The girl quickly picked the bunny up again for an inspection, handing it over to Qiulu only when she was reassured that no harm had come to it. She turned to Bingtang. “Go take a look with me.”
“Understood.”
“Miss, I’ll go with you,” Jiyun interjected.
“Alright.”
The three exited the house to see the other girls and servants in neighboring houses also poking heads out. It was obvious that everyone had heard the serving girl just now and were all curious why the Prince of Ning was here for Qin Yining.
The news also swiftly travelled to Qin Huaiyuan fishing at the pond.
Qin Yining arrived at the main doors with Bingtang and Jiyun to see the prince holding a whip with a deep frown as he stood next to a chestnut horse. Many things seemed to be on his mind.
The Qin fourth miss curtsied. “Greetings to Your Highness. What might you need from this little girl?”
The prince took a look at Bingtang standing to the side. “I’ll be frank. The princess consort isn’t feeling well and I can’t find an imperial physician. I’m here to ask Miss Tang for help!”
Surprise blossomed over Qin Yining’s face and she asked with foreknowledge, “How could you not be able to find an imperial physician? What’s wrong with the princess consort?”
This roused the prince’s ire again. “That piece of whore’s shit Cao Bingzhong says he’s sick. He’s summoned all of the imperial physicians! I say he did that on purpose!” The prince looked at Qin Yining and whispered, “The princess consort was fed something when paying her respects in the palace today. I’ve had a doctor look at her and he wasn’t able to do anything. I can’t find any skilled imperial physicians, so… here I am for Miss Tang.”
Incredulity had replaced shock on Qin Yining’s face. “That Grand Preceptor Cao would… right, right. Bingtang, go grab your medicine kit. Jiyun, have servants prepare our horses. Saving a life is as urgent as putting out a fire. There’s no time to arrange for a carriage, we’ll make faster time on horseback.”
“Understood!” Jiyun and Bingtang sprinted back into the manor.
The prince was very satisfied by Qin Yining’s response. Some empathy stirred in his heart when he thought of how the Qins had been harassed lately. He couldn’t help but curse loudly again. “Ignorant fart Cao is simply too cocky! How dare he have someone poison my princess consort and then call away all of the imperial physicians! He’s looking to doom my wife to death!”
“But why?” Qin Yining asked, perplexed. “What reason does Grand Preceptor Cao have to start anything with you? You’re an imperial prince!”
“An imperial prince? That ignorant old fart doesn’t think so at all! We’ve had some clashes over business lately, but how dare he respond so viciously and use the empress’ authority to oppress people!”
The more the prince thought about it, the angrier he became. He itched to charge into the Caos with his blade unsheathed. Qin Yining compressed her lips, looking caught between a rock and a hard place. The prince didn’t expect the girl to say anything either and concentrated on sulking.
Jiyun and Bingtang came back shortly. The three jumped onto their horses and sped off towards the Ning Manor.
Qin Yining kept careful control over her silvery-white steed, her hovering heart finally able to settle somewhat back in place. Her plans would’ve taken a few more days to come to fruition, needing to latch onto a Cao-initiated mistake before being put into motion. Then she would’ve used the princess consort’s matter to incite trouble between the prince and the Caos, bring the grand preceptor a dual-pronged blow.
But to think that Grand Preceptor Cao had fallen ill and summoned all of the on-duty imperial physicians to his manor!
She’d given orders for the steward to pay close attention any Cao happenings during this period of time and had moved the plan up when she heard that the grand preceptor was sick. She had Qiangwei put the laxative into the almond tea bestowed by the trampress. And even had the prince been able to find a physician today, that laxative was a Bingtang special. No one would be able to cure it because it needed to be combined with the exclusive Tang acupuncture method. The prince would have to come to them in the end, after all was said and done.
When this was set in motion, the first cogs of her plan would started turning. She didn’t want to beg for help on her knees, but instead have the Prince of Ning choose a side himself. She would use this to drive a wedge between the Caos and the prince so that he would would come to Bingtang himself.
Perhaps this was too despicable of her. She did feel some guilt as well. But the circumstances couldn’t be helped and she could only have the princess consort suffer a little for now. Thankfully it was just a laxative and wouldn’t put the consort’s life in any danger.
At the Ning Manor, Qin Yining naturally followed behind the prince with Jiyun and Bingtang to the bedrooms. The princess consort had almost fainted from her diarrhea.
The Qin fourth miss made a curtsey in front of the bed and shifted to the side, taking her place with the prince’s sons, daughter-in-law, and daughter. Bingtang took quick steps forward, put down the medicine kit, and took the princess’ pulse.
The Prince of Ning’s daughter-in-law was a beautiful woman twenty some years old. She was quite curious about the newcomers and had no idea who her father-in-law might’ve brought back, especially as someone who looked to be a teenager was looking after the princess consort.
The Commandery Princess had once met Qin Yining. She asked curiously upon seeing Bingtang, “Does Miss Qin’s maid know some medicine?” Her words enlightened everyone present.
“Miss Tang inherits her father’s skills and is very talented,” the Qin fourth miss responded softly.
Everyone knew who Bingtang was after hearing ‘Miss Tang’. All of the aristocracy had heard of how Qin Yining had taken in Imperial Physician Tang’s orphan. They quieted and looked at the Tang daughter expectantly.
Bingtang carefully took the patient’s pulse and checked the princess consort’s complexion and tongue. She brought out her needles and adroitly placed a few in her patient.
The prince felt free to speak when Bingtang started administering acupuncture. “Niece Meng, can you tell what the princess consort’s been poisoned with?”
Bingtang nodded. “Your Highness, the princess consort hasn’t really been poisoned. It’s just a modified palace laxative. Although it doesn’t put anyone’s life in danger, it’s enough to make one feel uncomfortable for many days. It’s not incurable. I’ll write out a prescription to be taken along with my acupuncture treatment. She’ll be fine in no time.”
The prince heaved a long sigh of relief. The princess consort already felt her stomach stop hurting after the needles, and the urge to run for the washroom wasn’t as great as before. Color coming back into her face, she smiled gratefully at the little girl treating her.
Some guilt attacked Bingtang since she’d been the one to mix up the laxative. She smiled docilely back and left the bed to give orders on what type of prescription should be brewed. But who knew that the manor’s butler would come striding in at this time with an urgent report?
“Your Highness, the empress has heard of the princess consort not feeling well and is here to inquire after her health. The phoenix palanquin has already entered the manor!”
“The venomous bitch! How dare she come after hurting my wife!” The prince snorted coldly through gnashed teeth.
Meanwhile, Qin Yining reached out for the back of a round chair, the color drained from her face. The sudden appearance of the empress had startled her. Her actions reminded the group that there was a long-standing grudge between the Qin fourth miss and the empress. The fates of two imperial concubines who’d been cooked and eaten had originally been meant for Miss Qin!
Pity grew in their hearts when they saw such a charming little girl frightened out of her wits. Princess Jialan pulled on Qin Yining’s hand. “Miss Qin, are you alright?”
Qin
Yining shook an ashen face. “I’m, I’m fine. Maybe I’m getting some heatstroke from the hot day. Should I go inside and rest momentarily?”
She looked questioningly at the prince. If she stayed and let the empress see that she was in contact with the prince, it would only deepen the ill will between the two parties. But although the prince was a lascivious jerk, he wasn’t an idiot. He may not be thinking clearly due to his current anger, but once he calmed down, he would quickly realize that she had the chance to avoid the empress today, but had elected to stay instead.
Therefore, she turned the decision over to the prince.
* * *
Chapter 210: Allies (II)
Chapter 210: Allies (II)
The prince thought for a moment. “Jialan, help Miss Qin to your room for some rest. You two girls can also use this time to catch-up.” He was implicitly giving permission for a deeper friendship to form between the two girls.
“I just so wanted to chat with elder sister Qin.” Weichi Jialan took Qin Yining’s arm with a smile. “You got heatstroke because you rushed here to save my mother. I don’t know how to ever thank you.”
“The elder princess shouldn’t be so polite.” Qin Yining smiled and returned a pleasant courtesy.
As neither of them knew the other’s age, both accorded the other the more respectful title of older sister. The two walked out together, Jiyun bringing up the rear along with the princess’ maids and mama.
“Your Highness,” said the prince’s heir. “We should go out and welcome the empress. It wouldn’t do to have her wait long.”
The Prince of Ning knew that his firstborn was right, but in his current enraged state, he itched to slice and dice the trampress. Who wanted to welcome that bitch?!
“She harmed my princess consort and wants me to dance attendance upon her?!”
Commandery Princess Jialan had just helped Qin Yining down some steps when they were met headlong with a bewitching figure dressed in red, surrounded by a crowd of attendees. Who was it if not the empress??
But this development made Qin Yining breath a sigh of relief. This wasn’t a result of her refusing to go, it was the trampress barging in to where she shouldn’t be. If the prince wanted to blame someone for this coincidental meeting, it would be the fault of the empress’ arrogance in treating the Ning Manor like her own residence.
The commandery princess’ expression clouded upon seeing the empress. She surreptitiously let go of the Qin fourth miss’ hand and walked up to curtsey. “Greetings and good health to Your Majesty.”
Qin Yining seemed to have frozen with fright, dropping to her knees a beat later. “This subject greets Your Majesty.”
The crimson red pleats of the empress’ skirt swayed with her sashay, a golden dangle at the end of her peony hairpin moving in time as well. It made her appear noble, elegant, stunning, and opulent.
She cast a sidelong glance at Qin Yining and Jialan on the ground, saying lazily, “Hmm? I didn’t know that Qin misses had friends in so many places. You’re best friends with Commandery Princess Jialan? How did I never know of this close friendship before?”
The princess had her head lowered as her hand balled into a tight fist beneath her embroidered handkerchief. Her mother had been plotted against and this prancing, haughty personage was the culprit! How could she not hate the empress?
As mature and steady the princess usually was, she couldn’t hold her tongue at this time. She retorted coldly, “Your Majesty is overworked and overburdened with managing the imperial harem. How would you possibly know everything? If you did, you’d be one of the gods!”
And don’t think you’re actually that omnipotent, or you’ll soon depart from this world!
The empress snorted dismissively. “The princess has gotten quite a sharp tongue after a few days. It looks like birds of a feather flock together. Be careful of being used when you befriend the young fox from an old fox’s den!”
Jialan shook her anger while Qin Yining kept her head down. She was wondering whether to speak up when she heard the Prince of Ning’s voice. “This prince thinks both the old fox and young fox are cute things. They’re much better than a thousand-year-old vixen that will be the downfall of the nation!”
The prince had brought his sons out to the covered hallway and made their greetings to the empress. Though they observed all the pleasantries, anyone could tell that the line of ‘thousand-year-old vixen’ was aimed at the empress!
Legends spoke of how King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty had brought about his dynasty’s downfall because of his lasciviousness. [1] He’d angered the mother goddess Nuwa by making lustful comments about her beauty, who’d in turn sent the thousand-year-old vixen spirit to the mortal world to tempt the king and bring utter disaster to his nation.
The current situation of Great Yan actually bore several similarities to this myth.
The emperor had bumped into the traveling empress when travelling to pray to the Doumu goddess at the Celestial Nunnery. He’d been so taken with the stunning empress that he’d immediately added her to the imperial harem, bestowing upon her favor that he showed no one else. They didn’t conceal the fact that they’d cemented their love before the goddess, and it was quite a love story for a time.
But after that, the emperor grew increasingly tyrannical and incompetent. He did everything the empress wanted and oppressed loyal, wise subjects on her behalf. The empress was ruthless and cruel beyond imagination, making her overlap almost completely with Daji, the malevolent fox spirit that’d captivated King Zhou.
Rumors like these were rife in the streets, but very few actually made it into the empress’ ears. The Prince of Ning was exceedingly bold to speak of it before her.
The empress went white in her anger and responded frostily, “It looks like this seat shouldn’t have come today? I heard that the princess consort suffers ill health in her old age and took sick after merely visiting the palace. I thought that since we’re all a family, I would make some time and look in on her. But is this how the Ning Manor treats this seat?!”
“No need for Your Majesty’s concern.” How was this gloriously flaunting empress here to look after a sick person? She was here to admire her handiwork, and wasn’t she mocking that the Prince of Ning was also old by mentioning his wife’s age?
He certainly wasn’t the type to take this lying down. “Time treats no one kindly. Who can always remain young? You too are growing old, Your Majesty. You should take care of your body and mental health so that my royal brother will continue to favor you. Don’t stretch your hand out too far, or it might cut off!”
“How dare you!” The empress widened her beautiful eyes in anger and glared viciously at the imperial prince.
The prince didn’t back down a single iota. He didn’t invite her to take a seat and his attitude didn’t soften at all.
Self-pity and frustration welled up in the empress; tears almost fell. When she’d seen Qin Yining through the back door, she’d suspected that the Prince of Ning was in cahoots with the Qins. The prince’s untoward behavior towards her and complete lack of respect further cemented these thoughts.
But what enraged her the most was that label of ‘thousand-year-old vixen’.
She’d met the Soothsayer by chance when the nun hadn’t known her identity. The Soothsayer had read her fortunes anyway and said she was a ‘fairy descended into the mortal world, the treasured pearl of the dragons’. The empress was destined for a life of fortune and wealth, a regal aura of nobility around her, to command the world with a hand, and magnificence beyond belief.
The empress had felt some skepticism at first, but to think that all of the predictions had come true!
But as time went on, jarring notes began to strike at the empress. Why is my life playing out like Daji’s? She still treated the Soothsayer with utmost respect. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. After all, her fortunes had all been good.
So, it wasn’t just her thinking that she resembled a nation-destr
oying fox spirit? Even a crude buffoon like the Prince of Ning was throwing it in her face!
“So this is how the prince treats this seat! Disrespect to me is disrespect to the emperor! Do you want to mutiny?!”
“The empress is the empress alright. Women should just keep to household affairs. How much face do you have to represent my royal brother? Who the hell do you think you are!?”
“You, you crude, base buffoon!”
“It’s not the first day that I’ve been crude or base! I didn’t invite you here to look at me! Your Majesty comes to strut and prance around, crowing about how splendid you are. Do you take me, Weichi Jinming, to be just anyone’s punching bag?! Why don’t we bring this up to my royal brother? I’d like to see who he defends, you or his blood brother!”
Angry tears spun in the empress’ eyes, but she didn’t continue her tirade. Because of her years with the emperor, she knew that the imperial majesty had a very good relationship with the Prince of Ning. She might not actually succeed if she brought any tales of woe or abuse to the emperor.
Plus, her own family was at a critical juncture. It wasn’t the right moment to create more trouble.
The empress grit her teeth and ultimately left with a flurry of her sleeves. I’ll take care of him one day!
The prince’s heir asked worriedly after the empress stomped off, “Your Highness, this might not have been the right thing to do. The empress has the emperor’s ear. What if this results in all-out hostility?”
“F*ck this motherf*cking piece of shit! Am I afraid of that bitch?! She’s climbing to the top of my head, am I supposed to just take it?!” [2]
The Prince of Ning had his roots in the army, so his voice boomed like a bell when he raised it in admonishment. He didn’t care at all whether the empress could still hear him. He raised a foot and kicked a vase holding kumquats, spilling flowers and dirt everywhere after a loud clang.
Qin Yining and Jialan helped each other up while Jiyun carefully took a position behind Qin Yining.
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