Xie Chichun - Chapter 22

When Xie Xuan followed Lady Xie into Rongxi Pavilion, Lady Xie dismissed all the servants, leaving only Xie Xuan inside. She questioned her in detail about the incident. Since this matter concerned the royal family, Xie Xuan didn’t dare to be careless. She recounted the situation truthfully but firmly stuck to one point: she had been so frightened by the polo ball that by the time she regained her senses, Prince Jin was already injured. She hadn’t seen any details.

Only then did Lady Xie feel somewhat reassured. With a stern expression, she said, “From now on, you are not allowed to run around outside! Incidents like this—being hit by a polo ball is a minor matter, but if it drags our household into these affairs, the consequences would be severe! If anyone asks about it later, do not speak carelessly. Do you understand?”

Xie Xuan, still shaken by the incident, nodded.

She vaguely remembered that in her past life, Prince Jin had died unexpectedly at the age of fifteen, which meant he only had a year or two left to live. Judging by the trampling he suffered today, his short life might have been cut short by more than just fate.

In her past life, Prince Jin had died young, and the Crown Prince had been disgraced. In the end, it was the seemingly foolish Prince Yue who, with the help of the powerful eunuch Feng Ying and the chief grand secretary Guo She, had been pushed onto the throne. Who could say that Prince Jin’s death wasn’t orchestrated?

However, those two powerful officials had thought they were installing a puppet to manipulate, only to be bitten by the venomous snake that was Prince Yue, leading to their own downfall. In the end, Prince Yue emerged as the victor.

What had happened to Han Jie and his family after the Han household was raided?

Unfortunately, the remnants of that past life were like scattered smoke and clouds, forever beyond her reach.

Xie Xuan drifted into thought for a moment, but when she noticed Lady Xie still looking at her with disdain, she had no desire to stay in Rongxi Pavilion any longer. Since they clearly disliked each other, she bowed and returned to her own courtyard, Tangliyuan.

Back at Tangliyuan, Xie Jun couldn’t help but lecture Xie Xuan again, telling her to behave more properly in the future and not wander around aimlessly, lest she bring trouble upon herself. On this point, Xie Xuan agreed wholeheartedly and sincerely admitted her mistake, promising not to act so recklessly again.

The struggles within the royal family were like a mountain of fire. Those who got involved either rose to great heights or were reduced to ashes. Even those who merely brushed against the edges could end up scorched and stripped bare.

Xie Xuan wanted to live this life peacefully and had no desire to get anywhere near those blazing flames.

Today’s incident was simply bad luck. She happened to be standing near the scene of the accident, and now she couldn’t avoid being drawn into the aftermath. Sure enough, early the next morning, someone from the palace arrived, saying that Consort Yu wished to speak with her and requested that Xie Xuan accompany them to the palace.

Xie Xuan knew she couldn’t escape this, so she changed into clean clothes and followed them into the palace.

Visiting the palace wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to Xie Xuan. She had been summoned several times before to accompany the Fifth Princess in conversation and play, so she was quite familiar with palace etiquette. However, in the past, she had visited her aunt, Consort Wan. Now, she was being summoned to the unfamiliar quarters of Consort Yu, and with Prince Jin’s severe injury hanging over the matter, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Consort Yu resided in Leyang Palace, two palaces away from Consort Wan’s residence. After the eunuch announced her arrival, Xie Xuan entered with her head bowed, keeping her eyes downcast. Inside the hall, she saw that County Princess Chanyuan and Han Caiyi had already arrived. They were seated on embroidered stools, sipping tea and eating pastries.

The atmosphere didn’t seem particularly tense or severe?

The little drum of anxiety beating in Xie Xuan’s chest eased slightly. Looking further inside, through the lattice-patterned curtain, she could see palace maids surrounding a noblewoman seated by the bed, where Prince Jin lay asleep. The curtain of beads obscured the expressions on Consort Yu and Prince Jin’s faces, but the trembling imperial physician nearby suggested that Consort Yu’s mood was far from pleasant.

Anyone would be distraught if their son had been trampled by a horse.

Hearing the palace maid announce that everyone had arrived, Consort Yu glanced outside and then, supported by her maids, rose gracefully and walked over.

Unlike Consort Wan’s charming and graceful demeanor, Consort Yu’s beauty was not as striking, but she exuded a noble and refined aura, much like her title suggested—resembling a piece of fine jade, hard yet warm to the touch. As she approached, her natural elegance and dignity were unmistakable.

Xie Xuan knelt to pay her respects, and Consort Yu personally helped her up.

Consort Yu’s fingers were slender and smooth, unadorned by elaborate nail guards. Their natural beauty spoke for themselves. Her entire presence was like this—her hair and attire adorned with simple ornaments, yet she radiated an innate nobility, likely a result of her temperament and cultivation.

This was a woman entirely different from the other palace consorts and noblewomen. No wonder she had raised a gentle and scholarly young man like Prince Jin.

Consort Yu invited the three young girls to sit comfortably and, without beating around the bush, got straight to the point: “Today, I’ve asked the three of you here to discuss the incident at the polo field yesterday. Please, don’t be reserved. Help yourselves to some fruits and pastries first.”

Although Xie Xuan, Han Caiyi, and County Princess Chanyuan were young, they were all well-versed in the ways of noble households and the royal court. The previous day’s incident had been witnessed by many, and upon returning home, each of them had undoubtedly received instructions from their families. Now, as they sampled the exquisite palace fruits and pastries, their minds were clearly elsewhere.

Consort Yu chatted with them about the tea and snacks while discreetly dismissing the imperial physician and others from the room. She then casually asked, “I heard that when Prince Jin was injured yesterday, the three of you happened to be nearby. Since young eyes are sharp, did any of you notice how that horse went out of control?”

County Princess Chanyuan was the first to respond. “The three of us were startled by the flying polo ball and ducked down to avoid it. We only stood up when we heard the commotion, and by then, Prince Jin had already fallen to the ground. Consort Yu, how is Prince Jin’s injury? My mother wasn’t at the South Royal Garden yesterday, and she’s been very worried since hearing about it.”

“His injuries are severe,” Consort Yu sighed. “Those horses are bred and trained in the palace stables—strong and powerful. Prince Jin has three broken ribs, and his internal organs were also injured. I’m just so worried, which is why I’ve asked you here to see if you could provide more details.”

“Prince Jin is truly pitiable. He’s always been more of a scholar, not someone who should have suffered such an injury,” County Princess Chanyuan said, her eyes reddening as she wiped away tears with her sleeve.

Beside her, Han Caiyi bit her lip and added softly, “Consort Yu, the polo ball came so suddenly yesterday that we all scrambled to avoid it. By the time we stood up, we only saw Prince Jin on the ground and the horse galloping away. It was terrifying. My brother once suffered a similar injury while training with horses, and my mother found this ointment, which she said works wonders.”

As she spoke, Han Caiyi opened her palm, revealing two short, dark red porcelain bottles.

The Jingning Marquis household was a military family, and its descendants had grown up training in martial arts, so it was natural for them to have rare medicinal remedies. Consort Yu thanked Han Caiyi and asked her to convey her gratitude to Lady Han.

When it was Xie Xuan’s turn, her account was the same. By the time she stood up, she had only seen the horse rearing up and throwing Prince Jin to the ground. She hadn’t witnessed the cause of the incident and therefore couldn’t provide any further details.

Like Han Caiyi, Xie Xuan had also prepared something before entering the palace.

“This is a prescription our family matriarch has treasured. It was said to have been obtained from the Jingning Marquis household. When my third uncle broke his leg while being mischievous, this was what he used. It’s very effective for healing bones and regenerating flesh,” Xie Xuan explained, carefully taking out the prescription from a brocade pouch and presenting it to Consort Yu with both hands.

Consort Yu accepted it and expressed her gratitude.

After all, as someone who had spent many years in the palace, Consort Yu harbored some hope but wasn’t naive enough to expect to uncover anything significant from a few young girls. Seeing that their accounts were consistent, though disappointed, she didn’t press further and instead had more fruits and pastries brought in.

The three young girls peered through the bead curtain at Prince Jin, who was resting, each expressing their sympathy.

Perhaps the commotion had disturbed Prince Jin, as the young man slowly opened his eyes, his voice weak. “Mother…” His face was pale, and without his jade crown, his hair was spread loosely on the pillow, accentuating his striking features. He looked every bit the ailing, handsome youth.

Consort Yu hurried to his side, her voice filled with concern. “How are you? Does it still hurt here?”

Prince Jin frowned, clearly in pain. His gaze shifted and landed on the three young ladies standing outside the bead curtain. County Princess Chanyuan was naturally familiar to him, and he had seen the other two at the Xie Embankment. Although he couldn’t recall Han Caiyi’s name, he remembered Xie Xuan quite well. Seeing the young girl standing outside the curtain, he somehow swallowed his cry of pain and instead said, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Consort Yu was slightly surprised but continued, “The imperial physician just left, and the medicine is still being prepared. If it hurts, I’ll call the physician back.”

“No need, Mother. Boys can’t avoid getting hurt,” Prince Jin said, forcing a smile on his pale face. “Who are they?”

“That’s Chanyuan and two young ladies from outside the palace.”

“I think I’ve seen them before. Is the one in the middle from the Hengguo Duke’s household?” Prince Jin’s gaze lingered on Xie Xuan. “She’s the one I told you about after returning from the Xie Pond with Fifth Sister.”

Consort Yu turned to look, surprised to see that it was indeed her.

Before she could say anything, a palace maid announced that Consort Wan had come to visit Prince Jin.

Consort Yu hurried to greet her, and when Consort Wan entered, the two exchanged pleasantries. Both were imperial consorts, but while Consort Wan enjoyed the Emperor’s favor and had only a princess, posing no threat to the royal succession, Consort Yu, though she had Prince Jin, was known for her gentle and non-confrontational nature. Living close to each other, the two had maintained a harmonious relationship.

The three young girls were temporarily set aside as Consort Wan went to Prince Jin’s bedside to inquire about his condition. As a mother herself, she naturally understood Consort Yu’s current feelings. As she spoke, she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, expressing her sympathy for the poor child.

Beside them, Xie Xuan quietly let out a sigh of relief.