The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 250
by Little PandaExtra 25
Lovesickness
Cheng Xi called for the manager and asked about the charcoal fire from the previous day. The manager lowered his head and thought carefully, then said, “Oh, I remember now — Xiao Chen was in charge of that. He hasn’t come in yet today. Perhaps Lord Dean could go back for now, and when he arrives, I’ll have him come to you personally to report.”
“No need. I’ll wait for him right here.” Hearing these familiar evasive tactics, Cheng Xi’s expression turned cold.
The manager saw this and laughed awkwardly, still trying to persuade her. Cheng Xi’s lips curved into a meaningful smile as she said, “You stay here too and wait with me.”
At those words, the manager’s smile froze on his face.
The two of them waited in the internal affairs office for a while. Outside, the sky was not yet light — the time when ice formed most easily. But though the world outside was frozen solid, the room they sat in had a charcoal fire burning.
Cheng Xi sat there, unhurried and composed. The manager, however, had begun to sweat.
As the academy staff began taking their places for the day, Cheng Xi sat there, outlasting him. She showed no concern about the medical books she still needed to edit.
“Manager Jia, I trust you know what work I have on my hands. If it gets delayed and Her Majesty holds us accountable, we’ll both be answering for it.”
Manager Jia’s sweat dripped down at those words. He laughed awkwardly and said, “That charcoal fire — this humble subordinate truly forgot about it. If Lord Dean feels her lady was wronged, this humble subordinate will kowtow and beg forgiveness — beg the lady’s forgiveness.”
Manager Jia said this and moved to kneel. Cheng Xi sat to the side, watching him with a half-smile, and did not stop him from kneeling.
Manager Jia’s forehead struck the floor with a loud dong dong that rang out for a long while. Cheng Xi did not call for him to stop.
Manager Jia kowtowed until he was dizzy. When he looked up, Cheng Xi was still watching him with that same half-smile.
“Let me guess — Manager Jia doesn’t dare offend either side, so he’s decided to take the blame himself. Is that it?” Cheng Xi had come knowing the truth and was here to press for it.
Manager Jia stopped kowtowing. Fear crept into his eyes as he looked at Cheng Xi.
“You don’t need to put yourself in a difficult position. I’ll only ask you yes or no — just nod or shake your head. That way, it can’t be said you betrayed the person behind this.” Cheng Xi paused a moment, then added, “My wife is the commander of the Imperial Guard. You surely know her relationship with Her Majesty and the Empress. She has a gentle temperament and doesn’t like to hold grudges — but that doesn’t mean I won’t.”
Manager Jia’s eyes darted about. After a moment, he gave a small nod. If he didn’t yield now, his head would be smashed from all the kowtowing — and if it truly reached Her Majesty, his career would be over. He might even lose his head.
“This has to do with Prime Minister Yun, doesn’t it?”
At the words “Prime Minister Yun,” Manager Jia’s face stiffened. He lowered his gaze for a moment, started to shake his head — but then nodded.
Cheng Xi had her answer. She didn’t press him further. She left the room and went back to editing the medical books.
Since Xiao Bingying didn’t need to see Zhao Ningying off to the palace today, she arrived at the medicine hall earlier than usual for consultations.
A fair number of patients were queued outside, but the shopkeeper hadn’t opened the hall yet.
The shopkeeper and the assistants were organizing the counter and medicine shelves. Seeing Xiao Bingying just sitting there, he laughed and said, “Madam should go upstairs and rest for a bit. It’ll be a while before we open.”
Cheng Xi had set many rules for the medicine hall — barring emergencies, no exceptions were made. This was to ensure the staff didn’t exhaust themselves and had adequate rest.
Xiao Bingying had arrived early with nothing to do, so she nodded and went upstairs to Cheng Xi’s resting room.
This small building was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs. Xiao Bingying entered, sat by the narrow bed, and looked around. Cheng Xi had opened several medicine halls in the capital, but only saw patients at this one.
First, it was close to the Zhao Residence. Second, it had a room that was hers.
Cheng Xi only napped here during her midday rest. Xiao Bingying noticed an untitled book on the small cabinet beside the bed and picked it up to read.
It contained Cheng Xi’s records of unusual patient cases, the handwriting somewhat scrawled — likely jotted down casually.
Xiao Bingying turned the pages one by one, but when she reached the middle, she found a portrait.
The ink-drawn features weren’t entirely precise, but Xiao Bingying recognized her own face.
And at the very bottom, a disease name was written: Lovesickness.
Xiao Bingying looked at those three characters, noticed an ink blot beside them, and the corners of her lips curved upward unbidden.
Xiao Bingying flipped to the first page and checked the date noted there — it was from two years ago.
She remembered that year. She had gone with Qu Sheng to investigate a group of corrupt officials and had been away for a long time.
Back then, Cheng Xi’s letters never urged her return — only asked if she was well. When she came back, she hadn’t noticed anything particularly different.
Thinking back on it now, Cheng Xi had seemed clingier during that time.
Xiao Bingying touched the portrait of herself, a smile spreading across her face like a half-grown child’s.
After staring at it for a long while, Xiao Bingying tucked the book away, sliding it inside her robes.
The medicine hall opened. Through the morning’s consultations, a faint smile lingered on Xiao Bingying’s face — even the shopkeeper noticed. But this was a medicine hall, and the patients coming in were nearly all suffering from ailments. Xiao Bingying’s grin seemed almost improper under the circumstances.
At midday, Xiao Bingying went upstairs to eat and rest. After her meal, she lay on the bed where Cheng Xi usually napped, holding the book with her portrait, giggling foolishly.
Before long, in the haze between waking and sleep, she sensed someone approaching. She opened her eyes to find a face hovering so close it nearly collided with her own. Xiao Bingying’s hand shot out instinctively, shoving hard.
“Ajie1, what are you doing?!” Zhao Jiayu felt like Xiao Bingying had nearly knocked her head clean off her neck.
Xiao Bingying heard the voice and realized it was Zhao Jiayu. She hurriedly stood and reached out to steady her, asking, “Are you all right?”
Zhao Jiayu clutched her neck and cried, “How could I be all right? My neck almost snapped!”
At this point, Zhao Jiayu should count herself lucky that Xiao Bingying hadn’t used her fist.
The thought of the force she had just used made Xiao Bingying’s face fill with remorse.
Zhao Jiayu, still holding her neck in pain, slowly sat down. Xiao Bingying stood to the side, at a complete loss for what to do.
“You’re a doctor, aren’t you? I’m hurt — come up with something!” Zhao Jiayu was in genuine agony.
That snapped Xiao Bingying back to her senses. She set the book down on the bed and went to fetch silver needles.
When Xiao Bingying returned, she found Zhao Jiayu tilting her head to one side while flipping through the book. Xiao Bingying, holding the silver needle kit in hand, rushed over and snatched the book away, hiding it behind her back.
“What’s in it? So stingy.” Zhao Jiayu eyed her suspiciously, muttering, “You were giggling in your sleep just now — was it from reading this book?”
Xiao Bingying coughed lightly, set the book down, and changed the subject. “Does your neck still hurt?”
“It hurts!” Zhao Jiayu was suddenly full of energy again.
Xiao Bingying guided her to sit down and muttered, imitating Zhao Jiayu’s tone, “If it hurts, don’t move around.”
“Hey — since when did you become such a chatterbox?” Zhao Jiayu could hardly believe it — Xiao Bingying, of all people, being a nag.
Xiao Bingying closed her mouth, composed herself, and began inserting needles into the back of Zhao Jiayu’s neck.
“Try moving it.”
Zhao Jiayu released her hand and rotated her neck. “It doesn’t seem to hurt as much.”
She had twisted her neck and would likely be in pain for another couple of days.
After a moment, Xiao Bingying withdrew the needles. Before long, the pain returned. Looking at her wincing meimei, Xiao Bingying still felt a pang of sympathy. “I’ll prescribe some medicinal plasters for you. Change them every six shichen2 — it should heal in about three days.”
“Three more days?” Zhao Jiayu was thoroughly regretful. If she had known, she wouldn’t have leaned in so close.
“Mm.” Xiao Bingying gave a soft assent, put the silver needles away, and set them on the cabinet beside her. Then she asked, “Did you come looking for me for something?”
“Oh, yes.” The pain had nearly made Zhao Jiayu forget why she had come.
Xiao Bingying walked over and gently massaged her neck to ease the pain. “What is it?”
Zhao Jiayu, somewhat relieved, said, “It’s about Mu’er’s marriage.”
Xiao Bingying was puzzled for a moment. “Did Lord Qiao agree to the match?”
“No, but I have a feeling it’ll work out. I came to consult with you — how much should we offer for betrothal gifts?”
Xiao Bingying was speechless. Not even a single stroke had been drawn yet3.
“Come on, better safe than sorry!” Zhao Jiayu was genuinely anxious, but she also feared that Qu Zhimu’s impatience might surpass her own.
If it really came through, she would probably need to send betrothal gifts the very next day.
Xiao Bingying was somewhat helpless. “You should discuss this with Brother-in-law. How could I weigh in on something like that?”
“Ah Yu says to leave it to me. Whatever amount I say, he just agrees — completely unreliable.” Zhao Jiayu was still annoyed just talking about it.
Xiao Bingying saw how adorable Zhao Jiayu looked even when angry and laughed. “You could go to the palace and ask Xizhao. She might be able to give you some advice.”
Zhao Jiayu gave a little huff. “I’d love to, but I can’t go now.”
Her neck was twisted — she could only ease the pain by keeping her head tilted to one side. If she went to the palace like that, she would be a laughingstock.
“We’re family — just tell me. If you really don’t know what to say, then think of Mu’er as Ying’er. If Ying’er were to take a wife, how much betrothal gift would you give?”
Zhao Ningying hadn’t come of age yet, and Xiao Bingying hadn’t observed any inclination toward women in her — she might end up marrying out instead.
“It would have to be whatever satisfies Ying’er.”
The Zhao family would all belong to Zhao Ningying someday. If she took a wife, she would naturally need to ask her daughter first.
Xiao Bingying gave a rough idea, and Zhao Jiayu now had a baseline. But Zhao Jiayu wasn’t in a hurry to leave. She had gone to the Zhao Residence the day before looking for Xiao Bingying and heard she was consulting here. Today, consulting about betrothal gifts was the main reason she came — but she also wanted to see how Xiao Bingying ran her consultations.
The two chatted in the room for a while. When the time came, Xiao Bingying went back down to see patients.
Most of the patients suffered from winter ailments. Xiao Bingying asked detailed questions and carefully deliberated before prescribing. Zhao Jiayu sat at a distance watching, sipping tea, taking in Xiao Bingying’s serious demeanor. She marveled that at this age, Xiao Bingying still looked the same as ever — fair and clean-skinned. Her complexion couldn’t be called impossibly delicate, but one glance told you she had taken excellent care of herself.
Zhao Jiayu touched her own face — smooth enough, not bad at all.
“Is Doctor Zhao seeing patients today?”
Zhao Jiayu was still admiring Xiao Bingying’s ageless appearance when she suddenly heard someone asking about her. Curious, she peeked out and saw a young lady of a wealthy family, dressed in a white cloak, anxiously asking the shopkeeper at the counter.
“She is, but you’ll need to wait a moment.”
Shen Lin knitted her brows at this and stood in place, peering anxiously toward the inner hall.
Zhao Jiayu curiously withdrew her head, following Shen Lin’s gaze toward Xiao Bingying. Xiao Bingying was still seeing a patient — the last one of the day.
The patient emerged with a prescription. Seeing no one behind them, Shen Lin asked the shopkeeper, “May I go in to see Doctor Zhao now?”
“Please, go ahead.” The shopkeeper gestured for her to enter.
Shen Lin nodded and went in. Xiao Bingying was sipping tea handed to her by an assistant, and when she looked up, she saw Shen Lin standing before her.
“Miss Shen, is Mrs. Shen feeling unwell again?” Holding her tea, Xiao Bingying asked quickly.
In the carriage.
Xiao Bingying accompanied Shen Lin to the Shen Residence. Zhao Jiayu carried the medicine box, playing the role of medicine hall assistant for a change. She tilted her head, discreetly studying Shen Lin. She kept catching this young lady glancing at Xiao Bingying.
And that look, in Zhao Jiayu’s judgment, was suspicious.
It was not the normal gaze between a patient and a doctor.
The author has something to say:
Zhao Jiayu: “No way — someone her age still has unwanted admirers4?”
Xiao Bingying: “Head-push warning — don’t talk nonsense!”
Zhao Jiayu: “Cheng Xi!!”
Xiao Bingying: “…Ancestor! I’ll agree to anything you say.”
Writing two books at once — I feel like I’m going to collapse. Never doing this again.
Footnotes
- A familiar term for an older sister, used by a younger sibling.
- A shichen is a traditional Chinese time unit equal to two hours.
- A Chinese expression meaning things are far from settled; literally, not even the first stroke of the character 'ba' (eight) has been drawn yet.
- Literally 'rotten peach blossoms'; a Chinese metaphor for unwanted romantic attention or troublesome admirers.
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