Chapter 492: They Say After Hardship Comes Good Fortune

Chapter 492: Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

Granny Da Xi sized up the man’s story and peeked out from her hiding spot for a long while. Only after confirming that there was indeed just one bedraggled middle-aged man in the fierce wind did she open the door.

The middle-aged man thanked Granny Da Xi profusely, his words filled with the relief of having survived a disaster: "Ma’am, don’t you worry, I will repay you..."

Granny Da Xi, however, remained indifferent: "No need. If it were up to me, you could have died outside, and it wouldn’t have mattered to me. But my granddaughter is here, and I’m doing this to earn her good karma."

Xingxing studied him under the moonlight for a moment before suddenly speaking up: "Wait—the Jiping Commandery Prince?"

At her words, the man stiffened and looked at Xingxing nervously.

The more he looked, the wider his eyes grew, and he blurted out: "Lady of Blessed Peace?"

Granny Da Xi’s frown deepened, and she muttered under her breath: "Royalty’s mostly rotten."

But she spoke so softly that not even Xingxing, standing nearby, heard her, let alone the Jiping Commandery Prince, who was farther away.

Xingxing tugged at Granny Da Xi’s sleeve and whispered: "Granny Da Xi, don’t worry. I was just at this Commandery Prince’s place yesterday and greeted him... It’s definitely the Jiping Commandery Prince."

The man bobbed his head eagerly: "Yes, yes, I’m not some bad person."

Granny Da Xi’s face stayed stony.

But Xingxing knew that was just Granny Da Xi’s usual demeanor.

Granny Da Xi glanced at the Jiping Commandery Prince and turned away: "This way."

The Jiping Commandery Prince limped after Granny Da Xi toward a small side building.

Granny Da Xi pushed open the door. The guest room, unheated, was freezing, but it was fully furnished with bedding and necessities.

She gave the Jiping Commandery Prince a look: "Go in and stay there."

She spoke like he was no prince at all.

His pride warred with his pain as he limped inside.

Suddenly, Granny Da Xi crouched down and dug her fingers into a spot on one of his legs.

The Jiping Commandery Prince nearly shot through the roof, howling: "Ah—!"

"Quit your yowling," Granny Da Xi frowned. "Your leg is fractured. After walking on it for so long, it needs to be reset and bandaged."

Sweat beaded and dripped from his brow from the pain.

Xingxing pitied him despite herself and reassured him: "My Prince, don’t be afraid. My grandmother is an excellent healer. She’ll take care of you, and you’ll be fine."

"Alright, alright," the Jiping Commandery Prince replied, his voice trembling with pain. After Xingxing comforted him, she went out to boil water.

Brusquely, Granny Da Xi reset the displaced fracture in the Jiping Commandery Prince’s leg. His screams rattled the rafters.

By the time Xingxing returned with hot water, the Jiping Commandery Prince was left gasping from the pain.

Even so, with sweat still dripping from his forehead, he managed to thank Xingxing with difficulty: "M-my thanks, Township Lady."

Seeing how politely the Jiping Commandery Prince treated Xingxing, Granny Da Xi’s glare thawed a fraction.

By the time Granny Da Xi finished treating the Jiping Commandery Prince, though his face was still pale, his condition was much better than when he had been half-dead from cold and agony.

He lay on the bed, half self-deprecating and half reflective: "Had I not encountered the Lady of Blessed Peace and this grand dame, this Commandery Prince would’ve been buried in these deep mountains tonight."

Xingxing was somewhat curious: "After Your Grace fell off the cliff, didn't your guards search for you?"

The Jiping Commandery Prince sighed repeatedly: "I blacked out after the fall and woke up in a shrub. Seeing that this cliff had more than one valley, it would have been difficult for them to search. I thought to walk further out... but then I missed my footing again and tumbled down. This place is quite far from where I originally fell, so I suppose they won’t find me anytime soon. And now it’s deep into the night... I had no choice but to save myself..."

Xingxing looked sympathetic: "That’s rather unfortunate for you."

The Jiping Commandery Prince, however, was quite optimistic: "They say when misfortune ends, good fortune begins. This Commandery Prince still has some luck left—otherwise, how could I have met the Lady of Blessed Peace and the grand dame?"

Daxisipo, listening nearby, found these words somewhat pleasing and quietly reduced the amount of coptis (huánglián) in the medicine she’d planned to make stronger.

"Enough, rest early," Daxisipo said coldly. "Finding your way here does indeed count as luck."

Xingxing wholeheartedly agreed.

After all, her Da Xi grandmother’s medical skills were unmatched—at the very least, the Jiping Commandery Prince’s leg would be saved.

Xingxing said, "Your Grace need not worry. Tomorrow morning, someone will come to fetch me from the mountains, and we’ll escort you back to your residence then."

The Jiping Commandery Prince nodded repeatedly, overflowing with gratitude.

After Xingxing and Daxisipo left, the Commandery Prince reflected inwardly. Just yesterday, his princess consort had complained to him that their son had set his heart on the Lady of Blessed Peace, yet she was of unknown background. Not only did the princess consort disapprove, but even he felt it was unsuitable.

Who could have imagined that the very next day, while hunting a fox with his guards in the mountains, he would fall off a cliff—only to encounter the Lady of Blessed Peace at the bottom?

What were the odds?

Ever since a Taoist priest had read his daughter’s fortune, the Jiping Commandery Prince had grown somewhat superstitious about such things.

Now, lying in this small mountain cottage, the brazier crackling warmly and thick blankets piled high, he couldn’t help feeling that fate had predetermined this...

...

Early the next morning, Xingxing knocked on the door of the Commandery Prince’s cottage.

She had made plenty of dumplings the night before. Since she was heading out early to see Yu Yongliu off for his exams, she had boiled some and brought a bowl for the Commandery Prince.

Xingxing was quite skilled—her dumplings were plump with perfect little pleats.

The filling was made of eggs, shrimp, and tofu. Though the Commandery Prince usually disliked tofu, he was so touched after finishing the bowl that his eyes grew moist.

After the meal, the Yu family’s carriage, which had come to pick up Xingxing, was already waiting outside. Xingxing fussed over Daxisipo to take care of her health, until the latter finally shooed her out: "So young and already so nagging."

As she was being ushered out, Xingxing turned back to add, "You’re not fully recovered yet—you must rest properly!"

"I know! Enough nagging! Just go already!"

Xingxing was practically shoved into the carriage by Daxisipo.

The coachman had already helped the Jiping Commandery Prince aboard. When Xingxing entered and saw him sitting there, she felt a bit embarrassed: "My apologies for keeping you waiting, Your Grace."

The Commandery Prince eyed her with interest: "...The Lady of Blessed Peace and this elderly lady are very close. Might I ask—is this elderly lady the family matriarch, the Lady Wei?"

He recalled that the Yu family’s matriarch, Lady Wei, held an imperial title.

This one seemed different.

Xingxing answered plainly: "My grandmother is at the residence. This is Da Xi grandmother, who taught me medicine."

"Da Xi..." The Commandery Prince repeated the name thoughtfully.

The Yu family’s carriage took the Jiping Commandery Prince back to his manor, where all hell had broken loose.