The empress

put her teacup down, both hands folded over her knees, her back slowly leaned

back, her expression exposing some dignity: “We are the empress, the model

woman of the world. Xia Fen is a child of the Dayan, a person of this dynasty,

we us the mother of the nation, naturally can judge him.” She paused a bit, her

next words slightly sharper: “Xia Fen is your son, not your ancestor.”

Xia Ling

Mei’s eyes widened, she only felt a sudden clap of thunder struck the top of

her head, for a while she was muddled, unable to speak for a long time.

“Lord w.a.n.g

feels he has failed him, because he is a child he unexpectedly gained. He

unconsciously pampered and spoiled him, because he lacks confidence.”

“You as a

mother, because you accidentally brought about that child’s future, you dote on

him, coo over him, and indulge in him. Because you feel you’re not a good

mother.”

“And the

Xia family, from start to finish have mediated between you husband and wife. To

Xia Fen, Xia family won’t gain from him, or lose anything because of him.

Therefore, all his teaching, cannot be imposingly meddled with. Too much

indulgence, that is how his temper is undisciplined and out of control. Tell

me, if this child will be your blessing when he grows up, or a disaster?”

“He holds

the Xia family’s name, he doesn’t respect the princes, unfilial to his parents,

inadequate respect and love to the family, for what reason can he strut around

Bailu academy and not be punished at all? Does the Xia family have such an

arrogant and despotic child? Can the crown prince really endure someone

exchanging blows with him? 

Does the emperor really only want to nurture him?

Are you sure, if he continues as always, Bailu academy, Xia family, and the

monarch would allow him to smoothly grow to adulthood?”

Xia Ling

Mei was already deathly pale with fright, she suddenly understood, the treasure

on the bottom tip of her heart, maybe it was worthless in other people’s minds.

The empress

shook her head: “Xia Fen’s conducts and deeds, are all because he is completely

unafraid.” And the monarch, cannot tolerate such a daring child.

Xia Ling

Mei faintly already knew what the empress intended.

Xia Ling

Mei and w.a.n.g Yun Feng, and even the Xia family and w.a.n.g family were unable to 

control Xia Fen. Since the crown prince was interested in training with Xia

Fen, in that case, Xia Fen cannot return home for a while.

The

empress’ words, also held the meaning of teaching Xia Fen on Xia Ling Mei’s

behalf.

Xia Ling

Mei still struggled: “Empress, I’m not an imperial concubine of the palace. You

can’t keep my child in the palace.”

“We have

already consulted with the emperor, allow Fen Er to be the crown prince’s

companion.”

Xia Ling

Mei’s lower body completely weakened, falling into the wide chair. On the table

next to it, the green tea had already turned cold.

It was an

enormous honour for the children of the influential families to be the

companion of the princes, and the crown prince’s companion, when they grow up

as long as the crown prince smoothly succeed the throne, any companion would

absolutely be a member of the emperor’s inner ministerial circle, glory and

favour does not necessarily last forever.

T

o Xia

Fen’s cruel and uncooperative temper, being a companion can give him riches and

honour, glory and splendour, and can make him dance on the edge of the sword,

at any time his head could separate from his body.

Xia Ling

Mei only felt a sharp pain in her heart, in her alarm she felt, maybe she

shouldn’t have allowed Xia Fen to come home from the start. This sort of child,

should only be allowed to move unhindered in the world, and not trapped in this

gorgeous and deadly cage of Beiding city.

A the same

time, the imperial court had just pa.s.sed an imperial edict, the third rank

senior imperial censor official w.a.n.g Yun Feng was to be degraded to fifth rank

supervisor imperial censor, to leave for the flooded area to supervise the

disaster relief, simultaneously accompany around ten imperial physicians, as

well as fifty carts of medicinal ingredients grandiosely depart from Beiding

city together.

All the way

back to the residence Xia Ling Mei’s head did not clear, she was flitting

between anger and calm, when she saw the main entrance of the w.a.n.g residence,

again hearing the news from the old w.a.n.g housekeeper, those emotions were again

buried.

She tried

hard to control her shaking hands, exerting all her strength she blinked,

forcing back her grieving tears.

After court

was finished w.a.n.g Yun Feng was immediately called to discuss official business

by the emperor, only informing the people at home to pack things at once, he

needed to leave three days later.

Fifty carts

of medicinal ingredients could not be gathered in a short time, the old

housekeeper guessed w.a.n.g Yun Feng would leave first with the imperial

physicians, when the horses and carts were fatigued, w.a.n.g Yun Feng’s official

position would be removed, he didn’t have enough power in his hands, when he arrived

people would definitely cause problems. The most important thing is of course

the stricken area, the flood still overflowed the banks, the dead and injured

must be falsely reported, after that it would be…an epidemic situation.

Xia Ling

Mei unconsciously thought of many years ago, the empress’ father died of

illness after a disaster relief, that year, the empress and the Zhao princess

didn’t even go to celebrate the new year, protecting that tiny courtyard,

grieving cut off from the rest of the world.

“Mistress,

the master is bringing so many imperial physicians, they will definitely look

after the master’s health. Don’t worry.”

“I know.”

Xia Ling Mei said, in pa.s.sing taking out the list of medicines in the medicine

room looking over it carefully, “the imperial physicians are there to see the

victims, at most one will be left by the master’s side to treat the victims in

that area, the other imperial physicians will definitely be allocated to other

areas, they cannot surround the master himself to treat only him. Just in case,

let us get a few more physicians for this journey, and prepare some medicines

from the residence to be taken with him. Whether it’s for the master, or for

the victims, it would still be considered the w.a.n.g family’s good deed and charity.”

The old

housekeeper nodded: “The mistress has considered this thoroughly.” Hurriedly he

called for people to find physicians to explain the situation, if they were

willing to go, half the reward will be paid in advance, afterwards they still

needed to pack up, three days seemed long but was not.

With the

bustle, Xia Ling Mei also calmed down, on one hand getting people to sort out

w.a.n.g Yun Feng’s clothing and personal items, on the other hand asking the maids

to also pack some of Xia Fen’s clothes to be delivered to the palace. Then

getting someone to grind the ink stone, personally writing a letter, warning

Xia Fen repeatedly of various things slipping it amongst the clothes before

leaving.

At noon,

w.a.n.g Yun Feng had still not returned, he had been an official for many years, the

w.a.n.g family was also a well-known name, the news from the palace must have been

spread a long time ago, not knowing why, unexpectedly not a single person

dropped by to pay a visit.

The other

court councillors aside, they were benefiting from it anyway, but why not even

a single person from the other w.a.n.g family branches come to inquire, so much so

that even the clan leader did not send someone to give a few comforting words.

To know if w.a.n.g Yun Feng made a mistake, the w.a.n.g family would also not do

well. Usually she only took a walk around the rear courts of the influential

families, all she saw were women of influential families, she actually felt for

the first time the coldness of her own front courtyard.

“Over these

years the master gradually had less contact with the people in the family, he

said he dreaded too many rumours, causing disaster for the family. As an

imperial censor, social relations.h.i.+ps are usually quite rare, one is to avoid

ganging up for personal interest, the other is having offended too many people,

on the face of things whatever the case it makes life difficult. Even if there

are several colleagues, because the mistress wasn’t at the residence, the

master also rarely invited them over, at most he drank a pot of tea with them

in a teahouse, exchanging a few words before dispersing.”

Xia Ling

Mei faintly felt strange: “From what you’ve said, why does it feel like the

master is becoming more and more anti-social?”

The usually

long-winded old housekeeper suddenly became silent, only a while later did he

say: “Mistress, the suffering shown on the face of things may not be the real

suffering.”

Xia Ling

Mei couldn’t help turn her head away, bitterly laughing: “Who in this world

isn’t suffering, rather it depends on whether you can endure it.”

The old

housekeeper laughed heartily: “Right, didn’t the master still return with the

mistress in his arms!” He moved closer, stroking his two strands of goat beard,

“mistress, you need more supplements, to again add a son to the w.a.n.g family

ah.”

Xia Ling

Mei’s face was red, resentfully calling Xiu Yu over, prudishly asking the other

person to note down the medicinal ingredients needed to be bought again, no

longer listening to those indecent words from the old housekeepers.

After

everyone had packed w.a.n.g Yun Feng’s belongings, Xia Ling Mei opened the cases 

examining one by one. w.a.n.g Yun Feng was going to disaster relief, naturally he

couldn’t wear too ornate clothes, anything glamorous was basically taken out. At

most only three outfits with plain inner materials remained, for him to wear

when he met officials. A few more of the common cotton and hemp clothes were

actually added, the weather was turning cold, some more warmer clothes had to

be added, fur lined clothes of dark colours not easy to dirty were also chosen.

The less respectful clothing were of cosy materials, she again chose from the

several bolts of clothes conferred from the palace a green blue to make into

several outfits by people rus.h.i.+ng through the night, also with shoes and socks

and hat, white jade and jasper were chosen for jade ornaments and other such

things, small bags of fragrance were all changed into medicinal bags.

w.a.n.g Yun

Feng this sort of scholar, had a little bit of martial arts to use to strengthen

his 

body’s health, but he thought too much, repeatedly meeting a.s.sa.s.sination,

his old wounds were likely to flare up, his spirit instead was even weaker than

the ordinary person by half. 

Xia Ling Mei personally chose a hundred years old

ginseng giving it to Juan Shu herself to pack away carefully, telling him to

steep several flakes for w.a.n.g Yun Feng every day, and there were big packets

and small packets of medicine to strengthen the body, when they arrived at the

stricken region he must drink one once a day.

Even later

on in the day, someone came to report, no physician in the city was willing to

go with the master to another part of the country, they said there were too

many patients in the stricken region, no one dared to go when there was no way

of returning.

Xia Ling

Mei hearing this almost broke her mouth of steel teeth. These flouris.h.i.+ng

people, used to living like princes, treating their lives as even more

important than anything else. Not just going to the stricken regions, even

going onto battlefields, there were minimal physicians, even less were

medicines which could save lives.

She told

people to say, if a physician was willing to go along to the stricken region to

give medical treatment to the victims, they only need to nod their head, the

w.a.n.g family will immediately give two hundred silvers as a gift. With this, at

long last two had nodded their heads, it was a.s.sumed their medical expertise

where not the most brilliant.

As she was

worrying, the Xia family unexpectedly sent someone to deliver two middle aged

physicians, asking cautiously, they were surprising the people who had gone

with the third master to stricken regions. The physicians looked over the

medicinal ingredients Xia Ling Mei had asked people to prepare, again writing a

prescription to add a few more ingredients. 

Xia Ling Mei was ever more

grateful, inviting them to stay or the time being.

At night,

w.a.n.g Yun Feng returned to the residence completely exhausted, Xia Ling Mei restrained

herself again and again, in the end she didn’t ask anything unnecessary,

personally picking up food for him.

Tonight,

there was no moon.

Faintly

warm candle light decorated the wide wooden long hallways, with a sky full of

stars replying. In the most hidden place of the courtyard the cicadas could be

faintly heard, occasionally a bubble or two could be seen on the surface of the

pond, everything was quiet and still.

Xia Ling

Mei leaned on a wide and solid pillar, staring at the still black night without

blinking.

w.a.n.g Yun

Feng quietly came in, holding her ice-cold hand, softly saying: “Don’t worry.”

Xia Ling

Mei sighed: “Fen Er is in the palace.”

“I know,

the crown prince took him to see me today, he said he’ll look after his younger

cousin. When I’m not here, go visit the palace more often, whatever Fen Er

lacks you take it to him. The emperor’s thoughts are secretive, let Fen Er

distance himself from him, if there’s something wrong you take responsibility

first, put everything off until I return.”

Xia Ling

Mei listened to him prattle on, she couldn’t help think of the empress’ saying

his indulgence in Fen Er was from his own deficiency, at first she didn’t

believe it. After all when they first met, w.a.n.g Yun Feng was extremely strict

with Xia Fen, after returning to Beiding city, every day Xia Fen was in one

place but did acknowledge him, probably to torment him. Because he doted on

this child, as a result even if he wanted to scold him it always felt like

there was no force behind it.

Xia Fen did

not consider him to be his biological father, but w.a.n.g Yun Feng had already

placed Xia Fen in his heart, it was the most important scar on his heart.

Xia Ling

Mei also held his hand, she couldn’t help but move closer, biting viciously on

his lips.

w.a.n.g Yun

Feng was stunned, in a blink he grasped her firmly, kissing her back.

******************************************************************************

T/N: The couple are to be apart again >_