Jinyi Spring

Feng Chuchen shook his head. "Because of me, Consort Xue and the Xue family will be in big trouble. The Empress Dowager will not cherish me."

Shangguan Ruyu said seriously, "You've misunderstood. My maternal grandmother, like the Holy Empress, was a truly magnanimous person who cared about the world. She always disapproved of Consort Xue's behavior and reprimanded her many times. She also genuinely loved Prince Qin. If it weren't for her protection, Prince Qin might not have been able to grow up safely in the palace."

Feng Chuchen disagreed. Empress Dowager Xue raised Prince Qin not out of love, but because she was certain that the old case would never be brought up again, and she could use him to establish a persona of "compassionate heart".

Seeing her obvious disbelief, Shangguan Ruyu was not annoyed and smiled, "You'll know once you enter the palace."

He paused, then added, "As for the Emperor—his heart is unpredictable, and no one can fathom him. However, you have suffered for so many years, so even if it is compensation, he will not be too harsh on you."

"The person you need to be most careful of is the eldest princess, Shui Raofu... Oh, once you enter the palace, you will be the eldest princess, and she will be the second princess. She is notoriously arrogant and domineering, and loves to bully people."

He changed the subject, a smile playing on his lips, "However, she's not very bright and is easily manipulated; she's no match for you. The other four princesses are still young, so they're fine for now."

Feng Chuchen nodded.

Shangguan Ruyu continued, "Of the four princes, the eldest and second princes have already been granted the title of king, the third prince is fifteen years old, the fourth prince died young, and the fifth prince was saved by you with the Yin Shen Needle, and he is only one year old."

"King Zhao appears kind and benevolent, and treats people with gentleness and courtesy, but my father and mother both say that he is the most intelligent of all. He doesn't show it on his face, but he understands everything in his heart. The Third Prince is quick-witted and studious, gentle and polite, but his birth mother has a low rank, and his maternal family has no power."

"The Emperor values ​​him and Prince Zhao the most, and usually examines them in their studies. The Empress Dowager also attaches great importance to the Third Prince, and often tells him that he should be tolerant of others and love the people as his own children."

He glanced at Feng Chuchen and lowered his voice, saying, "Many people are talking privately that if the Prince of Zhao does not get his wish, the position of Crown Prince will belong to the Third Prince."

He gave Feng Chuchen a meaningful look and smiled, "Once the case is overturned, your mother will surely be restored to her position as empress. The position of crown prince should rightfully belong to the loyal prince."

Feng Chuchen didn't say much, "Things are unpredictable, who knows?"

Shangguan Ruyu thought she was still worried about her future life in the palace, so she comforted her, "Don't worry, you have your maternal grandmother, Qin Wang, my mother and I, we will all help you."

Feng Chuchen looked at him, a warm feeling rising in her heart. This cousin, though a bit of a crybaby, had always treated her the best.

Feng Chuchen dislikes palace intrigue and would prefer to get married soon... no, to find a consort! She wants to leave home and live independently as soon as possible.

But it wasn't appropriate to say that, so she changed the subject and asked, "How is Uncle Wang's injury?"

Shangguan Ruyu said, "General Wang's injuries are no longer serious, so I don't need to stay by his side every day."

Feng Chuchen breathed a sigh of relief. "Go back and tell Uncle Wang that I'm thinking about how to perform facial surgery on him, and I've made some progress. I don't expect him to be completely restored, but at least he can be presentable in public."

Shangguan Ruyu's eyes shone brightly, glistening in the candlelight. "Really? How do I do it?"

"It's a bit complicated and will be divided into several stages. I'll explain it to you in detail when I have time later."

"I'll do it with you."

“Okay, then we’ll have to wait until everything is settled.” Feng Chuchen nodded, then asked, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

"No."

"Come on, let's eat something together." The two got up and walked outside.

Before leaving, Shangguan Ruyu took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and stuffed them into her hand without saying a word, saying, "Don't work too hard, little sister. I'll take care of you."

Feng Chuchen pushed it back, saying, "I have money."

“Brother is willing to give it.” He stubbornly held her hand, his peach blossom eyes serious to the point of obstinacy. “From now on, you are not allowed to stay up late, and you are not allowed to use acupuncture on people casually. Let Aunt Wang and Banxia do more, and you do less.”

"Also," Shangguan Ruyu glanced at Feng Chuchen with disdain, "your clothes are all old-fashioned and of poor quality, and I've never seen you wear any nice jewelry. I'll definitely buy you lots of fabric and jewelry, and dress you up beautifully so that all the young ladies will envy you."

He pursed his lips and added, "Although my sister is already very beautiful, she should become even more beautiful."

Feng Chuchen felt a gentle warmth in her heart from his words, as if a feather had brushed against her skin. Looking at his earnest eyes, her own eyes welled up with tears.

How can he be so good?
This person is the first in both my past and present lives to care so much about her clothes and appearance, making her feel like a careless little girl who needs others to worry about even her clothes.

At this moment, if it weren't for that destined person, if she and he weren't close relatives... Feng Chuchen might even think, why not just marry him?

Of course, these are all just hypotheticals.

She could only secretly vow to herself that she would pack up all her medical skills, except for the magic acupuncture, and give them to him. He couldn't refuse; she would force them on him!
Feng Chuchen sniffed and said softly, "I have no shortage of good fabrics and jewelry. The Princess has given me a lot, as have Old Madam Ming and Madam Ming. My elder brother and sister-in-law have also given me gifts... It's just that I don't like dressing up, so they're all sitting in the storeroom."

Shangguan Ruyu insisted, "Then I will send you gifts too. You must not only eat well, but also wear good clothes and accessories, so that you will act like my sister. Otherwise, I will lose face."

Feng Chuchen was amused by his childishness. "Okay, I'll do as you say. I'll wear whatever you tell me to wear."

Shangguan Ruyu pursed her lips and said shyly, "Actually, I'm very manly and don't cry at all. The few times I've cried since I grew up were because of you."

Feng Chuchen was moved again; how could this child be so kind?

She quickly said, "I know you're a real man, cousin. You're just too protective of your girlfriend."

Shangguan Ruyu was finally satisfied, and the two opened the door and went out.

In the candlelight, Shangguan Ruyu's eyes and cheeks still had a faint pink tinge, clearly indicating that she had been crying bitterly.

Everyone pretended not to notice, assuming he was frightened by the "ghost" in the mortuary and went to his older sister (girl) for comfort.

Feng Chuchen invited him to sit down and personally poured him a glass of wine. Remembering that he liked her cooking, she stood up and said, "I'll go make you a dish."

Shangguan Ruyu quickly stopped her, "You should enjoy your life..." She changed her mind halfway through her sentence, "This is enough."

After finishing her meal, Shangguan Ruyu took out a hundred-tael silver note from her purse and handed it to Aunt Wang.

She earnestly instructed, "These are your rewards. Aunt Wang gets thirty taels, Banxia ten taels, and the rest you can divide among yourselves. Miss Feng has been working too hard and has lost weight. From now on, you should do more so she can do less and not tire her out." (End of Chapter)