Manbao returned to the Chongwen Pavilion with her dicine box, and Bai Shan and the others were sitting upstairs drinking tea and enjoying the view. When they saw Zhou Man, they waved at her.
Manbao went upstairs and asked, "Why aren’t you going to eat?"
"There was a small issue in the kitchen, dinner will be delayed by half an hour." Bai Shan pointed to a seat beside him for her to sit down, and asked, "Busy today?"
"Not really busy, just Director Xiao’s face was tense the whole ti. We didn’t even dare to breathe loudly while working at the Imperial Hospital," Manbao sat beside Bai Shan, noticing a stack of manuscripts on the table, she asked, "What’s this?"
Bai Shan laughed, "Erlang’s plan to make money."
Manbao couldn’t help but open it up. It was his plan to grow so lons and vegetables for profit.
She found it fascinating, "Where did you get land?"
"I’m planning to rent the land newly allotted to the teacher."
"Why did you suddenly think of farming for money?"
Bai Erlang laughed, "Didn’t you say His Majesty lacks money?"
Not to ntion Bai Shan, even Yin Huo couldn’t help but laugh. He finally spoke, "I think His Majesty lacks ways to make money, not the money itself."
Liu Huan, who had been watching him writing diligently for the past two days, curiously asked, "Why did you suddenly want to advance? Didn’t we agree to study for two more years before traveling for academic exchange?"
Bai Erlang’s appearance of trying to please the emperor was as if he wanted to imdiately beco an official.
Manbao then glanced at Liu Huan, then back at Bai Erlang, and said, "I have inside information, both of you are on the list."
"On what list?"
Manbao shook her head and said, "On the list to select a prince consort."
Bai Erlang was surprised with wide eyes, while Liu Huan was startled with wide eyes, both asking in unison, "Why?"
Manbao glanced at Liu Huan before telling Bai Erlang, "I heard from Princess Changyu that His Majesty wants to select a prince consort from the Imperial Academy and the Chongwen Pavilion."
Then she turned to Liu Huan and said, "You’re probably on it because of your family background."
Liu Huan imdiately said, "I don’t believe it, I definitely don’t want to be a prince consort."
Manbao said, "It might not be you, maybe wanting to be won’t even be enough."
Bai Erlang curiously asked him, "What’s so bad about being a prince consort, why are you so afraid?"
"What’s so good about being a prince consort?" Liu Huan said, "I don’t lack glory or wealth, nor do I aspire to have great achievents. Moreover, being a prince consort doesn’t really help your career. Why would I want to be a courtier husband?"
Thinking being a prince consort is easy?
If the princess doesn’t live with his family, she’ll have to live elsewhere in a princess residence, leaving him stuck between worlds.
He’d be an outsider at the princess residence, and half an outsider at ho.
"My family isn’t a noble clan, and now it’s a legitimate princess being proposed to, she will definitely establish a princess residence. Recruiting a prince consort is almost like recruiting a live-in son-in-law, I don’t want to be a live-in son-in-law."
Bai Erlang: "Princess Mingda isn’t rude, how could she trouble a prince consort?"
"It’s not trouble, it’s the rule!" Liu Huan said, "In any case, I don’t want to be a prince consort."
Minister Liu felt a bit tempted, discussing with his wife, "That brat Liu Huan is rather simple-minded, in the future he’s unlikely to accomplish much on the official front. Marrying a princess could guarantee two generations of glory, I think it’s doable."
Old Madam Liu said, "If it were any other princess, fine, but Princess Mingda isn’t suitable."
"Why?"
"Princess Mingda is weak, it’s uncertain how long she can live once married, not to ntion having children." she said, "If Huan’er doesn’t have legitimate offspring, what two generations of glory are you talking about?"
Minister Liu fell silent.
But the emperor acted quickly, within two days he found an excuse to call the remaining eighteen people on the list into the palace to enjoy flowers together.
Hmm, they enjoyed the pogranate flowers, though the pogranates had already grown to the size of a thumb.
Minister Liu felt the emperor’s excuse wasn’t great, while telling Liu Huan, "When you’re in the palace, don’t talk much. Just eat and drink tea, understand?"
Apparently, he was finally convinced by his wife.
Liu Huan nodded repeatedly, he felt the sa.
Also called into the palace, Bai Erlang hurriedly pulled Bai Shan to help him choose clothes, while telling Zhou Man, "Co to the palace with ."
Manbao refused, "I have a rare day off."
"Anyway, we’re resuming break tomorrow, just start a day early," Bai Erlang said, "You find it easy entering and leaving the palace, just find any excuse."
Seeing Manbao was still thinking about her sister-in-law’s lunch and dinner, Bai Erlang said, "And you say we’re fellow students, yet I’m not worth two als?"
Manbao emphasized, "Actually it’s three als, there’s breakfast tomorrow too. But since you said so, call Senior Sister, I might just agree."
Bai Shan picked out a set of outerwear, threw it on Bai Erlang with a laugh, "And call Senior Brother."
Bai Erlang rubbed his teeth, painfully calling out, "Senior Sister, Senior Brother, I’m begging you please?"
Manbao happily nodded, "Alright, I agree."
Bai Shan laughed and asked, "I just thought of two poems about pogranate flowers and fruit, want to copy them?"
Bai Erlang hesitated, finally shaking his head, "Forget it, I don’t mind copying yours, but what if His Majesty selects because of poetry and later expects to continue writing. What if I can’t deliver? That’d be misleading Princess Mingda."
Bai Shan was about to nod in appreciation when Bai Erlang said, "But you can recite them to , let reference and maybe I’ll get inspired and co up with several good ones myself?"
Bai Shan and Manbao: ...
Bai Erlang dressed brightly, looking poised and headed out, while Manbao in ordinary clothes followed him with her dicine box.
Upon reaching the palace gates, they saw others who were also summoned.
So had already gathered insider information, but most were utterly confused, standing cluelessly at the palace gates.
Manbao stood with them for a while, before entering the palace first. Her reason for entering was to visit the Empress Dowager.
As an Imperial Doctor, she indeed had the rights to freely enter and exit the palace, akin to officials from the Three Departnts and Six Ministries freely accessing office locations in the imperial city.
Manbao went to the Imperial Hospital and asked Imperial Doctor Liu, "How is the Empress Dowager’s health? Ms. Doctor Liu didn’t co to administer acupuncture today, maybe I should give her a treatnt?"
And once done, visit Princess Changyu, if tid right, she might even see the results.
Manbao’s plan was perfect, but Imperial Doctor Liu said, "The Empress Dowager’s condition fluctuated last night, Director Xiao is keeping watch there. If you want..."
"I don’t want." Manbao imdiately said, "Forget it, I’ll go see Princess Changyu and Princess Mingda."
Going to visit the Empress Dowager might lead to being scolded by Director Xiao, who’s been in a bad mood lately.
Watching her run off, Imperial Doctor Liu chuckled and shook his head. Truly a child, still willingly going to the palace to find work despite being off duty.
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