Chapter 1118: Chapter 1109: Ancestor Worship

The Princess Consort asked the wet nurse to take the Little Princess back inside, while she carried Yuanyuan herself.

Just as they passed through the crescent-shaped arch, they saw Xueling supporting Qin Hanhan approaching.

Qin Hanhan saw them and said, "Weren’t you just going to the garden? Why are you heading back inside now?"

"The neighbors are burning paper money next door, and the garden smells strong. So we decided not to visit the garden," Su Jin replied with a smile.

Su Jin was supporting Qin Hanhan, causing Mrs. Xu to feel anxious.

How could they let the Princess Consort Zhenbei support the Heir’s wife?

But Qin Hanhan was already used to it.

When Su Jin was pregnant, she often supported Su Jin.

Between sisters, who cares about status?

Moreover, Qin Hanhan, in name, is still the adopted daughter of Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang, making her Su Jin’s sister.

Su Jin led Qin Hanhan to Biyu Pavilion to chat.

Xie Jingchen and Chu Shun were not around.

Although there were no longer any major battles at the border, there were still matters to attend to in the military camp.

The Prince and Marquis Dongxiang had both left; naturally, Xie Jingchen and Chu Shun were the most respected in the military camp.

Many were unaware of the merits Xie Jingchen had established.

However, those soldiers who knew highly praised Xie Jingchen, and the generals respected him, so naturally, the soldiers followed suit in showing respect.

Moreover, Xie Jingchen was not only the Heir of Prince Zhenbei but also the present Prince Consort.

As for Chu Shun, it goes without saying; he and Prince NanAn had uncovered Xie Jingchuan’s treachery and betrayal, saving the Flying Tiger Army—a significant achievement.

There were so many people in the courtyard taking care of the Little Princess and the Young Prince, so Xie Jingchen couldn’t be much help staying in the small courtyard and might even be considered a hindrance. It was better for him to stay in the military camp.

Generally, Xie Jingchen would accompany Su Jin for breakfast before heading to the military camp and returning for dinner, occasionally coming back at noon as well.

Chu Shun, on the other hand, was more casual; sometimes he wouldn’t go at all, or he’d stay in the camp all day.

With Mrs. Xu taking care of Qin Hanhan and Su Jin being there, he was at ease.

Inside the tent, Xie Jingchen was reading a military book, while Chu Shun was munching on fruit, saying, "The war is over, so what’s the point of reading a military book?"

Xie Jingchen didn’t respond, casually flipping a page.

Chu Shun continued to munch on fruit, his eyes spinning as he watched Xie Jingchen.

Although he regarded Xie Jingchen as their elder brother among the four, in terms of playing together, there was still some gap between Xie Jingchen and them.

After all, Xie Jingchen had previously been severely poisoned and was unfit for physical exertion, often spending time quietly recuperating in the back courtyard of the Agarwood Pavilion.

Unlike Prince NanAn and the others, who would mess around here today and get into fights with people elsewhere tomorrow, living a chaotic but lively life.

Even Zhao Xu was led astray by them, yet Xie Jingchen remained unchanged, indicating that they as brothers hadn’t done well enough in caring for him.

Chu Shun was contemplating how to lead Xie Jingchen astray too, but upon considering the influence of Marquis Dongxiang and the Emperor on Xie Jingchen...

Chu Shun’s mouth twitched a few times, then he dismissed the thought.

He sighed softly.

Chu Shun continued munching on fruit.

At that moment, a soldier walked in and said, "Young Master, a man has come to the military camp, claiming to have heard that the Heir’s wife possesses excellent medical skills and has come specifically to request medicine."

"Send him away," replied Xie Jingchen, not lifting his gaze, speaking indifferently.

This is a military camp, not a clinic or pharmacy.

Seeking medicine at the military camp—once precedent was set, who knows how many people would be kneeling outside the camp in the future.

The soldier then relayed this to the man seeking medicine.

"You’d better leave," the soldier ordered, chasing the man away.

The man tried to force his way into the camp, prompting the guards to glare at him menacingly, "If you don’t leave, do you wish to be arrested as a spy?!"

The man stepped back a few steps.

However, he didn’t go far, instead kneeling directly outside the military camp.

Since he knelt a bit far away, almost twenty steps from the tent entrance, the guards exchanged glances.

"Should we report this to the Young Master?" one of the guards asked.

"Leave him be; if he wants to kneel, let him kneel," another guard replied.

"What’s the Heir’s wife’s status? How could she easily agree to treat someone’s illness?"

Though he said this, the guard’s voice wavered slightly, since the Heir’s wife often treated them when she was in the military camp.

The Heir’s wife had a kind heart; perhaps she might consider the man’s filial piety and agree to treat his father’s illness—who knows?

However, since the Heir’s wife wasn’t in the camp now, his pleas were futile.

The man continued kneeling outside the camp.

Given the current lull in the fighting, there wasn’t much traffic outside the camp, so he wasn’t causing any disruptions.

As lunchtime approached, Xie Jingchen put down the military book, got up, and exited the tent, intending to return to the courtyard. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

He and Chu Shun rode horses out of the camp.

Seeing the man kneeling on the ground, he frowned and looked at the guards, "Why is he still here?"

The guard hurriedly replied, "He refused to leave, so we didn’t bother with him."

Xie Jingchen rode his horse forward.

Their gazes met the man’s.

"It’s you?"

Both the man and Chu Shun spoke the words simultaneously.

Xie Jingchen looked at Chu Shun, "You know each other?"

"He’s our neighbor," Chu Shun explained.

The courtyard was close to the bustling street, usually within walking distance, with no need to ride horses.

On the second day after moving into the courtyard, Chu Shun went out, coincidentally running into the man.

The two started chatting idly, finding a pleasant conversation. The man was also a carefree person and promised to invite Chu Shun for dinner another day.

Chu Shun accepted.

Now seeing the man kneeling on the ground, Chu Shun said, "Brother Zheng, please, stand up."

The man shook his head, remaining kneeling.

Chu Shun said, "Kneeling won’t help; if there’s something you need, tell us while riding."

The man looked at him, then at Xie Jingchen, embarrassed, "Could I trouble you two to plead with the Princess Consort Zhenbei to save my father?"

Even though they were neighbors, having exchanged just a few words, the man felt a bit uncomfortable speaking up.

Chu Shun glanced at Xie Jingchen, who said, "Stand up. The Princess Consort Zhenbei isn’t in the military camp; kneeling here won’t help."

Seeing that the man was familiar with Chu Shun and full of filial devotion, the guards came over to help him up.

The man’s horse was tethered at a distance.

He looked towards Chu Shun, and Chu Shun nodded to him.

Only then did the man mount his horse, but his knees were sore, making it difficult to climb, almost failing to get on.

Chu Shun rode forward and asked, "Didn’t you go to offer sacrifices to your ancestors? What happened to your father?"

The man sighed deeply, "Don’t mention it. It’s because of the ancestor worship that my father got injured."

Curious, Chu Shun asked a few more questions.

Young Master Zheng explained, "Our old family residence is in Qingshui Town, thirty miles from here. Even now, though there’s no war, it’s not easy to visit."

"Originally, it was settled that I’d take the servants to pay respects, but my father insisted on going himself."

"The mountain roads are difficult, and a soft sedan chair couldn’t pass through, so my father had to walk up the mountain. It had rained a few days ago, making the roads slippery, and my father accidentally slipped and fell, breaking his right arm..."

Before the doctor’s examination, everyone thought his leg was more severely injured, but it was just dislocated and would heal in a few days.

The arm, however, was gravely injured.

Old Master Zheng was passionate about writing and painting, activities akin to his very life. With his arm broken and the doctor saying recovery was unlikely, it was as if Old Master Zheng had lost half his life.

Young Master Zheng knew of the Princess Consort Zhenbei’s exceptional medical skill and also that she resided at the border camp.

He couldn’t bear to see his father become despondent, so he came to the camp seeking help.

He knew asking the Princess Consort Zhenbei wasn’t easy, but no matter the cost, as long as his father’s arm could be healed, the Zheng family was willing.