A few days later, Yixing

Yixing’s eyes fluttered open slowly, his vision slowly clearing to see the curving top of the inside of his tent. His throat felt impossibly dry, his lips cracked and his tongue unable to move to speak.

“Water…” He croaked softly, and the sound of running feet came to his side.

“Brother!” Yifan, his older brother’s face swam into view, and a warm hand pressed a flask to Yixing’s lips. He took a long drink of water, sighing in relief as the discomfort in his throat eased. Slowly, he pushed himself up from the bed and looked around carefully.

“How long have I been sleeping?” Yixing asked.

“A few days.” Yifan replied, “You had a fever from your injuries too. The men were getting worried.” Yixing sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m fine.” He answered, then cast another look around the room.

“Where is that girl?” He asked. Yifan frowned in confusion.

“What girl?” The older prince asked. Yixing frowned.

“The one who ran to me on the battlefield.” He replied. He could still recall a blurry image of the woman from the battlefield, and if he thought hard enough, he thought he could blearily remember her gentle hands feeding him medicine while he drifted in and out of feverish slumber too.

“Ah, that girl.” Yifan said after a moment, “She left.” Yixing stared at his brother in surprise.

“You let her leave?” He asked incredulously. Yifan shrugged.

“She said she was in a rush to return home, and couldn’t afford to stay longer. She is an unmarried woman, so it wouldn’t have been right for me to keep her.” He replied. Yixing groaned.

“Then why was she here in the first place? Citizens of Jinyang should have evacuated already.” He said, “Did you at least get her name?” Yifan nodded.

“She said to call her Ruo’er.” He replied, “As to why she was here, she said she doesn’t live in Jinyang but happened to be nearby and realized it was the royal family that was at war. She knows quite a lot about medicine, so I suppose she couldn’t bring herself to not intervene.” Yixing raised an eyebrow.

“You bought that lackadaisical excuse?” He queried, “It’s not like you, Yifan.” His older brother shrugged.

“She didn’t seem very willing to talk, but she really does know a lot about medicine.” He replied, “She not only helped you but all of our surviving soldiers as well. I didn’t want to scare her off with too many probing questions. Saving your life was more important, Yixing.” Yixing sighed again and pushed hair back from his face.

“Where am I ever supposed to find her?” He thought out loud. For whatever reason, there was a deep yearning in his chest to find the girl who had saved his life, not just stemming out of gratitude, but for another reason he couldn’t put his finger on. Yifan chuckled.

“What’s this?” He teased, “The great Prince of Lanling is actually pining after a girl?” Yixing looked up sharply.

“I am not pining!” He protested immediately. Yifan laughed.

“If you say so.” He replied, “But she did leave something behind.” Yifan held out a ring, which Yixing grabbed quickly from his brother’s palm. He peered at it curiously, then chuckled softly.

“The royal physician department.” He declared, “That’s where she is from.”

“How do you know?” Yifan asked curiously. Yixing grinned and pointed at the intricate carving on the ring.

“This is the insignia of the physician department.” He replied, “Only physicians from the palace are allowed to wear it.”

“We have a female physician in the palace?” Yifan asked, raising an eyebrow. Yixing chuckled at his brother’s perplexed expression.

“I suppose we’ll have to find out.” He replied.

____________________________________________________________________________

The City of Yecheng, one week later

The loud cheers of the Northern Qi people filled the air as Yixing led his army through the city. It was their first day home in a long time, and the citizens from the capital had lined the street to welcome the victorious army back. The king, Yixing’s uncle, stood waiting for him at the palace entrance, and the older man warmly embraced Yixing as he dismounted from his horse.

“Welcome home.” The king said, patting him on the back proudly. Yixing grinned and bowed politely.

“Royal Uncle.” He greeted.

“You have worked hard.” The king praised, “I have prepared many gifts for you as a reward for your victorious battle.” Yixing smiled.

“I thank you, Your Majesty.” He said, “But please, I was only doing my duty. Please split my reward among my men, who have also worked very hard.” The king chuckled and led Yixing into the palace.

“You are always far too modest, my nephew.” He said, “Surely, you must have a reward for your victory.” Yixing thought for a moment, before responding.

“If I may, Uncle.” He said, “I do have a request.” The king looked at him expectantly and Yixing took a deep breath.

“There was a young woman who saved my life after the battle.” He said, “I do not know where she came from, or even her full name because she left before I regained consciousness. However, she left behind a ring, and I think based on the ring design that she belongs to the royal physician department.” He held out the ring for the king to see, who chuckled.

“So, you wish to see this young lady again?” The older man asked, “It is rare for you to care so much about one woman. She must be quite beautiful.” Yixing felt his cheeks grow hot.

“I simply want to know who she is.” He replied quickly, “She is the only woman I have ever seen who is brave enough to run straight onto a battlefield.” His uncle laughed again.

“Very well.” The king replied, “There is indeed one female physician in the physician department. I will summon her for an audience.” Yixing grinned and bowed.

“Thank you, Uncle.”

_________________________________________________________________________

Yixing fidgeted slightly a little while later as he waited in the king’s chambers for the female physician to arrive.

Why am I feeling nervous?

The soft pad of slippered feet heralded the arrival of the anticipated guest, and Yixing turned to see a young woman enter the room. She was dressed in a long peach colored dress decorated with small flowers and bound at the hip to allowed it to flare around her slim frame. Her long black hair was pulled back with a single flower pin, allowing the long strands to flutter slightly in the slight breeze caused by her movement. As she stepped closer, the sunlight streaming from the windows illuminated her figure from behind, and Yixing suddenly recalled seeing the young woman’s face hovering above his, framed in the morning sun just like it was now.

It’s her.

His heartbeat sped up slightly at the realization. It had to be her. The young physician folded her hands neatly in front of her and bowed to the king.

“Your servant greets Your Majesty.” She greeted demurely. The king stepped forward and lifted her up from her bow.

“You are the sole female physician in the palace?” He asked, “The one who earned a perfect score on the exam and saved the life of a fellow test taker as well?” A soft smile turned up the corner of the girl’s lips.

“If Your Majesty keeps speaking of those things, your servant will be embarrassed.” She answered humbly, keeping her gaze low. The king chuckled.

“Lift your head to speak.” He said, “What is your name?” The girl lifted her head slightly.

“Your servant’s name is Zhiruo.” She replied, “Shangguan Zhiruo.”

Zhiruo.

It was a beautiful name, fitting for a talented and beautiful woman like her. The king turned to Yixing.

“Physician Shangguan, do you recognize my nephew?” He asked. Zhiruo turned and carefully rose her eyes to Yixing’s face, her smile widening slightly.

“Your Highness, is your body feeling better now?” She asked, “I only dared to leave when your fever had broken.” Yixing smiled broadly.

It really is her.

“Thanks to your efforts, my body is just fine now.” He replied, “You saved many lives, Lady Shangguan. But why were you at Jinyang and why did you leave so suddenly?” Zhiruo smiled.

“There were some herbs that I could only fetch from the forest near Jinyang.” She replied, “Due to the battle, I couldn’t trust anyone else to go fetch them, so I went myself. As it turns out, my path took me past the battlefield, and as a royal physician, I couldn’t just leave without helping.”

“Were you not afraid to be a lone women among men?” Yixing asked. Zhiruo smiled and shook her head.

“I am a physician, Your Highness.” She replied, “To me, you were not a man, but simply a patient in need of help. As for why I left, the medicine I had gathered had to be processed within a week, or else it would go bad. I had already waited a few days to take care of the royal army, and simply couldn’t wait any longer.” The king laughed.

“You are a girl with a good mind on her shoulders.” He commented, “It is no wonder the Prince of Lanling couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“Uncle!” Yixing protested in embarrassment. Zhiruo bowed politely.

“I thank you for your praise, but I was simply doing my duties.” She answered simply. Yixing hesitated for a moment before speaking again. A thought had been forming at the back of his mind ever since Zhiruo had been summoned, and it had grown until he could barely keep himself from putting a voice to it now.

“Lady Shangguan.” He said, “I have a request to make.” She looked over at him, surprise flitting briefly across her face before settling into a placid smile.

“Go ahead, Your Highness.” She replied. Yixing bit his lip, and then took a deep breath.

“I would like you to become my personal physician.” He stated. Zhiruo’s eyes widened, and she bowed her head quickly.

“I’m afraid I am not qualified enough to serve the god of war.” She replied quickly, “I have only ever desired to attain a position in the royal physician department, and I am quite happy with where I am now.” Yixing frowned, but then laughed softly.

How strange it is, to not have your word followed immediately after it leaves your tongue.

At the same time though, it was quite an interesting experience.

“Very well.” He replied, “I am not someone who likes force others to act against their will. But I truly do wish to have someone with your knowledge and bravery by my side. Why don’t you serve by my side for three months? After that time passes, if you are still unwilling to stay by my side permanently as my personal physician, you can return to the royal physician department as if those three months had never happened.” Zhiruo gazed up at him, and Yixing could see that a stream of thoughts and considerations were running through her mind. She clearly wasn’t someone who blindly obeyed orders from her superiors, but at the same time, denying a royal prince multiple times in the presence of the king could quickly become an offensive act deserving heavy punishment. After a few silent moments, Zhiruo took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Yixing.

“If His Majesty the king will allow me to leave my post temporarily, I do not dare to continue to refuse in the face of the Fourth Prince’s sincerity.” She said. The king nodded his approval.

“Since my nephew has refused to accept my rewards for him, I will grant this as a reward for his victory.” The king declared, “Go and prepare to move your things in the next few days.” Zhiruo bowed deeply.

“Yes Your Majesty.” She replied politely. She and Yixing both excused themselves, and Yixing couldn’t help but let himself smile ever so slightly as they left the audience room. He was the prince of Lanling; certainly, asking for one royal physician to help him wasn’t below his ability. Of course, what he had obtained was only a compromise now, but Yixing was certain that within three months, he could convince Zhiruo to stay.

Why do I want her with me so much?

The reason seemed to elude him no matter how he turned his mind around it, but Yixing figured it didn’t matter at the moment. For now, victory was his.

“Your Highness.” Zhiruo’s voice drew his attention, and he turned to look at her curiously. To his surprise, her head was lifted to look at him, a slight defiant tilt to her chin.

“I have agreed to become your personal physician for three months, but if we are to work together peacefully for that time, then there is something I hope Your Highness remembers.” She said. Yixing smiled slightly in amusement. Yes, there it was. The fearless girl who had rushed onto the battlefield had been hidden under a carefully created mask of elegance and politeness while the king had been present, but now her eyes held a gaze that told Yixing she wasn’t going to give up until she got what she wanted from him.

“What is it?” He asked. Zhiruo folded her hands in front of her, keenly aware of the many eyes watching them from the surrounding servants and guards.

“His Majesty stated that he was granting my leave as a reward for your victory.” She said, “But I hope Your Highness remembers one thing: I am not a toy that you earned from your victory, to push and pull in whatever way you desire. I am a woman, but I am also a physician. My only role in your manor is to keep you healthy and ready for battle at any time.” Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“In other words, I am not your prize, Your Highness.” Zhiruo summed up. Yixing stared at her for a moment before laughing.

“It is not funny, Your Highness!” Zhiruo protested. Yixing shook his head before looking back at her.

“Lady Shangguan, you must be the first woman to openly tell a man, much less a prince, something like that.” He said, “You are indeed very bold.”

“Then, is Your Highness going to agree to my request?” Zhiruo asked firmly, refusing to take the bait to banter with him. Yixing grinned.

“Very well, I like women who have ideas of their own.” He replied, “I agree to your request.” Zhiruo smiled, and dipped into a polite bow.

“Then, I look forward to working with you, Your Highness.” She declared. Yixing smiled.

“As do I.” He returned. Zhiruo turned and headed down the hall, and the corner of Yixing’s lips turned up into a smirk as he watched her retreating figure.

Yes, I look forward to it very much.