Song Shi had thought three days at Moonlight Courtyard was far too short. In the end, she stayed only a few hours before she had to return.
“Are you feeling pretty pleased with yourself?”
Song Shi had just put her hand on the door when a voice suddenly sounded beside her. She instinctively sprang back, putting distance between herself and the room—and Nan Ling’er, standing in the shadows.
Even now, thinking of Biyu’s methods made Song Shi break out in a cold sweat. She was afraid Nan Ling’er might try the same trick.
No—Nan Ling’er was a physician. Her methods were bound to be even more sophisticated than Biyu’s. For all she knew, one silver needle[1]Thin needles are used in traditional Chinese acupuncture. Song Shi’s fear of being paralyzed by one is a character’s fear, not an established medical consequence of acupuncture. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717373_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717373_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); could leave Song Shi paralyzed. There was no defending against that!
“Workplace competition” in this world was terrifying. One careless move and you could lose your life!
That one sentence had scared her this much?
Nan Ling’er smiled smugly. Good. At least Song Shi knew to be afraid.
“I’m warning you to stay away from His Highness. He’s not someone you can set your sights on!”
Song Shi laughed out loud. “If I remember correctly, Miss Nan, you’re only a physician for now. Come warn me when you’ve become Commandery Princess-Consort[2]The title for the principal wife of a commandery prince. Nan Ling’er is invoking the higher social position she hopes to attain. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717373_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717373_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.”
What a joke. One woman was willing to kill to get the head cook’s position, while the other didn’t even know whether she’d be allowed to stay at the Prince’s Residence. Where did either of them get the nerve to come out and warn her?
“You!”
Nan Ling’er’s face darkened completely.
“I may only be a physician, but what about you? You’re nothing but a servant. No matter how well you do your job, you’ll always be a servant. How could you possibly compare to me?”
Fine. So they were going to hurt each other, were they?
Song Shi smiled lightly and said in a syrupy voice, “I hear the exquisite medicinal dishes the noble Physician Nan prepared so carefully today weren’t to His Highness’s taste. He only tried a bite of each, then set down his chopsticks.”
“Oh, and I also hear His Highness would rather struggle through his meals on his own than let you help him. How considerate of him! Unlike me—I have to serve him bite by bite.”
As she spoke, Song Shi rubbed her arm and put on an exhausted look, acting as affected as she could. Nan Ling’er watched, fury rising in her, then rushed up and raised her hand to slap her.
Song Shi reacted just as quickly. Before the slap could land, she caught Nan Ling’er’s hand and swung her own across her face. The crack of the slap rang out especially clearly in the quiet night.
“How dare you hit me?!”
Nan Ling’er wasn’t one to take a loss lying down. She wrenched free of Song Shi’s grip and lunged at her. The two of them immediately began fighting.
Song Shi’s body had already been restored by the spirit spring cuisine. She wasn’t as fragile as she’d been before, and she pinned Nan Ling’er down and gave her a thorough beating. As for the consequences, she’d worry about them after she’d enjoyed herself. At worst, she could go to Qi Jinrui tomorrow and plead her case. After all, when you beat a dog, you have to watch… No, no—she wasn’t a dog!
The fight ended only when both of them were completely exhausted.
The next morning, before Song Shi had even entered the dining hall, she heard Nan Ling’er inside twisting the story around.
“I only went to Song Shi to ask her about cooking. It would have been fine if she didn’t want to teach me, but she insulted the medicinal dishes and said they were worthless. I was angry, so I went over to argue with her, and then she—she actually hit me…”
“Waaah! Prince, Princess Consort, Your Highness, please give Ling’er justice!”
“This servant pays her respects to the Prince, the Princess Consort, His Highness, and Master Yao.”
Qi Jinrui looked at Song Shi’s face. Her right cheek was slightly swollen, with a clear handprint on it, and there were several thin red scratches on her chin. Compared with Nan Ling’er’s swollen face—so unrecognizable even her own parents might not have known her—it was obvious who had won the fight last night.
“Song Shi, kneel!”
Prince Li pointed furiously at Song Shi. She was only a servant, yet she dared lay hands on someone he had brought with him just because she had a little skill in the kitchen. She clearly had no regard for him, the Prince. Today, he would make sure she knew who ruled this household!
“Don’t kneel!” Qi Jinrui’s voice was soft, but perfectly clear.
“Grandfather, you can’t be mean to Sister Song!” Qi Chuyao grabbed Song Shi as she was about to kneel.
“Prince, this is only a petty squabble between young people. Why make such a fuss over it?” Princess Consort Li said calmly. She looked from Nan Ling’er to Song Shi. She knew she shouldn’t laugh just then, but the sight of their faces really was amusing.
How could the Prince look at Nan Ling’er’s face, swollen like a giant steamed bun, and get angry instead of laughing?
Seeing Song Shi protected by all three of them, Nan Ling’er seethed with jealousy and hatred. Hmph! So what? Prince Li, who was protecting her, was still the most powerful person in the Prince’s Residence!
“Fine, fine! She won’t kneel, is that it? Guards! Drag Song Shi out, beat her, and throw her out of the Prince’s Residence!”
Song Shi was startled at first, then delighted. If all she had to do was take a beating to regain her freedom, it didn’t sound like a bad deal.
But if they accidentally beat her to death… then she’d be free in body and soul.
A small figure stepped in front of Song Shi and pointed at the two young servants who had entered. “Grandfather, tell them to throw Yaoyao out of the residence too!”
The two young servants didn’t dare move a muscle with Qi Chuyao standing there.
“Why aren’t you doing it?!” Prince Li scooped Qi Chuyao up in his arms.
“Dad, I didn’t know you were hoping I would die…” Qi Jinrui murmured softly.
The Princess Consort’s heart ached at his words. Exactly! Song Shi had played no small part in Qi Jinrui’s improvement over the past few days, and yet the Prince was ignoring his own son’s well-being and punishing her!
“Let me see who dares lay a hand on Song Shi!”
Princess Consort Li slammed her hand down on the table and pointed angrily at the Prince. “Qi Heyuan, if you can’t stand seeing Jinrui get better, then fine! There’s no reason for us to stay in this residence. I’ll take my son and Song Shi with me, so we won’t be in your way!”
“Guanyue, go pack. We’re returning to Yan Residence[3]A named noble-family residence. Here the Princess Consort proposes leaving Prince Li’s household to go there; its precise legal status is not stated. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3717373_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3717373_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Guanyue had barely answered when Prince Li barked, “You’re not going!”
“Go!” the Princess Consort shouted just as loudly.
Guanyue was caught between a rock and a hard place. Honestly, Song Shi could have picked a more discreet place to fight. Guanyue would have to give her a proper lesson in that another day.
“Yan Qianlan, explain yourself. How have I not wanted to see Jinrui get better?!”
Before anyone could answer, Prince Li turned and demanded of Qi Jinrui, “Jinrui, is that truly what you think of your father?”
“Do you know that it’s only thanks to Imperial Physician Xu and Song Shi that I’ve recovered at all these past few days? And you come back and immediately insist on replacing Song Shi without listening to anyone. Now you even want to have her beaten to death. I can’t convince myself that you’re doing this for my sake.”
At those words, Prince Li froze.
That was right. Twenty days ago, Imperial Physician Xu had sent him a letter, hinting that Qi Jinrui was gravely ill and might not last more than a few days if he still couldn’t eat.
Then, on the way back to the capital, he had received a letter from Qianlan. She mentioned Song Shi, praising her excellent cooking and describing how she coaxed Qi Jinrui into eating. Thanks to her devoted care, their son’s health had already begun to improve.
The knot of worry in his heart had finally loosened. He’d planned to reward Song Shi generously when he returned. But somehow…
Song Shi knew that if she didn’t speak up now, she would completely alienate Prince Li. She’d already offended him, of course, but she truly hadn’t expected him to believe Nan Ling’er’s one-sided story so readily, without even giving her a chance to explain.
“Please forgive me, Prince. This servant was presumptuous. I took advantage of the Princess Consort, His Highness, and Master Yao protecting me and beat Physician Nan. I know I’m guilty. I beg you to punish me severely.” Song Shi knelt and bowed with perfect form, her tone sincere.
“Song Shi, do you think I don’t dare lay a hand on you?” The voice above her was icy. Song Shi instinctively shrank back. She certainly didn’t dare assume that.
Prince Li was a powerful lord. Crushing her would be as easy as crushing an ant. Song Shi didn’t dare entertain any wishful thinking.
“This servant…”
“Hah! I really don’t dare lay a hand on you, or I’d become a sinner!” Prince Li flung his sleeve and stormed off.
Nan Ling’er clenched her fist beneath her sleeve, then slowly loosened it. She truly hadn’t expected that even the mighty Prince Li would have to watch these people’s faces before punishing a servant. She was nothing but a lowly girl with a little skill at cooking!
His Highness had surely been deceived by Song Shi. Only medicinal cuisine could help him recover quickly. Why couldn’t he understand that?
Nan Ling’er’s gaze happened to pass over Song Shi’s hands, and she immediately came up with a plan.
References[+]