The Qi family’s back courtyard.

The Liao family’s female relatives consisted only of Gao Niangzi with Yao Huang and A’Ji—three women. At a table of eight, Steward Qi’s second wife Madam Lu not only personally kept them company but also arranged for the town’s ward chief’s wife and daughter-in-law, Scholar He’s wife Madam Zhu, and daughter He Wenqi.

No matter how much Madam Zhu’s temperament invited dislike or jealousy, Scholar He and He Wenbin’s father and son’s scholarly achievements were there for all to see. He Wenbin even had the possibility of passing the presented scholar examination and becoming an official. Therefore, the town’s residents all fawned over the He family on the surface.

Today’s Madam Zhu, however, had changed from her previous arrogance. She initiated conversation especially rarely, and even when someone chatted with her, she would from time to time steal glances at the Liao family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Yao Huang paid no attention to Madam Zhu. She had a heap of social obligations herself.

“Little Yao, living in our town is comfortable, right? I see your scholar husband’s complexion is getting better and better. He’s so handsome that every time I see him, I feel I can’t look enough.”

Yao Huang: “It’s comfortable. This place has beautiful mountains and waters. I only regret not moving here earlier.”

Someone else stirred things up: “It has nothing to do with mountains and waters. It’s because our chicken-head ginseng is good. I see your Second Uncle collecting chicken-head ginseng every day. Besides making medicine, you must be stewing soup and cooking porridge with it constantly at home?”

Once these words were spoken, everyone envied the Liao family’s prosperity.

After listening for a while, Yao Huang finally learned that those plain-looking chicken-head ginseng roots resembling ginger actually sold for a hundred wen per catty—more expensive than chicken, duck, fish, or meat!

“That’s just for eating raw. I hear properly processed dried chicken-head ginseng can sell for five or six qian of silver per catty. Those with higher age are even more expensive. Unfortunately, we locals don’t know how to process them. We can only sell the chicken-head ginseng we worked so hard to dig from the mountains cheaply to the medicinal herb merchants who come to collect goods. Generation after generation of digging has made chicken-head ginseng increasingly scarce in the mountains. The medicinal herb merchants don’t even come as frequently anymore.”

“That’s right. When my family’s old lady was young, if anyone in the village or town had a headache or fever, they could go into the mountains anytime to dig some chicken-head ginseng to stew soup for nourishment. By our generation, if we go dig ourselves we can’t find any. We can only wait for those bold villagers to go deep into the mountains to search. Alas, since they expended so much effort, of course they have to sell at high prices.”

“Still, Physician Liao is honest and willing to pay high prices to collect chicken-head ginseng with high age. He’s much better than those wild peddlers from who knows where!”

The more Gao Niangzi heard, the more she sweated for Physician Liao. Would the princess consort think Physician Liao was using the prince’s manor’s silver to play the good person?

She leaned toward the princess consort’s ear and explained in a low voice: “I heard Old Liao say that his price is only twenty percent higher than the peddlers’. Whether for soup or medicine, it’s much cheaper than buying in the city.”

Yao Huang smiled: “As it should be. Everyone works hard collecting medicine too.”

The women’s banquet lasted a full hour. When Yao Huang returned to the east courtyard, Prince Hui had already changed into inner garments and was waiting on her bed for the afternoon rest.

Probably because he found the black canopy ugly, after using it twice Prince Hui had her put it away. In any case, since doing this in daylight had already begun, Prince Hui no longer needed to be reserved.

Yao Huang first went to the west room to briefly wipe down, then wearing a set of white silk garments with pink trim sat at the bedside. While combing her hair, she told Prince Hui about the price of chicken-head ginseng: “So you see, I’m truly enjoying good fortune by following Second Master. Otherwise, how could I drink tonic soup every few days? With both chicken and chicken-head ginseng, that one pot of soup costs a tael of silver.”

Zhao Sui had long since discovered that the princess consort liked to chat. Most of the time she didn’t need him to respond—just listening was enough.

The princess consort’s voice was soft and gentle. Her expression was vivid and lively. Her word choice was plain and simple yet very pleasant to listen to.

“Eh, Second Master drank alcohol?”

Yao Huang suddenly detected a faint whiff of alcohol.

Zhao Sui turned his head and said: “When everyone toasted Steward Qi, I took a shallow sip.”

Yao Huang held the comb in one hand and with the other turned back the handsome face Prince Hui had turned away: “I’m not complaining about you. I actually find this bit of alcohol smell quite pleasant. What I can’t stand is the strong alcohol smell my father and brother bring back after competing in drinking with others. It’s suffocating.”

Zhao Sui: “…I rinsed my mouth.”

He’d rinsed his mouth and drank tea, but the alcohol smell was stubborn—there was still residue.

Yao Huang glanced at Prince Hui’s lips. This time it was her turn to turn her head, saying with a red face: “Whether you rinse or not, what’s it to me?” He didn’t kiss her mouth anyway.

Zhao Sui: “…”

His gaze fixed on her rosy, full lips, then moved away again.

Some things were necessary for the wedding night when husband and wife consummated the marriage. He was a prince—even if the princess consort felt disdain in her heart, she wouldn’t show it.

Once their bodies were familiar with each other, Zhao Sui knew the princess consort could derive pleasure from those actions of his, so he could act freely.

What pleasure could there be in lips and teeth intertwining?

Zhao Sui couldn’t imagine. It was only now that he would have such thoughts about the princess consort. If another woman hinted at him this way, Zhao Sui would be angry.

But for this unnecessary intimacy without pleasure, he could accept the princess consort who was as gorgeous and sweet as a peony flower everywhere—could the princess consort accept him?

Zhao Sui didn’t want to see any reluctance in her eyes. Without certainty and since it wasn’t necessary, it was better to maintain the status quo.

At dusk, Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui along the riverbank all the way to the southern mountain foot. This was a small mountain. From here going east, west, and south, it connected to countless more high and low mountain peaks. Within their field of vision, the most majestic and imposing peak worthy of climbing for a distant view was about ten-some li away from Spirit Mountain Town. Precisely because there were no famous mountains or strange peaks near Spirit Mountain Town, this small town wasn’t as prosperous as the other towns around the foot of Spirit Mountain.

Zhao Sui gazed toward the high peak.

Yao Huang pushed the wheelchair. Seeing Prince Hui for the first time gaze at the mountains for so long and with such obvious movements, she felt Prince Hui wanted to climb mountains.

Yao Huang very much wanted to fulfill this wish of Prince Hui’s, but the famous peaks on Spirit Mountain suitable for tourists to climb all had stone steps built—wheelchairs couldn’t traverse them. These nearby mountain peaks looked short but were actually over a hundred zhang high. The mountains were full of uneven mountain paths trampled out over the years by mountain people cutting firewood, hunting, and collecting medicine. No matter how great Yao Huang’s strength, she’d have to push for most of a day, exhausting herself with sweat soaking her clothes in utter embarrassment, to push Prince Hui up alone.

Yao Huang didn’t think Prince Hui would enjoy such a mountain climbing trip. It wasn’t just about not wanting to exhaust her—even if it were Qing Ai, Fei Quan, or other guards, Prince Hui wasn’t the type to exhaust others for his own pleasure.

Seeing Prince Hui gaze longer and longer, Yao Huang thought for a moment and said: “Second Master, they say these deep mountain wilderness areas most easily produce demon spirits and strange creatures. Do you think there truly are spiritual beasts and spiritual herbs in the world that cultivate to become spirits? Or are those storybooks pure fabrications?”

Zhao Sui: “…I don’t believe in ghosts, gods, immortals, or demons.”

Yao Huang: “In the past so many emperors loved eating immortality pills. I thought emperors were well-informed and there really was a method to become immortal.”

Zhao Sui: “They’re just some very nourishing pills. Common folk spread tales of them as immortality pills, that’s all.”

Yao Huang: “I rather hope there truly are immortals in the world. That way there’d be a chance for immortals to manifest and fulfill some of my wishful fantasies.”

Prince Hui stopped looking at the mountains and glanced behind him: “What would you ask of the immortals?”

Yao Huang: “Of course, eternal life and youth. With such beautiful looks as mine, I can’t bear the thought of becoming an old lady covered in wrinkles in the future. And Second Master too—it would be best if you could remain this handsome forever.”

When she mentioned him, Zhao Sui’s blood cooled for an instant before returning to normal.

“Eh, let’s change locations. I’m afraid that instead of immortals coming, a female demon might appear. The female demons in storybooks most love handsome scholars like Second Master.”

Turning the wheelchair around, Yao Huang muttered as she quickly departed.

Zhao Sui: “…”

As night fell and the princess consort had returned to the back courtyard to sleep, only then did Physician Liao pass through the moon gate between the two families’ front courtyards to give Prince Hui his massage.

Zhao Sui asked: “Why is Spirit Mountain’s yellow essence more effective?”

This effectiveness wasn’t something he’d personally experienced, but rather something Zhao Sui had seen recorded by a famous physician from a previous dynasty in a medical text.

Physician Liao had grown accustomed to Prince Hui’s occasional conversational moods recently. He pondered: “One region’s water and soil nourishes one region’s people. Medicinal herbs are the same. It should be that Spirit Mountain’s soil quality is more suitable for yellow essence’s growth and medicinal property accumulation.”

He could identify the age and quality of medicinal herbs, but as for exactly what was good about Spirit Mountain’s soil, Physician Liao couldn’t say clearly.

Zhao Sui: “The princess consort heard people say that in the past, yellow essence on Spirit Mountain wasn’t rare. It only became increasingly scarce due to years of digging. Does this mean Spirit Mountain yellow essence itself is easy to survive and propagate?”

Physician Liao: “Yes. If mountain people didn’t dig it, yellow essence should be able to grow in large patches. But mountain treasures and wild game are all ownerless things. Since they can be sold for money, mountain people will definitely dig when they see them. Leaving them there would only benefit latecomers.”

Zhao Sui: “I see this entire area is wilderness and uncultivated mountains. If wasteland could be cleared to plant medicine, the surrounding common people would have an additional way to make a living, while simultaneously supplying more quality medicine to all regions.”

Only then did Physician Liao understand what the prince was concerned about. He sighed: “Common people are mostly frugal. Yellow essence sells for so much—if it only required clearing wasteland to plant, the common people would definitely have cleared land long ago. It must be that growing yellow essence still has many difficulties. The common people discovered they couldn’t grow it or couldn’t grow it well, so they gave up on this idea.”

“Furthermore, Spirit Mountain is a famous mountain, not wasteland. The authorities govern it strictly and forbid common people from randomly cutting trees.”

Zhao Sui: “Yellow essence can grow deep in the mountains, which shows it likes shade and fears drought. So when clearing wasteland, there’s no need to cut tall trees—just clearing the weeds and shrubs in the forest would suffice. This is only my speculation. Tomorrow I’ll transfer Li Dechun and several guards over here to have them go into the mountains to investigate yellow essence’s cultivation methods. When he comes down the mountain, you two can discuss it further.”

Li Dechun was the prince’s manor’s other Physician Li.

Physician Liao: “Yes, we’ll definitely handle this matter with care.”

Yao Huang had no idea what Prince Hui had instructed externally. On this morning after finishing sunbathing, Prince Hui went to read. Yao Huang came to the west courtyard and found Gao Niangzi in the kitchen sitting on a small stool watching the fire.

Yao Huang exempted her from courtesy. Glancing at the large pot with its lid on, she asked curiously: “So early—what time-consuming food is Auntie preparing?”

Gao Niangzi smiled: “It’s not food. Old Liao has been collecting chicken-head ginseng, right? Previously, the soup we stewed used three or four-year-old roots. Old Liao said those can be directly stewed for soup without being wasteful. But chicken-head ginseng that’s grown for five years has sufficient medicinal properties. It’s best to save up a lot and process them into dried form. That way the medicinal properties are even more potent and more nourishing for recuperation. So we’ve saved up over ten catties. He had me cook it all in one pot.”

Yao Huang lifted the pot lid to look. Sure enough, it was a full large pot of washed chicken-head ginseng.

“Just cook it and that’s it?”

“It’s early yet. They say it needs to be cooked nine times and dried nine times. The first cooking alone takes three hours. Dry it during the day, shade it at night. Just talking about it sounds troublesome, so nearby villagers all sell them raw.”

Yao Huang: “…He’s not tired collecting medicinal herbs, but Auntie will be busy.”

Gao Niangzi: “He’ll help when he returns. A’Ji, Qing Ai, and Fei Quan will all share the burden for me too. It’s not that tiring!”

Troublesome or not, whether raw yellow essence or properly processed yellow essence, there was always some left over after each soup cooking. Gao Niangzi, being in the kitchen, had the most benefits—she both earned wages and received nourishment along with the masters. So no matter how troublesome, she was happy to do it.

After several days, guests came to the Liao family’s west courtyard—Physician Liao’s good friend Physician Li, saying he wanted to take two apprentices into the mountains to search for medicine and was therefore lodging at the Liao family.

Yao Huang went to look at the excitement, then ran to the east courtyard study to ask Prince Hui what this was all about.

Zhao Sui briefly explained to the princess consort.

Yao Huang: “…”

So that day when Prince Hui stared at the mountains, he was pondering how to grow yellow essence, not trying to climb mountains?

After her surprise, Yao Huang breathed a deep sigh of relief, because she’d been secretly pondering for several days and still hadn’t figured out a method to easily and effortlessly push Prince Hui to a mountain summit.

Sitting beside Prince Hui, Yao Huang smiled: “If it can really be grown, will Second Master lease a mountain to do the medicinal herb business?”

She knew the prince’s manor also had many shops and estates. The annual income was more than Prince Hui’s noble stipend.

Zhao Sui: “No. This matter needs to be led by the county magistrate, encouraging local common people to clear wasteland. Chicken-head ginseng takes at least five years before it can be used as medicine. Only common people living nearby can provide long-term care.”

Yao Huang understood. Prince Hui’s concern about chicken-head ginseng wasn’t for himself—it was to benefit the common people of the Spirit Mountain area.