Forcing herself to walk out of the shadows to Zhang Ye, Ling Xiao then forced herself to bow and greet him. Prince Ning glanced down at the palace lantern she carried, then at the medicine chest on her back, and frowned, asking, "What are you doing so late? Why are you alone?"
"Your Highness, the Empress fell seriously ill in the middle of the night, and I was dragged out of bed to check on her condition. Originally, a young eunuch was supposed to lead the way, but he got a terrible stomachache halfway there, so I told him to go ahead... thinking I could go back on my own."
Being dragged out of bed in the middle of a deep sleep isn't pleasant, but this situation was unusual. She'd finally finished her work and could have gone back to sleep, only to be caught in this unexpected turn of events—the feeling was simply bittersweet. She hadn't expected this at all; it was just…so embarrassing!
"Do you even know the way? This time, there's no Lord Xia to guide you. If you wander around aimlessly in the middle of the night and get arrested as a criminal, you'll know what it means to be under strict palace security."
Consort Xie was never afraid of the strict palace rules. Ling Xiao thought to himself, but chuckled and said, "This servant knows the way. It's no problem even without Lord Xia. Your Highness, please rest assured."
Zhang Ye straightened up and felt extremely displeased when he saw Ling Xiao's smile. He reached out and slapped Ling Xiao on the back of the head, saying, "I was kind enough to take you home today, so you should be secretly happy about it."
Although Zhang Ye didn't use much force, Ling Xiao still yelled in pain, covering his head and saying, "You just randomly slap my head! Are you going to take responsibility if I make me stupid?! What happened to the gentlemanly rule of using words, not fists?!"
Zhang Ye hadn't withdrawn his hand yet, thinking he had hurt her by not controlling his strength, and felt guilty. He reached out to rub Ling Xiao's hand, but Ling Xiao wanted to run away with her head in her hands, so he had to give up the idea.
"Ahem... I'll have someone send you some brain-boosting stuff tomorrow. Take good care of yourself, and you won't have to worry about becoming stupid."
puff.
Ling Xiao silently spat out his drink because of Zhang Ye's words.
She wondered, is this some kind of attempt to coax a child?
Chapter 65 Update
The Empress's condition fluctuated, and Ling Xiao, as the physician whom Shen Wanru trusted implicitly and whom she frequently referred to, could only keep up with her busy schedule. The night before last, she stabilized the Empress's condition, and the next morning she went to Fengyang Palace to see the Empress again and take her pulse.
When Ling Xiao finished all that and returned to the Imperial Hospital, Prince Ning, Zhang Ye, was already waiting for her. Besides the prince himself, he had brought Ling Xiao many brain-boosting items, just as he had promised the night before: a large box of walnuts, another large box of walnuts, and yet another large box of walnuts.
Three identical wooden boxes, each about half an arm's length in size, were stacked three layers high and neatly filled with walnuts of almost the same size, clearly of top quality. Seeing this abundance of walnuts, Ling Xiao thought to herself, "From now on, I'll have everything I need for walnut paste, walnut shortbread, and walnut milk."
"Is that alright?" Ling Xiao kept looking at him, seemingly lost in thought. Prince Ning coughed lightly beside her and asked, then added, "After you finish these, I'll have someone send you some more."
Ling Xiao reached in and took out a walnut, trying to squeeze it with his bare hands. Hearing that Zhang Ye planned to give him another one next time, although he always accepted expensive gifts, including money, he didn't want to appear too greedy. So, Ling Xiao tilted his head back, feigning shyness, and said, "That would be so embarrassing..."
Before she could finish her sentence, "Is Your Highness doing all this for me because you're worried about me overworking my brain?" Zhang Ye spoke first, "Don't feel embarrassed. Your brain, even if I hadn't slapped you that time, should have been properly repaired, so you don't end up being buried alive by silver notes again someday."
Stingy! Naive! Petty! Ling Xiao muttered to himself. The walnuts in his hand were taken away by Prince Ning. He took out a small iron hammer from next to the square box and even demonstrated it to Ling Xiao, "With your strength, you couldn't eat them even if you tried for a year. This is very convenient."
Under Prince Ning's violence, even a hard-shelled walnut had to yield and crack open. Ling Xiao looked at the walnut as if it were looking at himself, feeling deeply sorry for it, but Prince Ning had already taken the walnut kernel and stuffed it directly into Ling Xiao's mouth.
Caught off guard, something was stuffed into his mouth, and he had no choice but to eat it. After finishing, Ling Xiao remembered an important question. Dodging Prince Ning's attempt to shove another walnut kernel into his mouth, Ling Xiao raised his head slightly, feigning innocence, and asked Zhang Ye, "Your Highness Prince Ning, tell me, do the walnuts you cracked still have any brain-boosting properties?"
"..." After understanding the meaning behind Ling Xiao's words, Zhang Ye, with a dark face, stuffed another half of the walnut kernel into Ling Xiao's mouth without hesitation, "Eat two every day, it's a perfect match for you."
You're the one who's stupid!
Ling Xiao glared indignantly at the person in front of her, but Prince Ning ignored her and regained his composure. He then took out a walnut, cracked it open for Ling Xiao, peeled it, and presented it to her.
·
Because of the kite incident, Zhang Yu had a falling out with Empress Dowager Feng, and for several days he did not go to Changning Palace to pay his respects to her. Zhang Jin tried to persuade him several times, both openly and subtly, but Zhang Yu remained unmoved. She could only turn to comforting Empress Dowager Feng instead.
Zhang Xin didn't understand the situation and dared not speak casually. However, every time she went to Changning Palace to pay her respects, she saw Empress Dowager Feng sighing and lamenting, and she couldn't bear it. Her tea ceremony skills, which she had learned from Ahao, had finally improved, and she took this opportunity to go to Xuanzhi Hall and say that she wanted to brew the first cup of good tea for Zhang Yu.
Such flattery would please anyone, so Zhang Yu agreed. Zhang Xin said she would cook it in the side hall and then send it over, and Zhang Yu didn't mind either. She immediately and happily pulled Ahao to the side hall, ready to show off her skills.
Although she genuinely wanted Ah Hao to help look after things, Zhang Xin wasn't very confident about anything else. She wondered if mentioning Empress Dowager Feng to Zhang Yu would displease him, so she wanted to find out the situation from Song Shuhao. She was so naive, focusing only on the issue between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager that she forgot Song Shuhao was another party involved.
Hearing Zhang Xin's distressed words, Song Shuhao, who had never intended to interfere in Zhang Yu's affairs, felt a mix of emotions. Although she didn't want the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to have a strained relationship, she couldn't possibly like the behavior of someone who knew it was a slanderous attempt to use against her.
Those who wanted to slander her should be punished, whether too leniently or too severely; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they deserved it. At first, she didn't understand; she simply didn't know how to properly persuade them. Later, remembering some of Zhang Yu's words, A-Hao understood.
The Emperor, who in the past could banish Consort Xian to the Cold Palace for the sake of the Empress Dowager, wasn't suddenly heartless towards her; rather, he harbored resentment towards her for attempting to influence his actions. The witchcraft case served as a reminder, but this incident... perhaps it's because he no longer wants to condone it.
Since that's the case, it's clear His Majesty the Emperor is aware of the situation, and there's no need for anyone else to say more. Thinking of this, Song Shuhao, while brewing tea for Zhang Xin, asked, "Your Highness, what do you think of His Majesty's treatment of the Empress Dowager in the past?" Zhang Xin naturally said it was very good, so Shuhao continued, "Why do you think His Majesty is angry this time? Or, does Your Highness think His Majesty is acting this way because of me?"
Zhang Xin thought about her words and realized that they did indeed imply something like that, then she realized she shouldn't have said those things in front of A-Hao. Just talking about that particular incident, it really wasn't her fault. Zhang Xin felt embarrassed and didn't feel comfortable facing A-Hao anymore. Discussing someone else's faults in front of them was really unkind.
“I just heard them say that what they said back then was indeed harsh, and Mother was always looking worried, which made me feel bad too. I didn’t mean to blame you.” To avoid Song Shuhao taking it to heart, Zhang Xin emphasized, “I really didn’t mean to blame you.”
“Your Highness need not do this. If you want to ask whether it is appropriate for me to persuade His Majesty, I cannot answer that. His Majesty has never been a person without his own opinions or without a sense of propriety. Perhaps he will reconcile with the Empress Dowager tomorrow? However, Your Highness should know better than I do that His Majesty is not so difficult to talk to. He does not mind many things that are said.”
While it's not uncommon for relatives to turn against each other, based on what Song Shuhao has observed these past few days, she doesn't believe Zhang Yu and Empress Dowager Feng would descend into such a terrible situation. Although the Empress Dowager has her own selfish motives, she is generally still thinking of His Majesty's best interests. Blood ties and kinship are undeniable, an inescapable bond.
Zhang Xin thought about it and felt that what A-Hao said made some sense. After that, she focused on brewing tea and personally delivered it to Zhang Yu without saying anything. Zhang Yu tasted the tea and saw the expectant look in Zhang Xin's eyes. He thought about it carefully and said, "The aroma and aftertaste are not enough, and the color is not clear enough. It is an improvement over the past."
For Zhang Xin, the words "improvement" were the highest praise. She gave a small cheer, then heard Zhang Yu ask, "What do you want to ask of me this time?"
Assuming she was being overly attentive and had ulterior motives, Zhang Xin pouted, seemingly unhappy, even though that was her true intention. But it only lasted a moment; she quickly regained her composure and defended herself, "I did have some thoughts, but not anymore." After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Xin couldn't help but add, "Nothing else matters. I just hope that my Emperor brother will always be well, and that my Mother Empress will be well too."
Zhang Yu glanced at her with a smile, and seeing her teary eyes, he still smiled and said, "There's nothing between me and the Empress Dowager, so you don't need to worry about it. What you should be thinking about now is to quickly choose a suitable consort. If you really can't choose one, it doesn't matter, but at most you'll have to go live in the Princess's residence after this year."
Perhaps Zhang Yu's words triggered some associations in Zhang Xin. She blushed, stuck out her tongue, and whispered, "I don't want a consort, and I don't want to live alone. Even if I'm being managed, I only want to be managed by my Emperor brother and my mother. I don't like anyone else."
Far from upsetting Zhang Yu, Zhang Xin returned to Chang Le Palace from Xuan Zhi Hall with a broad smile on her face after hearing such heartwarming words. Seeing Zhang Xin's appearance, Song Shuhao knew that there was no unpleasantness between her and Zhang Yu.
This was supposed to be a good thing, but she, who had nothing to do with it, was dragged into it. When Zhang Yu summoned her into the hall, Ahao thought he had some instructions, but instead, he asked, "What did you just say to her?"
“I didn’t say anything to Her Highness the Princess,” Ahao said with her eyes downcast. However, Zhang Yu stared at her and insisted on asking for details, so Ahao had no choice but to answer, “This servant only told Her Highness the Princess that His Majesty is a very decisive person, very sensible, and not difficult to talk to at all.”
Zhang Yu seemed pleased to hear this, and seeing that Ahao had stopped, he continued, "Anything else?" Ahao had to think hard for a moment before continuing, "They said His Majesty might reconcile with the Empress Dowager tomorrow..."
"You know all about this?" Zhang Yu chuckled and beckoned Song Shuhao closer. Song Shuhao obediently walked up the white jade steps and stopped beside the dragon throne. Zhang Yu, who had been behind the throne, stood up and quickly leaned over to peck her on the lips, saying, "Since you've said so, I'll go pay my respects to the Empress Dowager tomorrow."
Song Shuhao felt her face burning hot, and soon the redness spread from her cheeks to the roots of her neck, and then to the tips of her ears. Zhang Yu chuckled twice, touched her face, and indeed it was burning hot. He laughed and said, "Is it really that bad?"
Zhang Yu's words were ambiguous, and even after Song Shuhao moved into Xuanzhi Palace, she wouldn't be taken advantage of in this way; the number of times she was held hands with him was just as few. Embarrassed, she unconsciously twisted her skirt. Ahao glanced at Zhang Yu, then looked away, paused for a moment, and said seriously, "As for it?"