TGPSAC – Chapter 63

The days of recuperation were quite dull. After lying in bed for three days, Chi Wan started getting up to walk around whenever she had nothing to do.

Imperial Physician Zheng was very surprised. “The Fuma is in good health to be recovering so quickly. Did the Fuma treat herself?”

“A physician does not treat themself. Imperial Physician Zheng’s prescription was very good. I feel much better already.”

Chi Wan touched her chest. There was still some dark bruising, and a faint, dull ache, but the internal injuries had mostly healed.

She used her internal energy to nourish and repair her body every day, so her internal injuries healed quickly. Her arm, however, would be slower. Although it wouldn’t truly take a hundred days, it would still require a month or two.

After helping her change the dressing, Imperial Physician Zheng said, “This subject must thank the Fuma again for finding a position for Zheng Yi. The child is grown, and her parents want to arrange a marriage for her, but she refuses. A Kun Ze, no matter how skilled in medicine, will find it difficult to establish herself without marrying. Besides, with her parents still around, she can’t run very far even if she wanted to.”

“Thanks to the Fuma, she can now practice medicine at the shop. But this child often uses the Fuma to shut her family up. This subject would like to ask… would like to ask the Fuma…”

Chi Wan: “? What is it?”

“That is, is there truly any sort of relationship between the Fuma and this subject’s granddaughter?”

Chi Wan’s eyes widened, and she immediately understood. “No, there’s nothing of the sort. Miss Zheng Yi is very skilled in medicine, and the shop happened to need a Kun Ze physician. That’s why I asked her to go to the shop.”

The wellness center had several physicians, so naturally, it needed Kun Ze physicians as well. There were too few Kun Ze physicians. Zheng Yi was arrogant about her talents, but she was a good doctor, so Chi Wan had sent her to the wellness center.

From what Imperial Physician Zheng was saying, was Zheng Yi using her as a shield at home?

Could she be another Lin Qianduo? Was Zheng Yi also telling people she was her mistress?

After Imperial Physician Zheng left, Chi Wan steadied herself with the wheelchair and walked around the room. There was nothing wrong with her legs, but her chest hurt, making her breathless and pained when she walked. However, it was no longer the unbearable pain from the beginning.

Chi Wan slowly took two steps before sitting down in the wheelchair.

The wheelchair was originally made for the Emperor. The Emperor’s health was currently very poor, and he couldn’t always be supported by others when meeting ministers or attending court. Speaking of which, after the new year, the Emperor had decreed that court would be held only once every seven days. He was no longer as diligent as before, at most summoning the Grand Secretariat for discussions.

The chair made for the Emperor had already been sent to the imperial palace. That chair was inlaid with jade and plated with gold, incomparably luxurious.

Chi Wan’s chair was much simpler, just plain wood-colored.

She leaned back in the chair, reached for a blanket to cover her legs, and prepared to go for a stroll.

Just then, a figure walked in. Seeing she wasn’t lying in bed, Yu Jiuzhou said, “Why are you up?”

Chi Wan smiled at her. “It’s too stuffy in bed. I’m going out for a walk.”

“Where are the maids?”

“I told them not to come in.”

Yongning Courtyard was staffed entirely by Kun Ze and He Yuan, all women. Chi Wan had been here for some time now and knew that even though they were all women, in this world, it was best for a Qian Yuan and a Kun Ze not to be alone together, mainly because of their scents.

Chi Wan was a physician, and though she hadn’t researched the principles behind it, she knew their bodies were the same. It was the scents that differentiated Qian Yuan and Kun Ze, and women could get pregnant with other women.

Since she understood this and the rules of this world, she had to abide by them, so as not to bring trouble to others or herself.

Knowing it was inconvenient, Chi Wan no longer had people wait on her. Furthermore, Yu Jiuzhou disliked anyone other than Kun Ze and He Yuan women entering Yongning Courtyard, so Chi Wan didn’t even use Chen Yuan anymore.

Yu Jiuzhou studied her, knowing what she was thinking. Although Chi Wan could be mischievous at times, she was self-restrained and observant of propriety.

A person who observed propriety could always win more hearts.

“Very well.”

Yu Jiuzhou agreed, then began to speak of the day’s events. “Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, Qi Cheng, remonstrated with His Majesty to the death. He proposed that the eight million taels of silver from the salt inspection be used for the salaries of all officials and to supplement the pay of soldiers. He also requested that another one million taels be allocated for reconstruction in the disaster-stricken areas from last year, so that the common people, having survived the disaster, would not starve or freeze to death.”

Grand Secretary Qi Cheng was a new addition to the Grand Secretariat, serving as a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion.

For a fifth-rank official, he possessed remarkable courage and was deeply concerned for the country and its people.

Chi Wan asked, “His Majesty must have been very angry, right?”

“Yes.”

Just when it seemed the treasury would be a little fuller with this hard-won silver, someone had jumped out to start allocating it.

Several million taels for official salaries, and another million for the common people.

The Ministry of Revenue had just finished calculating the taxes. After paying the military, not a single coin would be left; they would even have to dip into their own funds. It was as if the eight million taels from the salt inspection had been divided up before it was even in hand.

How could the Emperor not be angry? It was a wonder he didn’t have Qi Cheng beaten.

“Did Your Highness plead for Grand Secretary Qi?” Chi Wan tilted her head. Knowing her princess, she was certain Yu Jiuzhou wouldn’t want such an upright official to suffer.

Yu Jiuzhou sighed. “A state with loyal ministers will not perish.”

“Grand Secretary Qi is a good man, upright by nature, but he doesn’t understand the ways of the court. His Majesty wanted to demote him, so I requested an external appointment for him, as the Prefect of Linjiang. When he returns to the central government, he will have his pick of positions in the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers.”

Both were fifth-rank positions, but a Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat managed the affairs of the entire realm, even if he had entered the cabinet as a fifth-rank official. A prefect, however, only governed a single region. It was more than a demotion; it was like falling from the heavens to the earth.

But Qi Cheng was still young. It wasn’t impossible for him to enter the Grand Secretariat a second time.

Chi Wan raised an eyebrow, looking up at Yu Jiuzhou’s face from her wheelchair. “Your Highness is as beautiful as you are kind. My admiration for Your Highness is like a great river, flowing endlessly.”

Yu Jiuzhou: “…You’re speaking nonsense again.”

“How is it nonsense? It’s from the heart.” Chi Wan patted her chest and immediately cried out in pain. In that moment, she had forgotten her injury, and the pain was excruciating.

Chi Wan was in so much pain she was rendered speechless. Yu Jiuzhou walked closer in concern. “What’s wrong?”

She wanted to wave her hand to say it was nothing, but she accidentally pulled on her left arm, causing her to let out a soft cry of pain.

Thinking her chest was hurting, Yu Jiuzhou quickly pulled open her collar. When she saw the dark bruising on her chest, her eyes instantly turned cold. She knew Chi Wan’s injuries were severe, but she hadn’t known they were this bad.

She resolved in her heart that she must kill Prince Zhongshan and Prince Ying.

Chi Wan was bewildered. Wait, who checks a wound like this? The wound is on my chest!

It was the first time she realized Her Highness the Princess could be a bit of a brute. Just looking whenever she pleased. Didn’t she have any face to save?

“Your Highness, are you done looking?”

Chi Wan gripped the armrests of her wheelchair. What kind of woman stares at another woman’s chest like that?

Just as she was about to remind her, Yu Jiuzhou also came to her senses. Seeing no signs of bleeding, she breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did she feel a sense of shyness, and she turned her face away.

“I’ll go get the imperial physician.”

Yu Jiuzhou hurried out.

“I?” Chi Wan murmured to herself, knowing Yu Jiuzhou was shy. She didn’t even use ‘I’ [the royal pronoun].

In truth, there was nothing to be shy about. It was probably about the same as a low-cut summer top. But she had never worn one, let alone been stared at by a woman from such a close distance. Just thinking about it made her ears and neck start to burn.

It was truly embarrassing. Nothing like this had ever happened to her in two lifetimes.

But she understood that Yu Jiuzhou was worried about her, not doing it on purpose.

Chi Wan looked on helplessly as Imperial Physician Zheng, who had just left not long ago, was hastily brought back.

Just as Imperial Physician Zheng sat down, Xia Qu leaped down from the roof, grabbed her, and started pulling her away, shouting, “The Fuma’s injury has relapsed!”

Imperial Physician Zheng hurried after Xia Qu. She had clearly just checked the Fuma’s condition and found nothing serious; all she needed was to rest and recuperate. How could it have relapsed?

Then she heard Xia Qu say it was the Princess who said the Fuma’s injury had relapsed, and she understood.

Imperial Physician Zheng examined Chi Wan’s wound. “Rest assured, the Fuma is fine. However, the Fuma is injured and still needs to rest and recover. It is not advisable to engage in strenuous activities.”

Strenuous activities? Chi Wan frowned. She had a feeling Imperial Physician Zheng had gotten the wrong idea, but she had no proof.

“What are strenuous activities?” Xia Qu asked what she didn’t understand. “Fuma, did you practice martial arts?”

Chi Wan was speechless. Could she say she had done this to herself while pledging loyalty to Her Highness?

“No.”

She glanced at Yu Jiuzhou, whose expression was unreadable. She absolutely could not let Imperial Physician Zheng and the others misunderstand.

Who knew that Imperial Physician Zheng, thinking they truly didn’t understand, would elaborate further, “The Fuma is in good health, but she has suffered a serious injury after all. You must not be hasty in engaging in intercourse.”

Intercourse?

Xia Qu’s eyes widened. She summoned all the wisdom she possessed in this lifetime. “Your Highness, this subject has other matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving now.”

She scurried away, leaving the elderly Imperial Physician Zheng behind, who couldn’t run even if she wanted to.

In the end, it was Yu Jiuzhou, her back to them, who spoke. “You may go.”

Imperial Physician Zheng didn’t hesitate for a second, walking briskly outside, not at all like an old woman.

Only after everyone had left did Chi Wan look at Yu Jiuzhou. “Your Highness, why didn’t you explain just now? Otherwise, people might think you were trying to torment me while I was gravely ill.”

Yu Jiuzhou: “…Shut up.”

It was utter nonsense. She could say anything that came to her mind.

If she weren’t facing away from Chi Wan, she probably couldn’t have hidden her flushed face.

“Rest well. I still have memorials to review.”

The Emperor had now handed most of the memorials to her. She also had to confer with the Grand Secretariat, keeping her very busy every day. She could only squeeze out a little time to see Chi Wan, and her time for today was up.

In her room, Chi Wan either slept or circulated her internal energy to repair her body. It was terribly boring. Seeing that Yu Jiuzhou was about to leave, she immediately asked, “Your Highness, could you take me with you?”

“You want to watch me review memorials?” Yu Jiuzhou asked in a cold voice.

Knowing full well that Yu Jiuzhou was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, Chi Wan wasn’t afraid of her cold expression.

“Your Highness, it’s so boring being here alone.”

Chi Wan’s tone was sweet and delicate, as if she were acting spoiled.

What was wrong with a girl acting spoiled with another girl? She had never been a rigid or pedantic person. Her relationship with Yu Jiuzhou was so good now, what was the harm in a little playful banter between friends?

Chi Wan pushed her wheelchair over to Yu Jiuzhou’s side, reached out to tug on her sleeve, and put on a pitiful expression. “Your Highness.”

Yu Jiuzhou resisted the urge to look at her. “Follow me yourself.”

Hearing her agree, Chi Wan smiled happily. Watching her departing back, she quickly pushed the wheels of her chair to follow.

Yu Jiuzhou walked very slowly, just two steps ahead of Chi Wan.

One after the other, they arrived outside the study, but… there were steps.

How could a wheelchair go up steps? Unless someone helped her.

“Your Highness~” Chi Wan called out for help.

Hearing that sweet, delicate voice behind her again, Yu Jiuzhou’s heart skipped a beat. She had never seen a Qian Yuan who could act so spoiled. In fact, she had never seen any Qian Yuan act spoiled at all.

This Chi Wan was not like a Qian Yuan at all, but more like a pampered Kun Ze girl.

After all, in Chi Wan’s world, there were only men and women, no Qian Yuan, Kun Ze, or He Yuan. Likewise, she knew she didn’t like men, but rather had a fondness for soft, fragrant women, though she had never met one who made her heart flutter.

But she didn’t think there was anything wrong with acting a little spoiled, since they were both girls and friends.

Yu Jiuzhou turned around helplessly and looked at Chi Wan, stranded at the bottom of the steps. She glanced around and saw that no one was there.

When Xia Qu left just now, she had dragged Chun Gui away with her and told everyone else to leave, saying that anyone who didn’t want to be silenced should hide far away.

So Yu Jiuzhou had no choice but to help Chi Wan up herself.

When Yu Jiuzhou walked over, she obediently held out her hands. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Yu Jiuzhou extended her hand, and Chi Wan took it, using the leverage to stand up. Then, she pressed her entire body against Yu Jiuzhou.

With her weight of over a hundred jin, Yu Jiuzhou was nearly knocked over.

Fortunately, after a period of recuperation, Yu Jiuzhou’s body had recovered well, and she could just barely support her.

“Your Highness is so strong.”

Chi Wan praised her as they walked. Today’s notes would read: Spring of the twenty-eighth year of the Shengyuan era, the first day of the second month, Her Highness the Princess was exceedingly amiable.

Step by step, they made their way into the study. Yu Jiuzhou wanted to help her to a seat on the side, but Chi Wan clung tightly to her arm. “Your Highness, I want to sit next to you.”

Why had the injured Chi Wan become so delicate?

She spoke delicately and acted delicately.

Chi Wan’s chest and arm still hurt. She was a patient now, so what if she was a little delicate?

Resigned, Yu Jiuzhou could only help her to the side of her own desk. “Sit properly. Don’t move.”

“Okay.”

Chi Wan sat obediently by the desk, looking like she was waiting patiently. Her gaze followed Yu Jiuzhou wherever she went.

As if sensing the stare, Yu Jiuzhou’s back straightened until it was a little stiff. What was this person staring at her for?

Yu Jiuzhou shook the small bell beside her a couple of times. A moment later, Chun Gui came in. She was a little surprised to see Chi Wan also sitting at the desk.

She recalled what Xia Qu had said earlier—that the Fuma’s injury had relapsed because of intercourse with Her Highness. She hadn’t believed it at first, but that was Imperial Physician Zheng’s diagnosis. Imperial Physician Zheng was so old, she wouldn’t lie about such a thing, would she?

Especially seeing the way the Fuma looked at Her Highness, so full of affection it was sickeningly sweet.

“Your Highness.” Chun Gui curtsied.

“Serve tea and snacks, and bring a few books for the Fuma to pass the time.”

“Yes.”

A short while later, a maid brought out a brazier. On the brazier were tea, snacks, fruits, and chestnuts.

At some point, Her Highness’s brazier was never without chestnuts.

The brazier was placed cleverly, within easy reach for both Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan.

A cushion, which Yu Jiuzhou had someone bring, was placed behind Chi Wan’s back.

It had to be said, Yu Jiuzhou was very meticulous. It wasn’t easy for a princess to be so thoughtful.

Leaning against it, she could see Yu Jiuzhou by tilting her head, reach for tea and snacks with her hand, and had a pile of storybooks in her lap.

These were the books Chun Gui had found for her to pass the time, and they were indeed not bad.

Chi Wan casually glanced at the contents of a storybook, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

【The Domineering Princess Falls for Me】

【The Princess and Fuma’s Post-Marital Love】

【The Delicate Fuma and the Aloof Grand Princess】

What was all this? Were ancient storybooks this wild? They were all about princesses and grand princesses. Could they be writing about Yu Jiuzhou?

Chi Wan randomly opened one. The dynasty in the story was a previous one, not a princess of the Great Zhou. But the emperor’s only daughter, the number one Kun Ze… the people who wrote these storybooks were harboring malicious intent.

Hmph, these people could forget about dreaming. She was already the Fuma; no one else had a chance.

She tossed the storybook aside, unwilling to read any more. There was nothing interesting about such books.

However, one book among them was a little interesting—【Forcibly Married into the Prime Minister’s Residence】.

The Great Zhou dynasty had no prime minister, only the Grand Secretariat, so a storybook like this was also set in a previous dynasty and wouldn’t offend anyone.

As for the content, it was about a Qian Yuan who, after passing the imperial examination, was snatched from the list of successful candidates and forced to marry into the Prime Minister’s residence. At first, he disliked the Prime Minister’s daughter, but she pursued him relentlessly. They ended up living happily ever after, and the Qian Yuan achieved high office and great wealth. But then the Prime Minister was convicted of a crime and the family fell from grace. This Qian Yuan seized the opportunity to abandon the darkness for the light, reported his wife’s family, and eventually became the Prime Minister himself.

Chi Wan silently criticized it: First, a Prime Minister’s daughter wouldn’t need to snatch a husband. Although the imperial examination was difficult to pass, those who could become Prime Minister were all top-ranking scholars who had endured countless hardships to reach that position.

Not all scholars who passed could become high officials. Many might be sent to posts outside the capital and live a life of mediocrity until retirement.

However, in ancient times, those who wrote storybooks were mostly poor scholars who couldn’t pass the provincial exams and wrote to earn money. After all, once one passed the provincial exams, they wouldn’t lack for money and wouldn’t need to write storybooks.

In any case, as long as it wasn’t about a princess, Chi Wan could still read it. It was a bit wild, but it was better than having nothing to read at all.

As Chi Wan was reading, she heard Yu Jiuzhou say, “These kinds of storybooks are just the fantasies of frustrated and unsuccessful scholars. What’s so good about them?”

“Your Highness is right, but there are still good books out there.”

Like the Four Great Classical Novels, and the novels she liked to read—those were truly wonderful.

The fantasies of unsuccessful scholars were naturally not good, but for works like Dream of the Red Chamber or Journey to the West, Chi Wan couldn’t put them down.

There must be storybooks like that. She just didn’t know why Chun Gui had found her a pile of storybooks about princesses and fumas. The main character wasn’t even her, so what was there to see?

Yu Jiuzhou glanced at the titles of those storybooks. They were all about princesses and fumas. She felt inexplicably shy. Surely they weren’t the kind of storybooks she was thinking of.

Of course not. Chi Wan might dare to read them, but Chun Gui wouldn’t dare to bring them to her.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to write a book?”

Yu Jiuzhou remembered that Chi Wan wanted to write a medical book. She thought that since Chi Wan was bored, she might as well use her recovery time to write.

Chi Wan thought about it. It was a good idea. Her left arm was injured, but her right arm was fine. There was nothing wrong with her bottom or legs. In fact, even if Yu Jiuzhou didn’t support her, she could still walk. But wasn’t it necessary to appropriately feign weakness in front of Her Highness the Princess?

To give Yu Jiuzhou the feeling that “My Fuma is too delicate to care for herself.”

“Very well.”

Chun Gui quickly said, “Someone, prepare another desk.”

A new desk was brought in. Chi Wan moved over to it and reached for a brush.

The content of the book was in her mind. This world had no computers, so she could only rely on handwriting. She probably wouldn’t be able to write many words in a day.

Of course, she could also dictate for someone else to write, similar to using voice-to-text, but on second thought, it wasn’t that convenient. The content was all in her head, and having to recite it felt awkward. There were also obscure characters, homophones, and the like that would require extra explanation.

Never mind, she would write it herself.

Chi Wan lifted her hand and wrote a few characters on the paper—【The Exploitation of the Works of Nature, by Song Yingxing.】

Yu Jiuzhou looked over. “Song Yingxing?”

Uh… just as the name suggested, for this book, she was going to transcribe the contents of The Exploitation of the Works of Nature. It recorded the technology of the Ming Dynasty and earlier. Since she was going to write it down for publication, she naturally wouldn’t use her own name.

After she finished transcribing this one, she would compile the technologies she knew from after the Ming Dynasty that could be produced with the Great Zhou’s current capabilities, and then add a note—【Compiled by Chi Wan.】

She would do the same for her medical book. She knew many prescriptions. After transcribing the Compendium of Materia Medica, she would write a book of her own medical insights. Only her own work could bear her own name.

Chi Wan didn’t hide it. “The content of this book was compiled by someone else, so naturally, it should bear that person’s name.”

Yu Jiuzhou tilted her head in confusion. She had discovered that Chi Wan had a good memory, but she never expected it to be so good that she could transcribe an entire book from memory.

Of course, she could do it too, but only for books she had read many times over.

Chi Wan first wrote down the table of contents on the paper.

First, Grains.

Rice…

Second, Clothing.

Silkworm eggs…

…

Fifth, Salt Making.

Salt production…

There was much more content to follow: sugar, boats and carts, forging, calcination, oils and fats, paper making, metals, fine weapons, pigments…

Among them, the section on fine weapons covered things like bows, crossbows, and arrows, as well as firearms. The key point was the firearms.

The firearms recorded in The Exploitation of the Works of Nature represented the most advanced technology of the Ming Dynasty. To be precise, the content was from before the Wanli era. The Great Zhou had some of these technologies, but not others.

Chi Wan only wrote the first part before putting down her brush. She was still injured and couldn’t sit and write for too long. The main issue was the dull ache in her chest, which meant she couldn’t stay hunched over like this.

Beside her, Yu Jiuzhou also put down her brush. She picked up what Chi Wan had written and began to read. The more she read, the brighter her eyes became. If these things were written down, it would be a major boost to the development of all industries in the Great Zhou.

However, Yu Jiuzhou said, “I’m afraid this book cannot be brought out so quickly.”

“Why?” Chi Wan didn’t understand. Leaving other things aside, just bringing out the agricultural knowledge within would greatly improve the lives of the common people.

Yu Jiuzhou shook her head. “Some things, if brought out, will harm the common people.”

She gave an example. “Originally, a task requires ten people. If there is an advanced machine, then one person will suffice, and the other nine will lose their source of income.”

Chi Wan understood her meaning. If they couldn’t comprehensively increase the Great Zhou’s productivity and job opportunities, the advancement of technology would only cause more people to go hungry.

Only by having enough job opportunities and then increasing production could the Great Zhou remain stable.

“Your Highness’s words are reasonable. Many things must be done step by step.”

Yu Jiuzhou was a natural-born monarch, and an enlightened one at that. She considered everything so thoroughly.

Chi Wan’s eyes sparkled. “Your Highness is truly wise.”

Yu Jiuzhou had long grown accustomed to Chi Wan’s tendency to praise her at every turn.

Such a direct and sincere personality was indeed quite likable, unlike herself, who found many words difficult to say.

Yu Jiuzhou reached out and tapped Chi Wan on the head. “Tired?”

“Mhm, so tired.”

“Hand.”

“What?”

Chi Wan was puzzled. She saw Yu Jiuzhou take her wrist, retrieve a bottle of ointment from a hidden compartment nearby, and apply it to her wrist.

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