In a situation like this, only Jiang Shi could speak up to save the moment.
“Your Highness,” Jiang Shi said with a smile, “How has the Crown Prince’s health been lately?”
At the mention of the Crown Prince, the Crown Grandson’s expression immediately softened. “Father was injured years ago, and it damaged his vitality. These past years, with careful nursing, the old ailment rarely flares up anymore.”
“I’ve heard that Imperial Physician Wei prepared a pill to help nurse the Crown Prince’s health. With Imperial Physician Wei’s miraculous skill, he’s sure to cure the Crown Prince’s old ailment.”
Ling Ji picked up the thread of conversation, doing his best to keep the mood light and harmonious…
This was clearly no easy task.
The Crown Grandson’s brows and eyes were cold and severe, commanding without even a hint of anger, his entire bearing radiating an overpowering presence. However one looked at him, he didn’t seem the type to enjoy idle small talk.
Talking with someone like this was truly stressful.
At the mention of Imperial Physician Wei, the Crown Grandson’s lips curled slightly, though little smile reached his eyes. “You’re right. Though Wei Yan is young, his medical skill is exceptional. Both my imperial grandfather and grandmother hold him in high regard. Imperial Physician Zhou is already past fifty, and won’t hold the position of Chief Physician at the Imperial Medical Institute much longer. Sooner or later, it will belong to Wei Yan.”
Wei Yan!
Ling Jingshu silently repeated the name to herself several times.
She hoped this miracle physician was truly as skilled as rumored, and could cure Ling Xiao’s eyes.
As for her own “strange affliction,” it had mostly arisen from the humiliation she’d suffered in her previous life. Any man who came near her would make her whole body tense up with discomfort…
Even if Imperial Physician Wei’s skill were ever so brilliant, surely he couldn’t cure an affliction like that…
Ling Jingshu’s evident distraction did not escape the Crown Grandson’s notice.
The Crown Grandson had been the center of everyone’s attention since birth. Unmarried young ladies who met him would either feign shyness or put on airs of dignified composure, or pretend to be innocent and lively to catch his eye. To be ignored so completely as this was unprecedented.
Displeasure rose in the Crown Grandson’s heart, and inevitably some of it showed on his face.
Jiang Shi was sharp-minded and caught a faint hint of the situation. Without changing her expression, she tugged at Ling Jingshu’s sleeve and said with a smile, “A’Shu, weren’t you going to take A’Xiao to Huichun Hall to seek treatment? You probably don’t know the rules of Huichun Hall yet!”
Ling Jingshu’s attention was indeed drawn in. “What rules?”
“Imperial Physician Wei only goes there two days a month, and there are simply too many patients lined up outside Huichun Hall. To make matters worse, he’s set his own rule: anyone seeking treatment, regardless of age or status, must take a number and wait their turn. Even the families of civil officials and military officers can’t break this rule when they go.”
“Imperial Physician Wei set this rule to prevent people from using their power to cut in line and bully others. This way, even common folk who fall seriously ill can come to Huichun Hall for treatment. It really is a good rule. But if you wait like that, you might end up queuing for months…”
Having said this much, Jiang Shi stopped talking.
Sure enough, Ling Jingshu’s brows had already furrowed.
Waiting for months — that was far too long!
But from what Jiang Shi implied, neither civil officials nor noble military officers had the right to cut in line before this Imperial Physician Wei, who enjoyed extraordinary imperial favor. Ling Daye was merely a fourth-rank civil official — among the officials in the capital, his rank was barely more than negligible. Even if he stepped in personally, it would be of no use…
Jiang Shi pressed her lips together and smiled. “A’Shu, you’re usually so clever and quick-witted, yet it turns out you can have a sharp face but a slow mind. Of course Imperial Physician Wei wouldn’t pay attention to anyone else’s words. But if His Highness the Crown Grandson were to speak up, Imperial Physician Wei could hardly refuse.”
Ling Jingshu: “…”
Jiang Shi had already made herself so clear that even a fool could understand.
The Crown Grandson still stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression indifferent.
Yet his eyes clearly flickered with the look of “in the end, you’ll have to come and beg me.”
It was the sort of look that made one’s chest tighten just looking at it.
The other party was the lofty Crown Grandson, while she was nothing more than a young lady from an inner chamber. Competing with him would be like an ant trying to shake a tree.
Besides, for A’Xiao’s sake, what did it matter to bow her head and show a little weakness?
Ling Jingshu quickly adjusted her mindset and put on a humble, respectful expression. “I wonder if Your Highness would be willing to help with this matter? For Your Highness, it would be no more than a small effort, yet it would let A’Xiao see Imperial Physician Wei all the sooner. I beg Your Highness to extend a helping hand once more.”
That she was willing to bow her head and plead naturally pleased him. Yet somehow, watching her act so submissive and meek stirred a strange dissatisfaction in him.
She really could bend when needed — for the sake of curing Ling Xiao’s eye affliction sooner, she was willing to set aside all her pride.
“Imperial Physician Wei has many rules and won’t easily make exceptions. But he’ll always grant this prince some small face.”
Ling Jingshu’s eyes lit up, her face full of hope.
The Crown Grandson’s lips curled in something between a smile and a smirk, and he continued slowly. “It’s just that the moment this prince speaks up, I’ll owe him a favor. Why should this prince take on such a debt for nothing?”
Ling Jingshu: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Hadn’t he just been putting on an approachable air a moment ago? How could he suddenly turn around and refuse to acknowledge any of it!
Was he just toying with people for fun!
Ling Xiao, the most thin-skinned of them all, had already flushed red — angry at himself for dragging Ling Jingshu into such an awkward position, and furious at his own uselessness, not knowing how to fight back.
Jiang Shi’s smile froze as well, secretly filled with regret.
She had thought that bringing up this matter would let Ling Jingshu take the initiative to please the Crown Grandson while also securing an earlier consultation opportunity for Ling Xiao — a good move that would achieve two things at once.
Who would have known it would turn into such an awkward, humiliating mess.
It was all her fault — she simply hadn’t realized just how moody and unpredictable this exalted Crown Grandson could be…
Wang Tong, standing to the side, was hardly surprised at all by this.
Ever since the Crown Grandson was eight years old, he had served as the Crown Grandson’s guard commander, growing up alongside him. He understood the Crown Grandson’s unpredictable temper better than anyone.
It was only Miss Ling the Ninth he pitied — she had come full of hope, only to be doused with cold water like this, losing face in front of everyone!
Just as Wang Tong was expecting Miss Ling the Ninth to cover her face with reddened eyes and flee, her reaction caught him completely off guard.
He watched her quickly compose her expression and offer a faint smile. “Your Highness is right. My brother and I are no relation to Your Highness at all, and to have received your help a few days ago was already an immense stroke of fortune. Without having repaid the debt of saving our lives, I foolishly let myself hope Your Highness would intervene on our behalf again — that truly was greed beyond measure, and utterly shameless of me. This humble girl offers Your Highness her apology.”
With that, she straightened herself and performed a proper, formal bow.
Then, with a solemn expression, she added, “This humble girl will never raise the matter again. I beg Your Highness to set your mind at ease.”
The Crown Grandson: “…”
Wang Tong didn’t dare look at the Crown Grandson’s expression at that moment and quickly lowered his head.
Miss Ling the Ninth’s response was truly brilliant and masterful. She had hidden every bit of cold mockery within a respectful reply — softness laced with thorns, a needle concealed in silk!
It was practically a slap across the Crown Grandson’s face!
It turned out that true strength didn’t come from noble status or overwhelming power, but from inner strength!
This Miss Ling the Ninth — she was truly formidable!