Yunyi suppressed her laughter and said: “So in the Princess’s heart, it’s only ‘as if’? This servant truly regards the Princess as a sister and plans to rely on the Princess for life, but it turns out this servant is being presumptuous. Sigh, how heartbreaking.”

“I didn’t mean that, it’s just…” Halfway through speaking, Changsun Shi saw the amusement in Yunyi’s eyes and immediately realized she was joking with her. She laughed in mock anger: “How dare you tease me! Do you believe I’ll punish you…” She rarely punished anyone and couldn’t think of anything for a moment. After a while, she finally came up with something: “I’ll punish you to go chisel ice.”

“How would this servant dare not believe the Princess’s words?” After some laughter and teasing, Yunyi personally attended to Changsun Shi eating two pieces of cake and drinking the bowl of pregnancy-supporting medicine that was brought afterward. Then she said: “Imperial Physician Li mentioned that recently the Princess’s contractions have improved greatly—at most two or three times a day, sometimes not even once.”

Changsun Shi stroked her belly and said gently: “Fortunately you invited Imperial Physician Li to help stabilize my pregnancy, otherwise who knows what might have happened!”

Xiuzhu, who had been mostly silent, suddenly interjected: “Miss is kindhearted and blessed by heaven. Even without Imperial Physician Li, mother and child would certainly be safe.”

Yunyi glanced at her and smiled: “Miss Xiuzhu speaks correctly. The Princess has a benevolent heart, and heaven will surely protect the Princess and her child.” Then she said to Changsun Shi: “Ruyi can make many other specialty cakes. Tomorrow this servant will have her make different cakes for the Princess to try.”

Changsun Shi smiled: “Then I won’t refuse such kindness.”

After saying a few more words, Yunyi left with Ruyi. Once outside, Ruyi said softly: “Xiuzhu beside the Princess seems quite dissatisfied with you, Princess. Every time she sees you, her words carry barbs. I don’t know how you’ve offended her. I heard she’s been following the Princess for over ten years, yet she hasn’t learned half the Princess’s breadth of mind and grace.”

Yunyi looked at her: “What about you? Haven’t you also been following me for over ten years, yet you still care so much about others’ opinions?”

Ruyi hadn’t expected Yunyi to bring it back to herself and stuck out her tongue, saying softly: “This servant was just speaking casually—it’s nothing serious. Besides, you haven’t provoked or offended her, yet every time she sees you, she acts as if you owe her tens of thousands of strings of cash.”

Yunyi smiled lightly and said calmly: “Let her be. Thinking too much will only make oneself unhappy! Instead of this, you’d better think of a few cakes suitable for the Princess to eat.”

“Understood.” As they walked away while talking, Changsun Shi was staring at Xiuzhu. Just as she was about to speak, Xiuzhu said first: “This servant knows her mistake. Please forgive me, Miss!”

Seeing her voluntarily admit fault, Changsun Shi didn’t feel it appropriate to say more, only: “Think more before speaking in the future.” After Xiuzhu nodded, she continued: “I’m tired and want to sleep for a while.”

“This servant will help you rest.” After tucking the brocade quilt around Changsun Shi, Xiuzhu retreated. As soon as she closed the vermillion palace door, her expression immediately darkened. Every time she showed even slight dissatisfaction with Princess Jinyang, she would receive reproach from her mistress. Though there was no harsh scolding, it still made her very unhappy.

Xiuzhu was about to go to the laundry when a xiaosi approached her and said: “Sister Xiuzhu, someone asked me to give you this letter.”

“I see.” After the xiaosi left, Xiuzhu opened the letter. After reading it, she put it away and called over a maidservant: “Miss is sleeping. You attend to her here. I’ll be back soon.”

After making arrangements, she left the Prince of Qin’s mansion and came to a small stream on the east side of Chang’an City. It was the height of summer in June, and the walk left Xiuzhu covered in sweat, her undergarments sticking to her body uncomfortably. Fortunately, there was a tree by the stream to provide some shade.

After waiting for a while, a pair of hands suddenly embraced her waist, startling her. After seeing who it was, Xiuzhu immediately said in mock anger: “Are you trying to scare me to death?”

The person was Ding Yang, who laughed: “You’re my precious treasure. I don’t have time to cherish you—how could I bear to frighten you!”

“You only know how to sweet-talk me. If you really cared for me, you wouldn’t make me walk so far in this heat.” Though she said this, Xiuzhu’s expression showed she was quite pleased.

“I just wanted to see you—we haven’t met for several days.” Then Ding Yang said: “Close your eyes and open your mouth.”

Xiuzhu asked puzzledly: “What do you want to do?”

“Just do as I say.” Under his insistence, Xiuzhu had to close her eyes and open her mouth. After a moment, something cool appeared in her mouth, and a refreshing coolness with a slight sour taste flowed down her throat into her internal organs, instantly dispelling the heat accumulated in her body.

Xiuzhu opened her eyes in surprise and looked at Ding Yang: “What did you give me?”

Ding Yang smiled and held up a porcelain jar wrapped in cotton cloth: “It’s sour plum soup frozen into small pieces. I begged and pleaded with Her Ladyship to get this. It’s perfect for quenching thirst and cooling down. I specially brought it for you.”

Hearing this, Xiuzhu’s heart immediately felt sweet, and she said with shy happiness: “At least you have some conscience.”

The two sat side by side under the tree. After some sweet talk, Ding Yang changed the subject: “By the way, has the Prince of Qin’s consort been making things difficult for you these days?”

Xiuzhu’s smile stiffened slightly. She casually picked a blade of grass to play with at her fingertips and said resentfully: “It’s the same as before—treating Yang Consort like a treasure and me like grass. I even suspect that one day, if Yang Consort says she doesn’t like me, Miss will drive me out of the Prince of Qin’s mansion.” The Yang Consort she mentioned naturally referred to Yunyi.

Ding Yang’s eyes flickered as he smiled and comforted: “Where are you going with this? Your relationship with the Princess spans over ten years—how could Yang Consort replace that so easily?”

“I used to think so too, but now…” Xiuzhu shook her head and recounted what had just happened, saying angrily: “Anyway, everything I say now is wrong. It would be best if I became mute and said nothing at all.”

Ding Yang was silent for a moment, then said: “Before, I told you to be patient, thinking that taking a step back would open up broader horizons. Now it seems that one step back leads to another, and even backing up to a cliff’s edge wouldn’t stop it.”

Xiuzhu agreed deeply: “Exactly! The more I retreat, the more Yang Consort advances. It’s really too much bullying. But Miss trusts her so much—it’s really infuriating.”

Ding Yang said guiltily: “Unfortunately, I’m useless. Seeing you suffer like this, yet I’m powerless to help. I’m sorry.”

Xiuzhu quickly said: “Don’t say such foolish things. How could you intervene in such matters? Even Consort Ji couldn’t appropriately get involved.”

“But this can’t go on forever. I heard Her Ladyship mention this Yang Consort. Five years ago, she infiltrated the Governor’s mansion to assassinate His Majesty, and even used someone else’s identity and killed the Third Young Master. Such a person really can’t be trusted.”