Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Three Days Later, Be There or Be Square
Emperor Wu Su never expected it.
That one day, he would be scorned by his own son.
The young child had said, "I do not believe the Imperial Palace is a good place for one to live. I cannot bear to see her marry in here only to suffer."
Upon reflection, his words made sense.
Emperor Wu Su wore a cold expression until the very end of the palace banquet.
At this banquet, the Empress Dowager, Princess Consort Wei, Ji Qingyuan, and even the Emperor were not very pleased.
But Ji Qingwu felt a great sense of relief in both body and mind.
Firstly, the archery had limbered up her muscles and dispelled much of the nervousness and fear she had felt since returning to Lin’an. Plus, with the Emperor’s personal guidance, her archery had improved.
Secondly, after two close encounters with Emperor Wu Su, her heart had finally settled.
’I’m still not sure if he has recognized my true identity or not...’
’But thinking about it, there were only two possibilities. If the Emperor hadn’t recognized her, she would just continue her disguise. Or, if he had recognized her but was feigning ignorance, she would simply play along with his act.’
’She was still alive and well. That was already the best possible outcome.’
The more she thought about it, the happier she became. Ji Qingwu couldn’t help but smile, and if she could, she would have started humming a tune.
Even when Emperor Wu Su was leaving and passed by the southern seats, glancing at her, she was able to return his gaze with a comfortable smile.
This made the Emperor pause in his steps.
But Ji Qingwu was trying to express her gratitude for his earlier archery lesson, so she smiled even more brightly at him.
The woman’s smile was more radiant than Floating Light Brocade. Her eyes were moist and bright, and anyone she looked at would feel refreshed and utterly at ease.
A flicker crossed Emperor Wu Su’s eyes. He didn’t respond, but his expression softened considerably before he turned and walked away.
After all the noble guests had departed,
Mrs. Qiao took Xiao Wu by the hand, and as the two of them left the southern seats, they happened to run into Li Chengxun, who was also leaving.
"Greetings, Madam Ji, Fifth Missy."
Ji Qingwu gave a simple curtsy and replied, "Mr. Li."
Mrs. Qiao watched from the side, thinking the two of them looked very well-matched together and nodding to herself in approval. Her only intention had been for them to meet at the palace banquet. After they exchanged greetings, Mrs. Qiao led Ji Qingwu out of the hall.
Once outside the palace gates, Ji Qingwu helped Mrs. Qiao into the carriage.
"Miss Ji, please wait a moment."
A clear male voice called out from behind them.
Ji Qingwu turned to see a tall, elegant man dressed in white.
"Mr. Li?"
Li Chengxun took a step forward, leaving a distance of a few feet between them.
"Miss Ji, it wasn’t convenient to speak in the hall just now. In three days, would you be willing to travel with me to Hanshan Temple? I’ve heard the view from the top is quite fine."
As he finished, he smiled, a sight like sunlight glinting off fresh snow. Ji Qingwu felt her vision brighten considerably.
She wasn’t in a hurry to get married, but she had just resolved a great weight on her mind today and was in high spirits.
Besides, she had long heard of Hanshan Temple. It was built on the summit of Qianqi Mountain, which was said to have magnificent scenery, and she wanted to admire the beauty for herself.
’But would it be proper?’
From inside the carriage, Mrs. Qiao lifted the curtain and said with a smile, "It’s fine. Just have Lan Zhi accompany you."
It was no serious breach of etiquette for young people to go on an outing in a public place. Seeing how interested Mr. Li was in Xiao Wu, Mrs. Qiao was naturally happy to help things along.
Ji Qingwu nodded and said graciously, "Alright. I’ll see you at the foot of the mountain in three days."
Seeing that she had agreed, Li Chengxun also smiled and said, "I’ll be waiting."
After returning home, Ji Qingwu removed her hairpins and ornaments. Her right arm was a little sore; that Xuanyuan Bow was truly not something an ordinary person could wield.
She looked at her own face in the mirror.
It was both familiar and strange. She had almost forgotten what her real face looked like.
Jiu Jiu had been accustomed to Ji Qingwu changing her face from time to time ever since she was little. Yet, the girl could recognize her every single time. She had once asked her, "How do you always recognize Mommy?"
Jiu Jiu would pounce on her, roll around, and sniff with all her might, saying it was because Mommy’s scent was so lovely and she couldn’t smell it anywhere else.
Ji Qingwu took the purple sandalwood fine-tooth comb and began combing her long, cloud-like black hair.
Suddenly, Lan Zhi knocked and entered, her voice low but urgent. "Fifth Missy, the Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion sent someone with a message. They’re asking you to go over."
"Now?" she asked in surprise.
’It’s already dark out. To summon me at this hour... Don’t tell me something has happened to Older Sister?!’
"Lan Zhi, you stay here and watch Jiu Jiu. I’ll go have a look."
Ji Qingwu quickly twisted her hair into a bun with a jade hairpin and hurried out the door.
The carriage from Marquis Zhongyong Mansion was waiting at the gate. As she boarded, her heart grew uneasy. ’No wonder I didn’t see anyone from the Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion at the banquet today. Something must have happened to Older Sister.’
Upon entering Ninghua Hall, Xin’er led her into the bedroom.
Ji Qingrong was lying in bed. Lu Juan was holding a bowl in one hand and supporting her with his other arm, intimately coaxing her to drink some water.
Ji Qingwu paused, taken aback. Her older sister’s complexion was rosy; she didn’t look so ill that she couldn’t even drink water on her own.
"Fifth Sister, you’re here." Ji Qingrong swatted Lu Juan’s hand away in annoyance, motioning for him to move aside so he wouldn’t disturb her chat with her sister.
Lu Juan said good-naturedly, "I was the one who asked her to come. Just let me ask her a few questions."
"Brother-in-law, what on earth happened that you had to call me over so late?"
"Fifth Sister, Qingrong fainted this afternoon while managing household affairs. We’ve already had a physician see her, but his skills are merely average, and I don’t trust him. I needed you to take a look so I could be at ease."
Ji Qingwu walked to the bedside and sat down, taking her older sister’s left hand to check her pulse. Ji Qingrong stared at her nervously, while Lu Juan paced anxiously on the floor.
After just a short while, Ji Qingwu calmly withdrew her hand.
Lu Juan stopped pacing and asked, "That’s it? Shouldn’t you check her pulse for a little longer?"
Ji Qingwu tucked her sister’s hand back under the covers, pointed to herself, and raised an eyebrow. "Don’t underestimate my medical skills. You’re looking at a master of gynecology."
Lu Juan humbly deferred to her. "May I ask the master, then? The previous physician said Qingrong showed signs of pregnancy, but that it was too early to be sure. He said he would have to come back in a month to check her pulse again. What is your expert opinion?"
Ji Qingwu’s eyes curved into crescents before she even spoke.
"It’s a pregnancy pulse, alright."
Hearing this diagnosis, Ji Qingrong was stunned for a moment before two streams of hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
She clutched Ji Qingwu’s hand tightly. "Fifth Sister... is it true...?"
Her older sister’s nails dug painfully into the back of her hand, but Ji Qingwu endured it and nodded. "Older Sister, it’s true. You don’t believe me?"
Ji Qingrong hastily wiped away her tears and nodded quickly. "I believe you! I believe you!"
Lu Juan’s eyes glistened as he stood by the bed, hugging his wife tightly and gently patting her back.
Watching the couple’s affectionate display, Ji Qingwu didn’t want to disturb them, but there was some medical advice she had to give them personally.
"She can stop taking her previous medicine. I’ll prescribe some gentle, nourishing herbs suitable for pregnancy for Older Sister."
Lu Juan: "Okay, I’ll make sure she takes it on time."
"And make sure Older Sister gets plenty of rest. She shouldn’t worry about household matters anymore. She must avoid any great joy or anger."
Lu Juan: "Okay, I can ask Second Sister-in-law to help."
Ji Qingwu thought of one more piece of crucial advice and bit her lip.
When she had practiced medicine before, she had treated strangers. When you knew both husband and wife, some things became rather embarrassing to say out loud.
"Older Sister has a weak constitution. Princely Heir, please be considerate of her health. No marital relations for the first three months."
Lu Juan: "...Alright."
Ji Qingrong buried her face in the blankets.
*
Ji Qingwu walked out of Marquis Zhongyong Mansion into the vast, dark night, where she could barely see the road ahead.
She had left in such a hurry that she was still wearing the fragrant silk-gauze dress from the palace banquet. A gust of night wind made her shiver.
She quickly boarded the carriage waiting at the gate.
But before she could even sit down, she realized something was wrong.
The interior of this carriage was more than twice as spacious as the one she had arrived in.
