Chapter 26: Courtesy Calls for Reciprocity

"Your Highness! Who is this young lady?"

Uncle Ji, having finally finished administering the medicine to Zhao Jiao, seized the moment to ask. Seeing Zhao Jiao lying on the bed with her eyes closed in a deep slumber, Yin Sumuo finally let out a sigh of relief.

"How is her condition? Is it critical?"

"It depends on how well her fever breaks today. As for the wounds on her body, they require careful tending; she must not be moved or disturbed easily right now."

Yin Sumuo nodded.

"Your Highness, she is...?" Curiosity is human nature, after all.

"Xu Jiaojiao!"

"..." A name?! Uncle Ji felt slightly disappointed. It was as if he had been answered, yet told nothing at all—such as her true identity or why the Prince was so anxious about her.

"Your Highness, allow me to stay and look after this young lady. You should let Uncle Ji attend to your hand," Wan Niang reminded him considerately.

Uncle Ji only then remembered. He hurriedly opened his medical kit, saying, "Your Highness, please, sit down..."

Yin Sumuo glanced at his hand—the teeth marks were quite sharp indeed—and walked over to the table to let Uncle Ji clean and dress the wound.

"Lingdang, go to the Xu residence. Fetch her maidservant, and tell them that she has caught a cold and left the palace. She is recuperating at my estate, and I will see her home once she has recovered!"

The three people in the room were all taken aback.

"...Your Highness intends to keep Miss Xu at the Prince’s estate to recover?" Lingdang asked, daring to speak her mind.

Yin Sumuo nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "She wasn't selected during this palace visit, and she will surely be bullied upon her return. In her current sickly state..." She would be nothing more than prey for others.

"Your Highness, Miss Xu is an unmarried lady of good standing. If she remains at our estate for no reason, are you not worried the Xu family might try to leverage this against you?" Lingdang felt it necessary to warn his master.

Yin Sumuo’s eyes shifted. With a single glance, Lingdang immediately shut his mouth and went off to carry out his orders. He had just wanted to dig for some gossip—the Prince was truly difficult.

Wan Niang could not help but glance at Zhao Jiao on the bed once more. The Prince was treating this girl in a very unusual manner.

"Your Highness, it is finished!" Uncle Ji sighed inwardly. Lingdang truly didn't understand; if the Prince were afraid of being leveraged, he would never have brought her back in the first place.

"When... will her fever likely break?" Yin Sumuo's gaze returned to the bed. Seeing Zhao Jiao stir, he rose quickly and stepped forward to look closer.

"Uncle Ji, what is wrong with her?" Seeing Zhao Jiao shivering involuntarily, Yin Sumuo called out in alarm.

Uncle Ji took one look, and his expression turned grave. "Her fever must be broken at once! Bring wine, and fetch some snow. Your Highness, please step outside. Wan Niang, follow my instructions, and call two more maids to help wipe her down..."

After giving his orders, Uncle Ji exited the room himself. As the door closed, Yin Sumuo stood outside with his hands behind his back, his brow tightly furrowed.

"Your Highness, do not worry. Once the fever breaks, she will be fine. Miss Xu has existing injuries, and the combination of the chill entering her body and the cold wind she caught brought this on."

Yin Sumuo remained silent.

Uncle Ji spoke again, "You brought her out of the palace yourself, Your Highness?"

Yin Sumuo nodded.

"Is she one of the noble ladies who entered for the selection?"

Yin Sumuo nodded again.

Uncle Ji's expression grew increasingly serious. "Your Highness... have you chosen her?"

The Xu family? Uncle Ji searched his memory, but he could not recall any major power in the court by the name of Xu.

Yin Sumuo saw through Uncle Ji’s thoughts at a glance. "Her father is Xu Guodong, the Censor-in-Chief. He has no roots in the court. She is a daughter by a concubine, only registered under the legal wife’s name for this palace entry. She was previously betrothed, but the engagement was broken just before she entered the palace. Given her background, she is perfectly suitable."

"Suitable?" How was that suitable at all?!

Yin Sumuo looked up at the sky with a complex expression and sighed lightly. "It is a matter of some coincidence... The spot for the Xu family was tacitly approved by the Emperor himself! It can be said that the Emperor chose this match for me..." If the Emperor had not deemed it suitable, it wouldn't have mattered if Xu Guodong had spent another five thousand taels of gold.

Yin Sumuo withdrew his gaze and glanced at the closed door before continuing, "Originally, it was not she who was to enter the palace, but another daughter of the Xu family. Since they are both concubine-born, it made no difference to the Emperor or the Imperial Aunt..."

"This is going too far! They want you to marry quickly so you will take over the Star-Plucking Pavilion for their use, yet they fear your growing power and want to keep you in check. To arrange such a marriage—they have calculated everything!" Uncle Ji could not hide his anger.

Yin Sumuo, however, remained calm. "There is nothing wrong with this match." At the very least, it was not that bad.

"What is good about it?" Uncle Ji muttered, rubbing his hands together.

"Noble ladies from prestigious families are a double-edged sword to me. As things stand now, this is just right!"

Upon hearing this, Uncle Ji’s eyes darted back and forth. "Is it truly just because it is 'just right'? I fear it is because you have taken a liking to the young lady inside, Your Highness?"

"She is very interesting!" More interesting than any woman he had ever met—cunning, mercurial, and completely impossible to read.

Yin Sumuo gave an evasive answer, which only made Uncle Ji more suspicious. If the Prince were truly interested, that would be a different matter. If it were merely a matter of convenience, the Prince would not need to compromise himself.

"Your Highness, Uncle Ji, she is awake!"

Wan Niang interrupted their conversation outside. The two men hurried into the room, and Uncle Ji breathed a sigh of relief after checking her.

"The fever has broken. There is no major problem now. As long as she takes her medicine on time, avoids the wind for the next few days, and stays away from raw or cold items..."

"Thank you! You have... gone to much trouble." Even with a muddled head, Zhao Jiao did not forget to express her gratitude.

"Miss, you are too kind. Please rest well. Your Highness, I shall go prepare the medicine." Uncle Ji took his kit and excused himself.

Yin Sumuo nodded slightly and sat down by the bedside naturally, feeling nothing amiss. Seeing this, Wan Niang gestured for the maids to leave.

"Your Highness, please go and rest. I shall watch over her."

"It is no matter. I will sit here for a while; her maidservant will be here shortly."

Wan Niang said no more and retreated silently.

Zhao Jiao forced herself to open her eyes, her voice weak. "Thank you, Your Highness. I have caused you trouble."

"It is a bit of a nuisance. I fear the debt you owe me will not be repaid anytime soon. I have sent Lingdang to the Xu residence to deliver a message. Rest assured and recover here."

Yin Sumuo stared at Zhao Jiao with a profound look in his eyes, even thoughtfully pulling the quilt up for her.

Rest assured? Letting her recover at the Prince’s estate? What was he thinking?

"Speak! What is your intent in keeping me at the estate, Your Highness?" She preferred to be blunt; she had no energy for guessing games.

"Clever. I have resolved your marriage issue; shouldn't you offer something in return?"

Without Yin Sumuo needing to elaborate, Zhao Jiao already understood his intentions, and her head began to ache even more.

"Your Highness... I do not wish to be this shield. Can you not find someone else?" Surely there were plenty of people willing! Who was she to deserve such a burden!

Yin Sumuo smiled faintly and leaned in close. "How clever. Since you are so clever, you must know that you are the most suitable. Besides... it was you who provoked me first. I am merely reciprocating the gesture. Shh, stay here with peace of mind, and be a good girl—recover well."

Zhao Jiao turned her head to avoid his sudden proximity. Yes, she had provoked him first; who knew he was such a demon? It was too late for regrets now!

Yin Sumuo pulled back with a smile. Was she really at such a disadvantage?

"Do you have a sweetheart?" Yin Sumuo suddenly asked out of the blue.

Zhao Jiao frowned. What was this? She shook her head honestly; she had plenty of enemies, though.

Yin Sumuo smiled brightly. "That is excellent!"

Excellent what? Did he mean if she had a sweetheart, he wouldn't use her as a shield?

Zhao Jiao simply closed her eyes and chose to ignore him.