“Your Highness, please reconsider.”
Chun Gui knew that Chi Wan’s presence in the heated chamber was inappropriate. It was even possible that the Fuma was responsible for the Princess’s poisoning. But now, with all the court officials watching the Princess, if she were to truly kill or harm the Fuma, being exiled to her fiefdom and never seeing His Majesty the Emperor or Her Majesty the Empress again would be a relatively light outcome.
Although the current Emperor doted on the Princess, that affection was always secondary to the imperial family’s dignity. Otherwise, the Princess would never have been married to the Fuma.
Yu Jiuzhou’s gaze was glacial, her aura that of one long accustomed to high station radiating outwards.
Chi Wan, having eaten a few bites, entered just in time to meet Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes. She was startled for a moment by the murderous intent in them, but the Yu Jiuzhou leaning weakly against the bed was a tiger, yes, but a weak paper tiger, possessing no real power to harm.
She stepped closer and bent down to observe Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes. Beside them, Chun Gui’s heart leaped in alarm. She immediately focused her attention on the two of them, terrified that Yu Jiuzhou would lash out and kill her.
It wasn’t that Chun Gui was being overly cautious; she knew the Princess had certainly been wronged, but now was not the time to act against the Fuma.
The Fuma, Chi Wan, hailed from the residence of the Marquis of Huai’an, one of the twelve founding marquises. Of the eight founding dukes, twelve marquises, and twenty-four earls, only a few of the founding noble houses remained by the Shengyuan era. The House of Huai’an was one of the few still in the capital, and their family was, by and large, the most promising among the old nobility.
As the old nobility gradually declined, the new nobility rose to power. The Emperor, wanting to maintain a balance within the military without using civil officials to suppress them, could only support the old houses. It just so happened that rumors about Chi Wan and the Princess began to circulate, so His Majesty chose the House of Huai’an to prop up.
The Marquis of Huai’an was granted the honorary title of General Jinwu, of the senior second rank, and the substantive post of Vice-Commander of the Imperial Guard, a junior third-rank position. The heir was granted the honorary title of General Mingwei, of the senior fourth rank, and the substantive post of Junior General of the Right Guard in the Tiger Guard Army, a junior fourth-rank position. The daughter, Chi Wan, became the Fuma, marrying the Grand Princess. Furthermore, a concubine-born daughter of the House of Huai’an had already passed the imperial examinations and was a probationary official in the Hanlin Academy; she was promoted to Reader-in-waiting.
Such imperial favor instantly transformed the declining House of Huai’an into one of the most sought-after families in the capital.
It was common knowledge that many children of noble houses held only empty titles with no real authority. The Marquis of Huai’an was like a bankrupt man who had suddenly struck gold and become rich overnight.
Outsiders believed that it must have been Chi Wan who latched onto the Princess, resulting in her entire family being rewarded.
But any discerning person knew it was merely the Shengyuan Emperor’s method of balancing the court. He had only one daughter, Yu Jiuzhou, and no crown prince. Moreover, he was advanced in years and found it increasingly difficult to control his court officials. He could only continue to rule the realm through the emperor’s art of balance.
Every few days, the court would erupt in arguments over appointing a crown prince. To avoid choosing an outsider so soon, the Emperor had exhausted every method, even summoning several members of the imperial clan to the capital to make people mistakenly believe he intended to choose an heir from among them, thereby stabilizing the political situation.
The Emperor doted on his only daughter, but he desired a biological heir even more. The imperial harem had not selected new consorts for years, yet the Emperor had bedded many palace maids. For some unknown reason, however, no new princes or princesses were ever born.
The court officials did not hesitate to use the Princess to pressure the Emperor. The marriage between the Princess and Chi Wan was the Emperor’s compromise. In fact, from the very beginning, the Emperor’s choice for the Fuma had been among the old, declining noble houses.
In order to buy time, even though the Fuma was of questionable character and had used rumors to secure the marriage, the Emperor not only refrained from any punishment but also bestowed honors upon Chi Wan’s entire family.
The Princess must be suffering immensely, Chun Gui thought, her heart aching for her mistress, yet she was powerless to influence the Emperor.
But no matter what, the Fuma could not die, at least not for now.
The moment Yu Jiuzhou had woken up and seen Chi Wan, her only thought had been to kill her. But after understanding her current circumstances, Yu Jiuzhou forced herself to calm down.
As the Grand Princess, her situation was not favorable. The entire court of civil and military officials was trying to use her to threaten her Imperial Father into achieving their goals, and her Imperial Father was not standing firmly behind her. She had known this ever since he had decreed her marriage to Chi Wan.
But that was the father who had doted on her for so many years. In her past life, Yu Jiuzhou had thought her Imperial Father was merely being coerced by his officials. Only after experiencing so much did she finally understand that everything was for the sake of that supreme imperial power. Her Imperial Father loved her, but he loved his throne even more.
Yu Jiuzhou averted her gaze, worried that if she looked at Chi Wan for another second, she would wrap her hands around her neck.
To her surprise, Chi Wan stepped forward and grabbed her hand to take her pulse.
Yu Jiuzhou: “?” Only when she tried to struggle did she realize she had no strength at all. Her body was limp and soft. It looked less like a struggle and more like a coquettish protest.
Feeling Yu Jiuzhou’s dagger-like gaze, Chi Wan feigned composure. “You woke up too early. You’re about to faint.”
She then counted down in her mind: three, two, one. Just as she reached one, Yu Jiuzhou’s head tilted to the side, and she fainted onto the bed.
Chun Gui anxiously grabbed Chi Wan’s clothes. “Fuma, what’s wrong with Her Highness?”
“Let go of me first.” Chi Wan helplessly pulled the corner of her robe from Chun Gui’s grasp.
Chun Gui frowned and released her. Only then did Chi Wan say, “Didn’t I just tell you? She woke up too early. Her body had only temporarily stabilized. I don’t know why she woke up.”
Though she claimed not to know, Chi Wan knew in her heart that it was a sign of insecurity. She must have dreamed of something that forced her awake. With her emotions in turmoil once again, Yu Jiuzhou would likely need a long period of recuperation to recover.
Chun Gui asked worriedly, “Then how is Her Highness’s condition?”
Chi Wan feigned a regretful shake of her head. Seeing Chun Gui grow increasingly anxious, she finally said, “She needs a physician to watch over her at all times.”
This was the perfect opportunity for her to curry favor with Yu Jiuzhou. She had to salvage her image first; she couldn’t just wait for death, could she?
Chun Gui nodded. “This subject has already sent for the imperial physicians. The Director of the Academy cannot leave the palace at will, but Imperial Physician Liu and two other imperial physicians will come.”
Uh… with so many people coming, how was she supposed to stay by Yu Jiuzhou’s side and win her favor?
Chi Wan’s sense of crisis was overwhelming. Was her very first plan going to fail?
Yu Jiuzhou hated her predecessor so much that she would surely not let her live. But Chi Wan could understand. Given her predecessor’s reputation, who would dare let her stay by the Princess’s side?
Chun Gui was even more worried. If Chi Wan kept appearing before the Princess, the Princess might truly be unable to resist killing her, and then there would be no way to explain it.
After the Vice-Director of the Imperial Medical Academy arrived with two imperial physicians, they spent a long time diagnosing Yu Jiuzhou, much like a panel of experts in consultation. Even though they knew what poison Yu Jiuzhou had ingested and whether she had recovered, they proceeded with extreme caution, afraid of making the slightest mistake.
A full half-hour passed before Imperial Physician Liu finally spoke. “Fuma, Official Chun Gui, there is no issue with the medication used for Her Highness the Princess. In fact, it is even more exquisite. However, Her Highness is prone to overthinking and needs a period of rest. During this time, no Qian Yuan should be near her, so a physician must remain on watch.”
Imperial Physician Liu glanced at Chi Wan and added, “Oh, with the exception of the Fuma.”
“However, Her Highness’s constitution was severely damaged by the internal heat. I’m afraid there may be lingering ailments.”
Chun Gui’s hands clenched. She understood. No wonder the Princess had been so humiliated. Neither Imperial Physician Zheng nor Imperial Physician Liu would speak plainly, instead beating around the bush. So the Princess had been drugged with an aphrodisiac.
She had found a medicine bottle in the heated chamber; one look would tell anyone what it was. It was a pity that Qiu Lai, who was skilled in medicine, had not yet returned, or things would not have been so troublesome.
Chi Wan was also a Qian Yuan. If no Qian Yuan could be near, then she shouldn’t be either. Her Highness absolutely could not suffer any mishaps.
“Is there no way to help Her Highness recover sooner? We cannot allow her to suffer any lingering ailments.” Chun Gui was well aware that the physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy were mostly assistants. The true imperial physicians would not pass on their skills to them, let alone to the Kun Ze within the academy.
To put it bluntly, Chun Gui did not trust the skills of these physicians. Of course, an imperial physician had to stay and oversee the treatment.
Imperial Physician Liu shook his head. “If even Imperial Physician Zheng’s Cooling Pills were ineffective, then the Imperial Medical Academy has no other solution. We can only continue with this prescription. She should be able to get out of bed in three to five days.”
Chun Gui clutched the corner of her robe tightly. Xia Qu, who had been listening nearby, clenched her fists and glared fiercely at Chi Wan.
Chi Wan immediately gave a light cough, drawing everyone’s attention. “I have a way.”
