Chapter 34: The Eldest Young Master Shows a Reaction

"Father, ten years ago, I gave alms to a young beggar. Now that he has grown up, he has mastered the medical arts. He came to the capital a few days ago, heard about me, and sought me out to repay the favor. He can help treat my husband, and he can also treat the illness of Elder Jin. I took this opportunity to ask him to bridge that connection for us," Yu Yuanzheng fabricated a lie.

For now, she did not want her family to know that she was the miraculous doctor herself. She could easily deceive her two maids, who were always with her and naturally sided with her. However, her own kin were harder to fool. If she became famous and the news leaked, it would be troublesome if everyone came to her father for help.

"Is that true?" Yu Yunzhi was even more surprised. His daughter had cultivated such a virtuous connection, which now benefited him as her father.

"It is true."

"That is wonderful! With the guidance of Elder Jin, I will surely pass the imperial examination. You do not know this, but Elder Jin is a titan in the literary world. Countless people wish for his guidance but never get the chance. If not for his illness, the Emperor would never have allowed him to retire. He is a man of great wisdom." Yu Yunzhi paced back and forth in the room in excitement, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Big Sister, can I also become a student of Elder Jin?" Yu Qingsheng was also ecstatic, though he soon felt dejected, remembering that he had not even passed the preliminary examination to become a scholar yet.

"Of course, provided you can pass his assessment. So, organize your thoughts now. You can visit him tomorrow with some gifts for his health, but remember: wear a mask and keep a distance of at least five feet from Elder Jin."

"Good, good, good!" the father and son replied in unison.

Yu Yuanzheng happily finished lunch at her parents' home and then went to the Hundred Herbs Hall to buy some medicine; she needed to prepare a medicated bath for the Eldest Young Master that evening. She also had to continue making medicinal pills. The pills she had previously made for Elder Jin were not coated in beeswax, meaning they would only stay fresh for about ten days. Now that she wanted to make some for sale, she needed to coat them in beeswax to preserve their potency for a long time. She pondered which medicines would be popular among wealthy families and decided to start with those.

Her dowry was not substantial; her two shops earned at most five hundred taels of silver a month, which was only a modest profit. As for the funds from the Prince’s estate, she only received a monthly allowance. According to Nanny Ye, the Heir received one hundred taels and his consort eighty, but since she and her husband had lost their titles as Heir and Heir-consort, they only received fifty taels each, totaling one hundred taels for the pair. This was only because the Eldest Young Master was a direct descendant of the Prince. Any other expenses had to go through the Princess, and major expenses required the Prince’s approval. Since the family had not yet split, the household of the Second Old Madam was always watching. If she acted unreasonably, she would be caught. Thinking it over, she realized that having money of her own was the ultimate necessity.

That night, Yu Yuanzheng and the three guards performed another medicated bath and bloodletting for the Eldest Young Master. After tidying up, they placed him back on the bed. As Qingfeng and Mingyue were dressing the Eldest Young Master and changing his diaper, they accidentally brushed against his private area.

Then, they witnessed a miraculous sight. The Eldest Young Master’s member had risen prominently. Both servants were men, and they certainly understood what this meant. They stared at that spot, eyes wide, completely stunned. They had served the Eldest Young Master for so long and had never encountered such a thing. Witnessing it tonight, their hearts were filled with wild joy.

The Eldest Young Mistress was a lady; they were men and felt too embarrassed to speak of it directly to her. This matter had to be reported to the Prince.

Yu Yuanzheng had not seen it, as she considered it inappropriate to be present while the two men were changing his clothes. Once everything was set, the two servants retreated to stand night watch.

Early the next morning, as soon as they heard the Prince had risen, the two servants immediately sought him out.

"Your Highness, good news!" Qingfeng exclaimed with a salute the moment he saw the Prince. "Your Highness, could we speak in the study?" Qingfeng felt it was best to keep this matter confidential.

The group went to the front courtyard. "Speak," the Prince said, staring at the two visibly excited servants.

"Your Highness, while we were tending to the Eldest Young Master last night, we discovered he had a reaction," Mingyue said, speaking first in his excitement.

"Oh? Has Ziqi awakened?" The Prince leaned forward, also excited.

"Uh, Your Highness, the Eldest Young Master hasn't awakened, but he had a physical reaction down there." Mingyue felt awkward saying it directly and gestured toward his own crotch.

The Prince, being a man, understood immediately. "Truly? That is wonderful! Ziqi’s wife’s suggestion to suspend the other treatments was indeed the right choice." The Prince slapped the armrest of his chair in excitement.

The two servants did not think so; they knew clearly that this was the result of the Eldest Young Mistress’s medical treatment. From that moment on, their faith in her medical skills was absolute.

"Very well, keep this matter a secret for now," the Prince decided immediately. Since the title of Heir had just been given to Zishu, it was not yet time to reveal signs of Ziqi’s recovery.

The Prince went to the morning court in high spirits, while the two servants went to catch up on sleep.

Yu Yuanzheng had slept late the previous night and had already asked the Princess for leave, so she did not need to pay her respects that morning. She enjoyed a long, restful sleep.

Yuanshan and Jinshui were already waiting outside, but they did not have the heart to rush the Eldest Young Mistress, knowing she had been busy with the Eldest Young Master's treatment until late. They had been responsible for guarding the perimeter of the Qiya Courtyard to ensure no one approached.

Yu Yuanzheng habitually went to change Shangguan Ziqi’s diaper. In her previous life, she had been unmarried and embarrassed to look at a man’s private parts; she usually just pulled the diaper out from under him. But today, she felt resistance. Out of curiosity, and because there was no one else in the room, she lifted the quilt to check.

When she lifted it, she saw… she… blinked her eyes and looked again. She felt no shyness; at that moment, she was merely a physician observing a patient’s condition. Could it be? She recalled the last ten days of sleeping in the same bed; she had never seen or felt anything. She let the quilt fall back; the slight bulge in the fabric was very noticeable.

That was wonderful! He would certainly not die in half a year; he even had a man’s physiological response. Yu Zhaoyang’s prophecy was about to fail. She wondered what Zhaoyang’s reaction would be when the Eldest Young Master was still alive after six months.

She got up, washed up in a pleasant mood, ate a late breakfast, and then brought her two maids to visit the Princess’s courtyard. She and her mother-in-law were getting along quite well. In her heart, Yu Yuanzheng felt they were more like peers. Though they had received different educations, she liked the Princess’s refined, noble temperament. By spending more time with her, perhaps she could also become a lady of quality and change her old habits to better adapt to life in an aristocratic inner household.

However, as soon as Yu Yuanzheng entered the Honghao Courtyard, she heard what sounded like a large crowd in the main hall. Their voices could be heard even from the courtyard. Did they have guests?