Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 22

It was already late autumn. The temperature had dropped sharply a few days ago, and the mountains already felt the chill of winter.

Wei Xiu was now wearing a snow-white fox fur cloak. Paired with her jet-black hair pinned up with a jade crown, she looked noble and graceful, her features as picturesque as a painting. She turned her head, looking up at Puyang, her eyes slowly filling with surprise and confusion. Her red lips parted slightly: “Your Highness means to say that the Prince of Dai has come to the fore?”

The trees in the mountains were all shedding their leaves, no longer possessing the vibrant life of their first visit. But even so, the view all around was dry and comfortable, with red leaves and yellow flowers, encompassing the vast, sprawling expanse of autumn.

Just as Wei Xiu finished speaking, a withered leaf drifted down from above. She subconsciously started to raise her hand, but Puyang extended her own first, letting the leaf land in her palm. The leaf was withered and yellow, but its color remained, showing it still held a trace of life.

Wei Xiu smiled. This smile, in Puyang’s eyes, was truly beautiful and moving, a sight that could make one forget all worries. Puyang couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her heart, silently marveling: My Sir is truly beautiful.

Fortunately, she still had self-control. No matter how much she admired her in her heart, her expression remained composed. As she withdrew her hand, casually tucking the leaf into her sleeve pocket, she said, “Precisely. The Prince of Dai has also accumulated some power over the years, while the Prince of Jing is being held back by the Prince of Jin.”

“Oh…” Wei Xiu showed a look of understanding, but she did not seem disheartened by the Prince of Jing’s weakening position.

Servants bustled about. The people Puyang had brought were helping the servants of the thatched cottage move belongings. Puyang then said, “We can discuss the rest when we have more time.”

Wei Xiu nodded.

The mountain path was bumpy, so they certainly couldn’t push the wheelchair down. Puyang had brought a sedan chair up the mountain. After pushing the wheelchair next to it, Puyang moved to help Wei Xiu stand and transfer.

Wei Xiu waved her hand, took the bamboo cane offered by a maidservant, and supported herself, slowly rising to her feet. Her legs had no strength at all. Just the simple act of standing, so effortless for an ordinary person, already took all her effort.

The maidservant, who was usually attentive in her service, stood to the side, her eyes lowered to the ground at her feet, not stepping forward eagerly. Seeing this, Puyang knew that Wei Xiu did not want help.

The more a person lacks something, the more they care about it. Sir usually chatted and laughed freely, never showing a hint of gloom, but in her heart, she must still long to be able to walk.

Puyang felt a pang of sorrow, but it was only a little. She was not Wei Xiu and could not deeply comprehend this kind of pain. Unlike the maidservant, she did not rush to help, nor did she look away. Instead, she watched Wei Xiu’s balance, ready to catch her immediately if she lost her footing.

Leaning on the bamboo cane, Wei Xiu moved bit by bit onto the sedan chair. The short distance, less than a single step, had already caused beads of sweat to form on Wei Xiu’s forehead, and her cheeks were flushed from the exertion. Once seated, she was breathing with slight gasps. Looking up and seeing Puyang watching her, she froze for a moment. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her eyes, but her lips curved into a gentle smile. “I’ve made a spectacle of myself, Your Highness.”

That smile of hers instantly magnified the earlier pang of sorrow tenfold, making it so that Puyang could not bear to look any longer.

The eunuchs carrying the sedan chair were specially trained by the Department of Palace Attendants for use in the palace. Their greatest advantage was their stability. Though the mountain path was bumpy, they moved as if on level ground.

Puyang took another sedan chair. At the foot of the mountain, they switched to a carriage, which she shared with Wei Xiu.

Because Wei Xiu was with her, Puyang specifically ordered the carriage to slow down. There was no need to rush; the priority was to ensure the ride was as smooth as possible. Once they returned to the capital and entered the Princess Puyang’s Residence, Wei Xiu would be marked as belonging to Princess Puyang. Puyang was very satisfied with this. She saw Wei Xiu sitting cross-legged, no different from an ordinary scholar, and wondered if she was uncomfortable, if she was putting on a brave front again. The scene of her boarding the sedan chair was deeply etched in her mind. Puyang felt a surge of pity and passed her own bolster pillow to Wei Xiu.

Wei Xiu seemed slightly surprised but still took it and placed it behind her. It was much softer and much more comfortable.

Puyang’s lips curved into a smile, looking very pleased.

It was nearly dusk when they reached the capital. Puyang said to Wei Xiu, “We will arrive at the residence in another hour. Does Sir feel tired?”

“The carriage is comfortable. I do not feel tired,” Wei Xiu replied.

Puyang thought for a moment and asked, “Before Sir went into seclusion on Mount Mang, did you live in the capital?” She remembered that Wei Xiu had a residence in the capital.

“I only came once when I was young.” Wei Xiu’s expression grew nostalgic. “I have not entered the capital for many years. I wonder if its condition has changed compared to before.”

“His Majesty is a wise and brilliant ruler. Luoyang is at the Son of Heaven’s feet, so naturally, it grows more prosperous with each passing year,” Puyang replied. Before Wei Xiu could speak, she immediately added, “Is Sir a native of the capital?”

Wei Xiu pondered for a moment, then said, “My ancestral home is in Qiao Commandery.”

Qiao Commandery, the Wei clan. Puyang secretly connected the two clues. Then, she was startled. The General of Chariots and Cavalry, Wei You, was from Qiao Commandery.

“My father left home in his early years, unable to get along with the clan. After my father passed away, he instructed me not to have any entanglements with the Wei clan. As his child, I naturally cannot go against my father’s wishes,” Wei Xiu continued.

Was she explaining why she had no dealings with the Wei clan of the capital? Puyang nodded, showing a look of understanding. “Your esteemed father’s last wish—it is right for a child to obey.”

In her heart, however, she decided to find an opportunity to sound out the General of Chariots and Cavalry.

The carriage came to a smooth stop. Outside, a eunuch walked to the window and said, “Your Highness, we have arrived.”

Puyang then said to Wei Xiu, “The carriage is cramped and inconvenient for using your cane. Please allow me to support you, Sir.” She spoke plainly instead of being evasive and overly cautious, with pity and sympathy written all over her face, for fear of wounding her pride. This, in turn, made Wei Xiu feel very comfortable. Besides, she did indeed need help, so she said, “I will trouble Your Highness, then.”

Puyang smiled, stepped out a little, and bent down to help Wei Xiu up. Wei Xiu braced one hand against the carriage wall and leaned the other on Puyang, struggling to move herself out.

Her body was thin and frail; even with her full weight leaning on her, she felt light. Puyang sighed, thinking to herself, Sir’s constitution is probably not very good; she can’t endure much hardship.

Someone outside heard the movement and lifted the door curtain from the outside. Bright light shone in. Wei Xiu’s expression did not change; she continued to lean on Puyang, letting her be helped out.

Her legs had no strength at all. It was called “supporting,” but it was closer to dragging. For someone who was always so strong-willed, exposing her most sensitive vulnerability in public must be excruciatingly embarrassing. For some reason, Puyang’s heart ached for her.

Several palace eunuchs were startled to see the princess personally attending to that Sir and hurried forward, wanting to take over from her. Puyang shot them a cold glance, signaling them to back away.

The eunuchs understood, quickly cleared a path, and all lowered their heads, not daring to look again.

Puyang helped Wei Xiu out of the carriage. Just as she was about to order the maidservant to come forward so they could both help her down, the hand gripping her arm suddenly tightened. The grip was extremely strong, as if using every last bit of strength. Puyang winced in pain. Surprised, she ignored everything else and quickly looked at Wei Xiu, only to see her staring blankly at the residence gate, her lips trembling. Puyang was greatly alarmed and immediately realized there must be a reason for this. A moment later, the grip on her arm loosened. Wei Xiu’s entire body went limp against Puyang. She tried to straighten up, but it was as if something had invisibly drained her of her very soul.

She sighed, pressed a hand to her forehead, and said in an unprecedentedly weak voice, “I don’t know why, but I suddenly felt dizzy just now.”

Puyang remained silent, only holding Wei Xiu’s body steady to keep her from falling. Now, hearing her explanation for her loss of composure, she said, “Sir, please enter the residence first. I will send for an imperial physician at once.”

“There is no need.” Wei Xiu’s face was pale, but she gave Puyang a reassuring smile. “Has Your Highness forgotten that I myself am well-versed in the art of medicine?”

Puyang also knew that if she called an imperial physician to take her pulse, Wei Xiu’s identity as a woman could no longer be concealed. So she did not insist, merely smiling, “In my haste, I forgot that Sir was the one who saved my life.”

The maidservant had already drawn near. Puyang glanced at her, ordering her to come forward. Together, they helped Wei Xiu down and carefully settled her into the wheelchair.

Wei Xiu had returned to normal. Aside from her extremely pale complexion, everything else seemed ordinary. She thanked Puyang in a gentle voice. Puyang smiled, showing no sign of anything unusual. “Let’s enter the residence.”

The group proceeded inside.

Puyang slowed her pace by a couple of steps. Seeing Wei Xiu leaning back in her chair with a weary expression, she said no more. After taking a step forward with the crowd, Puyang hesitated and stopped. She thought for a moment, then stepped back to the spot where Wei Xiu had suddenly lost her composure. She looked up at the residence gate.

The wide main gate was grand and imposing. In the center were the five characters for “Princess Puyang’s Residence,” personally written by the Emperor, with the golden seal stamped below, a testament to the owner’s honor and favor.

Everything was built according to regulations; there was nothing strange that could have caused Sir to lose her composure. Puyang’s gaze narrowed slightly. But to believe that Sir had truly just been feeling unwell seemed too unreasonable.