Ch63.2 - Appointing a crown princess

Both Xiao Ban and Jian Mei grew much more serious.

According to Pingping’s mother, the weather had gotten colder this year, and more people were catching colds. The hospital was so overwhelmed with patients that there were long queues every day, and treatment costs weren’t cheap. While the nobles had already bought cold-repelling stones, life had become much harder for commoners like them.

When Jian Mei entered the house, he immediately smelled something strange.

Xiao Ban asked, “What’s that smell?”

“This is divine incense,” Pingping’s mother explained. “It’s burned to pray for blessings from the gods, and it also protects us from evil spirits.”

Jian Mei responded, “You should at least open the window. It’s important for the air to circulate.”

From a doctor’s perspective, Jian Mei knew that no matter what, a patient’s room needed proper ventilation when they were sick.

As they walked further in, they saw Pingping lying on the bed. He had always been frail, so it wasn’t surprising that he was one of the first to catch the contagious disease.

Jian Mei walked over and softly asked, “Pingping, are you okay?”

Pingping groggily woke up from his sleep and weakly called out, “Mei-gege.”

Jian Mei gently touched his head. Fortunately, he didn’t have a high fever, but his temperature was still much higher than normal. The absurd thing was that Pingping was still covered with thick blankets.

Jian Mei immediately said to Pingping’s mother, “Furen, he’s showing signs of a fever. You can’t cover him with such thick blankets; it’ll prevent him from releasing heat.”

Pingping’s mother was surprised; she only knew that a cold was caused by exposure to the cold and thought covering her child with more blankets would help.

Jian Mei checked Pingping’s pulse again and confirmed that it was just a common cold, which reassured him. He was especially relieved because he had recently foundbanlan, the primary herb for treating colds.

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Previously, Pingping’s mother had doubted Jian Mei, thinking he was just a child and not someone to be trusted. But he had already saved Pingping’s life and later introduced them to banlan, explaining its medicinal properties. Afterward, she and her husband even started using it for minor injuries and found it to be quite effective.

Now, in this difficult situation, Jian Mei had once again stepped forward to help, treating Pingping’s illness. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Pingping’s mother didn’t know how to thank him enough. She lowered her head, on the verge of tears as she said, “Thank you, Meimei.”

Jian Mei shook his head and said, “It’s nothing. It’s the least I could do.”

Since childhood, Jian Mei had been influenced by the old master, and helping those in need was second nature to him. What he didn’t realize, however, was that in a society where healing divine priests rarely concern themselves with the lives of common people, his actions were incredibly rare and precious.

After leaving the room, Jian Mei went to the fields to pick some banlan. It was autumn, and ginseng was nearing the end of its growing season. Both banlan and ginseng were good for stopping bleeding, fighting infections, and clearing heat and toxins. But to treat a cold, the herbs had to be boiled into a decoction, which required careful attention to timing and temperature.

Xiao Ban said, “Meimei, take a break. Let me help you.”

Jian Mei didn’t want to push himself, so he moved aside and said, “Alright, you do it.”

Xiao Ban had been reading nearby, but now he set the book down and went to help. Jian Mei sat down nearby and noticed the book, which caused him to fall into deep thought.

Seeing Jian Mei lost in thought, Xiao Ban asked, “Meimei, are you worried about something?”

Since Xiao Ban mentioned financial issues, Jian Mei had been thinking about them. The young master’s leg was healing slowly, and treatment was on track. However, after nearly two months in this world, they hadn’t saved much money because of all the small distractions. Winter was approaching, and by spring, the academy in the imperial capital would soon begin enrolling new students.

Jian Mei had always known that Xiao Ban wanted to go to school, and he also realized that if they missed the spring enrollment, they would have to wait a whole year before they could apply again. Although he wasn’t usually focused on money, he understood that their situation had changed. It wasn’t the time to act high and mighty.

“Xiao Ban, I was thinking… if this medicine works for Pingping, I could leave a few doses with the Furen. That way, if anyone else catches the cold, we can sell it for a fraction of the hospital’s price.”

Xiao Ban’s eyes lit up. “That could definitely work.”

Jian Mei smiled thoughtfully. “If it works, we could save up quickly. By next spring, we might be able to go to the imperial capital to study.”

Xiao Ban, who had been fanning the stove, grew more energized after hearing this. He nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, let’s do it!”

……

On the other side;

In the imperial capital—inside the crown prince’s palace.

The crown prince’s palace was very quiet. Lu Xingwang didn’t like to be disturbed when handling matters, so there were no attendants around him. As soon as Imperial Concubine Xi entered, she was immediately noticed.

Lu Xingwang stood up and bowed. “Greetings, Imperial Concubine.”

Imperial Concubine Xi hurried over to offer him support. “There’s no need for such formalities with me, Your Highness.”

Supporting Lu Xingwang had been the best decision Imperial Concubine Xi had ever made. With the empress gone, she was now the highest-ranking consort and living comfortably.

Imperial Concubine Xi sat down in a chair. “Your Highness, it’s already evening and you still haven’t rested. You should take better care of your health.”

Lu Xingwang nodded. “Thank you for your concern.”

Imperial Concubine Xi gestured to her attendant to bring something over and said, “The emperor has been feeling better these last few days, but he’s still complaining about feeling a bit stuffy. We talked about this yesterday and now that you’re capable of handling things yourself, he’s thinking of traveling to different places to relieve some stress.”

Lu Xingwang frowned. “But it’s autumn now and it’s prone to get cold in this weather. Does Emperor Father still want to go out at this time?”

“It’s precisely because of the cold weather and the emperor’s frail health that he’s chosen to travel now. Don’t worry, everything will be ready, including the cold-repelling stones, and we won’t be going anywhere too remote.

Some towns in the south have beautiful scenery, and I’ve heard that the autumn osmanthus blooms in Golden Town are especially beautiful this year. The emperor has long wanted to visit these places,” said Imperial Concubine Xi slowly. She gave a glance to her personal attendant, signaling them to leave, before taking a sip of tea from the table.

She smiled slightly and continued, “Moreover, with the emperor away, isn’t this the perfect time for you to spread your wings and show what you’re capable of, Your Highness?”

Lu Xingwang’s face remained calm, making it impossible to read his emotions. After a brief pause, he said softly, “Whether he’s here or not, it won’t make a difference.”

Imperial Concubine Xi set down her tea and spoke softly, “You’ve decided to follow the emperor’s wishes, haven’t you? His health has been deteriorating these past few years, and I’m sure you understand the gravity of his condition. Saying he wants to visit Golden Town for the flowers is just an excuse; what he truly wants is to return to Wu City.”

“According to the customs of Stan Star, one must return to their homeland after death. Even soul tablets and gravestones must be placed there.”

“The emperor wishes to return to Wu City, and we all know what that means.” Imperial Concubine Xi watched Lu Xingwang closely, her eyes searching for any sign of his reaction. His expression remained serious, but after a moment of silence, he nodded. “If my father has made up his mind, I’ll arrange proper security for the journey.”

Imperial Concubine Xi smiled faintly, knowing that despite the crown prince’s stoic appearance, he’d always soften when it came to his father.

Now that this issue had been resolved, she brought up another matter. “Your Highness, things are peaceful here, but on my side, things are as busy as ever.”

Lu Xingwang raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s going on?”

Imperial Concubine Xi laughed. “What else could it be? It’s those young ladies from noble families, coming to the palace asking me to help arrange marriages for them.”

In Stan Star, people could marry as soon as they came of age.

Lu Xingwang had his coming-of-age ceremony a few years ago. Now, he was the crown prince, a man of both literary and martial talent, holding a high position. Even though his face had been disfigured, he was still the dream of most young women in Stan Star.

“Your Highness, you’re of age now. It’s not good to always be alone,” Concubine Xi said with a smile. “I was thinking, perhaps appointing a crown princess wouldn’t be such a bad idea. What do you think?”