Chapter 112
**Chapter 112: The Concubines Attending to the Ailing Prince**
If a side concubine were to rashly alter the kitchen menu, the princess wouldn’t be overly upset.
But Shen Wei was merely a lowly maid, not even a secondary concubine! What audacity did she have to overstep the proper princess and meddle in the kitchen affairs?
“Your Highness, please calm down,” Liu Mama quickly stepped forward, her tone gentle. “Though Shen is just a maid, she has the prince’s favor. Once she gives birth, she will be elevated to a secondary concubine. Don’t let her get to you. Right now, the prince is poisoned and injured; taking care of him is our top priority. As for Shen, she’s right under our noses and won’t be able to stir up much trouble.”
The princess pressed her lips together, her fingers tightening around the prayer beads, twisting them one by one.
She knew Liu Mama’s words were reasonable, yet the princess felt a deep discomfort. The news of Shen Wei’s pregnancy was like a sharp thorn piercing her heart; no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she couldn’t.
She could only console herself that Shen Wei was merely a vessel for bearing children. The child Shen would eventually give birth to wouldn’t even have the right to be raised by her.
Shen Wei would sooner or later taste the bitter pain of mother and child being separated.
After reciting a few lines of scripture in her heart to suppress her restless emotions, the princess finally made her way to the main house of Prince Yan.
The night was deep and stifling.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the main house, the princess saw that Liu Ru Yan, Liu Qiao Er, and Zhang Miao Yu, the three side concubines, were already there, and even the maid Xiang Er was at the end of the line. Liu Ru Yan was dressed in white, her sleeves billowing in the night breeze; Liu Qiao Er wore simple clothes, her head bowed in thought; Zhang Miao Yu held a roasted sweet potato, savoring it with delight.
Prince Yan was the pillar of the royal residence. With his injury, the concubines naturally came to visit and took turns attending to him at night.
The princess’s gaze fell on Xiang Er at the end of the line. Xiang Er was heavily made up, dressed in gaudy attire, with five or six ornate hairpins adorning her head. She looked less like someone attending to the sick and more like a courtesan from a brothel. Coming from a humble background, she had no idea how to dress modestly, opting instead to wear the most expensive garments, which made her appear utterly ridiculous.
“This is no place for you. Go back,” the princess said, her tone laced with disdain. What right did a mere maid have to attend to Prince Yan?
Xiang Er timidly replied, “Your Highness, I’m worried about the prince and just wanted to take a look at him.”
Pretending to care for the prince was just a guise; what she truly wanted was to be seen by him.
Prince Yan had only visited Fang Fei Garden twice—once for less than half a tea’s worth of time and once for an overnight stay. After that, he had completely forgotten about Xiang Er.
Anxious, Xiang Er thought that if the prince didn’t come to see her again, she might lose his favor entirely and return to the days of being bullied.
Summoning her courage, she wanted to attend to him as well.
But the princess merely shot her a look of disgust. How could a lowly maid think she was worthy to attend to the prince alongside the proper concubines? It was utterly absurd.
Liu Mama directly instructed the maidservants to drive Xiang Er away. When Xiang Er tried to call out for Prince Yan, the maidservants covered her mouth and dragged her off.
The night grew darker as the princess led the three side concubines into the main house, greeting the prince. He was having his meal, and the princess’s gaze fell on the table, where she saw dishes like bass in milk soup and astragalus fish slice soup. Her brows furrowed slightly.
Was Shen Wei really feeding the prince such meager fare?
At the very least, he should be having crucian carp and tofu soup or ginseng and yam stewed chicken to aid in his recovery.
The princess respectfully said, “Tonight, I and my sisters will take turns attending to the prince.”
Prince Yan put down his chopsticks, intending to refuse.
But then he remembered he was deliberately “playing sick.” The longer he feigned illness and the more severe his symptoms appeared, the better he could silence those in court who opposed increasing troops for the siege.
So, Prince Yan nodded in agreement.
The purpose of “attending to the sick” was to ensure that the patient received effective care during their illness. The Yan residence had many maidservants and attendants, so it wasn’t necessary for the wives and concubines to serve him directly.
However, the princess and the side concubines attending to him personally would also reflect the harmony of the royal household, preserving its dignity.
According to their arrangement, they would rotate every hour.
The princess was the first to attend.
After Prince Yan finished his dinner, he returned to his study to handle official business. Half an hour later, a young eunuch respectfully brought in the prepared medicinal soup, handing it to the princess and reminding her, “Your Highness, the physician has instructed that this medicine must be taken while hot; it loses its efficacy when cooled.”
The princess carried the bowl of medicine into the study.
Prince Yan was diligent, even before bed, propping himself up despite his illness to read the documents sent from the border.
The study was brightly lit by candlelight. Prince Yan, dressed in a dark nightgown, had his long black hair cascading over his shoulders, his profile strikingly handsome. He held the documents in his right hand, deeply engrossed in reading, occasionally jotting down responses. The princess entered with the medicine bowl and couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy as she watched him.
Once upon a time, they had been newlyweds, reading together under the lamp, with her adding fragrance to the night.
But alas, time was merciless; even the most loving couples could not withstand its relentless passage.
The princess set down the medicine bowl and gently said, “Your Highness, it’s time to take your medicine.”
Prince Yan was entirely focused on the memorial from the Minister of War, not even registering the princess’s words. She patiently called out to him several times, but received no response, leaving her feeling quite aggrieved.
The distance between them had grown; now the prince didn’t even want to hear her voice.
After finishing the remaining documents, Prince Yan looked up and saw that it was already deep into the night. The princess was still standing beside the desk, the medicine bowl now cold on the table.
He downed the cooled medicine in one gulp, returned to his bed, and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, without exchanging a single word with the princess.
The candlelight was warm as the princess sat by the bed, taking out a handkerchief to wipe Prince Yan’s face.
In the prime of his life, Prince Yan was healthy and increasingly handsome, while she had already begun to show signs of age, her complexion wan and waxy, helplessly watching her husband’s heart drift away.
It was unclear how much time had passed when Prince Yan suddenly woke up, parched.
Rubbing his brow in fatigue, he hoarsely said, “Water.”
With his eyes half-open, he vaguely saw a snow-white figure by the bed. The figure was entirely white, with black hair cascading over her shoulders, her face as pale as frost, devoid of color.
A chill ran down Prince Yan’s spine, dispelling his drowsiness.
He shot up, instinctively reaching for the sword at the bedside, ready to slay a ghost.
As his vision cleared, the soft candlelight revealed Liu Ru Yan’s stunningly beautiful face.
Prince Yan froze, his hand halting on the sword, speechless.
You scared me to death! I thought I was dreaming of a terrifying female ghost!
It turned out it was time for the princess to finish her watch, and Liu Ru Yan had come to take her place.
Liu Ru Yan wore a flowing silver-white gown with wide sleeves that resembled tassels. She had a white jade hairpin in her hair, her face pale, tears glistening in her eyes as she gazed at Prince Yan.
Seeing the sword in his hand, its blade reflecting a cold light, much like Prince Yan’s indifferent heart, Liu Ru Yan let two tears fall and softly asked, “Does the prince truly despise me so? To draw your sword against me?”
Prince Yan sheathed the sword, patiently explaining, “Not at all, don’t overthink it.”
But Liu Ru Yan only managed a bitter smile, her voice filled with sorrow. “As the saying goes, when a loved one is ill, the medicine should be tasted first, and one should attend to them day and night without leaving their side. I only wished to quietly accompany you, yet it seems you have already forgotten me.”
Prince Yan: ...
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