Mon premier mari après ma transmigration

Chapitre 25

Chapter Fifty-Nine

After Danmei finished speaking, seeing Xu Jinrong's expression change slightly as if he was about to speak, she interrupted him before he could open his mouth, saying, "I was living in a daze for a while and didn't think about it at all. This morning, after reading the letter, I was suddenly awakened. I also felt some doubts in my heart, and it bothered me, so I simply asked Jiang Rui to arrange a carriage to take me to the clinic. I didn't know until I saw it, and now I understand that my mother-in-law's concerns were reasonable..."

Xu Jinrong frowned slightly and asked, "What's the reasoning behind this?"

Danmei remained silent, only gazing at him for a moment before finally asking, "What would you do if I were unable to bear children?"

Xu Jinrong stared at her, as if trying to discern her true thoughts behind her words. Seeing that after she asked her question, she simply looked at him with a clear, unwavering gaze and expressionless eyes, he suddenly found her words extremely grating. He snorted and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? Did those doctors say that today? They're all quacks spouting nonsense. Why would you believe them?"

Danmei smiled and shook her head, saying, "I mean, what if?"

"If that's the case, I'll invite a renowned doctor to give you proper treatment..."

"What if you've been trying to conceive for three to five years and still can't get pregnant? What will you do then?"

Xu Jinrong's lips twitched slightly as he looked at her with a frown and said, "If you can't have children, you can't have children. What else can you do?"

Danmei stared at him blankly for a moment, then finally sighed, "I am very grateful for your response. But in your heart, you still hope to have a legitimate son, or at least a few more sons, right? At your age, having only Liang-ge is indeed a bit too little."

"What exactly did those doctors tell you that made you come back acting so strangely?"

Xu Jinrong did not respond, but instead reached out and turned Danmei's face towards him, so that he could carefully examine her features.

"Today I went to two clinics, and the doctors both said that I am not endowed with enough nutrients, that coldness is invading my uterus, and that my uterine vessels are not being properly warmed and nourished. They said I need to be slowly treated before I can possibly conceive."

Hearing her say this, Xu Jinrong's tense expression seemed to relax, and he took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, saying, "I will find another good doctor for you tomorrow to examine you carefully. If it is indeed the case, then there is nothing to worry about. Just take good care of yourself."

Danmei broke free from his embrace, sat up, shook her head, and said seriously, "You know that doctors always hold back some of what they say. Since he said that, you and I naturally understand what he meant. It's been almost a year since I married you, and you've treated me well, promising to be my husband for life. My mother-in-law is also a kind person, so I certainly won't be ungrateful. Starting tomorrow, when you call the doctor, I will follow his advice and take the medicine to recuperate."

Xu Jinrong seemed somewhat surprised. He looked at her for a moment, then reached out and touched a lock of her long hair that fell to her chest, sighing, "I'm so sorry to have to put you through this. I know you can't stand the smell of medicine..."

Danmei smiled slightly, then continued, "Since we've come this far, there's no need for pretense; I'll speak my mind. Back home, my mother always taught me that a wife must be tolerant. But I'm naturally stubborn and narrow-minded; I absolutely cannot tolerate a man spending the night in my room and then going to another room the next day. If that happens, I'd rather that man never set foot in my room again, and we could just be husband and wife facing each other from now on. Since I married you, you've only had me..." "I am deeply grateful. I didn't know before, but now that I know my health isn't good, and that matters of having children are no trivial matter, I naturally wouldn't dare to delay you any longer. If you're willing, please allow me another year. If my belly remains empty after a year, I will never dare to leave you alone like this again. At that time, you can divorce me and marry another, or take several concubines to continue the family line, I will not have the slightest complaint. Even if my parents are unhappy, it shouldn't affect you now."

After Danmei finished speaking in one breath, she felt as if a stone had been lifted from her heart and let out a long sigh of relief.

Xu Jinrong undoubtedly likes her. However, if she truly cannot conceive, it won't matter now, but in three to five years, when their feelings fade, his thoughts will be uncertain. Besides, he has an old lady who desperately wants a grandson; even if he doesn't act on it, she probably won't approve. Rather than forcing herself to endure a miserable life then, it's better to take this opportunity to make things clear to him now. Even if that day comes, she won't be caught off guard and lose her composure at the last minute.

Danmei felt that what she said was extremely rational. Given the importance people placed on direct bloodlines and a large family, she naturally wouldn't have overlooked this. Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, he seemed extremely angry. His expression changed, and he suddenly grabbed her neck, pulling her heavily in front of him. He then gripped her shoulders and angrily said, "In just half a day, you've thought of everything! What you said is true; I do hope for a legitimate son. Even without one, children are always welcome! Marrying someone like you who can consider my needs is truly my blessing! As for divorcing you, let alone a year from now, even if I divorced you now, your parents probably couldn't do anything to me!"

Since leaving the capital, in the past six months, all Danmei had seen was his tenderness and affection. This sudden outburst of anger, his grip on her shoulder aching, was a far cry from her previous relationship. Looking up, she saw him glaring at her, veins throbbing on his forehead. She was surprised that her words had angered him so much. After a moment's thought, she raised a few thin eyebrows, meeting his gaze, and said, "Third Master, if I truly cannot recover and cannot bear you an heir, will you continue to treat me alone for the rest of your life?"

When Xu Jinrong heard her question, the anger on his face subsided, and his eyes slowly turned icy. He stared at her for a long time before coldly saying, "I was too good to you before, and you've become so greedy." After saying that, he released his grip on her shoulders, lifted the covers and got out of bed. He didn't even take his coat before leaving the house, his footsteps making a loud thumping sound on the stairs, and the sound of his footsteps grew farther and farther away.

Xu Jinrong did not return. Danmei dismissed the surprised and uncertain Xiqing who came upon hearing the commotion, and lay alone on the bed. That night, she repeatedly thought about the words he had left behind before he departed, and finally let out a long sigh.

After going through twists and turns, and making up and getting back together, in the end, she and the man who was once the closest to her returned to square one, all because of her own greed.

Author's Note: Well, what I really wanted to say was that after all that waiting and waiting, I finally reached the point where I was bursting with excitement for a melodramatic plot point, but some readers said they couldn't handle it!

Chapter sixty

Danmei lay on the couch, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. It wasn't until the fourth watch of the night that she finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep. She didn't know how long she slept, but she seemed to hear the familiar chirping of birds outside the window. She slightly opened her eyes and felt a faint light seeping through the bed curtains, realizing the sky was already turning blue. Getting up, however, felt it was too early. She yawned, intending to turn over and sleep a little longer, when suddenly she felt a dark shadow beside the bed. Startled, she opened her eyes abruptly, blinked a few times, and then saw that Xu Jinrong was sitting by the bed. She didn't know when he had returned or how long he had been sitting there. In the dim light, she could only see that Xu Jinrong had grown a few stubbles on his cheeks and chin overnight, his complexion was somewhat sallow, and his eyes were staring intently at her, seemingly with a hint of redness.

Danmei instinctively propped herself up on her arms, intending to sit up, but he had already stood up abruptly, saying in a deep voice, "I used to know an old imperial physician in the capital. Due to his advanced age, he had resigned several times, but last year he was finally allowed to return to his hometown to retire. His medical skills are extremely refined, and he is currently in the city. You can examine him, and if he truly finds something amiss, then he should take his medicine properly. As for what you said last night, you don't need to mention it to me again." With that, he lifted the curtain and left.

Seeing that he had left in a hurry after saying those words, Danmei realized that her sleepiness had been driven away. She sat up, put a pillow behind her back, hugged her knees and pondered for a moment, then couldn't help but shake her head and smile bitterly.

Xu Jinrong is indeed the kind of person who does whatever he wants. Judging from his last sentence, all the things I said to him last night were a waste of breath, and I'm not allowed to say anything more to him in the future.

If he's a needle's point, then my true nature is probably a wheat awn, not far removed from his. If things had continued to be this way, peaceful and uneventful, I would have just continued living like this. Now that I've poured my heart out to him, I don't expect him to do anything about it, and my mind is made up. No matter how bitter or unpleasant the medicine is, I'll endure it for a year first.

Xu Jinrong went out early in the morning and returned around noon, bringing with him an elderly doctor with white hair and beard. Knowing that he was already seventy years old, Danmei stopped Xiqing and the others who were busy carrying up the silk frame for the curtain, and said with a smile, "The old doctor is old enough to be my grandfather, why bother with the curtain? There's no need for such trouble."

When Xiqing heard her say this, he glanced at Xu Jinrong sitting next to him. Although he had a gloomy face, it had been like that since he saw him in the morning. Since he hadn't said anything, he must have agreed. Then he led the old doctor inside, and he and Miaoxia and the others withdrew. Only he, his wife and the old doctor were left in the room.

Although the old physician was advanced in years, he had white hair and a youthful face, and looked extremely vigorous. After carefully examining and inquiring about Danmei's wedding date, he pondered for a while and said, "I observe that the young lady's pulse is not seriously problematic. However, her constitution is weak, and her yin blood is insufficient, resulting in a deficiency of the source of qi and blood, and a lack of nourishment for the uterus. With gradual medication and conditioning, there should be no major issues. However, it is crucial that she maintain a cheerful and smiling demeanor and avoid emotional distress. If her liver qi becomes stagnant, her qi and blood will become even more imbalanced, making it even more difficult for her to conceive."

Upon hearing the old physician's words, Xu Jinrong's complexion improved considerably. He stood up to thank him and said, "Please prescribe the medicine; no matter how expensive it is, it's fine."

The old physician sat down in the chair that had been prepared beforehand, picked up his pen and began writing a prescription with flowing strokes, while shaking his head with a smile and saying, "I've heard that the people have been praising Lord Xu's good name lately. They say that as soon as you took office, you wiped out the bandit stronghold that had been entrenched in this area for many years and captured the bandit leader, which is very gratifying and I truly admire you. However, what you said just now was somewhat inappropriate. The way to maintain health is twofold: first, the medicine should be appropriate, not necessarily the most expensive; second, one must always maintain a cheerful mood. It's not that I'm being presumptuous because of my age, but my energy is not much worse than that of a fifty-year-old. It's all thanks to being open-minded about everything and taking a step back to broaden one's horizons."

Seeing Xu Jinrong being reprimanded by the old physician, Danmei, though somewhat embarrassed, stood silently. She'd never seen him like this before, and found it slightly amusing. She quickly turned her head away, afraid of being noticed. Xu Jinrong, however, had his eyes fixed on her the whole time. He could easily see through her, and strangely, he wasn't annoyed by her mocking expression. Instead, he felt a slightly itchy, uneasy feeling.

The old physician, being quite old, became rather talkative. Having been steered the conversation, he continued, "Speaking of ease and composure, I have much to admire about one person: Prince Jing of the capital. His legs, due to a congenital deficiency, have been ailing since childhood. Every spring, they ache terribly, feeling as if a thousand ants are gnawing at his bones—it's unbearable. The Emperor and he grew up together and have a deep bond. He's very compassionate and has always ordered me to treat him at this time of year. Alas, I'm useless; I can only temporarily alleviate his pain, not cure it. Despite his serious illness, whenever I use acupuncture to temporarily relieve his pain, he still laughs and jokes, showing no sign of self-pity. This greatly impresses me..."

Danmei was somewhat surprised that the old imperial physician would suddenly mention Prince Jing. In a daze, she recalled the young man with a gentle, jade-like smile whom she had met by chance at the bridge in Jinyuan last year. She was surprised that he suffered from such illness every year, and fell silent for a moment.

Xu Jinrong frowned slightly when the old imperial physician mentioned the name of Prince Jing. When he saw a hint of pity in Danmei's eyes, he felt even more depressed. Seeing that the old imperial physician had finished writing and instructed him to take the medicine on time after breakfast and dinner every day, he hurriedly went over to help him up and see him out.

Xu Jinrong did not return that day. It wasn't until Danmei finished washing up in the evening that he came upstairs and into the house.

Seeing him leave in such a rage last night, Danmei thought he wouldn't be staying here for at least a few days. But he came back, and apart from not embracing her and kissing her face as usual, his behavior was the same as always, and his expression was normal. There was no trace of last night's events. For a moment, she couldn't figure out what he was thinking, so she put it aside and stopped speculating. She simply got into bed and thought for a moment before saying, "I've already taken my medicine."

As she spoke, Xu Jinrong was sitting on a chair outside, holding a book in his hand. Hearing her speak to him in such a flat tone, as if she were just going through the motions, a trace of displeasure flashed through his mind, but it was gone in an instant. He immediately put down the book, followed her onto the couch, and then looked at Danmei and said, "The medicine must taste terrible, right?"

Danmei's lips twitched slightly, thinking to herself, "Go and try it yourself, then you'll know."

She was still thinking this in her heart when he sighed and continued, "I'm sorry to have wronged you..."

Danmei looked up and saw that his brows were unconsciously furrowed slightly, and his face seemed to show some fatigue. She felt a sudden urge to reach out and smooth his brows, but then she remembered the last words he had said last night, and she felt a surge of resentment. The pity she had felt earlier vanished, and she simply said, "It's alright. And it's not really a grievance. It's just that I was useless."

Hearing her response, Xu Jinrong's eyes flashed with disappointment, but he didn't say anything more, saying, "Go to bed early." With that, he leaned over and blew out the lamp.

Although the two shared a bed and blanket as usual that night, Xu Jinrong, for the first time ever, did not touch her with a single finger. He tossed and turned for a long time until the moonlight from outside the window shone on the pine, bamboo and plum blossom patterned vase with several scrolls of paintings inserted on the ground. Danmei heard his breathing gradually become steady and finally seemed to fall asleep.

***

The next day was the day the imperial envoy was to arrive. Xu Jinrong had sent people to the front line the day before to inquire about the situation. Knowing that the envoy would arrive as scheduled and would be traveling by land, he led all the civil and military officials of the prefecture to the city to welcome him early in the morning.

The officials in the prefecture, witnessing the new prefect's swift and decisive actions—which resulted in the complete annihilation of the Wulang Water Fortress—were filled with a mixture of envy and regret. They envied the imperial envoy, believing he was there to bestow honors and favors on behalf of the emperor; they regretted their own lack of foresight in not having contributed. While waiting, a few officials stole glances and saw Prefect Xu sitting upright on his horse, gazing ahead with a slightly grave expression, devoid of any joy. They were immediately puzzled, wondering what he was thinking.

Before noon, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard from afar. Looking up, a dozen or so men dressed as guards escorted a tall horse and galloped toward the city gate. It must be the imperial envoy. With a surge of excitement, they quickly lined up in their respective positions.

Xu Jinrong narrowed his eyes slightly. When the person opposite him got closer and the horse slowed down, he dismounted and went to meet him.

"Your Highness has traveled a long way to be here, and you must be tired from your journey. I am sorry that I failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

Because he was an imperial envoy, meeting him was like meeting the emperor. Therefore, when the horses in the opposite line stopped, Xu Jinrong and the officials behind him knelt down to greet him, saying the following.

Prince Jing had his attendants dismount and help Xu Jinrong up, then laughed heartily, "I parted ways with Lord Xu in the capital last time, and I never expected to meet him again in Huaichu today. Lord Xu has only just arrived in the region, yet he has already brought great benefits to the people. Although I am in the capital, my heart yearns for him. Despite my ailing body, I am fortunate to be able to convey His Majesty's decree of commendation; it is my good fortune. How can there be any talk of forgiveness?"

The officials in the prefecture were initially suspicious when they saw that the imperial envoy was such a handsome young man. Although he was only dressed in a plain white robe, he exuded an air of nobility. They wondered about his background and were already wondering who he was. When they heard Prefect Xu address him as "Your Highness" and it seemed that the two knew each other before, they were even more surprised. Finally, when he mentioned that he was disabled and sick, but looked fine, they disregarded their manners and stared intently at him.

Xu Jinrong smiled slightly, said nothing more, let Prince Jing and his entourage pass, and then mounted his horse and followed. They arrived at the prefectural government office, where crowds gathered on both sides, whispering amongst themselves. When they reached the front gates of the Huai Chu prefectural government office, the gates were already wide open. The officials saw the young imperial envoy dismount, take a purple cane from a guard, and slowly enter, leaning on it. Seeing that his legs seemed somewhat unsteady, they understood what he meant earlier. They also noticed that although he walked with a cane, his back was ramrod straight, and his bearing was in no way inferior to that of the prefect Xu accompanying him. They were filled with admiration and dared not harbor the slightest thought of looking down on him.

Chapter Sixty-One

When Prince Jing entered the main hall, he didn't say much else. He then announced the emperor's decree, saying that Xu Jinrong had made meritorious contributions in suppressing bandits upon assuming office. He was specially rewarded with a pair of jade discs and a pair of luminous pearls, and was also appointed as a Senior Fourth-Rank Light Cavalry Commandant. The other officials of the prefecture and county would be evaluated by Xu Jinrong based on their merits, and could be promoted as appropriate when his term expired.

The title of "Light Cavalry Commandant" was not a real position, but merely an honorary title. However, it was a favor bestowed by the emperor. Xu Jinrong led the officials in kneeling to thank the emperor for his boundless grace.

Having proclaimed the imperial decree and presented the rewards, the official business was now concluded. As is customary in official circles, a banquet and entertainment were naturally to follow. Xu Jinrong then smiled and said, "Your Highness has traveled a long way and must be quite weary on the journey. I have prepared a banquet at Jiangxin Tower in this city to welcome Your Highness and wash away the dust of your journey. Although it cannot compare with the grand towers in the capital, it is surrounded by the river on three sides, with open spaces all around. From the tower, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the river, a sight rarely seen in the capital. I hope Your Highness will do me the honor of joining me."

Prince Jing shook his head and smiled, "I am honored by Lord Xu's kindness and should gladly accept the invitation. However, I am currently unable to drink any alcohol, and doing so would only spoil everyone's enjoyment. Therefore, I can only thank Lord Xu for his hospitality. If there is an opportunity next time, I will certainly live up to Lord Xu's good intentions and drink to my heart's content with all of you."

Xu Jinrong was unfazed by King Jing's polite refusal, but the officials below were extremely surprised. Some, who had hoped to use the opportunity to build a relationship, began to urge him on. After listening, King Jing thought for a moment and then explained, "It is not that I am being presumptuous, but my leg ailment has flared up again, so I cannot drink alcohol. I have come to your esteemed place specifically to convey the Emperor's wishes, and also because I have a personal reason. A royal physician who used to cure my leg ailment has retired and is now living here. I have come to visit him."

As soon as he said this, everyone understood, and naturally no one tried to persuade him to attend the banquet. Xu Jinrong was about to invite him to rest at the post station when a voice came from behind him: "Your Highness, have you heard of the wonders of Huaichu City?"

Xu Jinrong's face quickly showed a hint of displeasure. He turned around and glanced back, only to see that the speaker was the supervisor.

King Jing smiled and said, "I would like to hear the details."

The official, when he brought this up, was thinking of both currying favor with Prince Jing and giving Xu Jinrong an opportunity to gain face—a double win. Little did he know that his flattery had inadvertently backfired on his superior. Seeing Prince Jing ask about it, he beamed and continued, "This poem is none other than the color-changing peony in Lord Xu's peony garden. Those peonies are rare even in the capital, let alone in the Huai-Chu region. Now that the peony season is not over, I see that Your Highness is a refined person. Since you are in Huai-Chu and cannot visit Jiangxin Tower, why not go to Lord Xu's peony garden to admire the flowers and compose poems? It would be both elegant and refined. Moreover, we have long admired it but have never had the chance to see it. Now, thanks to Your Highness, we can also witness the splendor of this magical peony."

As soon as the official finished speaking, the others nodded in agreement and strongly urged him to do so.

Prince Jing seemed intrigued by these words and looked at Xu Jinrong, smiling as he said, "I have no particular hobbies in my life except wine and flowers. Now that I can no longer drink wine, I'm out of luck with my tastes, but I wonder if I'll have the pleasure of admiring the peonies in Lord Xu's residence?"

Xu Jinrong immediately chuckled and replied, "If Your Highness has such an interest, this humble official would naturally be more than happy to oblige. I will be waiting at any time."

Prince Jing pondered for a moment, then lightly patted the back of his chair and looked up, saying, "Having heard of such a wonderful flower, I feel quite regretful that I haven't discovered it sooner. The flowering season waits for no one, and there's no time like the present. If it's convenient for you, Lord Xu, why don't we go over there now?"

Xu Jinrong was slightly taken aback, but immediately nodded in agreement. He then gave Jiang Rui, who was standing on the side of the hallway, a wink. Jiang Rui understood and immediately went to prepare.

Danmei was pruning the withered branches and leaves in the garden, and then she picked out a few peony branches and handed them to Miaoxia behind her, telling her to take them back and put them in a vase in the house. Just then, the little maid who usually did rough work in the outer garden hurried over and said, "Madam, just now Guard Jiang came over and said that the Imperial Envoy wants to come to the garden to admire the flowers. The lord asks you to make way for him for the time being. Please have someone prepare some tea, fruit, seeds, writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones in the garden. We can skip the wine."

Danmei had assumed that the imperial envoy, having just arrived and finished his official duties, would inevitably go out for a feast, but she hadn't expected him to come to her garden instead. Though surprised, she immediately stopped what she was doing, ordered Xiqing to have someone prepare things quickly, and then returned to her room. By evening, she knew that the imperial envoy and many prefectural officials had finished admiring the flowers and had already left the garden. Knowing that it was customary for men to casually tuck flowers into their hats while admiring the flowers, she was a little worried about her plants and went back to the garden to check on them. Having walked around and found everything intact, I felt relieved and was about to return when I heard giggling coming from the porch outside the fence gate. I recognized the two young maids who usually looked after the garden. Knowing it was just the girls whispering, I didn't pay much attention and was about to turn and leave when I heard their voices carried on the wind: "Didn't you see? I sneaked a peek while serving tea, and that imperial envoy was like a god who jumped down from a painting. I've never seen such a handsome man before. I heard he's some kind of Prince Jing..."

As Danmei listened to the two young maids whispering amongst themselves, a sudden reprimand rang out: "You two crazy little hussies! Instead of doing your work properly, you're daydreaming in broad daylight! Who is that prince? It's not your place to discuss him like this! Say another word, and you'll be in for a beating!" The voice belonged to the headmistress of the garden. The two maids, seemingly frightened, immediately fell silent.

Danmei turned and left, but she understood. No wonder this imperial envoy's tastes were different from ordinary people; it turned out to be Prince Jing. Her eyes then fell on the Xiaozhuangxin shrub in a prominent place in the garden. Although it had been transplanted here, it was now blooming beautifully under her careful cultivation. Large, snow-white blossoms, each the size of a bowl, adorned with long, curled golden stamens, attracted bees and butterflies, making it extremely eye-catching. She figured Prince Jing must have seen this when he admired the flowers. She hadn't disappointed his kindness in gifting her the flowers. With a slight smile, she let it go.

***

Danmei had been drinking the medicine for several days. Although it was bitter and smelly, she could bear it. However, she didn't know if it was due to the medicine's prescription or her own constitution, but every time she drank it, she felt as if something was biting her stomach, making her uncomfortable. It would take an hour for her to feel better, and this happened both morning and night. She thought she would get used to it in a few days, so she endured it without mentioning it to Xu Jinrong. Unexpectedly, after several days, the same thing happened, and she finally couldn't bear it any longer. Seeing that Xu Jinrong had been very busy these days, she didn't want to bother him, so she sent Xiqing with Jiang Rui to the old physician's residence, either to invite him over to ask about the situation or to see if a different prescription could be given. Unexpectedly, Xiqing returned saying that the old physician had slipped and fallen yesterday, injuring his foot, and couldn't come over now. He also said that if the lady felt unwell after taking the prescription, to be on the safe side, he wanted her to come over so he could give her a more thorough diagnosis and try a different prescription.

Danmei thought for a moment, and the next morning, before Xu Jinrong was about to leave, she brought up the matter with him. Only then did Xu Jinrong realize that she hadn't been feeling well after taking the medicine for the past few days. He was about to scold her for not saying so sooner, but when he looked up and saw that her brows were slightly furrowed and her complexion wasn't good, his heart clenched slightly, and he blurted out, "Since you're not feeling well after taking the medicine, then..." He stopped mid-sentence, seeing Danmei looking at him with her clear, bright eyes, and ultimately didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he changed his words and said, "Since you're not feeling well, I'll go with you and have the imperial physician examine you again and try a different prescription."

Danmei shook her head and said, "I know you're busy with official business, so you don't need to accompany me. If you're worried, just have Jiang Rui escort me there."

Xu Jinrong thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's fine. You get ready, I'll give instructions to Jiang Rui right away." With that, he hurriedly turned and left.

As Danmei listened to his footsteps fading into the distance, she sighed softly and chuckled to herself that she had misheard. Her heart had skipped a beat, and she almost thought he was going to say, "Then you don't need to take it." In the end, he just meant that he would accompany her. She still needed to take the medicine, and she was determined to give birth to his son.

The carriage was ready in no time. Xu Jinrong personally helped Danmei up, and then reminded Jiang Rui to be careful on the road. He watched the carriage wheels depart, a touch of melancholy in his heart. He recalled seeing her suffer so much from taking the medicine, and felt a pang of heartache, almost telling her she shouldn't take that wretched medicine anymore. Although he had that thought, the matter of offspring was of utmost importance. He certainly hoped she could bear him children, but if she couldn't, though it would be regrettable, he would let it go, since he already had an heir. However, she was a woman, and she couldn't rely on her family forever. Without a legitimate son to carry on her legacy, and with him so many years older than her, her future was unpredictable. Therefore, if possible, it would be best to have a son or daughter.

The two, who were once deeply in love, had recently developed a rift over the matter of having children. He knew she must believe he wanted her to give birth to a son, which was why she had said those hurtful things that night. He was no longer young, and while he could endure many things that others couldn't, hearing her so easily utter those heartless words had left him feeling like his heart was being fried in oil. That's why he couldn't hold back his anger and said such harsh things. These past few days, although she spoke to him as usual, her tone was much more distant than before, and at night she lay motionless with her back to him, clearly still angry. He planned to come home that night, embrace her, and explain things calmly. Once she understood his feelings, he hoped she wouldn't be so angry anymore.

After some deliberation, Xu Jinrong made up his mind, and his mind became much clearer. He then headed to the yamen, sat down, and discussed some matters with the officials. When someone mentioned Prince Jing and asked when he would leave and how they would see him off, Xu Jinrong suddenly remembered something, paused, stood up, and hurriedly left. A group of bewildered officials from the prefecture looked at each other, wondering what the prefect was up to.

The old imperial physician's son had now taken over his position in the Imperial Medical Academy in the capital. He lived with his teenage grandson in a walled house by the river. It was just the two of them, along with a few servants. The courtyard was adorned with bamboo and orchids, a very quiet place. Danmei alighted from the carriage, knocked on the door to announce her arrival, and a maidservant came out. Danmei told Jiang Ruihou to wait in the outer courtyard through the moon gate, while she and Xiqing followed the maid inside. They saw the old imperial physician indeed sitting on a bamboo chair with his leg in a splint, brewing a pot of tea. Beside him, a child not yet ten years old was reciting poetry. After exchanging greetings and offering the various tonics she had brought, she sat down and instructed him to carefully examine his pulse again. She then wrote another prescription and told him to try it, saying that this time he should be fine.

Danmei accepted the prescription and thanked the doctor. Just as she was about to leave, she heard the old physician sigh, "Seeing you here, young lady, reminds me of your father. I received a letter from my son two or three months after the New Year, mentioning that your father has retired due to illness. I'm sure you know that, young lady. Your father and I used to have good relations. We were both ambitious and wanted to make a name for ourselves, but alas, time flies like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, I'm already old and gray, and so is your father..."

Danmei was taken aback and exclaimed, "How is my father's health? Did he mention anything else?"

The old imperial physician was somewhat surprised to see that she seemed completely unaware of the situation. He frowned and said, "I heard from my son's letter that your father fell ill at the end of last year. His Majesty was considerate and often sent imperial physicians to treat him, but the effect was minimal, which is why he resigned from his position as prime minister. I don't know much about his condition now."

Danmei steadied herself, thanked him, and struggled to her feet to leave. Xiqing, who was nearby, saw this and quickly came over to help her up.

"Young Madam, please don't panic. Although I don't know, Prince Jing has only been away from the capital for a month, so he should know about the situation. It just so happens that he has been staying at my house these past two days because he needs me to treat his leg ailment. Go and ask him, and you will find out."

Perhaps seeing Danmei's pale face, the old doctor added another sentence.

Reminded, Danmei immediately wanted to see Prince Jing and ask him what was going on. Forgetting about being impolite, she followed the old physician's grandson, with Xiqing accompanying her, to the room where Prince Jing was staying.

Author's Note: Thank you to all the readers who continued to follow and for all the comments and discussions. It was absolutely brilliant, even more so than my original work. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

There's an update for today.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Prince Jing lived in a small courtyard. Danmei followed the old imperial physician's grandson and walked around a blue brick wall. She heard a child's voice coming from inside the wall: "My lord, I saw you staring at the grape trellis for a long time. What are you looking at?" She sounded curious.

A man's voice rang out, "I'm looking at the grape blossoms."