Jiujiu had been stunned then, suddenly remembering—she was the eldest sister.
She should be the one protecting Er Bao and Minbao, not running wild with Minbao and making her brother risk his life to shield her innocence.
In this, Jiujiu was much like Fang He.
She found it sentimental to say such things aloud, so she just knocked Er Bao on the forehead and said nothing.
After returning to her quarters, she looked at the tools and seeds scattered across the courtyard and, after a long silence, ordered them put into storage.
She recalled something Mother had once said: ‘if you want something, you can’t just wait for others to give it to you. You must pay the price yourself, and only then will you have peace of mind.’
If she wanted to travel the world planting fields, researching new seeds, she’d have to work hard together with Er Bao and Mother.
***
“Jiujiu…” Fang He murmured sleepily.
“What are you doing here? Did you visit Er Bao?”
Jiujiu snapped out of her thoughts, put down her book, and walked over to help Fang He sit up, answering with a smile.
“Don’t worry, that rascal is in much better shape than you! He’s off riding at the Imperial Stables by now.”
“Lu Yuanpan said his injuries have basically healed. Though some foundation was harmed, with careful care he should fully recover in a few years.”
“But you—when you took care of Yin Hui, you wore yourself out. When you had Sanbao and the others, you used up a lot of energy, you really shouldn’t—”
Fang He wasn’t even fully awake before her daughter started chirping away like a little magpie.
If it weren’t for that crisp, youthful voice, she’d almost think Kangxi himself was in front of her.
After washing up, Fang He sat at the round table, soothing her throat with the snow pear soup Jiujiu brought, but Jiujiu still hadn’t finished lecturing her.
“Fule said your liver fire is strong but your qi and blood are weak. You can’t eat lamb anymore. I had spinach and pork liver soup made for you, all fresh from the Imperial Manor—mmph!”
Unable to endure any longer, Fang He pinched Jiujiu’s little mouth, watching her glare with big round eyes like a duckling, and snorted lightly, “If you’re so eager to lecture, then go inspect the Women’s Academy for me next time. Don’t learn to nag like your father.”
“And you, you’re only thirteen. Don’t live like you’re thirty-one! I’m not a fool, I know to care for myself!”
Jiujiu grabbed Fang He’s hand and shook it, unable to help retorting, “Then why are you still sick!”
Fang He: “…”
Could she admit that, after that big nag finally left the palace, she rebelled a bit, sent everyone away, and stayed up half the night reading novels she’d collected from outside, forgetting to cover up and getting chilled?
How could she say that out loud?
Fang He put on a serious face and said, “When people get older, their resistance to illness weakens. Sometimes being sick is a way to detoxify. You don’t understand, don’t ask.”
“But if you keep acting old, you’ll age faster than everyone else. You might even end up in worse shape than me. Do what’s proper for your age—don’t worry about things you shouldn’t. Go play.”
Jiujiu: “…”
‘Mother’s only thirty-nine, right? If that’s old, then Father’s forty-eight and still perfectly healthy.’
But soon, Jiujiu caught on and smiled at Fang He, “I’ll leave after you finish your medicine.”
Fang He: “…”
‘Ugh, the child’s grown up. How am I supposed to fool her now?’
She felt perfectly fine—no headache, no stuffy nose, appetite intact—there was really no need for any more medicine!
But under Jiujiu’s relentless gaze, Fang He had no choice but to steel herself, drink the medicine, and finally managed to send this little sweetheart off to Shang Shufang.
“You don’t have to stay here every day. If you’re gone too long, your little followers in Shang Shufang will mutiny.”
Jiujiu said nothing, simply smiled confidently and left Zhaoren Hall for Shang Shufang.
***
Upon entering the study she shared with Seventh Princess, Jiujiu wasn’t surprised to see Lobzang Gunbu hunched over her desk, copying the calligraphy she was meant to practice that day.
The other two young heirs from Beimeng also sat obediently in the corners—one carving jade pendants Jiujiu liked, one making a birthday gift for Er Bao.
Seventh Princess Uxihan sat up front, head buried in a book.
Hearing someone come in, she looked up, saw Jiujiu, and quickly beckoned to her with waggling brows.
“Why did you take so long!” Uxihan whispered.
“You don’t know, these three actually started fighting to stay in our study, but once they realized you’d be here soon, they all made peace.”
She looked at Jiujiu with admiration, “How do you do it?”
Jiujiu smiled at Uxihan and replied, “Oh, nothing much. I just give out better pancakes, that’s all.”
Before Uxihan could reply, Jiujiu walked over with a smile, leaned in to inspect Lobzang Gunbu’s writing, and exclaimed with genuine admiration.
“No wonder you’re Grandmother Duanmin’s grandson. Your calligraphy is leagues better than mine—only Eighth Brother can compare to you.”
The Eighth Prince hadn’t suffered the stifling fate of being overshadowed by Consort Hui as in history rather forced to scheme for Yin Xi.
His mother, after Fang He revised the palace rules, was promoted to Virtuous Consort and lived peacefully in Chuxiu Palace.
Yin Xi himself lived comfortably.
With the Supervisory Division, the Imperial Household Department no longer dared to mistreat any of the princes.
Though he remained as gentle and diplomatic as ever, Yin Xi was less scheming, and openly showcased his strengths to win Kangxi’s attention.
His small seal and Slender Gold script astounded even master calligraphers, making him Kangxi’s pride at every palace banquet.
It’s worth noting that, even though Kangxi never considered having Yin Xi take back the Plain Blue Banner or arranging a marriage with Yinghui County Princess, Yin Xi’s skill with the brush still attracted Yinghui of the Guoluo Branch, who chased him for quite some time.
Once, hounded to his wits’ end, Yin Xi fell into a river and was rescued by Guoluo Yinghui…
Afterwards, Yin Xi promptly came to Qianqing Palace to beg Kangxi for a marriage, and now the couple rivaled Kangxi and Fang He in their bliss, the only childless royal couple in the capital.
Last year, at their second anniversary, they’d had the dynasty’s first Dragon Phoenix Twins, already nearing the zhuazhou ceremony.
Fang He, who had seen many dramas, and the Princess of Chengyuan, who knew her history from novels, were both stunned by this development.
Since then, news of Eighth Prince Yin Xi’s marriage, his wealthy wife, and their twins had spread, inspiring many among the nobility.
Lobzang Gunbu, of course, had seen Eighth Prince’s calligraphy, and now beamed at Jiujiu, showing two rows of white teeth.
“To be able to help the Princess is Lobzang Gunbu’s honor!”
Jiujiu patted his head and said, “You’ve got great prospects. In the future… I have high hopes for you.”
Lobzang Gunbu’s eyes sparkled, his heart thumping faster.
Then he watched, heart pounding, as Jiujiu moved on to praise the other two in turn, using nearly identical words.
All three boys felt their hearts racing—not with longing, but with the pent-up urge to fight.
It was all this scoundrel’s fault for winning the Princess’s favor and putting her in such a bind; because she feared hurting anyone’s feelings, she kept delaying her choice.
Jiujiu did indeed glance at the three with some awkwardness, thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and turned to Uxihan, treating everyone equally and ignoring all three.
But the trio, instead of being discouraged, looked delighted—certain that, since the Princess cared, she refused to choose, and blamed the other two for her indecision.
Uxihan was left speechless.
Even as class ended and the three boys left, she couldn’t help poking Jiujiu.
“Tell me, how did you manage to get all three of them to follow you without getting mad at your fickleness?”
Jiujiu giggled, rubbing her fingers together she said, “It’s simple—Mother taught me a little trick, a little ‘pi you’…”
Uxihan rolled her eyes and tossed a pouch of silver notes into Jiujiu’s hand.
“What’s a ‘pi you’?”
Jiujiu didn’t really know.
She replied solemnly, “Not important. Mother said, what matters is making them know how much forest you’re sacrificing for them, how much you care, and that you might even have to hurt others for their sake…”
Outside the study, Fang He—having a rare surge of maternal love thanks to her overly sensible daughter—came to deliver silver notes, only to catch a subtle look from Cui Wei and fell silent.
Her daughter was still her daughter, not something she needed to worry over.
No need to send silver; she could earn her own now.
After all, it was better to pua others than to be pua’d, right?
She hadn’t taught her wrong!
Girls should be good to themselves.
If you don’t stroll the forest, how will you know which tree is the straightest?
Nothing wrong with that!
With Fang He leaving her alone, Jiujiu’s “raising fish” in the study became more and more lively.
Until almost summer, when she heard that Liang Madam’s eldest son, studying in Jiangnan, had returned to the capital early to sit for the next year’s imperial exam.
Jiujiu followed Fang He to Tianya Inn and met Fan Lianghan for the first time.
At that moment, Jiujiu’s always-steady heart skipped a beat.
She’d seen beautiful people—Ninth Brother Yin Xi was prettier than many women.
She’d seen charisma—Father, Prince Changning, and others all possessed it, few could compare.
She’d seen wild beauty—the Beimeng youths all carried an untamable spirit the capital couldn’t erase.
But Jiujiu had never seen anyone quite like Fan Lianghan… such a feast for the eyes.
With Liang Madam’s beauty and Fan Shaohui’s gentle handsomeness reminiscent of Fang He, Fan Lianghan was naturally striking.
But the first thing people noticed about him wasn’t his looks, but the blend of coolness and warmth in his bearing, two utterly different temperaments.
Jiujiu thought, ‘it was as if… Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother had a child together.’
Looking closer, when Fan Lianghan spoke, he had some of Liang Madam’s laziness, a bit of Ninth Brother’s playful insolence.
‘So… three people had a child together?’ Jiujiu was amused by her own imagination.
She pressed her hand to her heart, feeling she’d finally found the tree she liked best in the forest.
The problem was, as she stared straight at Fan Lianghan, she made the young man so uneasy, yet she still smiled so dreamily…
Fang He instantly winked at Liang Madam, silently mouthing “in-laws!”
If it were anyone else, Fang He might have worried, but with Fan Lianghan, there was no need at all.
If Fan Lianghan ever wronged Jiujiu, Liang Madam would be the first to take care of her own son.
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