Chapter 26.1
Xie Tinghuan was the niece of Concubine An Fei. When she returned home, before she even entered the door, she heard Concubine An Fei helping Li Chengxuan review his homework.
Pulling back the curtains, Xie Tinghuan walked in. Concubine An Fei glanced at her, knowing that she had been in the palace for two years. Although she said she came in to accompany her, in reality, both she and her brother wanted to use this opportunity to find a good marriage for her.
However, this niece had high standards. She rejected several candidates her family had suggested, and instead, always eagerly looked towards the position beside the Empress at palace banquets.
Concubine An Fei, not blind to these things, could tell what was on her mind.
"Where have you been? Why the gloomy face?" Consort An Fei asked.
Xie Tinghuan picked up a cup from the table, took a sip of water, and replied, "I went to arrange flowers with Wang Ruoyu and the others. On the way back, I bumped into that Zhaoxun from the Eastern Palace. Wang Ruoyu went to find her and ended up getting into an argument with her, pushing me a few times. I almost fell."
Concubine An Fei frowned at the news and said, "Wang Ruoyu always bullies others and causes trouble. I've told you many times, stay away from her. In a palace filled with noble ladies of good character, why do you always hang out with Wang Ruoyu?"
"Are you talking about the An sisters and the Third Princess? They come from renowned scholar families and hold themselves above us country-born fake noble ladies," Xie Tinghuan scoffed. "I have no interest in seeking their approval."
Concubine An Fei looked at her silently, feeling a bit frustrated. "The An family is known for their virtue. When His Majesty, who was once a butcher's son, entered the An family for education, he was treated with great respect. When the Imperial Noble Consort was busy with the war and couldn't care for the Second Prince, she entrusted him to the An family. Although the Second Prince does not have An family blood, the Duke of An still raised him personally. Without the An family, there would be no current prosperity in the Eastern Fence. The descendants of the An family are refined and genteel, they respect the virtuous and the talented, not belittle others like you said."
"So what? Despite the education, when a mistake is made, they are immediately banished to the barren lands of the North," Xie Tinghuan muttered, then raised her voice. "I feel uncomfortable around them. We have different values, I can't be friends with the An sisters."
With a brief greeting, Xie Tinghuan left the room, looking disgruntled.
Concubine An Fei watched her go, shaking her head helplessly. It wasn't entirely Xie Tinghuan's fault.
The Xie family had only risen to nobility in the past decade. Their background was no match for the An family, which had centuries of history.
Xie Tinghuan had grown up in the countryside, with a vast difference in education, manners, and true noble women. Faced with the An sisters and the Third Princess, she naturally felt inferior.
Concubine An Fei sighed softly, realizing that the prosperity of a family was the result of generations of hard work. Habits and feelings of inferiority cultivated over decades cannot be easily changed overnight.
After a while, she gently stroked Li Chengxuan's head and asked, "Do you remember what Concubine Mother taught you yesterday?"
"I remember!" Li Chengxuan nodded firmly. "A nobleman is proud but not contentious, joins with the masses but not with factions. He seeks out the wise for advice."
Then he asked, "Concubine Mother, the Crown Prince's brother is injured. Little Eight and I want to go to the Huiguo Temple tomorrow to pray for him. Is that okay?"
"Of course, the Crown Prince's brother is exceptionally talented. It will be beneficial for you to associate with him often." Concubine An Fei said gently.
*
At the Chengming Hall, the Imperial Physician had just come to change Li Wenjian's bandages, and Jing Lin was feeding him. Jing Lin seemed inexperienced with such tasks, his hands were shaky as he brought the food to Li Wenjian's lips, almost toppling it on the bed.
Li Wenjian glanced at him but said nothing, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. Seeing this, Zhao Heng said, "Let me do it."
Gratefully, Jinglin handed her the bowl, saying, "Thank you, Zhaoxun."
Placing a cloth under him, Zhaoxun fed him slowly, as Li Wenjian had little appetite. However, he knew that eating would help heal his wounds faster, so he chewed slowly, each bite causing him pain due to his back injury.
Zhao Xun was patient, waiting for him to finish chewing and swallowing before the next bite. Li Wenjian could sense that her patience stemmed not from humility but from her innate nature of composure and gentleness, exuding a calming presence.
Even the most resilient person could feel restless and agitated when seriously ill, and Jing Lin's awkwardness while feeding him only exacerbated his discomfort. Zhaoxun's calm and soothing demeanor alleviated his restlessness, allowing him to focus on the present under her influence.
This meal took twice as long as usual for him to finish. Once the utensils were removed, Zhaoxun helped Li Wenjian rinse his mouth and freshen up.
With matters in the hall attended to, the hour was late, and seeing Li Wenjian looking weary, possibly from a restless night, Zhaoxun softly asked, "Would Your Highness like to rest for a while?"
Li Wenjian shook his head. He was accustomed to rising early, practicing martial arts, having breakfast, studying, or handling paperwork. This routine had been instilled in him by his grandfather since his early days in the Duke of An's residence, and it had remained unchanged over the years.
Having spent most of the day in bed, feeling uncomfortable all over, he found it difficult to sleep, despite feeling tired and sleepy.
"Bring me the book from my desk," he instructed.
Zhaoxun was slightly taken aback. Even in his condition, did he still want to read?
Pushing open the door to Li Wenjian's study, Zhaoxun was stunned by the overwhelming collection of books within. The walls of the study were lined with bookshelves, and a stack of recently read books sat on the desk, with one open in the middle. The scent of ink permeated the room. Initially bitter, the scent later had a calming effect.
In contrast, Jiang Jin's reading room was adorned with precious jewels and exotic treasures.
Apart from this, there were many differences between the Crown Prince and Jiang Jin.
Li Wenjian had few close palace maids, with only a few serving his daily needs, and they were rarely allowed into his private chambers.
On the other hand, Jiang Jin was surrounded by a bevy of beauties, giving massages, rubbing his legs, fanning him⦠all of them were stunningly beautiful. She had thought that Li Wenjian, as the Crown Prince, should surpass Jiang Jin in every aspect, but reality presented a stark contrast.
Earlier, Zhao Heng had heard of Li Wenjian's reputation for being pure and elegant, but she hadn't expected him to be this pure and elegant!
If it hadn't been for that fortuitous night, she might not have had the chance to stand by his side in this lifetime, or even have the privilege to look up to him.
Returning to the bedchamber with the book, Zhao Heng added a few more lamps by the bedside. The previous lighting had been too dim, straining the eyes over time.
As Li Wenjian began reading, Zhao Heng had Lian Zhou fetch her writing materials and sat quietly in the outer room to read and write.
During the Spring Festival these few days, she had already learned half of "Shan Weng Yun (Rhymes of the Mountain Man)." It was a primer for children, with not too difficult vocabulary that flowed smoothly when read. With her intelligence and comprehension, she quickly memorized the characters she learned. Lin Mama often praised her for being smart and quick at learning.
However, while learning the characters was easy, writing was not as simple. Each stroke and dash required careful precision, and achieving full and robust characters took persistent practice without shortcuts.
As His Highness said, the water does not strive to be first; it strives to flow endlessly. She wasn't in a rush, she would practice slowly and steadily.
His Highness needed rest, so she couldn't recite passages, which gave her an opportunity to review the characters she had learned before.
Li Wenjian noticed the deliberately subdued sound coming from the outer room, and he glanced in the direction of Zhaoxun. The window was half-open, allowing the warm sun of spring to shine into the room, bathing her in a gentle light.
With meticulous care, she arranged the writing materials and inkstone, opened the book, and delicately traced her slender fingers over the pages, smoothing them out. Dipping the brush into the ink with precision, she leaned in to copy the characters.
Sitting upright, her movements accentuated the slender waist, pulling the fabric of her clothes taut, emphasizing her delicate figure. After writing a few characters, she seemed to find the wide sleeves of her Immortal skirt cumbersome, so she paused to push them up a few inches, revealing her snowy-white, delicate arms. Tying up the excess fabric, she continued writing with a focused expression.
Li Wenjian glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to his book.
Each engrossed in their tasks of reading and writing, they lost track of time. As the sun moved westward, dusk approached.
The sunlight on the desk gradually turned orange as Zhaoxun set down her brush, stood up, rubbed her tired eyes, and stretched her sore shoulders and arms before moving into the inner room.
His Highness remained in the same position, engrossed in his reading. The candle at the bedside had burned down halfway, the wax dripping and accumulating on the candle stand. He was so focused on his book that he didn't even register the sound of her footsteps.
Zhao Heng hesitated for a moment before speaking up: "Your Highness."
Li Wenjian looked up at her, and she said, "You have been reading for two hours. Why not take a break? Staring at something for too long is bad for the liver and not good for your eyes."
Li Wenjian looked at her deeply, and in the end, as she suggested, he handed her the book he was holding, and she placed it next to her own books in the outer room.
After lying on the bed all day, his body stiff and sore from lack of movement, he felt uncomfortable everywhere. He shifted his body slightly to alleviate the discomfort.
Zhao Heng was startled to see this, afraid that his wound would start bleeding. She quickly went over to hold him down, preventing him from moving. "The physician said you mustn't move around freely. It would be troublesome if the wound were to reopen."
Li Wenjian met her gaze and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, "Did the physician mention that lying like this for a few days will cause our bones to weaken?"
Zhao Heng naturally understood how uncomfortable it was to be bedridden. Seeing his discomfort, she suggested, "Your Highness, if you're not feeling well, shall I give you a massage?"
Li Wenjian looked at her hand.
Now that the weather had turned warmer, her chilblains had healed, her wound had closed, and the swelling had gone down. She no longer needed to soak her hands in water daily. Her fingers were slender and fair, with narrow joints and a delicate, boneless appearance.
What strength could a pair of hands like these possess?
He said, "Let Jing Lin do it."
Zhao Heng remembered how rough General Jing Lin had been when feeding him lunch and frowned, "General Jing Lin's hands are too heavy. It's better for me to do it."
General Jing Lin's hands were as large as plates, and she feared that a few strokes from him could reopen Li Wenjian's wound.
Interlocking her soft fingers, she twisted her wrists a few times until they were slightly warm, then sat down on the edge of the bed and began massaging his legs.
To Li Wenjian's surprise, her seemingly delicate hands were actually quite strong. Each touch and press was just right, with a gentle yet firm touch that moved effortlessly over his body.
The firm pressure sank down heavily, accompanied by a tingling sensation that was strangely comfortable.
As she moved up to his neck, Zhao Heng scooted closer to the head of the bed. His collar was standing high, obstructing her hands, so she pulled it down slightly. Li Wenjian turned around, lifted his hand to hold the collar down, and met her eyes with a look of astonishment, as if he were surprised by her actions.
Zhao Heng spoke calmly, "Your Highness, your clothes are in the way of my hands. It's difficult to exert pressure."
Her calm demeanor made Li Wenjian feel ashamed of his own assumptions. He gradually released his hand and allowed her to lower the collar, gently massaging his neck vertebrae.
Despite his daily physical activities, prolonged sitting had damaged his neck. After a few presses, Zhao Heng increased the pressure, "Does Your Highness often experience neck pain?"
"Yes," Li Wenjian replied.
Moving down his spine, Zhao Heng pressed about five or six inches down, each gentle yet forceful touch sending a slight tremor through Li Wenjian's heart.
As she neared the wound, Zhao Heng stopped and gently brushed the protruding bone, turning her head to ask, "Does it hurt here?"
Her hand was soft and warm, and the moment it touched his skin, Li Wenjian stiffened, a momentary buzz in his mind.
Closing his eyes, he dispersed his untimely thoughts, nodded, and with a somewhat hoarse voice, said, "It hurts here too."
Zhaoheng withdrew her hand, heaving a sigh of relief, and he did the same.
"Your Highness, your neck is not in great condition. You mustn't sit for prolonged periods. " Zhao Heng straightened his collar, trapping the warmth in his undershirt. She pulled a thin blanket over him and asked, "Are you feeling better now, Your Highness?"
Li Wenjian took several deep breaths to suppress the sudden surge of heat in his body. He felt a significant relief from the fatigue and stiffness of lying down for so long, and his body felt much lighter.
"Your technique is very good," he praised.
Zhao Heng smiled lightly at him, "I learned it from a lame doctor in the village when I was younger."
Li Wenjian glanced at her, his eyes inevitably carrying a hint of pity, "You must have suffered a lot back then."
Zhao Heng nodded, then shook her head, "I did endure some hardships when I was his medicine person. But if I hadn't suffered there and learned his migraine treatment formula and massage techniques, I might not have been able to escape from Jiang Jin's clutches unscathed."
She had always been open-minded. As she looked back on her life's ups and downs, stepping out of the pain or fortune itself and examining her experiences, she felt that the setbacks and frustrations of the moment were extremely insignificant.