A New Mother? (11)

(BaiLing's pov)

Hearing what the Royal Consort just said stunned me. My mother was childhood friends with the Royal Consort and the Empress? How come I never heard about it from my father, though? But then again, it was almost a taboo to speak of my mother since my reaction to it was never the best.

Seeing how I didn't say anything for a while, the Royal Consort said.

"I meet you and your brother once as babies. Your mother used to come and visit me quite often... I'm sorry I wasn't able to go to her funeral at the time."

Me: "No, it's alright. I'm sure you had your reasons."

For a bit, everyone was quiet, but I soon spoke up and said.

"This is my first time meeting you today since I was a baby. I don't know what you like, but I did prepare a little gift. I hope you will accept it."

Royal Consort: "Of course, I will. Thank you."

The Royal Consort had her maid come over and take the box from me. Once she received that box, she opened it to see what was inside. When she opened the box, she was both surprised and confused. She first opened the porcelain jar and smelled it. She then looked up at me and asked.

"Is this..."

Me: "Yes, this is a beauty cream. It will help keep your skin healthy and make you look more youthful."

(Narrator's pov)

BaiLing knew that the Royal Consort often used the beauty cream that her grandpa had developed. BaiLing had used the same recipe, except she did some experiments to improve the formula. This cream not only protects the skin and makes it look youthful, but it also feels cool to the touch and isn't sticky or makes the skin look white after using it. The consistency of this cream was more like a gel.

While the Royal Consort's expression started to relax, the ninth prince's expression was one of clarity. He finally knew what was in the box that BaiLing was carrying.

BaiLing: "Also, in the other box are some vitamin pills. They will help boost your energy."

The Royal Consort smiled and said.

"Thank you, my dear. Did your grandfather give this to you?"

BaiLing shook her head and responded.

"No, your highness. I made this myself."

Both mother and son were surprised to hear her response.

Royal Consort Lin: "You made these?"

BaiLing: "Yes, I often go help, my grandfather at his medicine shop. I picked up some skills from him along the way."

Royal Consort Lin: "Indeed, you are his granddaughter. You both have excellent skills in the medical field."

BaiLing: "You flatter me, your highness."

Hearing the BaiLing call the Royal Consort, your highness, over and over, made her a little sad. She had always wanted a daughter but only had one son. Now she had a daughter-in-law, but she felt so distant from her. Besides, she was also her best friend's daughter, so she wanted to be close to her.

Royal Consort Lin: "BaiLing, you don't have to call me your highness. It makes me feel old and distant from you. Can you call me mother instead? If you don't feel comfortable, then it's okay, but... I would love it if you could."

Hearing the Royal Consort say so, BaiLing didn't have much of a choice. She looked at the Royal Consort and said.

"Mother."

Hearing her call, her mother made the Royal Consort very happy. She called for BaiLing to come over. When BaiLing came over to her, she took her hand and slipped a gold bracelet onto her wrist. She then patted her hand and said.

"This is my gift to you. Please accept it. I'm delighted that you are Yue Hwa's fiance. I hope that you two will get along well."

BaiLing looked at the bracelet and wanted to refuse. However, from the corner of her eye, she could see the ninth prince nodding his head, telling her to just accept the gift from his mother.

The Royal Consort wasn't a person who would give out a gift to anyone. Giving one out meant that she was very fond of that person.

Seeing that was the case, BaiLing smiled and said.

"Thank you for the gift, mother. I like it very much and will cherish it."

BaiLing then went back to her seat, and the Royal Consort said.

"It's getting late now. I'm sure you both haven't had lunch yet. Why don't you two go out and eat something? Yue Hwa, you can take her to Heaven's Blessing."

Ninth prince: "Why don't we eat with you, mother?"

The Royal Consort shook her head and responded.

"No, I'm old now and don't eat much. You two go out and have fun. Don't worry about me."

The ninth prince wanted to say something else, but seeing his mother's determination, he went with her will. The two then got and bid her farewell before heading out.

(BaiLing's pov)

We headed back towards the gate, but before we got there, I stopped in my tracks and turned to face Ling Chen. I held out my hand, wanting to take the pastry boxes. Ling Chen then handed me the boxes, and the ninth prince asked.

"Are you going to go see your grandfather right now?"

Me: "Yes, your highness. I want to drop these off for him while they're still fresh."

He nodded his head before saying.

"Then, let's go together. I should go and greet my grandfather-in-law."

I nodded my head and headed toward the imperial physicians working quarters. However, an eagle came diving toward the ninth prince less than five minutes later. The eagle stopped and landed on his arm. Tied to its feet was a small piece of paper. The eagle was here to deliver a message.

Before taking out the letter, the ninth prince glanced over at me. His expression said it all. He didn't want me to be here while reading the important message.

Me: "Your highness, you can take your time. I will go see my grandfather first. If needed, you can come to visit him another time. I will head to the carriage afterward."

Ninth prince: "Alright, then."

I bid him farewell and headed off to see my grandpa. It took me a while to walk there since the place was quite far away from the Eternal Spring palace. Once I got there, I went up to the door and knocked before coming in. Most of the physicians stopped what they were doing and looked up to see who had knocked at their door. Seeing that it was a familiar face, they all smiled, and one called out.

"Old Ling, your granddaughter is here again!"

I stepped inside and placed two of the boxes at the center table, and said.

"I bought some pastries on my way into the palace today. I hope you will all enjoy them."

The old men who were tired and hungry from working all day were more than happy to take a break and have a snack. I backed away from the table as they approached the boxes. I went over to where my grandpa was sitting and greeted him.

He looked up at me and smiled. I pulled up a chair and sat near him. I opened the box, took out one of the smaller boxes, and placed it near my grandpa.

Me: "Grandpa, have a quick snack before continuing your work. I got your favorite rose pastry."

Grandpa set down the book he was reading and took one of the pastries.

Grandpa: "Thank you, my dear."

As I was sitting there, I heard some of the other physicians say.

"Does anyone know where Qing Yuan is?"

Another physician: "He's probably out in the back checking on the herbs. He's always out there anyway."

Another physician: "If he doesn't come back in here soon, there will be nothing left for him to eat."

Hearing them say so reminded me that I had bought one more rose pastry box. Grandpa often talked about Qing Yuan, the youngest physician in the imperial palace. He was known as a genius among the physicians. He had passed the entry exam at such a young age with full marks.

Once when grandpa talked about him, he told me that Qing Yuan also liked rose pastries, so this time I bought one box for him.

As I was sitting there, I took one of the many medical books that my grandpa had and started to read it. Although I had read most of the books that he owns. It doesn't hurt to reread them.

A little while later, I heard footsteps approaching the front door. However, I didn't recognize who it belonged to. Once the person stepped into the room, one of the physicians spoke up and said.

"Qing Yuan, you're back. Old Ling's granddaughter brought us some snacks, but it took you so long to come back there's none left."

Looking past the blind, I could see Qing Yuan standing there. He was a fairly tall guy, about the height of my brother. However, he was pretty skinny. Standing, not saying anything, except for wiping away his sweat. Once he seemed to have cooled off, my grandpa called him over.

He came over ready to talk to my grandpa but stopped in his tracks when he saw me sitting next to him. I gave him a slight nod and smile. He was out of it for a while. He only snapped out of it when my grandpa called him out. He turned a bit red and gave a nervous laugh.

I let out a small chuckle. Watching him become embarrassed was quite amusing. After all, he was still a young man.

Grandpa: "Did you finish checking on the herbs?"

Qing Yuan: "Yes, I did. Everything thing is drying properly."

My grandpa nodded his head and nodded his head towards me. Qing Yuan turned towards me, confused, not knowing what my grandpa meant. I then took the other pastry box and handed it over to him.

Me: "Here, this is for you."

He took the box from me and opened it to see it was what he liked to eat.

Qing Yuan: "How did you..."

Me: "My grandpa often talks about you. He once told me that you enjoyed eating the same pastries that he did."

Qing Yuan: "I see. Thank you."

Not long after, I heard two pairs of footsteps coming. And true to what I thought it was, the ninth prince and Ling Chen soon stepped into the room. All of the physicians once stopped again and went over to greet the ninth prince. I went over with my grandpa, and Qing Yuan followed from behind.

Upon seeing my grandpa, the ninth prince came forward and greeted him.

Ninth prince: "Greetings, physician Ling. I apologize for coming to greet you so late."

Grandpa: "Please don't say so, your highness."

Ninth prince: "No, I should come and visit you. After all, you are my fiance's grandfather."

(Narrator's pov)

After hearing what the ninth prince had said, physician Qing (aka Qing Yuan) couldn't help but show a surprised face. He wasn't one to be interested in political matters, so it was expected that he didn't know about the engagement.

Controlling his facial expression, he looked around the room. He wasn't sure if it was because they were out in public, but neither physician Ling nor lady Ming looked very happy or excited about the engagement.

A little while after the greetings were done, the ninth prince looked over to physician Qing. He noticed the pastry box in his hand. BaiLing, at that time, also saw where the ninth prince was looking at. She quickly steered his attention elsewhere, not wanting anyone else to be pulled into the mess.

BaiLing: "Your highness, if you are done. Shall we go?"

Ninth prince: "Of course. Let's go."

BaiLing bid her grandpa and the other physicians farewell and left with the ninth prince. Once the three of them were out of sight, it was time for the old men to gossip.

Physician 1: "Don't you think those two look good together?"

Physician 2: "Hmmm, they do, but..."

Physician 1: "But what?"

Physician 3: "They don't feel comfortable around each other, right?"

Physician 2: "That's right. They feel kind of off."

Just as they were about to gossip more, physician Ling who had returned to his seat, cleared his throat. The other physicians quieted down, but one came up to him and asked.

"Old Ling, what do you think? You don't seem too happy about this. Do you not like the ninth prince?"

Physician Ling: "(sigh)... As long as she is happy, I'm fine with whoever. It's not me who is living with him for the rest of my life."

Physician 2: "Old Ling, you're so protective of your granddaughter. At this rate, no one will be able to please you. She might end up single for the rest of her life."

Physician Ling: "I'm more than capable of feeding her for the rest of her life."

The other physicians shook their heads. They all knew how much he loved BaiLing, so saying anything to him would be useless. So, they turned to someone who was easier to mess with. The one and only physician Qing.

Physician Qing, who had returned back to his duties, was organizing the books and scrolls over in the corner. Lost in his thoughts as he was doing his work, he didn't hear the other physicians call out to him.

Physician 1: "Qing Yuan!"

After calling out to him in a very loud voice, did he snap out of his trance.

Physician Qing: "Yes?"

Physician 1: "What are you thinking about, to be so lost in thought?"

Physician Qing: "Oh, it was nothing. What were you asking?"

Physician 2: "We asked, what did you think about Old Ling's granddaughter?"

Physician Qing: "Huh? What I think... about her?"

The other physicians nodded their heads. Physician Qing turned to see Physician Ling's reaction, but he didn't show any. And when the other physicians noticed, they told him.

"Don't worry about him. Just tell us what you think. Do you think she's suited with the ninth prince?"

After processing his thoughts, he responded.

"I... I don't know. But it seems as if there is a wall between them."

Physician 3: "A wall between them?"

Physician Qing nodded his head.

The old wanted to continue to discuss the topic. However, Physician Ling soon shooed them back to work.

Meanwhile, BaiLing and the ninth prince made their way back to the carriage. Once on, Ling Chen told the coachmen the next destination, and off they went.

(20 minutes later)

The entire ride was silent. Not a single person made a sound. By nature, BaiLing was quiet, but going through a day like this made her more exhausted.

When they arrived, they both got off and headed onto a boathouse. The restaurant was located in the middle of the lake, and the only way to get there was to take a boat. The place was initially owned by an old noble couple, but when the emperor and the Royal Consort got together, he bought it and gifted it to her.

Heaven's Blessing was a popular restaurant specializing in many dishes from the north to the south of the kingdom. Wanting to get a seat wasn't easy. Some people had to wait months to get a table and plenty of money to ensure their place wouldn't get stolen.

After they got onto the boat, instead of going inside, BaiLing stayed outside. She wanted to enjoy the fresh air, no blood, no pain, no crying in sight. The ninth prince who was heading inside turned around to see that BaiLing was not following him in. He went over to her and said.

"Are you not going to head in?"

BaiLing, who was sitting on the bench, continued to look out at the lake and shook her head.

BaiLing: "No, I'd like to enjoy some fresh air."

Ninth prince: "Alright, I understand."

Before the ninth prince headed inside, he grabbed a thin cloak and placed it over BaiLing's shoulder, fearing that she could get a cold from sitting out in the wind for too long.

While inside, the ninth prince took a seat, and Ling Chen stood aside. The day was long and hot. The ninth prince poured a cup of tea and took a sip before asking Ling Chen.

"How was her behavior while buying the pastries from the old lady?"

Ling Chen: "Your highness, the lady was very gentle and kind to the old lady. The way she talked to her made it seem like she was used to talking to old people and was familiar with her. Also, she paid the old lady extra money. The money was enough for her to go home for the day."

Ninth prince: "Did she seem happy?"

Ling Chen: "I can't tell for sure, but her smile was bright and gentle."

The ninth prince set the cup down and mumbled.

"Which version of you is the real you?"

The ninth prince who grew up on the battlefield was used to seeing many things, whether it was a double-edged sword or a poisonous one. But when it came to the young lady of the Ming clan, he just couldn't see through her. The ninth prince couldn't tell what was going on in her mind. He didn't know whether she liked or hated him. All he saw from her was a cold and expressionless face. No matter what was thrown her way, she didn't seem surprised. Rather she was very calm, as if she had known beforehand what was to come.

Soon the boat came to a stop, and the ninth prince headed out to the deck with Ling Chen. When they got outside, they saw BaiLing already up and ready to get off the boat. She didn't seem to be seasick. Instead, she was a very efficient person who didn't like to waste time.

Arriving at the restaurant's door, the manager quickly came over to greet the two of them, then led them to a private room on the top floor. After the two had settled down at their table, the ninth prince gave Ling Chen a quick look. He then excused himself and left the room. Outside, he gave a list to the manager, telling him to prepare all the listed dishes.

A moment later, Ling Chen came back in with tea. He filled up two cups and placed them in front of the ninth prince and BaiLing.

While waiting for the food to come, BaiLing did not say a single word. She only looked out the window, enjoying the view of the lake and the city that lies beyond it.