But Physician Hong had said that when one is too hungry, they shouldn’t eat too much at once, as it’s bad for the stomach. So Yin Shuang had counted several times to make sure the number of cloud cake pieces was half the amount Physician Hong usually allowed her to eat, before bringing them to Bai Qingyan.
Bai Qingyan looked at Yin Shuang and smiled faintly: “Yin Shuang has brought me delicious food again!”
“Mm!” Yin Shuang nodded vigorously, “Can’t eat too much, but… next time bring more!”
Physician Hong sat down on a small embroidered stool, took out his pulse pillow to diagnose Bai Qingyan’s condition, and after a long while, exhaled deeply, inevitably scolding her: “Miss, you don’t take care of your health at all. Unable to sleep for such a long time… why didn’t you call for this old man’s treatment earlier? Do you not trust my medical skills?”
Seeing Bai Qingyan about to rise, Chun Tao hurried forward to help her up.
“There were too many matters to attend to. It wasn’t that I couldn’t sleep, but that I didn’t dare to sleep…” She leaned against the hidden cushion that Chun Tao had placed behind her and said to Physician Hong, “In the past… I never knew that governing a nation carried such tremendous responsibility. Every day, countless tangled affairs are waiting to be discussed and handled.”
“Miss, don’t try to fool this old man with such words!” Physician Hong understood everything from taking her pulse, “Miss, heart ailments… even if my medical skills were godlike, I couldn’t cure them. But having followed Duke Zhenguo for so many years, I can be said to understand the Grand Princess. If the Grand Princess knew that her choice to find release had instead trapped Miss in a prison of the heart, the Grand Princess would not be able to rest in peace!”
Physician Hong placed the pulse pillow back in his medicine box: “Miss has been intelligent since childhood, and in some matters is even more perceptive than Duke Zhenguo and the Grand Princess. You should understand… the Grand Princess’s living would have been more painful than departing. Better to leave everything behind… It’s cleaner! And she wouldn’t become a stumbling block for Miss in dealing with those former dynasties’ imperial relatives! The Grand Princess was the Grand Princess of the Jin Dynasty—with her present, those people could be considered Miss’s blood relatives!”
“Miss, think about it yourself…” Physician Hong sat upright with a solemn expression as he looked at Bai Qingyan, “If the Grand Princess had returned safely with Miss this time, wouldn’t those people come before the Grand Princess crying and pleading, begging her to intercede for them out of family bonds? Wouldn’t they constantly force the Grand Princess to remember that she was the Jin Dynasty’s Grand Princess? At that time… would the Grand Princess help or not? Once the Grand Princess spoke up, no matter how difficult, Miss would comply—everyone in the Bai household knows this! If the Grand Princess hardened her heart and refused, wouldn’t they deliberately drag Miss into it, saying things like Miss doesn’t recognize her relatives, using this as leverage to cause trouble?”
Lu Ninghua stepped forward and bowed to Bai Qingyan: “Miss has been busy since returning, so Ninghua has had one matter she hasn’t mentioned to Miss—the Grand Princess’s health… actually couldn’t have lasted much longer.”
Bai Qingyan looked toward Lu Ninghua, quite surprised. At least she had thought that her grandmother still seemed fairly robust.
“If that’s the case, Miss, think again—the Grand Princess’s health couldn’t have lasted much longer anyway. If she had returned with Miss and those people had pleaded with the Grand Princess, and she had hardened her heart to refuse them, but then couldn’t bear the worry and collapsed, what would those people who fear the world isn’t chaotic enough say? Wouldn’t they pin the crime of forcing the grandmother to death on Miss?”
Physician Hong sighed at Bai Qingyan: “Miss, once you step out of grief and guilt and think carefully, with Miss’s intelligence, you should understand these principles better than this old man.”
Physician Hong turned back to glance at Yin Shuang: “Although Yin Shuang isn’t clever, she understands the principle that suffering through a day is still a day, and smiling through a day is also still a day. So even though Yin Shuang lost an eye, she still lives very happily. Miss… no matter how sad and guilty you feel, the Grand Princess cannot be brought back to life. Whether it’s Duke Zhenguo, the Grand Princess, or Duke Zhenguo himself, they loved Miss so much—if they knew Miss was tormenting herself like this, how heartbroken would they be?”
Having said this much, Physician Hong had said everything he needed to say. He stood and performed a deep bow to Bai Qingyan, then instructed Yin Shuang: “Carry the medicine box, let’s go!”
“Miss… eat!” Yin Shuang pointed to the cloud cakes placed beside Bai Qingyan’s bed, shouldered the medicine box, and hurriedly left following Physician Hong’s steps.
“This servant will see Physician Hong out!” Chun Tao glanced at Bai Qingyan and hurried after them to hold the curtain for Physician Hong.
Faintly hearing Physician Hong instructing Chun Tao outside the door to first have Bai Qingyan drink some porridge and to watch the medicine pot carefully, bringing the medicine to Bai Qingyan promptly once it was ready, Lu Ninghua stepped forward: “The Grand Princess’s health had long been declining. During Prince Liang’s rebellion, the Grand Princess was inevitably distressed day and night, her health deteriorating daily. If Miss doesn’t believe it, you can ask Seventh Miss and Nanny Jiang.”
Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes and picked up the cloud cakes beside her bed, unwrapping the messily wrapped oiled paper. Thinking of Yin Shuang, who had lost an eye but still became overjoyed whenever there was something delicious, her eyes grew moist and red.
She tore off a piece and bit a little at the edge. In her mouth, which had tasted only bitterness, she finally tasted a hint of sweetness.
Seeing Bai Qingyan lowering her head to eat the cloud cakes, Nanny Tong quickly poured a cup of water and handed it to her, reaching out to take the cloud cakes: “Miss, please drink some water first. The small kitchen has minced meat and millet porridge simmering on the stove. Miss should drink some first before eating solid food, to avoid hurting your stomach.”
Bai Qingyan handed the cloud cakes to Nanny Tong and asked: “Grandmother’s funeral has already ended?”
Nanny Tong nodded with reddened eyes: “Yes, Miss. It’s finished. The ladies and the Seventh Young Master said… not to disturb Miss’s rest. Miss has been too tired these past days.”
Bai Qingyan was silent for a moment before asking again: “Has A’Yun… returned?”
Nanny Tong shook her head: “Ninth Young Master hasn’t returned yet.”
“Have any court ministers come to the residence seeking an audience?” Bai Qingyan asked again.
Nanny Tong pursed her lips. Originally, she didn’t want to tell Bai Qingyan, but now, Miss was not only their Bai household’s eldest daughter—she was already the Great Zhou Empress.
She said: “The National Uncle and Dali Temple Minister Lu came once, but… knowing Miss was sleeping, they didn’t disturb you. They said the matter wasn’t urgent and could wait until after the coronation ceremony.”
She nodded, thinking of the deposed crown prince, and threw off the thin quilt covering her: “Nanny, help me change clothes.”
Nanny Tong privately wanted to persuade Bai Qingyan to rest well, but she also knew that what Miss was now concerned with was state affairs that couldn’t be delayed. She nodded: “Very well…”
The deposed crown prince and Qin Shangzhi were temporarily imprisoned in the jail.
However, because Bai Qingyan had specifically instructed, the cells where the deposed crown prince and Qin Shangzhi were held were clean and tidy, and the jailers were reasonably amiable. As long as the deposed crown prince’s requests weren’t excessive, the jailers tried their best to accommodate them.
After returning from Luohong City and being left alone for these past few days, the deposed crown prince of Jin was even afraid that Bai Qingyan would take out her anger over the Grand Princess’s death on him and no longer intended to give him a way to live.