Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Elder Xu Has Requested Her After Ling Ziqi left, Ling Taian seemed to age in an instant. His once-upright figure had now become stooped. “Ah…” Ling Taian sighed. “Master…” Madam Liu seemed to want to comfort him. “You may all leave. I want some peace and quiet. Oh, and Madam, sort out the dowry and whatever else needs arranging, then have someone deliver it to the Third Prince’s Residence,” Ling Taian instructed. “Yes, Master.” Having received her orders, Madam Liu led Ling Jiayue and the others away, leaving Ling Taian alone. “Yue’er, you’re skilled in the culinary arts. Draft a medicinal cuisine prescription to nourish your father. I can see that he’s truly heartbroken today,” Madam Liu instructed Ling Jiayue as they walked. “Yes, Mother.” Ling Jiayue accompanied Madam Liu slowly back to her courtyard. Ling Zixue stood silently where she was, watching Ling Jiayue and her mother disappear into the distance. Her little fists were clenched tightly, and her eyes were red, as though she could not accept that her elder sister, Ling Ziqi, had been driven out of the Prime Minister’s Residence just like that. The next day, the steward of the Ling Residence brought Ling Ziqi’s old belongings and the dowry prepared by Madam Liu to the Third Prince’s Residence. At that time, the Third Prince had just returned from court. When the steward of the Ling Residence requested an audience and said that the Prime Minister’s Residence had come to make a dowry contribution for Ling Ziqi, the Third Prince allowed him inside. “This servant pays his respects to the Third Prince,” the steward of the Ling Residence said with a bow. “Rise. The Prime Minister’s Residence sent you here to make a dowry contribution. Did they have anything else to say?” the Third Prince asked. “In reply to Your Highness, our Master said that when his daughter married, it was only right for us to make a dowry contribution. However, Ling Ziqi’s union with Your Highness was not arranged by her parents, nor was there a matchmaker’s testimony. Therefore, it cannot be considered a marriage. Master ordered me to come here today for two reasons: first, to deliver some property; and second, to inform Your Highness that from this day forward, the Prime Minister’s Residence no longer has anyone named Ling Ziqi.” The steward spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, completely unfazed by the Third Prince’s authority. “How dare you! Your concubine has been treated with such contempt by the Prime Minister’s Residence. Are you saying that you also look down on me?!” the Third Prince roared furiously. “This servant would never dare. Everything I have said today was ordered by Master. I am merely conveying his words,” the steward replied boldly, without the slightest fear of the Third Prince. Third Prince Mu Yuyang was so enraged that he nearly smashed his teacup. As he stared at the steward of the Ling Residence, he could neither beat him nor curse him. Yet the sight of him was so irritating that he finally said, “Guards, see him out!” “This servant will take his leave.” The steward bowed and withdrew. After the steward of the Ling Residence left, Mu Yuyang could no longer contain his fury. He smashed the dowry the steward had delivered into pieces. The servants could only wait outside; none of them dared to try to dissuade Mu Yuyang while he was in the grip of his anger. At that moment, Ling Ziqi heard what had happened from a maid in her room and hurried to the reception hall. By the time she arrived, the Third Prince had already smashed everything, yet his anger still had not subsided. “Your Highness, it is all because your concubine is useless and has failed to win Father’s favor. That is why, even after I married you, Father still humiliated me like this—and even dragged you into it,” Ling Ziqi said softly, lowering herself as she tried to soothe him. After all, this had happened because of her, and she was afraid that in his fury, the Third Prince would turn his anger on her. “It’s all because you’re useless! If you could win your father’s favor like Ling Jiayue does, I wouldn’t have suffered this humiliation today. I kindly allowed you to make a return visit to your family home, and this is how your family treated me?!” Mu Yuyang was still furious and spoke resentfully. “Third Prince, you’re right. If I had been favored like Ling Jiayue, things would never have come to this. But I absolutely will not let Ling Jiayue have an easy time. I still have a younger sister in the Prime Minister’s Residence who shares the same mother as me. If she and I work together from within and without, we will certainly be able to put Ling Jiayue to death,” Ling Ziqi said ingratiatingly. “Hmph. I’ll take your word for it this once.” With that, the Third Prince swept out of the room. Several more days passed. On a warm, sunny afternoon, Ling Jiayue was busy in the kitchen. She had originally drafted a prescription for the small kitchen, but the medicinal cuisine they prepared was truly mediocre. In order to restore her father’s health as soon as possible, Ling Jiayue decided to personally prepare medicinal cuisine for Ling Taian. Ever since her rebirth, Ling Jiayue had felt the care of Ling Taian, Madam Liu, Ling Jiaxuan, and the others every day. She had long since come to regard them as her family. To help Ling Taian regain his health as quickly as possible, she personally entered the kitchen to prepare medicinal cuisine for him. “Miss Ling, Master has summoned you to the study,” Lingxue said as she entered. “Oh? Did Father say what it was about?” Ling Jiayue asked. “The maid who delivered the message didn’t say. She only told you to go over as soon as possible,” Lingxue replied. “All right. Watch the fire for me. Let it simmer for another quarter of an hour before adding the Scutellaria root. Be sure to keep it over a low flame. Don’t let it get too high, understand? Lingzhu, come with me to the study.” “Understood, Miss. Go on and take care of your business,” Lingxue said, looking as though she had everything under control. Ling Jiayue then took Lingzhu to Ling Taian’s study. “Greetings, Father,” Ling Jiayue said, bowing to Ling Taian. “Rise, Yue’er. How did your clothes get stained with oil?” “I was just making medicinal cuisine for you in the small kitchen. I must have gotten oil on my clothes by accident.” “You’ve worked hard, Yue’er,” Ling Taian said. “Why did you summon Yue’er, Father?” “It’s like this. Elder Xu Hongjun says he isn’t feeling well. He sent over a formal invitation, asking you to go and examine him,” Ling Taian explained. “In that case, Yue’er will go there once. May I have your permission, Father?” “Very well. If you want to go, then go. Just have Xuan’er accompany you,” Ling Taian said, seemingly helpless against Ling Jiayue. “Father is the best!” Ling Jiayue said happily. “All right, you mischievous little imp. When have I ever stopped you from doing what you wanted? What an ungrateful little thing,” Ling Taian said, pretending to be angry. “Yes, yes, Father is the best. Father, your medicinal cuisine is still on the fire. I’ll bring it to you. It works best when eaten hot.” As she spoke, Ling Jiayue did not wait for Ling Taian to reply before darting away. “That girl.” Ling Taian gazed at Ling Jiayue’s departing figure and smiled indulgently. That night, while Ling Jiayue was making preparations to leave the residence the next day, a shadow slipped silently into the Ling Residence. It was Lingxin, formerly Ling Ziqi’s personal maid. Lingxin quietly made her way into Ling Zixue’s courtyard. When Linger, Ling Zixue’s personal maid, saw her, she shouted, “Who’s there? Why are you sneaking around?!” Having no choice, Lingxin stepped out and said, “Good sister, keep your voice down. It’s me, Lingxin.” Linger asked suspiciously, “Lingxin, what are you doing here?” Lingxin replied, “Ever since Miss Ziqi left, the steward matron punished me by sending me to work in the kitchen. I came here today because I remembered that Miss Ziqi had something she wanted me to give to Miss Zixue.” Ling Zixue had heard the commotion from inside her room. She asked, “Linger, what happened outside?” “Miss, it’s Lingxin, who used to serve Miss Ziqi. She says she has something to give you.” “Let her in.”