Shopkeeper Zheng’s eyes glead as he clapped his hands and said, "I almost forgot about this. Doctor Zhou Junior wants you to tell her family grows many dicinal herbs?"
Zheng Gu nodded blankly, "Yes, doesn’t her family selling dicinal herbs is sothing you’ve known for a long ti? Last ti, Zhou SiLang even gave you a bag of yam chips prepared using a new thod."
Shopkeeper Zheng started pacing, "That’s right, I need to find Zhou SiLang. He’s in charge of their family’s dicine sales. You go, or never mind, you don’t go. You’re her apprentice, just focus on being a good disciple. Don’t get involved in these matters. Shao... Shao shouldn’t go either. Ding, you quickly head to Zhou’s Restaurant in the outer city to find Zhou SiLang and tell him I’m treating him to dinner and drinks tonight."
Manbao jumped off the carriage and bolted towards the courtyard. Ms.Fang and Ms.Lu were seated under the corridor sewing clothes, and three children were playing on a mat spread out in the courtyard. Ms.Zheng was playing with them using a rattle drum.
Seeing Manbao run in, Ms.Zheng withdrew her hand a bit sheepishly, feeling a tad embarrassed to still be playing with a rattle drum at her age.
"Auntie Zheng," Manbao called out to Ms.Zheng, then went to find Ms.Fang, "Sister-in-law, where’s my fourth brother?"
Ms.Fang was montarily taken aback before saying, "He went out with so people to look at porcelain. He said he wants to transport so porcelain back from Shangzhou. They say the porcelain there is beautiful. He has to first see how the porcelain is selling here in the capital..."
Ms.Fang glanced up at the sun, judged the ti, and said, "He should be at the restaurant around this ti, I think."
Ms.Zheng, handing the rattle drum to the kids, stood up and said with a smile, "If you want to find your fourth brother, just have a servant from ho call him over."
Manbao nodded, "Alright, I’ll have them call him right away."
She ran out to give instructions and then turned and headed to the study to find Mr. Zhuang.
Ms.Fang observed Manbao’s urgency and smiled awkwardly at Ms.Zheng, "I wonder what’s gotten her so worked up."
Ms.Zheng chuckled gently; she was already used to it. It would really be a surprise if these three children were ever not in a hurry with what they were doing.
Manbao went to consult Mr. Zhuang, feeling that this was as significant a matter as when she first learned her father wasn’t her real father, and that her biological parents had been killed and she needed to avenge them.
Manbao clutched her chest and said, "Sir, my heart is pounding so fast. It’s like His Royal Highness has dug a massive deep pit for , filled with my favorite braised pork and stewed pork trotter..."
Even Mr. Zhuang was a bit dazed, to say the least.
After a while, he finally found his voice, "So, you are going to enter Chongwen Pavilion to compile dical books?"
Manbao nodded.
Mr. Zhuang gazed at his student, as if he were dreaming.
After a while, he gently patted her head and laughed softly, though his eyes seed to glisten with tears.
The more Mr. Zhuang laughed, the more amused he beca, until he couldn’t help but laugh heartily upwards.
Manbao: ...
She watched Mr. Zhuang, utterly baffled, feeling even more nervous inside.
Mr. Zhuang, his eyes brimming with tears, stopped laughing, his heart churning restlessly. After a mont, he regained his voice, "Child, do you know what this ans?"
It ant she could access and copy even more books...
Mr. Zhuang almost burst into tears again, clutching Manbao’s hand. "It ans being on par with an Academic Editor, that your na will go down in history. Silly child, this is about compiling books, compiling books..."
Manbao stared blankly at Mr. Zhuang, struggling to understand.
It’s just writing books, right? Bai Erlang had already done it, hadn’t he?
If she hadn’t been so busy, she could have written so too.
Mr. Zhuang was swept up in excitent for a while, noticing the child’s blank expression, clearly not comprehending.
Mr. Zhuang then couldn’t help but pause, shaking his head with an unexpected laugh, "For soone my age to still get so caught up in gains and losses is truly unwise, unwise indeed. Instead, you remain unfazed by honor or disgrace."
Manbao hesitated, "Sir, I’m already startled; I fear it’s a trap?"
Mr. Zhuang then laughed, "Did the Crown Prince ntion you’re only compiling dical books?"
Manbao recalled and nodded, "Yes, and I can still teach my disciples in the afternoon."
"That settles it," Mr. Zhuang said thoughtfully, "You’re compiling dical books; it doesn’t involve politics. You’re doing the noble work of treatnt and saving lives, so there shouldn’t be any issue."
He looked back at Manbao, saying, "You only need to rember, when entering the palace, listen more and speak less, and don’t ddle in internal affairs. That’s sufficient."
As for backing sides, Mr. Zhuang had already given up. With her actions over the past six months, claiming she wasn’t on the Crown Prince’s side... well, forget others, even Mr. Zhuang himself had his doubts.
So, let’s just forget about that.
Fortunately, she’s a doctor, and regardless of who ascends the throne, as long as she doesn’t propose opening the emperor’s skull like Hua Tuo, she should be fine.
Thinking this, Mr. Zhuang continued, "Don’t neglect your studies and dical practice in the palace, especially your dical skills. If there are difficult cases in the capital, you could request to co out and take a look."
He said, "The greater your fa, the better you’ll live in the future."
Listening to Mr. Zhuang’s earnest advice, Manbao couldn’t help but ask, "What about Bai Shan? He’s also entering Chongwen Pavilion."
Mr. Zhuang shook his head and smiled, "I don’t need to worry about him; he’ll manage just fine."
Unlike Manbao, Bai Shan’s entrance into Chongwen Pavilion was mainly for studies, with an added role of accompanying the Crown Prince for reading.
But at the Crown Prince’s current age, he clearly didn’t need companions for reading anymore.
So, it’s likely that upon entering the pavilion, Bai Shan and the others would still attend classes and study as in the national academy.
But the freedom to go ho wouldn’t be the sa as now; they’d have to live in Chongwen Pavilion and could only leave the palace during official breaks.
As for any misdeeds by the Crown Prince, should the Emperor question them, those older, closer in age to the Crown Prince, would likely face the consequences; Bai Shan and others would mostly accompany to apologize, not a big issue.
That’s the perk of being young.
Mr. Zhuang consoled Manbao for quite a while, and it was only when she felt a bit better about falling into a pit that her mood gradually cald down. Then she started feeling that ti was dragging, "When will Bai Shan and the others be back?"
Mr. Zhuang glanced at the nearby clepsydra and chuckled, "They should be back soon. If you’re anxious, you could wait by the door."
Manbao imdiately got up and ran off, "I’ll go wait at the front."
Mr. Zhuang: ... I was just making a suggestion, couldn’t you just listen without taking action?
Manbao rushed to the side door frequently used by the carriages, and just in ti, she saw Bai Shan and the others’ carriage coming in. She imdiately dashed forward, only to see another carriage following behind. As the curtain was lifted, Lord Yang got out of it.
Bai Shan and Bai Erlang jumped off their carriage. Bai Shan didn’t even get a word out before Bai Erlang eagerly ran up and said, "Manbao, guess what?"
Manbao replaced her words with, "What?"
Bai Erlang was so thrilled his eyes squinted with laughter, "Bai Shan and I are going to Chongwen Pavilion to accompany the Crown Prince for reading!"
Manbao: "... Even you?"
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