Peerless Physician: The Path of a Foolish Eldest Daughter's Rise to Power

In the Imperial Study, the Emperor, who had just finished court, was reading memorials when he heard Eunuch Ji say that Prince Yi was requesting an audience. He pondered for a moment, wondering why his uncle had been coming so frequently lately, since he had already bestowed titles upon his children.

"Come in."

"See the Emperor."

Prince Yi always respected the Emperor and never acted like an elder in front of him.

"Uncle Wang, what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, what are you saying? Can't I just come to see you?"

"Don't I know you well enough? I can't even see you for a year without something going on. Speak."

"Hehe, Your Majesty, is Jingning fond of the zither? I would like to ask Your Majesty to speak to Consort Ling and ask her to give Jingning some pointers."

Emperor Yongfeng looked at Prince Yi carefully and asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"Consort Ling."

How could he not know that he had a concubine who was a master of the zither, and that Prince Yi himself was proficient in music? The fact that he came to ask for her meant that she was no ordinary master.

"How do you know about Consort Ling's skill in playing the zither?"

“As you know, yesterday my family went to Changning Prefecture to express our gratitude. The Princess Consort has long known that Madam Gu is highly skilled in playing the zither and wanted her to give Jingning some guidance. Madam Gu said that only Consort Ling could guide Jingning. Consort Ling has been secluded for many years and has not seen anyone. Since the Princess Consort could not see Consort Ling, she sent me to see the Emperor.”

He himself didn't know that his concubine could play the zither, let alone be a master.

"Your Majesty, it is Jingning who wants to learn this. You should at least give me an answer so I can reply to the Princess."

Should we flaunt our love? Prince Yi and his wife have been as loving as ever for over twenty years.

"I understand. Is there anything else?"

"It's not a big deal. It's just that the Princess Consort wants to arrange a marriage between Yu'er and Gu Xinyue, the third young lady of the Marquis of Changning's mansion. However, Madam Gu the Second wants to betroth her to Young Master Yang. She didn't explicitly say it was Young Master Yang, but the Princess Consort guessed it."

A learned scholar who won the top scholar title but doesn't serve the court, instead traveling around studying, disagrees with this marriage and seems to be giving Gu Yong a warning.

After Prince Yi left, Emperor Yongfeng could no longer concentrate on the memorials. Eunuch Ji suggested that the emperor take a walk in the inner palace to relax. He knew that the emperor did not believe that Consort Ling could play the zither, but he had heard it played around this time.

Emperor Yongfeng was lost in thought, wandering aimlessly, when he suddenly heard the sound of a zither. He was stunned, even thinking he was hallucinating.

As the Emperor remained motionless, lost in thought, Eunuch Ji quietly stayed by his side.

The music stopped, and Emperor Yongfeng's eyes filled with tears. The music he had been searching for for 21 years had finally appeared, right there in the palace. Apart from Consort Ling, whom he didn't know, all the other concubines had displayed their talents before him in every way possible, and he knew their limitations very well. Sometimes he would vaguely hear the music coming from afar, and he thought it was because he missed that music so much.

Eunuch Ji quickly handed the handkerchief to the Emperor. Emperor Yongfeng tested his eyes, wanting to confirm again, "Where is this music coming from?"

"Your Majesty, it's Xingyue Palace. It's where Consort Ling plays the instrument. She plays it around this time every day. It's quite a distance to get to Xingyue Palace from here."

Have you all heard of this?

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"To Cining Palace."

In the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager was having her maids tell her jokes when she saw the Emperor arrive. She then dismissed them. The Emperor usually wouldn't come here at this time.

"Mother, your son has come to see you."

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

"The Third Prince will be back soon, so Consort Ling should go out for a walk."

"She doesn't want to come out; she just wants some peace and quiet. Even the rising sun doesn't come to see Consort Ling."

"I will summon Chaoyang to an audience."

The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor. He didn't care much about Consort Ling, and his concern for Chaoyang and the Third Prince was far less than that for the Empress and Consort Zhu's children. However, Consort Ling's children were very outstanding. Was the Emperor about to change his ways?

"Mother, I just heard the sound of a zither. Eunuch Ji said it was played by Consort Ling. Have you heard her play the zither before?"

The Empress Dowager exclaimed in surprise, "She was your concubine for 21 years, and you tell me you've never heard her play the zither? Alas, what a tragedy!"

"Mother, why did you make me marry Ling Xue back then?"

“If you weren’t my child, you wouldn’t be able to marry her.”

The Empress Dowager smiled helplessly and fell into deep reminiscence, then began to recount her story.

“That year, I was still the Crown Princess. Once, when I went to fulfill a vow, I heard a melodious zither tune at Shili Slope, which made me feel happy. I had someone stop the carriage and took my nanny to follow the sound. There was a woman in white playing the zither, with a maid waiting for her.”

"When I saw this stunningly beautiful woman, my first thought was to make her my daughter-in-law. The maid told me that her mistress's name was Zhuyu. When I got back, I drew her portrait and had someone take it to inquire about her. Unfortunately, we couldn't find her. I knew that the name she told me was fake or that she was using a name outside."

“Back then, I attended all the banquets in various mansions, all in order to find her. As the saying goes, perseverance pays off. Once, when your father was looking for tutor Yang Jing, I went with him. In Ziwei’s courtyard, I saw that bright and beautiful girl teaching eleven or twelve-year-old Ziwei to play the zither. I heard Ziwei sweetly calling her ‘Sister Xue’er’, and that’s when I learned that her name was Ling Xue, the eldest daughter of Ling Jun, the Vice Minister of Revenue. It took me almost a year to find her.”

“I sent someone to her residence to propose marriage, but Madam Ling and Lord Ling disagreed. They weren’t afraid of offending the Crown Prince at all. You had already married the current Empress by then, so Ling Xue could only be a concubine. But Madam Ling said that even if her daughter married an ordinary commoner, she would not be a concubine. The person I sent was rejected three times. In the end, I thought, if all else fails, I’ll have your seventh brother Hongzhi marry her. I’m afraid that your other brothers will take a liking to her and she will manage their harems, which will create more obstacles for you.”

“I went there in person. I first explained that I was asking Ling Xue to marry you as a concubine. They agreed. They rejected many wives from high-ranking families, but I know they had no choice and were unhappy. But I am also a mother, a selfish mother.”

"Later, after you returned from a year of training on the border battlefield, you married Zhu Shi only a month after your marriage. I don't want to talk about what happened after that."

"Your Majesty, what are your plans for them?"

"My son hasn't decided yet."

"Now I truly understand that many things cannot be forced. In the end, I harmed Consort Ling. If she had married an ordinary person, she would probably be very happy now."

The Empress Dowager was unaware that her words had struck a nerve with the Emperor. Seeing the Emperor's furrowed brow, she changed the subject.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince's poison has been cured, and the rumor that he would not live past twenty has been dispelled. I beg you, this time the Third Prince is going back to his fiefdom. Please allow Consort Ling to accompany the Third Prince back to his fiefdom."

The Empress Dowager's words were like two heavy punches to the Emperor's heart. Seeing the Emperor's pained expression, the Empress Dowager thought he didn't want to listen.

Emperor Yongfeng's face displayed a multitude of emotions: excitement, guilt, joy, annoyance, and relief, much like the masks used in Sichuan opera's face-changing performance.

"Your son thanks Mother for all the care and support over the years. I will make all the arrangements. I will take my leave now."

The Empress Dowager didn't understand what the Emperor meant. She felt sorry for Consort Ling and was too lazy to talk to the Emperor. But now that she could tell the Emperor about this, she felt a little better. The Emperor must have agreed to let Consort Ling return to her fiefdom.

Back in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yongfeng was deeply moved when the Empress Dowager mentioned the pearl and jade. This pearl and jade was not Zhu Yu, but he had doted on her for 20 years.

Life is unpredictable, and the important people in his life have always been with him, yet he is unaware of these truths.

He had originally planned for the Third Prince to marry a woman of modest social standing after returning to the capital and continue serving as a war god on the border. However, he no longer intended to send him to the border. Although his son was outstanding, Ling Xue only had one son, and the battlefield was too dangerous. He felt he owed Ling Xue too much.

"It is said that the eldest princess has come to pay homage to the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Ji immediately took action. Chaoyang hadn't been to the palace for many years, and the people in the palace had probably almost forgotten about her.

After staying at the manor for a few days, Peony asked, "Miss, aren't you bored reading every day?"

"I don't feel bored at all. I think it's quite nice this way."

"But Miss, you're not going to take the imperial examinations, so why are you studying so hard?"

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Miss, shall we have the butler find someone to build a swing?"

"As you wish."

Xia He came in, and Gu Xinyue asked the others to leave.

“Miss, Brother Gu An has already investigated, and he has some things to tell you in person.”

"Tomorrow we'll go to Pear Blossom Lane first, and then we'll keep our appointment with Second Sister."