Chapter 55: Chang Yuniang Paralyzed

A Princess consort meeting a strange man in private was no trivial matter!
Women from merchant families seemed naturally fond of gossiping about such private affairs.
By the time Chang Yuniang supported Dowager Consort Xu over, the doorway of Yilan Residence was already crowded with whispering, peeking onlookers.
Those women clustered around the vermilion doors of Yilan Residence, wanting to get closer yet held back by etiquette from overstepping, able only to gaze from afar and speculate in whispered tones.
"Pardon me, ladies, please make way." Chang Yuniang plastered on a smile, though a hint of urgency was unmistakable in her tone.
Hearing this, the crowd hurriedly cleared a path.
Inside the courtyard of Yilan Residence, a fresh-faced youth sat face-to-face with Ning Junruo and Li Hengwu, the three of them chatting and laughing happily, in high spirits.
Dowager Consort Xu led a retinue of female guests inside. Seeing this scene, her expression turned stern, and her gaze pierced the young man like a torch. "Who is this?"
Li Hengwu hurriedly stood up and respectfully replied, "Reporting to the Dowager Consort, this is my younger brother, Hengze. Today, I came with him to the Prince's estate for the banquet. Learning that Grandfather has acknowledged the Princess consort as his granddaughter, Hengze specifically came to pay his respects to my sister."
At fourteen or fifteen years of age, Li Hengze already stood much taller than Ning Junruo, a sight that inevitably invited the imagination.
"To pay respects?"
Dowager Consort Xu frowned slightly, clearly unsatisfied with this explanation. "Young Master Li is no longer a child. Trespassing into the quarters of female residents in this manner is hardly appropriate, and why wasn't there any prior notice?"
Li Hengze was also a scholar. Although he had heard the poems circulating in Liangzhou City concerning the Princess consort, he had always felt they were overblown and exaggerated.
Who would have thought that after returning home from the Prince of Liang's estate, his grandfather would praise the Princess consort all day long, calling her intelligent and sharp, a rare and remarkable woman.
His grandfather never praised anyone lightly, and the only person he had willingly acknowledged as a granddaughter was the Princess consort of Liang.
Full of curiosity, Li Hengze was even more determined to pay his respects to this extraordinary woman.
Therefore, finding the socializing outside tedious, he had decided to come and greet his nominal sister.
However, the Prince's estate was swarming with guests today, and the servants were up to their ears in work. He had searched everywhere for someone to announce him, only to be repeatedly given the cold shoulder.
"Hengze pays his respects to the Dowager Consort." He stood up and bowed, his manners refined. "This junior did not intentionally fail to announce myself; truly, I could find no one to announce me, and upon learning that my sister and the Princess consort were here, I had no choice but to inquire my way here myself."
Knowing the truth full well, Chang Yuniang deliberately raised her voice and cried out in feigned astonishment, "This young master looks thoroughly unfamiliar, yet he is so remarkably close to the Princess consort. Could it be that you two were already acquainted?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the women who knew nothing of the truth erupted into a flurry of discussion.
"I thought this young master had deep ties with the Prince's estate to be so unconstrained. Viewed in this light, I fear he is only well-acquainted with the Princess consort."
"The Princess consort comes from a prestigious and noble family in the capital and is deeply adored by the literati and scholars of Liangzhou. It is said that to win the Princess consort's favor, quite a few scholars have wielded their brushes to write poems of praise. Since Young Master Li is a scholar, could he..."
"Could he what?"
Hearing this, everyone pricked up their ears to listen closely.
Ning Junruo locked her gaze onto Chang Yuniang, a calm smile hanging at the corners of her lips, her voice soft yet incomparably firm.
"Hengze has just arrived, and we were merely discussing matters concerning the academy—how could there be any talk of us being closely acquainted? Furthermore, the affection between the Li family and the Prince's estate is already common knowledge. Master Li has already acknowledged me as his granddaughter, and as my younger brother, Hengze has come to visit me, his elder sister. May I ask you, younger sister, what is inappropriate about this?"
The matter of Li Tailai acknowledging the Princess consort as his granddaughter had long become a celebrated tale in Liangzhou City, and many people had heard of it.
So this tall and handsome young talent was none other than the Li family's young master.
The crowd experienced a sudden realization; their previous suspicions were merely a reflection of their own dirty minds.
To save face, Chang Yuniang's tone turned bitter and acid. "You haven't burned incense and sworn brotherhood, so what kind of sister and brother are you?"
A trace of displeasure flashed across Dowager Consort Xu's well-maintained face. "Even if you truly are sister and brother, Young Master Li is no longer a child. Even if the Li family failed to teach him, the Princess consort should still observe propriety!"
Ning Junruo took a light step, walking to Li Hengze's side with a look of absolute resolve in her eyes. "Although Hengze is a man, his heart is open and upright. Everything he and I discussed pertained to academy matters, completely devoid of romantic affairs. Moreover, Her Ladyship once promised Master Li that she would not interfere in matters concerning my Yilan Residence. I walk an upright path and sit with integrity—when someone comes to visit, why should I need others to wag their tongues?"
With these words, the surroundings instantly fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, utterly overawed by the Princess consort's imposing aura.
She had indeed made that promise. Dowager Consort Xu was utterly furious, but whatever she wanted to say ultimately remained unspoken.
Chang Yuniang's expression shifted slightly, but she said no more, only secretly gritting her teeth and plotting in her heart how to save face.
"The Princess consort is wise; the rest of us were simply overthinking." Within the crowd, an elderly woman timely spoke up, breaking the deadlock. Dressed in simple attire with a benevolent expression, she was Lady Zhao, a renowned philanthropist in Liangzhou City.
"Young Master Li is fourteen years of age, and he and the Princess consort have sworn sister and brotherly ties, discussing matters of the academy. We women should refrain from wild speculations to avoid losing our sense of propriety."
"Lady Zhao's words are entirely reasonable." The crowd echoed her sentiments one after another, and the atmosphere gradually eased.
"Many thanks to Lady Zhao for clearing the siege." Li Hengze bowed in gratitude, admiration for Ning Junruo flashing in his eyes.
He had never expected that this legendary Princess consort would possess not only extraordinary intelligence, but also the魄力 to command the entire situation.
Only now did Li Hengze truly believe that his grandfather's words were entirely true.
As night fell, the Prince of Liang's estate was brilliantly illuminated. At the banquet, guests exchanged toasts and laughed merrily. Li Hengwu sat beside Ning Junruo, the two of them whispering from time to time, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
"Many thanks to all the ladies for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend Cheng'er's full-month banquet. This concubine offers this cup to you all."
Chang Yuniang stood up holding a golden goblet, assuming entirely the demeanor of the mistress of the house.
Seeing this, the ladies also stood up. Chang Yuniang was extremely delighted. "Everyone, I shall drain this cup first!"
Her son's full-month banquet had been held with such grandeur, and she had stolen the spotlight in front of everyone. Radiant with triumph, Chang Yuniang had consumed quite a bit of wine despite having just left confinement.
After draining her cup and lowering it, Chang Yuniang readied herself to sit back down when she suddenly felt her legs grow weak.
She swayed, and just as she was about to topple over, a maidservant was quick-witted enough to support her. Yet, like a collapsing mountain, she slumped straight down anyway.
"Mistress! Mistress, what is wrong with you?"
Had the maidservant not grabbed onto her with all her might, she would have sprawled flat upon the ground.
"My legs, my legs... could they be paralyzed?" Chang Yuniang's voice trembled noticeably.
A wave of exclamations rose from the crowd. "Good heavens, could there be something wrong with this wine?"
"Could someone have poisoned the wine?"
...
With the maidservant's assistance, Chang Yuniang managed to seat herself, but she was unwilling to accept it and insisted on trying to sit up properly. To her shock, both her legs were completely numb and devoid of sensation, utterly incapable of supporting her weight.