Late spring weather changed without warning. When Shen Wan woke from her afternoon nap, the sky that had been clear earlier suddenly filled with rain. Damp moisture seeped in through the gaps in the window, making everything feel languid and drowsy.
Shen Wan hugged her quilt and rolled over on the bed, feeling lazy and unwilling to get up. Zhi Chu, who was waiting nearby, heard the movement, lifted the bed curtains, and took out a slightly thicker set of spring clothes. Then, as if remembering something, she said, "Miss, Young Master just sent word that he'll be coming over later."
Shen Wan paused mid‑motion as she put on her clothes and looked up in surprise. "Did he say what it was about?"
Zhi Chu shook her head. "No, just that he has something to discuss with you."
Shen Wan thought it over and vaguely felt that Shen Chuan was probably coming about the medical attendant the Prince of Yong had sent. As it turned out, her intuition was spot‑on.
When Shen Chuan arrived, a thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and his shoulders were slightly damp. Shen Wan poured him a cup of ginger tea and watched him finish it before the siblings finally sat down properly.
"Wanwan," Shen Chuan hesitated a little, then said after some consideration, "His Highness the Prince of Yong has already ordered the medical attendants delivered. I was thinking it would be best to place them with you."
Shen Wan blinked, finding Shen Chuan's roundabout phrasing a bit hard to follow. Shen Chuan quickly realized this as well and decided to be direct. "His Highness is the ruler, we are his subjects. Even though these medical attendants are bestowed by him, we can choose not to use them. As for their monthly stipends, I've already spoken with Mother—she'll have the steward allocate extra funds to you."
Only then did Shen Wan understand his meaning.
She had seen this before in dramas: when officials received gifts from the sovereign, most would carefully store them away rather than truly use them. Although Lu Zhan had sent medical attendants, the principle was much the same.
Shen Wan had no objections and nodded obediently.
Shen Chuan knew his sister's temperament well. He had prepared a whole speech of reassurance, but to his surprise, the matter was resolved with such ease. He couldn't help feeling gratified. "Mother was right. Since recovering from your illness, you've really become much more well‑behaved."
Shen Wan maintained her smile with a guilty conscience, her cheeks almost stiff from holding it.
Like many parents who suddenly realize their troublesome child has grown up, Shen Chuan was so overwhelmed with relief that his eyes grew warm. He completely missed Shen Wan's expression. Once he had collected himself, he returned to the earlier topic. "Although His Highness's medical attendants can't be used, Grandmother and Mother both feel it would still be good to find a maid who understands medicine and pharmacology to help you recuperate and attend you closely. Right now you only have Zhi Chu as a senior maid—consider this filling the vacancy."
In another half year, Shen Wan would come of age. Noble ladies in the capital usually had two senior maids after that, so Shen Chuan's suggestion was entirely reasonable. Shen Wan also valued her life; having a medical attendant nearby was an extra safeguard, so she naturally agreed.
After spending far less time persuading her than he'd expected, Shen Chuan took advantage of the free moment to chat with his sister a bit more. "I heard you've been asking the estate guards about His Highness recently?"
Shen Wan was startled and instinctively wanted to deny it, but changed her words at the last moment. "After returning from Huguo Temple with Mother, I heard His Highness had been poisoned. Since Father and you both serve under him, I asked a few extra questions."
Shen Chuan had only asked casually. Hearing her answer, he felt deeply moved and gently rubbed her head. "Wanwan has really grown up."
Suppressing her guilt, Shen Wan glanced out at the rain through the window. Once he finished his sentimental sighing, she finally asked, "Brother, has the person who poisoned him been caught?"
She had asked five or six guards this question and only received vague answers. Though she hadn't shown it, she was anxious inside.
Apart from the opening arc, the timeline in *Pampered* was always glossed over. In the original plot, not long after Emperor Zhaowen investigated the poisoning, Lu Zhan was sent south to Jiangnan on assignment. At that time, the other three princes sensed the threat he posed and decided to unite to eliminate him, setting up many ambushes along the way. Lu Zhan survived, but was gravely injured.
Shen Wan remembered that arc vividly, yet couldn't pin down the exact timing. She was afraid that if she wasn't careful, Lu Zhan would leave the capital quietly and walk straight into the trap laid by the other three.
Unaware of all this, Shen Chuan answered frankly. "The culprit was caught, but he was just a scapegoat. The true mastermind wasn't harmed at all." He sighed, clearly dissatisfied with the outcome.
Shen Wan wasn't surprised.
The Empress was devout, and Lu Zhan was filial. He went to Huguo Temple every month on her behalf, which was no secret. The Prince of Cheng, Prince of Ping, and Prince of Shun had all long harbored murderous intent. They each planned to kill Lu Zhan at the temple, but because they hadn't coordinated with one another, their subordinates accidentally disrupted each other's plans, resulting in Lu Zhan merely being poisoned.
Even so, Emperor Zhaowen was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. The officials in charge dared not be careless and nearly exposed the three princes behind the scenes.
—It was precisely because of this lesson that the three later decided to unite against Lu Zhan.
Thinking about the original plot made Shen Wan's head ache. She rubbed her temples and asked, "So the scapegoat has already been dealt with?"
"He's already been handled. And you don't need to worry about Father and Big Brother," Shen Chuan said, interpreting her concern differently. "We're court officials after all. Even those princes have to think twice before touching us. By the way, I'll be leaving the capital with His Highness soon. Grandmother and Mother won't be able to watch over you, so you'll have to take care of yourself—especially your health."
Her hand froze mid‑rub. Shen Wan suddenly looked up, nearly twisting her neck in the process. "Brother, you're leaving the capital?"
Shen Chuan's heart melted. He smiled gently. "His Highness has taken on a new assignment, and I'll be accompanying him. We leave tomorrow. Don't worry—there won't be any danger."
Shen Wan turned her head slightly and closed her eyes, a thread of relief rising in her heart. Good thing she'd asked. Otherwise, if the original plot slipped by unnoticed, Lu Zhan might leave standing and return horizontal. Ancient medicine wasn't that advanced, and there were too many unpredictable variables.
Steadying herself, she followed up, "Are you taking many people? Is it really safe?"
"Of course," Shen Chuan reassured her repeatedly. "His Highness is very cautious. Besides the obvious guards, there's also a group traveling in secret."
Shen Wan desperately wanted to complain that this arrangement was exactly the same as in the original plot—and Lu Zhan still ended up seriously injured. But she held it back. Looking at Shen Chuan seriously, she frowned in thought and said softly, "I'm still a bit uneasy. What if the three princes take the chance to strike? Brother, why don't you suggest to His Highness to bring more guards?"
"But everything's already been arranged," Shen Chuan hesitated. "Adding more people would take time to select them, and we'd have to prepare supplies and funds all over again."
If she weren't afraid of being taken as an accomplice, Shen Wan would have liked to list every ambush she remembered. Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, she took a deep breath and proposed her backup plan. "Then how about having a group disguise themselves and travel ahead of you? That way, if there really is an ambush, you'll have some warning."
Shen Chuan was a classic vanguard‑type general—excellent at charging ahead on the battlefield, but strategy was another matter entirely. Hearing her suggestion, his eyes lit up and he slapped the table excitedly.
"That's a great idea. I'll ask His Highness later." He committed it to memory and was moved for the third time in a short span. "Wanwan, you're so worried about Big Brother. It really touches me."
Shen Wan smiled. On reflection, it didn't seem entirely wrong. Saving the male lead meant saving the Shen family, and Shen Chuan was part of that family.
"Brother," Shen Wan, nearly exhausted from worry, added one more thing to be safe. "Is there anyone among those traveling with you who understands medicine?"
"Probably. I'll ask as well." Shen Chuan finally sensed something and probed cautiously. "Wanwan, do you perhaps have feelings for His Highness?"
A sudden roll of thunder boomed outside without warning, nearly making Shen Chuan bite his tongue.
Shen Wan felt both amused and exasperated. She waved her hands repeatedly, her soft girlish voice sounding anything but firm. "No, of course not. Brother, don't go listening to storytellers at teahouses all the time. Those stories are all fake."
Just as his favorite pastime was being questioned, Shen Chuan was about to retort when a sudden knock interrupted him.
"Miss, Young Master, His Highness the Prince of Yong has sent Lady Hebai over. Where should she be arranged?" Zhi Chu's voice came through the rain, carrying an unusual undertone, as if it were a warning.
Hearing this, Shen Wan raised a hand to cover her face in misery.
Shen Chuan glanced at her hesitantly, then stepped forward to open the door. Outside the carved wooden door, Zhi Chu stood side by side with a young girl whose face he didn't recognize. They both looked toward him at the sound.
Shen Chuan stiffened. Though it was only early May, a chill suddenly ran down his back.
Author's Note:
Shen Chuan (slapping his own mouth): Told you not to talk nonsense! I'll smash this stupid mouth!
Wanwan (muttering softly): If they heard it, they heard it… as a transmigrated woman, I fear nothing!
Lu Zhan: Wanwan is so special! I like her!
Second update delivered. Good night, darlings. Mwah!