite having many women in the Prince’s household, they lacked abundant offspring. At twenty-seven years old, Princess Rui had only two sons and no daughters. The eldest son, Li Chao, born to Concubine Jiang, was already eleven years old. The second son was Li Xuan, at four years old.
When Li Xuan was two years old and before the Seventh Prince was titled as the Prince of Rui, they were still residing in the palace. One night, Li Xuan suddenly became intellectually challenged.
After an investigation, it was revealed that a young eunuch had frightened him, possibly at the instigation of Concubine Jiang. Concerns arose due to the Seventh Prince’s wife’s previous inability to conceive, along with the physicians warning about the prince’s early and frequent indulgence in women, potentially affecting his fertility. Concubine Jiang believed her son would be the Seventh Prince’s sole heir but was shocked when the Seventh Prince’s wife gave birth to another son when Li Chao was seven years old.
Fearing her son’s position might be threatened, Concubine Jiang bribed the young eunuch.
Once the truth was uncovered, the Seventh Prince, enraged, had Concubine Jiang executed. However, fearing that Li Xuan’s condition might not improve (thus making Li Chao his only normal child and heir), he sent Li Chao to his mother, Consort Zhou, where he currently resides.
After various treatments, Li Xuan had shown significant improvement, yet compared to a typical child, he remained a bit slow and frail. Given his condition, he surely couldn’t inherit the title of the Prince of Rui.
Princess Rui, unwilling to favor Concubine Jiang’s son, had been exploring various methods to cure her child’s ailment but with limited success.
Wiping away her tears, she said, “I’ve heard from my husband that you have a special way with children, even managing to heal Chu’s elder sister granddaughter… oh, such a serious illness. My Xuan…” She gritted her teeth and continued, “Lady Feng, please take him to your home. Treat him just like you did with Chu Hanyan. I beg of you.” She then gazed at Chen Feng expectantly.
Chen Feng felt a bit conflicted, she was hesitant to bring the child to Tangyuan. Besides him being Princess Rui’s precious child, there was also a treasure she wanted to keep hidden there. Reflecting, she realized that Li Xuan’s condition wasn’t congenital mental impairment, with proper medication and treatment, there was a chance for improvement.
In a hushed tone, she shared, “I have a secret remedy. I’ve heard that green agarwood leaves can be beneficial for such conditions. Once, I obtained a piece by chance and used it for Chu Hanyan. I was reluctant to burn it, so I let her inhale the scent gradually until it lost its fragrance before lighting it. It lasted over two months. Of course, medical treatment should continue…”
She wasn’t entirely misleading, green agarwood incense contained leaves from the agarwood tree. Chu Hanyan had recovered with the help of these leaves and proper guidance.
Chen Feng also explained how to connect with the child’s inner world, how to befriend him, and more. However, she refrained from offering the green agarwood to Princess Rui and avoided mentioning her acquaintance with the Wise Monk.
Overjoyed, Princess Rui said, “I know the Emperor and Empress have green agarwood. I’ll ask my husband to request a piece for us.”
Chen Feng added, “I heard the Empress gave a piece to Third Aunt. I’ll inquire about it. If she hasn’t used it yet, I’ll ask her to share it with us.”
Princess Rui felt even more grateful to Chen Feng, holding her hand and expressing, “Thank you, Lady Feng. If my Xuan’s condition can be completely cured, I’ll have him recognize you as his godmother. No, let’s do it today. In the future, when I bring him to your home, it’ll be like visiting family.”
Chen Feng quickly declined, saying, “Thank you for your kind thoughts, but the Xuan has royal blood. How could I take on such a significant responsibility?”
It was a jest, there was no way both she and the kid would recognize each other as godmother and godson.