Chapter 4: Childhood Sweethearts. Since we’ve been together before, we should rekindle our bond. …

The King of Qi waited a long while, but received no response from his brother. He gritted his teeth and patted his chest: “Forget it, Second Brother, leave this to me!”

Pei Yu looked up at him: “Leave it to you? Do you know how to do it?”

“If it doesn’t work out, Second Brother, hold me responsible. If it does… let Second Brother see what I can do.”

The King of Qi blinked and looked at Pei Yu eagerly.

Every man has his specialties. When it comes to coaxing people, Pei Yu admitted he couldn’t even remotely match the King of Qi.

He pondered for a moment. “All expenses will be paid from my account.”

The Prince of Qi took his badge, his eyes instantly firm. “Don’t worry, Second Brother!”

–
Just after lunch, Ming Yunzhi was about to retire when a maid announced:

“Your Majesty, the Madam and the Third Lady have presented badges requesting an audience.”

Yesterday, at the Prince of Qi’s wedding banquet, Ming Yunzhi had briefly met her mother. She had looked glum, as if she was hesitant to speak. With a sigh, Ming Yunzhi stood up. “Please, Mother and Sister, please sit for a moment. I’ll go change.”

The bride offered tea, and as the second sister-in-law, she had to be polite. She had spent the entire morning in Changqiu Palace, conversing with Empress Chen and several other consorts, and was already feeling tired.

But thinking of her mother, Ming Yunzhi rubbed her eyes. Now she understood why Pei Yu was always so gloomy. With so much on his shoulders, there was no time to relax.

By the time she had finished packing, the Ming family’s mistress, Madam Bai, and the third wife, Hanzhi, were already sitting in the main hall, enjoying tea.

Madam Bai’s maternal family was also a prominent family in Yizhou. Her father, Bai Fengyi, held the position of Grand Coachman and was a veteran minister who had accompanied the late emperor in his conquest of the empire. After the late emperor ascended the throne, the court was liquidated, and Bai Fengyi bravely withdrew, taking his entire family to a secluded settlement in Yizhou, preserving their long-standing reputation and wealth.

Madam Bai married Ming Xinhong, the current governor of Yizhou, and had one son and two daughters. The couple lived in harmony and happiness. Aside from her early years, when war ravaged her family and she was unable to reunite with her parents, her subsequent life was largely smooth sailing, with few moments of worry.

Seeing her approach, Madam Bai hurriedly stood and saluted. Ming Yunzhi stepped forward and stopped her, saying, “Mother.”

The third wife followed suit, saying, “Sister.”

Her voice was deep and nasal, and it was clear she had been crying.

As the youngest daughter of the Ming family, she had inherited a beautiful face, as graceful as a lotus. Though young, her pretty eyes revealed her good looks.

However, her eyes were gloomy, a melancholy that shouldn’t be present at her age.

The three of them, mother and daughter, took their seats. Madam Bai exchanged a few pleasantries with Ming Yunzhi. Only after the attendant had refilled her tea did she speak with embarrassment, “Your Majesty…”

Ming Yunzhi set down her teacup and ordered, “Everyone, please leave.”

The attendants of Linhua Palace withdrew. Madam Bai stood up and took her hand. The elegance and decorum she had managed to maintain vanished, and a hint of age appeared on her face. “I’m afraid, I’m afraid, that the Ting’an Marquis’s son is not well.”

“Didn’t you say he just caught a cold? Why is he not well?”

Ming Yunzhi was startled and looked at her sister.

The third lady, Zi Han, had been engaged to the Han family, the Marquis of Ting’an, several years earlier. Both families had already begun planning the marriage. Last month, when Han came of age, her mother even went to the palace to have her consult an astronomical expert at the Imperial Observatory to calculate the wedding date.

Mrs. Bai sighed deeply. “Since his illness, the Han family has suddenly become enthusiastic about marriage, openly and covertly wanting Sanniang to marry sooner. It was Hanzhi who was attentive enough to notice something was amiss and secretly asked someone to investigate. Only then did they discover… his illness wasn’t just a cold, it was clearly from consuming a bite of fresh game. Initially, the palace’s mediocre doctors treated it as a cold, but when it became too difficult to treat, they sent for the imperial physician, who then discovered that it was a lung poison.”

Ming Yunzhi frowned. “Even the imperial physician can’t cure him?”

“…I’m afraid he won’t survive this winter.”

Mrs. Bai took her handkerchief and pressed it against the corner of her eye. “This time, I’ve come here to ask Her Majesty to persuade the Crown Prince to invite Master Jingshan of the Huguo Temple to come out of seclusion and examine him. If there’s truly no cure, your sister can be saved sooner…”

Master Jingshan is renowned in the Great Zhou for his exceptional medical skills, but he’s rarely come out of seclusion in recent years. Inviting him out would likely require considerable effort.

Just considering the reputation of the Ming family or the Han family of Ting’an Marquis, they probably wouldn’t be able to invite him.

Since this concerned his sister’s marriage, Ming Yunzhi naturally agreed: “I will explain this to His Highness, but Master Jingshan has been in seclusion for many years and is not a master you can usually meet.”

“Your words are enough.”

Madam Bai gathered herself, glanced at Hanzhi, who lowered his eyes and remained silent, and lowered her voice, “There’s one more thing.”

Ming Yunzhi asked Qingwu to take Hanzhi to get some snacks. The two of them were alone in Linhua Hall. Madam Bai hesitated and said:

“Still no movement?”

Realizing what her mother was saying, Ming Yunzhi fell silent and shook her head.

“The last time I saw you, you said you were taking medicine. Why is there still no progress?”

Madam Bai looked worried. “Your Highness is in the prime of life, and you’ve always been in good health. How could you be having trouble having children? Could there be some undiagnosed illness?”

Ming Yunzhi: “Mother, why are you overthinking it again? The palace physicians are so skilled; there’s no way they can’t find the underlying problem.”

Madam Bai said to herself, “If we can indeed invite Master Dong Jingshan, Your Highness should come along. It would be best if Your Highness could come as well.”

Ming Yunzhi lowered her eyes, her gaze fixed on the few silver strands framing her mother’s temples. Her mother’s constant worry over her and Sanniang’s affairs had even begun to wrinkle the corners of her well-maintained eyes. She swallowed her words of refusal.

“It’s not that mother doesn’t care about you, but it’s simply that being a wife in the imperial family is difficult. Princess Su married only two years before you, and now her third child is almost a toddler. Princess Kang married the same year as you and also has a daughter, who is adorable and clever. Now that Prince Qi’s marriage is finalized, I’m sure there will be happy news soon… What will others think if, at future palace banquets, children from all families gather around, and only the Eastern Palace remains silent?”

“Your Highness is the Crown Prince, and so many people are watching the Eastern Palace. If the Eastern Palace remains without a successor for a long time, I’m afraid His Majesty will be displeased. Your Highness now has no concubines, so what will become of him in the future?”

Madam Bai felt a pang of pain as she sat there in silence.

Ming Yunzhi had never been raised by her side and wasn’t particularly close to her or the Ming family. She would simply sit and listen attentively to whatever she was told. She used to be most pleased with her, but now she felt she had become a taciturn person, oblivious to many things and perhaps unsure of how to win over her husband.

“It’s settled,” Madam Bai decided immediately. “It would be best if we could persuade His Highness to come along. Master Jingshan’s medical skills are world-renowned. Have you ever seen the young lady from the Qi family?”

Ming Yunzhi suddenly raised his eyes. “The Qi family?” He spoke, then, realizing it belatedly, lowered his voice. “…I haven’t seen her.”

Madam Bai didn’t notice anything unusual and continued.

“It’s the young lady Qi, the only daughter of Qi Zizhen, the Minister of Works.”

Madam Bai took a sip of tea. “I saw her a few years ago. I don’t know what ailed her. She was as weak as a cat, and it looked like she wouldn’t live long. But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally invited Master Jingshan to treat her.

“I saw her again at the Prince of Qi’s wedding banquet yesterday. She looked completely different. Her complexion was rosy, and she didn’t look ill at all. I’m afraid she’s already recovered. Upon asking around, I learned she’s from the Qi family, and she returned to the capital from her maternal family a few months ago.”

Madam Bai pondered for a moment. “Given her age, she’s old enough to discuss marriage. If it weren’t for a serious illness early on, I’m afraid a wealthy family would have already proposed an engagement.”

The Qi family is a dukedom, a family of wealth and power for generations. The current Minister of Works, Qi Zizhen, already holds a title. He was the one who initiated the construction of the Yongchang Canal, which has been so busy these past two years. He holds a high position and great influence. His only daughter, with such stunning beauty, is naturally sought after by many families.

Madam Bai only thought that Jingshan had been able to save Miss Qi from such a serious illness, implying that his medical skills must be truly remarkable. However, she failed to notice that the tea in her daughter’s hand had remained untouched for a long time and had gradually cooled.

Ming Yunzhi quietly stared at her reflection in the small teacup.

Miss Qi had also attended the Prince of Qi’s wedding banquet.

The faint chalcedony fragrance that lingered on Pei Yu last night was indeed hers.

Qi Zizhen’s achievements in flood control led to a stream of rewards being sent to the Qi Mansion, including the chalcedony incense, a rare find in the entire Great Zhou, which she had personally added to the gift list.

She also knew that Pei Yu and Miss Qi had known each other since childhood. When Miss Qi fell ill, it was Pei Yu who personally consulted Jingshan, demonstrating his profound respect for her. She had heard it before. If Madam Qi hadn’t fallen seriously ill in her youth, the position of Crown Princess would have passed to no one else.

Since they had a previous connection, and now that they’ve recovered, it’s time to renew it.

…

“I’m talking to you. Are you listening?”

Madam Bai talked to herself for a while, and seeing that she was silent as usual, she was furious. Could it be that she was also silent when she was with the Crown Prince?

Ming Yunzhi wearily supported his lower back. “Mother, is there anything else?”

Madam Bai understood her order to leave and stood up with a gloomy expression. “I’ve worked so hard for you two. Your brother and father are far away in Yizhou. How can they help you from such a vast distance? Your sister’s marriage is already off. If you do anything else…”

“Your Majesty, Madam!”

Qing Wu walked in. Her usually composed tone was tinged with a rare cheerfulness. “His Highness sent a gift, and he insisted that Your Majesty open it personally.”

Pei Yu give her a gift?

Ming Yunzhi glanced outside the palace in surprise. “What did he send?”

Madam Bai’s frown softened slightly. The Crown Prince’s kindness must have shown that he still valued her: “It doesn’t matter what you give; the thought is what matters.”

Qing Wu ordered the gift to be presented. The young eunuch, somewhat unfamiliar with the present, kowtowed and said a few auspicious words before continuing:

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has carefully selected this basket of snow peaches for Your Majesty. These peaches are grown in southern Xinjiang, a thousand miles from the capital. Just this basket is worth a fortune, and they are delicious…”

“Alright.”

Ming Yunzhi gave the reward before he finished listening and sent the eunuch away. She curled her lips and looked at Madam Bai.

“These snow peaches are rare. Mother, take some home and use them. The rest can be made into dried peaches or pickled in honey. They’ll keep for a long time. When father and brother return to the capital soon, they’ll be a treat too.”

Madam Bai was puzzled. “No need. Your sister can’t eat the peaches. Besides, these are given to you by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. You should enjoy them yourself. Why give them all to us?”

“Mother… I don’t know why?”

Ming Yunzhi stopped and looked at her quietly.

It was the first time Madam Bai had seen her usually silent daughter look like this. Her almond-shaped eyes, always filled with a gentle smile, lost their warmth. Their radiant light was filled with a calmness that was almost breathtaking.

She suddenly realized that her daughter had been the Crown Princess for three years, in charge of palace affairs, revered by everyone. She was the most respected woman in the Great Zhou Dynasty, besides the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

“What do you mean by looking at me like that?”

Madam Bai asked, patting her chest.

“Madam,” Qingwu couldn’t help but speak. “Our Queen, like the Third Lady, can’t eat peaches. The slightest touch will break out in a rash. Madam, don’t you know…”

“Qingwu.”

Ming Yunzhi calmly stopped her, saying softly, “Mother, take her away. I’ll tell His Highness about the Third Lady. I’m tired.”

“Qingwu, show her away.”