Hearing her son’s cry, she immediately went to meet him.
“Yu’er, my son!” Consort Mei, wearing a mask and with her hair disheveled, rushed out.
However, upon seeing the dark-faced, rough-skinned young man standing in the hall, she stopped abruptly. “Brave sir, are you truly my son? Jing Yu?”
Prince Yu thumped his sturdy chest with a thud and said helplessly, “Mother Consort, I am truly your own son, your genuine, bona fide son, Xia Jing Yu!”
Consort Mei stepped forward, tilted her head, and examined him closely. Suddenly, she opened her arms and exclaimed with joy, “Son, you are truly my son, my little Yu’er!”
She had heard long ago that her son had gotten very tanned from cultivating desert plants and planting trees, but she had never imagined he would become so dark and rough. Where had the fair-skinned, delicate, and proud boy gone?
Her son had clearly endured much hardship in the past two years.
“Mother Consort! It is your son!” Prince Yu’s eyes welled up, and he embraced his mother.
Zi Qiu glanced outside, dismissed everyone, and quickly closed the hall doors.
If anyone from the Empress’s faction saw this, they would surely gossip to the Emperor.
Prince Yu put his arm around Consort Mei’s shoulders and said, “Mother Consort, you said you had something important to tell me. What is it? Have those bitches bullied you again? Tell me, and I’ll find a way to deal with them!”
“Naturally not,” Consort Mei shook her head and lowered her voice. “It’s Xiao Sheng who healed my face.”
Consort Mei dared not write to Prince Yu about this matter. She feared that someone might shoot down carrier pigeons or intercept letters, so speaking in person was more prudent.
“What? You’re saying the little dark-faced one healed your face?” Prince Yu was quite shocked.
Consort Mei nodded and raised her hand, removing the mask from her face.
Beneath the mask, her face was as smooth and fair as it was in her youth, with no trace of the backlash.
Prince Yu had not seen this face for eighteen years.
Prince Yu exclaimed joyfully, “Mother Consort, your face! It’s actually healed!”
“Of course,” Consort Mei smiled and nodded. “Yu’er, I have kept this from everyone. In Yong’an Palace, apart from Zi Qiu and Zhu Hou, no one knows.”
Prince Yu’s gaze deepened, and he said in a low voice, “Mother Consort, rest assured, I understand your intentions. However, Mother Consort, didn’t you say your face was a backlash from Gu techniques and could not be cured? How could the little dark-faced one—”
Consort Mei said gently, “That’s what I truly believed, and I had consulted many Gu doctors before. They all said the same thing. When Xiao Sheng and I first met, I showed her my face.
Unexpectedly, she remembered this matter and, upon returning to Hongshu Village, asked her master if there was a way to treat it. Her master then taught her a method called ‘transference of Gu,’ Yu’er, you’ve met Xiao Sheng’s master, haven’t you? They say she is a very powerful Gu doctor.”
Prince Yu nodded. “I know her. It’s Granny Wu.”
“How is she? Is she very kind?” Consort Mei really wanted to meet this eminent Gu doctor and perhaps even become her disciple.
Prince Yu thought for a moment. “I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but I feel she doesn’t like me very much. She is kind to everyone else, but a bit cold towards me.” Sometimes, her eyes held inexplicable hatred.
Consort Mei smiled confidently. “Many people don’t like my son. It’s normal.”
“Mother Consort, your son is dashing, handsome, and an excellent man of high quality. Naturally, many common folk cannot appreciate him.” Prince Yu rubbed the tip of his nose with his thumb, a look of defiance on his face.
Consort Mei laughed. “Yes, that’s right. You inherited it from me.”
Mother and son burst into laughter.
Consort Mei then recounted the events in the capital over the past two years to Prince Yu.
When speaking of Bai Sheng healing Xin Yao’s face, Consort Mei praised, “You have no idea how capable Xiao Sheng is. Based on the transference technique, she has also created a new Gu technique for facial reconstruction, which can heal disfigured faces.”
Prince Yu’s gaze softened, and a smile curved his lips. “She is capable in everything she does.”
Consort Mei looked at her son’s expression and sighed softly. “Yu’er, you and Xiao Sheng…”
Prince Yu lowered his eyes and smiled. “I only wish her happiness, nothing more.”
Consort Mei sighed softly and nodded.
“However, Mother Consort, if you want to hold your grandchild, I can find a bunch of women and have dozens of children,” Prince Yu winked and said with a sly smile.
Consort Mei chuckled. “You are already this old. Live your life however you wish. Mother Consort only hopes you will be happy.”
“Thank you, Mother Consort. You are the best Mother Consort,” Prince Yu said, shaking Consort Mei’s hand. “Mother Consort, I’m a bit confused. Why would the little dark-faced one be willing to help Xin Yao with her face?”
Consort Mei replied, “I also asked Xiao Sheng. She said that in exchange, Xin Yao gave her some super juicy gossip, enough to destroy the Empress and the Crown Prince.”
“Xin Yao had a falling out with the Empress?” Prince Yu sounded surprised.
“It seems so.” Consort Mei then told Prince Yu about how the young ladies from the Zhou and Dong families had framed Bai Sheng, and how they had designed and kidnapped Rui Rui to force Bai Sheng to treat their faces.
A cold glint appeared in Prince Yu’s eyes. “The Zhou family and the Dong family, I have noted them.”
“Yu’er, you must be extremely careful during your time in the capital. The Empress and the Crown Prince still don’t know how they will deal with you,” Consort Mei admonished him gravely.
“Mother Consort, rest assured, I know what I’m doing.” Prince Yu smiled slightly, then suddenly remembered something. He looked at Consort Mei expectantly. “Mother Consort, after New Year’s Eve, can we go to Yuhua Lane and celebrate the New Year with the little dark-faced one?”
Even just looking at the little dark-faced one from afar made him feel happy.
“Of course, we can.” Consort Mei covered her mouth with her hand and said mysteriously, “Yu’er, you don’t know, but I often sneak out of the palace. Zi Qiu impersonates me in the palace to cover for me. After New Year’s Eve, we’ll go to Xiao Sheng’s home. I also want to meet Xiao Sheng’s master. If it weren’t for her, my face wouldn’t have been healed.”
“Good, Mother Consort, you’re so clever!” Prince Yu gave Consort Mei a thumbs-up.
A few days before New Year’s Eve, everyone at the Lu residence mobilized, working together to prepare New Year’s goods. With so many people, everything was ready in two to three days.
Time flew by, and it was already New Year’s Eve.
The twenty people from Baihua Manor arrived at the residence early after breakfast, driving their carriages. Including the female workers from the underwear workshop, there were over eighty people in total.
With about eight people per table, ten tables needed to be prepared.
Uncle Ding introduced everyone to each other, and then they began preparing the reunion dinner.
The reunion dinner menu was decided by Bai Sheng and the six main chefs in the kitchen. Each table would have fifteen dishes, including lamb hot pot, braised fish, spicy rabbit meat, braised beef ribs, and white-cut chicken, with a focus on meat dishes and a few vegetable dishes for balance.
There would be no performances on this New Year’s Eve. That night, she and Lu Ye had important matters to attend to.
To prevent their brief absence from being noticed by their family members, Bai Sheng prepared over a dozen mahjong sets and decks of cards, along with several baskets of copper coins.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone could entertain themselves together.