A quarter of an hour later, Princess Yijiang finally finished speaking.
Perhaps she hadn't finished. Her opinions and hatred for Su Xiaoqi were such that she could have spoken for half an hour, a full day and night, and still not be done.
However, at the reminder of her governess, she finally noticed Emperor Yongxing's expression.
There was no fondness on his gentle, scholarly face, only undisguised disgust.
Princess Yijiang was not foolish. She had just been too angry to think clearly.
Now that she had calmed down, she understood.
She also realized that she had indeed lost her composure.
She had impulsively revealed all the habits she had painstakingly concealed from her time in Southern Yue.
A jolt of alarm went through her; she declared it a misstep.
But it was too late.
She could only brace herself and continue her complaint.
"I understand. Since your face is injured, you should return and have the imperial physicians examine it."
"Ah... Imperial Uncle, Your Majesty, won't you punish that lawless Su Xiaoqi?"
Emperor Yongxing glanced at Su Xiaoqi, who stood obediently beside Shen Yun, her face gentle.
He thought to himself, standing together like that, it was obvious who was fierce and who was meek.
He wasn't blind.
"I will deal with Madam Shen's affairs. You may return now." This was Emperor Yongxing's second time telling her to leave.
Princess Yijiang still wanted to argue, but her governess tugged at her arm again.
She meant that His Majesty already had the situation in hand, and any further argument would be futile.
Reluctantly, she left, her face still puffy.
Unable to vent her resentment, she kicked the white marble balustrade in front of the imperial study door with force as she exited.
"Hiss..." The pain almost made her cry out.
"Damn it, what is this? Chop it off, chop it off, it hurts so much," Princess Yijiang cursed, clutching her foot.
Everything was relayed to the imperial study by the eunuchs watching from outside.
Emperor Yongxing's face instantly darkened.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoqi below remained gentle, as if nothing had happened.
Therefore, between the two of them, he was not blind to who was the instigator and who was the malevolent one.
However, the basic protocol still had to be followed.
"Anqi, tell me, what happened just now?"
Su Xiaoqi didn't react at first, wondering who the emperor was calling.
Shen Yun pinched her fingers through his sleeve, and she finally remembered that her princess title was Anqi.
Hmph, a strange posthumous title.
She herself was still getting used to it.
"Replying to Your Majesty, Princess Yijiang has already said it."
What she said was mostly the truth, except for some of the rude remarks.
Emperor Yongxing narrowed his eyes, recalling Princess Yijiang's ferocious demeanor just moments before.
He thought that Princess Anqi was too frail and might have been frightened.
He softened his voice and said again, "I want to hear your side of the story."
"Yes, replying to Your Majesty, today I was summoned by Noble Consort, and I was overjoyed, so I hurried over.
Upon arriving at Noble Consort's palace, I don't know why, Princess Yijiang began to speak of my background.
She looked down on me, saying how could I possibly be conferred a princess..." Su Xiaoqi recounted, in a summary, the unpleasant things Princess Yijiang had said.
In short, she fully conveyed Yijiang's disdain for her.
"Wuwu..." Su Xiaoqi began to cry as if wronged.
Although Shen Yun knew this was a tactical crying session, and likely feigned,
He couldn't help but feel heartache for her.
He held her hand and, with concern, retrieved a silk handkerchief to wipe her tears.
He also lowered his head and pleaded, "I implore Your Majesty to seek justice for my wife.
My wife's princess rank was personally conferred by Your Majesty. Princess Yijiang dares to express dissatisfaction with Your Majesty..."
Shen Yun stopped speaking at the right moment, as if he had remembered Emperor Yongxing's kinship with Princess Yijiang.
"A prince who breaks the law is punished the same as a commoner. Yijiang's manners are indeed lacking.
After today, I will assign her two palace tutors to teach her proper etiquette.
As for this matter, I will definitely give you an explanation."
After speaking, Emperor Yongxing rubbed his temples wearily. He felt his energy was increasingly insufficient.
Seeing this, Su Xiaoqi stepped forward and asked if he wanted her to take his pulse.
Emperor Yongxing had witnessed the brilliance of Su Xiaoqi's medical skills when he was still Prince Duan.
Naturally, he quickly asked her to come forward.
Su Xiaoqi took his pulse, and her eyebrows furrowed.
"Does Your Majesty often experience thirst, dizziness, and an inability to sleep at night recently?"
"Yes, I have indeed been sleeping poorly these past few days."
"Your Majesty might have contracted diabetes," Su Xiaoqi stated.
This illness was also present in Madam Zhao, but under her care, it had greatly improved.
Normally, as long as she avoided high-sugar foods, it would not recur.
However, Emperor Yongxing's condition was at its most severe.
It was even life-threatening without insulin.
Su Xiaoqi hesitated for a moment before prescribing a herbal formula.
"I have a prescription here, it can only provide some relief, but it cannot cure the root cause.
I ask Your Majesty to pay close attention to your diet.
Avoid sweets, and also eat less rice and noodles.
Eat more coarse grains..."
Su Xiaoqi gave him a series of instructions.
These matters did not require Emperor Yongxing to remember himself.
His attendant eunuchs and palace maids had small personal notebooks to record them.
As Su Xiaoqi was leaving, she also gave Emperor Yongxing a small bottle of pills.
These were originally prescribed for Madam Zhao. She was feeling better now and had stopped the medication, so there were some left, which could be used in an emergency.
Whether it was a psychological effect or not, after Emperor Yongxing took a pill in front of Su Xiaoqi, he quickly felt much better.
Watching her and Shen Yun walk away shoulder to shoulder,
His gaze towards Su Xiaoqi's retreating figure became increasingly gentle.
To be honest, when the people from Duke Yu's mansion had come to find him and revealed Su Xiaoqi's true identity,
He had harbored a slight worry.
He was worried that Su Xiaoqi would return to Northern Chu with Yu Jing.
But Shen Yun had promptly come to him then to assure him.
Saying he had a way to keep Su Xiaoqi here.
He also had a way to make Yu Jing give up the idea of taking her away.
That was to confer upon her the title of princess.
This way, Su Xiaoqi could enjoy the same treatment as in Northern Chu.
Thus, his physical ailments would be attended to, and he would not fear any trouble from Northern Chu.
Emperor Yongxing had not entirely believed Shen Yun's words, but he had followed his advice nonetheless.
Firstly, the merits and achievements that Gu Shanshan and Duke Ai had presented that Su Xiaoqi had accomplished far surpassed those of any woman since the founding of the Daliang Dynasty.
Secondly, her medical skills were truly excellent.
It was a safeguard for his imperial health when all imperial physicians could not help him.
But she was a princess of Northern Chu.
Now that peace had been made between the two nations, he had no excuse or reason to detain their only princess.
But Shen Yun said he had a way to keep her.
So, he would fulfill their request.
Now he understood why Shen Yun had spoken with such certainty.
Given the affection between the couple, Su Xiaoqi would likely be reluctant to leave.
Of course, it would be even better if the couple had another child!
Emperor Yongxing realized he was thinking a bit too much after his dizziness subsided from taking the medicine.
He shook his head self-deprecatingly and chuckled.