Chapter 14: Heart Ailment

When Jiang Wu saw her son bring Mingzhu forward, she felt a momentary panic. It was difficult not to be rattled in such a situation: her former lover’s daughter had appeared before her husband and children.

However, Mingzhu had always been a child who knew the limits of propriety. Consequently, Jiang Wu quickly steadied herself.

"Mother, Father," Chu Ye began, having brought the person over, he naturally needed to make an introduction. "This is the one who just won first place in the horse race..."

Chu Ye faltered for a moment. Not knowing the person's name, nor whether to address them as a young lady or a young gentleman, he found himself in a difficult spot.

During his brief hesitation, Mo Mingzhu had already cupped her hands in a salute. "This commoner pays respects to the Prime Minister and his wife."

As soon as she spoke, everyone realized she was a woman. The surprise in Nianyin's eyes deepened. Mingzhu did not shy away from her identity as a woman; even when facing the Prime Minister of the realm, she remained poised and showed no signs of timidity. Jiang Wu admired her all the more for it; those who grew up traveling the world with their fathers were indeed different from the sheltered daughters of noble houses.

Mingzhu remained bowed in salute for some time, yet she did not hear Chu Ling grant her permission to rise. Feeling dissatisfied but not daring to speak out, Jiang Wu tugged on Chu Ling's sleeve, whispering a reminder: "My Lord..."

As she turned to look at him, she met Chu Ling’s gaze and realized he was not looking at Mingzhu, but at her. Jiang Wu felt a flutter of panic again. As she began to withdraw her hand from his sleeve, he caught it and held it firmly.

The man’s gaze then shifted to the girl in men's clothing at Chu Ye’s side. "You may rise."

Once Mo Mingzhu stood straight, he asked, "What is your name?"

"In reply to my Lord, this commoner’s surname is Mo, and my given name is Mingzhu. Mo Mingzhu."

Jiang Wu listened, trying to gauge Chu Ling’s tone, but she could not detect a trace of emotion.

"A good name."

It was rare for Chu Ling to offer an opinion on someone’s name. The name "Mingzhu" was quite common among the populace; Jiang Wu was somewhat surprised he would go out of his way to praise it. Although his tone carried no warmth, the words themselves were indeed a compliment.

"You are too kind, my Lord."

Jiang Wu heard what sounded like a cold scoff from Chu Ling: "Ah Ye, to think you would lose to a woman."

He had turned his focus to his son, and with that single sentence, he had disparaged both of them. Jiang Wu glanced at Chu Ye, and seeing his disgruntled expression, she became even more unhappy. She squeezed the hand that was holding hers firmly. "Heroic women have existed throughout history. It is just a single loss; what is so strange about that?"

Chu Ling’s gaze as he looked at her was inscrutable, though he allowed her to keep squeezing his hand. After a long moment, he looked at Chu Ye and said, "Your mother is right." His tone had softened considerably.

Jiang Wu, however, could not find it in herself to be happy. She had wanted to speak up for her son, but for some reason, she felt that Chu Ye’s expression had only darkened further. Had she said the wrong thing?

Perhaps only Mingzhu remained unaffected by this strange atmosphere. She smiled as usual and spoke, "I had long heard that the Lady’s beauty was unparalleled, and seeing you now, the rumors were true. Just a moment ago, the young master wished to buy the Zhaoye Lion horse from me as a gift for you. I felt a connection with you, my Lady, and decided to simply gift it to you instead."

Jiang Wu was surprised; she had no idea such a thing had happened. "My equestrian skills are poor. To have such a prized horse would be a waste, wouldn't it? Ah Ye, since this is Miss Mo’s prize, do not make things difficult for her." Although she was pleased that her son had gone to such lengths for her, she did not want her child to become a domineering person like Chu Ling.

Chu Ye offered a somewhat stiff and forced smile. "Mother, I understand." He had not expected to be outmaneuvered like this and found himself at a loss for words. The culprit, meanwhile, smiled generously. "I already have a horse I love. Since you like this one, my Lady, I truly wish to gift it to you. If you feel your skills are lacking, I can teach you."

Jiang Wu was actually considering the feasibility of this. She knew Mingzhu had her own horse. Besides, this would be a perfect excuse to see Mingzhu openly. Just as she was thinking about how to respond, her sleeve was tugged.

She turned to see Nianyin, who had been silent all this time. "Mother," the girl said, her voice weak. Her usually delicate face was deathly pale. "I am not feeling well."

Jiang Wu released Chu Ling’s hand immediately and stood up to support her daughter, who looked as if she could no longer sit upright. "What is it, Nianyin? Where are you unwell?" She was panicked. It was all her own fault; she had been too focused on Ah Ye and Mingzhu and had failed to notice her daughter’s discomfort. Nianyin was not one to complain, so she must have been suffering in silence for a long time.

"It’s my heart... it hurts," Nianyin said, clutching her chest.

Seeing her daughter huddled in her arms looking so frail, Jiang Wu felt a pang of heartache that made her forget everything else. She turned to Chu Ling, calling out urgently to the man who had yet to move: "Chu Ling, come and take a look." She usually addressed him as "My Lord," but in this moment, perhaps seeing him only as the children's father, she had used his name out of habit.

Chu Ling was taken aback for a fleeting second, but he quickly returned to his usual self. He rose and walked over, and Chu Ye was already by his sister's side.

Jiang Wu watched as he pulled a medicine bottle from his robes and fed it to his daughter. Chu Ling did not seem surprised; he skillfully handed over a cup of water from nearby and watched as Chu Nianyin drank it.

"Do you feel better?" his tone was much gentler.

After taking the medicine, Nianyin caught her breath. She seemed a little better and gave a faint nod.

Jiang Wu was still uneasy and no longer had the heart for a spring outing. "We must return to the estate and have a doctor look at her. Nianyin, can you walk?" She realized that was impossible before she even finished the question, so she looked at Chu Ling.

Chu Ling commanded, "Chu Ye." Chu Ye immediately picked up his sister.

They left in a hurry. With no mind to worry about anything else, Jiang Wu cast a hurried glance of apology at Mingzhu, who was still standing aside, before departing.

The young woman remained where she was, watching the family cluster together as they left, her eyes filled with dark gloom.

***

They returned to the Duke’s estate. It was clear that the Duchess was quite displeased that her granddaughter had fallen ill during an outing.

"She was perfectly fine at home; how did she end up like this after just one trip with you?"

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Wu would have felt indignant and wanted to argue—she wasn't the only one who had taken the child out; her son had been there too. But now, consumed by worry for her daughter, she had no energy to waste on the Duchess.

Before long, the doctor came out. He was clearly a frequent visitor, familiar to everyone.

"It is merely a flare-up of her heart condition. You must ensure the young lady is not subjected to any great agitation."

The Duchess’s gaze immediately swept toward Jiang Wu. She had always looked down on Jiang Wu’s background and believed she was incapable of raising children properly. That look seemed to say, "You couldn't even look after her for such a short time." With no outsiders present, her disdain was undisguised.

"Grandmother," Chu Ye interjected, speaking up for his mother. "It was my fault for not looking after my sister properly."

"Oh, my dear grandson," the Duchess said, instantly changing her expression. "What does this have to do with you? Protecting the children is the mother’s responsibility."

Jiang Wu had no heart to listen to this. Seeing the doctor prepare to leave, she quickly chased after him.

"Doctor, what is the nature of Nianyin’s heart condition?"

The old doctor was slightly surprised, as if he hadn't expected her to be unaware, but he answered immediately: "The young lady has had this heart condition for five years. However, because it has been managed well, it is usually of no great concern. Just ensure she avoids emotional stress or strenuous activity."

Until he left, Jiang Wu stood there in a daze. Her daughter had a heart condition, yet she, as a mother, knew nothing of it. No wonder Nianyin always looked so frail and weak. Her heart ached unbearably—aching for her daughter’s illness and filled with remorse for her own incompetence.

When Jiang Wu returned, the Duchess was gone. She heard voices coming from inside the room.

"How could you lose to her?" It was Nianyin’s voice, laced with annoyance.

Chu Ye seemed to be comforting her. "It was just a coincidence that she has that name. Don't take it to heart."

"How could I not care? You simply shouldn't have lost to her."

Jiang Wu could not hear their conversation clearly, nor did she understand it, but hearing that her daughter was angry, she hurried inside.

Upon seeing her, both children fell silent. Nianyin was sitting up, and as soon as she saw her mother enter, her angry expression softened immediately.

Jiang Wu walked over and guided her back to bed. "The doctor said you need to rest quietly and must not get angry, do you understand?" As she spoke, she tucked the blankets around Nianyin.

The daughter, lying in the covers, revealed only her bright eyes and nodded obediently.

Jiang Wu’s heart ached again. She composed her emotions and continued, "Winning and losing are common in all things. It’s no big deal that your brother lost once; he is already very capable." She knew that her daughter might have been unable to accept her brother losing to someone else, especially since she had been so confident that he would win.

Nianyin bit her lip and whispered, "It’s not that," but after a moment, she changed her tone and said, "I know."

After settling her children, Jiang Wu boarded the carriage back to the Prime Minister’s residence with Chu Ling. From the moment they left the Duke’s estate, Jiang Wu had been too angry to say a word. Once inside the carriage, she sat as far away from him as possible, huddled in the corner. She knew Chu Ling was watching her, but her indignation had stripped away her usual timidity, and she stubbornly refused to look at him.

After the carriage had been traveling for a while, the man’s voice finally broke the silence.

"What is all this temper about?"