Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Princess is in High Demand

Xue Fanzhi rolled her eyes and asked, "Big brother, did the Ninth Prince know you gave me this ointment?"

Xue Jingren laughed heartily. "Little sister, what's gotten into you? How could the Ninth Prince concern himself with such a trivial matter? Besides, are you two even close? Why would he care? You don't suppose he tripped me and made me hurt myself just so he could give you ointment, do you?"

Xue Fanzhi fell silent.

"Ha! Little sister, you're so young. Don't tell me you fancy the Ninth Prince?"

Xue Fanzhi was speechless.

Seeing her at a loss for words, Xue Jingren suddenly grew serious. "You aren't truly interested in the Ninth Prince, are you?" He paused, then continued, "Actually, the Ninth Prince is quite a fine man. But someone of his station must have many admirers. Though you are the best in your brother's eyes, perhaps not in his. The match isn't equal, and I don't think it's a good idea. Still, if you're determined to marry him, your brother will think of a way!"

Xue Fanzhi felt as if her brother would soon have her and Xiao Yi in the bridal chamber if he kept talking.

She hurried to interrupt him. "Big brother, I haven't said anything at all. I'm already betrothed!"

Xue Jingren froze, his expression turning sour. "I'd almost forgotten about that. What a pity for my sister!"

For some reason, her brother strongly opposed this marriage. He disliked Qin Jianyu, calling him cunning and unfit, but the match had been arranged by their parents; their objections were futile.

Perhaps feeling his mood dampened, Xue Jingren quickly pulled another small porcelain bottle from his sleeve, changing the subject. "The Ninth Prince said this one was used by his servants, so he told me to use the first one. If you don't mind, and you run out, you can use this. If it's enough, keep it for later. If you ever get bumps or bruises, apply it. The Ninth Prince even said it's good for repelling mosquitoes—quite excellent, really!"

Two bottles, indeed! Such a precious tribute used for mosquitoes—only Xiao Yi would think of that.

Xue Fanzhi could only twitch her lips.

Her brother's gift was hard to refuse. She protested a little, but since he insisted, she put away the half bottle.

Soon, Xue Jingren was ready to leave; Xue Yang would survive, and he still needed to practice martial arts with Xue Qiu.

But Xue Fanzhi had more to ask him.

"Big brother, wait. When did you meet the Ninth Prince? How did you invite him for mutton? I never heard you mention this before."

At that, Xue Jingren's gaze flickered.

The truth was, he had never met the Ninth Prince before, nor had he invited him for mutton. But if he told the truth, even to his sister, wouldn't it be awkward to admit a prince was simply greedy?

"Actually, I met the Ninth Prince on the road to Jiankang," Xue Jingren lied, his tone faltering at first, but smoothing out as he went. "The Ninth Prince is in charge of our southern migration, isn't he? Our family is small and vulnerable, so I asked him to look after us. I thought a prince wouldn't even spare me a glance, but guess what happened?"

Xue Fanzhi said nothing.

"In the end, the Ninth Prince was quite kind and agreed to help me!"

"My sister, you're so clever, you guessed it!" Xue Jingren laughed. "That's right. He's unassuming and very enthusiastic."

He went on, "He's handsome, has a good temperament, and noble birth. Most importantly, he treats me well. How could there be such a perfect man in the world, right, sister?"

Xue Fanzhi was silent.

That was because he'd never lived with him—Xiao Yi was full of schemes, a white bun with a dark heart!

Since Xiao Yi and her brother had met early on, perhaps she was overthinking things. Glancing at the ointment, she suddenly felt unwilling to use it no matter how effective it was.

...

Nevertheless, Xue Fanzhi used the ointment, so by the next morning, her wound had already healed.

Even if it hadn't, she couldn't be lazy today; she needed to see Minglan.

But before that, Xue Fanzhi had to visit Old Lady Xue.

Not only to pay her respects, but also to thank her for the gifts she had bestowed.

She washed her face, changed into the spring tunic the old lady had made for the girls of the family, and draped herself in a watery pink shawl. The elderly lady favored lively children, so Xue Fanzhi chose bright colors, dressing herself fresh and spirited.

In her previous life, she had no interaction with the old lady. But this time, Old Lady Xue treated her so kindly; whatever happened, she would repay her. From now on, the old lady would be her true grandmother.

When Xue Fanzhi arrived at Longevity Hall, the old lady was speaking with the matron of the third household. Upon seeing her, the old lady asked directly, "Little Eight, what brings you here?"

Her tone was as usual—not affectionate, but not cold either. Xue Fanzhi sensed a trace of impatience, but it wasn't directed at her.

She glanced at the third household's matron and understood: Grandmother didn't want her to linger and chat with the third household, so she urged her to speak briefly.

Not wanting to cause trouble, Xue Fanzhi refrained from mentioning the silk gifts, simply saying, "Grandmother, I used the ointment you gave me. My wound no longer hurts, so I came to thank you for the medicine."

Old Lady Xue nodded with satisfaction.

Xue Fanzhi continued, "Also, I wish to visit Princess Zhaoyang."

Though the old lady didn't oversee the inner treasury, Minglan was a royal princess, making her reception an important matter, and the old lady would naturally be involved.

As soon as she finished speaking, the third household's matron's eyes brightened, as if about to say something, but the old lady cut her off. "Princess Zhaoyang is a distinguished guest, here for your great-uncle. She's resting in the second household. Since you knew her before, it's only proper to pay your respects, but do not disturb her peace!"

"As for myself, you may tell the princess that once I am settled tomorrow, I will invite her over for a meal. Today, I've already ordered the kitchen to prepare extra dishes. You will accompany her; the others need not intrude."

The third household matron's ingratiating smile faded visibly, replaced by a hint of resentment.

Xue Fanzhi was a bit confused at first—Minglan had come for her, yet now she was considered a guest of her great-uncle? But seeing the third household matron's expression, she understood: the matron wanted to curry favor with Princess Minglan. Yet Minglan was a guest of the main household, and access to her required Old Lady Xue's approval.

It was clear that the old lady was unwilling to grant the third household this favor.

Indeed, the main and second households were true brothers; the third, fourth, and fifth were distant branches. Yet only the main and second households were sparsely populated. Years ago, when Old Lady Xue was unable to bear children, the third household's matron sought to have her son adopted by the family patriarch. The boy was already twelve, well aware of everything, and the old lady couldn't grow fond of him. In a fit of anger, she agreed to let the patriarch take a concubine.