After waiting what seemed like ages, Gu Fuzhou finally welcomed his monthly rest day. Unfortunately, Lin Qingyu had to go to the palace on that day. As he got out of bed, Lin Qingyu moved slowly, making sure to be quiet, but he decided on second thought that there was no need to be so deliberate about it. Since when could Gu Fuzhou be awoken so easily?
As soon as Lin Qingyu stood up, though, a low, hoarse voice floated down from the top bunk. “Qingyu…”
“Why are you awake?” Lin Qingyu asked in surprise.
Gu Fuzhou’s eyes remained closed. “You need to go to the palace today,” he said weakly. “I’ll see you off.”
Lin Qingyu went still, a warmth that he shouldn’t have felt during the cold winter rising in his chest. Despite this, he responded, “You’re still half asleep. How will you see me off?”
Gu Fuzhou sat up, blearily rubbing his eyes and saying mechanically, “As sleepy as I am, I still need to see my wife off…”
“No need. You can continue to sleep,” Lin Qingyu said, amused.
“No way.” Gu Fuzhou forced himself out of bed. “You see me off every day. How horrible would I be if I didn’t reciprocate?”
Gu Fuzhou was so insistent that Lin Qingyu simply let him do as he wished. He initially thought that Gu Fuzhou would stop at the manor gates, like Lin Qingyu always did—but instead, Gu Fuzhou climbed into the carriage with him, seeing him all the way to the palace. Although Gu Fuzhou dozed on his shoulder the entire way there, and they didn’t exchange a single word, Lin Qingyu was indescribably touched by the sincerity behind this precious gesture.
Once Lin Qingyu entered the palace, a eunuch came to lead him to Qinzheng Hall. The head of the Tianji Guard, Lord Xie, was just leaving. As they passed each other, Lin Qingyu caught a whiff of a faint fragrance.
He quickly discovered where this scent came from when the emperor showed him an item—a crystal-clear snow-lotus blossom. Just from the sheen of its petals, Lin Qingyu could tell that this was no ordinary flower.
“Look at this,” the emperor said. “Will this help with my migraines?”
Lin Qingyu sniffed the snow lotus’s subtle scent. “Your Majesty, may I ask whether this item originated in the North Kingdom?”
The emperor seemed surprised to hear the question. “Yes, it was apparently plucked from the North Kingdom’s northernmost area.”
Lin Qingyu smiled faintly. “It truly is a rare and priceless medication. I will write Your Majesty a new prescription that includes snow lotus. I’m sure it will drastically improve the medication’s effects.”
After leaving the palace, Lin Qingyu spent the rest of the day in the Imperial Academy of Medicine’s library, returning to the manor only at dusk. As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, he saw that another carriage was parked in front of the gates. It looked incredibly extravagant, much too gaudy for a normal official to use. Thus, it was clear who the visitor was.
This carriage had only arrived seconds before Lin Qingyu’s, and its owner saw Lin Qingyu immediately. “It’s the beautiful imperial physician!”
“I am no longer an imperial physician, Your Highness,” said Lin Qingyu.
“Then I’ll call you Physician Lin.” The visitor was the fourth prince, Xiao Jie, joined by his constantly present steward, Xi Rong.
Lin Qingyu felt nothing toward beautiful fools; he was only interested in intelligent people. Hence, he focused more on Xi Rong than Xiao Jie, although he did ask the prince, “Have you made plans with the general, Your Highness?”
“Not really—well, sort of. Before, the great general said that he would show me the Qingyun Jiuzhou spear and his Ferghana horse. Today, as I passed by, I suddenly remembered, and…” Xiao Jie trailed off with an embarrassed laugh.
Xi Rong bowed to Lin Qingyu. “His Highness was struck with inspiration and came without an invitation,” he said politely. “Apologies for disturbing you and the general, Lady. If Great General Gu is busy, I shall send a message before bringing His Highness next time.”
“The general is resting today, so he’s not busy. Please, Your Highness, come in.”
Entering the manor, Xiao Jie looked around curiously. “Where is Great General Gu?”
“At this hour, probably enjoying himself,” Lin Qingyu guessed.
Looking confused, Xiao Jie raised his face to Xi Rong. “The great general likes to enjoy himself too?”
“Great General Gu may enjoy himself in a different way from you, Your Highness,” Xi Rong said.
Xiao Jie grinned. “I understand. I enjoy eating and drinking, but the great general enjoys riding horses and shooting arrows?”
Xi Rong nodded with a smile. “Your Highness’s intelligence is unmatched.”
“Please wait for a moment in the hall, Your Highness. I’ll go fetch the general. Huantong,” Lin Qingyu called, “serve His Highness tea.”
When Xiao Jie tasted the tea, his eyes lit up, compliments flowing from his tongue: “This is delicious! I think it’s even tastier than the palace’s tea! You taste it too, A-Rong!”
Xi Rong shook his head. “You mustn’t forget your superior status, Your Highness. I am but a servant.”
Xiao Jie was a bit disappointed. “All right.”
“Do you not find this odd, Your Highness?” Xi Rong asked. “According to etiquette, the general’s wife should have stayed to entertain his guests, so why is the lady personally fetching the general? The lady doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d be ignorant of etiquette.”
Xiao Jie thought about that, but he didn’t have an answer. “Why?”
The barest hint of a smile hung on Xi Rong’s face. “Perhaps he had some secret things to tell the general.”