Jinyi Spring

Princess Qin was reluctant to part with her, but she could neither say much to her nor invite her to stay for a meal.

He gave Granny Qin a wink.

Granny Qin took out a purse and handed it to Feng Chuchen.

Feng Chuchen thanked her and accepted the gift, then left with the peony.

Behind the small window in the east wing, Qin Wang stood silently.

The tall figure walked through the corridor and disappeared step by step into the deep passageway.

My uncle and Lord Ming once said that my sister usually only liked to dress elegantly. But today she is dressed so brightly, she must have dressed up especially for him.

For the first time in eighteen years, for his brother whom he could not acknowledge.

His eyes were slightly hot, and his fists were clenched tightly in his sleeves.

When he visited his mother, he could not say much. Even with his only younger sister right in front of him, he could not acknowledge her.

In public, he must be a good son and grandson who does nothing to cause trouble, and cannot do anything out of line.

The rain was still falling, tapping softly on the eaves.

After a long while, he loosened his fist, looked away, and turned to walk towards the upper room.

Once our grand ambitions are realized, we will deal with everything that needs to be dealt with, leaving no stone unturned.

After dismissing the servants, Princess Qin handed him the prescription and said softly, "My little sister's handwriting is truly elegant. Not to mention women, even men rarely write so well."

She paused, a gentle light appearing in her eyes, "She's incredibly intelligent; many of her words, seemingly unintentional, are actually meant for us upon closer inspection. When she talks about the past, she doesn't feel any bitterness at all..."

Qin Wang's voice was slightly hoarse, tinged with a hint of sorrow, "Dr. Feng taught her very well, and my little sister is also very intelligent. Alas, seeing her like this makes me feel even more useless as her brother, for letting her suffer so many years of wandering."

Princess Qin gently advised, "The prince was only two years old then, what could we do? My little sister will be coming to the manor for several days in a row, so we can see her more often." She then smiled and said, "My sister is so beautiful, her eyebrows and eyes resemble our mother's, and she also looks a bit like the prince..."

The Prince Qin laughed, “Yes, she and I both look more like our mother.”

The carriage swayed slightly as Feng Chuchen gently opened the purse—inside lay two five-tael silver ingots.

This is the consultation fee and reward money. In the capital, powerful and wealthy people would generally give this amount to doctors they were satisfied with.

Thinking of the deliberate indifference and distance that her brother and sister-in-law had maintained at the Prince Qin's residence, Feng Chuchen sighed softly.

Their caution suggests that the Emperor or Empress Dowager Xue may have spies lurking around them.

She recalled what Ming Shanyue and Shangguan Ruyu had said: Qin Wang had only recently established his own government, and neither his maternal nor paternal families were prominent. He had to rely on his own efforts to cultivate and accumulate his connections and influence bit by bit.

Although he worked in the Ministry of Justice, he didn't wield the same real power as those in the Ministry of Personnel or the Ministry of Revenue, but he still had some people at his disposal to investigate cases. However, Princess Zhao's father was the Vice Minister of Justice, and his every move there was likely being watched by others, so he dared not make the slightest mistake.

To appear "leisurely," he was often late or left early, and even frequently claimed to be ill and skip court.

The Prince of Zhao was in the Ministry of Personnel, and the Third Prince, who was only fifteen years old, was in the Ministry of War; both were extremely diligent. The Emperor would occasionally summon them to the Imperial Study to examine their political affairs and even personally give them instructions.

However, they almost completely ignored their eldest son...

This dislike and dissatisfaction probably stems from the mother.

Feng Chuchen clenched the silver ingot in her hand, the icy touch reaching deep into her heart.

That damned emperor, that scumbag, he's so biased.

Fortunately, she was able to visit the Prince Qin's residence again in the following days. Even if they couldn't acknowledge each other, seeing each other was always a good thing.

Feng Chuchen became happy again.

Feng Chuchen went to the Prince Qin's residence for three consecutive days but did not see the Prince Qin. But she knew that the Prince Qin must be watching her silently from behind some small window.

In these three days, Feng Chuchen won the favor of Princess Qin.

Princess Qin smiled and said, "When I had my period before, my stomach always ached slightly. Doctor Feng gave me acupuncture, and I feel much better now, and it doesn't hurt as much anymore."

Princess Qin would reward Feng Chuchen with little trinkets every day.

The first day was six palace flowers, and the second day was a string of jade beads.

On the third day, she personally gave Feng Chuchen a purse and squeezed her hand. The servants were a little far away, so she called out in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Sister."

Her voice was soft, with a slight sob in it.

This address made Feng Chuchen's heart ache, and she softly called out in return, "Sister-in-law."

Their eyes met, then they quickly looked away.

Feng Chuchen later saw that the purse contained a plum blossom jade hairpin, with a small "晥" (Wan) engraved in the corner.

It was undoubtedly my mother's old belongings.

Her nose stung with tears as she stroked the jade hairpin, gazing at it endlessly.

When you go to sleep at night, place the jade hairpin on your chest, just like when you were a child in a previous life and placed the cell phone with your mother's image on your chest.

The fourth day was also the last day of this treatment.

After administering acupuncture to the princess, Feng Chuchen said, "When the princess has her next period, please send someone to the clinic to summon me for acupuncture."

Just then, the loyalist arrived.

He smiled and said, "Dr. Feng, you've worked hard. The Princess has praised you a lot these past few days."

Feng Chuchen quickly curtsied and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I don't deserve it."

Prince Qin looked at Feng Chuchen and said, "Yesterday, I heard from my cousin Ruyu that he is very familiar with you. Two generations of your Feng family have saved him, and his servant is even engaged to your maid?"

Feng Chuchen met his gaze with a smile, "Yes. Because of some past events, Young Master Shangguan and Princess Yanghe were very considerate of us."

Because of Shangguan Ruyu, the siblings finally looked at each other more often and exchanged a few more words.

Granny Qin escorted Feng Chuchen out and presented her with a purse.

Once inside the carriage, there were one hundred taels of silver notes and a pair of jade bracelets in his purse.

The jade is warm to the touch, like solidified fat, and has a subtle, soft luster like mutton fat.

This was a reward that had been granted openly. Feng Chuchen smiled and slipped the bracelet onto her jade wrist.

Peony was quite surprised that her master never liked wearing unnecessary accessories.

"The young lady is wearing a bracelet too!"

Feng Chuchen gave her a reproachful look. "I'm a woman too, why can't I wear a bracelet?"

When he got home, Feng Buji immediately noticed the two white marks on her wrist and was overjoyed.

He overheard his older classmates whispering that when a girl starts dressing up, it means she wants to get married…

Feng Buji glanced at his sister's wrist, then at her face, and couldn't hide his smirk.

Seeing his sneaky behavior, Feng Chuchen guessed what he was thinking and found it amusing.

This younger brother is good in every way, except he worries too much.

A few days later, the secret letter was placed on Xue Jicheng's desk. Several people in charge of the Xue family gathered together and read it word by word—it was only a dozen or so words, but it was like ice water being poured over their heads, and they all gasped in shock.

Although the words are fragmented, the information pieced together is chilling:

"What are you picking up, Mother?" — Jian He Niang.

“What to paint?” “Disfigurement” – Wang Tu.

"In the palace, he will not die a good death"—this should be the old man Ming cursing the Imperial Concubine.

Does that mean...those two people both went to Xiqing Prefecture?

At the end of the year, will they return to Beijing with Ming Changqing, who is going to Beijing to report on his work?
That must be it!

Wang Tu also went to Xiqing.

This sent chills down their spines and caught them off guard even more than Jian He Niang falling into the hands of the Ming family.

Xue Jicheng slammed his hand on the table, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

“The Ming family is utterly despicable! In my opinion, we shouldn’t wait any longer. We should find an opportunity to deal with Qingxin the nun. The Ming family wants to reinstate her as empress and let Shuiheng enter the Eastern Palace, so let’s make sure they can’t even have her memorial tablet erected.”

Minister Xue slowly shook his head, his gaze as cold and sharp as iron.

"No, she must live."

He paused, lowering his voice even further, each word piercing the heart, "When a person dies, it's easier for the emperor to posthumously confer an empress title, granting her posthumous honors. By then, who will remember her 'crimes' from back then?"
“But if she were alive—even if she were to regain the position of empress, as long as we bring up the old story of her having an affair with Ming Changqing after her marriage and exchanging tokens, we could help her again and bring her and her son down.”

He scanned the crowd, the candlelight flickering like two eerie points in his pupils, and said, word by word, "Otherwise, wouldn't all this scheming of my life have been for someone else's benefit?"

Master Xue's voice trembled: "Brother, what if... I mean, what if... what if those two really do evade our people and return to the capital alive... wouldn't our whole family be doomed?"

Xue Jicheng waved his hand impatiently, "What's the panic? With the Imperial Concubine above and the Empress Dowager behind—what can possibly happen?"

Grandpa Xue frowned and said, "But if the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine are backing them up, harming the imperial family's bloodline... that would be a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire clan."

Before he could finish speaking, the room fell silent.

Minister Xue was clearly unwilling to discuss this topic, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.

"Knowing it's a crime punishable by the extermination of an entire clan, we should plan even more carefully." His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a dull knife scraping bone. "Make sure those two and Ming Changqing never return to the capital for the rest of their lives!"

He turned to Xue Jicheng, his gaze cold and sharp, "Withdraw all the secret guards monitoring those families. Transfer men to the Xiqing Prefecture road to encircle and annihilate Ming Changqing."

Xue Jicheng chuckled, his fingertips slowly stroking the rim of the teacup, his eyes filled with contempt.

“Ming Changqing... all these years, he hasn’t married or had children, and he’s still doing his best to protect a nun.”

He paused, his tone slow and cold, "We'll proceed in two steps. First, we'll go all out to eliminate those people. Cleanly and efficiently, leaving no future trouble."

He glanced at the people present, lowering his voice even further.

"The second step is to replace the first one. If they manage to escape—then we'll grant them their wish. One will remain unmarried for her sake, and the other will drown himself for him. When that matter comes to light, will the Emperor be angry that he was cuckolded, or angry that we got rid of that vile woman for him? At that time, Ming Changqing's crime will be far greater than that of the Xue family."

Upon hearing this, the group leaned forward in unison, their eyes burning with anticipation.

"How to say?"

Xue Jicheng leaned forward and explained in detail.

After hearing this, Minister Xue slowly leaned back in his chair. The candlelight flickered on his face, and a smile slowly spread across his wrinkles.

“Very good.” He nodded. “This matter must be handled discreetly, lest the Emperor become suspicious and it backfire.” He paused, his voice lowering, “And don’t put the Empress Dowager in a difficult position either.”

Master Xue finally felt relieved and was able to think about something else.

He asked, "If things go well, Your Highness Prince Zhao won't really take Kong as a concubine, will he? That poisonous woman Xia betrayed Xiao before, and now she's betraying the Ming family. Will she betray Prince Zhao and our family in the future? Besides, the daughter she raised won't turn out well."

He was afraid that if Kong Xiyan really entered the Prince Zhao's mansion, wouldn't his daughter be in danger?
Xue Jicheng said, "Even the Imperial Concubine is afraid of getting involved with that kind of person..."

-

On the Double Ninth Festival, the government offices and schools are closed for two days on the ninth and tenth days of the lunar calendar.

These next couple of days, Feng Chuchen and her siblings will be staying at their old house in the countryside.

Some time ago, Feng Chuchen bought two servants—Uncle Qian and Aunt Qian. They were a couple in their thirties.

He also bought 200 acres of land in Feng Buji's name, making Xiao Jingdouzi a veritable small landlord.

From then on, Uncle Qian and Aunt Qian were responsible for guarding the house and fields in the countryside.

The new courtyard, also known as the west courtyard, has been completed, and furniture has already been placed inside.

The two courtyards are level with each other, but the gate to the older courtyard, the east courtyard, is locked from the inside.

Entering through the west gate, there is a small door on the east wall leading to the east courtyard.

From then on, most of the servants lived in the west courtyard, and guests were also received there. The east courtyard was equivalent to the inner courtyard, where the two siblings, Aunt Wang and her son, and Peony, Pinellia, and Hibiscus lived.

Behind the west courtyard, there is a large grove of *Gynostemma pentaphyllum* trees.

The female fir tree is a shrub unique to this world, evergreen all year round, and is also a commonly used medicine to treat metrorrhagia in women. However, because it is poisonous, its dosage must be used with extreme caution.

By chance, Feng Chuchen discovered that the bark of the female yew tree was the same as that of the willow tree; when boiled for a long time, a layer of fine white crystalline powder would condense at the bottom of the pot.

A thought struck her, and she scraped off the crystal dust, examining it closely. She discovered that all the toxins had settled there. After filtering out the dust, the remaining broth was pure and free of toxins.

I tried several times, and it was the same every time.

After being refined, the bark of the *Cephalotaxus fortunei* tree loses all its toxicity, leaving only its medicinal properties. It is then ground into powder and mixed with more than a dozen other medicinal powders, seasoned with honey, and rolled into small, vermilion pills, named Tongji Guyuan Dan (同济固元丹).

It has already been tested at the clinic and has shown remarkable effectiveness in treating metrorrhagia.

I sent a box to the Imperial Medical Academy the day before yesterday, along with a list of the ingredients. Once the Imperial Medical Academy approves it, it can be officially launched on the market.

In this era, all prepared medicines sold in pharmacies and clinics had to be reviewed by the Imperial Medical Academy, and their ingredients also needed to be reported. However, the special processing methods and ingredients were kept secret, and others could not easily figure them out.

In the future, Tongji Guyuan Dan and Tongji Kushen Repairing Ointment will become the two treasures of Tongji Women and Children's Hospital, one internal and one external.

After touring the new courtyard, Feng Buji took Wang Shuping and Xiao Mozi to play in the village.

Aunt Wu took Aunt Qian to town to buy ingredients for a feast tomorrow to celebrate the completion of the new courtyard.

Mu Jin and the others cleaned up.

Peony went home and invited her family to a banquet the next day, which would also be a good opportunity for her to meet Guo Hei.

Guo Hei has been busy and hasn't had time to visit his future in-laws yet.

The following day at noon, villagers from the Yao family, the Guo family, and Baima Village who were on good terms with each other arrived one after another. Guo Lei's entire family came to meet his son-in-law and brother-in-law.

Guo Lei was quite embarrassed, his face turning red. After greeting Feng Chuchen, he laughed and said, "Thank you, Miss Feng, for finding such a good son-in-law for my daughter... Hehe, our whole family is here, like we're here to fight a tiger."

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Uncle Guo, you're too kind."

Then she asked Peony to take her younger siblings to eat fruit. (End of Chapter)