Youthful Glory

Due to her foot injury, the accounting at the estate was properly handled for just one day before being left unfinished. Early the next morning, Ming Tan returned to the lord's residence in a spacious carriage, with Jiang Xu riding alongside on horseback, carefully guiding them to avoid bumpy gravel roads.

When the group arrived back at the residence, Uncle Fu was quite surprised.

The lady of the house was truly easy to appease—with just those methods of the lord's, he had actually managed to coax her back!

Watching Jiang Xu carry Ming Tan bridal-style toward Qi'an Hall, Uncle Fu's face creased into a wide grin, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Lǜ'e reminded him, "Uncle Fu, those vegetables in the back still need to be arranged and sent to the Relief House."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Uncle Fu glanced back and exclaimed, "Oh? After just settling accounts, how—how did you end up bringing back so many vegetables?"

"It's all because of the farmers at the estate. They set up traps to catch wild boars for no good reason, causing the lady to suffer. Feeling guilty, they insisted on sending us these vegetables as compensation."

Understanding dawned on Uncle Fu, and he nodded. "Alright, I'll arrange for them to be sent to the Relief House right away."

The Relief House was a government-established institution for aiding the poor and destitute, providing care for the orphaned, widowed, and infirm. It had existed since the founding of the Great Xian dynasty, but in previous eras, even the government struggled to sustain itself, leaving such institutions largely nominal.

Now, during the Chengkang era, the country was relatively peaceful and prosperous. When the Lingzhou flood triggered an epidemic, Empress Zhang, at the suggestion of Ming Tan and other noblewomen from the capital, reopened the Relief House to shelter the victims.

After the epidemic subsided, the Relief House was not left idle. Now, there was one in each of the capital's four directions, and other prefectures were gradually constructing their own. Ming Tan visited occasionally, and most of the elderly residents there had come to recognize her.

……

After resting at the residence for a few days, Ming Tan's foot injury showed significant improvement. Perhaps because Jiang Xu was present, no one dared to disturb them during this time. Even Suxin and Lǜ'e rarely appeared in the room, leaving Jiang Xu to handle everything from administering medicine to applying ointments.

Once the wound on her foot healed, two faint scars remained, though they were not as severe as the estate physician had claimed. It seemed they would fade naturally with time.

That night, after her bath, Jiang Xu sat by the bed in loose robes and glanced at Ming Tan's fair, delicate feet. "Would you like to use the Frost Blossom Ointment?" he asked.

"Of course," Ming Tan replied, then suddenly added, "Turn around for a moment."

Jiang Xu complied, turning his back to her.

She lifted his inner robe to inspect and her eyes widened in surprise. "It really is this effective!"

Unable to resist, she reached out to touch the scars—they had truly vanished, with only a few deeper marks faintly visible. A couple more applications would likely erase them completely.

Jiang Xu was silent for a moment. "The Frost Blossom Ointment is rare. You should keep it for yourself—no need to waste it on me."

Ming Tan paused, then set his robe down and picked up the ointment to apply to her own wounds, feigning nonchalance. "Don't flatter yourself. I was just... testing it on your back injuries first. Although Imperial Physician Feng examined it, this is still something applied to the body—how could I recklessly use it on myself without confirming its effectiveness? Now that it's proven to work, don't even think about using it again."

Jiang Xu didn't expose her lie, simply responding with an "Mm," before taking the ointment and carefully applying it for her.

There were scars on both the top and sole of her foot. When he reached the sole, Ming Tan struggled to hold back but eventually burst into laughter, her toes curling involuntarily.

"Hurry up... it tickles!"Hearing this, Jiang Xu's heart stirred, and he deliberately slowed his movements, gripping her tightly to prevent her from escaping. Ming Tan laughed so hard she rolled on the bed, tears welling up in her eyes, her legs kicking wildly, yet she couldn't break free from his grasp.

Before long, Ming Tan's robe had loosened, revealing most of her delicate shoulders. The scent of green pear from her bath and the faint medicinal aroma of the frostbloom ointment teased Jiang Xu's senses. Somehow, by the time the tickling subsided, Jiang Xu was already hovering over her, one hand braced beside her ear.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze dark and filled with unmistakable desire.

Ming Tan's smile froze for a moment, an inexplicable tension rising in her chest, along with a strange, lingering... longing.

She averted her eyes from Jiang Xu's intense stare and swallowed hard.

Then, a cool kiss landed on her neck, slowly trailing upward to her cheek, her brows, her cherry lips...

His kiss was as familiar as ever, instantly stirring long-dormant memories. Ming Tan felt herself growing dizzy with desire, unconsciously responding to him.

Clothes slipped away as their bodies pressed closer. Ming Tang clung to him, secretly yearning for deeper intimacy, but at the critical moment, Jiang Xu paused and whispered hoarsely in her ear, "A Tan, may I?"

Ming Tan regained a sliver of clarity, yet her body ached for his touch.

However, she was still upset with him, and the thought of shamelessly agreeing was too much for her pride. She bit back her moans, glaring at him weakly and giving his shoulder a light punch.

Jiang Xu didn't press further. Kissing her earlobe, his voice rough, he murmured, "Then I'll take that as consent."

Ming Tan wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, suddenly letting out a muffled gasp.

...

The night passed without rest. When she woke the next morning, though she refused to admit anything, she found herself acting more affectionately toward Jiang Xu.

Autumn faded into winter, and then spring arrived. This year, the capital's winter snows had been exceptionally heavy. By the time new buds sprouted and the ice melted, Prince Dingbei's Manor finally showed signs of spring's renewal.

In the half-year since Jiang Xu returned from the northwest, Ming Tan had long shown signs of softening and forgiving him, yet she stubbornly refused to say the words outright. She often played coy, and seeing Jiang Xu's patient indulgence, she grew bolder.

Then, during the heavy snows of New Year's Eve, Jiang Xu—usually as sturdy as iron—fell ill with a seasonal chill. For over half a month, he lay feverish and delirious, drifting in and out of consciousness. Ming Tan could no longer keep up her act. With tears in her eyes, she stayed by his bedside, tending to him day and night, and finally relented, saying she forgave him.

"Now I can't help but feel... I was tricked," Ming Tan muttered, growing more suspicious as she invited Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan to the manor for a flower-viewing gathering. "Imperial Physician Feng clearly said one more bottle of medicine would completely dispel the cold toxin. I wasn't convinced, so I asked for an extra bottle. He finished both—how could he still catch a chill from the toxin?"

"You're overthinking it," Bai Minmin replied idly. "Plenty of people caught this seasonal chill. What's the big deal if Your Highness got sick? He's not a god."

"But I've never seen him catch a chill before."

"Well, now you have."

Ming Tan faltered but still felt something was off. "But with this outbreak, most people recover in five or six days. He's far stronger than the average person—why would it drag on for half a month?"Over the past half year, Zhou Jingwan had received many rare paintings and calligraphies that Jiang Xu ostensibly gifted to Lu Ting but actually meant for her. Naturally, she subtly spoke in his defense: "Do you think His Highness is feigning or prolonging his illness to deceive you? If it's genuine, consider this—why would he go to such lengths, disregarding his own health? It's simply to soften your heart and earn your forgiveness. Doesn't that prove his sincerity toward you?"

"..."

Though something felt slightly off, her words did carry some logic.

Jiang Xu had specially arranged a leisurely inspection tour south of the Yangtze for Zhang Huaiyu—the perfect excuse to bring Bai Minmin along for sightseeing. With her wish to travel outside the capital fulfilled, Bai Minmin readily chimed in: "Jing Wan is right. You've been quite demanding these past months—wanting to soak in Wuyin Mountain's hot springs one day, wishing to see the fleeting bloom of night-blooming cereus the next. Hasn't your Lord indulged your every whim? Besides, the imperial physician said one bottle of medicine would suffice, yet you insisted on two. Who knows, it might have backfired."

"..."

That also seemed somewhat reasonable.

After pondering for a while, Ming Tan nodded slowly and stopped overthinking it. She coughed twice, then couldn't resist shaking her snow-white wrist to show off.

Exchanging a glance, Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan promptly praised with enthusiasm—

"How exquisite this bracelet is! The jade's hue is so unique, so flawlessly translucent!"

"I noticed it earlier—is this Qinglian jade from Yuncheng? I heard it's extremely rare. And yours has been polished into perfectly uniform beads—even more precious!"

"Last month when your Lord went to Yuncheng on official business, he must have procured this for you, didn't he?"

Ming Tan curved her lips, putting on an exaggerated mix of helplessness and pride before her friends: "He brought it back when he went to Yuncheng with Brother-in-law Li last month, though he never mentioned it. Cuojin Pavilion worked overtime for half a month to craft this. A few days ago, Cousin Hua visited and casually mentioned how much effort he'd expended to find this Qinglian jade in Yuncheng—going sleepless for nights on end."

Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan sipped their tea in unison, silently thinking: Since when has Shen Hua ever "casually mentioned" anything? Need we remind you how Second Master Li got his position in the Ministry of Revenue?

Seeing them drink, Ming Tan also picked up the butter tea newly prepared by the northwest chef in the estate and took a small sip.

Yet the moment the butter tea touched her throat, an inexplicable wave of nausea hit her.

Suxin immediately stepped forward, covering Ming Tan's mouth as she spat it out, then handed her clear tea to rinse her throat.

Ming Tan grimaced in distaste: "This butter tea is unbearably greasy. Take it away at once."

Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan glanced at their own teacups, perplexed. It was rich, yes, but hardly warranted such a dramatic reaction after half a sip.

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Bai Minmin casually remarked as if making small talk: "Your Lord isn't returning for dinner tonight, is he? I might as well dine here then. Oh, Suxin—I quite fancy the steamed fish your kitchen prepares. Have them prepare one for me."

"Yes, I'll inform the kitchen at once."

...

At dinner, the side hall of Qi'an Pavilion was lavishly set. Bai Minmin had requested steamed fish, yet directed servants to place numerous other dishes before herself, leaving the fish inevitably positioned near Ming Tan.

For some reason, Ming Tan found today's fish unbearably fishy—the mere smell made her queasy.But Bai Minmin was eating with such gusto that she couldn't keep it to herself. She picked up a morsel and insisted on feeding it to Ming Tan.

Ming Tan had no choice but to accept. The moment it entered her mouth, she couldn't bear it. Spitting out the fish, she leaned over the basin Suxin quickly provided and vomited violently.

Bai Minmin hadn't expected such a strong reaction. While alarmed, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of delight. She hurriedly ordered, "Go fetch the imperial physician at once! What was the name of the one who regularly checks Consort's pulse? Imperial Physician Feng, yes, that's right—Imperial Physician Feng!"

Pale from retching, Ming Tan already had an inkling of what might be happening. After rinsing her mouth, she still managed to shoot Bai Minmin a weak glare. "Are you trying to torment me to death on purpose?"

Before long, Imperial Physician Feng arrived in haste with his medicine chest.

With practiced ease, he took Ming Tan's pulse. After the first attempt, he withdrew his hand as if uncertain, then checked again.

The pulse remained unchanged.

He promptly stood up and respectfully offered congratulations: "The pulse flows smoothly like beads rolling on a jade plate—this is the slippery pulse. Congratulations, Consort. You're with child!"