On a deep night, the moon shone softly, and stars twinkled in the sky. Inside Spring Star Pavilion, candles burned brightly.
Ming Tan, realizing her assumptions were unfounded, felt relieved yet embarrassed. However, this wasn’t her first time making a fool of herself in front of Jiang Xu, so she handled it with relative ease.
Moments after her tearful hiccups subsided, she suddenly clutched her abdomen, leaning on Jiang Xu’s shoulder. “My lord,” she whispered weakly, “it hurts. My stomach aches terribly.”
Though she was changing the subject, Ming Tan wasn’t lying. Her stomach was still cramping painfully.
Unsure how to comfort her, Jiang Xu awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Hold on a little longer,” he said, his tone uncertain.
Fortunately, the medicine prepared by Imperial Physician Feng arrived. It was warm and sweetened with brown sugar. Jiang Xu patiently fed it to Ming Tan spoonful by spoonful, and she obediently drank it all.
As Physician Feng had warned, the effectiveness of pain relief varied from person to person. Even after drinking half the medicine, Ming Tan showed no signs of improvement.
Su Xin brought in a hot water bottle. Jiang Xu took it and, following Su Xin’s instructions, placed it on Ming Tan’s lower abdomen over her undergarments.
Using a hot water bottle in the heat of summer caused Ming Tan to sweat profusely. Now, in addition to the pain, she felt overheated. She curled up in Jiang Xu’s arms like a sick kitten, her lips pale, feeling weak and miserable.
Whether it was karma for earlier using stomach pain as an excuse or not, after a long while, not only did the pain fail to subside, but it seemed to grow more frequent and intense.
“My lord, it hurts so much,” she cried out, unable to hold back her tears.
Jiang Xu held her tightly, resting his chin on her head. He stroked her hair gently, awkwardly trying to comfort her. “There, there. Don’t cry.”
“My lord, could you just knock me unconscious? Then I wouldn’t feel the pain anymore.”
Surprisingly, Jiang Xu considered it for a moment.
But Ming Tan quickly sobbed, “Never mind, getting knocked out would hurt too. If one hit doesn’t do it, it would be torture… My lord, do you know acupressure? Is there a point that can make me faint instantly?”
There were such points, but the ones that could induce immediate unconsciousness were all dangerous.
Suddenly, Jiang Xu had an idea. He laid her on the bed, lowered the curtains, and summoned Imperial Physician Feng.
“Physician, the Princess Consort’s abdominal pain hasn’t eased. Is there any medicine or acupuncture that could make her sleep?” he asked.
From behind the curtains, Ming Tan added in a small voice, “No needles, please. They hurt.”
“Well…” Physician Feng pondered. “For this condition, it’s better to ease rather than suppress. Using medication carelessly might be unwise. How about this: I’ll reduce the dosage and prepare a calming draught to help the Princess Consort fall asleep sooner. What does Your Highness think?”
With no better options, Jiang Xu nodded in agreement.
Physician Feng bowed and left to prepare the prescription.
Soon, the calming draught was ready. Ming Tan drank another bowl of medicine personally overseen by Physician Feng. However, before it could calm her, she felt the need to use the restroom, having consumed several bowls of liquid.
Jiang Xu moved to carry her to the bathroom, but Ming Tan, embarrassed, insisted on walking with the help of her maids, despite her difficulty.
In her condition, even using the restroom was a struggle. She had to endure the pain while changing her sanitary clothes and insisted on washing her hands and face.
After all this, it was nearly the third watch of the night when she returned to bed.
Fortunately, Ming Tan’s abdominal cramps had eased slightly, and she finally felt drowsy.
The hot water bottle had cooled. She refused to have it refilled, complaining of the heat. Instead, she asked Jiang Xu to warm her with his hands, whimpering and pouting, “My lord, please kiss Ah Tan and rub my tummy, won’t you?”
Jiang Xu obliged, kissing her eyebrows and eyes, and patiently massaging her abdomen.
“Alright, sleep now,” he said softly, his voice unusually gentle.
Ming Tan felt the pain in her lower abdomen gradually fading, and her consciousness slowly slipping away.
As Ming Tan fell into a deep sleep, Jiang Xu slowed his massaging. He gazed at Ming Tan nestled in his arms, lost in thought, his expression noticeably softer than usual.
–
That night, no one in Spring Star Pavilion slept, nor did Noble Lady Jia in Wind-Stopping Pavilion.
She had quarreled with the Princess Consort of Beidi earlier that day, and now the Princess Consort was suffering from abdominal pain, suspected of being poisoned. How could Noble Lady Jia dare to close her eyes? If it truly was poison, wouldn’t she be the first suspect?
So, the question arose: was someone trying to eliminate the Princess Consort while framing her, or was this a ploy to deliberately implicate her?
Who could it be? The Empress? Consort Lan? Or was the Princess Consort herself staging this drama?
If it was indeed poisoning, they would surely investigate the source. What if someone had planted evidence in her quarters, ready to be discovered during a search?
These midnight thoughts left Noble Lady Jia restless. She spent the night turning Wind-Stopping Pavilion upside down, interrogating numerous servants.
This frantic activity continued until dawn, yielding no results. Pregnant and exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes, Noble Lady Jia was at her limit.
Just then, someone came to report: “My Lady, it seems the Princess Consort of Beidi wasn’t poisoned last night. It appears she… ate some iced lychees and got a stomachache.”
“…”
Noble Lady Jia’s supporting hand slipped. After a long pause, she asked with lifeless eyes, “What did you say? Iced lychees? A stomachache?”
“Yes.”
Noble Lady Jia, for reasons unknown, rolled her eyes and promptly fainted from exasperation.
–
Ming Tan’s false alarm became known not only to Noble Lady Jia but to everyone else as well. After all, Eternal Spring Garden was small, and everyone was paying attention. There was no way to keep it secret.
Ming Tan now felt deeply regretful and too embarrassed to leave her quarters.
In the past, even the combined schemes of the Liang family, Ming Chu, and Feng Yongle couldn’t tarnish the reputation she had carefully maintained for over a decade. Now, one careless mistake with a few iced lychees had done just that! The mere thought of people gossiping behind her back about how the Princess Consort of Beidi could mistake eating lychees for an assassination attempt made her feel suffocated!
The only consolation was that no one dared to discuss it in her presence.
Unable to show her face for days, Ming Tan stayed in Spring Star Pavilion, embroidering the sachet she had promised Jiang Xu earlier.
A small item like a sachet, no matter how intricate, doesn’t take long to complete. After finishing it, Ming Tan found herself idle and recalled Jiang Xu’s earlier words about her weak constitution needing exercise.
She had previously agreed to learn archery, but agreeing and learning were two different matters. She had been avoiding it, pretending to be asleep one day, unable to get up the next, managing to delay it even after arriving at Eternal Spring Garden without visiting the training grounds at the manor.
This time, struck by a whim and fearing Jiang Xu might refuse to teach her due to her inconsistency, she played on his sympathy with her recent abdominal pain. She also used the carefully sewn sachet as a bribe. Unsurprisingly, this strategy succeeded in getting Jiang Xu to agree to teach her archery again.
Although Spring Star Pavilion lacked a training ground, there was a bamboo grove behind it. Jiang Xu had a target set up in a clearing and had her custom-made small bow brought over.
Believing that good tools are a prerequisite to good work, Jiang Xu prepared thoroughly. Ming Tan shared this belief, but for her, the tool wasn’t the bow, but her archery attire.
Once she decided to learn archery, Ming Tan sketched a design for her archery outfit, noting the colors and materials. She sent someone to rush-order it from the Splendid Brocade Shop.
The shop didn’t disappoint. In just two days, they produced an outfit exactly matching her design.
Ming Tan tried it on, highly pleased. “My lord, how do I look? Doesn’t Ah Tan appear valiant and heroic in this outfit?” She twirled before Jiang Xu, her eyes bright and spirits high.
Jiang Xu: “…”
Ming Tan continued, “I also had them make special boots, though they haven’t arrived yet. Once I wear those, this ensemble will be perfect. It’ll look even better then!”
“Archery is about posture, strength, and accuracy, not clothing,” Jiang Xu couldn’t help but remind her.
“No, Ah Tan believes that while posture, strength, and accuracy are important, having the right attire is equally crucial,” Ming Tan insisted.
“How so?”
“It improves one’s mood,” Ming Tan stated confidently. “Archery is like warfare. My lord, don’t you need to boost morale before leading troops into battle? Though I’m not versed in military strategy, I know morale is key to victory. Similarly, interest and enthusiasm are vital for achieving significant progress in archery. Wearing clothes that lift one’s spirits increases enthusiasm for learning, making the process twice as effective, don’t you think?”
“…”
Such twisted logic.
Jiang Xu, tired of arguing, stepped outside. Ming Tan hurriedly followed.
Upon reaching the bamboo grove, Jiang Xu handed the small bow to Ming Tan, intending to first teach her the correct archery posture.
Ming Tan reached out to take it, but as soon as she grasped it, she nearly stumbled forward, barely managing to steady it with both hands.
“Why is it so heavy?” she exclaimed, shocked that such a small, delicate-looking bow could be so weighty.
After her initial surprise, she looked at the normal-sized bow Jiang Xu held in one hand. “My lord, is yours very heavy too?”
Without a word, Jiang Xu handed his bow to her.
While Ming Tan could hold the small bow with both hands, Jiang Xu’s bow felt so heavy she could barely lift it even with both arms. She quickly handed it back.
Ming Tan was truly surprised. She had expected to miss the target or not be able to shoot at all, but she never imagined she couldn’t even lift the bow. She couldn’t even hold it!
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
Jiang Xu had anticipated her weakness, but he hadn’t expected it to this extent—needing both hands just to hold the small bow.
Ming Tan cleared her throat and stubbornly tried to hold the small bow with one hand. She could hold it at her side but couldn’t lift it. After several attempts to raise her arm, it ached unbearably halfway up.
Questioning her life choices, Ming Tan suggested, “My lord, perhaps we should… take a break for today?”
Jiang Xu: “…”
Her earlier confident words still echoed in his ears.
Of course, Ming Tan hadn’t forgotten her boastful claims either. Embarrassed and frustrated, she said, “My lord, you should practice on your own. Ah Tan will go have some breakfast first. Perhaps I lack strength because I haven’t eaten.”
With that, she turned and hurried back, covering her face, inwardly chanting, “How embarrassing, how embarrassing.”
Just then, a small snake suddenly slithered out from the bamboo, moving about a zhang away.
Ming Tan, afraid of snakes, didn’t even have time to scream or feel weak-kneed before a flash of sword light appeared. Jiang Xu moved swiftly, almost too fast to see, striking the snake’s vital point. After the strike, the sword fell back, planting itself perfectly in the ground before Ming Tan, its blade still quivering.
“It’s not venomous, don’t worry. But you shouldn’t come to the bamboo grove alone in the future.”
Ming Tan was indeed startled, but as she stared at the sword, she suddenly recalled a conversation with Jiang Xu from a few days ago when they entered the garden:
“My lord, can you play the flute or xiao?”
“No, but I am skilled with the sword.”
“Don’t you think it would be harmonious for a husband and wife if one danced with a sword while the other played music?”
“Well, being skilled with a sword and performing sword dances are different things, aren’t they?”
At the time, she had simply agreed, not thinking much of it. But now, seeing the sword, she suddenly felt something was amiss.
How did her lord know that she thought sword dancing accompanied by music could be considered marital harmony? If she remembered correctly, she had only expressed this wish at Lingmiao Temple, hadn’t she?