With the Head Proprietor of the Imperial Medicine Hall’s healing hands restoring spring, Wei Qingchen’s high fever receded the very next day. The Grand Princess, still uneasy, forced her to finish six full courses of medicine. On the third day, they started the warming tonic prescription, using it for five or six consecutive days, until Wei Qingchen’s handsome face wrinkled into a little bitter gourd. Yet the Grand Princess claimed the pretense of it all—following the doctor’s orders!
Holding the medicine cup, Wei Qingchen recalled the concerned look she had vaguely glimpsed in Chu Mingxi’s eyes that day, like in a dream. —Probably real? Surely it was real!
Thinking about it, she chuckled to herself.
The Old Madam Wei, who had come to visit, saw this and asked worriedly, “Has this child been addled by the medicine?”
The Grand Princess glanced over from afar and held back a smile. “Probably thinking about the person who prescribed it.”
Truly, only a mother knows her child.
Old Madam Wei pondered this. “That girl from the Chu family?”
“Yes.”
Old Madam Wei smacked her lips. She considered her grandson handsome, clever, and peerless under heaven, more than worthy of a heavenly fairy. It was just this Chu girl who repeatedly made her grandson lose face.
Seeing the slight discontent in the old lady’s expression, the Grand Princess knew what she was thinking. She smiled comfortingly: “The Old Titled Lady dotes on Chen’er, so naturally she sees our child as perfect in every way. But a good blade needs a good sheath, doesn’t it? He’s been mischievous in the palace since childhood, naughty as a monkey. Back then, the Late Emperor said this child has promise, but just needs some polishing. Look how much steadier his temperament became after following the Marquis to the military camp for a few years.”
“The Late Emperor said that too?” Hearing her grandson had been praised by the Late Emperor pleased Old Madam Wei greatly. She nodded thoughtfully. “No wonder His Majesty wants him to hone himself in the imperial presence. Well, well, children have their own fortunes. Since he’s set his heart on that Chu girl, then so be it.”
That’s what she said, but her grandson might be set on the Chu girl, yet the girl herself might not be willing.
The Grand Princess was also worried thinking about this. She glanced again at her daughter, holding a medicine cup and grinning stupidly as if she’d found a treasure. Compared to Eldest Miss Chu’s perceptive nature and graceful bearing… she wasn’t putting her own child down, but truly, comparisons were infuriating.
After resting and recuperating for some ten days, even her external injuries were seventy to eighty percent healed. Wei Qingchen still had to enter the palace to express gratitude for the imperial favor. The Grand Princess went with her, but only as far as Vermilion Bird Gate before letting her proceed alone. She went straight to the Imperial Study, while the Grand Princess switched to a palace sedan chair to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager at the Longevity Palace.
Today, the Chief Eunuch of the Palace, Chen An, was on duty at the Imperial Study. Wei Qingchen arrived just as he was lifting the curtain to exit. Seeing Heir Wei face to face, he hurried over in a few steps.
“Heir, you’ve come at an unfortunate time. The ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Works are both inside.”
Hearing this, Wei Qingchen tilted her head for a look. The door was closed, only the door curtain swaying slightly. The rule of the Imperial Study was that no communication was allowed between inside and out. She had no choice but to say, “Then I’ll go pay my respects to the Empress Dowager at the Longevity Palace and come back later.”
Just as she spoke, the door to the Imperial Study opened, and several ministers filed out. Observing their expressions, Wei Qingchen suspected most had been scolded.
She didn’t want to court trouble and was about to slip away quickly. But unexpectedly, the several ministers all came over to exchange greetings with her. She had to return the courtesy, then heard the Emperor raise his voice from inside: “Who’s out there?!”
Chen An scooted inside, came back out in an instant, and cupped his hands: “Heir Wei, His Majesty summons you inside.”
Unable to avoid it, Wei Qingchen took a deep breath and stiffly ascended the steps.
Inside the Imperial Study was an enormous Purple Sandalwood Desk piled high with memorials and summaries. Emperor Mingcheng sat behind this mountain of paperwork, scowling at her.
“Your subject, Wei Qingchen, respectfully inquires after Your Majesty’s sacred peace.” Wei Qingchen knelt perfectly straight on the large green stone slab.
“Rise.” The Emperor picked up a memorial, not looking at it, only tapping it on his palm. “What are you doing in the palace at this time?”
Wei Qingchen had originally planned to say she came to express thanks, but seeing the mood today, it wasn’t appropriate to discuss official matters. She smiled obediently: “Mother came to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Your subject was ill for a while and hasn’t come to pay respects to Your Majesty in some time, so I came along with Mother.”
“Ha.” Emperor Mingcheng gave a perfunctory smile. “So I am just an afterthought, am I?”
Wei Qingchen: “…”
Luckily, the Emperor didn’t pursue this. He casually tossed two memorials over. Wei Qingchen was quick and caught both, but matters of military and state were not for her eyes. She raised them high with both hands, about to speak, when the Emperor said impatiently, “Let you read, you read!”
Wei Qingchen had no choice but to open them. Both were summaries, about a recent rainstorm in a southern commandery that had burst the river embankments, destroying countless fertile fields and displacing the populace. The local officials had submitted memorials: one requesting the court allocate funds to resettle the people, the other also for silver—to repair the embankments.
“Did you see the people from the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Works just now?” the Emperor asked after she had flipped through both memorials.
“Encountered them outside.”
“Guess what they came for?”
Wei Qingchen thought for a moment. “To cry poverty.”
“Pfft!” Emperor Mingcheng was amused by her utterly serious expression. Wei Qingchen smiled along, and the Emperor couldn’t maintain his stern face. He rapped the desk. “They were crying poverty. Revenue said years of tax reductions and this year’s major disaster mean a guaranteed poor harvest; the national treasury is so tight it can barely make ends meet. Works said they’re even poorer—no money means no laborers; they want me to repair the embankments myself.”
“Reducing taxes is for the nation and people, repairing the embankments is also for the nation and people. Your Majesty’s great love is boundless, but they only see the immediate, lacking Your Majesty’s vision and breadth of mind.”
“Enough with the flattery!” The Emperor scowled again, his eyelids lowering to half-veil his eyes. “The Ministry of Works devised a plan. They said military expenditure is too high. Now that the rivers are clear and the seas calm, perhaps we could temporarily reduce military pay to fill the void in the national treasury… What do you think of this matter?”
Wei Qingchen was completely off guard for this question. This was… aimed at the Northern Pacification Army?
She blinked, seeing Emperor Mingcheng already raise his eyes, watching her deeply. She considered for a moment, then spoke unhurriedly: “Regarding matters of military pay, your humble subject truly is not clear and dares not casually comment. But I was just thinking, although Father Marshal trains troops with extreme strictness, he will surely do everything possible to ensure the soldiers have full bellies. When they return victorious from battle, he also rewards them based on merit and distributes silver. After all, military affairs are the state’s most vital instruments. The borders and the nation rely on the soldiers to defend them to the death. If we make them train on empty stomachs, when true enemies invade, who shall we send to resist them?”
While she spoke, the Emperor sat there, gazing at her steadily—at her young, earnest features, listening to her frank, fearless, yet slightly naive words.
The Imperial Study was silent for a long moment. Then the Emperor waved his hand. “Childish talk. Alright, go to the Longevity Palace.”
Wei Qingchen saluted and withdrew. Just as she reached the door, inspiration suddenly struck. She came back and said, “Your Majesty, the disaster victims can build the embankments!”
“Hmm?” Emperor Mingcheng hadn’t expected her to figure this out now. After a moment’s thought, he also realized it: having disaster victims build the embankments was using local resources for local problems; manpower, material, and finances would all be convenient. It was a good idea. He pointed at Wei Qingchen from afar, a smile appearing on his face. “You actually have such quick wit. Your mother truly taught you well.”
“It’s thanks to your Imperial Uncle’s cultivation.” Wei Qingchen played cute.
“Heh heh.”
Seeing the Emperor had nothing else to say, Wei Qingchen prepared to take her leave. But Emperor Mingcheng called her back, a measuring look on his face. “I recall, you’re sixteen this year?”
“Yes. Your Majesty granted a gift on your subject’s birthday.”
“Mm. Sixteen.” The Emperor picked up a memorial and said casually, “You may go.”
Wei Qingchen retreated to the doorway and turned to open the door.
The sunlight outside fell on her eyelashes. She lowered her gaze slightly. Chen An hurried over to speak with her. She exchanged a few pleasantries before slowly descending the steps. Perhaps the summer day was too hot, but the sweat on her back had already soaked through two layers of clothing.
Arriving at the Longevity Palace, after paying respects to the Empress Dowager, it was still early, so they didn’t stay for the noon meal. Mother and son boarded their family carriage at Vermilion Bird Gate.
They rode in silence.
Returning to the Grand General’s Mansion, Wei Qingchen went to her own room to change clothes, then went to her mother’s courtyard.
The Grand Princess was just talking with Aunt Qi. Seeing her enter, the Grand Princess patted the chair beside her. After Wei Qingchen sat down, Aunt Qi poured her a cup of tea. She took a couple of sips, then looked at Aunt Qi. Aunt Qi knowingly withdrew, leaving mother and son alone in the room.
Wei Qingchen put down her cup and recounted everything that happened in the Imperial Study today to her mother, omitting not a single word.
Mu Yunxian saw her eyelashes were still trembling; she was clearly quite frightened. She reached out and stroked her back. Wei Qingchen leaned over and rested her head on her mother’s shoulder.
“Mother, His Majesty… does the Imperial Uncle now intend to guard against Father?”
“Silly child.” The Grand Princess patted her. “Such has been the art of emperors since ancient times. With so many civil officials and military generals in the court, each controlling power, money, and troops—how could the emperor lack some precautionary thinking?”
“But Father…”
“Your father’s loyalty and character are known to His Majesty. It must be that some jealous person in court whispered something in his ear. His Majesty… His Majesty’s mind is just a bit too heavy with suspicion. It’s nothing strange.”
“Oh…” Wei Qingchen hung her head low. The Emperor was her uncle, and moreover, her mother’s full-blooded younger brother. For her mother, it was truly a case of both sides being flesh of her own flesh. “What should we do now?”
“Now…” the Grand Princess’s gaze drifted into the distance, sighing as she spoke, “Now, the best thing for you is to hurry up and get married.”
“Huh??”
“Today at the Longevity Palace, Mother Empress told me that His Majesty intends to betroth Princess Jiarou to you. The things he asked you—wasn’t he also assessing your abilities and character?”
“Jiarou? The Seventh Princess? That annoying pest? No way!” Wei Qingchen jumped up as if she’d exploded.
Mu Yunxian found it amusing and teased her: “What’s wrong with Jiarou? You grew up together since childhood. In the palace, she was always following behind you calling ‘Brother Qingchen.’ Have you forgotten?”
Wei Qingchen covered her face. “Forgotten. Not a trace of memory!”
“Anyway, I don’t want her!” Wei Qingchen huffed angrily, but then thought again, Wait, that’s not right. Her mother knew she was a girl. “Mother, you’re teasing me!”
“Yes, I’m teasing you.” Mu Yunxian said it without a trace of guilt. Seeing her daughter about to get anxious again, she finally turned serious. “But it’s true that His Majesty wants to arrange a marriage for you. Even if it’s not Jiarou, it will be some other girl. That’s why he asked your age, do you understand?”
Wei Qingchen was silent for a moment, then said heavily, “Your child understands.”
