16. Chapter Sixteen

Doctor Zhuang followed closely behind the servants of the main household and immediately spotted Zhuang Ningyuan, weakly leaning inside the pavilion. He hurried over to take her pulse and administer acupuncture. The kitchen brought various warm and cold soups. After finishing the acupuncture, the doctor had someone feed Zhuang Ningyuan a few spoonfuls of warm, sweet soup.

“Madam, this sudden illness is caused by a strong pulse in the heart meridian. Madam has always been frail, and the sudden cold invading her internal organs clashed with the current summer heat, which led to her collapse,” the doctor explained carefully.

“However, it’s not a serious illness. I’ve already administered acupuncture, and madam has drunk some warming broth. After some rest, she will regain consciousness. With a day of quiet recuperation, she will be completely fine. But for the next seven days, she must avoid any cold or cooling foods. I also have some medicine here, which madam should take after lunch.”

Li Lanxin hurriedly instructed the main house maids to remember this, then returned to check on Zhuang Ningyuan. After a while, she indeed saw the latter’s complexion improve and her speech become clearer.

“Lanxin...” Zhuang Ningyuan said weakly, half-opening her eyes and sitting upright with the help of a maid, “Thank you.”

Li Lanxin squeezed her hand, which was no longer as cold as before but had slightly warmed, smiling, “There’s no need to thank me; we’re family.”

“Come, let’s get you up first,” she instructed the maids to help her stand. “The doctor said you must eat lunch before taking the medicine. Staying here all day isn’t good; let’s go to the side hall.”

The main house maids slipped a pouch of silver coins into the doctor’s hand, and the group left the pavilion.

Only after lunch in the side hall and after Zhuang Ningyuan had taken the medicine did a maid from the Zhang household come over to inquire.

Zhuang Ningyuan replied lightly that it was just heatstroke and nothing serious.

The maid nodded and returned to the main courtyard.

Li Lanxin sat quietly, pausing with the silver chopsticks in her hand, saying nothing.

After noon, they set off back to the capital. Unlike the slow, grand procession on the way here, their seven or eight carriages traveled swiftly along the main road and arrived at the city gate well before the night curfew.

After hours of jolting in the carriage, Li Lanxin and her two maids were thoroughly exhausted upon entering their home on Qingluo Alley.

Li Lanxin and Xing’er tidied their belongings, while Limiang quickly prepared a simple porridge meal. After eating, night had fallen. They spent a short while digesting, then hastened to heat water for washing before going to bed early to rest.

The next morning, as usual, Li Lanxin had Xing’er watch the house and took Limiang to the embroidery shop.

Before leaving the capital, she had handed the design drawings to Cheng the Third to take to the Jin Prince’s mansion. Though she had some inkling of the outcome, such a large order was rare, so she couldn’t help but feel both hopeful and anxious.

As soon as she stepped into the shop, Cheng the Third, busy preparing for the opening, turned and saw her, his face immediately breaking into a hearty, radiant smile.

Li Lanxin smiled in return, knowing the deal was successful.

“Madam, please sit,” Cheng the Third arranged everything for the shop’s opening and hurried over. “I didn’t know you had returned to the capital. Sorry to trouble you to come here. The Jin Prince’s mansion has selected the designs and paid the deposit. I was planning to visit Qingluo Alley in a few days to deliver them, but since you’re back, I’ve brought them to you.”

Li Lanxin laughed, “We just returned yesterday. You’ve worked hard making this trip. Such a joyous occasion calls for extra silver when the month’s wages are settled.”

Words mean less than silver in hand, and Cheng the Third laughed heartily as he took out the items from the prince’s mansion, carefully wrapped them in an inconspicuous gray cloth, then placed them inside an old food box before handing it to Limiang.

With such valuable goods, caution and security were paramount.

Just as they were about to leave the shop, a clear male voice rang from the counter: “Shopkeeper? Is anyone here?”

Exchanging a glance with Li Lanxin, Cheng the Third lifted the curtains at the front and back of the shop and hurried forward.

There stood a scholarly-looking young man before the counter, handsome and tall, holding a blue cloth bundle.

Cheng the Third immediately understood his purpose. “Sir, are you here to have something mended?”

Su Xianwen nodded, his tone gentle. “An old garment at home has a special stitching technique. I wonder if your shop would examine it.”

Though Cheng the Third had been a rough man who only knew how to sew his own clothes and mend patches, after years running the embroidery shop, he was no longer the same.

He nodded and invited the scholar to open the bundle, then donned thin silk gloves from beneath the counter before carefully handling the garment.

It was a brocade skirt.

Su Xianwen furrowed his brow. “This belonged to my mother. It has been kept at the bottom of a trunk and was carelessly damaged during a move.”

Cheng the Third’s brow twitched as he examined the floral embroidery. “Ah, this coloring—is this Hunan embroidery?”

“Yes,” Su Xianwen’s eyes brightened. “Shopkeeper, do you think it can be repaired?”

Cheng the Third neither nodded nor shook his head. “The shop just opened, and the embroiderers haven’t arrived yet. I only know a little. I can’t guarantee repairability. If you wish, you can leave it here, and when the embroiderers come, we’ll take a look. Or you might try another shop.”

Disappointment flashed in Su Xianwen’s eyes. “To be frank, I’ve visited at least seven or eight embroidery shops in the market, and all said it couldn’t be mended. I’ll be honest—it’s my late mother’s relic. If it can’t be repaired...” He trailed off.

Hearing this, Cheng the Third felt troubled. As far as he knew, none of their embroiderers were skilled in Hunan embroidery.

“Um...” he hesitated.

“Let me see,” a voice came from behind the curtain.

Cheng the Third quickly turned. “Madam!”

Su Xianwen looked up to see a woman step out from behind the curtain, her smile bright and radiant. Though her dress was plain and muted, it could not conceal her luminous grace.

They were stunned.

Li Lanxin took another pair of silk gloves from under the counter, donned them, and carefully examined the old garment back and forth before concluding:

“This is undoubtedly Hunan embroidery, and the stitching is intricate and exquisite. The artisan was highly skilled—that’s the first point. Secondly, the complex color gradations are due to the multi-colored silk threads, some of which were soaked in the embroiderer’s own medicinal solutions before use. To repair it perfectly, just matching the threads would be costly. That’s the second point. Lastly, the garment is not only snagged but also shows signs of insect damage at two spots on the hem. After you return, you should check the storage area for dampness or insect infestations.”

Su Xianwen listened intently, but suddenly felt as if his body had turned to wood, stiff and immobile.

Li Lanxin carefully rewrapped the garment and looked up with a smile. “We cannot repair this here. Sir, you should go to Suzi Lane in the south of the city, where two elderly embroiderers live. They specialize in Hunan embroidery and can surely mend this skirt. But they are old and only accept one order a month, charging a high price. You must be prepared.”

Su Xianwen’s eyes seemed uncontrollably fixed on the smiling, gentle woman before him, his ears burning.

He took the package with a dazed “Oh, thank you, thank you,” then turned and left the shop awkwardly.

Li Lanxin watched the suddenly strange guest leave and smiled, shaking her head. “Limiang and I will head back now. Cheng the Third, keep an eye on the shop.”

Cheng the Third snapped out of his disdainful gaze toward the street and quickly replied, “Madam, rest assured.”

—

Five days later, the grand hunting competition at the palace finally ended.

The main gate of the general’s mansion was wide open. Zhang led the way, followed by Zhuang Ningyuan with her young son, Fu’er, and several other concubines of Master Xu.

The carriages pulled up slowly. Xu Changyi dismounted first, followed by Xu Biqing and Xu Cheng, who were helped down from their carriage.

Zhang greeted them with a bright smile, but upon seeing her husband’s grave, dark expression, she froze. Zhuang Ningyuan behind her noticed the tension as well.

The festive atmosphere of returning home vanished in an instant. The family silently and quickly entered the mansion. The servants hurried to take the carriages back.

The concubines and children were led back to their own courtyards. In the main hall, only Master Xu, Zhang, and Zhuang Ningyuan remained.

Zhang looked anxiously at her husband, while Zhuang Ningyuan held her breath in quiet anticipation.

Master Xu drank a mouthful of tea, then turned his back with deeply furrowed brows. “His Majesty was injured during the grand hunting competition and has returned to the palace to recuperate.”

Both Zhang and Zhuang Ningyuan were shocked.

“How did this happen?” Zhang asked in disbelief. “Who injured His Majesty?”

Master Xu shook his head. “No one attacked the Emperor. His Majesty, in high spirits, insisted on emulating his ancestors by riding at the ceremony and shooting three arrows. Unfortunately, he fell from his horse and injured his limbs and tendons. If anything, the injuries are from the horse and bow.”

For generations, the emperors of Great Qian always led the royal hunting ceremonies, shooting three arrows first while mounted.

However, Emperor Shun’an’s physique clearly could not endure such exertion, so everyone tacitly ignored this ritual. Unexpectedly, just as the ceremony was concluding, the Emperor seemed stirred by the youthful vigor of those present and insisted on completing the ritual.

He was even given the late Emperor’s favorite bow and rode the most magnificent Akhal-Teke horse. The result was a face-plant fall, with his arm strained from drawing the bow.

Fortunately, Emperor Shun’an was heavy and sturdy, and the horse’s hoofs did not trample him after the fall, avoiding a disaster.

Master Xu said, “His Majesty has closed the palace gates to rest, under the Empress’s care. He should be fine, but... the court may soon face turmoil.”

—

At the Jin Prince’s mansion.

He Cheng stepped steadily out of the study after reporting secret news from the palace and court, closing the door behind him.

Walking down a corridor, he suddenly turned his head and saw the mansion’s chief eunuch, Jiang Sihai, beckoning to him mysteriously from beside the garden path.

He Cheng glanced around, frowned, and approached.

Jiang Sihai wore a broad smile and was very polite. “Commander He.”

“What is it? Speak quickly.” He did not wish to engage more than necessary.

“Well...” Jiang Sihai hesitated but, seeing He Cheng’s impatience, quickly said, “Commander He, please don’t take offense. I have an important matter to discuss with you.”

He Cheng frowned. “What matter?”

Jiang Sihai rubbed his hands nervously and lowered his voice, “Commander He, since you are the prince’s closest confidant, you must have noticed His Highness has been restless at night lately.”

He Cheng’s expression changed drastically, eyes wide as he glared at him.

Jiang Sihai quickly apologized, “Oh, please don’t look at me like that. I have the prince’s best interests at heart. You don’t know—these past days, the prince has been drinking cold herbal tea daily and insists on having cold water ready in the bathhouse at night. As for other things, I cannot say.”

He Cheng’s face turned even grimmer, as if blossoming with all colors.

Jiang Sihai whispered urgently, “Commander He, now is not the time to avoid the matter. What could be more important than the prince’s health? You must know that long-term consumption of cold substances harms the body. His Highness is in the prime of life, vigorous and strong. If this continues, it will severely deplete his vitality!”

He Cheng stiffened. “...So what do you suggest?”

“Does His Highness have anyone attending him at the Northwest Prince’s mansion?”

“With the border wars ongoing, the prince has no time for such distractions,” He Cheng scoffed.

At this, Jiang Sihai’s heart exploded with excitement. “Then, your humble servant wishes to relieve His Highness’s worries!”

He Cheng narrowed his eyes, staring coldly. “You?”

Everyone knew this old eunuch’s intentions—he simply wanted to bring in a few women to please the prince and gain favor.

“Of course it’s me. These little matters are part of my duties,” Jiang Sihai smiled slyly. “But I wonder what kind of women His Highness prefers?”

“That’s for you to know, as you are closest to His Highness. But rest assured, if he is not satisfied, I alone will take full responsibility and ensure you are not implicated!”

He Cheng sneered.

If things went wrong, he wouldn’t be blamed; if successful, he’d get no credit.

Still, fine—let this old schemer go test the waters first.

After all... if His Highness could find a pure and blameless attendant, it would only benefit the prince’s mansion.

Better than him falling for a subordinate’s widowed wife.

After a moment, He Cheng pursed his lips and said softly, “Find someone tender and gentle, with a well-proportioned figure, but not too young.”