Please Call Me Your Highness (GL) - Chapter 19
When Han Congxuan was being dragged out by the guards, she happened to be seen by the Second Princess, Dong Yanning, who had come to pay respects. Upon learning what had happened, Dong Yanning immediately stopped the guards and went straight to the Empress’s quarters.
“Mother, please quell your anger. Han Congxuan is a rare physician. As long as she lives, she can save countless lives. Spare her life—it will bring you blessings.”
“Blessings? What blessings do I have? To this day, I don’t even have a daughter of my own. You say Han Congxuan is useful? She’s of no use to me!” the Empress Ming snapped bitterly.
Hearing this, Dong Yanning knew recent events had touched a raw nerve. She knelt, knocking her head on the ground, and tearfully pleaded, “Mother, don’t you still have us? Though there have been misunderstandings in the past, and some things are difficult to forget, you still have many years ahead. You must think of the future.”
Tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t tell whether she was sympathizing with her mother—or with herself, as fear for her own uncertain future gripped her heart.
“Hmph!”
The Empress gave a cold snort and scrutinized Dong Yanning with sharp eyes. “You think I don’t know? When Ruining was still alive, none of you ever spoke of associating with that wretch. You all got along splendidly with the girls from the Ming family. But now that Ruining is gone, you’re suggesting His Majesty take a concubine and bring that wretch back—for what? For your own wealth and status!”
Now that the Empress had laid everyone’s motives bare, Dong Yanning could only weep harder. “Mother, you call us ‘wretches’—does that mean Muning and I aren’t your daughters either? Even if we, as Zhongyong, cannot have children, we still have to live. Can’t we think of ourselves too? Helping our own sister—is that wrong? Mother, don’t you trust your own daughters?”
The Empress slammed her tea cup down on the table. “Do you think I don’t understand? But I can’t swallow this! If I hadn’t been injured giving birth to that wretch, would I be in this situation?”
This incident was long seen as the root cause of the rift between the Empress and Dong Xiaoning, her daughter. But Dong Yanning, still kneeling, knew that was only the surface. The real cause lay in the political struggle between the former emperor, the retired emperor, and the factions of the Ji and Ming families. Dong Xiaoning had become a pawn in the retired emperor and Ji family’s bid to threaten the throne.
Though the retired emperor was now dead and the Ji family had withdrawn from power, the Empress’s hatred for Dong Xiaoning remained. Back then, she saw Dong Xiaoning as a traitor. Now, for the sake of her family’s future, she had to grovel before that same traitor—how could she not be enraged?
Han Congxuan’s blunt declaration that she could not cure the Empress, nor restore her ability to conceive, was like rubbing salt in her wounds. It shattered even the fragile compromises she had made.
Worried that the Empress, in her fury, might act even more irrationally, Dong Yanning carefully chose her words, watching for any shift in her mother’s expression.
“What are you staring at?”
“Please calm your anger, Mother. That… Han Congxuan—may we spare her life?”
The Empress seemed to have exhausted her rage. With a wave of her hand, she relented. “Fine, fine. Since you’re pleading, let her live. But she’s not allowed to leave Changyi Garden. She must remain and be on call.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“Yanning, you didn’t come all this way just for this, did you?”
“I came to pay my respects.”
“Pay respects?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. You may leave.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Dong Yanning rushed outside and rescued Han Congxuan, warning her, “Doctor Han, please be careful with your words. They could cost you your life.”
Han Congxuan gave a cold laugh. “Qianyuan or Kunze, they all flare up at the slightest thing—it’s no better one way or the other. But the Fourth Princess, she seems calm and composed.”
Dong Yanning was at a loss for words.
There were many things that couldn’t be spoken of openly. Even a well-meaning explanation might be taken as malice. In such an environment, silence often ensured survival.
After Dong Xiaoning awoke, her injuries recovered rapidly. In just a few days, she went from sitting up to walking. With her improving condition, the visitors increased.
First to arrive was Madam Ming, the matriarch of the Ming family.
She didn’t come alone—she brought the Ming family’s heir, Ming Yuzhi, and Yuzhi’s two daughters.
“How are you feeling? Better now? When I heard you were struck by an arrow, I couldn’t sleep for days! I prayed for you every day, and Heaven was merciful to spare you, child.”
Her voice was full of energy, and there were no dark circles under her eyes—clearly, she hadn’t spent any sleepless nights. Oblivious to Dong Xiaoning’s expression, she went on, “I heard it was a soldier’s mistake? Which reckless fool did this? I’ll skin her alive!”
From her words, Dong Xiaoning quickly deduced that the Crown Princess appointment was now settled, and even these staunch conservatives had come to curry favor. She hadn’t planned to respond, but now she said, “That reckless fool—was my Second Sister.”
She then watched Madam Ming’s reaction.
True to her reputation, Madam Ming slapped her thigh with righteous indignation. “That Yanning! What a mess she’s made. I must scold her properly next time I see her. Oh—and—”
Suddenly changing the subject, she pointed to her two granddaughters. “Your older sisters may be clumsy, but if they’re unfit, perhaps you’ll consider these two. Only Ming family women are truly loyal to you.”
Seeing Dong Xiaoning’s face darken, Ming Yuzhi quickly stepped in, cursing the old woman in her heart for her reckless words. She smiled and said, “Child, the Madam is just so happy to see you that she’s rambling. Now that you’re Crown Princess, whoever you choose to trust is entirely your decision. With true affection, there’s no need for such scheming.”
At the end of Ming Yuzhi’s words, the two younger girls from the Ming family began signaling eagerly to Dong Xiaoning. Yet the disdain in their eyes hadn’t entirely faded—clearly, they hadn’t yet adapted to the shift in status. Their shamelessness still needed refinement.
Dong Xiaoning found it all tiresome. She turned her head aside, signaling they could leave.
Madam Ming, as if completely oblivious, kept prattling on. Dong Xiaoning, for the first time, discovered just how many synonyms there were for the word “concern.”
Finally, it was Zhao Minxi, Chief Attendant of the Palace, who stepped forward and gently reminded them, “The imperial physician has advised that Her Highness needs rest.”
Only then did the visitors finally depart.
After them, Princess Ancheng and her husband, Prince Consort Ming Yuzhou, arrived, accompanied by Princess Xiucheng and her husband, Ji Zhaochi. The two couples came together, notably without any of the younger generation—whether to avoid awkwardness or for other reasons was unclear.
Facing these visitors, Dong Xiaoning had a distinct sense of falseness. The air of pretense was thick, and it made her disinclined to speak at all.
With more nobles scheduled to visit, Dong Xiaoning soon declared she would not receive any more guests. At last, she gained a few moments of peace.
By the time the weather cooled in September, the imperial court departed Changyi Garden and returned to the palace.
In the tenth month of the tenth year of Emperor Xiuping’s reign, the Fourth Princess Dong Xiaoning was officially appointed Crown Princess, her status proclaimed to all under heaven.
After autumn arrived, rain became frequent in the capital. Each downpour brought another drop in temperature, and within mere weeks, winter’s chill had already crept into the air.
As Prince Kangning returned from a banquet, nearing her residence, she suddenly noticed someone standing in the shadows of a corner. Her guards saw the figure too and immediately prepared to apprehend the person as a potential assassin.
“Wait.” Prince Kangning narrowed her eyes. That silhouette seemed familiar. She raised her riding whip. “Bring them here.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Two guards moved forward cautiously, intending to seize the figure from both sides. But before they could reach her, the figure stepped out willingly.
There was a sudden shing—a blade was drawn, and tension filled the air.
Then the figure spoke, “Your Highness, don’t you recognize me? I’m Xiao Fu.”
“Xiao Fu?”
Prince Kangning studied the person closely. The twilight shadows made it difficult to see clearly. There was a faint resemblance—but the voice was markedly different.
Under the wary eyes of the guards, the woman approached slowly, then stopped.
“Xiao Fu… it really is you! What are you doing here?”
“I have something to tell Your Highness—something only you can hear.”
“Very well, come with me.”
Later, in the rear courtyard of the Prince’s residence, Prince Kangning dismissed her attendants and quietly observed the figure before her. The woman’s eyes were strikingly similar to someone she once knew, stirring old memories.
“I’d heard you became separated from Her Highness the Crown Princess. I thought you had finally decided to let go of everything… to live your own life. But seeing you here today, I realize that was only wishful thinking.”
“A bl00d debt can’t be abandoned so easily,” Xiao Fu said softly.
She raised her head to meet the prince’s gaze. “You’ve known my true identity for a long time, yet you’ve never breathed a word to anyone. I am grateful for your immense kindness.”
With that, Xiao Fu bowed deeply.
“Please, rise. There’s no need for this.”
Prince Kangning personally moved to help her up. In this moment, there was nothing of the lofty prince about her—only the warmth of a kind elder.
“I have one more thing to confess,” Xiao Fu said solemnly. “Once I speak it, I ask that Your Highness take my life.”
“What is this about?” the prince asked, startled.
Xiao Fu stared into her eyes and declared, one word at a time, “I intend to reclaim my birth name.”
Prince Kangning was not surprised. “Over the years, court officials have come and gone. Now, if you petition for justice for your mother, your chances of success are about fifty percent. Are you certain?”
Xiao Fu nodded with unwavering resolve.
The prince’s expression grew grave. “Your mother was my dear friend. When tragedy befell her, I was powerless. But times have changed. I will do everything in my power.”
Suddenly, Xiao Fu stepped back and drew aside her wide outer robe.
“You… what is this?”
“It’s the child of Her Highness the Crown Princess.”