Manbao said, "I also want to go riding in the countryside."
Bai Shan replied, "It’s dangerous right now, wait for Daji to co back."
He sighed, "I don’t know when Daji will be done with his family matters and return."
With Daji around, things always feel a bit more secure.
Manbao also nodded.
But this ti he’s moving with his entire family, so they won’t send a letter to urge him; what if he rushes here and loses sothing in the process?
Manbao returned to her room and asked Zhou Liru for help in applying dicine on her bruise. She is the most naive among them, and since the adults deliberately avoided discussing things in front of the children, she still thought it was just an accident. She asked, "Aunt, should we be responsible for that coachman’s treatnt?"
Manbao nodded, "More or less."
"Do you have enough money?" Zhou Liru didn’t know how much the dicine cost, but considering Rong Si was badly injured, it should be quite a sum.
Manbao said, "It’s enough, don’t worry about the money."
Although she’s pained by the expense, she could still afford the dicine.
Manbao pretended nothing was wrong, had lunch, then went back to her room to rest. Using a soft pillow for support, she finally exhaled comfortably and focused her consciousness to check on the Crown Prince.
Normally, she would review the video recorded the previous day, but today she watched the live feed directly.
Soone was reporting to the Crown Prince, "... There were many onlookers at the ti, and it was chaotic. No one at the scene saw who threw sothing into the carriage. However, soone in a teahouse far away caught a glimpse, though they didn’t see it clearly. I have already sent soone to investigate further."
The Crown Prince’s hand, holding the pen, trembled—a sign of his anger!
His temper wasn’t good; the Crown Princess suggested he practice calligraphy to control it. Lately, the two of them had been as sweet as honey, so he followed her suggestion. Yet, at this mont, he felt like throwing the pen down and venting his anger. But on second thought, it wasn’t worth it and might even hurt like Zhou Man said. So he snorted and asked, "Is soone keeping an eye on Hou Ji?"
"Yes, there’s been no sign of movent so far."
"Keep watching. I want to see what sort of riffraff we’re dealing with."
"Yes, Your Highness."
He stepped aside as Eunuch Wu reported, "Your servant had people investigate. The usual coachman for Doctor Zhou Junior is nad Rong Si, accompanied by Zhao Ding. However, Zhao Ding is lazy. Seeing he could not make much following Doctor Zhou Junior, he often left the job to Rong Si."
"But two days ago, Rong Si suddenly had stomach issues—not too serious, so he didn’t dare ask for leave and endured. Today, Doctor Zhou Junior noticed sothing was off and kindly gave him acupuncture along the way, slowing the carriage down. The carriage wheels had been sawed. At their usual speed, they would have likely toppled shortly after leaving the Imperial City."
The path was wide, with few pedestrians. Ordinarily, coachn would speed up once out of the Imperial City. At high speed, if the wheels broke and the carriage toppled, the horses would be startled, and the two people on the carriage would be in grave danger.
It was fortuitous today—Doctor Zhou Junior noticed Rong Si’s discomfort and kindly needled him, so the carriage ambled along and avoided a disaster.
Eunuch Wu didn’t say all this, but the Crown Prince and his team knew.
Eunuch Wu continued, "Your servant apprehended soone from Rong Si’s house and found the person who tampered with the dicine. The person’s mouth has been shut, and they didn’t commit suicide by poison, but interrogating them is..."
The Crown Prince, expressionless, said, "Send him to the Criminal Court."
Eunuch Wu complied in a low voice.
Only then did the Crown Prince want to put the pen down. Rembering sothing, he softened his actions, but still slapped the table with a loud sound.
The people around Eunuch Wu were accustod to this and didn’t even blink.
The Crown Prince said, "Tomorrow, send soone to bring in Zhou Man. Deploy a squad of imperial guards from the Eastern Palace. I want to see who dares act."
Eunuch Wu couldn’t help but remind, "Your Highness, the appointnt day is the day after tomorrow."
The Crown Prince glanced at him and said, "Then bring her in to see the Crown Princess. What’s the harm in one more day of acupuncture?"
He didn’t even ntion the needles. Why should he worry?
Eunuch Wu promptly complied. Early the next morning, he arranged for the imperial guards to set out from the palace to bring her in.
Manbao, bewildered, carried her dicine box and was escorted into the palace. In the Eastern Palace, she and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess gazed at each other in confusion, until the Crown Princess took her to the small study room for a ga of chess, gifted her with two potted flowers, and finally, with a smile, sent her out of the palace.
Manbao insisted on not giving the Crown Prince acupuncture, "Your Highness, this is a cycle. Your body is ready for treatnt every other day. If we suddenly increase the frequency, it will beco confused."
The Crown Prince: "... It’s my body, how do I not know it will be confused?"
But Manbao insisted, and the Crown Prince wasn’t really eager for acupuncture. Since she was unwilling, he didn’t push the matter. So Manbao enjoyed herself for half a day, had a rather nice dinner, and only then carried her untouched dicine box out of the palace.
As soon as she left the Eastern Palace, she encountered people from the Empress Dowager; the Empress Dowager wished to see her.
Noticing how tense she was, the palace person who ca at the Empress Dowager’s command softly ntioned the Emperor and Empress’s recent offerings at the temple, subtly indicating that both the Emperor and Empress were very concerned with the Crown Prince’s illness. The Empress Dowager herself was also worried about the Crown Prince, and that’s why she summoned Manbao—to reassure her that there was no need to fear.
Manbao smiled, carrying her dicine box while following behind the palace people. Regardless of whether she believed this or not in her heart, outwardly she had to show belief.
The Palace person had caught up with her just outside the Eastern Palace, and by this ti, the maid from the Eastern Palace should have returned to report to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
Truth be told, she wasn’t very afraid.
If the Empress Dowager intended to bully her, this sensitive ti wouldn’t be the choice. After all, she had just faced a mishap yesterday, and at this mont, they were investigating the mastermind behind the scenes.
The Empress Dowager wasn’t foolish; she wouldn’t choose such a ti to cause trouble for her.
With these thoughts running through her mind, Manbao carried her dicine box and followed the palace attendants to the Empress Dowager’s quarters.
Coincidentally, Director Xiao was taking the Empress Dowager’s pulse and was about to leave. Seeing Manbao enter with a large dicine box, his eyes involuntarily twitched. Then he paused montarily.
The court attendant in the Empress Dowager’s palace softly queried, "Director Xiao?"
Director Xiao gave him a slight smile, then bowed and exited, his mind still heavy.
He wondered why the Empress Dowager had summoned Zhou Man.
Zhou Man nodded to Director Xiao in greeting, then stepped forward, placed the dicine box beside her, knelt, and said, "This minister greets the Empress Dowager, wishing you long life and health."
After a long while, a voice from above instructed, "Rise!"
Manbao stood up, discreetly glanced upwards, and saw the Empress Dowager reclining on a couch, with her maid giving the instructions. She then subtly lowered her head.
The Empress Dowager eyed her briefly, then said, "Co closer so I can take a look."
Manbao stepped forward.
Only then did the Empress Dowager get a clear look at her and attentively asked about her expression, "I hear the Crown Prince’s illness has improved?"
Manbao lowered her head and replied softly, "Yes, it has."
The Empress Dowager rotated the prayer beads in her hand and asked, "Does this an you’ve cured the Crown Prince?"
Manbao carefully answered, "Not completely. The Crown Prince is still physically weak and needs so more ti to recuperate, but could try a trial period now."
In a soft voice, she added, "As long as there’s no indulgence, it shouldn’t harm his body anymore."
User Comments
0 comments from readers