The Qing Palace Never Meets Spring

Yinxiang didn't even look up and said, "I don't know, it was there when I moved in."

"Really?" Qingwan didn't really believe Yinxiang's words, but Yinxiang didn't seem to be lying. Her gaze shifted down to Yinxiang's legs, thinking that Kangxi probably wouldn't punish his son by making him kneel.

Yinxiang raised his hand and tapped her forehead: "Don't worry about this. Haven't you had enough on your mind these days? Get some rest. Try the bed again and see if you're satisfied."

Qingwan leaned back, avoiding Yinxiang's hand: "You still have medicine on your hand." Yinxiang was so angry that he slapped her on the forehead.

The next day, after lunch and the initial excitement of their first meeting had subsided, and after saying what needed to be said and exchanging information, the two sat in the room in silence. After glancing at each other several times and then looking away, they finally couldn't help but laugh.

Just as Qingwan was about to say something, she heard someone knocking lightly on the door. Qingwan was a little puzzled. Right now, besides her and Yinxiang, there were only Muxiang and Zhang Rui in the courtyard. But she had specifically told them to stay in their own rooms and not to wait for her. Logically speaking, they shouldn't be knocking on the door at this time.

Upon hearing the knock, Yinxiang immediately suppressed his smile. Qingwan simply got up to open the door, but as soon as she reached Yinxiang, he grabbed her wrist. Qingwan asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Yinxiang looked up and smiled, but the smile looked bitter: "Don't go out. After I go out, don't go out either, and don't look outside, okay?"

"Has something happened?"

“It’s nothing, it’s just that it’s been a while and you’ll be bored being alone in the room. Tomorrow I’ll have them send over some things to keep you entertained. You have more influence than me, so when you come, your personal attendants will come too.”

Seeing Yinxiang's reaction, Qingwan could only nod and agree despite her many doubts.

Yinxiang then got up. Nothing happened yesterday, and he thought that Kangxi had given him some face. He didn't expect him to come again today. He got up, patted his clothes, and went out.

Finally, she remembered to close the door. Qingwan waited for two hours. When Yinxiang limped in, Qingwan realized that she had been sitting there for two hours.

Yinxiang refused her help. Qingwan sighed and went to the cabinet where Yinxiang had found the medicine. She retrieved the medicine that had been used on her the night before and looked at Yinxiang:

"Pants."

Yinxiang felt really embarrassed, so he simply resorted to being a rogue, grabbing his waistband and saying, "Let's forget it, if I take my pants off I won't be able to put them back on."

Hearing him say that, Qingwan was both angry and helpless. She just stared at him. Yinxiang felt uneasy under her gaze. He slowly walked to the chair with the things beside him and pretended to take off his clothes. Seeing that Qingwan still did not react, he had no choice but to sit down obediently, roll up his trouser legs, and reveal his red and swollen knees.

Qingwan then knelt down in front of Yinxiang, holding the medicine, and applied it to him: "How long has it been?"

"Not many days." When Qingwan heard him say that, she didn't loosen her grip. Yinxiang hissed, and Qingwan slowly eased her pressure, then asked him, "How much longer?"

"I don't know." This time, Yinxiang honestly confessed, "Maybe it will be fine once Father Khan's anger subsides."

While applying the medicine, Qingwan said, "Even if you have a body of iron, you shouldn't kneel like this. Even though you have medicine, you should at least let yourself rest."

Yinxiang smiled bitterly and remained silent.

For the next two days, Yinxiang knelt outside while Qingwan sat on the steps below the house and talked to him, saying one thing here and another there. Muxiang and Zhang Rui locked themselves in the house and did not come out to avoid embarrassing Yinxiang.

On the third day, Qingwan mentioned the magnolias in the Imperial Garden, and Yinxiang said he would take her to see the crabapple blossoms at the entrance of the Wenhua Hall when they returned. It was at this moment that Kangxi entered the hall.

Qingwan quickly got up and knelt behind Yinxiang.

Kangxi did not rush to speak, nor did he even sit down. He led Liang Jiugong on a tour of the courtyard, and after looking at each room, he turned around and sat down on the stone bench in front of the two of them.

Qingwan immediately felt a sharp gaze fall on her. Her fingers, which were on the ground, curled up involuntarily, but Yinxiang quickly took her hand under the cover of his body.

Even with her head bowed and lying on the ground, Qingwan could still hear the sound of Kangxi's clothes rubbing together as he sat on the stool, and her heart rose and fell with his movements.

After Kangxi spoke, he didn't address Qingwan, whom he had been staring at, but instead spoke to Yinxiang: "Yinxiang, have you thought this through?"

"I know I was wrong."

"What's wrong?"

"I do not know, I hope Father Khan will explain."

Kangxi suddenly said, "Perhaps I shouldn't have let you marry Lady Zhaojia. Maybe if I had chosen someone else, you would have been more obedient."

"Father." Yinxiang first gripped Qingwan's hand tightly, then without hesitation crawled forward on his knees, firmly shielding Qingwan behind him. His gaze towards Kangxi was now resolute:

"If the Khan says I am wrong, I dare not deny it. Whatever the mistake, it is my fault alone and has nothing to do with Lady Zhaojia. Her honor and disgrace are all tied to me. If there is any fault, it is because of me."

He took a deep breath and continued, "Since marrying me, Lady Zhaojia has been a dutiful wife to the Empress Dowager and the concubines in the palace, and she has taken care of my younger brothers and sisters-in-law. She is an excellent wife."

But she was ultimately a woman confined to the inner palace, unaware of her son's actions outside; all of this was unrelated to her. She begged her father not to implicate her, simply for the sake of their son.

After saying these words, Yinxiang knelt there quietly, waiting for the emperor's response.

When Kangxi said that Yinxiang shouldn't have married her, Qingwan felt a buzzing in her head, followed by a wave of irony—towards Kangxi, to Yinxiang, and to herself.

She listened like a walking corpse as Kangxi wanted to punish her and as Yinxiang pleaded for her life, her heart filled with sorrow.

She couldn't hear what Kangxi said to Yinxiang afterward. When she came to her senses, Kangxi had already left, and only Yinxiang looked worried in front of her.

Seeing that she had come to her senses, he hugged her and comforted her gently, "It's alright. Father didn't really mean to do anything to you. He was just saying that to me. I won't let anything happen to you."

Qingwan leaned against him blankly and gave a soft "hmm".

Yinxiang added, "Nothing will happen to your family, especially your father, so don't worry."

"I know."

Because the Eight Banners had a small number of people, the emperor usually did not implicate the families of officials when dealing with them. Therefore, she was not worried that even if Kangxi really executed her today, it would implicate her family.

Yinxiang said many comforting words, but Qingwan didn't really listen. After a while, Yinxiang released her and said, "Get up, the ground is cold."

She reached out and placed her hand on Yinxiang's hand, tried it, but didn't move.

Seeing that she hadn't moved for a while, Yinxiang asked, "What's wrong?"

Qingwan frowned, looking somewhat impatient: "My legs are numb and I can't move them. Let's wait a little longer."

Yinxiang chuckled, bent down, and pulled her into his arms. Qingwan took a while to recover before patting Yinxiang on the shoulder: "I told you my legs were numb." It wasn't that they hurt a lot, but they were really uncomfortable, like being pricked by a bunch of needles.

Yinxiang looked at her innocently: "I thought you were so frightened that you couldn't get up."

Qingwan glared at him, and actually, she did too.

Yinxiang laughed loudly, then lifted her up and bounced her around, startling Qingwan who quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. Only then did Yinxiang carry her inside.