Chapter 46 Saving the Situation

She had only wandered in because she noticed the large crowd outside, and with a considerable retinue of palace maids and eunuchs following closely behind, turning a blind eye to such a spectacle might ultimately reach the Empress Dowager's ears and reflect poorly upon her. Thus, she had stepped inside to put a stop to it, never expecting to find such a scene within, which left her slightly astonished.

Yet, observing how frail and sickly he was, Wen Qiao harbored no other thoughts, finding his condition entirely unsurprising.

First, because he lacked favor.
Second, because his body harbored poison.

This was a poison contracted from his mother's womb—something she had easily discerned with a brief touch of his pulse. Eradicating this poison completely was not actually difficult; perhaps due to his disfavor, no one had ever bothered to summon an imperial physician for him, dragging the matter out until the present day.

The toxin had now penetrated deep into his marrow, and without a cure, he likely had only a few years left to live.

Wen Qiao lowered her gaze slightly, keeping these thoughts to herself.
She lacked the philanthropic inclination to go out of her way to treat and cure strangers.

As for whether the Third Prince's poison would be cured or not, it ultimately depended on his own attitude.

Listening to the exchange between the Fourth Prince and Wen Qiao, Nanny Zhao suddenly snapped back to her senses, guessing that Wen Qiao must be the much-discussed figure who had been the talk of the palace over the past two days.

Having just spoken of her to the Third Prince, she never expected to meet her in person so soon. Despite her wretched state, Nanny Zhao turned and knelt on the spot, dropping heavily to her knees before Wen Qiao and kowtowing loudly.

The entire room was stunned into silence, and even Xiao Jingheng failed to immediately comprehend Nanny Zhao's intentions.

Seeing someone of such advanced age kneeling before her, Xiao Jingheng felt a sharp pang of heartache and self-reproach.

"Miss Wen, this old servant's surname is Zhao, and I have served by the Third Prince's side for many years. The Third Prince's life has been wretched; his food and provisions are abysmal, and high-ranking princes frequently come to humiliate our Highness. Miss Wen, this old servant knows you are kind-hearted and skilled in medicine, and that His Majesty and the Empress Dowager hold you in the highest regard. This old servant asks for nothing else, only whether Miss Wen might put in a good word for our Highness before the Emperor—at the very least, to ensure our Highness's meals and daily living resemble those of a normal person, rather than continuing to endure such hardship."

Nanny Zhao's words caused the expressions of everyone present to shift, save for Wen Qiao, who remained standing quietly in place as though she had heard nothing at all, her demeanor entirely natural.

The one who reacted most violently was the Fourth Prince. Just as Xiao Jingheng moved to stop Nanny Zhao, the Fourth Prince lunged forward and delivered a vicious slap across Nanny Zhao's face, breaking the skin of the cheek she had already struck herself earlier.

Xiao Jingheng immediately sat upright in bed, intending to get down and help Nanny Zhao up, but before he could move, Wen Qiao stepped directly forward and raised Nanny Zhao from the floor.

Seeing that the Fourth Prince had struck with murderous intent—leaving blood at the corner of Nanny Zhao's mouth—and observing the old woman's graying hair trembling as she dared not utter another word, Wen Qiao was instantly reminded of the grandmother who had raised her in her remote mountain village. To say she felt no anger would be a complete falsehood.

"Cousin, you are an imperial prince, yet how could you inflict such lethal force upon an elderly nanny? Furthermore, she merely spoke the truth. If your anger is this out of proportion, could it be because what she said strikes too close to home? Just now, Cousin, you assured me you were merely playing with our Third Cousin. Why, the moment this nanny speaks, do you rush forward to beat her? With so many people watching here, are you not afraid that I shall report everything that transpired today directly to Uncle?"

Wen Qiao had discovered that within the palace, if one wished to coerce others, simply invoking the Emperor's name was the most effective method.

Everyone in this palace—whether maids, eunuchs, princes, or princesses—dared not defy the Emperor. As long as the Emperor was displeased, they would not dare commit any further transgressions.

Clearly, this tactic proved effective against the Fourth Prince as well.

Hearing Wen Qiao's words, the Fourth Prince instinctively took two steps back, though his eyes still clearly spelled out the characters "I refuse to yield," making Wen Qiao want to march forward and strike him across the face herself.

Yet, remembering the identity of the person before her, she forced herself to restrain the urge.

He was, after all, an imperial prince; even if he committed wrongs, punishing him was not her place.
Moreover, she was well aware that Consort Qi doted on this son as though he were a precious pearl.

If she were to strike Xiao Yulei today, she would likely have no peace in her quarters for a long time to come.

"It was merely this Prince's poor judgment. Indeed, the Third Imperial Brother, however lowly, remains His Majesty's biological son and my own elder brother. My earlier offense was inexcusable, and I offer my apologies to the Third Imperial Brother here. Cousin has been out for quite some time; you should return promptly lest the Imperial Grandmother grow worried. I shall not linger to keep Cousin company. Since Cousin enjoys conversing with the Third Imperial Brother, I will not disturb you further. Farewell."

With those words, the Fourth Prince departed. Initially masking his demeanor, the moment he was a safe distance from the imperial quarters, he violently flicked his sleeve, his face contorted with rage.

"Who does she think she is? Merely a young lady from the Marquis of Yongning's estate, and a country girl just brought back at that! If she didn't hold some favor with Imperial Father and Imperial Grandmother, I would show her how to behave today!"

Muttering angrily to himself as he walked, the junior eunuch trailing him hastily stepped forward to chime in.

"Precisely! A destitute nobody straight from the countryside—how could she possibly compare to Your Highness's standing in His Majesty's heart? Your Highness is His Majesty's true flesh and blood, a genuine scion of heaven. Yielding to that country girl is only out of respect for His Majesty's lingering fondness; otherwise, given her status, she isn't even worthy of carrying Your Highness's shoes! How dare she act so arrogantly before Your Highness!"

The junior eunuch believed this flattery would earn Xiao Yulei's favor and make him stand out, but instead, Xiao Yulei struck him squarely across the face. The blow frightened the entire retinue behind the Fourth Prince into dropping to their knees in a sprawling mass, not a single soul daring to make a sound.

"Useless trash! I hadn't gotten around to punishing you, yet you've conveniently reminded me. Were you all deaf to what I said just now? Pretending not to hear me, one by one? Xiao Jingheng sat there plainly, yet not a single one of you had the guts to step forward and touch him. Did you deliberately want to make a fool of me? The few of you, return and take twenty board strikes each, then kneel for two hours to properly reflect on your mistakes today!"

The kneeling eunuchs cursed their bitter fate inwardly, casting resentful glares at the junior eunuch who had tried to curry favor.

Sensing he had incurred the wrath of his peers, the junior eunuch shrank his neck, not daring to speak another word for fear that any further remark might displease the Fourth Prince. Aside from his own punishment, he might implicate the others, who would surely ostracize him afterward.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

Ostracization within the palace was a terrifying prospect. Though these junior eunuchs were chosen by Consort Qi to serve the Fourth Prince, even the tightest net had holes. Who knew if hidden spies planted by others lurked among them?

If he became the target of public ire, the consequences would go beyond burdensome chores; he might find himself deprived of food and clothing, left to freeze or starve to death.

Though the likelihood was slim, it could not be ruled out.

Especially in winter, countless palace maids and eunuchs froze to death—mostly targets of collective malice or servants belonging to out-of-favor consorts.

Consort Qi's palace had never witnessed such occurrences.
Naturally, he had no desire to be the first junior eunuch frozen or worn to death for displeasing the Fourth Prince.

With a heavy heart, he mentally calculated his monthly stipend, realizing it would undoubtedly vanish. Worse still, his accumulated savings would likely have to be distributed as well—the only way to appease everyone's anger.

It hurt to part with the silver, but preserving his life came first; money could always be earned anew.

In the span of a brief moment, the junior eunuch had dragged himself back from the gates of the underworld. The complex currents of palace intrigue meant one could be targeted and killed at any moment.

Xiao Yulei flicked his sleeve and departed, heading straight for Consort Qi's palace to recount the day's events and secure her help in dealing with Wen Qiao.

The thought of Wen Qiao undermining his authority and ruining his plans filled Xiao Yulei with suffocating fury. The flowers and plants lining his path irritated him to such an extent that he lashed out, kicking over a potted crimson peony, though he failed to notice a young palace maid who had witnessed the act.

After watching a moment longer and confirming Xiao Yulei's agitated state, the young maid turned and bolted.

Following their departure, the atmosphere in Xiao Jingheng's small courtyard turned somewhat awkward. Wen Qiao stood in place, unsure what to say, while Xiao Jingheng, having spent his life isolated from female company, naturally appeared exceedingly reserved.

Yet Wen Qiao had just saved him and aided him a second time; it would be improper to let his savior and benefactor initiate the conversation.

After choking down his hesitation for a long while, he finally forced out two words.

"Thank you."

Wen Qiao had originally intended to leave immediately, but since Xiao Jingheng was an imperial prince, departing without a word would be discourteous. Moreover, a large crowd of retainers stood behind her; she could not be certain whether they would report today's bullying to the Empress Dowager.

If the Empress Dowager learned of it, how would she react?

Regardless, Xiao Jingheng was the Empress Dowager's biological grandson. Even with any favoritism, she could not be too flagrantly partial, especially since the Empress Dowager had always been a benevolent matriarch kind to all her grandchildren. Even if she had to respect the Emperor's face and could not openly favor a son the Emperor despised, offering quiet, private support was entirely feasible.

It was just that the Fourth Prince's actions were excessively arrogant, bordering on vicious.

Even if they were not born of the same mother, they shared the same father; yet he could humiliate Xiao Jingheng so ruthlessly.

Furthermore, both were sons of Xiao Zheng, technically equal in blood and nobility. The tragedy lay solely in the fact that the woman who bore Xiao Jingheng had fallen victim to a calculated trap.

Had it been otherwise, upon Xiao Zheng's ascension, that maid's status should have risen accordingly, quite possibly securing the rank of a consort.

Alas, she lacked both fortune and longevity, falling prey to a plot that left even her newborn child despised by the Emperor.

If her spirit watched from above, she would surely grieve for Xiao Jingheng.

Yet Wen Qiao merely entertained these thoughts internally, voicing none of them.
She was no saintly savior; expressing such sentiments aloud would appear overly deliberate, inviting accusations of affectation. Though she cared little for superficial reputations, she feared upsetting the Empress Dowager, which would outweigh any potential benefit.

While Wen Qiao remained silent in her thoughts, Xiao Jingheng lapsed back into stillness.

Absorbed in her own reflections, Wen Qiao had not registered Xiao Jingheng's earlier remark.
Xiao Jingheng, conversely, assumed his speaking had annoyed Wen Qiao, or that she viewed him as too utterly pathetic to warrant conversation.

He lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes veiling the contemplative gleam in his eyes.

If he used this young lady of the Marquis of Yongning's estate as a stepping stone to accelerate his path toward securing a prince's title, it might prove viable.
Yet utilizing a savior left a lingering prickle of guilt in his chest.

Unaware of his machinations, Wen Qiao suddenly remembered she was still within the imperial quarters and could not afford to lose herself indefinitely in contemplation. Hearing his earlier expression of gratitude, she replied promptly, "No need, it was merely a trivial effort. Nanny Zhao is advanced in years and injured now. Huiping, when we return to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, fetch that yellow porcelain jar from the wall-side desk in my chambers and deliver it to the Third Cousin."

Deeply moved, Nanny Zhao felt boundless gratitude toward Wen Qiao. Had Wen Qiao not intervened, Xiao Jingheng might genuinely have suffered abuse at the Fourth Prince's hands. Hearing that Wen Qiao intended to send medicine as well, she waved her hands repeatedly, feeling thoroughly embarrassed to accept further charity.

Knowing that accepting medicine meant forcing Wen Qiao's attendants to run errands weighed heavily on her conscience; she would rather endure the pain herself than risk appearing insatiable.