Jinyi Spring

A few days later, on her way home one evening, Granny Cai slipped and fell.

She didn't die from the fall, but she broke a leg and became paralyzed on one side, unable to even speak clearly. Her family had no choice but to send her to a farm in the countryside to recuperate.

That evening, Steward Wei quietly appeared at the estate.

He went to Granny Cai's bedside and listened to her recount what had happened in detail.

Granny Cai did break a leg, but the claim of being paralyzed on one side was a lie.

Before we knew it, it was the 18th of the 11th lunar month. After several days and nights of snow, the weather finally cleared up.

The bright moonlight poured down, making the snow on the roadside and rooftops sparkle.

Just as dinner was being served in the Feng family courtyard, Shangguan Ruyu suddenly arrived.

He had lost a bit of his weight, and his face no longer held its usual nonchalant air; instead, his expression was unusually serious.

Feng Buji said with delight, "Brother Shangguan, it's been a long time since you've come to visit."

Shangguan Ruyu nodded to him and walked straight toward Feng Chuchen, her gaze fixed on her face.

"I have something to say to you privately."

Feng Chuchen stood up. "Is it related to medical skills?"

Shangguan Ruyu readily agreed, "Mm."

She then said to the people at the table, "You eat first."

He then took Shangguan Ruyu to the east wing.

Upon entering the room, Shangguan Ruyu turned around and closed the door tightly. When she looked at Feng Chuchen again, her peach blossom eyes were filled with heartache and sadness, as if she was about to cry.

Feng Chuchen felt a pang of sadness, but she laughed and teased, "Look at you, what kind of look is that?"

Shangguan Ruyu sniffed, her voice low and choked with suppressed sobs.

“I’m your cousin, but I couldn’t protect you. You almost died, and you suffered so much in the countryside for so many years…”

“I didn’t suffer…” Feng Chuchen hurriedly said.

"How could you say you didn't suffer?" Shangguan Ruyu's voice suddenly rose, then quickly fell back down. "Others may not know, but how could I not? I've seen how you run the clinic, how hard you work, how you treat patients day and night, and how you earn money to support your family."

"And you still have to put up with all that gossip! I used to think that since you came from a farming family and only had a younger brother, it was only natural for you to suffer. But now I realize—you have a large, wealthy family, and a cousin like me, yet you live such a miserable life..."

His eyes welled up with tears, and he pressed his lips tightly together to keep them from falling.

Looking at him like this, Feng Chuchen felt both sad and warm inside.

He's such a kind and gentle older brother.

If this were modern times, she would definitely give him a bear hug and hold him tightly for a long, long time.

In the end, she simply reached out and tugged at his sleeve, whispering, "Cousin, I know you feel sorry for me."

Upon hearing the word "cousin," Shangguan Ruyu could no longer hold back his tears, which streamed down his face. He quickly tried to wipe them away with his sleeve, but the more he wiped, the more tears flowed, leaving him looking quite disheveled.

Feng Chuchen was both amused and exasperated, and advised, "Stop crying. I don't feel bitter. It's a miracle you survived in that situation."

Hearing this, Shangguan Ruyu became even more heartbroken and began to sob.

Feng Chuchen pulled him to sit at the table, took a handkerchief from her bosom, and stuffed it into his hand. She felt a mix of amusement and exasperation—it seemed she was the one who should be crying, and he was the one offering comfort.

People who don't know the situation might think she's the older sister and he's the younger brother.

After he had finished crying, Feng Chuchen asked softly, "You knew everything?"

"Mmm." Shangguan Ruyu wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. Her red peach blossom eyes were like flower petals covered with dew, beautiful and pitiful.

"After hearing what my cousin and General Wang said, I was sad for a long time and felt sorry for my sister. I was anxious to see you, so I wrote two letters to my cousin, and he finally allowed me to return to the villa in the capital for two days."

He paused, then stared blankly at Feng Chuchen, his eyes filled with grief and indignation. "That Consort Xue and the Xue family are truly heartless. How could they harm people like this? My poor sister, and I also pity Empress Xiao..."

With a hint of relief, she added, "Fortunately, my maternal grandmother was kind and fair, and always followed the late emperor's will, without getting involved in this matter."

Although the Xue family was his mother's maternal family, he had never been close to them and didn't have a good impression of Consort Xue, finding her domineering and overbearing. Compared to those people, he naturally sided with Feng Chuchen.

He didn't care as long as his maternal grandmother didn't fall for it.

Feng Chuchen lowered her eyelids and remained silent.

Everyone says that Empress Dowager Xue doted on two younger generations the most: her eldest grandson Qin Wang and her grandson Shangguan Ruyu.

Shangguan Ruyu and Empress Dowager Xue had a truly close relationship.

This bond between grandfather and grandson was genuine in Shangguan Ruyu's heart. No matter how strict the old man was with others, his eyes were always warm and gentle. And when you spoke to him, it was always with a gentle and kind tone.

This kindness was a genuine affection he never doubted.

Empress Dowager Xue had only one son and one daughter. Her son was the Emperor, and her daughter was Princess Yanghe. She naturally loved the Emperor, but that love was mixed with too many court intrigues.

He truly loved his only daughter dearly. He also showered his grandson, Shangguan Ruyu, with unconditional love and affection.

Ming Shanyue did not mention her suspicions about Empress Dowager Xue to Shangguan Ruyu, but she told Qin Wang everything.

The Prince Qin grew up alone in the deep palace, lacking any cunning; he would have died countless times over.

Besides, he was a party involved; he had witnessed firsthand how badly his mother and sister had been harmed by those people. Moreover, his mother and sister had ended up in this state entirely because of him, the eldest son of the emperor.

The Prince Qin listened and understood. The Empress Dowager's kindness towards him was merely a temporary measure, something done for show.

Behind her kindness to him was the fact that she was keeping one last trump card for the Xue family.

If Consort Xue fails, there is still her. As long as she remains in power, Prince Zhao still has hope, and the Xue family still has the strength to rise again.

Ming Shanyue didn't tell Shangguan Ruyu the whole story, not only because his feelings for Empress Dowager Xue were genuine, but also because he was born in the Yanghe Princess's mansion and had always been pampered as a child, making him relatively simple-minded.

He couldn't believe that his kind-faced maternal grandmother, who always held his hand and called him "Yu'er," would do such bad things. Or rather, even if he had a vague sense of something in his mind, he was absolutely unwilling to believe it emotionally.

Feng Chuchen, of course, wouldn't say it outright, but only whispered, "Now is not the time to talk about it. Just keep it in mind and be careful."

Shangguan Ruyu pursed her thin, petal-like lips and nodded, saying, "My father and cousin Ming have repeatedly told me, and I'm not stupid. I haven't even gone home these days, let alone entered the palace. I'm not clean now, and no one wants to mess with me. I can only come here."

He spoke very solemnly.

Feng Chuchen then asked, "Which of those people in the palace is easier to get along with?"

This was something she really wanted to know.

A serious expression appeared on Shangguan Ruyu's face. After a moment's thought, she said, "The easiest person to get along with is naturally my maternal grandmother. She is kind-hearted and extremely gentle with the younger generation. I'm sure she will cherish you." (End of Chapter)