Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 7

The medicine she took every day had suddenly become bitter. Puyang couldn’t help but look at the person who had prescribed it, hesitating before she said, “Sir, this medicine… it’s much more bitter.”

Wei Xiu replied gently, “When I took Your Highness’s pulse yesterday, I found your injuries were improving. The previous prescription is no longer suitable, so I wrote a new one for you. This one has an added dose of Coptis.”

Puyang recalled that this was indeed the case; Wei Xiu had mentioned it yesterday. She thought no more of it, said, “Thank you, Sir,” and drank the medicine in one go.

The bitter taste lingered for a long time, its acrid scent sharp in her nose. It took Puyang a while to recover. Setting down the bowl, she continued, “Living here in the mountains, Sir, you are likely unaware of some matters at court. My lord father has been on the throne for eighteen years. He has been diligent in all affairs, bringing great peace to the realm. He can be called an enlightened ruler.”

Wei Xiu smiled but said nothing. Her brilliance was restrained, her emotions never showing on her face. Puyang couldn’t tell if her smile signified agreement or not. After a brief pause, she went on, “There is but one matter in which my father has been deficient: the position of Crown Prince. It is not known to whom it should fall. Because of this, my several elder brothers contend with one another, each forming their own factions at court. Although I am a princess, I have great freedom of action, and for this reason, they all try to win me over.”

She deliberately spoke in a placid tone, as if she were chatting about some amusing trifle rather than discussing grave matters of state. It seemed to suit the tranquil atmosphere of the mountains.

Wei Xiu remained silent, merely lifting her teacup and slowly using the lid to skim the tea leaves floating on the surface.

Puyang grew a little nervous, afraid that Wei Xiu would be unwilling to discuss these things with her. She thought for a moment, then said softly, “I tell you these things, Sir, because I wish for you to understand the situation in the capital, so that you might offer me some insight as to where it would be most appropriate to send my letter.”

That was what she said, but in her heart, she knew perfectly well that Wei Xiu was most certainly aware of the situation at court.

Puyang’s attitude could be described as sincere. Wei Xiu lowered her head and slowly took a sip of tea. Puyang’s heart was in her throat, her eyes fixed on Wei Xiu, unblinking and full of expectation.

“Where Your Highness wishes to send the letter,” Wei Xiu finally spoke, setting down her cup. Puyang’s heart eased, and she stared at her with burning intensity. Wei Xiu glanced at her before continuing, “depends entirely on what Your Highness hopes to achieve with it.”

Was she willing to scheme for her? Puyang was overjoyed and quickly said, “Naturally, it is to ensure that the one who harmed me receives their punishment.”

“Does Your Highness have evidence?”

Puyang’s expression dimmed slightly. “I was ambushed and gravely injured. If not for you, Sir, I would likely be in the netherworld. Any evidence has probably been wiped clean long ago.”

“Without evidence, it will be impossible to ask His Majesty to pass judgment,” Wei Xiu said.

Puyang had never intended to rely solely on the Emperor.

One benefit of rebirth was having a clear understanding of the various factions and their power. To know that she intended to stay at her villa and to be able to ambush assassins on the road was no easy feat.

She carefully considered the circumstances after her rebirth. Who would want her dead? Thinking back on the banquet that day, it could only be the Prince of Jin. Before her rebirth, she had inadvertently cost the Prince of Jin two prefectural governors. The Prince of Jin must have thought she had switched her allegiance to the Prince of Zhao and decided to eliminate her to settle the matter. If planned well, he might even have been able to pin the crime on the Prince of Zhao, killing two birds with one stone.

Although the Prince of Zhao had asked her destination when they parted, she had answered that she was returning to the palace. Besides, the Prince of Zhao had no reason to move against her. Of course, it was also possible that the Prince of Dai wanted to use her death to incite a fight between the Princes of Zhao and Jin. No matter who their father ultimately blamed, it would benefit him. But in recent years, the Prince of Dai had been content to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. He was also worried that his two elder brothers would turn on him, so he didn’t dare to gather too much power. Therefore, even if he had the heart for it, he lacked the ability.

“The one who acted was the Prince of Jin. We are both of His Majesty’s flesh and bl00d. If I had died as he wished, His Majesty would likely have been furious. But now that I am unharmed, even if His Majesty is vexed, I imagine he will only reprimand him with a few words that are neither too light nor too heavy.” Puyang saw it clearly. It was true that His Majesty doted on her, but severely punishing a prince with considerable power would likely cause turmoil at court. Moreover, her life was not in danger. For the sake of the bigger picture, he would most likely not make a major move. Even though it was true that the Prince of Jin had sent assassins to kill her, and it was true that she had nearly died by the sword, His Majesty would not allow the Prince of Jin to suffer any real damage.

Thinking of this, Puyang couldn’t help but feel a sense of gloom, though she didn’t let it show on her face. With a faint, concealing smile, she looked at Wei Xiu, who was also looking at her. Their eyes met, and for some reason, they both fell silent. After a moment, Wei Xiu was the first to look away, her gaze shifting to the lush green plants outside the window as she said faintly, “What Your Highness says is indeed true.”

Puyang didn’t know why she had just been staring at the other person. Seeing Wei Xiu look away, she followed her gaze out the window. “But I don’t want to just let this go. It would make me seem weak and easy to bully.”

Hearing this, Wei Xiu couldn’t help but laugh. “Your Highness is not at all easy to bully. I imagine Your Highness already has a plan in mind.”

She had seen right through her. Puyang wasn’t angry; instead, she felt this was a sign of growing closer. She took the opportunity to lay out her plan. “Since the death of the First Imperial Prince, Second Brother is now the eldest son. None of the imperial princes were born to the Empress, so according to rites, the eldest should be established as heir. Second Brother thus believes the position of Crown Prince should rightfully be his. However, he is reckless and cruel, and the ministers have many complaints. His Majesty is also displeased with his temperament. As a result, Third Brother naturally sees an opportunity. Because Second Brother’s temperament displeases His Majesty, Third Brother does the opposite, his every word and action as gentle and refined as jade. He treats the court ministers with great respect, but in truth, he is suspicious and sinister.”

“Since the Prince of Jin presents himself as gentle and courteous, how does Your Highness know he is sinister and suspicious?” Wei Xiu asked.

This, of course, was something she had gradually come to see in her past life. Puyang smiled and said, “I wished to remain uninvolved, so I often observed from the sidelines. Over time, I began to notice a few things.”

Wei Xiu nodded.

Puyang continued, “This time, he moved against me simply because he thought I had already sided with Second Brother.” Siding with the Prince of Zhao had just cost him two prefectural governors, so the Prince of Jin naturally grew anxious. “He decided to eliminate me to prevent future trouble.”

In her previous life, she had suddenly remembered something on her way back and returned to the palace instead of going to the villa, thus fortuitously avoiding this ambush. Later, the Prince of Jin realized the matter of the two governors was a coincidence and made no further moves against her.

“After this incident, it is difficult for us to be on good terms. I intend to send the letter to Second Brother’s residence and ask him to present it to His Majesty on my behalf. I imagine he would also like to see the Prince of Jin suffer a setback.”

Wei Xiu smiled. “As Your Highness said, the Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Jin are at odds, so he would certainly wish to see the Prince of Jin in a bad situation. But Your Highness also just said that you are now unharmed, and His Majesty, for the sake of court stability, will likely turn a major issue into a minor one. If that is the case, how would the Prince of Zhao benefit from this?”

Puyang was taken aback. “Sir, you mean to say?”

“Your Highness just described the Prince of Zhao as reckless and cruel. Reckless people are often impulsive. What if, after receiving Your Highness’s letter, the Prince of Zhao simply sent men to kill you once and for all? With your letter as his guarantee, no one would suspect him. When His Majesty hears of your death, he will surely be enraged. At that point, the Prince of Jin would truly suffer a crippling blow.” Wei Xiu paused here, looking at Puyang. “With His Majesty’s love for you, I fear the Prince of Jin would find it difficult to ever establish himself at court again.”

The Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Jin had been fighting for so many years. Faced with such a great advantage, it was hard to guarantee he wouldn’t be tempted.

Puyang was stunned. It was indeed true. Thinking back to how the Prince of Zhao had deliberately shown her favor at the banquet, it was likely to arouse the Prince of Jin’s suspicion. He was indeed reckless, but not brainless. Between saving her and killing her, when weighing the two, he would naturally choose the one with the greater benefit.

“Write the letter to the Prince of Jin. When he sees your handwriting, he will surely believe that you do not suspect him. He will then wonder why, if you have already sided with the Prince of Zhao, you are seeking his help instead. He will naturally assume that you suspect the assassins were sent by the Prince of Zhao. But this is merely a guess. The Prince of Jin is suspicious by nature; without evidence, he will not dare to be certain, nor will he dare to make a rash decision. After much deliberation, he will present the letter to His Majesty to first clear his own name.”

This was logical and reasonable. Furthermore, if the Prince of Jin believed she had turned against the Prince of Zhao, he might even use this opportunity to try and win her over. But… Puyang frowned slightly. “This would be tantamount to me trusting the Prince of Jin. In the future, it would be difficult to use this incident to move against him.”

The copper kettle on the small red-clay stove boiled again. Wei Xiu lowered her eyes, lifted the kettle, and poured out a stream of water, easily extinguishing the stove’s fire. She lifted her gaze and said faintly, “I observe that Your Highness’s ambitions are not small. The Prince of Jin is certainly hateful, but I fear the Prince of Zhao is also a thorn in your side, is he not?”

She delivered this line in a calm tone, causing Puyang to turn pale with shock.

“Sir!”

“I am a person of the mountains, living in seclusion here, and I do not wish to be drawn into worldly affairs. For me, once Your Highness has returned safely to the capital, this matter will be concluded.” As she spoke, she sighed softly. “Your Highness need not seek me out again.”

Puyang immediately understood her meaning. Wei Xiu was thinking things through for her now, seeing a good deed to its end, but she had no intention of pledging allegiance to her. She still wanted to continue her reclusive life in the mountains, living a leisurely and untroubled existence.

Puyang’s heart skipped a beat. She was about to speak and try to persuade her again, but then she thought that pushing too hard would be counterproductive. She promptly changed the subject, smiling as she said, “I understand your meaning, Sir.”

Wei Xiu seemed surprised that she had given up so easily and couldn’t help but show it.

After speaking, Puyang picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and lowered her head to write on the paper.

She didn’t write much, just a few brief lines.

When she finished, she waited for the ink to dry, then folded the paper. She untied the pouch hanging from her waist and placed the letter inside.

Having done all this, she looked up at Wei Xiu. Seeing that Wei Xiu, despite having sternly refused her recruitment, still maintained her handsome and composed demeanor, she couldn’t help but smile. “If what I summon is not rescuers but assassins, the tranquility of this thatched cottage will be shattered. It matters little if I die, but if I were to implicate you, Sir, I would not be able to rest in peace even in the netherworld.”

Author’s Notes:

The small theater is just something I write for fun. If you don’t like it, please just ignore it~~~

Small Theater:

Princess (serious): My life is of little consequence. If I were to implicate you, Sir, that is what would truly trouble my heart.

Noble Scholar: …

Princess (gentle): Returning to the capital without being able to look after you, Sir, I would also not be at ease.

Noble Scholar: →_→ Just say what you mean.

Princess: <(￣︶￣)> Please come with me, Sir. I will take good care of you!