Youthful Glory

Late at night, the moonlight was hazy, stars dotted the sky, and the Spring Star Pavilion remained brightly lit with candles.

Learning that her wild imagination had been a misunderstanding, Ming Tan felt a weight lift off her chest, though she was also somewhat embarrassed. However, making a fool of herself in front of Jiang Xu wasn’t a rare occurrence, and by now, she had become quite adept at handling such situations.

No sooner had she finished her tearful hiccups than she immediately frowned, clutching her abdomen and leaning weakly against Jiang Xu’s shoulder, whispering faintly, “Husband, it hurts so much. A Tan’s stomach really hurts.”

Though she was trying to change the subject, Ming Tan wasn’t lying—her stomach was still gripped by waves of sharp pain.

Jiang Xu didn’t know how to comfort her, only patting her shoulder and offering an awkward reassurance, “Bear with it a little longer.”

Fortunately, the medicine prescribed by Imperial Physician Feng was finally brewed and brought in. The warm concoction, likely sweetened with brown sugar, had a pleasant taste. Jiang Xu patiently fed it to her spoon by spoon, and Ming Tan obediently drank it without the slightest resistance.

However, just as Imperial Physician Feng had said, the severity of cramps varied from person to person. Even after drinking the medicine for a while, Ming Tan showed no signs of relief.

Suxin brought in a hot water bottle, and Jiang Xu took it, placing it over Ming Tan’s undergarments on her abdomen as instructed.

But using a hot water bottle in the sweltering heat only made Ming Tan sweat even more. What was initially just pain now came with unbearable heat. She curled up weakly in Jiang Xu’s arms like a sickly kitten, her lips pale, utterly miserable.

Whether it was retribution for using her stomachache to change the subject or not, after a long while, not only was there no relief, but the pain also grew more frequent and intense.

“Husband, A Tan really can’t take it anymore,” she whimpered, unable to hold back her tears.

Jiang Xu held her tighter, resting his chin on her head and gently stroking her hair, offering an unnatural comfort. “Be good, don’t cry.”

“Husband, could you just knock A Tan unconscious? Then I wouldn’t feel the pain anymore.”

Strangely enough, Jiang Xu actually considered it seriously.

But soon, Ming Tan sobbed again, “Never mind, getting knocked out would hurt too. And if one hit doesn’t work, it’d be even worse… Husband, do you know pressure points? Is there one that can make someone pass out instantly?”

There were such points, but the ones that could induce immediate unconsciousness were extremely dangerous.

Jiang Xu seemed to think of something and suddenly laid her down on the bed, drawing the curtains before summoning Imperial Physician Feng inside.

“Physician, the Consort’s abdominal pain has not eased. Can she be given medicine or acupuncture to make her fall asleep?” he asked.

From behind the curtains, Ming Tan, pitiful as ever, added in a small voice, “No acupuncture… that hurts too.”

“This…” Imperial Physician Feng pondered. “For such symptoms, it’s better to alleviate rather than suppress. Arbitrarily using medicine may not be advisable. How about this—I will reduce the dosage and prepare a calming decoction to help the Consort sleep sooner. What does the Lord think?”

With no other options left, Jiang Xu nodded in agreement.

Imperial Physician Feng hastily bowed and withdrew to prepare the prescription for Ming Tan.

Before long, the calming decoction was brewed and brought in. Ming Tan drank the bowl of medicine, personally supervised by Imperial Physician Feng, but before she could feel any calming effects, she suddenly needed to relieve herself—after all, she had already consumed several bowls of liquid.

So Jiang Xu carried her down from the bed again.

Jiang Xu intended to take her directly to the privy, but Ming Tan, mortified at the thought, refused vehemently despite her weakened state, insisting on being supported by her maids as she painstakingly made her way there.

In her condition, even using the privy was an ordeal—she had to endure the pain while changing her sanitary cloth and still insisted on washing her hands and face afterward.After all the commotion, it was nearly midnight by the time they returned to bed.

Fortunately, Ming Tan's abdominal cramps had eased somewhat, and she finally felt a faint drowsiness creeping in.

The warming pan had long gone cold, and she refused to have it refilled, complaining it was too hot. Instead, she whined and cooed, insisting Jiang Xu warm her with his hands. She even pushed her luck, sniffling and pleading in his ear, "Husband, kiss A Tan, and rub my belly a little more, please?"

Jiang Xu, of course, indulged her every whim at this moment. He kissed her brows and eyes and patiently massaged her abdomen.

"Alright, sleep now," he murmured, his voice low and uncharacteristically gentle.

Ming Tan felt the pain in her belly gradually fade, and her consciousness slowly slipped away.

Only after Ming Tan had fallen into a deep slumber did Jiang Xu ease his massaging. Gazing at her nestled in his arms, his expression softened more than usual, lost in thought—

That night, no one in Chunxing Pavilion slept, and Jia Guiren of Fengzhi Xuan didn't close her eyes all night.

She had clashed with Princess Consort Dingbei during the day, and now, by nightfall, the princess consort was suffering from abdominal cramps, suspected of poisoning—how could Jia Guiren dare to sleep? If it truly was poisoning, wouldn’t she be the first suspect?!

So the question arose: Was someone trying to use her name to eliminate Princess Consort Dingbei, or was this a deliberate setup to frame her?

Who could it be? The Empress? Consort Lan? Or was Princess Consort Dingbei staging this drama herself?

If it was poisoning, the source of the toxin would naturally be investigated. Could someone have planted evidence in her quarters, hiding poison to be discovered during a search, ensuring she’d be caught red-handed?

These thoughts kept Jia Guiren restless deep into the night. She couldn’t sit still and immediately turned Fengzhi Xuan upside down, interrogating servants one after another.

The frantic search lasted until dawn but yielded nothing. Jia Guiren, already exhausted from her pregnancy, had dark circles under her eyes and could barely hold on.

Just then, someone came to report: "Your Highness, Princess Consort Dingbei wasn’t poisoned last night. It seems... she ate some iced lychees and had an upset stomach."

"..."

Jia Guiren’s hand, propping her forehead, slipped. After a long pause, she asked dully, "What did you say? Iced lychees? An upset stomach?"

"Yes."

For some reason, Jia Guiren rolled her eyes and fainted from sheer frustration—

Ming Tan’s embarrassing mishap wasn’t just known to Jia Guiren; word spread quickly among everyone else. After all, Yongchun Garden wasn’t that large, and with everyone paying attention, it was impossible to keep it quiet.

Ming Tan was now filled with regret and too ashamed to show her face outside.

Back then, even when Ming Chu of the Liang family, Feng Zhao, and Yongle took turns scheming against her, they couldn’t tarnish the reputation she had meticulously maintained for over a decade. Yet now, a single misstep—blame a few iced lychees! Just imagining people gossiping behind her back about how Princess Consort Dingbei managed to turn eating lychees into an assassination scare made her want to suffocate!

The only silver lining was that no one dared to discuss it in front of her.

Too embarrassed to go out these days, Ming Tan stayed in Chunxing Pavilion, embroidering the sachet she had promised Jiang Xu earlier.

A sachet, no matter how intricate, didn’t take much time to complete. Once finished, with nothing else to do, she recalled Jiang Xu’s earlier words—her constitution was weak, and she needed to exercise more.Previously, she had promised Jiang Xu to learn archery, but promising was one thing, and actually learning was another. She kept putting it off—pretending to be asleep one day, unable to get up the next—dragging it out until they arrived at Yongchun Garden without ever stepping foot in the mansion’s training grounds again.

This time, on a sudden whim, she feared Jiang Xu might grow impatient with her fickleness and refuse to teach her. So, she played up her stomachache for sympathy and subtly bribed him with a meticulously embroidered sachet. Naturally, she smoothly convinced Jiang Xu to agree once more.

Though Chunxing Pavilion lacked a training ground, there was a bamboo grove behind it. Jiang Xu had a target set up in a clearing and even specially arranged for the small bow custom-made for her to be delivered.

As the saying goes, "A craftsman must first sharpen his tools to do his work well." Jiang Xu thought so, and Ming Tan thought so too—except the "tool" she was sharpening wasn’t the bow but her archery outfit.

After deciding to learn archery, she bent over her desk to sketch a design for the outfit, noting down the colors and fabrics, and sent someone galloping to Jinxiu Workshop to have it made.

True to its reputation, Jinxiu Workshop delivered an outfit identical to her design in just two days.

Ming Tan changed into it and was thoroughly pleased. "Husband, does it look good? Doesn’t A Tan look dashing in this?" She twirled in front of Jiang Xu, her bright eyes and radiant smile full of vitality.

Jiang Xu: "..."

Ming Tan added, "I also had a pair of boots specially made, though they haven’t arrived yet. Once I wear them, this outfit will be absolutely perfect—it’ll look even better then!"

"Archery is about posture, strength, and accuracy, not clothes," Jiang Xu couldn’t help but remind her.

"No, A Tan believes that while posture, strength, and accuracy are important, having a fitting and stylish outfit is equally crucial."

"How so?"

"It lifts the spirits, of course!" Ming Tan declared matter-of-factly. "Archery is just like warfare. When you lead troops into battle, don’t you first rally their morale? Though A Tan knows nothing of military strategy, even I understand that morale is key to victory. Similarly, enthusiasm and motivation are essential for mastering archery. Wearing clothes that make you happy boosts your drive, making practice twice as effective, doesn’t it?"

"..."

So many twisted arguments.

Jiang Xu ignored her and strode ahead, with Ming Tan quickly following.

Once they reached the bamboo grove, Jiang Xu handed her the small bow, intending to first teach her the correct stance.

Ming Tan reached for it, but the moment it touched her hands, the weight nearly made her stumble forward, forcing her to steady it with both hands.

"Why is it so heavy?"

She was stunned. The bow looked delicate and light, but its weight defied her expectations.

After a moment of shock, she glanced at the normal-sized bow Jiang Xu held effortlessly. "Husband, is yours heavy too?"

Jiang Xu said nothing and simply passed it to her.

The small bow had been manageable with both hands, but Jiang Xu’s bow felt so heavy she could barely hold it, quickly handing it back.

Ming Tan was genuinely taken aback. She had expected to miss the target or fail to shoot at all—but never had she imagined she wouldn’t even be able to lift the bow. Not. Even. Lift. It!

The atmosphere froze instantly.

Jiang Xu had known she was weak, but not this weak. Even this small bow required both hands to hold.Ming Tan coughed lightly and steeled herself to try holding the small bow with one hand. She could manage to grip it, but only at her side—lifting it was entirely out of the question. After a few attempts to raise her arm, she could barely get halfway before her muscles ached unbearably.

Ming Tan began to question her life choices. "Husband, perhaps we should... take a break for today?"

Jiang Xu: "..."

Her earlier confident but nonsensical arguments still echoed in his ears.

Of course, Ming Tan hadn’t forgotten the bold claims she’d made just moments ago either. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she huffed, "Husband, you should practice on your own. A Tan will go have some breakfast first—maybe I’m just weak because I haven’t eaten yet."

With that, she turned and hurried away, covering her face and muttering to herself,

So embarrassing, so embarrassing...

Just then, a small snake darted out from between the bamboo ahead, slithering a few feet away.

Ming Tan was terrified of snakes. Before she could even scream or collapse in fear, a flash of sword light cut through the air. Jiang Xu moved with such speed that his figure blurred, striking the snake’s vital point in an instant. The sword then fell back, embedding itself perfectly in the ground right in front of Ming Tan, its blade still quivering.

"It’s not venomous, don’t worry. But don’t come to the bamboo grove alone in the future."

Ming Tan had indeed been startled, but as she stared at the sword, a sudden realization struck her like lightning. She recalled a conversation she’d had with Jiang Xu a few days earlier when they first entered the garden:

"Husband, do you know how to play the flute or xiao?"

"No, but this prince knows the sword."

"Didn’t you think that playing the qin in harmony with sword dancing could be considered a form of marital harmony?"

"Well... knowing the sword and knowing how to

dance

with the sword aren’t quite the same thing, are they?"

At the time, she had responded without thinking much of it. But now, seeing the sword, something felt off.

How did my husband know that I thought playing the qin in harmony with sword dancing could symbolize marital harmony?

If she remembered correctly, she had only ever voiced that wish aloud at Lingmiao Temple.