Qingyang admired the Marquis of Weiyuan and was also on good terms with Meng Yao.
Since she knew the Hou Madam was gravely ill, she wanted to pay a visit.
Emperor Xingwu thought for a moment and said:
“Go ahead. Take your Eldest Sister and Second Brother with you. Then have your Second Brother escort you back to the palace.”
Qingyang took Jie Yu back to the Imperial Garden. After explaining, she ended the birthday gathering early.
Outside the Yanxi Gate on the east side of the Imperial City, Qingyang invited her Eldest Sister and Meng Yao onto her carriage.
After bidding farewell to Lü Wenrong, who stood nearby, she ordered the coachman to depart.
Qin Bing rode alongside the carriage.
Qingyang sat to the side to comfort Meng Yao:
“Father Emperor has agreed to summon the Marquis back to the capital. Maybe, if Madam is happy, her illness will improve. Don’t be too sad.”
The good news indeed gave Meng Yao hope.
She looked gratefully at the Little Princess before her.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
The Grand Princess Yongkang, a year older than the two girls combined, sat alone at the main seat, watching this scene.
Naturally, her thoughts differed from the younger girls.
Having left the palace for many years, Yongkang had interacted with many noble ladies.
She’d met the Marquis of Weiyuan’s Madam Xia a few times—a woman beautiful and bold, unafraid to laugh or show anger, truly genuine.
Since they weren’t of the same generation and Xia didn’t flatter her, Yongkang and Xia maintained only formal courtesies, without real friendship.
Since there was no friendship, why would Yongkang care much about Xia’s illness?
What surprised her was when Second Brother hugged Meng Yao—could it be that Second Brother liked Meng Yao?
Don’t be fooled by the fact that her own brother was already crowned Crown Prince.
As long as he hadn’t ascended the throne, Yongkang wouldn’t dare let down her guard, especially with Father Emperor scolding him from time to time.
Thus, the only threats to the Crown Prince’s position were the other two brothers.
The Third Brother, neither scholarly nor martial, had a favored mother consort and a beloved sister.
The Second Brother, skilled in martial arts, had both the Noble Consort and the Left Prime Minister.
If he also gained a great general at the border as a father-in-law…
Yongkang touched Meng Yao’s reddened eyes and said gently:
“Smile more. Otherwise, when Madam Hou sees you later, she’ll think you’ve been wronged in the palace.”
Meng Yao forced a smile.
Yongkang lifted the curtain and called Qin Bing over, signaling to Meng Yao with her eyes:
“Already seventeen and still doesn’t know the rules. To hug Yaoyao in front of so many people—shouldn’t you apologize to her?”
Lost in grief, Meng Yao hadn’t considered this.
At these words, she instinctively glared at Qin Bing, who often annoyed her.
Qin Bing looked even more wronged, his face full of indignation:
“I was just afraid she’d cry herself unconscious. I didn’t think that much. If she was fine, even if she let me, I wouldn’t hug her.”
Meng Yao: “Pah, who wants your hug? You smell like bird droppings—disgusting!”
Before Qin Bing could explode, Qingyang quickly lowered the curtain, blocking her Second Brother’s fierce face.
Seeing that neither of the young pair had any feelings for the other, Yongkang was relieved.
The Marquis of Weiyuan’s manor arrived.
As they got off, Qingyang specifically instructed the Hou Mansion’s Manager not to disturb Madam Hou’s rest.
Then she and Eldest Sister followed Meng Yao inside, while Qin Bing stayed in the front courtyard to drink tea.
The group entered the back courtyard. Only then did Madam Hou, Xia, hear the news, but her daughter ran in and pressed her shoulders, forbidding her to get up.
Amid the pungent smell of medicine, Qingyang finally saw the ailing Madam Hou.
The face once rosy and beautiful in her memory was now pale and sallow, her entire figure emaciated.
Xia saw the Little Princess staring blankly at her and lifted her sleeve to cover her face, speaking in alarm:
“I am grateful for Your Highnesses’ kindness, but I have been bedridden so long that my appearance is haggard. Your Highness, please take Little Highness and leave quickly, lest you be frightened by my state.”
Yongkang looked to her younger sister.
Qingyang snapped out of it, walked to the bedside, and spoke to Xia:
“Madam, there’s no need to worry. I am not afraid of you. Father Emperor heard Madam was ill and specifically ordered me and Sister to visit. He also said he would summon the Marquis back to the capital. Please rest and await the Marquis’s return with peace of mind.”
Tears rolled from Xia’s eyes as she buried her face in the pillow, sobbing.
Meng Yao wept as she comforted her mother.
Yongkang pulled her sister away, greeted the attendants by Xia’s side, and took her leave.
When someone is this ill, it’s not suitable for lengthy visits.
The Grand Princess’s carriage followed behind the Little Princess’s all the way.
After leaving, Yongkang boarded her own carriage and returned home.
Qingyang was escorted back to the inner palace by her Second Brother.
She first reported to Father Emperor, then went to Xianfu Palace to see her mother consort.
Consort Li, upon hearing of Xia’s condition, sighed:
“Beauty and misfortune often go hand in hand. Among the official ladies of the capital, she and Su’s mother were most envied. Their husbands were handsome, heroic, and devoted to them alone. Who would’ve thought Madam Hou wouldn’t even reach forty and would fall to such an incurable illness?”
Qingyang leaned against her mother consort’s shoulder, gazing at the distant window in silence.
She now understood why so many frontier generals left their families in the capital and went alone to their posts.
It wasn’t that they were unwilling but that the emperors used this method to prevent generals from raising armies independently, making them concerned for their families’ safety and less likely to rebel.
Qingyang also knew that many generals would keep a few concubines after reaching their posts, so perhaps they didn’t necessarily miss their wives in the capital.
“Did the Marquis of Weiyuan have no concubines in Liaozhou?”
Qingyang asked.
Consort Li:
“Probably not, otherwise news would’ve spread by now.”
Qingyang looked at her mother consort, then leaned in to whisper:
“Then why do other officials take concubines? Including Father Emperor…”
Consort Li smiled, patting her daughter’s shoulder:
“Look at the peach blossoms, crabapple, peonies, and peony in the garden. Each kind is beautiful, so we enjoy admiring them all. For men, looking at women is like admiring flowers—if they have money and power to get more beauties, most will pursue them. Only those truly devoted to the woman they love won’t touch other women.”
Qingyang:
“A princess keeping male companions would hurt the consort’s heart, but those men aren’t afraid of hurting their wives by keeping concubines?”
Consort Li:
“Some men never liked their wives. Some love them but are still happy to take concubines. They think their own happiness matters more and don’t care about their wives’ feelings.”
The Little Princess pursed her lips.
Consort Li didn’t want her nine-year-old daughter to ponder men and women too early, so she brought up the Zhang Family:
“The Duke of Wei is leaving soon. Let Su stay outside the palace tonight. Tomorrow morning, he can enter the palace with the Duke of Wei.”
Qingyang:
“Alright, I’ll tell him this afternoon.”
The afternoon of the second day was when the Little Princess wandered the front court.
After resting for half an hour in Jin, Qingyang boarded Bu Hua.
“To the Imperial Medical Bureau.”
She said.
Jie Yu, beside her:
“……”
The Imperial Medical Bureau was vast, with special courtyards for drying herbs, warehouses for storing them, offices for the Imperial Physicians, and young doctors still in training.
Medical skills in the Imperial Medical Bureau were divided into thirteen departments.
Young doctors learned and practiced alongside the Imperial Physicians.
Qingyang took Jie Yu with her, wandering everywhere to listen to various medical lectures.
When she was tired from standing, she sat down.
Since she didn’t disturb the Imperial Physicians, they didn’t dare chase away the Little Princess so favored by Emperor Xingwu.
Near dusk, Qingyang rode Bu Hua to the Martial Practice Hall.
Qin Ren and Zhang Su’s martial lesson was ending.
They assumed the Little Princess wouldn’t come, so both had removed their outer robes, wearing only white undergarments.
Even lazy Qin Ren’s chest was soaked with sweat, while Zhang Su’s shirt clung tightly to his body, unintentionally revealing the lean lines of a young man.
Qin Ren naturally had no interest in admiring his companion’s body.
Relying on the Martial Teacher’s reluctance to scold him, he sat cross-legged on the ground, panting.
Zhang Su continued his horse stance for the final quarter hour.
The warm, soft sunset streamed from the west.
Zhang Su lowered his gaze to avoid the sunlight.
So when the Little Princess drew close, he was only startled by her familiar footsteps.
For the first time, before the Martial Teacher announced the end, he ran to a distant beam, took his outer robe, and quickly dressed with his back to the Little Princess.
Qin Ren was too lazy to move. Besides, it was his own little sister.
If she wanted to look, so be it—he wasn’t exposing anything indecent.
“Sister, why are you here?”
Qin Ren licked his dry lips, squinting up.
Qingyang:
“I’ll wait until you finish training.”
Zhang Su, now properly dressed, returned and resumed his horse stance.
Qingyang looked at his slightly sunburned face, his straight nose, then his delicate lips.
Zhang Su quickly glanced up and down.
The Little Princess had watched him practice before, but today her gaze seemed a bit odd.
Qin Ren also felt his sister seemed to be judging Zhang Su, casting suspicious glances between the two.
At last, the Martial Teacher called for a stop.
Qin Ren sprang up and, along with Zhang Su, respectfully saluted the Martial Teacher.
The Martial Teacher looked at them, cupped his hands to the Little Princess, and left.
Qingyang told Third Brother to put on his robe and forbade Jie Yu from following.
She led Zhang Su alone to the Guanwutai to the north.
Not wanting to go around by the stairs, Qingyang spread her arms.
“Carry me up.”
Zhang Su picked the Little Princess up by her armpits and lifted her.
Qingyang pointed at the dusty platform.
“It’s too dirty. Lay your outer robe down. I want to sit and talk to you.”
Zhang Su hesitated, turned away to remove his robe, then spread it as she instructed and retreated five steps.
Qingyang sat down. Sitting, she could look straight at Zhang Su’s neck.
She wondered why her Second Brother’s sweaty, dripping look seemed so repulsive, while Zhang Su’s shirt, clinging to his chest, looked quite nice.
Perhaps it was because she knew Zhang Su was always clean?
Not thinking too much about it, Qingyang brought up the matter of the Duke of Wei being dispatched to Liaozhou because of her words.
“Do you blame me?”
Zhang Su:
“To serve His Majesty is my father’s honor. I should thank Your Highness for recommending him.”
Qingyang smiled.
“I knew you weren’t that kind of person.”
Even though Zhang Su looked down, his height meant he could still see the Little Princess’s dangling, swinging feet.
Then, the Little Princess asked something that surprised him.
“I heard that for officials’ sons of your age, elders would arrange tongfang to serve you. Do you have any tongfang?”
She’d secretly overheard this from her mother consort.
After her Second Brother moved into his own manor, the Noble Consort had sent him two tongfang palace maids.
Last year, her Second Brother turned sixteen, just a year older than Zhang Su before her.
Zhang Su’s ears reddened.
“The Zhang Family has family rules forbidding sons from indulging in lust. Therefore, elders do not arrange tongfang for the young. My two elder brothers have none, nor do I.”
Qingyang:
“Then do you want one?”
Zhang Su shook his head.
The Little Princess was satisfied and warned him.
“If you dare keep a tongfang, I’ll never speak to you again.”
Jie Yu had advised her not to talk about making Zhang Su her consort, and Qingyang understood the risks.
But in her heart, Zhang Su had always been her consort.
Zhang Su:
“……”
Qingyang:
“Alright, carry me down.”