lcionline Chapter 280 Yongxian returns to the palace
Chapter 280 Yongxian returns to the palace
Xiao Zhijie stroked her arm in the darkness, his heart filled with tenderness.
Qiao Qingshu said softly,
“Yongxian wrote a letter saying that she wanted to return to the capital to visit us, and that she had met a man in Jiangnan and wanted to bring him to us for our approval.”
In recent years, Qiao Qingshu and Princess Yongxian have been exchanging letters frequently, and their relationship has become increasingly intimate through these letters.
Yongxian would tell Qiao Qingshu about everything she had encountered in Jiangnan, and Qiao Qingshu would always help her answer her questions and solve her problems in her letters.
Yongxian hasn't been back to Beijing for three years, and I really miss her.
Xiao Zhijie responded.
"That's great. If she comes, we'll treat her well. Even if she stays, that's fine too."
Three days later, Princess Yongxian's carriage entered the palace.
When Qiao Qingshu saw Yongxian, she was almost taken aback.
Is this still the willful and capricious Yongxian from my memory?
She wore a brocade dress with Suzhou embroidery trim, her face was fair and radiant, and she had a very good complexion even without makeup. She looked simple and refreshing.
Qiao Qingshu couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Yongxian, is that you?!"
Yongxian greeted her with a sweet smile, and the two embraced and laughed.
Only then did Qiao Qingshu notice that there was a man following behind Yongxian. This man was also dressed in plain clothes, but he looked energetic and very handsome.
Qiao Qingshu raised an eyebrow and said,
"This must be the Mr. Wu you mentioned in your letter, right?"
Yongxian showed a hint of shyness on her face and said,
"Yes, this is Wu Yizhi."
Yongxian fell seriously ill as soon as she arrived at the princess's residence in Jiangnan. Perhaps it was due to the change in environment or perhaps it was because she had been holding back her emotions for a long time. In any case, she fell ill all at once.
The servants invited dozens of doctors and she took a lot of Chinese medicine, but to no avail. Yongxian was already filled with despair and thought she was going to die.
After being bedridden for many days, she suddenly longed to see the magnolia flowers outside one afternoon.
She thought that if she could see a tree full of magnolia blossoms before she died, she would have no regrets.
So she asked her maid to help her get dressed, and then she was carried in a sedan chair to a window seat on the second floor. She sat there quietly, looking at the magnolias blooming brilliantly outside the window, feeling increasingly sleepy and her body growing heavier.
She didn't even realize when the handkerchief slipped from her hand; it was blown away by a gust of wind and landed on the head of a man at the alley entrance.
The man looked up and saw a face as pale as paper.
He hurriedly went to her door to request an audience, and under the pretext of returning the handkerchief, he was able to see Yongxian.
Seeing that she looked unwell, he immediately revealed that he was a doctor and began to administer acupuncture.
Thus, the person who was on the verge of death was saved, and Yongxian gradually recovered under Wu Yizhi's care.
To ease her melancholy, he would even teach her some principles from books, or to distract her, he would have her help him grind medicine or do some light chores.
With each passing day of companionship, Yongxian gradually recovered.
She told Qiao Qingshu everything in the letter, and Qiao Qingshu was moved by their fate.
Seeing him in person now naturally evoked a sense of awe.
Wu Yi stepped forward to bow, which Qiao Qingshu found quite admirable. She winked at Yongxian.
After the banquet, Yongxian found Qiao Qingshu, and the two sat facing each other, exchanging a few polite words between women.
Yongxian twisted the handkerchief and said,
"Shu'er, what do you think of him?"
Qiao Qingshu smiled and took a sip of tea.
"A very unconventional person, one would imagine that he must also be aloof and proud."
Yongxian nodded vigorously, then sighed.
"He's always been very proper to me, never saying a single ambiguous word, but I... I..."
Qiao Qingshu nodded at her and said,
You like him, but you don't know how he feels.
Yongxian nodded helplessly, her heart pounding with anxiety, desperately seeking an answer.
Qiao Qingshu said,
“I suspect he has feelings for you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have traveled all this way to the capital with you. I just deliberately asked him if he wanted to stay in the capital, where he might have a bright future. He refused outright, saying that he was just a country doctor with no desire for fame or fortune. He only wanted to stay in the countryside and treat the people.”
Yongxian frowned and slumped her back, saying...
"Yes, that's how he is. He doesn't care about money and goes to remote rural areas every day. I can only see him once every two weeks. Such a person is really hard to fathom."
Qiao Qingshu shook her head and said,
"It's actually quite easy to understand. I think he likes you, but you are a princess of noble birth. If he were to marry you, he would likely face many restrictions and wouldn't be able to treat patients and save lives as freely as he does now. Perhaps he is thinking more thoughtfully than you are."
Yongxian stared wide-eyed as she spoke.
"Really? Is that really what she thinks?"
Qiao Qingshu slowly stood up and said,
"Whether it's true or not, just go ask him. If it's false, then forget about it. But if it's true, what are you going to do?"
Yongxian suddenly raised her head and said,
“I am not the same person I used to be. If he really does it for this reason, I will not stop him from practicing medicine and saving lives after we get married. I can even go with him.”
Qiao Qingshu just smiled.
"You only have this one thin layer of paper left to break through, so go ahead and try to break through it. Even if it doesn't work, you'll have your answer, won't you?"
Encouraged by Qiao Qingshu's words, Yongxian stood up and went out.
Xiao Zhijie returned from outside and happened to run into Yongxian, who was leaving in a hurry.
He asked curiously,
"Why is Yongxian in such a hurry to go?"
Qiao Qingshu was pouring herself tea and said casually,
She went to pray for a marriage match.
Xiao Zhijie looked surprised and was speechless.
The next morning, before Qiao Qingshu had even gotten out of bed, she was woken up by Yongxian.
Xiao Zhijie had already gone to the morning court session and was not in the room.
Yongxian excitedly grabbed her hand and said,
“He agreed, he really agreed, he said that as long as he could continue practicing medicine, everything would be fine.”
Qiao Qingshu looked at Yongxian, who had a happy expression, with sleepy eyes, and a smile appeared on her lips.
She straightened her clothes and yawned.
"I told you, he likes you."
Yongxian's spirits were unusually high. She had been very active in the capital these past few days, going out of the palace with Wu Yizhi to play and shop. They were a very sweet and loving couple.
Half a month later, the two of them, satisfied, prepared to head back to Jiangnan with seven or eight carts full of spoils.
Before their departure, Qiao Qingshu hosted another farewell banquet for them.
This time, Yongxian's face was full of sweet smiles, completely different from her hesitant demeanor when she arrived.
Xiao Zhijie and Qiao Qingshu were also very happy to see that Yongxian had truly regained her vitality, and they gave her many things and gifts.
The farewell banquet lasted until midnight before it truly ended.
Even after the banquet ended, Qiao Qingshu was still very excited and couldn't fall asleep.
A man got out of bed, put on his clothes, and slowly walked through the inner palace.