Jinyi Spring

Chapter 215 The Deeply Affectionate Character

The palace quieted down, and Shui Chuchen went to her bedchamber alone to take out the letter that Feng Buji had secretly given her.

It was from Ming Shanyue. The letter was written in an extremely cryptic manner, and no one else would be able to understand it. The gist was that the Emperor had inquired about the fortune-telling given by Master Yu Hui, the Duke of Ming, regarding the Xiao family, and had become suspicious. The Duke of Ming had also spoken about the fates of the two of them, and the Emperor would certainly send someone to verify it.

If the opportunity arises, she might as well confess the master's prediction about her fate.

That scumbag dad is truly a loner; he doesn't believe anyone, and everyone is playing tricks on him.

The letter ended with the words, "Short note, but deep affection; I miss you."

Shui Chuchen was amused by the last sentence, and held the letter to her chest for a long time before finally taking it to the lamp and burning it.

The next day was Lunar New Year's Eve.

Feng Chuchen still got up at the beginning of the morning. Shaoyao simply tied her hair into a bun, and the two of them practiced Tai Chi with Du Ruo.

After finishing his boxing match, Tang Jian combed Feng Chuchen's hair.

He combs hair gently and skillfully, unlike Peony and Pinellia who often pull and hurt people's scalps when combing their hair.

Because it was a period of mourning, there was no festive atmosphere inside or outside the palace. Red lanterns, Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures, and firecrackers were all gone. Only the cold wind swirled with the remaining snow, howling in the empty palace gardens.

As is customary, the royal family would hold a reunion dinner, and those invited included not only princes and princesses, but also some favored members of the imperial clan.

Due to the recent loss of his birth mother, the Crown Princess, Shui Chuchen, Prince Zhao and his wife, and the Second Princess did not attend. The Crown Prince himself remained at the imperial mausoleum and had not returned to the palace.

Inside and outside the palace, everyone was reunited, but she alone felt cold and desolate. Shui Chuchen sat alone in the princess's quarters, feeling increasingly lonely—she missed her mother, Feng Buji, and Ming Shanyue.

Especially Ming Shanyue, she hadn't seen him for several days.

That handsome face appeared in his mind without warning—the sharp angles of his eyebrows, the calm light in his eyes. He usually had a cold expression, keeping people at arm's length. But the moment he saw her, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved into a slight smile.

That smile was faint, but only she knew the burning passion within it.

He was a man of few words and rarely appeared in front of her, but she knew in her heart that he was always somewhere she couldn't see, shielding her from the wind and frost.

In his absence, life seemed to lack a certain vibrancy; everything felt bland. The tea was bland, the food was bland, even the sunlight outside the window was bland, all exuding a sense of emptiness.

I miss him so much...

When no one was around in the afternoon, Du Ruoxin happily told Shui Chuchen, "Princess, I have smoothed out all nine copper rings."

She took out the last copper ring and showed it to Shui Chuchen. The ring was smooth and shiny, with rounded edges.

The young girl had been doing manual labor since she was little, and now that she's older, she's much faster than the original owner who started playing with brass hoops at a young age.

Shui Chuchen had already thought of this, and had Shaoyao bring all the medicinal herbs for soaking the body into the palace.

She took it out, had someone boil more water, sprinkled the medicine into the wooden tub, and let Du Ruo soak in it.

Not everyone born at that time is suitable for receiving the Yin Shen Needle.

An hour later, Du Ruo got up, her body flushed and her forehead covered in a fine sweat.

Shui Chuchen took her pulse and smiled, "Congratulations, you are suitable for Yin Shen acupuncture."

Du Ruo was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. She had witnessed firsthand how many people this miraculous needle had saved, how much money it had earned, and how respected it was. She kowtowed to Shui Chuchen, "Thank you, Your Highness. This servant will certainly study hard and save lives diligently, living up to your expectations."

Shui Chuchen nodded and said, “When a great physician treats illness, he must first calm his mind and focus his will, be free from desires and wants, and first develop a heart of great compassion and vow to relieve the suffering of all living beings. The Shangyin Divine Needle is a skill, but also a benevolent heart. The needling technique is the art, but compassion is the way. The art can be practiced, but the way resides in the heart.”

These are the words that my aunt said to Xiao Yuanzhu back then.

Du Ruo nodded vigorously, engraving each word of those sentences into her mind.

Shui Chuchen placed three silver needles on the table, "First, identify the acupoints..."

The banquet at the Dahe Palace ended hastily, lasting less than half an hour, and dispersed at dusk.

After the banquet, Emperor Jianzhang did not return to his bedchamber, but went to Kunning Palace with only his personal eunuch Li Ying and a few other eunuchs.

Li Ying was the third-ranking eunuch in the palace, in charge of combing the emperor's hair. His technique was extremely light and steady, and the emperor loved to use him the most.

The mourning hall in Kunning Palace had been cleared, and all the white banners and silks had been taken down. However, this palace had been empty for sixteen years, and its already cold atmosphere was now even more desolate. The candlelight illuminated the empty hall, casting long, lonely shadows.

Emperor Jianzhang sat on the daybed, remaining silent for a long time before whispering, "Prepare some vegetarian dishes and invite Yong'an over. I want to have a reunion dinner with her at Kunning Palace."

He paused, his voice even softer, "Yong'an has grown up so much, and I have never eaten with her, never taught her to write, and never held her. I have failed her, failed Wan'er."

As he spoke, he pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to the corner of his eye.

Li Ying's eyes also reddened, and she bowed and advised, "Your Majesty misses Empress Xiaoxian and feels sorry for Princess Yong'an. Please take good care of your health. You have not been able to sleep well these past few days and have lost a lot of weight. It breaks my heart to see you like this."

After saying this, he ordered his men to heat the floor heater even more, and then he personally went to the princess's residence to invite Princess Yong'an.

Shui Chuchen was having dinner when she saw Li Ying rushing over, so she quickly got up.

Li Ying bowed and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has gone to Kunning Palace and invites you there to reunite with him." She then added sadly, "His Majesty is heartbroken for the princess and misses the empress. He has been unable to eat or sleep these days and has lost weight."

Shui Chuchen outwardly agreed, but inwardly scoffed, "This scumbag father really knows how to play the role of a devoted lover."

Granny Li brought her a fox fur cloak and draped it over her shoulders. She then took Tang Jian, Shao Yao, and two low-ranking palace maids and rode in a palanquin toward Kunning Palace.

Caiju wanted to go along to carry lanterns for illumination, but Tang Jian said, "You and Granny Li should iron the clothes that Her Highness will wear tomorrow."

The plan to pick chrysanthemums had to be abandoned.

Shui Chuchen was even more satisfied with Tang Jian. He was clever; no matter what the matter was, he knew how to do it without her having to tell him personally.

Outside Kunning Palace, the lights were bright, but inside the palace, it was empty and desolate. Emperor Jianzhang sat alone on the Luohan bed, with a few dishes of vegetarian food on a small table. When he saw Shui Chuchen enter, his gaze softened slightly.

After Shui Chuchen finished her greetings, Emperor Jianzhang pointed to the person opposite her and said, "Sit. Today is New Year's Eve, and Wan'er must be feeling sorry for his daughter spending the New Year alone. If we, father and daughter, can have a reunion dinner, Wan'er will be comforted if she sees it from heaven."

Shui Chuchen lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. In her past life, she would never have dealt with her scumbag father. But after more than two years in this world, experiencing the coldness and warmth of human nature, and for the sake of her crown prince brother's great cause, she had no choice but to deal with him, whether she wanted to or not.

When she looked up again, her eyes were slightly red, and she said softly, "Father, please accept my condolences. If Mother is watching from heaven, she will be heartbroken to see you so sad."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she got goosebumps. Her mother wasn't in heaven right now; she was in Baima Village. "Feeling sorry for you, my foot!"

She added, "I heard from Eunuch Li that Father Emperor hasn't rested well these past few days and has lost weight. Let me give you a head massage. Many people have praised my massage skills." (End of Chapter)