Shen Yunshu’s eyes carried a thoughtful look.
That Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace was unusual.
She remembered that before the Crown Prince left for Quzhou, she had accompanied her mother to meet the Empress, and she saw the Crown Prince then. His gaze on her had been strange—half incredulous, half… unusual.
Later, when she saw him again, the Crown Prince had scrutinized her carefully for quite a long time.
She had later tried to inquire subtly with her parents, but the Crown Prince had shown no special attitude toward her or toward the Zhenbei Wang Mansion.
Probably because she was so young, the Crown Prince hadn’t bothered to hide his emotions in front of her, which was why she noticed something different in his gaze.
If her memory was correct, the Crown Prince had just returned from Quzhou, where he had dealt with a flood.
Some time ago, for reasons unknown, the Crown Prince suddenly developed a high fever and fell unconscious. The imperial physicians administered medicine and acupuncture, but he did not wake, and the illness recurred intermittently without subsiding.
The physicians of the Imperial Medical Court all diagnosed the fever as caused by wind-cold, but could not explain why it persisted.
With the physicians unable to help, the Empress herself went to Fengguo Hall to offer incense and prayers, taking only a little water and rice each day, and maintained this ritual for three days and nights.
Her sincerity moved Heaven. The Crown Prince recovered without any medicine.
When he awoke, he said, “Immortals appeared in dreams, warning that Quzhou would suffer continuous heavy rains within the next month. The embankments will break, floods will ensue, and the people will be in peril.”
The Ming Emperor was skeptical, thinking the Crown Prince had been overly anxious in his illness. Yet within half a month, messengers from Quzhou reported that heavy rains indeed began to fall without interruption.
The Crown Prince immediately issued a military decree and personally went to Quzhou to manage the flood relief.
Two months later, the flood was fully controlled, with fewer than ten casualties, and property losses minimized.
Rumor had it among the people that Heaven, moved by the ruler of Liang Dynasty’s diligence and wisdom, entrusted a dream to the Crown Prince to save the people from disaster.
The Emperor, hearing this, was overjoyed and allocated funds to help Quzhou residents rebuild their homes. The Crown Prince personally oversaw the relief efforts and only returned to the capital after completing the task.
After this, the royal family’s image among the people rose even higher. Everywhere in the capital—teahouses and taverns—storytellers recounted this tale.
Shen Yunshu had always loved the flourishing era of the Liang Dynasty and had carefully studied its history, both official records and unofficial accounts, as well as folklore. She had read everything she could find.
While history books did not record every event, most major occurrences were documented.
From what she knew, during the Ming Emperor’s reign, there had indeed been floods—but official records mentioned countless casualties, and the Crown Prince had not been noted for remarkable achievements.
He had died young during the succession struggles, and even popular stories did not praise him for significant deeds.
There were accounts of him distributing food to refugees and helping citizens with grievances, earning some praise for his benevolence—but nothing more.
Historical records did describe the Crown Prince as being nurtured by a benevolent ruler, lacking ambition, and loving his people like his own children.
Sadly, he died young.
Shen Yunshu frowned in puzzlement. From the Crown Prince’s recent severe illness to his management of the flood, the events all seemed oddly unusual—almost like the actions of a reincarnated or time-traveling protagonist in a novel.
…
“Your Highness, that seemed like a carriage from the Zhenbei Wang Mansion just now.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it. Return to the palace and report first.”
A carriage bearing the Eastern Palace insignia passed by Shen Yunshu’s carriage without stopping. As the two carriages passed, a gust of wind lifted a corner of the silk curtain, revealing a half-body silhouette in deep purple inside.
“County Mistress, have you risen? Today is the Qionghua Banquet; you must leave for the palace early.”
Linlang whispered gently as she helped Shen Yunshu hang the silk canopy and then summoned two young maids to bring water for her wash.
Shen Yunshu lazily propped herself up on her elbows and sat on the bed, her gaze still dreamy.
She yawned, then used a soft cotton cloth with the water basin to clean her face and rinse her mouth.
Linglong pressed her to the dressing table, combing her hair and applying light makeup.
At Shen Yunshu’s request, Linlang simply styled her hair into a Huixin bun and lightly groomed her brows—just enough to appear formal, without diminishing the County Mistress’s dignity or overshadowing Princess Le’an.
Linglong and Linglong had grown up with her and had been taught various makeup techniques, understanding how to style and match garments beautifully.
“Miss is the County Mistress. For this banquet, you shouldn’t be too low-key. Being bright and elegant will command attention. The double-flower tassel hairpin you had made recently, paired with the floral-blue silk embroidered dress sent by the Wang Fei, is perfect—it’s as if a fairy has descended! And you needn’t worry about stealing Princess Le’an’s limelight; knowing her nature, she will surely wear something even more flamboyant than yours!”
Linglong giggled as she pinned the hairpiece and teased Shen Yunshu.
Shen Yunshu glanced at her lazily. “You’re getting bolder—teasing even the princess now. Once we enter the palace, if you speak like that in front of some noble, you’ll soon know why the spring flowers are so red!”
Linlang poked Linglong’s head helplessly and glared at her.
Linglong stuck out her tongue, knowing the County Mistress was only scolding her lightly, but also understanding it was a reminder to behave properly in the palace.
Though the Zhenbei Wang Mansion was rarely questioned, the palace was different, and as a lowly maid, she knew better than to speak carelessly.
“I’m only bold because the County Mistress favors me. In the palace, I dare not act so brazen!” Linglong said, smiling to please Shen Yunshu.
Shen Yunshu smiled but said nothing. She trusted Linglong’s words.
Her attendants had all been carefully trained by her mother before being sent to her.
Especially Linglong and Linlang, who grew up alongside her—they had been tutored in the Six Arts from a young age. Even Madam Furong, her mother’s most capable attendant, would occasionally teach them palace etiquette.
After all, those who serve a young mistress closely have a strong influence on her, especially someone as young as Shen Yunshu.