Impossible.
Even if the Emperor couldn't remember, would the Empress Dowager not? Would the court officials not?
The Empress Dowager had mentioned wanting to hold her great-grandchild several times.
Prince Rong was unable to have children, so he was out of the question. Prince Qi was under house arrest, so he couldn't be relied upon either. Only the Crown Prince was left.
The Empress Dowager had looked at the Dragon and Phoenix twins born to the Ding'an Prince's mansion with great envy. Every few days, she would remind Noble Consort Wei to enrich the Crown Prince's inner court. The royal family's prosperity depended on the Crown Prince.
"Actually, Mu Jin is enough as a secondary consort," Noble Consort Wei said. "Although the Yun family holds great power, they are far away. Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. They can serve as a deterrent, but that's all. In Dasheng, one must still have close allies. Those who can directly support you in court are the best."
Noble Consort Wei's words made sense, and the Crown Prince nodded. "I will leave it to Mother Consort to decide."
Noble Consort Wei nodded with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, in the Ding'an Prince's mansion, Xiao Yun was looking at the abstract drawing of the divine doctor by Bian Siyue, scrutinizing it from every angle. He would frown, then gasp, his expression as dramatic as a Peking Opera performance.
Wang Qingyao had just finished playing with Pingping and An'an. Both children could walk now. An'an had started walking earlier than Pingping, but she was too eager and always running, either falling or on the verge of falling. She was also a chatterbox, and even though she only spoke in short phrases, it didn't stop her enthusiastic attempts at conversation.
Yinzhu loved to tease her into talking.
Normally, Yinzhu would be jealous that Zhenzhu always got to go out with Wang Qingyao. But lately, even when Wang Qingyao invited her along, Yinzhu would find excuses to stay. She didn't want to leave An'an for a moment.
Pingping had always followed an old-fashioned approach, speaking only when necessary. He wasn't as steady as An'an when walking, but he walked slowly and steadily, managing not to fall much.
Now, the two children were tired, and their wet nurse had taken them to rest.
Wang Qingyao also leaned back on the couch, resting and sipping a bowl of warm milk.
The weather was getting colder, and she really wanted to have some hot pot, mala tang, or chuan chuan. However, her current role was still that of a "blind person," and she couldn't act freely.
Seeing Xiao Yun staring intently at the divine doctor's portrait, she asked, "What's wrong? Can you see flowers from just one portrait? How about we ask Siyue to draw a few more? If she draws more, maybe we can find something."
In recent days, various doctors had been coming and going from the Ding'an Prince's mansion.
Of course, no matter their background, Wang Qingyao's eyes were incurable.
She had been pretending to be blind for so long to bring down Wei Yu, and she was almost at her limit.
Now that she had severely extorted a large sum from the Wei family, if her eyes were to heal quickly, would Grand Tutor Wei be so angered that he'd keel over and die?
Xiao Yun sat by the couch and held the portrait up to Wang Qingyao's eyes. "Does this portrait have any of the National Teacher's charm?"
Wang Qingyao sat up abruptly. "National Teacher Feng Fu?"
She took the portrait and looked at it. She hadn't thought of it before, but now that Xiao Yun mentioned it, it really did resemble National Teacher Feng Fu.
"The day we extorted Grand Tutor Wei, I met National Teacher Feng Fu in the palace. I heard he's been obsessed with handicrafts lately, spending all day in his room and rarely showing himself. I haven't seen him in a long time either. I happened to run into him that day. His beard was a bit fuller than before, and his eyes were a little hazy. At first glance, I thought of this portrait."
"No wonder you said the portrait looked familiar," Wang Qingyao said, then reminded him, "How can you call it extorting? We are seeking our legal compensation."
Xiao Yun chuckled, kissed her on the cheek, and nestled close to her.
"Do you remember when your grandmother suffered from insomnia before you were married and wanted you to cut your flesh?"
"I remember!"
"It was the National Teacher who cured her back then. The medicine he gave was called An Shen San. But think about it," Xiao Yun analyzed carefully, "your grandmother's insomnia wasn't diagnosed as poisoning by any doctor. In a state of mere insomnia, wouldn't doctors have prescribed An Shen San long ago?"
That made a lot of sense.
Wang Qingyao continued his line of reasoning. "So, you're saying the National Teacher is actually a divine doctor, which is why he easily resolved the old lady's poisoning?"
Xiao Yun nodded vigorously.
"Then shall we invite National Teacher Feng Fu over?"
Xiao Yun nodded again. "But..."
A look of hesitation appeared on his face. "If the National Teacher is truly a divine doctor, and he knows about your blindness, why hasn't he come forward? Perhaps he's not easily persuaded. What if he denies it?"
Wang Qingyao pondered for a moment. "How about this, you can invite him over for a meal. Don't mention the divine doctor or curing my eyes. Also, invite your third brother-in-law."
Third brother-in-law was Wang Qingzhen's husband, Weng Zhicheng, who used to work in the Ministry of Revenue.
"Third brother-in-law?" Xiao Yun asked, confused.
"Don't you remember? Third brother-in-law also likes handicrafts. Doesn't he often carve various small trinkets for third sister? Perhaps he and National Teacher Feng Fu will have something in common."
Xiao Yun made a note of it.
A moment later, he lightly pinched her waist and asked, "Are you envious?"
"Envious of what?"
"That third brother-in-law often gives third sister handmade trinkets..."
Wang Qingyao chuckled. "I am quite envious. How about you carve one for me too?"
Xiao Yun fell into contemplation.