Chapter 8: Liu Ji

The Hall of Chongwen is a place for the princes and imperial tutors to rest, equipped with warm couches.

Empress Wei hurried over, her phoenix crown slightly askew, lacking its usual grace.

In the hall awaited the imperial physician Zhang Xu, while Li Fu and Liu Ying attended to the prince’s bedside, wiping his face and providing water, not allowing other palace maids or eunuchs to approach.

Through the gap between the two figures, one could see Zhao Yan lying unconscious on the couch, tightly wrapped in a fox fur cloak, with a red swollen spot on her forehead and a hint of blood in one nostril.

“What happened?” The Empress sat on the edge of the couch, dismissing the other attendants.

Li Fu occasionally cleared his throat and knelt to answer, “Your Highness and the Prince Regent were playing chess, and somehow the prince’s nose and mouth started bleeding, and he fainted suddenly.”

The prince had only bled a little from his nose, yet this boy spoke as if he were at death’s door. But if they didn’t make it sound serious, they wouldn’t be able to extricate themselves from the current situation with the Crown Prince.

The Empress’s face grew heavy as she reached out to touch the bruise on Zhao Yan’s forehead, causing her tightly closed long eyelashes to tremble imperceptibly.

With a slight pause of her fingertips, the Empress exchanged a glance with the young physician, and everything became clear.

Unknown to anyone in the palace, the Minister of Ceremonies, Rong Shiqing, and the Empress were old acquaintances from their youth, with a deep bond. And the Imperial Medical Bureau was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Ceremonies, so it wasn’t difficult to select a trustworthy physician to conceal the truth.

Although Zhang Xu was just of age, he was a rare talent in the Imperial Medical Bureau, introverted and silent by nature, ostracized by his peers due to his unconventional research direction, making him the perfect fit for the precarious situation in the Prince’s residence.

The throat-soothing medicine that Zhao Yan drank daily was prepared by him.

“The charcoal in the hall overheated, injuring the lung qi. And the Prince Regent was too physically weak, unable to withstand the sudden attack of heat, leading to his fainting.”

As he spoke, Zhang Xu had already prepared the prescription and handed it to Li Fu to fetch and decoct the herbs. The young eunuch standing outside the door listened attentively and immediately withdrew without a word to report back to the Hall of Chongwen.

Once all unrelated personnel had left, the Empress instructed Liu Ying to close the doors and windows, her complex gaze falling on the patient lying unconscious on the couch.

The Empress regained her composure, speaking lightly, “How long do you intend to keep up this act?”

After a few more fluttering of her long eyelashes, Zhao Yan pretended to wake up slowly, her eyes scanning around before whispering in a breathy voice, “Where’s Prince Su?”

Liu Ying, who had been waiting by the door crack, waited for a while to ensure there were no suspicious individuals outside before returning to report, “Prince Su sat in the hall for a moment before leaving.”

Only then did Zhao Yan dare to open her eyes completely, pushing aside the fox fur and sitting up, exhaling a breath of hot air from her lungs.

Staying in the Hall of Chongwen any longer, she would surely suffer from heatstroke during winter.

But the blow to her head just now was real, no pretending. Zhao Yan lightly touched the swollen spot on her forehead with her fingers, immediately wincing in pain, her eyes reddening at the corners, making the tiny tear mole on her face appear even more vivid and delicate.

The physician Zhang Xu behind the screen remained impassive, indifferent to everything around him, as he prepared a blood-activating and stasis-dissipating ointment and presented it, then packed up his medical kit and took his leave.

So thoughtful and reliable, no wonder he was chosen by the Prince’s residence.

With Zhang Xu gone, Empress Wei finally dropped the pretense of being “motherly and filial,” revealing her usual cold demeanor. “You’re lucky to come up with such an excuse. If the Crown Prince had taken advantage of the situation to probe, you’d be in trouble now.”

Feeling the pain in her head, Zhao Yan muttered uncomfortably, “And Wen Renlin isn’t stupid. If the heir apparent fainted during his class, he would certainly want to avoid suspicion…”

The Empress’s tone grew stern, “This is not child’s play. Can you afford to be this lucky every time?”

With her blood and qi surging, Zhao Yan’s nostrils began to itch again, so she leaned back against the couch, her eyelashes pitifully casting a long shadow.

“Don’t blame me, Your Majesty. Prince Su’s chess moves were intense and relentless, and His Highness had no choice but to respond.”

Unable to contain herself, Liu Ying stepped forward and knelt, offering an explanation.

It’s just that years of being on guard had made her forget how to speak softly and kindly. After several movements in her throat, she finally uttered a sentence that was neither light nor heavy.

Liu Ying stood up and brought a rhombus-shaped mirror, carefully selecting a bit of ointment with a smooth jade piece, and gently applying it to the bruise on Zhao Yan’s forehead before wrapping it with clean and soft bandages.

With the corners of his eyes reddened, the white bandage pressed lightly against his eyebrows, making his cheeks appear even whiter and smaller, pitifully adorable.

Empress Wei couldn’t help but think of her deceased son, unable to hide her daze.

For the next two quarters of an hour, silence filled the room.

Of course, when acting, one had to be thorough. Zhao Yan drank the medicine and lay in the room for half a day before the eunuch from the Taiji Hall arrived with an imperial decree to comfort the Crown Prince and advise him to rest and take care of his health.

This meant that the Prince’s residence had an excuse to avoid lessons for the next few days.

Finally able to briefly escape the shadow called “Crown Prince,” Zhao Yan felt as if the sky had cleared, and the blow to her forehead didn’t seem in vain.

Returning to the Prince’s residence, it was already dusk, and the candlelight illuminated brightly.

As she stepped out of the sedan chair, Zhao Yan sighed deeply, feeling refreshed.

Just as she turned the corner of the corridor, she saw the commander of the Eastern Palace guards approaching, reporting, “Your Highness, a woman named ‘Liu Ji’ seeks an audience.”

Upon hearing this name, Liu Ying’s complexion changed slightly. “You let her in?”

These guards of the Eastern Palace were newly appointed and unaware of past secrets, so they hastened to explain, “She holds the token of the Eastern Palace and is received as if Your Highness were present. We dare not stop her.”

Zhao Yan was perplexed.

Except for Liu Ying, she remembered that everyone else in the Eastern Palace had been replaced. Who was this “Liu Ji”?

Observing Liu Ying’s expression, it seemed she was quite nervous about this person’s appearance. Just as she was about to ask, the doors of the Chongwen Hall ahead were kicked open with a bang from inside, emitting a thunderous sound.

Surprised, Zhao Yan looked over and saw a stunning woman dressed in luxurious silk striding out. She stood proudly before the steps, her expression angry. “Zhao Yan! You’ve kept me at bay for months, what exactly are you up to!”

Zhao Yan was genuinely startled, not only because this stunning woman dared to address the Crown Prince by name but also because of Liu Ying’s whispered words:

“This person is Liu Ji, the concubine… that the Crown Prince has taken.”

Concubine…?

Her frail, barely self-sufficient fifteen-year-old brother… already had someone in his quarters?

Just as she was bewildered, the stunning woman noticed the bandage on her forehead and immediately froze.

“Hey, how did you get injured? Who did this to you?”

She strode forward and naturally reached out to touch Zhao Yan’s forehead, but was stopped two steps away by the guards with spears.

The stunning woman had never been treated like this before and immediately raised her eyebrows. “How dare you block me, you blind fool?”

To be fair, Liu Ji was a woman who seemed extraordinary at first sight. Her facial features were very generous, with an exotic depth that ordinary women lacked. She was tall and healthy, her beauty not obscured by makeup, and even her voice was full of vitality, lacking the delicate fragility of women in the capital.

She was bold and beautiful, exuding a sharpness. Perhaps the rumored “proud of her beauty” was just like this scene before her.

Zhao Yan couldn’t help but sigh. Since coming to the Eastern Palace, she had been on edge all the time. However, since this person had close contact with Zhao Yan, she had to be more cautious in her response.

“I accidentally hit my head, it’s already been bandaged, you don’t need to worry.”

Zhao Yan cleared her throat and, under Liu Ying’s gaze, reluctantly spoke, “I’m a bit tired, I’ll go bathe and rest first.”

Liu Ji looked at her suspiciously.

After a while, she pushed aside the long spear in front of her. “I’ll attend to the Crown Prince’s bathing and dressing.”

Seeing that the stunning woman was two or three inches taller than herself, Zhao Yan quickly stepped back and said, “There’s no need, I have Liu Ying to attend to me.”

A flicker of surprise flashed in Liu Ji’s eyes as she looked at Liu Ying, gradually revealing a pained expression. “Didn’t the Crown Prince always bathe and sleep with me before? Why did he become so distant after I went back to my family for a visit?”

“…”

Zhao Yan, I underestimated you.

Just as Zhao Yan had finished bandaging her forehead, it started throbbing again.

“Liu Ji has been busy for months and must be tired. She should rest well.”

Pretending to be caring, she found an excuse to pass it off.

After watching the Crown Prince’s departure for a while, Liu Ji fell into deep thought and suddenly asked an irrelevant question, “Will the Crown Prince still light the lanterns with me tonight?”

Zhao Yan instinctively glanced at Liu Ying, then said vaguely, “No, maybe next time.”

Liu Ji didn’t say much more and watched her walk away slowly.

…

With no pressure from Wen Renlin, Zhao Yan slept in for two lazy mornings, her only headache being how to properly deal with Liu Ji.

“Liu Ying.”

After weighing it for a long time, Zhao Yan called out, “Tell me in detail about this Liu Ji.”

Wen Renlin, still dressed in dark casual attire, sat behind his desk and practiced calligraphy with a pen.

“The Crown Prince also asked for leave today due to a headache and did not go to the Hall of Chongwen,” whispered Left Vice Marshal Zhang Cang, with a hint of discontent.

Wen Renlin himself seemed unperturbed, his eyes calm like still water, reflecting the soft warmth of a candle.

Zhang Cang pondered, wondering what the Prince was up to again.

First, the young prince ruined the Prince’s chess game, and now he’s been absent for a few days, leaving the Prince waiting in the Hall of Chongwen. What’s more surprising is that the usually decisive Prince didn’t seem angry, just leisurely strolling back to his residence to read and practice calligraphy.

Their master was practically emitting the aura of a sage. The last time things were this calm and peaceful was before he orchestrated the downfall of the Duke of Yizhen and his entire family.

Just as he was pondering, there came a knock at the door of the study.

“Your Highness, Master Sun the Physician is here.”

Speaking was another guard from the Prince Su’s residence, Right Vice Marshal Cai Tian.

Wen Renlin calmly finished the last stroke of his writing before setting down his pen.

“Prepare the carriage, invite Master Sun to accompany me to the palace.”

He examined the still-wet ink on the paper, wiped his fingers with a handkerchief, and said calmly, “With the Crown Prince’s illness, as his tutor, I should personally pay him a visit.”

Zhang Cang glanced at the sky outside in astonishment. It was the time when people were most relaxed and lethargic, with dim lights and a settled atmosphere, perfect for their usual raids and arrests.

Realizing something, Zhang Cang shuddered.

The Prince’s intentions… were not as simple as they seemed.

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