Chapter 37 : Say I’m Dead

“Did she really say that?”

After hearing Yu Liang’s report, Yue Shaozhi was somewhat surprised. In his impression, she wasn’t supposed to be like this.

“Yes.” Not just Yue Shaozhi, Yu Liang was also confused at the time. The only thought in his mind was that the former princess had changed.

Yue Shaozhi hesitated for a moment and said, “Ignore her for now. Any news from Wen Jun?”

Yu Liang replied, “The young marquis has successfully entered the customs.”

Yue Shaozhi: “Tell Wen Jun to control his temper. Only success is acceptable, failure is not.”

Yu Liang:”Yes!”

After the conversation, Yu Liang left the study first and ran into Song Ruoer.

“Princess.”

Song Ruoer said, “I made some soup for the prince. Is he free?”

Yue Shaozhi’s study had always been off-limits. When Song Ying was still around, she wasn’t even allowed past the door. But now that Song Ruoer had married in, Yue Shaozhi naturally allowed her to move freely throughout the residence.

Yu Liang said, “Princess, you may go in.”

Song Ruoer took the lunchbox from Yunchun and walked into the study alone.

Yue Shaozhi knew it was her and frowned slightly. “Didn’t I tell you to rest? What are you doing here?”

Song Ruoer said playfully, “I made some soup for you. Come and try it.”

Yue Shaozhi took the jade bowl but didn’t drink it. He set it down on the table and gently embraced Song Ruoer.

“Let the servants handle things like this. It wouldn’t be good if it affected the baby.”

Song Ruoer said, “I’ve taken the medicine prescribed by Master Yu, and I feel much better now. Besides, he also told me I should move around a bit.”

Looking at the jade bowl on the table, Song Ruoer picked it up and brought it to Yue Shaozhi’s lips again.

“Drink it while it’s hot.”

Yue Shaozhi:”Alright.”

Song Ruoer watched him slowly sip the soup, feeling content. “By the way, my mother’s health isn’t very good either. Can I ask Master Yu to take care of her too?”

Yue Shaozhi paused and said, “He’s gone.”

“Huh? He’s gone…” Song Ruoer said with some regret. “After my mother gave birth to my younger brother, her health never fully recovered. I even invited an imperial physician to treat her, but nothing worked.”

Yue Shaozhi: “I’ll ask Imperial Physician Chen to come take a look at her.”

Song Ruoer: “You mean Imperial Physician Chen who served the Empress Dowager?”

Yue Shaozhi: “Yes.”

Song Ruoer looked panicked. “No, no, he serves the Empress Dowager…”

Yue Shaozhi said, “Don’t worry, the Empress Dowager doesn’t need him attending to her every single day.”

Song Ruoer still refused. She leaned into Yue Shaozhi’s arms and said softly, “I know you’re doing this for me, but there’s really no need to offend the Empress Dowager over something like this.”

At the palace banquet that day, Song Ruoer had noticed the tension between the Empress Dowager and Yue Shaozhi.

Before her marriage, Song Jinzhuo had told her: although Yue Shaozhi currently held power, in the end, it would all return to the emperor.

If, as Yue Shaozhi’s wife, Song Ruoer wanted to stay safe amid the shifting tides of power, she needed to offer good counsel when needed and not seek short-term comfort.

Back then, Song Ruoer had asked Song Jinzhuo, a little uncertain, “Sister has been married to Yue Shaozhi for two years, and he doesn’t listen to her. Will he listen to me?”

Song Jinzhuo answered firmly, “Yue Shaozhi doesn’t love your sister. He loves you. That’s why he’ll listen to you, he’ll change for your sake.”

Snapping back to the present, Song Ruoer again tried to persuade Yue Shaozhi, “The Empress Dowager is still the Empress Dowager. And my mother isn’t seriously ill. There’s really no need to do this.”

Yue Shaozhi replied, “It’s just a prescription. The Empress Dowager isn’t that petty.”

Song Ruoer still wanted to argue, but Yu Liang arrived again, so she had no choice but to leave.

That afternoon, Imperial Physician Chen arrived at the residence.

After checking Zhou’s pulse, he said, “The prescriptions she took before were too mild, so recovery is naturally slow. She can only recover about seventy percent.”

Song Ruoer grew a little anxious. “My mother feels cold all over during winter. She has to take this medicine constantly. It’s already autumn, and winter will be here in two months. I don’t want to see her suffer through the cold again.”

Imperial Physician Chen stroked his beard and said, “There is a solution, but the herbs involved are quite potent. If Madam’s body hasn’t fully recovered and stabilized yet, using these might do more harm than good.”

Song Ruoer asked, “Then what should we do?”

Imperial Physician Chen replied, “Princess, the problem now is that two of the required medicinal herbs are in short supply throughout the country.”

Song Ruoer turned to look at Yue Shaozhi, who gently patted her hand in comfort and asked the physician, “Which two herbs?”

Imperial Physician Chen answered, “Ming mulberry and fire-branch grass.”

Yue Shaozhi said, “I recall that the palace has some stored.”

Imperial Physician Chen bowed and said, “Your Majesty, those herbs are reserved for His Majesty and the Empress Dowager.”

Afraid that Yue Shaozhi might use the emperor’s stock, Song Ruoer suddenly remembered something.

“My sister has a medicinal herb shop, maybe she has a way.”

Zhou tried to dissuade her, “Forget it. I’ve gotten used to this over the years. At most, we can add more charcoal during winter. Don’t trouble your sister over this.”

Song Ruoer held Zhou’s hand and said earnestly, “As long as there’s a chance for Mother to get better, even if my sister asks me to kneel and kowtow, I’ll go.”

Yue Shaozhi gently pressed her shoulder and said, “You’re still pregnant. I’ll go.”

Song Ruoer was so moved that her eyes reddened. “I’ll go…”

Yue Shaozhi turned to Imperial Physician Chen and asked, “Are those the only two herbs? Is there anything else missing?”

Chen replied, “These herbs are just to help stabilize Madam’s condition. As for the full prescription…”

After taking the list of herbs from Imperial Physician Chen and reviewing it, Yue Shaozhi saw that five ingredients were missing in total.

Among them, one was extremely rare, even in the palace.

Yue Shaozhi tucked the list into his robe and said to Song Ruoer, “Take care of your health and focus on your pregnancy. Leave the rest to me.”

Song Ruoer said, “Shaozhi, thank you.”

Yue Shaozhi replied, “You are my wife. This is my duty.”

With that, Yue Shaozhi set out for Xiaohanju.

At that moment, Song Ying was in the study discussing herbs with the manager of the herbal medicine shop.

“There are only a few fire-branch herbs left now. Fortunately, they store well, so there’s no issue. As for Ming mulberry, only our shop and one other in the capital have some left but we’re low on stock, and I’ve already put up a sign saying we’re out.”

Song Ying nodded. She had already asked Master Yu to find substitute herbs, so she told the pharmacy owner, “With the war cutting off supply routes, it won’t be just these two that are affected. This is a new list I’ve made. Send someone to gather these herbs and sell them at the prices listed.”

The pharmacy owner, although not a specialist, had years of experience and some understanding of medicinal ingredients.

After looking at the list, he said, “Miss, we do have these herbs, but they’re rarely used. I’m afraid not many people will buy them. If this situation passes, we may be left with a pile of unsellable stock.”

Song Ying replied, “That’s fine. These are substitutes for Ming mulberry and other rare herbs. Give some samples to doctors and let them test them themselves. Those who know what they’re doing will naturally come to us. Right now, we just need to take the initiative.”

The shopkeeper nodded. “Alright, I’ll get on it right away.”

Shortly after the shopkeeper left, Faer rushed in.

“Miss, the Regent is here.”

Song Ying didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids. “Close the door. Tell him I’m dead.”