Chapter 3

Chapter 3

In the wind and snow, the young man closed his eyes for a moment, the corner of his mouth tugging faintly.

It was a smile so bleak it was almost tragic.

Then he stopped pleading. Bracing both hands against the snow-covered ground, he struggled to stand.

He had been kneeling for too long. His knees had long since gone stiff.

He barely managed to get to his feet, only to nearly fall again.

I dropped my umbrella and caught him at once, blurting out, “Let me see you back.”

There was almost no warmth in the young man’s wrist. It was so icy it startled me.

As if burned, Gu Jiuyuan pulled his hand back. Snow dusted his lashes, and his voice was as cold as the snow.

“Thank you, Lady Song. I can walk on my own.”

I did not take offense. I only said, “I’m headed the same way. I’m not going out of my way to escort you.”

Aunt Lanting personally picked up the oil-paper umbrella and handed it to me, looking as though she wanted to say something.

I took it and spoke first. “Aunt, remember to stew loquat and snow pear soup for the Empress Dowager tonight. It’s too cold this evening. Her throat ailment will likely act up tomorrow.”

Aunt Lanting gazed at me quietly for a moment, then nodded kindly. “How thoughtful of you, my lady. The roads are slippery in the snow. Watch the path beneath your feet, and take care not to fall.”

There was meaning beneath her words.

I understood it. Gu Jiuyuan understood it even better.

The moment we left the palace gates, he said indifferently, “Lady Song, please go back.”

I only said, “We really are going the same way.”

The young man looked straight ahead, his voice hoarse and weary. “Bodhi Cottage and Qixia Palace are in completely opposite directions. That much, I know.”

I was surprised he knew that much about me. But after thinking it over, it made sense.

As the noble young lady most favored by the Empress Dowager, even if he had no intention of making my acquaintance, he would still have heard of me.

After a moment, I said, “Then do you know that I have some medical knowledge?”

Gu Jiuyuan abruptly raised his head and looked at me.

In those eyes, cold as winter stars, my reflection was clear.

It was like a traveler who had trudged through darkness for far too long, finally catching the barest glimpse of light.

At last, he lowered his guard.

My heart ached a little, but I only tilted my head and smiled. “Fifth Prince, please lead the way.”

Qixia Palace had been out of favor for many years. Even the color of its palace walls seemed a shade duller.

Here, even charcoal was scarce. The doors and windows were shut tight, yet they could not gather much warmth.

In that vast palace, not a single palace maid was in sight.

Concubine Lin lay on the couch, covered with layer upon layer of quilts, yet her palms were still ice-cold.

For no reason, I thought of the scene before my own death.

The same cold emptiness.

The same loneliness and despair.

Only, back then, Gu Jiuyuan had arrived.

And now, Gu Jiuyuan and I had arrived together.

Holding my wrist suspended as I took her pulse, I knew I was only half-taught at best.

Years ago, when my grandmother fell ill, physicians came and went, and I followed along, learning only the barest surface of their art.

Concubine Lin’s pulse was rough and weak, yet also carried the feel of pearls rolling across a plate.

It was an old, deep-seated illness, but there was also a fierce new sickness upon it.

At some point, Concubine Lin had woken. Her face was swollen and pale, and her pitch-black eyes stared fixedly at me.

Gu Jiuyuan crouched down and said softly, “Mother Consort, this is…”

Then he suddenly stopped, as though he did not know how to introduce me.

I finished for him. “I am a female physician, here to diagnose Your Ladyship’s illness.”

Concubine Lin seized my hand and cried mournfully, “I knew it. His Majesty hasn’t forgotten me after all…”

Her face, aged and haggard from the torment of illness, actually revealed something like a young girl’s innocence when she mentioned His Majesty.

Gu Jiuyuan turned his face away. I caught the trace of pain in his eyes.

I gently patted Concubine Lin’s hand and coaxed her, “His Majesty wants you to rest well and take your medicine properly. Once you recover, he will naturally come to see you.”

Concubine Lin murmured something else indistinctly, then sank into a deep sleep.