A few days later, Fourth Prince Manor, Zhiruo

Zhiruo blew out her breath slowly as she descended from the carriage and looked up at the tall imposing building in front of her.

Fourth Prince Manor.

This place was going to be her home for the next three months, where she would likely interact with the Prince of Lanling more than a few times over the course of that time. But for her, it would likely be a good thing. Zhiruo reached up and briefly squeezed the jade pendant necklace that hung around her neck.

Mother, I surely will find out who killed our entire family, and obtain vengeance for all the lives lost!

Closing her eyes, she could still feel the grasp of her mother’s hand on her sleeve that fateful day when she had returned home from gathering herbs to find her entire family slaughtered.

Lanling…

That was the only phrase that her mother had managed to eke out before dying in Zhiruo’s lap. And in her father’s hand, Zhiruo had found a white jade pendant with an orchid flower engraved into it. While the two clues didn’t directly show that the fourth prince was the culprit, it certainly pointed Zhiruo in an obvious direction to begin her search for answers. Following those clues, Zhiruo had used her medicinal skills to climb up the social ladder, taking whatever steps necessary to do that as fast as possible within three years, even changing her surname from Gongsun to Shangguan. Even when she had been mocked for taking the royal physician exam as a woman, she hadn’t cared. The only way to reach the famous Prince of Lanling was through the palace, and to do that, she could only ignore the gossip that surrounded her from the moment she signed up. Luck had been on her side though; after fortuitously saving the life of a nobleman’s wife, she had been taken in as their goddaughter, so at least status and backing did not pose an issue. Then, when she had been gathering herbs for one of the royal concubines, she had happened to run across the Prince of Lanling himself in dire need of medical assistance. That was the perfect chance she needed to obtain the prince’s attention, and judging by her current situation, her intuition had not been wrong.

Since even the heavens are on my side, I will surely succeed! And if it turns out that the prince was the culprit...I will surely make him pay! It’s only the beginning of my search now, but certainly in three months, I can find an answer!

“My lady?” Zhiruo opened her eyes to see an older man looking at her.

“My name is Butler Wu.” He said, “I will show you to your quarters.” Zhiruo smiled and curtsied politely.

“I will have to trouble you then.” She replied. Zhiruo looked carefully around the manor as she followed the butler, memorizing every detail to the furthest extent possible. The manor was massive though; it was going to take her some time to become accustomed to living here.

“Butler Wu,” She inquired, “Why don’t I see a madam of the house? His Highness is already 21 years old.” The older man chuckled.

“The prince is always busy with protecting the country.” He replied, “The king has tried to arrange marriages for him multiple times, but he has refused them all because he said his wife would be a very lonely woman, and he would be distracted from his battles by thoughts of her. In fact, our prince has barely shown any interest in women at all.” An amused spark entered his eye as he looked back at Zhiruo.

“Indeed, his interest in you, my lady, is quite out of the ordinary for him.” He added, “Prince Yixing has never asked the king for a favor related to women before, much less asked for the woman herself directly.” Zhiruo laughed softly.

“Do not speak as if I am going to become his woman, Butler Wu..” She replied good naturedly, “I am simply his personal physician.” The older man chuckled again.

“We shall see, my lady.” He replied. They came to a stop in front of a set of paper and wood doors.

“Your rooms are inside.” He said, “The servants will be bringing your possessions in shortly. In the meantime, please freshen up. His Highness is waiting to see you.” Zhiruo smiled.

“Thank you, Butler Wu..” She responded. Closing the room doors behind her, Zhiruo couldn’t help but be taken aback by the beauty of the rooms she had been given. The decorations were simple, but elegant, the room dotted with various pieces of light green and white porcelain. The bed in the middle of the room had been set with light peach colored sheets, allowing the sunlight streaming into the room to illuminate the partly transparent cloth. A large table sat in the corner of the room, already prepared with a stack of clean white paper and ink. Of course, the room was nowhere as grand as Zhiruo’s chambers in the palace had been. But nevertheless, the room gave off an aura of comfort and peace, as if to assure the owner that she could be at ease here. Zhiruo smiled to herself and headed off in search of the bath. At least, in the midst of her troubles, she would have somewhere comfortable to stay in.

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After cleaning up and preparing a tray of medicine, Zhiruo found her way to the prince’s rooms. She steeled herself for a moment, and then knocked carefully.

“Who is it?” Prince Yixing’s voice called from inside. Zhiruo took a deep breath.

“Your Highness, it is me, Shangguan Zhiruo.” She replied. After a moment’s pause, the prince spoke again.

“Come in.” He called, “I’m in the back.” Zhiruo stepped carefully into the room and followed the sound of the prince’s voice to the back of the large chambers, where a large paper screen partition divided the room between the prince’s bed and the rest of the chambers. Behind the thin paper screen, Zhiruo could make out the outline of the prince standing by a low table while polishing a long sword. She swallowed hard and sank into a light curtsey.

“Your Highness.” She greeted.

“Mm.” Prince Yixing responded, “Don’t just stand there. Come here.” Zhiruo hesitated. The innermost parts of a prince’s chambers were usually reserved for only himself, his closest friends, and his wife. Even personal servants had to stay outside the partition.

“Men and women should keep their distance.” She responded politely. Prince Yixing laughed.

“Lady Shangguan, that is not at all what you said to my uncle a few days ago.” He replied, “How are you going to check on my wounds if you are on the other side of the partition? Come to the other side.” Zhiruo swallowed hard. It was true, she had given that answer to the king, but that had been for purposes of gaining the prince and the king’s respect as a physician. In the end, social boundaries still existed. Surely, he didn’t expect her to be completely neutral towards that point, especially now that he was no longer an unconscious patient on the brink of dying. At the same time though, if she didn’t make a move, she would be unable to make progress towards her goal. Steeling herself, she stepped around the partition and stopped short as she took in the sight in front of her. Prince Yixing stood with his back to her, dressed in nothing but a simple white robe usually saved for the lowest layer of clothing. He had opted to avoid the intricate hairstyles used for daily outings, and instead had kept it in a neatly tied ponytail that let his hair fall down his back. Sunlight reflected off the long sword Zhiruo had seen him holding with his long fingers, and as he turned his head slightly to look at her, the light streaming in from the window combined with the reflected sunlight to illuminate a gently sloping nose and a sharp pair of dark brown eyes.

I can see why they call him the most beautiful man in the entire country, Zhiruo thought as she gathered her wits enough to place the tray of medicine onto a small table next to the bed.

“If Your Highness is busy right now, I can come back later.” She offered, keeping her gaze down politely. She heard him chuckle, followed by the light sliding noise of the sword being put into its scabbard.

“It’s fine.” He replied, stepping over to the bed. Zhiruo’s eyes widened as he partially shrugged off part of his robe, exposing part of his back as he sat down on the bed.

What is he doing?

Of course, she was now his personal physician, so it made sense for her to check on him now and then. But at the same time, they were still both unmarried men and women! Surely, he couldn’t have forgotten that part!

What sort of man is he that he’d show skin in front of a woman so easily?

Prince Yixing turned his head slightly towards her.

“Well?” He said, “I didn’t bring you here to stare.” Zhiruo cleared and dipped slightly into a curtsey.

“Yes, Your Highness.” She mumbled before sitting down behind him on the bed. After taking a deep breath, she carefully pulled off the bandages that had been wrapped over the prince’s wounds. Her fingers ran cautiously over the deeper cuts that were still red over the prince’s finely toned muscles, the other hand expertly picking out the right medicinal powder from her tray and popping open the small lid.

“It seems like your wounds have been healing very cleanly, Your Highness.” Zhiruo noted, “I would expect you to be fully healed within a week.” Prince Yixing chuckled.

“It is only because you treated me well first.” He replied, “I have to thank you for my life.” Zhiruo shook her head.

“I was simply doing as I should have, Your Highness.” She responded as she dabbed medicine onto the cuts. Prince Yixing was silent for a moment, then she felt his body tense slightly under her fingers.

“You are an interesting woman, Lady Shangguan.” He commented, “In front of my uncle, you focus on your job as a physician, but today, you are intent on keeping to societal norms. Now that you are treating me, you are back to keeping up your image as a physician. Why do you keep changing?” Zhiruo paused before laughing slightly to cover up the nervousness that jumped into her heart.

“The situation was different then, Your Highness.” She answered calmly, “Different situations call for different answers. I am both a woman and a physician, and my mindset will vary depending on which situation I am facing.” Prince Yixing chuckled.

“Is that so?” He asked. In one fluid motion, he turned around suddenly and grabbed her by the wrists. Zhiruo squeaked in surprise as the prince pushed her down onto the bed.

“Your Highness?” She gasped. A smirk played across Prince Yixing’s lips.

“I do wonder, what is going on in that mind of yours, Lady Shangguan?” He asked, “You are an intelligent women, one who is thinking of many things at the same time.” Zhiruo swallowed hard.

Did he see through me already?

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” She asked, forcing herself to be calm. Prince Yixing smirked again.

“That will depend on how you choose to act.” He replied, “I am someone who enjoys the help of intelligent people. But if it turns out that your complicated thoughts are being used to plot against me, then you will be my enemy, and I will not treat that fact lightly.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Would you like to tell me why you decided to get close to me?” He asked. Zhiruo bit her lip.

“Your Highness, you are the one who asked the king to release me to your side.” She responded.

“That is true.” The prince replied, “But that doesn’t mean you didn’t have ulterior motives to start with. Until you tell me the truth, I cannot fully trust you.” Zhiruo swallowed down a frown forming on her lips.

If he doesn’t trust me, then why did he even ask for me?

After some thought, she finally decided on what to say.

“Your Highness, this servant is loyal only to you and His Majesty the king.” Zhiruo said calmly, “I saved your life that day because I am a royal physician. There is no other reason besides that.” Taking a deep breath, she lifted her gaze and directly met his gaze.

“Even if you gave me the most daring heart in the world, this servant would never dare to hold ulterior motives against you.” She continued, “So I will ask Your Highness to afford me even just a little of your trust. That way, both our lives will be much smoother, would it not?” Their gazes sat locked for a few heavy moments, the prince’s sharp gaze piercing deep into Zhiruo’s mind. Then, a small smile played across his lips as he finally released Zhiruo’s wrists and straightened up.

“Very well.” He said, “I will choose to believe you for now. But remember, Shangguan Zhiruo. If you ever dare to betray me, I will not stand still and just accept it.” Zhiruo swallowed hard as she sat up from the bed.

“I will remember that, Your Highness.” She replied, “I swear I will never betray you.”

“Carry on then.” The prince replied, turning his back to her again. Zhiruo blew out her breath silently and resumed applying medicine.

He’s a dangerous man. I will have to be more careful around him from now on.

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Later that day, Yixing

The sound of an arrow slicing through the air could be heard throughout the courtyard as Yixing practiced his archery. Yixing smiled in pleasure as he watched the arrow hit the middle of the target, then turned as he heard the sound of clapping.

“Yifan!” He greeted with a grin as he saw his older brother.

“Even injured, your archery skills are unbeatable.” Yifan praised as he surveyed Yixing’s results, “What is there that you cannot do, little brother?” Yixing chuckled.

“You could give it a try yourself and see how it goes.” He replied, holding the bow out to his brother. Yifan laughed and shook his head.

“I’d rather not lose face in your house.” He answered, good naturedly pushing the bow back to Yixing. Yixing shook his head with a grin, and lead his brother to the stone table where tea had been laid out for him.

“What brings you here to my manor today, Yifan?” He asked as they sat down. Yifan smiled.

“Do I need a special reason to come see my brother?” He asked. Yixing chuckled.

“Of course not.” He answered. The two brothers sat silently for a few peaceful moments before the soft sound of footsteps drew Yixing’s attention. Zhiruo approached from the other side of the courtyard, a steaming bowl of medicine sitting on top of the brown lacquer tray in her hands.

“Your Highnesses.” She greeted politely, dipping into a slight curtsey while carefully balancing the tray in her hands.

“Is it time for my medicine already?” Yixing asked, frowning at the dark brown liquid in distaste. Zhiruo nodded and placed the tray onto the table. As Yixing sat frowning at the medicine, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small dried date from inside.

“I prepared this as well, Your Highness.” She said, placing the date onto the tray next to the bowl. Yixing raised an eyebrow as he looked up at her.

“I am not a child, Lady Shangguan.” He protested. A small smile played across Zhiruo’s lips.

“Your Highness has already suffered enough bitterness on the battlefield lately.” She replied, “It is time that you taste a little sweetness. If this servant can provide even a little bit of that sweetness, then it will be my honor.” Before Yixing could respond, she dipped politely into a curtsey.

“Your servant will take her leave.” She said, and with a swish of pink cloth, she turned and exited the courtyard. Yifan chuckled as he watched Zhiruo leave.

“She’s a woman who has a way with words.” He commented, “She has an intelligent mind as well. I see why you have taken a liking to her.” Yixing looked over from frowning at the medicine.

“I never said I took a liking to her.” He said. Yifan crossed his arms.

“Don’t bother giving me that, little brother.” He replied, “You have never directly asked for a woman before. If you do not even fancy Lady Shangguan even a little bit, why would you have asked for her medical services?” Yixing thought for a moment.

“I’m intrigued by her.” He responded at last, toying with the spoon on the tray. Yifan looked at him curiously.

“Intrigued?” He asked. Yixing smiled as he recalled the way Zhiruo had rushed onto the battlefield, the faint memory of her soothing touch on his body while he had been injured, the way she had stared up at him when he had pressed her to the bed, and finally the slight ache in his heart that he felt every time she left his side.

“Yes, intrigued.” He repeated, “Very intrigued.”

“Is that why you called her into your room on her first day?” Yifan teased. Yixing’s eyes widened as he looked up at his brother with a start.

“Yifan!” He scolded, “I only asked her to come check on my wounds!” Yifan grinned and shook his head playfully.

“I never suggested otherwise, now did I?” The elder prince teased. Yixing huffed and resumed staring at his medicine. It was strange, the way Shangguan Zhiruo made him feel. On the one hand, the idea of keeping her by his side all the time was very attractive; her bravery, her intellect, and her beauty all made him want to hold her tight and never let go. At the same time, the rational military side of him warned him to be careful; Zhang Yixing was no ordinary human, and countless people had tried to cosy up to him, either to raise their social status or obtain some other benefit by being close to him. In his short life, Yixing had caught more than a handful of spies among his soldiers as well. While he had rashly asked the king for her to be his personal physician, he had remembered after some thinking that it would be a poor choice to blindly put his trust in her so soon.

“What are you smiling about?” Yifan asked. Yixing only laughed softly and shook his head as he picked up the bowl of medicine.

“Just looking at my medicine.” He replied. Steeling himself, he pressed his lips to the edge of the white bowl and downed the medicine in a few gulps. The bitter taste immediately coated his mouth and throat, making Yixing want to gag. He quickly slipped the sweet Zhiruo had left him into his mouth, and immediately the clear sweetness of the date pushed away the bitter taste on his tongue. Another soft smile turned up the corners of Yixing’s lips as he rolled the date around in his mouth before swallowing.

A sweet that can chase the bitterness away, hm?

Chuckling to himself, he rose from his seat and resumed his archery practice.

Shangguan Zhiruo, I hope you will not disappoint me.

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Author's note: Yep, I think after some experimenting, ancient period storylines are definitely more towards my strengths!