"Jujubes belong to the earth element yet carry fire, with a sweet taste and mild nature. Sweetness first enters the spleen, so excessive consumption will inevitably affect this organ." Xie Yunhuai spoke frankly. "If the lady wishes to nourish qi and blood, ginger candy would be more suitable."
"Ginger enters the lungs to benefit lung qi, reaches the kidneys to dry dampness below, and travels through the liver meridian to guide blood-nourishing medicine." Shen Xihe chuckled softly. "It is indeed excellent medicine, but I have been unable to tolerate ginger's pungency since birth. Therefore, the physician had to settle for sweet jujubes as an alternative."
"In Fujian and Sichuan, there grows a fruit called sugarcane - neutral in nature and sweet in taste, beneficial to spleen qi. When crushed and juiced, then combined with ginger juice to make candy, it loses its pungent quality," Xie Yunhuai explained.
"Doctor Qi, are you married?" Shen Xihe suddenly inquired.
The usually composed Xie Yunhuai was momentarily taken aback by the question, though his surprise vanished as quickly as it came. "Reporting to the lady, this humble practitioner leads an unsettled life, wholly devoted to pursuing medical knowledge, with no current intentions of starting a family."
"Observing Doctor Qi's dignified appearance, remarkable healing skills, and refined speech, I've developed an appreciation for talent. I had thought to find you a suitable match, hoping to keep a capable scholar like yourself nearby." Shen Xihe rose slowly. "Since Doctor Qi's aspirations lie elsewhere, I shall not impose. Regarding the datura flowers - I ordered them gathered for preparing Spirit Consolidation Incense. Doctor Qi need not worry, I understand how to handle these flowers properly."
"The lady's favor overwhelms this humble subject." Though speaking words of apprehension, Xie Yunhuai's tone remained calm without the slightest unease. "If there are no further instructions, may I take my leave?"
"Has Doctor Qi ever seen Fairy Ribbon?" Shen Xihe ignored his request to depart and posed another question.
"Fairy Ribbon?" Xie Yunhuai's brow twitched slightly as he frowned. "My lady, Fairy Ribbon is but a legendary substance. When Old Man with White Hair proposed exchanging it for the Bone Shedding Pill, he spoke in deliberate mockery. Please pay no heed to such words."
Old Man with White Hair?
Shen Xihe had heard of this person - an eccentric skilled in medicine. His medical arts were exceptional, yet his whereabouts remained unpredictable. For Shen Xihe's constitutional weakness, Shen Yueshan had never ceased searching for this man over the years.
She hadn't expected Fairy Ribbon to be connected to Old Man with White Hair.
"Doctor Qi, I know nothing of any Bone Shedding Pill. It's merely that before your arrival, I happened to be reading and came across mention of Fairy Ribbon, hence my inquiry." Shen Xihe spoke candidly. "Might Doctor Qi enlighten me about this Bone Shedding Pill?"
Realizing he had let slip information, Xie Yunhuai felt some regret, yet understood that if he didn't explain, the lady would inevitably send people to investigate.
Thus he recounted everything: "One month ago..."
One month prior, this remarkable Old Man with White Hair had announced his approaching end. Having no disciples, his lifetime of knowledge resided in his manuscripts, along with a single Bone Shedding Pill developed through exhaustive effort - a medicine capable of transforming one's very constitution, hence its name.
Facing death, with only these two items remaining valuable, he spread word that whoever could find Fairy Ribbon and fulfill his final wish would receive both treasures. Those who delivered early might even receive personal guidance in medical theory for a month or two.
This had become the most sensational matter in the martial world recently - news that Shen Xihe, as a noblewoman, would naturally be unaware of.
Shen Xihe quietly turned her gaze to the flowerbed beyond the pavilion, where brilliant chrysanthemums bloomed in their full glory.
Xie Yunhuai waited respectfully for some time without further instructions. After bowing, he withdrew. As he turned, his sleeves fluttered like ink-wash paintings spreading across the wind, his footsteps silent, steady and light.
"Rather cling to fragrance on the branch and die, than be blown down by northern winds."Shen Xihe slightly lifted her gaze, watching through a layer of fluttering curtains as that figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
Xie Yunhuai was like this chrysanthemum—neither vulgar nor gaudy, neither seductive nor yielding.
He was the first person who dared to confront power directly, shed his luxurious robes, step out of the resplendent mansion, cast aside wealth and splendor, endure coarse food and simple tea, yet remain so noble and untainted.
"Tsk, the esteemed jewel of the Northwest King actually takes a fancy to such an ordinary man? Her judgment needs treatment!" A voice tinged with unrestrained disdain sounded from not far behind.
Shen Xihe turned and saw Xiao Changying, his face somewhat pale, clearly still weak and barely able to stand while leaning against a pillar. His slender phoenix eyes, proud like a fox's, held a trace of scrutiny as they fixed on Shen Xihe. Beside him was a maid with a pale face, evidently they had been there for quite some time. The maid had been ordered not to make a sound, and now her head was almost buried in her chest, her body trembling slightly, afraid of being punished.
"It seems Your Highness has recovered quite well." Apart from his pallor due to weakness and excessive blood loss, Shen Xihe could see no other issues with Prince Lie, who still had the energy to speak sarcastically. "In that case, this humble girl can rest assured and entrust Your Highness to the Governor of Changsha Prefecture."
"What did you say!" Xiao Changying pushed away the maid who tried to support him. Ignoring the weakness in his newly awakened limbs and the pain from his wounds, he strode up to Shen Xihe. Though only seventeen, he stood a head taller than the fourteen-year-old Shen Xihe, looking down at her with a scrutinizing gaze. "You're going to hand me over to the Governor of Changsha Prefecture!"
"Naturally. Your Highness is an unrelated man, and this humble girl has not yet come of age or married. Yesterday was an emergency, so exceptions could be made without adhering to trivial formalities." Shen Xihe's expression remained calm. "Now that Your Highness is out of danger, it is proper for me to avoid impropriety."
As she spoke, Shen Xihe gave a slight curtsy and turned to leave, but Xiao Changying grabbed her wrist, his gaze sharp. "Shen Xihe, are you playing hard to get? I was pursued all the way from Guangling to Changsha Prefecture, and at the brink of life and death, I just happened to run into you. Don't tell me it's mere coincidence. Now, as you all wished, I owe you a life-saving debt and have spent day and night with you. Why are you suddenly acting aloof?"
Shen Xihe looked at Xiao Changying with pity in her eyes. "Your Highness, you are truly pitiable, living in the imperial family where even those who save you must be guarded against and doubted in every way. But Your Highness has forgotten—if you hadn't thrown your jade pendant in front of me, you would have found liberation by now."
After a pause, Shen Xihe's soft voice drifted over like an orchid-scented breath. "Let me tell you, Your Highness, I did know your identity early on, but I simply did not want to save you. Before I left the northwest, I had memorized the portraits of all the princes. The reason for my entry into the capital is clear to everyone. From the Crown Prince down to the Twelfth Prince, who is my age, four of them do not have principal wives. Why would I set my sights on you? Your Highness, do not overestimate yourself.""In terms of nobility, you are inferior to the Crown Prince; in terms of imperial favor, you fall short of Prince Zhao; in terms of temperament, you cannot compare to Prince Jing; and in seniority, you rank after Prince Xin." Shen Xihe's eyes remained tranquil, discussing the imperial princes as if appraising mere commodities, disregarding the faintly throbbing vein on Xiao Changying's forehead. "The only thing you surpass others in is your notorious reputation. Tell me, why should I approach you?"
Xiao Changying, the Prince of Lie, ninth son of the Youning Emperor, possessed a fiery temperament and was notorious throughout the capital for his unruly and ruthless nature—a scourge whom all in the capital dreaded and avoided.
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