Chapter 46: I’m Going to Drown You in Sweetness part 1
When Noble Consort Liang saw that Chu Lianmo had indeed brought a physician, she dismissed the servants and explained the reason in a low voice:
“Do you remember Wen Cheng? He’s had health problems ever since he became a eunuch, and his condition has worsened these past few years…
“I wanted to ask an imperial physician to see him, but they all made excuses, saying it would be inconvenient for a minor eunuch… I know they’re all just unwilling to take on this hot potato, afraid of offending your Royal Father.”
Hearing this, Ji Hua couldn’t help but interject with a cold laugh, “And to think someone was so eager for me to stay and become an imperial physician. So, the imperial physicians of Chu are all the type to flatter the powerful and trample on the weak.”
“Don’t act like you know everything.” Chu Lianmo, sensing the disdain for Chu in his words, shot Ji Hua a glare. “There are many helpless situations when you’re part of the royal family. How much better can the imperial physicians of Qi be?”
Ji Hua said coldly, “That’s why I’ve never wanted to be an imperial physician, no matter where I am. I don’t want to get involved in these troublesome affairs.”
“Mother,” Chu Lianmo turned to Noble Consort Liang, his expression growing solemn, “have you been in contact with that Wen Cheng all these years?”
“What?” Noble Consort Liang’s expression instantly turned icy. “Are you just like your Royal Father, suspecting that I’m actually having an affair with Wen Cheng? He ended up in such a miserable state because of me. Am I not allowed to show him some concern?”
“…That was not my intention, Mother. Please don’t be angry. I only asked because I’m afraid Royal Father will grow even more suspicious if he finds out.”
Noble Consort Liang sneered, “I stopped caring long ago whether he’s suspicious or not. If he has the guts, he can just kill me.”
Seeing the tense atmosphere between mother and son, Qi Xiaojun quickly tried to mediate, “Your Ladyship, please don’t be like this. His Highness is only thinking of you.”
When Noble Consort Liang looked at him, her gaze softened slightly. “I’m sorry, Jun’er. Did I scare you again?”
“Not at all,” Qi Xiaojun shook his head with a smile. “I’ve seen my share of big scenes. I don’t get scared that easily.”
“In that case,” Chu Lianmo glanced at Ji Hua, “Mother, please tell me where Wen Cheng is now. I will take Physician Ji to see him right away.”
“Sigh…” Noble Consort Liang sighed at the question. “Where else could he be? He’s been doing the dirtiest and hardest jobs all these years… You can find him in the latrines.”
“Yes, I’ll go right now.”
With that, Chu Lianmo led Qi Xiaojun and Ji Hua to the latrines.
The so-called latrines were where the commodes were kept and cleaned.
When the three of them arrived, Wen Cheng was vigorously scrubbing a chamber pot.
“Greetings, Your Highness, Prince Rui!” The other young eunuchs in the latrine, seeing a nobleman appear in such a place, scrambled to kneel and pay their respects.
“Your Highness, Prince Rui?” Wen Cheng also put down the chamber pot and knelt. “Why have you come to this place?”
Chu Lianmo fanned the air in front of Qi Xiaojun’s nose to help clear the smell. “Come out and talk.”
“Yes.”
With his head bowed, Wen Cheng obediently followed Chu Lianmo outside.
“I hear you’ve been ill?” Chu Lianmo got straight to the point. “This Prince has found a physician for you.”
“…This…? I am but a lowly slave. Why should Your Highness Prince Rui concern yourself with me?” Wen Cheng appeared somewhat terrified.
“Cut the nonsense,” Chu Lianmo said impatiently. “The man is already here, so let him take a look. Tell us, where are you feeling unwell?”
Although Wen Cheng was also a victim in the incident years ago, Chu Lianmo always suspected that he hadn’t been careful enough, allowing someone to get a hold on him. Moreover, now knowing that his mother still cared so much for him, it was difficult for Chu Lianmo to be overly polite to Wen Cheng.
“I… I…” Wen Cheng stammered for a long time. Seeing Chu Lianmo’s patience wearing thin, he finally steeled himself and said, “Ever since my… purification, I’ve suffered from incontinence… Because of this, I can never sleep well at night… Lately, my energy during the day has gotten worse, and I’ve been punished for making mistakes at work, which has made my body even weaker. It’s a vicious cycle…”
It sounded like Wen Cheng’s problems were far more complex than just incontinence. The long years of life as a eunuch had taken a huge toll on his mind and body.
Ji Hua spoke gently, “Then take me to a room where we won’t be disturbed. I’ll take a look at the area and then check your pulse.”
Qi Xiaojun realized that the seemingly cold Ji Hua actually had a very kind side. His hatred for his father made him detest the powerful nobles of Chu, but he was exceptionally good to those at the bottom.
“Thank you, Physician Ji.”
Wen Cheng then led Ji Hua to his own room.
In reality, as a low-ranking eunuch, he didn’t have a private room. It was only because the other eunuchs were all working at this time that the room was empty.
After a short while, Ji Hua and Wen Cheng came out together.
“How is he?” Chu Lianmo, who had been waiting outside, asked.
“Sigh…” Ji Hua sighed. “I’ll do my best. His condition has been neglected for too long. Besides, he castrated himself, wielding a blade without any proper technique… It will be very difficult for him to recover to a normal state. I can only try to alleviate his symptoms. Also, he can take some supplements for his weak constitution.”
“I understand,” Chu Lianmo nodded. “Thank you for your trouble.”
“Actually,” Ji Hua’s tone shifted, “these are all just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. His long-term depression and difficult circumstances are the fundamental reasons for his deteriorating health.”
Chu Lianmo gave a cold laugh. “That’s something this Prince can’t control. I’ve done my utmost by finding a physician for him as my mother requested. Am I supposed to help him get transferred out of here as well? I have no desire for my Royal Father to start suspecting some special relationship between us.”
“…But Lianmo,” Qi Xiaojun could understand Chu Lianmo’s apprehension towards this man, but at the same time, he sympathized with Wen Cheng’s plight, “you still don’t have a clear enough understanding of what exactly happened back then, do you?”
“Fine, then I’ll get to the bottom of it today.”
In fact, this question had been lingering in Chu Lianmo’s mind for many years. He just knew the topic was taboo for Noble Consort Liang and couldn’t bring it up with her, and it was inconvenient for him to approach Wen Cheng.
Furthermore, Chu Lianmo himself was implicated in the matter, to the point where his own lineage was questioned. A part of him was afraid to touch the subject.
But today, with Qi Xiaojun by his side, he found the courage to face the truth.
“Wen Cheng, let me ask you. Even if you were acquainted with my mother in your youth, she had already entered the palace as a consort. Why were you still keeping all that correspondence between you, letter by letter? Weren’t you deliberately leaving evidence for someone to find!”
“…Your Highness… I…” Wen Cheng mumbled with his head down, seeming very hesitant. “If I tell you the truth, can you pardon my crime? Or, at least, not implicate my family.”
“…What do you mean by that?!” Chu Lianmo couldn’t help but gasp—could it be that Wen Cheng really did have some special relationship with Noble Consort Liang?! “Tell me everything clearly right now, and don’t hide anything!”
“Yes… To be honest, I did once privately admire Her Ladyship, Noble Consort Liang. But it was only my one-sided affection. Her Ladyship never once accepted my advances!”
Chu Lianmo breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, he understood the answer to the question he had just asked—
Wen Cheng had carefully preserved those letters as a way of preserving his unrequited love.
Wen Cheng continued to explain, “Her Ladyship and I both knew that according to the laws of Chu, all women of age must first attend the selection for the imperial harem. Only those not chosen are free to marry. Therefore, Her Ladyship firmly rejected me. Later, I decided to let go. When I learned she had been chosen, I was genuinely happy for her and decided to wish her well. Although I later served as a guard in the palace, there was never any improper contact between Her Ladyship and me!”
“I understand.”
Chu Lianmo decided to believe these words for the time being.
“Don’t speak of these matters to anyone besides me. It’s still detrimental to my mother’s reputation… Alright, Xiaojun, we’ve asked what we needed to ask. Let’s go back and report to my mother.”
“Okay.”
When Chu Lianmo returned to Noble Consort Liang, holding Qi Xiaojun’s hand, a handmaiden was just bringing her a piece of news:
“Your Ladyship, I hear the Empress Dowager has fallen ill. His Majesty is asking the consorts of the rear palace who is willing to attend to her.”
“You don’t need to tell me about such things,” Noble Consort Liang said with a cold smile. “I’ve been practically non-existent in the rear palace all these years. Why would I go and seek the limelight now?”
“…Yes, then I shall take my leave.” The handmaiden withdrew.
Afterward, Chu Lianmo gestured for Ji Hua to head back first. Then, he and Qi Xiaojun stayed to chat with Noble Consort Liang for a while, briefly updating her on Wen Cheng’s situation.
Noble Consort Liang didn’t ask much. After all, she knew she had to avoid suspicion, and since it was a man’s private ailment, it wasn’t convenient for her to inquire in detail.
A little while later, the same handmaiden returned with more news: “Your Ladyship, I hear Her Majesty the Empress has volunteered to attend to the Empress Dowager, and His Majesty has agreed.”
“Oh? That’s rather strange.” Noble Consort Liang knew very well that the Empress, while appearing virtuous on the surface, always maintained the airs of a high-born lady. She would never have been willing to do a dirty and tiring job like attending to the sick in the past.
Chu Lianmo smiled. “I don’t find it strange at all. The Crown Prince and the Empress have offended Royal Father so much recently. Don’t they have to find some way to make up for it?”
Seeing Chu Lianmo smile so casually as if it had nothing to do with him, Qi Xiaojun turned to Noble Consort Liang with a serious expression:
“Your Ladyship, there are some things that Lianmo may not find it convenient to say to you, so let me be the one to offend you.
“Now, even when you ask an imperial physician to see someone, they refuse. While it’s true they flatter the powerful and trample on the weak, have you never thought of changing your own situation?
“Lianmo is working very hard in the court. As his mother, perhaps you should also lend him a helping hand when appropriate…”
“Xiaojun!” Chu Lianmo interrupted him. “Since Mother doesn’t want to do these things, I don’t need her to.”
“I know why Her Ladyship doesn’t want to.” Facing Chu Lianmo’s somewhat displeased tone, Qi Xiaojun instead gave a faint smile. “If I truly loved someone, I wouldn’t want to scheme against them in any way. But, it’s been so long. Her Ladyship should probably have let go by now, right?”
Hearing these words, Noble Consort Liang gazed at Qi Xiaojun with a complicated expression.
It turned out that Qi Xiaojun was the one who understood her best.
For so many years, she had held a grudge against Emperor Wen, not hesitating to live a lonely and miserable life, never once bowing her head. If there was no love, where would such great resentment and hatred come from?
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