Chapter 177: Awkwardness
In the afternoon, Xue Sui received a message sent by Wen Jia.
Empress Dowager Cheng Qing urgently summoned Wen Jia to the palace, not only bestowing upon her the title of Princess Protector of the Nation but also granting her numerous jewels and ornaments. She specifically asked Wen Jia to stay in the palace for a while and instructed her to explain the Medical Scripture Illustrations.
Clearly, the Empress Dowager already knew that the Medical Scripture originated from Wen Jia’s hand. Although she did not explicitly state it, her attitude towards Wen Jia had become significantly more affectionate.
Before embroidering the Medical Scripture, Xue Sui had explained its contents in detail to Wen Jia. Deceiving the Empress Dowager would not be difficult, and she was not worried about Wen Jia.
However, there was no movement from the Rui Jin Hall.
Emperor Chong Zhao’s handling of the storm at Ci An Hall remained unknown.
Xue Sui could only wait patiently, quietly…
She waited until nightfall.
Xiao Zhao gently lowered the curtain and lit a delicate sweet incense in the room.
As usual, Xue Sui practiced calligraphy for a while before putting down her wolf hair brush. With the help of two maids, she bathed and changed, preparing to rest.
A faint fragrance wafted through the room. Xue Sui, with her hair down, looked at her plain gauze undergarment reflected in the bronze mirror. She suddenly recalled Li Zhao’s words about “love flowers sprouting” that day. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the bronze mirror as she frowned in thought—
Ling Yu leisurely preened its feathers on the windowsill, and the room was silent.
“Young Lady, the moon has risen. This servant will prepare your bed now,” Xiao Zhao said softly.
Xue Sui responded softly, then suddenly instructed her,
“Go and open the window a little, let the moonlight in…”
Seeing the thoughtful expression on her Young Lady’s face, Xiao Zhao silently walked to the wooden beam.
“Then this servant will fetch a cloak for Young Lady.”
Xue Sui nodded slightly.
A full day had passed, and Li Zhao had not sent any word.
Xue Sui couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.
She wondered if the symptoms of the love silk gu on him had eased.
After a moment of thought, she put on her outer garment and slowly walked to the display shelf in the outer room.
That was where she usually kept her medicines, with various porcelain containers neatly arranged. She reached for the third celadon jar and put her hand inside…
The pills were all there…
Her fingertips paused, and she called for Ru Yi.
“Have you done what I asked you to do?”
Ru Yi was in the kitchen learning to make osmanthus candy from Old Madam Liu. Her small face was flushed from the stove’s heat. Seeing her Young Lady inquire, she nodded repeatedly.
“Replying to Young Lady, it’s all done. This servant has already sent a message to the Crown Prince, informing him that Young Lady cannot go.”
“Is there anything else?” Xue Sui asked again.
“Anything else…” Ru Yi asked with a bewildered look, “Young Lady, what else is there?”
Xue Sui stared at her, “Did you deliver the medicine I asked you to send?”
Ru Yi shook her head in confusion, “When did Young Lady ask this servant to deliver medicine?”
Xue Sui raised her hand to her forehead and sighed helplessly.
“Didn’t I tell you that Ling Yu loves millet mixed with pine nuts the most, and it’s in the third celadon jar? Didn’t you understand?”
Ru Yi: “I understood! This servant fed Ling Yu.”
Xue Sui: “…”
Seeing Xue Sui’s silence, Ru Yi suddenly realized with an “Ah!” and pleaded with a tearful face.
“It’s over, this servant misunderstood. At the time, I saw the third celadon jar containing millet and casually took it out to feed Ling Yu… I didn’t realize Young Lady was referring to the third celadon jar on the display shelf, nor did I realize it was for sending medicine to the Crown Prince…”
As she spoke, she extended her hand to Xue Sui, palm open…
“Young Lady, this servant is foolish, please punish me.”
Then she closed her eyes and turned her head, looking as if she was ready to accept punishment.
Xue Sui was speechless.
Li Huan was present at the time, so she couldn’t speak too directly.
Because Li Huan was meticulous and too shrewd, Xue Sui had indeed placed millet mixed with pine nuts in the third jar, which was for bird food, as a precaution.
Ru Yi, this simple-minded girl, was only thinking of replying to Li Zhao and did not grasp the other meaning in Xue Sui’s words.
Although the matter was not handled perfectly, at least nothing went wrong.
Ru Yi waited for a long time, but hearing no sound from her Young Lady, she cautiously opened her eyes and asked softly, “Young Lady, if I send it now, is it still in time? Is the Crown Prince alright?”
Xue Sui remained silent, not answering.
This was the medicine Senior Sister Yuheng had given her to suppress the love silk lure.
Only two pills remained.
Yuheng had said that this medicine could only temporarily suppress it, not cure it.
Perhaps she was too cold-hearted; she had never felt that bone-chilling sensation. Compared to Ping Le and Li Zhao, her constitution seemed too strong…
As she was contemplating, she suddenly felt a disturbance in her mind, a tightness in her chest, as if countless restless insects were swarming in her heart, making it difficult for her to breathe…
Speak of the devil.
Would the residual poison of the love silk eventually backfire on her?
Xue Sui closed her eyes slightly, calmed herself for a moment, took one pill, and handed the other to Ru Yi.
“Don’t make a mistake this time.”
Ru Yi nodded vigorously, “This servant understands.”
–
The next day, sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, casting a golden glow. It was another clear day.
Xue Sui woke up early and went to Ying Yue Residence to visit Xue Yuechen.
Ying Yue Residence was lively.
Xue Yuechen leaned on a soft couch, gently stroking her abdomen, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection.
Consort Zhang and Madam Zhou sat nearby, with two concubines attending them carefully.
“If this Princess Consort’s pregnancy results in a young heir, it will be a great joy for the Prince’s Mansion. The Prince will surely be delighted!”
Madam Zhou twisted the handkerchief in her hands, her tone tinged with a hint of sourness. While speaking auspicious words, her eyes betrayed her unconcealed envy.
Xue Yuechen smiled faintly. Before she could reply, she saw Xue Sui lift the curtain and enter.
She quickly sat up and warmly invited Xue Sui to sit down.
“I was just thinking of you, and you’ve arrived. What a coincidence.”
Xue Sui scanned everyone and smiled as she bowed, “Congratulations, Sister. However, the first three months are the most crucial. Sister, you must take care of yourself and not overexert.”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s faces showed displeasure.
Wasn’t she implying that they were disturbing the Princess Consort?
Xue Yuechen, being pregnant, could not hide her joy and did not notice the atmosphere in the room.
“The Imperial Physician says the fetal condition is stable, so Sister does not need to worry.”
“Even so, one cannot be too careless. Sister’s belly is very precious now.”
Xue Sui said, and with a more assertive posture than Xue Yuechen, she sat down.
She casually picked up the steaming cup of clear tea, her gaze subtly sweeping over the jade bracelet on Consort Zhang’s wrist—it was a gift from Li Huan, with excellent luster.
She heard that this Consort Zhang was once most favored by Li Huan. She wondered how sincere his feelings for her were?
The group then engaged in idle pleasantries. The atmosphere seemed harmonious, but each person had their own calculations.
Xue Sui remained silent.
Only after Consort Zhang and the others took their leave did she sit beside Xue Yuechen.
“Sister, I want to return to the Xue Mansion.”
Xue Yuechen’s fingertips trembled slightly, and tea splashed from her teacup.
“Is Grandmother unwell?”
“Grandmother is well, but…” Xue Sui recounted the matter of Prince Wei’s proposal, sighing at the end, “Ninth Sister is naturally simple. If she truly marries into Prince Wei’s Mansion, I fear she will suffer the same fate as Fourth Sister.”
Xue Yuechen tightly clenched her handkerchief, a shadow appearing in her eyes.
How could she not know this was the Xiao family’s scheme?
But her father had always been a sycophant, and her grandmother was advanced in age. She, as the Princess Consort, was also powerless…
Xue Yuechen placed her slender hand on her not-yet-prominent abdomen and, after a moment of thought, said, “It’s been a while since I visited Grandmother, Father, and Mother. I’ll accompany you back tomorrow.”
Xue Sui was taken aback, “Sister has only recently become pregnant; it’s best not to overexert yourself.”
Xue Yuechen waved her hand with a smile, saying, “With so many people serving me and you by my side, how can it be considered tiring? It just so happens that the Prince has instructed me to take good care of Sister.”
Xue Sui lowered her gaze, subtly concealing the mockery in her eyes.
How could Li Huan be looking after her?
That night at the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion, his indirect probing clearly showed he was suspicious of her and the Eastern Palace…
Xue Sui asked, “Sister, tell me honestly, does the Prince not trust me and instruct you to keep an eye on me?”
Xue Yuechen was startled, her expression slightly awkward. She quickly softened her tone.
“The Prince is merely worried that Sister is inexperienced and might be taken advantage of. The storm at Ci An Hall has not yet subsided, and with Sister caught in the middle, if someone were to find fault, it might lead to disaster… Please don’t take it to heart, Sister…”
Xue Sui nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Fearing Xue Sui might be displeased, Xue Yuechen quickly took her hand and comforted and explained with kind words, her tone full of concern. Only then did Xue Sui manage a faint smile.
“Sister, don’t say that. I know you are looking out for me. I was just joking with you earlier. Sister and Brother-in-law take such good care of me; I am grateful, how could I harbor any ill feelings towards you…”
As they were speaking, a commotion suddenly erupted from outside.
Xue Yuechen frowned and ordered Fei Cui to go and see what had happened.
Not long after, Fei Cui hurried back, snorting with displeasure.
“Princess Consort, that shameless Princess Ruihe has come again. This time she brought many gifts, saying they are for the Prince and Princess Consort.”
