Chapter 21: Narcissism

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As expected, he merely wanted to learn about her through Wen Qiao. Now that Wen Qiao said she was her younger sister from the residence, and the Crown Prince didn’t object but immediately asked her to call him cousin, it seemed Wen Qiao must have spoken highly of her. Otherwise, the Crown Prince wouldn’t have asked about her right away.
She now understood why Xiao Minghe had spoken with Wen Qiao for so long—it was likely about how to address each other. After all, she was only an adopted daughter of the Marquis’s household. Honestly, if not for the connection between Wen Qiao and Princess Changle, the entire Marquis’s residence would have no ties to the royal family.
Wen Qiao was truly Xiao Minghe’s cousin, so if Xiao Minghe wanted to grow closer to her, he had to go through Wen Qiao. It would be unreasonable and dangerous for him to call her cousin out of the blue; if the Emperor found out, the Marquis’s household might suffer punishment.
Thinking of this, Wen Qi felt a warm glow in her heart, even finding Wen Qiao more agreeable than she had this morning.
If Xiao Minghe knew what Wen Qi was thinking, he would probably be utterly baffled.
“Your Highness, if you don’t mind, then please consider me your cousin as well. In that case, I will also follow Sixth Sister’s lead and call Your Highness cousin,” Wen Qi said shyly, lowering her head and nervously twisting a corner of her handkerchief, embodying the pure bashfulness of a young girl.
Unfortunately, Xiao Minghe’s eyes were fixed solely on Wen Qiao.
He just wanted to get his hands on those earrings quickly, so he barely noticed Wen Qi’s timid gestures. Her words were like casting pearls before swine.
Although the Empress Dowager had sent many palace maids to check on Wen Qiao’s lessons this afternoon, Wen Qiao’s heart was warmed. After class, she originally intended to hurry to the Cining Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager but was unexpectedly stopped by the eccentric Xiao Minghe at the gate. Then Wen Qi intervened again, which annoyed her greatly. She only wanted to see the Empress Dowager first, then return, but she couldn’t shake off either of them. Her face darkened with displeasure.
Yet the two seemed oblivious as they continued chatting.
“Cousin and Seventh Younger Sister, please continue if you have matters to discuss. I’m in a hurry to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. After attending to palace affairs, I must rush back to the Marquis’s residence as there are still many things to arrange. I won’t keep you two any longer,” Wen Qiao said, bowing slightly to the Crown Prince before turning to leave.
Hearing this, Wen Qi felt happy and didn’t notice the anxiety that flickered across Xiao Minghe’s face as he wanted to follow Wen Qiao.
Suddenly, Xiao Minghe’s fondness for Wen Qi diminished considerably.
“Since cousin has matters to attend to and has left, I shouldn’t stay either. Men and women should maintain proper distance; lingering longer could damage your reputation, Cousin Qi. I’ll return to the imperial study to find Father. Cousin, after class, do hurry back to the Marquis’s residence so that the Marquis won’t worry about you lingering outside,” Xiao Minghe said, then turned and left without waiting for Wen Qi.
Wen Qi felt somewhat hurt but reminded herself that Xiao Minghe’s concern was a sign her initial efforts were not in vain. At least she had shown her face before him and exchanged a few words.
In Xiao Minghe’s eyes, she was no stranger.
Now, benefiting from Wen Qiao’s influence and able to speak more with Xiao Minghe, she thought it didn’t matter. The rest would unfold in time. For now, she still appeared favorable in his sight. Besides, she was confident in her looks; with her current appearance, winning over Xiao Minghe was only a matter of time.
Wen Qiao was unaware of what happened afterward and didn’t want to be involved. She only wished to quickly visit the Empress Dowager to check on her and then return to rest at the Marquis’s residence.
After all, she had learned a lot today and needed time to process everything. However, upon arriving at Cining Palace, no servants came to receive her, leaving her puzzled.

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Wen Qiao’s heart tightened as she hurried into the palace, heading straight to the Empress Dowager’s chambers.
There were many people bustling about in the quarters. Madam Song immediately spotted Wen Qiao and hurried to greet her.
“Miss Sixth has arrived. This afternoon, the Empress Dowager was sitting peacefully when she suddenly fainted. It frightened this old servant terribly.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Qiao’s worry deepened, and she quickly followed Madam Song into the chamber to see the Empress Dowager’s condition. The Empress Dowager lay pale on the bed, surrounded by numerous imperial physicians kneeling nearby.
“Have the doctors diagnosed what happened? Why did Her Majesty suddenly faint? What’s the cause?”
Although the doctors had never met Wen Qiao, they had heard over the past few days that she was greatly favored by both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Seeing this young lady so anxious, they assumed she was the daughter of the Marquis of Yongning’s household.
Since the Empress Dowager and the Emperor both cherished her, the physicians naturally treated her with respect.
“It’s nothing serious. The Empress Dowager has long suffered from physical depletion. Years ago, she had an incident where she fell into water, and since then, her health has been compromised. Occasionally, she experiences dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. Usually, we prescribe some medicine, which the palace attendants prepare and administer, and she recovers quickly. But this time, her sudden fainting alarmed us. After thorough examination, we found that although Her Majesty’s condition has improved somewhat over the past two years, many old ailments remain latent. Perhaps now that her mind is relieved from worries, her body has relaxed, allowing these old illnesses to surface. However, the situation is not grave. We will discuss and prepare a new prescription, which once taken, will surely help Her Majesty recover.”
Technically, the best physicians in the entire Qing Dynasty were present here, and the palace medical resources were incomparable to those outside.
Yet their ambiguous words left Wen Qiao uneasy.
No, she had to pulse the Empress Dowager herself to be certain and ease her mind.
She nodded at the physicians without speaking and stepped forward to place her hand on the Empress Dowager’s pulse.
The physicians knew Wen Qiao was favored by the Emperor and Empress Dowager but were unaware she was also skilled in medicine. Seeing her take the Empress Dowager’s pulse themselves, they were displeased.
They didn’t think Wen Qiao doubted their expertise but suspected she wanted to use the Empress Dowager as a practice subject, hoping to detect something.
After all, Wen Qiao was young and female; even with some medical knowledge, her skill could hardly be advanced.
The Empress Dowager’s health was no joking matter. These palace dignitaries were precious, and if anything went wrong, not only they but Wen Qiao would be held accountable.
Fearing for their own positions, the physicians stood up to stop Wen Qiao.
Madam Song remained silent, but Chief Physician Zhang stepped forward.
“Miss, please do not act impulsively. The Empress Dowager’s body is sacred; how can you use her as a mere subject for practice? Even if Her Majesty favors you, her health must come first. Please cease causing trouble.”
Wen Qiao said nothing, focusing intently on the pulse. Zhang grew angrier as she ignored him, feeling disrespected.
“Chief Physician Zhang, please calm down. The fainting incident at the birthday banquet was diagnosed by Miss Sixth. It was an urgent situation, and Miss Sixth’s skill was genuine; otherwise, the Empress Dowager would have suffered longer. Miss Sixth hurried here not because she distrusts your skills but because she feels uneasy not seeing for herself. Please do not take it personally. She is young and only wishes to understand Her Majesty’s condition to assist in treatment. If your prescriptions are appropriate, she will not object.”
The physicians were somewhat surprised. The Empress Dowager’s dizziness was an old ailment, recurring over the years.
They knew their role was to suppress symptoms, not fully cure her.

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However, they had heard that after Wen Qiao’s intervention, the Empress Dowager’s condition had improved significantly. Even during their recent pulse-taking, it was evident the dizziness had lessened, thanks to Wen Qiao’s skill. She was indeed talented.
Still, Chief Physician Zhang remained uneasy—though it was more disdain than worry.
“Madam Song, are you implying that if Her Majesty’s condition worsens, we should all be held responsible? Even if this young lady did prescribe the medicine that improved the Empress Dowager’s health, who can guarantee those prescriptions truly came from her? What if she brought them from outside the palace by chance? Her Majesty’s illness cannot be gambled with. If anything goes wrong, all our years of effort would be wasted!”
While Madam Song and Zhang debated, Wen Qiao already understood the Empress Dowager’s condition in detail. She glanced coldly at Zhang, her expression not pleasant.
“Chief Physician Zhang, please do not be anxious. I only wish to assess Her Majesty’s health myself, not interfere with your treatment. Indeed, the Empress Dowager’s body is severely depleted. When I first took her pulse, I already noticed that this old ailment, though not incurable, has been neglected for years. Why has it been allowed to drag on? If you would kindly write your prescriptions now, I will review them to see if adjustments are necessary. Madam Song, if you can, please send someone to the Imperial Medical Institute to bring Her Majesty’s medical records. I want to examine them carefully; otherwise, I cannot rest easy.”
Wen Qiao’s words were blunt, especially to Zhang, who had been in charge of the Empress Dowager’s health all these years. The young girl’s remarks were a direct affront.
“I have said all that I must. If you insist on this course and something happens, I will not bear responsibility.”
Zhang’s tone was harsh, bordering on exasperation, but Wen Qiao paid no heed.
People like him could not tolerate seeing someone younger surpass their knowledge.
Wen Qiao had studied medicine since childhood and likely possessed a natural talent. When the old village healer realized she could teach Wen Qiao no more, she suggested Wen Qiao learn from other doctors. Wen Qiao refused to travel far but borrowed many medical texts from the town’s clinics, poring over them for years and greatly improving her skills.
The town’s clinics, recognizing her talent and respect for their books—since she never removed them but only read on-site—permitted her continued study.
To ensure she learned beyond theory, Wen Qiao often assisted in treating patients at the clinics, saving the doctors much trouble and earning their favor. They always thought of her first when new books arrived.
Madam Song trusted Wen Qiao deeply. After the birthday banquet, the medicine Wen Qiao prescribed to the Empress Dowager was well regarded; many physicians praised the prescriptions as ingenious, with several components cleverly adjusted.
Since taking the medicine, the Empress Dowager’s condition visibly improved.
Hearing Wen Qiao say the old ailment was not incurable moved Madam Song nearly to tears.
Wen Qiao originally thought the palace doctors’ prescriptions were tonic in nature, which explained the Empress Dowager’s intermittent recovery over the years.
However, upon taking the pulse, Wen Qiao discovered that the recent illness had come on fiercely—clearly, the old root of the disease had not been eradicated. She regretted not investigating thoroughly earlier due to the urgency at the time. Had she known, she would have prescribed medicine to treat these old ailments sooner, sparing the Empress Dowager this suffering.