5 The Backbone

All the things that shouldn’t have been in the room had been cleared away. The maids busied themselves helping Lin Yun with her hair and makeup. Once she was freshly dressed, she finally learned from Qing Chan which opera was being performed today.

The original Lin Yun had hurried straight to the Shuntian Prefecture upon arriving in the capital. When the prefect’s wife learned of this, she informed the Empress Dowager, who, upon hearing of Lin Yun’s illness, sent her steward lady-in-waiting and a court physician to visit her.

It all sounded reasonable, but why hadn’t this happened during the previous seven times? And what connection did the Empress Dowager have with her?

Lin Yun waited in the outer hall, and soon a woman entered. Her hair was styled in a high bun, her age evident with strands of silver in her hair. She wore a blue jacket and skirt, with a protective armor-like outer garment.

This was Luo Mama, the steward lady-in-waiting serving the Empress Dowager. As the saying goes, even a seventh-rank official wouldn’t dare to be careless before a prime minister’s door. Lin Yun quickly stood to greet her. Yet, as soon as she rose, Luo Mama stepped forward, gave a swift bow, then gently pressed Lin Yun’s shoulder, urging her to sit and rest.

“The Empress Dowager sent me not to trouble you,” Luo Mama said kindly. “Your grandmother and her majesty grew up together, inseparable from childhood. They were close all their lives. Now that your grandmother has passed, and you are her only grandchild, the Empress Dowager regards you no differently than her own granddaughter.”

Seeing the compassion in Luo Mama’s eyes, Lin Yun suddenly felt as if she had found an ally.

Her eyes welled with tears, her voice choked with emotion. “Your Majesty, why have you only come now? My child has died seven times already!”

“I just returned to the capital, and no one here knows me well. Although there is a concubine looking after me, my grandmother, father, and mother are all gone. I often feel afraid. Now that the Empress Dowager has sent you to visit me, I finally feel at ease.”

Lin Yun clasped Luo Mama’s hand, tears glimmering as she smiled faintly, the dimple in her cheek softening her sorrowful expression. Luo Mama’s heart melted, and she quickly squeezed Lin Yun’s hand in return. “Good child, good child, you’ve truly suffered too much.”

As Lin Yun and Luo Mama whispered warmly, Qing Chan, standing nearby, was stunned. The second young lady usually wore a stern, expressionless face, her dark eyes chilling to behold. Yet here she was, showing such gentleness and tenderness—a side Qing Chan had never seen before. And to think, the second young lady even had a dimple.

For Lin Yun, coaxing the elderly was no hardship. She had learned how to behave well and act smartly in front of seniors from her mentor, who was adept at charming the director of the institute.

Her tears and trembling voice were not entirely feigned. She had died seven times; if she finally had a protector, how could she not be emotional?

Having established their bond, their relationship advanced swiftly. Luo Mama then summoned the court physician Fang to enter. “The Empress Dowager heard of your serious illness and was deeply concerned. Fang, whose medical skills are renowned in the Imperial Hospital, has come to examine you.”

Lin Yun thanked him and extended her hand. Luo Mama draped a handkerchief over Lin Yun’s wrist before Fang took her pulse.

Lin Yun wondered inwardly if he could accurately take her pulse through the cloth.

Fang’s demeanor fit the stereotypical image of an imperial physician from childhood dramas: one hand feeling the pulse, the other stroking his beard, his face contemplative.

After a moment, Fang concluded, “Miss Lin has suffered a severe illness, with some deficiencies in her constitution, mainly a weakness in the spleen and stomach. I will prescribe two courses of medicine to help you recover.”

Lin Yun thought Fang was not overrated; he was quite accurate. After all, she was starving to the point of madness—could her spleen and stomach not be weak?

Luo Mama pressed, “How is Miss Lin’s overall condition? I heard from the concubine that it was very critical a few days ago.”

Fang wrote out the prescription while replying, “It was critical before, but now the young lady is out of danger. She only needs to rest well.”

Hearing “out of danger,” Lin Yun sighed with relief.

She had now made an impression with the Empress Dowager, and since the court physician declared her condition stable and in need only of proper care, she could no longer “die from illness.”

In other words, Lady Li would not be able to harm her life again anytime soon.

Though Lady Li might stop, Lin Yun could not meekly let things slide. From her pocket, she produced a handkerchief and unfolded it to reveal a few preserved fruits, which she offered to the physician.

Since secretly hiding those preserved fruits, Lin Yun had rehearsed her explanation repeatedly in her mind, striving to sound reasonable.

“Don’t be nervous, act naturally, just like reporting in a group meeting,” she reminded herself.

“Concubine is kind to me and sent these preserved fruits because medicine is bitter. But I was very ill before and was too dazed to eat them properly. Now I want to honor her kindness and not disappoint her. Could you please check whether these preserved fruits contradict the prescription you gave today? If not, I will eat them after finishing the medicine.”

Regardless of her inner anxiety, Lin Yun spoke smoothly. This unsettled another person present.

Red Yuan, standing nearby to attend, turned pale when she saw the preserved fruits. Weren’t all the poisoned fruits disposed of? How did the young lady still have some?

Red Yuan longed to snatch them away but knew there was no chance to act here. She could only suppress her feelings, her heart sinking.

Would the poison in the preserved fruits be discovered?

If discovered, would the concubine admit to poisoning them?

If not, who would be blamed?

Could it be her?

Despite her tangled thoughts, Red Yuan could only watch as the physician took the preserved fruits.

At first, Fang paid no mind, seeing them as ordinary fruit. But when he got closer and smelled them, his expression changed, and he cursed his luck silently.

He had thought this would be a simple visit to the Ningyuan Marquis’s residence to treat a young lady and prescribe medicine. Who knew he would get entangled in household intrigues? He cursed himself for not checking the almanac before coming; he should have taken the day off.

His mind raced, weighing pros and cons. To survive as a court physician required not only skill but sharp intellect.

The fruits were toxic. Ignoring it and keeping silent would be easiest—if he hadn’t just examined Miss Lin.

Seeing Luo Mama and Miss Lin’s warmth, and knowing Luo Mama represented the Empress Dowager, if he declared her healthy and she died afterwards, the Empress Dowager would be furious.

But exposing the poisoned fruit meant offending the concubine of the Ningyuan Marquis’s residence. Did she have powerful backing? Fang recalled the capital’s political landscape: the concubine came from a modest background, connected to low-ranking officials. It would be safer to offend her than the Empress Dowager.

Fang made his decision, carefully putting the preserved fruits into his medicine box. “These preserved fruits indeed conflict with the medicine I prescribed, young lady. Please do not eat them.”

Was that caring or neglectful?

Lin Yun could not tell, but at least she had done her best; the outcome was beyond her control.

With the examination complete, Luo Mama insisted Lin Yun return to her room and rest. “Don’t see us off. Look at your pale face—you need to recuperate well. The Empress Dowager awaits your visit.”

Lin Yun wanted to say her pale complexion was mostly due to hunger but instead smiled obediently. “I will rest well and look forward to visiting the Empress Dowager and seeing you again.”

Luo Mama felt comforted and left the Ningyuan Marquis’s estate with a smile. Once inside the carriage, she adjusted her sleeve, then fixed her sharp gaze on Fang. “Tell me, what happened? Why did you change your expression upon seeing a few preserved fruits?”

***

Ignoring Red Yuan’s even paler face, Lin Yun returned to her room with light steps. Upon entering, her eyes caught sight of the tray of pastries on the table. The morning pastries had already been replaced; these now were all safe.

Lin Yun used both hands to quickly devour the snow-white pastries. If this were usual, the maids would have admonished her, but now they pretended not to see.

Whether they dared not interfere because she had the Empress Dowager’s backing, or were too worried to care, or both, was uncertain.

Qing Chan, who usually admonished Lin Yun, even tactfully handed her a handkerchief to wipe her hands, showing meticulous care.

Lin Yun paid no mind to their attitudes or changes. She cared only about eating.

Having finished one plate, she still craved more. Glancing at the sunlight flooding the window pane, a thought flashed through her mind, and the impulse to eat another plate vanished. She grabbed a cloak from the rack, put it on, and hurried outside.

***

By the time she arrived at the garden, breathless, she checked the time. The appointed hour from yesterday had long passed, but Qian Da was still standing straight where they had parted, waiting.

It was winter. Though the sun shone, Qian Da was thinly clad, and his nose was red from the cold.

Upon seeing Lin Yun, Qian Da lowered his head. Simple as he was, anyone could see his dejection.

Lin Yun felt a little guilty. “Sorry, I’m late.”

Qian Da shook his head. “I knew you had matters today. The household said a noble visitor came to see you.”

Since it wasn’t her tardiness that upset him, only one thing remained: Lin Yun asked, “Did your friends lend you the money?”

Qian Da bowed his head lower. “You win. None of them would lend me money and told me not to come to them again.”

Lin Yun had expected this. Watching his aggrieved expression, she fought to suppress a laugh, not wanting to break his sorrow.

“Miss, I apologize. You were right. I was wrong to defend them yesterday. They aren’t my friends. I have no friends now…”

His voice grew quieter. Lin Yun leaned closer and saw red rings around his eyes.

This crying was more genuine than her earlier tears. She took out a handkerchief and offered it for Qian Da to wipe his face.

He dared not take it from her, hastily wiping his face with his sleeve.

Lin Yun didn’t insist. She withdrew the handkerchief and smiled warmly. “Who says you have no friends? Didn’t I lend you a dime yesterday? I told you, true friends are willing to lend money. Now I am your friend.”

Qian Da might not remember, but Lin Yun did. He was the kind of person who, at her word or plea, would abandon everything without hesitation to help her escape the household.

To Lin Yun, their bond was more than friendship—it was a bond of life and death.

Qian Da was stunned, saying he was unworthy of being her friend, but joy shone in his eyes, unable to hide his happiness at having a friend.

He was like a child, unable to hide any feelings.

Lin Yun felt lighthearted. She no longer needed Qian Da to help her escape. Their friendship was pure, without ulterior motives.

She beckoned him. “Let’s go find those fake friends of yours.”

Qian Da was confused, not understanding why, but he obediently led the way.

He always obeyed his friend, but this felt different. What was different?

Perhaps because when obeying a friend, his heart was happy.

When they reached the place where the servants guarded the gate, Qian Da finally asked, “Why are we looking for them?”

“They borrowed money from you and haven’t returned it. Now that I’m stronger, I’m here to help you collect it.”

Wealth does not return to the hometown; it’s like wearing brocade at night, unseen.

Before, she had been meek, but now that she wielded a bit of power through borrowed authority, she intended to enjoy it. Otherwise, if she lost her power later, would she ever have a good day again?