Chapter Twenty-One: The Young Princess of the Jiang Dynasty

After the meal, a servant brought over the medicine from the pharmacy. Hongzhu placed the medicine bowl on the small table. Jiang Jiu stared at the pitch-black liquid, its bitter stench wafting up, wrinkled her nose, and shoved the bowl away.

"Xiao Jiu, drink your medicine!"

Jiang Jiu gritted her teeth. "I won't!"

"Be good, Xiao Jiu. If you drink up, I'll take you out of the palace for some fun!"

"I won't! No matter what you say, I won't!" She had lived for hundreds of years and never encountered anything that smelled so vile. Just looking at it made her sick—someone please take it away!

Jiang Ling let out a helpless laugh. "Even with memory loss, you're still the same as before."

"Yes, Xiao Jiu was always like this with medicine—clenching her teeth, needing to be coaxed and tricked into it every time."

Coaxed and tricked, and right in front of me at that. Jiang Jiu's life before must not have been easy.

Shen Yueru silently produced a packet of candied dates, popped one into her mouth, and said, "My father found these dates at a market on the frontier. Why don't you try one, Princess? It should mask the bitterness."

Jiang Che accepted the dates, a little hesitant. Were the dates safe?

Sensing Jiang Che's doubt, Shen Yueru closed her eyes, casually picked up two dates, and ate them with no hesitation. Only then did Jiang Che feel confident enough to offer the dates to Jiang Jiu.

Jiang Jiu closed her eyes, grabbed a date, threw it in her mouth, and, like a hamster, chewed quickly. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, bright as gems, fixed on the remaining candied dates in Jiang Che's hand.

Her gaze said it all: I want more.

Jiang Ling, disbelieving, tried one. My god! Was this really a date? How could it be so sweet, with a hint of creamy flavor! After swallowing, he found himself craving another—the fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth, refusing to fade. This was the very essence of earthly delight!

Jiang Ling's eyes gleamed as he looked at Jiang Che. Jiang Che, still skeptical, picked up a date, took a small bite of the skin, and savored it.

After a moment.

"Xiao Jiu, if you finish your medicine, all the candied dates are yours."

Jiang Jiu looked thoroughly unimpressed. Hmph! Did they think a princess like her would stoop for a mere handful of candied dates? At least two handfuls, if you please!

[Master, where is your dignity?]

[Ha! After over two centuries, I’ve never thought of pampering my own appetite. Whenever I was hungry, I just relied on fasting pills.]

What is dignity? Can it be eaten?

If it can’t be eaten, it’s useless.

Pinching her nose, she gulped down the medicine in one go. The taste was overwhelming! The candied dates had sweetened her whole mouth, but this medicine was like a mudslide, turning her mouth foul.

Jiang Jiu pointed at her mouth, gesturing for the rest of the dates.

As promised, Jiang Che handed all the candied dates to Jiang Jiu, while Jiang Ling watched on with envy.

Shen Yueru was grateful she’d brought a bag of the dates from the storeroom before entering the palace. Her father kept them under lock and key, and their taste was truly unlike ordinary dates. If Shen Zhao learned she’d taken some from his private stash, he’d surely have a fit—after all, these dates were precious.

On the border of Jiang Country stood a snow-capped mountain, atop which grew a single hundred-year-old candied date tree. These dates ripened only once every five years, and the yield was small—there was only one such tree in the whole region. Every five years, Shen Zhao sent a large party of house guards to pick the fruit; though many set out, only a handful returned. Such was their rarity.

Sadly, Shen Yueru knew nothing of this. All she knew was that the dates tasted wonderful.

After some time, it was time for Jiang Jiu to return. Jiang Che escorted Jiang Jiu and Shen Yueru back to the Hall of Pear Blossoms, and Jiang Ling even struck up a conversation with Shen Yueru.

The gist was:

"Miss Shen, next time, could you bring more candied dates? Xiao Jiu will probably need to take medicine for a while yet, and I’m worried…"

"That shouldn't be a problem. I’ll ask my father when I get home, and if there are more, I’ll bring extra for you and the Second Prince!"

"Oh, that’s too kind of you. Thank you, Miss Shen!"

"It’s nothing at all!"

Shen Yueru was delighted; she’d rarely had the chance to speak with Jiang Che and Jiang Ling before, so she owed much to Jiang Jiu for this opportunity. Next time she visited the palace, she’d be sure to ask her father for more candied dates!

Jiang Ling was pleased as well. Sure enough, things were different with Xiao Jiu around—he could even benefit from her presence. Next time there were candied dates, surely some would be his!

Jiang Che found himself thinking: before her memory loss, Xiao Jiu had never cared much for the young lady of the Shen family. But this time…

And all of this was orchestrated by Jiang Jiu. Little Trickster had already reported everything to her.

She’d taken the first step toward befriending Shen Yueru. Now, Shen Yueru was no longer on guard, and perhaps even saw her as a benefactor!

Ahahahaha!

[Master, Xiaoling says the bone-regrowing grass is glowing!]

[What?]

[Hurry, Master, come take a look!]

With a flicker of thought, Jiang Jiu entered her personal space.

Inside, it was still spring. Many herbs transplanted from the outside world were blooming and bearing seeds. The bone-regrowing grass and mirage spirit were at the center of the herb field, surrounded by a warm white glow.

"It seems the space is perfect for their cultivation. In less than two years, the bone-regrowing grass has matured greatly, and the mirage spirit has gone straight into hibernation."

[Master, your space is so barren. Now that these two are hibernating, Little Trickster has no one to talk to.]

"You’re just a ball of mist. How can you be lonely? You have me."

[But Master, you rarely come here. I’ve seen other great cultivators—their spaces are like miniature worlds, full of exotic flowers, rare beasts; toss out any old thing, and it’s a local overlord…]

"Oh? Are you complaining?"

[No, not at all! I just want you to be more diligent, Master, and gather more treasures. At your venerable age of two hundred, your collection is smaller than most people’s storage rings. Dump these out, and nobody would even want them…]

"Little Trickster, are you itching for punishment?"

[I don’t have a body—how could I itch?]

"…"

Cheeky—did they think I, Lian, couldn’t wield a blade?

With a thought, she left the space.

Jiang Jiu sat in the courtyard. Shen Yueru had gone off somewhere, and even Aunt Hongzhu was busy with the Empress.

Since her rebirth, she’d been neglecting her cultivation. In the previous world, she’d nearly died from lack of spiritual power.

It seemed she’d have to devote more time to it in the future.

Her fingertips tapped lightly on the stone table, producing a clear, crisp sound. Her expression was vacant, lost in thought.