She pressed her hands to the floor, her forehead resting against the ground, and said with a trembling, urgent voice, "Your Highness, Your Royal Highness the Eldest Princess, this secret ailment of mine has persisted for many years. I have sought out renowned physicians everywhere, and they have all declared it beyond cure."
"It would be futile to insist on further medical treatment now; it would only be a waste of effort and energy. I humbly beg both of your Highnesses to withdraw your command."
Shen Qingli frowned and stepped forward. "Lord Wen, I am only thinking of your own good. This physician is highly skilled; perhaps he might truly find a sliver of hope for you. You must not give up so easily."
"Your Royal Highness, I am deeply grateful for your kindness, but..." Wen Shiqing bit her lip and spoke with difficulty, "This secret ailment of mine has become an unspeakable pain in my heart. If we were to make a grand show of inviting a physician, and the news were to leak out even slightly, how would I be able to conduct myself in the imperial court hereafter? I truly do not wish for such an embarrassing matter to become the talk of the town, fodder for others to gossip over tea."
Shen Qingli quickly waved her hands, explaining anxiously, "That won't happen, it won't happen at all. I am always discreet in what I do. At most, only I, my Imperial Uncle, and the physician will know. I swear upon the reputation of the royal family that not a word of this will leak out. Please, Lord Wen, set your mind at ease."
Wen Shiqing was miserable inside, but she dared not show it on her face. Taking a deep breath, she kowtowed once more. "I believe in the Eldest Princess and Prince Jiu, but... I do not wish to be examined."
As she said this, she forced a smile, one that was bitter to the extreme. "I have already given up. If... if even the best physician in the world says there is no hope for me, then... how could I go on living after that?"
"I beg the Eldest Princess and Prince Jiu to grant me some time to recover. As for Miss Lu, although I cannot keep my promise to marry her, if she is willing, my Wen Residence will be her home from now on. I will personally select a suitable husband for her and see her married off."
Shen Qingli was about to persuade her further when she heard Shen Heting, who was standing to the side, speak up: "Qingli, Lord Wen has made up his mind. Do not force the issue."
"But Imperial Uncle," Shen Qingli knit her brows, her eyes filled with worry, "Lord Wen's illness concerns his lifelong happiness. If a cure could be found, wouldn't that be the best outcome for everyone? Giving up like this is truly a pity."
Shen Heting shook his head slightly. "You meddle in everything all day long; the rumors about you in the Capital are becoming increasingly unpleasant."
"Weren't you going to find a husband for yourself? You are already sixteen, yet you have no one you fancy?"
At these words, Shen Qingli twitched her lips. "Imperial Uncle, why are we talking about me all of a sudden?"
Kneeling to the side, Wen Shiqing listened silently to the uncle and niece’s conversation, sighing inwardly. The Prince Regent she had heard of was usually described as ruthless and decisive, a man whom everyone in the court feared. Yet, looking at him now, this Prince Regent, rumored to be so cruel, was unexpectedly good to his niece.
"I won't talk to you anymore, Imperial Uncle. Lord Wen," Shen Qingli refocused her attention on Wen Shiqing, "I will ask you one more time: will you see the physician?"
Wen Shiqing shook her head like a rattle. "I truly do not need to!"
Shen Qingli gazed at Wen Shiqing, her expression complex and difficult to decipher—filled with pity, confusion, and, more than anything else, an unspeakable sense of helplessness.
She looked Wen Shiqing up and down, then pouted and sighed softly. "Fine. If you change your mind in the future, come find me anytime, and I will have a physician brought to you again."
"Imperial Uncle, I shall take my leave now. Do try to drink less wine."
Shen Heting waved a hand, a subtle, elusive smile appearing on his face as he chided, "I know, you meddlesome little girl."
"Let's go, Lord Wen. I shall take you back."
Wen Shiqing hurriedly bowed. "Your Highness is too kind; I could never trouble you to escort me. I can return on my own."
Shen Qingli, however, thought nothing of it and waved her hand. "Let's go. I still have to see Miss Lu."
She climbed into the carriage with agility, and Wen Shiqing followed cautiously. Once seated, she sat constrainedly to one side, her body leaning slightly forward, her hands resting properly on her lap, not daring to relax for a second.
The carriage began to move slowly, the wheels grinding against the stone road with a dull sound.
Only after recovering from her earlier fright did Wen Shiqing realize her back was already drenched in cold sweat, her clothes sticking tightly to her skin, sending shivers through her frame.
"I didn't mean it."
The sudden voice broke the silence.
Wen Shiqing looked up slightly to see Shen Qingli with her arms crossed, head held high, yet her eyes betraying a hint of apology.
"But you can't blame me, either. I simply cannot stand watching a man bully a young woman." Shen Qingli frowned slightly, her tone firm yet laced with a touch of discomfort.
"What? What are you looking at?" Shen Qingli huffed. "There are so many fickle men in this world—snobs who look down on others, cold-blooded and ruthless—I've seen plenty of them. So, when you act like this... I just naturally feel that..."
*Pfft*—a soft laugh escaped her. Wen Shiqing found this version of the Eldest Princess unexpectedly endearing. She was a woman who gave apologies with a sharp tongue, acting haughty while secretly understanding the hardships women faced in this male-dominated society.
"You—you dare to laugh at me!" Shen Qingli’s face flushed instantly. She looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on—both embarrassed and annoyed. "I shouldn't have said so much to you. I thought that since you were a Top Scholar, your brain would be sharper than others, but it seems you are just..."
"I understand," Wen Shiqing interrupted her, her gaze gentle. "I understand. Your Royal Highness possesses a sense of justice and cares for the people; it is a blessing for the Great Zhou."
Shen Qingli looked away, pretending to be annoyed as she muttered, "Don't think that saying nice things will make me..."
She glanced at Wen Shiqing as she spoke, but upon meeting his resolute and trusting gaze, she was inexplicably stunned.
*Oh no, he’s actually quite good-looking.*
The thought surfaced without warning, catching Shen Qingli off guard. She stared wide-eyed and looked away.
The next second, she heard Wen Shiqing say, "Your Royal Highness, if I were a woman, I would certainly take you as my role model. You hold the world in your heart and lift the sky for women; we feel deep admiration for you."
"Hmph." Shen Qingli scoffed, just about to retort.
But when she met those bright, peach-blossom eyes, the words on the tip of her tongue vanished from her mind entirely.
Shen Qingli struggled to calm the turmoil in her heart, feigning composure with a light cough, and simply turned away. "You do have a way with pretty words."
Wen Shiqing didn't notice the change in Shen Qingli; she truly felt that in this ancient time, it was rare for someone to look out for women in such a way.
Even if she was currently being judged as a man.
Still, that was fine. There were no airtight walls in this world; the news of his impotence should be all over the Capital within three days.
By then, all roads to marriage would be thoroughly blocked.
Upon arriving at the Wen Residence, the Eldest Princess stepped out first and headed straight to find Lu Xuechi. She had to persuade Miss Lu regarding the marriage.
As soon as Wen Shiqing stepped into the residence, a servant came running over in a flurry, his expression anxious and his forehead beaded with sweat. "Master, you're finally back."
"What's the matter?"
"It's the Old Madam and the Eldest Master..." The servant panted, his words fragmented. "The carriage driver who went to Liangzhou to pick them up said that the Third Master has caused the Eldest Master to fall ill with anger."