Kindhearted Lady Liu

The Su residence.

Su Jingyun had served as a judicial officer in Wu Commandery for several years and had acquired a residence of his own.

The residence was not large, with three courtyards arranged one behind the other. Its walls were white, its roof tiles dark, and several stalks of green bamboo grew in the courtyard. Everything was clean and tidy; one glance was enough to tell that a scholar lived there.

Su Jingyun rose before dawn and changed into a slightly worn indigo robe. His hair was secured with a single jade hairpin, giving him a neat, fresh appearance.

Today was the day His Majesty would arrive.

Su Jingyun instructed the steward to make arrangements for the reception.

Near sunset, hoofbeats sounded at the entrance to the lane, and a party of riders turned in at an unhurried pace.

A few guards in plain clothes rode at the front, followed by a carriage with blue curtains. It was very plain.

Su Jingyun's heart tightened. He quickly straightened his robes and headwear and went forward to greet them.

The carriage came to a stop, and the curtain lifted. Zongzheng Heng bent down and stepped out.

He wore a black robe with a subtle woven pattern and a white jade belt, with no unnecessary adornments. He looked like a young master from a wealthy family, but his bearing made people afraid to look him in the eye.

Su Jingyun hastily knelt and bowed. "Your subject Su Jingyun, judicial officer of Wu Commandery, respectfully welcomes Your Majesty."

Zongzheng Heng gave him an appraising glance. "Rise. I am traveling incognito, so there is no need for such ceremony."

Su Jingyun rose and stood to one side with his hands at his sides.

Several ministers of the court descended behind Zongzheng Heng. Su Jingyun stepped forward to greet each of them in turn, neither servile nor overbearing, conducting himself with proper restraint.

The women were the last to alight.

At their head was a woman in a blue-green dress. Su Jingyun recognized her at once: his younger sister, Su Yunyan.

His heart warmed, but he did not dare look at her for long. He simply greeted each of the imperial consorts with due propriety, letting his gaze rest on Su Yunyan's face for only an instant before lowering it.

Su Yunyan looked at him, wanting to call him "Brother," but in the end she only nodded and followed Zongzheng Heng through the residence gates.

A banquet had been laid out in the main hall. It was not lavish, but every dish was exquisite.

Su Jingyun did not dare urge anyone to drink. Instead, he talked about the local customs and character of Wu Commandery: where the tea was good, where the water was good, where the flowers were beautiful, and where the silk was fine.

Zongzheng Heng listened and occasionally asked a few questions, which Su Jingyun answered one by one, calm and unhurried.

After three rounds of wine, Su Jingyun's cheeks had flushed slightly, and he had grown more talkative.

"Your Majesty, the people of Wu Commandery live in some prosperity. But... there are also quite a few poor families, and many cannot afford medical treatment."

"In our commandery, there's a Lady Liu who runs a medicine shop in the city and treats the poor. She keeps her medicine prices extremely low, and when someone truly cannot produce any silver, she gives the medicine away. In the past two years, she has saved several hundred lives at the very least."

Holding his wine cup, Zongzheng Heng glanced slightly to the side. "Lady Liu?"

"Yes." Su Jingyun nodded. "Her medical skills are excellent. The people of Wu Commandery all call her a living bodhisattva."

Su Yunyan, who was sitting nearby, said softly, "Are this Lady Liu's medical skills truly as remarkable as you say, Brother?"

"I would not dare speak rashly. They truly are remarkable. Some days ago, an old man in the south of the city suffered a stroke. Several medicine shops said he was beyond help, but with one dose of medicine, Lady Liu snatched him back from the King of Hell's grasp. Everyone in Wu Commandery knows of it."

Su Yunyan turned to Zongzheng Heng, her eyes holding a trace of anticipation.

"Your Majesty, your migraines have shown no sign of improvement these past two years. You have tried every remedy the Imperial Medical Academy has offered, but nothing has helped. Since Wu Commandery has such a remarkable physician, why not summon her to examine you? Perhaps she can work wonders."

Zongzheng Heng did not answer immediately.

He knew what had caused his headaches, but Su Yunyan's eyes were full of hope and concern, so he did not wish to disappoint her.

"Very well. Have her come see me tomorrow."

Su Jingyun's heart leaped with joy, though he did not show it.

Su Yunyan, too, breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

If Lady Liu truly was a remarkable physician and cured His Majesty's stubborn headaches, then her brother's transfer back to the capital would follow naturally.

The banquet came to an end.

Knowing how dearly Su Yunyan had missed her brother, Zongzheng Heng gave the siblings special permission to speak in private.

Only the two of them remained in the side hall.

Su Yunyan looked at Su Jingyun. He was much thinner than he had been five years ago, but there was a greater steadiness in his expression. Her heart ached and warmed at once.

The two talked for quite some time, from the family's recent affairs to the situation at court, from the sights and customs of Wu Commandery to old times in the capital.

As they talked, Su Jingyun suddenly fell silent. He held his teacup between his fingers, seeming to want to speak but stopping himself.

Su Yunyan noticed that something was amiss. She set down her teacup and asked:

"Brother, is something troubling you? As long as it's within my power, I'll certainly help you."

Su Jingyun hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "Yanyan, I... have met a woman I like."

Su Yunyan was taken aback, then smiled.

"That's wonderful! Back when we were at home, Father showed us no affection, and our legal mother did not love us. Your marriage was put off again and again, and after you came to Wu Commandery, there was no one to arrange it for you at all. Now that you have someone in your heart, I couldn't be happier for you."

But Su Jingyun did not smile. He kept his head lowered, and his voice grew even quieter.

"It's just... her background isn't very good."

Su Yunyan waved a hand, unconcerned.

"As long as you like her, what does her background matter?"

She had transmigrated from the modern world and had never placed much importance on such things.

Su Jingyun was silent for a moment. Then, as though he had made up his mind with great difficulty, he said word by word, "She... has borne a child."

Su Yunyan's hand paused as she held her teacup.

She raised her head and looked at Su Jingyun, a trace of disbelief in her eyes.

Even in the modern world, an unmarried man who wanted to marry a woman with a child would have to withstand considerable pressure.

She had not expected that her brother, who had always followed the rules and valued propriety, would do something so "outrageous."

She was silent for quite a while before saying quietly:

"This... Brother, I'm afraid Father and our legal mother will never accept it. Even Mother probably won't agree."

"Yanyan, the woman I like... is Lady Liu, whom I recommended to His Majesty today."

He paused, then, as though afraid his sister would look down on her, hurriedly added:

"Although she has borne a child, she truly is a kindhearted person. She opened a medicine shop in Wu Commandery and treats the poor. I've seen with my own eyes how many lives she has saved these past two years."

Su Yunyan said nothing, simply listening in silence.

"If she can cure His Majesty's headaches, I'll ask His Majesty for a favor and secure her an appointment as a medical officer. As for the child... I'll tell Father and Mother that the child is my flesh and blood, and that I simply haven't given her a proper status because of her humble station."

"Yanyan, I truly do love her."

Su Yunyan looked at her brother's eyes, which had brightened slightly at the mention of the woman, and sighed.

Her brother had been held down by their father and legal mother since childhood. In his studies, his official career, and his conduct, he had to follow the rules in everything and could never step out of line.

In all these years, she had never seen him love someone like this.

"Then tomorrow, I must take a good look and see just what kind of peerless beauty has made my brother so infatuated."

Su Jingyun stared at her for a moment, then understood. A faint look of embarrassment appeared on his face.

"Yanyan, you... you agree?"

Su Yunyan could not help laughing.

"If Lady Liu really can cure His Majesty's headaches tomorrow, I'll naturally put in a good word for her before him. It won't be difficult to turn her from a commoner into a female official worthy of marrying into the Su Family."

Su Jingyun stood and gave her a deep bow. "Thank you, Yanyan."

Su Yunyan hurriedly reached out to stop him, chiding him:

"Brother, what are you doing? We're brother and sister, born of the same mother. Why say such things? As long as you're happy, that matters more than anything."