Kang Ping and Feng Boyu only left after finishing the evening banquet in the palace.

After the banquet broke up, Lin Xiao escorted Qin Yao back to the residence of Prince Lan. He helped her down from the carriage but did not go in himself, only saying to her at the gate, “I’ve arranged to drink with the Crown Prince tonight. I’ll be back very late — go rest early, don’t wait up for me.”

Drinking with the Crown Prince? Qin Yao met Lin Xiao’s eyes for a moment, gradually understanding, and nodded with practiced understanding between them. She handed him his cloak. “Alright. It’s getting colder by the day — if you drink too much, don’t ride your horse home.”

“I know.” Lin Xiao saw the hidden worry in Qin Yao’s eyes clearly enough. He reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair back for her and said in a low voice, “Don’t worry.”

Qin Yao’s expression relaxed somewhat. She said nothing more and turned to go back inside.

Lin Xiao watched until Qin Yao’s figure had disappeared through the gate before swinging up onto his horse and riding off with Chang Rong and the others.

After Kang Ping had gone, the Emperor went straight to Yongshou Palace. He had just sat down and was about to speak with Consort Yi about Kang Ping’s wedding the day before, when Eunuch Mi arrived, bringing with him Yu Ruoshui, the head of the Imperial Medical Institute.

After paying his respects, Eunuch Mi said to the Emperor, his face full of worry, “Your Majesty, Physician Yu has already examined the female officials and palace attendants suffering from the cough illness. Their symptoms are all identical — coughing with phlegm, along with shortness of breath at night, with hints of consumption. Because the matter is so grave, Physician Yu has come specially, out of an abundance of caution, to give you a detailed report.”

“Consumption?” The Emperor and Consort Yi both changed expression slightly and looked toward Yu Ruoshui. “Is Physician Yu certain of this?”

Yu Ruoshui clasped his hands together without hurry and reported, “This humble physician has been treating several afflicted palace attendants in recent days. Of them all, the first to fall ill was Female Official Qin. Imperial Physician Huang took her pulse and prescribed her the usual remedy for a common cold. But after half a month on it, Female Official Qin’s cough not only failed to improve but worsened, with traces of blood appearing in her phlegm. Seeing this, His Highness the Crown Prince grew deeply worried and appointed this humble physician to take over her treatment. The moment I examined her, I suspected she was suffering from consumption, and what worried me even more is that within a few days, four more palace attendants in succession fell ill with the same cough — and as it happens, all of them had been in close contact with Female Official Qin before they fell ill. I then tried changing Female Official Qin’s prescription to one specifically for consumption, and after two days on it her symptoms eased somewhat. I am now all the more certain, Your Majesty, Your Highness — Female Official Qin’s illness is consumption beyond doubt.”

“Truly consumption?” Consort Yi looked at Yu Ruoshui anxiously. “Physician Yu, can this illness still be treated? There won’t be any serious harm, will there?”

Yu Ruoshui did not raise his head, but bowed at the waist as he answered. “Female Official Qin is still young, and her illness is only in its early stages. As long as she takes her medicine on schedule, with nourishing broths every day, and rests quietly for around half a year, there should be no lasting harm. The trouble is, this consumption is contagious. If Female Official Qin is to recover properly, it would be unwise for her to remain in the palace, lest she pass it to others — especially since she normally serves only in Yongshou Palace, and over time this could put Your Highness’s own precious health at risk.”

On hearing this, the very first thought in both the Emperor and Consort Yi’s minds was of the Crown Prince.

“Let her leave the palace.” The Emperor decided at once. “Send her back to the residence of the Marquis of Jinghai to recover for half a year. We’ll discuss everything else once she’s recovered.”

He waved his hand, dismissing Yu Ruoshui and Eunuch Mi, and said, “Besides Female Official Qin, arrange for the other afflicted attendants as well — move them out of the palace as soon as possible.”

The two of them acknowledged the order and withdrew to make the arrangements.

Consort Yi’s face showed reluctance, and she watched the Emperor from beside him, starting to speak several times and stopping herself.

The Emperor caught this from the corner of his eye and raised an eyebrow lightly. “What is it? Something you want to say?”

Consort Yi’s delicate brows knitted slightly. “I’m afraid His Highness the Crown Prince may not agree to A’Yuan leaving the palace — he’s been quite devoted to her these days.”

The Emperor gave a snort. “He is the Crown Prince — when it concerns the standing of the state, can everything simply go by his whims? If A’Yuan had some other illness, that would be one thing, but it just happens to be consumption, which cannot be treated carelessly in the slightest. What if it passed to him? My mind is made up — Qin Yuan leaves the palace tomorrow. If he’s foolish enough to make a fuss over it, I will reprimand him thoroughly and will certainly not indulge him. I trust he is not so foolish as to fail to appreciate his father’s intentions in this. You need say no more.”

Consort Yi indeed said no more. Instead she took up a cushion and placed it behind the Emperor’s lower back, saying gently, “You’ve had a tiring day. Lie back and rest a while.”

The Emperor let Consort Yi tend to him, leaning back on the couch, turning his prayer beads in his hand. After musing a while, he said evenly, “Let her recover for half a year first. If by then she’s made a full recovery and the Crown Prince still insists on marrying no one but her, then so be it, no need to choose another Crown Princess. But if this girl’s health is permanently damaged by this, then the choice of Crown Princess will need careful reconsideration — we cannot give You’er a wife with poor health to begin with. Mutual affection between the two of them matters, of course, but lasting well together over a long life matters too. We can’t simply let You’er have his way out of his own preference — he’s young and naive, but we cannot let that ruin his whole life.”

Consort Yi hurried to agree. “Your Majesty speaks most wisely! Your heart toward the Crown Prince is every bit a loving father’s, and you’ve already shown every kindness and consideration toward A’Yuan as well. It will simply depend now on whether this girl has the good fortune for it.”

Qin Yuan coughed for a long, violent spell, feeling as though her very lungs might come up with it. When she finally managed to stop, she pressed weakly at her dully aching chest, still gasping for breath.

Once she had recovered enough strength, Qin Yuan sat up and took the medicine bowl from beside the bed to drink. Suddenly someone tapped twice on the window frame and called softly from outside, “A’Yuan.”

It was the Crown Prince’s voice.

Qin Yuan paused only briefly, then continued drinking her medicine with an expressionless face. Only after the Crown Prince had called several times more did she dab at her mouth with a handkerchief and answer softly, “My dear You.”

Hearing this timid response, the look of guilt on the Crown Prince’s face deepened further. He said quickly, “A’Yuan, I just questioned Yu Ruoshui closely — as long as you recover properly, this illness poses no real danger at all. Don’t be afraid. Tomorrow when you return to the marquis’s residence, just focus on getting well, and whatever you need to eat or use, I’ll see to it all myself. Whenever I have the time, I’ll come visit you. Father said that once you’ve recovered, your mourning period will be over too, and then he’ll arrange our betrothal.”

Qin Yuan listened while leisurely twisting her handkerchief in her hands. When he finished, she still held the cloth over her mouth and said weakly, “My dear You, you needn’t trouble yourself so much. Once I’m back at the residence, I’ll take good care of myself.”

The Crown Prince’s face was full of tenderness. “There’s no one of authority in your residence to manage things now, and your servants might well grow lax. I’ll escort you back myself tomorrow and assign a few capable palace attendants to wait on you. With them keeping things in order, your old servants will likely be all the more diligent in serving you, and you won’t have to put up with any grievance.”

Qin Yuan, looking utterly bored, raised her delicate eyebrows and extended a single finger, sliding it lightly across the window paper, and answered with seeming heartfelt sincerity, “Then I must trouble my dear You for the effort.”

Through the window paper, the Crown Prince likewise extended a finger and pressed it lightly against Qin Yuan’s, saying warmly, “There’s no need for thanks between you and me. I only hope you recover quickly and come back to me soon.”

The next day, before dawn had even broken, a north wind rose, bitterly cold, the sky overcast and gloomy. Once Qin Yuan had finished packing, she was attended by the palace staff the Crown Prince had assigned and moved out of Yongshou Palace.

Though she was leaving the palace because of illness, with the Crown Prince taking such pains to elevate her status along the way, no one dared treat Qin Yuan with any negligence, nor dared show the slightest hint of fearing infection from the consumption. Everyone attended her diligently, not daring to grow careless.

When they reached Lingxiao Gate, a carriage happened to be arriving at the palace entrance at the same time. Qin Yuan stepped down from her own carriage, leaning on a maid’s hand, drawing her thick fox-fur cloak tighter around her. At a glance she recognized it as a carriage from Prince Lan’s residence, and so she paused, watching the curtain quietly.

A moment later, a servant lifted the curtain, and a beautiful woman stepped down, dressed in a snow-white brocade hat and sable fur cloak. The sable was without a single mixed color throughout — precious indeed, but also exceedingly hard to wear well. Yet this beauty had skin like snow and a face like a flower, perfectly matched to the fur, the two complementing each other to perfection.

Qin Yuan looked closely — it was Qin Yao.

Qin Yao stepped down without paying any attention to Qin Yuan at first, only turning back with a laugh to say to Cai Ping and Cai You, “It’s so warm — I told them this weather doesn’t call for it, but Wen Gu insisted on putting it on me anyway.”

Her tone was cheerful, carrying a note of laughter, like a small bell stirred by a passing breeze to anyone listening.

Qin Yuan put on a smile, stepped forward a few paces, then halted timidly. “Young Madam.”

Qin Yao turned and, seeing it was Qin Yuan, her smile did not fade in the slightest. She greeted her. “I heard you’ve been ill?”

Qin Yuan covered her mouth with her handkerchief and coughed a few times. “It’s all because my health has failed me — now I have no choice but to go back to the marquis’s residence to recover. I won’t be able to attend Her Highness Consort Yi as usual anymore.”

Qin Yao gave a soft “oh,” and stepped closer, studying her complexion for a moment. “What a pity, falling so suddenly into such an illness. Go back and recover well — you’re bound to get better.”

As she spoke, her eyes never once left Qin Yuan’s face — though there was a smile on her lips, her gaze was heavy and dark.

Qin Yuan let Qin Yao study her and replied with a smile, “Thank you, Young Madam, for your concern—” Before she could finish, an itch caught in her throat, and she coughed violently right toward Qin Yao. Halfway through the fit she remembered she’d forgotten to cover her mouth, and hastily, face flushing, pressed her handkerchief to her lips, while sending an apologetic look toward Qin Yao with her eyes.

Qin Yao watched all this and gave a faint, mocking smile. Once Qin Yuan had finished coughing, she suddenly lowered her voice. “I’ve heard there’s a gang of bandits in Chang’an lately who specialize in breaking into homes to abduct pretty young ladies. A’Yuan, once you’re back at your residence, you must be sure to keep your household well guarded — don’t let these brigands set their sights on you.”

Qin Yuan had her hand pressed to her chest, steadying her breath, and at these words her body stiffened. After a moment, she replied timidly, her face flushing, “Young Madam, you make it sound far too frightening. It’s only that His Highness the Crown Prince worried I’d be too lonely alone in my residence, and has already sent plenty of men to look after me. I think no matter how bold those bandits might be, they wouldn’t dare set their schemes against His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Qin Yao raised her eyebrows as if just remembering, with a feigned look of realization, and said with a smile, “I’d nearly forgotten that the Crown Prince has always looked after you so well — how could it possibly fall to the likes of me to meddle. It’s getting late, and I still need to go in and consult Her Highness Consort Yi about a few matters. I won’t keep you from leaving the palace any longer, sister.”

She led her attendants on into the palace.

Qin Yuan watched Qin Yao’s retreating figure, a touch of cold malice gradually surfacing in her eyes. She stood rooted there for quite a while before finally letting her attendants help her up into the carriage.