Madam Yin was terrified that Chi Ying, in a fit of rage, might do something reckless. After all, Concubine Xue was in failing health and only clinging to life through expensive tonics. Chi Ying had become a person with nothing left to lose. She might not value her own life, but she couldn’t be allowed to drag the entire Chi estate down with her!

Left with no choice, Madam Yin suppressed her fury and ordered the servants to prepare Chi Yingyue’s former bedchamber.

Chi Ying reined in her emotions and walked out. She spoke to Cheng Huai, who was waiting in the courtyard: “I will be staying at the estate tonight to keep my mother company. I shall return to the Prince’s estate tomorrow morning. Please send word back to inform His Highness.”

Cheng Huai gave the Princess Consort a long, searching look before bowing in agreement.

The guard who had been secretly following Madam Yin had just returned to report. Having realized that the Chi estate was indeed harboring a secret, Cheng Huai ordered that man to head directly back to the Zhao estate to report the findings to the Prince.

After having dinner in Madam Yin’s courtyard, Chi Ying first instructed Baoshan to leave the estate and head to Huichun Hall. The physicians there were known for their integrity; they were unlikely to be in league with Madam Yin.

Madam Yin watched her with a cold eye. “What? You still don’t trust me? Are you afraid I’ll mistreat Concubine Xue? Since I gave you my word, I won’t go back on it.”

Chi Ying stopped mincing words and let out a cold laugh. “Has Mother not colluded with physicians enough times in the past?”

Madam Yin shook with rage. “Your wings have truly grown strong. Do you truly fancy yourself the Princess Consort now?”

Chi Ying ignored her.

Cheng Huai, guarding the courtyard gate, saw the maid Baoshan leave. She claimed she was going to fetch medicine for Madam Yin, but her evasive manner caught his attention. He remained alert and immediately dispatched a guard to follow her in secret.

A short while later, Chi Ying left Madam Yin’s courtyard and headed for Zhaohua Court, which was Chi Yingyue’s former bedchamber.

Cheng Huai led his men to follow, taking up positions outside Zhaohua Court.

Seeing that she couldn’t shake him off, Chi Ying temporarily gave up. She would wait for nightfall.

Though Chi Yingyue had been away for months, her room was as meticulously kept as ever. Even though the Marquis estate was in decline, her upbringing was meant to rival that of a daughter from the highest noble houses.

Chi Ying’s gaze swept over the ornate screen and the ivory bed. She remembered that as a child, she wasn’t even allowed to step through this door. Seeing these things now, her heart felt no ripples of emotion.

She had no intention of resting here. Her gaze fell upon the gold-inlaid lacquer dressing case, and then she looked Xiangqin up and down. A plan formed in her mind.

“You are skilled in cosmetics and disguises. Can you… make me look like a maid of this courtyard?”

Xiangqin was slightly startled. “Lady, you mean to…”

Chi Ying nodded. For some reason, she felt that Cheng Huai and the others were being overly defensive. They didn’t seem like escorting guards so much as jailers. If she wanted to reach Spring Willow Court, she had to find another way.

Regardless of the risk, she had to visit Spring Willow Court tonight. She couldn’t trust Madam Yin’s claims about her mother’s care.

Xiangqin looked hesitant. “This servant has never painted such a look…”

“Try it,” Chi Ying urged.

Xiangqin had no choice but to send someone for a set of a maid’s clothes and shoes. She then helped Chi Ying remove her jewelry and makeup. She used dark powders to dull Chi Ying’s complexion, adding various spots and blemishes across her face. She used stray hairs to obscure her forehead and cheeks. Under the dim candlelight, the person in the mirror now appeared as a dark-skinned maid with ordinary features.

Chi Ying stared at the gradual transformation in the mirror. By the end, she could hardly recognize herself. She was pleasantly surprised and even considered learning the craft from Xiangqin; it might come in handy one day.

The lamps were left lit in the room. She instructed Xiangqin to stay inside and speak occasionally to create the illusion that she was still there. Chi Ying then found a pretext to follow an older servant woman out. They claimed the Princess wanted a bowl of milk curd from the kitchen. As they passed the guards outside the courtyard, Chi Ying hunched her shoulders and lowered her face, using the cover of the night to hide her features.

Cheng Huai stared at the two women. Just as he was about to question them, a hidden guard arrived with a message. He went to handle it, and by the time he returned, the two servants had already headed toward the kitchen. He let it go.

Prince Zhao was investigating the Princess’s background, which was why he had sent Cheng Huai to follow her and see if there was anything suspicious about the Chi estate. However, an escort was not a surveillance detail. He wouldn’t go so far as to arrest and interrogate servants going to the kitchen for snacks.

After slipping away, Chi Ying immediately headed for Spring Willow Court.

The room was thick with the scent of medicine. Chi Ying stepped into the inner chamber and saw Concubine Xue lying on the bed. All the emotions she had suppressed over the past few days came rushing back. Her eyes grew red. “A-niang.”

Concubine Xue was resting against a soft pillow. She didn’t pay much attention when someone entered until the person drew near and called her “Mother.” She studied the girl closely and realized it was her daughter. She was both shocked and overjoyed. “A-Ying, why are you dressed like this?”

Then, panic set in. “Did you come in secret? Will you be discovered?”

Chi Ying shook her head and poured her a cup of warm water. “No one noticed. A-niang, I came to see you. How have you been feeling these past few days?”

Concubine Xue was the same as before, but thanks to the two ginseng roots, her complexion looked passable. To put her daughter’s mind at ease, she only spoke of good things.

As they were talking, Baoshan entered with Dr. Hu Zhengqing from Huichun Hall.

Dr. Hu was quite famous in the capital for his compassion toward the poor. Chi Ying had heard of him and was surprised Baoshan had managed to bring him.

Baoshan explained: “Dr. Hu happened to be on duty today, so I invited him over.”

Chi Ying gave her a grateful look and turned to the doctor. “I must trouble you to examine… our concubine.”

Dr. Hu nodded, set down his medicine box, and checked Concubine Xue’s pulse. He then examined the prescriptions she had been using. After a long period of deliberation, he spoke: “The pulse is weak and thready. This is a sign of Kidney Essence deficiency and insufficient heart blood. These current prescriptions only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.”

Chi Ying asked urgently: “Is there a way to treat her?”

“I will add several herbs to this prescription to supplement the Qi, consolidate the origin, and nourish the blood,” Dr. Hu replied. “We will regulate her condition slowly. If she can survive through the spring and summer, we will reassess based on her progress.”

Chi Ying nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”

Thinking of something, she added, “Do Jiji Pills have any effect?”

Dr. Hu’s eyes lit up. “Jiji Pills are excellent for nourishing the primordial Qi. They would be perfect alongside the decoctions. However, the ingredients are expensive, and the preparation is complex, making the price very high…”

He looked at the woman before him. She was dressed as a maid, and the woman on the bed was a sickly concubine. It was clear they weren’t favored in the estate. How could they afford Jiji Pills? He sighed. “Nourishing the foundation is not the work of a day or a night. It requires long-term use.”

Chi Ying was silent for a moment. “I understand. Thank you, Doctor.”

Madam Yin had given her mother a few Jiji Pills earlier, which had saved her life. But those pills cost ten taels of silver each, and high-quality ones could cost over a hundred. The Marquis of Changyuan was the kind of man who was stingy with even fifty taels. They wouldn’t dream of continuing such an expensive treatment. Madam Yin loathed the mother and daughter; she would only provide cheap prescriptions to barely keep her mother alive.

Chi Ying paid the consultation fee and had Baoshan secretly lead Dr. Hu out through the side gate before heading to fetch the new medicine.

She still had a few dozen taels of silver in her hand, but it was just a drop in the bucket.

She still needed to have a talk with Madam Yin.

After the doctor left, only the mother and daughter remained in the room.

Concubine Xue grasped Chi Ying’s hand. “Did you not say the young lord you married was at death’s door? Why have you not come back? Has something happened?”

Chi Ying forced a smile. “He didn’t die. His illness was cured, and he treats me very well now. It is just that… Second Sister has found another match and is unwilling to switch back. I’m afraid I’ll have to stay at that estate for a while longer.”

Concubine Xue felt it wasn’t that simple. The Second Lady was the daughter of a Marquis. A family that could arrange a “ghost marriage” to ward off bad luck had to be of high standing. If things were as good as her daughter claimed, why wouldn’t the Second Lady want to marry in?

Chi Ying just told her not to worry. “I will find a way to get the money for the medicine. Mother, you don’t need to…”

Before she could finish, Concubine Xue noticed something. She reached out to touch the red mark on her daughter’s neck. “What is this here…?”

Chi Ying instinctively touched her neck. Her fingers rubbed away a bit of the powder. She froze, then her cheeks turned a soft pink.

Concubine Xue, being an experienced woman and seeing her daughter’s bashfulness, understood immediately. “You… shared a bed with that lord?”

Chi Ying bit her lip. “Not exactly, but we have been close.”

“Does he think you are the Second Lady?” Concubine Xue asked.

Chi Ying paused, then nodded.

Concubine Xue’s heart was full of complex emotions. “You have had physical intimacy with him. If your identity is exposed in the future, what will happen…?”

Chi Ying pondered for a long time before looking at her mother and speaking softly: “Mother, just consider that I have truly married him. I promise you that whether I continue to be his wife or find a way to escape, I will protect myself. You must also promise me to take care of your health and wait for me to return.”

Concubine Xue nodded, only hating that her own useless body had forced her daughter to suffer for her.

***

Prince Zhao’s Estate.

The subordinates arriving to report assumed Prince Zhao would be at Yangui Tower, but they found him at Shuyu Pavilion instead.

The two guards met outside the gate and entered together to report.

Yan Xuecuī sat on the daybed drinking tea. He first heard the news that the Princess was staying at the Chi estate tonight. He used a silk handkerchief to wipe the corners of his mouth. His eyelids were lowered as he gave a flat “Mm.”

“Also,” a guard paused, “Madam Yin met someone in the front wing today. She claimed to the outsiders that it was a manager of the estate, but your subordinate heard that person call Madam Yin ‘Mother.’ Furthermore… that woman is pregnant. She said… it is His Highness Prince Xuan’s child…”

Yuan De nearly lost his composure. “Prince Xuan’s child?”

The guard nodded. “Yes. Madam Yin and her servants were acting very secretively, trying hard to avoid outsiders. Your subordinate only heard that much.”

Yan Xuecuī narrowed his eyes and let out a soft laugh. It was an unexpected absurdity.

The other guard, who had followed Baoshan to Huichun Hall, had also found important clues. Realizing the significance, he had chosen to return to the estate directly to report.

“Your subordinate followed Baoshan to the medical hall to fetch a physician, but I saw… I saw His Highness Prince Xuan’s carriage stopped in a dark corner of the street.”

Yuan De was shocked. “Prince Xuan again?”

The guard confirmed it. “Baoshan went secretly to meet with Prince Xuan. It was also Prince Xuan who sent people into the clinic to specifically request the best physician from Huichun Hall to go to the Chi estate to examine Madam Yin.”

Yuan De pondered aloud: “So, Madam Yin has another daughter, and she’s carrying Prince Xuan’s flesh and blood? Could our Princess also… also have some connection with Prince Xuan?”

As the words fell, the atmosphere in the room turned instantly rigid. Yuan De looked cautiously at the man on the daybed.

Yan Xuecuī set down his teacup, his face maintaining its usual composure as if he had sensed this long ago.

But Yuan De still felt a chill down his spine. In an instant, the room felt so cold it was as if time had stopped. Even the birds in the trees outside fell silent.

***

Footnotes:

TN1
Kidney Essence (肾精): In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kidney Essence is the foundation of life and growth. A deficiency often indicates a chronic, debilitating illness.

TN2
Jiji Pills (既济丹): A fictional or high-grade tonic meant to “restore the balance” and supplement vitality.

TN3
“Flesh and blood” (骨肉): A common term for one’s biological child or close kin.

Translator’s Note: Our MC is caught between a rock and a hard place, and the Prince’s jealousy is about to become very real. Enjoy, and drop feedback.

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