Chapter 22: Silence Without a Trace

“Because I have a request of the Jin family,” Yu Yuanzheng said frankly, revealing her purpose.

“I wonder what matter Master Zeng needs our Jin family’s help with. Feel free to speak openly,” Jin Lin responded.

Only then did Jin Lin understand. Truly, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

He had promised earlier that as long as the requests didn’t violate morality or the law, he would agree. Now that he heard she indeed had demands, he didn’t find them excessive.

“Once Elder Jin’s health improves, we will discuss further,” Yu Yuanzheng said. She wasn’t ready to speak now; the whole family might be infected, so they needed some time. She had to control the illness first—otherwise, if her father came to visit and caught the disease, it would be a loss rather than a gain.

With that, the group took their leave.

Back at the dowry shop on Minyue Street, everyone changed back into their original clothes, returning to the appearance they had when they first left the prince’s residence.

“Xia Yu, burn all the clothes and masks we wore today. When we get back, everyone should take a bath,” Yu Yuanzheng instructed.

“Yes, Miss,” Xia Yu replied.

A few shops away was a tavern. Yu Yuanzheng asked Jiang Hua to purchase a jar of wine, then used it to clean the medical tools from the medicine box.

“Princess Consort, why did your voice change so much when you spoke at the Jin residence? It was hardly distinguishable from a young man’s,” Zi Yue, curious after observing all afternoon, finally voiced her long-held question.

“This? Hehe, I have a skill called ventriloquism, which I learned in my dreams. Cuckoo, cuckoo,” Yu Yuanzheng immediately imitated the call of a bird.

“Wow, it really sounds like it!” Zi Yue exclaimed in amazement.

“All right, time’s nearly up. Chun Lei, I have an idea. News about my treatment of Elder Jin’s tuberculosis will spread sooner or later. I expect the Jin family will portray me as some kind of miraculous healer.

“But I can’t go to the residence often, nor do I rely on this for a living—it’s merely a pretext to treat the prince.

“So we need a place, and this shop is just perfect.

“Later, you find someone to tidy it up a bit and hire an old man to watch over it.

“Or I could make some herbal pills to sell at the counter.

“From then on, you’ll play the role of the miracle doctor. Once the reputation spreads, the prince will surely come to seek treatment.

“At that time, you’ll wear a mask entering the residence, and we can openly treat the prince.”

Yu Yuanzheng laid out her plan.

“Miss, why wait for the miracle doctor to enter the residence before starting to treat the prince?” Zi Yue didn’t understand.

“Now that we have the tools, we can start the medicinal baths tonight. I’m referring to what the public knows. Behind the scenes, it’s another matter.”

“Oh.”

“All right, I’ll write a prescription now. Tonight, we’ll begin the herbal bath for the prince. But this must remain secret.”

“Not even the prince or princess consort can know?” Zi Yue wondered.

“Zi Yue, Jiang Hua, you two need to be more vigilant from now on. The prince’s residence isn’t as harmonious as we imagine. You’ll understand these things in time,” Yu Yuanzheng said, thinking of Yu Chaoyang, who knew the future, and the unpredictable Second Lady, headaches already forming.

“Princess Consort, what if someone comes asking for the miracle doctor?” Chun Lei asked nervously; he had no medical skills at all.

“Uh, I don’t know if I’ll be able to leave the residence then. Let’s tentatively set it to once every ten days. You screen the requests, and I’ll only go if it’s unavoidable.”

“Yes, Princess Consort.” Chun Lei was pleased to have something to do, finally seeing hope. If the princess consort could cure tuberculosis that even the imperial physicians couldn’t, then the prince could surely be cured.

“Hmm, let’s call it the Ten Days Hall.”

With the plan set and the medicine bought, they returned to the residence.

It was already late afternoon, nearing five o’clock.

Just as they arrived at the entrance, Yu Chaoyang came out of his carriage with two maids each carrying some boxes. They’d been shopping until now.

Two guards from the prince’s residence accompanied the carriage; whether they were ordinary or personal guards didn’t concern Yu Yuanzheng.

“Oh, sister-in-law, you went out shopping too? Coming back so late, aren’t you afraid Mother Consort will say you don’t uphold your virtue? The prince is still bedridden, yet you dare to be out all day,” Yu Chaoyang sought to make his presence felt.

“I say, second brother’s wife, you live your life, and I’ll live mine, all right? Aren’t you uncomfortable if you don’t throw a little shade at us? Do you even understand the importance of harmony? Why don’t we just swap husbands now? After all, I’m still an unmarried maiden,” Yu Yuanzheng retorted without mercy.

Yu Chaoyang snorted coldly and strode into the residence.

“Chun Lei, quietly bring the medicine box and the things we bought to Qiya Courtyard tonight,” Yu Yuanzheng whispered.

“Yes.”

The two guards drove the carriage away.

Back at Qiya Courtyard, Nurse Ye was directing several maids to tidy up cloths drying in the yard.

Because of the prince’s special status, there were two rough maids dedicated to washing his clothes.

“Greetings, Princess Consort,” Nurse Ye bowed respectfully. She came every morning and left at night. She had her own family but lived in the servant quarters of the prince’s residence.

“Nurse Ye, no need for formalities. I went out today on business. How is the prince today?”

“Everything is as usual.”

“That’s good.”

Yu Yuanzheng entered the room and looked at the motionless prince.

She thought it wasn’t good for him to lie there all day; he should be taken out to get some sun to aid calcium absorption and boost his immunity.

Hmm, maybe a dual-purpose wheelchair would be suitable.

After dinner, she began sketching, detailing every structural part clearly.

By nine o’clock at night, the entire residence was quiet.

Chun Lei brought all the guards over quietly.

Yu Yuanzheng assigned some to guard the yard perimeter to prevent anyone approaching.

Qiya Courtyard had its own small kitchen, convenient for anything needed.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Chun Lei put several maids resting in the courtyard under a sleep-inducing technique.

Jiang Hua and Zi Yue began decocting the medicine.

Ming Yue and Qing Feng heated the water.

Once heated, they filled the bath barrel and poured in the medicinal decoction.

The temperature was just right.

Chun Lei carried the prince and placed him in the bath barrel, loosening his upper garments.

The prince, who had been in a deep sleep, regained some consciousness from the gentle disturbance but couldn’t move, completely at their mercy.

Qing Feng and Ming Yue supported the prince in the herbal bath.

A person unconscious cannot support themselves, soft as clay.

Feeling the prince’s heartbeat, it was faster in the warm water.

They took out the thickest hollow silver needle, sterilized by fire.

“Princess Consort, are you sure we can really keep this from the prince and princess consort?” Qing Feng hesitated.

The four of them attended closely to the prince daily and were deeply attached to him.

He was worried.

He hadn’t witnessed Yu Yuanzheng’s treatment of Elder Jin firsthand, only hearing Chun Lei’s account.

If the princess consort’s medical skills weren’t as good as Chun Lei claimed, and something happened to the prince, no one could bear the responsibility.

“Yes, Princess Consort, should we call the prince to administer the acupuncture?” Ming Yue also hesitated.

“Do you think it’s better for everyone in the residence to know I am treating the prince and face all sorts of obstruction, or quietly cure the prince without a sound?” Yu Yuanzheng countered.