Rebirth of the Exclusive Herbalist

In the end, Su Qingqi had no choice but to accept the ebony and gold box containing the dragon’s saliva incense, though her frustration was evident.

The Empress, however, smiled with satisfaction. She turned to ask Su Zhijin a few questions, to which Su Zhijin responded with great poise. The Empress silently marveled at Governor Su’s good fortune, having both a legitimate daughter and a concubine-born daughter who were so outstanding.

She felt a deep sadness in her heart, due to that incident, she would never have her own children in this lifetime.

The Empress had long heard of the medical skills of the second Miss Su and intended to have her examine her condition, but before she could do so, Consort Zheng had already summoned her.

Such quick action!

But then again, even if she were cured, what would it matter? She was too old now, with almost no chance of conceiving.

So she put the idea of consulting the second Miss Su out of her mind.

After arranging for the Su siblings, it was already late. The Empress continued to busy herself with the preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

Su Qingqi and her older brother waited in a side room of Wangyue Palace for Su Qinghan. Wangyue Palace was the most unique palace in the imperial city, with tiered platforms, and was the venue for various palace banquets.

As for the imperial garden, it was merely a place for the concubines to admire flowers and stroll around.

On the tiered platforms of Wangyue Palace, palace maids and eunuchs were bustling about, setting everything up in an orderly yet lively manner.

Inside the room, Su Qingqi was busy eating snacks to fill her stomach, uncertain if there would be an opportunity to eat anything at the Mid-Autumn banquet that evening.

Unfortunately, they were informed just before departure that they couldn’t bring their personal servants into the palace. Now, they were surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, which made Su Qingqi feel slightly helpless. Su Zhijin, at her urging, also ate some snacks.

“Elder Brother, it’s almost evening. Why hasn’t Second Sister returned yet?” Su Qingqi finally couldn’t resist speaking after she’d eaten her fill.

Su Zhijin shook his head and glanced at the sky outside. “She should be back soon!”

A nearby palace maid overheard their conversation and, with a smile, shared what she knew.

“Young Master Su, Second Miss Su was invited by Consort Zheng to learn some beauty secrets. I heard that several of the palace consorts have gone to Consort Zheng’s quarters, so Second Miss Su is probably still busy.”

Su Zhijin and Su Qingqi exchanged glances upon hearing this, relieved that the Empress had directly arranged for them to wait here for the evening banquet, sparing them the hassle of numerous bows and curtsies.

Otherwise, like their second sister, who knows how many times she would have had to bow by now.

But Su Qinghan’s business was getting more and more sophisticated; she had even taken her beauty business into the imperial harem.

Unlike Su Qingqi, Su Zhijin’s brows furrowed with concern.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

The palace maids curtseyed as they went to open it, and soon the sound of them greeting someone could be heard.

Four people entered, and among them, two familiar figures came into view. Su Qingqi was stunned and couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Marquis Chu!”

“It seems Ah Qi is quite pleased to see me!” The Marquis of Chu, who was being pushed in by Chu Yi, gave a deep laugh, his eyes shining as he looked at Su Qingqi. He then turned to Su Zhijin and asked, “Wouldn’t you agree, Brother-in-law?”

Su Zhijin hesitated for a moment before responding, “…Yes!”

“These two are the Second Prince and the Ninth Princess,” Marquis Chu introduced them with a smile.

Su Qingqi and Su Zhijin quickly performed a kneeling salute.

“No need for formalities, we’re all family here!” The Second Prince, dressed in a purple dragon robe, waved his folding fan and sat casually in front of them, directing the palace maids to serve.

Family?

Wasn’t it said that the Chu family didn’t have many close relatives?

Su Qingqi quietly glanced at Marquis Chu.

“Cousin, is she the Third Miss Su that you’ve taken a liking to?” The Ninth Princess, a delicate beauty with a gentle and soft voice, looked at the elegant young woman before her. Knowing that in a few months, she would marry her cousin, she felt a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite identify.

She liked her cousin Ziyu, not just out of pure admiration, but also because of her own condition—she was born infertile. However, she didn’t dare to tell her father that she wanted to marry him because she feared for her life.

She had once tested the waters, and her father made it clear that, as a ruler of the nation, he could not issue an edict to change the ancestral traditions of a minister’s family.

So, she gave up.

Cousin Ziyu only had two years left to live, yet the beautiful woman in front of her did not resist marrying him. The Ninth Princess had heard from the Emperor that Master Liaokong had calculated this woman’s birth chart and determined that her fate could break the curse of Ziyu’s short life.

A pang of jealousy arose in the Ninth Princess’s heart.

Why wasn’t it her?

But then, she remembered that if Cousin Ziyu were still alive two years later, the Emperor would issue a decree making her his secondary wife. This thought filled her with anticipation.

“Hmm!” Marquis Chu smiled and waved Su Qingqi over, naturally handing her a snow pear. “Aqi, help me peel this pear!”

The Second Prince glanced at the Third Miss Su with great interest. Ah, so this was the famous Third Miss Su. Among the beauties he had seen, she was slightly above average, even more attractive than Jiu’er.

It seemed that she held a significant place in Cousin Ziyu’s heart, a position that Jiu’er could never match.

After all, even if one was born infertile, a princess of the royal family was too noble to be a secondary wife, let alone wait for two years.

The Second Prince could not accept Jiu’er’s choice.

Even their mother, Consort Jiang—who had been sworn sisters with Marquis Chu’s mother since their childhood—could not accept her beloved daughter becoming Ziyu’s secondary wife.

Su Qingqi walked over, wordlessly taking the pear and skillfully peeling it with the small knife handed to her by the palace maid.

Marquis Chu watched with a smile.

Seeing this, the Ninth Princess felt a twinge of discomfort in her heart. She took a deep breath, found an excuse to leave, and the Second Prince followed her out.

After all, he was only there to see the woman chosen by Cousin Ziyu.

Once they left, Su Qingqi breathed a sigh of relief. Anyone would feel uncomfortable being scrutinized by a princess. She cut the peeled pear into a few small pieces, placed them on a small plate, and handed them to Marquis Chu, curiously asking,

“Marquis Chu, why does the Ninth Princess call you ‘cousin’?”

“My mother and Consort Jiang were sworn sisters,” Marquis Chu said casually before picking up a piece of pear and putting it in his mouth.

Su Qingqi couldn’t shake the feeling that Marquis Chu’s tone was somewhat indifferent when he mentioned Consort Jiang.

“I see!”

“Otherwise, what?” Marquis Chu raised his eyebrows with a smile.

Su Qingqi: “…”

“I’ve already arranged with the Empress that Qingqi and the eldest uncle will be at my table for tonight’s banquet,” Marquis Chu said, taking another piece of pear.

Indeed, the pear Qingqi cut was sweet!

“Thank you, Marquis,” Su Zhijin said with a bow.

“No need for formalities, eldest uncle. We’re family, aren’t we?” Marquis Chu said with a smile, following his own line of reasoning.

Su Zhijin remained silent.

“Oh, where’s Second Sister?” Su Qingqi suddenly noticed that Marquis Chu hadn’t mentioned Su Qinghan.

Marquis Chu smiled, a smile that resembled a fox’s.

“Miss Su Er will be at the same table as the Ninth Princess.”

Su Zhijin frowned. “Marquis, that doesn’t seem appropriate.”

Marquis Chu raised his eyebrows. “What if it’s what Consort Zheng requested?”

Su Zhijin fell silent immediately.

Half an hour later, the sky darkened, and candles were lit in the room. A palace maid in a pink dress came in to inform them that it was time to go up to the high platform.

As Su Qingqi climbed the steps to the platform, she admired the variously shaped and beautifully decorated lanterns hanging above.

Marquis Chu’s seat was quite close to the front, and it was thanks to him that Su Qingqi and her brother could sit there. Scanning the surroundings, Su Qingqi spotted her second sister.

“Eldest Brother, Second Sister is over there,” Su Qingqi whispered, pointing in a direction from below the platform.

Su Zhijin looked in the direction she pointed and saw his second sister chatting and laughing with a group of women in palace attire. His expression darkened.

Chu Yi leaned down and whispered a few words into Marquis Chu’s ear. Marquis Chu’s lips curved into a slight smile.

As expected, the Fourth Prince had taken action.

However, the method seemed rather mild, no wonder Miss Su was still in the mood to joke and laugh with the princesses and ladies.

Just then, the Fourth Prince ascended the platform and met Marquis Chu’s gaze. The Fourth Prince gave a slight nod and glanced at Miss Su, who was mingling among the princesses and ladies, his expression darkening slightly.

As the high-ranking concubines arrived, the eunuchs announced their presence one by one. Su Qingqi lost count of how many times she had to kneel; she envied Marquis Chu, who, due to his special status, did not have to bow to these concubines. Instead, it was the concubines who had to show respect to him.

Finally, Emperor Kangjing and the Empress arrived together, and Su Qingqi once again knelt on the ground to welcome them.

This was the last time she had to kneel today.

As she stood up, Su Qingqi touched her sore knees, which were probably red and swollen now. She missed Xiao Yan’s “kneeling is easy” advice.

Seeing that Su Qingqi was rubbing her knees through her long skirt, Marquis Chu pressed his lips together. He decided that it would be better not to let Su Qingqi come to the palace next time.

Throughout the evening, the high platform at Wangyue Palace was filled with laughter and joy. They enjoyed the moon, played drinking games, and guessed riddles, with the laughter mingling with the strong scent of osmanthus, creating an intoxicating autumn night.

Su Qingqi quietly stayed beside Marquis Chu with her elder brother, avoiding any participation in the drinking games. No one dared to challenge Marquis Chu, and everyone tactfully avoided their table, so she was spared from having to take part.

Instead, she enjoyed a lot of delicious palace dishes and observed how the palace maids and concubines, with their charm and talents, subtly competed for Emperor Kangjing’s favor.

It was truly an eye-opening experience.

Looking up at the full moon in the sky, Su Qingqi’s eyes reflected a hint of longing.

After more than three years, she still hadn’t forgotten her family from the modern world.

But returning was no longer an option.

At that moment, a warm hand gently took hers. Su Qingqi turned her face sharply and met Marquis Chu’s smiling eyes, her heart instantly calming as she smiled back at him.

The mutual smiles of the two people caught the eye of the Ninth Princess, who had been observing them closely. Her hand tightened under her sleeve, and she bitterly forced a smile, lowering her head and unwilling to look at the glaring scene any longer.

If her father hadn’t given her hope, she wouldn’t be so preoccupied.

Now, she wasn’t even sure if it was good or bad for Cousin Ziyu to survive.

In plain terms, the Ninth Princess was actually a selfish person!