At this moment, Princess Fuqing’s heart was filled with trepidation.
Having been unable to see for so many years, no one understood better than her what it was like to dwell in darkness, and no one yearned more intensely for light.
For this very reason, she was even more anxious about gain and loss.
Deep in her heart, she couldn’t help but hold onto hope, yet the stronger this hope grew, the more hesitant she became to speak of it until she could only say she didn’t know.
“This cloth—” Emperor Jingming looked toward Jiang Si.
Jiang Si smiled as she took Princess Fuqing’s hand, leading her toward the spacious hall.
It was the perfect time of morning, with the hall bright and clear, filled with light.
Through the cloth, Princess Fuqing vaguely sensed a hazy red.
“Fuqing, how do you feel?” the Empress asked carefully, staying close to Princess Fuqing’s side.
Princess Fuqing remained silent.
The Empress’s eyes swept toward Jiang Si, full of authority: “When can the Princess’s clothes be removed?”
“Empress, please be patient.”
Jiang Si’s simple response left the Empress helpless.
Just as a snake has its vulnerable spot, people have their weaknesses, and Princess Fuqing was the Empress’s weakness.
The Emperor and Empress momentarily lost their desire to speak, waiting silently.
In this silence, the palace maids serving in the hall unconsciously softened their breathing, trying their utmost to minimize their presence.
The Princess had been unable to see for so many years, and almost every imperial physician had examined her, not to mention countless famous folk doctors, yet all had been helpless. How could the Princess Consort of Prince Yan, after just one look at the Princess, claim she could cure the Princess’s eye ailment?
The Empress was right—the Princess Consort of Prince Yan was just seeking attention!
But hadn’t she considered the thunderous anger of the Emperor and Empress?
Had the Princess Consort of Prince Yan been possessed to make such an outrageous move?
Amidst everyone’s speculation, Jiang Si finally spoke: “Princess, please don’t move. I will remove the cloth from your eyes.”
“I—” Princess Fuqing suddenly grabbed Jiang Si’s hand, her whole body tensing.
In this moment of extreme nervousness, she suddenly felt the weight lift from her eyes.
The Emperor and Empress both held their breath, watching Princess Fuqing’s reaction.
Princess Fuqing kept her eyes closed, momentarily at a loss.
“Princess, try opening your eyes.”
Hearing that gentle yet firm voice, Princess Fuqing’s eyelids trembled.
She dared not.
For quite a while, Princess Fuqing did not move, her beautiful face completely drained of color.
The Empress finally couldn’t help but say: “Fuqing, try opening your eyes.”
Princess Fuqing’s face showed hesitation.
That voice spoke again: “Didn’t the Princess say that the worst case would be staying the same? So what is the Princess afraid of?”
These words prompted Princess Fuqing to make her decision, and she opened her eyes almost desperately.
Gradually, she found her focus, seeing the dragon-carved and phoenix-painted pillars, and the exquisitely painted coffered ceiling.
As her gaze lowered, she saw the Empress’s elegant and beautiful face, now marked by the passage of time.
Princess Fuqing’s tears began to fall.
The Empress became anxious, grabbing Princess Fuqing’s hand: “Quan’er, what’s wrong?”
Princess Fuqing suddenly burst into loud sobs.
In front of the Emperor and Empress, Jiang Si and her husband, and all the palace maids and attendants, Princess Fuqing cried heart-wrenchingly, completely forgetting the dignity expected of an imperial princess.
The Empress became flustered, repeatedly asking: “Quan’er, what’s wrong? Don’t frighten Mother—”
Emperor Jingming pushed the Empress aside and held Princess Fuqing’s shoulders: “Quan’er, can you see?”
That foolish Empress—given Fuqing’s nature, how could she cry if she still couldn’t see? She would only smile and say it was fine…
Despite having this guess, Emperor Jingming still anxiously awaited Princess Fuqing’s answer.
Princess Fuqing threw herself into Emperor Jingming’s arms, crying so hard she could barely breathe: “Father Emperor, I can see… Your beard is so long…”
Emperor Jingming’s mouth twitched for a moment, then he broke into great joy, tears flowing from the corners of his eyes: “It’s good that you can see, it’s good that you can see. I knew a good child like Fuqing would surely be blessed…”
Suddenly there was a thud, followed by the palace maids’ screams: “Empress, Empress—”
The Empress had fainted from excitement.
Princess Fuqing was startled, rushing over to call: “Mother Empress, wake up—”
The palace maids and attendants all looked anxiously toward Emperor Jingming, waiting for his order to summon the imperial physician.
Emperor Jingming strode over and directly pressed the Empress’s philtrum.
What need was there to summon a physician? The Empress was just causing trouble.
This merciless pressure immediately brought the Empress around. Seeing Emperor Jingming’s face, she instinctively asked: “Where’s Fuqing?”
She suddenly sat up: “Your Majesty, was I dreaming?”
Princess Fuqing, holding the Empress’s arm beside her, cried like rain: “Mother Empress, you weren’t dreaming. I really can see…”
Only then did it feel real to the Empress, and she embraced Princess Fuqing, crying bitterly.
The hall echoed with the mother and daughter’s crying, while the palace maids quietly wiped their tears.
Emperor Jingming watched the emotional display of the Empress and Princess, and even the palace maids who had no right to cry openly, without any annoyance, feeling only supreme contentment.
After the excitement, everyone’s attention returned to Jiang Si.
The Empress had already changed her attitude, looking at Jiang Si with genuine kindness in her eyes: “Princess Consort Yan, I never imagined you could truly cure Fuqing’s eyes. I… I thank you…”
Jiang Si curtsied to the Empress: “I don’t deserve Mother Empress’s thanks. Being able to cure the Princess’s eyes makes me happy as well.”
In her previous life, when she returned from the Southern Frontier with Yu Seven, she knew about Princess Fuqing’s eye ailment but didn’t dare step forward to say she could treat it.
She had felt guilty.
Bearing the identity of Holy Maiden Asang, yet looking so similar to the missing Third Young Madam of Duke An’s manor, she feared drawing too much attention and having her secret discovered.
Because of this, she maintained an extremely low profile, wishing only to live a quiet life with Yu Seven.
Later, it was said that Princess Fuqing had lost her footing and fallen from a high platform to her death…
Although Princess Fuqing’s death had nothing to do with her, Jiang Si had remained heavy-hearted for a long time, occasionally thinking that if she had dared to cure Princess Fuqing’s eyes then, this young woman in her prime wouldn’t have died so tragically.
Given another chance, Jiang Si didn’t want to experience that suppressed regret again. Moreover, from her interests, curing Princess Fuqing’s eyes meant the Empress, who truly loved her daughter, would favor her somewhat in the future.
Emperor Jingming looked at Jiang Si with interest, asking: “Seventh Son’s wife, how did you know how to treat Fuqing’s eye ailment?”
Jiang Si had anticipated this question and replied composedly: “Your daughter-in-law doesn’t know why, but upon seeing the Princess’s eyes, I knew there were parasites and knew how to treat them.”
Emperor Jingming was surprised: “Born with this knowledge?”
In this era, tales of those born with innate knowledge were not uncommon, and people didn’t find such things absurd. There were even sage’s words saying “Those born knowing are the highest, those who learn and then know are next.”
Emperor Jingming didn’t completely believe Jiang Si’s words, but after staring at her for a while and seeing no sign of guilt, he burst into laughter: “Seventh Son, you’ve married a good wife.”
What did it matter whether she was telling the truth or not? What mattered was that she had cured Fuqing’s eyes.