Capítulo 1991: Chapter 1966: Satisfaction
The emperor ca from the front hall, sent both of his daughters to take a nap, and then sat by the couch to talk with the empress. “Although the Bai Family is small, it has been a virtuous family. Though Old Master Bai has no official title, he hasn’t lost the etiquette and integrity of a gentry family.”
The empress chuckled, “Mrs. Bai is also quite amiable. In my opinion, she’s even better than the Huo Family.”
Previously, the emperor had t the heads of the Ren Family and the Huo Family. He found Old Master Ren too flattering, which made him uncomfortable, so he was more satisfied with the Huo Family.
Moreover, the Huo Family was also an official family, an offshoot of a noble family, and their foundation was much deeper than the Bai Family’s.
The emperor pondered for a while and asked, “Has Mingda t Mrs. Bai?”
The empress smiled and nodded.
The emperor then asked, “What does she think?”
Now, except for the emperor, everyone around Mingda probably knew her thoughts. The empress did not point it out but followed his words and nodded, “Mingda also finds Mrs. Bai easy to get along with.”
The emperor fell silent. When it was ti to make a decision, he was still hesitant to let go.
The empress took a cup of tea from Aunt Shang’s hands and handed it to the emperor, asking, “I haven’t been able to visit the Empress Dowager these past few days. How is her health?”
The emperor ca to his senses and said, “I visited her this morning. She sleeps more and wakes less.”
After saying this, the emperor paused, sighed, and said, “I’ll find so ti to et Bai Cheng. Let Mingda see him as well. If she’s willing, let’s settle her marriage quickly.”
He was also worried about delaying his daughter’s marriage.
The empress nodded, knowing the matter was almost settled.
After dinner, she reached out to touch Mingda’s hair and sighed, “Mingda has grown up.”
Smart as Mingda was, she imdiately understood the deeper aning of her mother’s words, and her face could not help but flush. The emperor, seeing this from the side, could not help but feel stirred, and a question he had been ignoring surfaced.
Co to think of it, does Mingda know Bai Cheng?
From the beginning until now, she hadn’t expressed any dislike for Bai Cheng, so does this an…
The emperor’s eyes lingered with resentnt for a mont. After his two daughters left, he couldn’t help but ask the empress, “What does Mingda think of Bai Cheng?”
The empress glanced at him and said, “They are just acquaintances, having traveled together a few tis. Such crucial matters as marriage should naturally be decided by parental authority.”
Although the empress was trying to avoid the question, the emperor felt sowhat comforted. Though still reluctant, he was more inclined toward Bai Cheng.
Finding soone the daughter likes is always better than finding soone she doesn’t like, right?
The emperor went to sleep feeling sowhat stifled.
Manbao also took Zheng Gu to Prince Gong’s palace to attend to duties.
Recently, the concubines of the harem and the young princes and princesses were all fine, without even minor issues like skin abrasions or sneezes. Therefore, after recording the empress’s dical case in the afternoon, Manbao could go back to her little room to lie down and catch up on sleep.
At this mont, she was quite alert. Upon arriving at Prince Gong’s palace, she didn’t feel sleepy. Their main duty was to ensure he didn’t move his leg incorrectly, worsening his condition, and to alleviate his pain.
However, Manbao did not use acupuncture for pain relief but, according to previous practice, prescribed so painkillers.
But painkillers couldn’t be taken excessively, and their efficacy wore off after a few hours, so from the latter part of the night, Prince Gong started moaning.
Whenever he complained of pain, the people in his hall couldn’t sleep a wink.
Manbao, bleary-eyed, watched the palace maids and inner court officials constantly serving him tea and water as he fussed about, sitting nearby and observing.
After so moaning, Prince Gong noticed her staring blankly in his direction from a chair, which startled him before he beca unhappy, “Zhou Man, I’m in a great deal of pain.”
Manbao’s gaze slowly landed on Prince Gong, and after a while, her brain processed his information. She yawned and said, “Your Highness, broken legs hurt.”
Prince Gong: …
He was rendered speechless for quite so ti before finding words, “I want you to relieve my pain.”
He wasn’t a child, and Manbao didn’t bother to coax him, saying, “Taking too many painkillers can make one foolish. You’ve already had so today. Do you want more?”
They are adults, and such consequences can be chosen for themselves.
Prince Gong had no words left. Eventually, he started complaining of pain again, asking for water, the toilet, food, mouthwash, and ntioned pain in various parts, basically not letting anyone rest.
Manbao let him be and told the sowhat tense Zheng Gu beside her, “You go to sleep first, take over in an hour.”
She didn’t believe Prince Gong could whine the entire night.
Prince Gong couldn’t whine all night. There were many people serving in his palace, so while he was tornting others, he was also tornting himself.
Who said water is so easy to drink and food is so easy to eat?
Prince Gong successfully tired himself out and could only endure the pain, lying there, occasionally letting out a groan of pain.
Manbao musingly comnted, “Your Highness, this is self-inflicted.”
Prince Gong’s groans paused montarily. Before he could respond, Manbao yawned, stood up, and returned to the side room, directly collapsing onto the bed to sleep.
They didn’t have to watch over Prince Gong all the ti. After four or five days, once most of the swelling in his leg subsided, and it beca less painful, with the bones no longer dislocating, they stopped night shifts.
But for safety, they still needed to check twice a day.
The splints required dication changes every three days. During visits, they mostly asked if Prince Gong moved unnecessarily. Of course, regarding Prince Gong’s words, the Imperial Hospital physicians no longer trusted them as much and preferred asking the attendants beside him.
Even the emperor seed to have lost trust in this son; hence, he directly ordered soone to watch over him non-stop, twelve hours a day, during his treatnt.
Even at night, soone had to sleep at the foot of his bed, and any turns he made were reported to the emperor.
Of course, this made life hard for the palace servants, but it didn’t do Prince Gong any favors either. He couldn’t even have private complaints with his confidants now.
Every day, he either saw Zhou Man’s annoying face or Director Xiao’s old face, which frustrated him. Despite feeling his heart stifled to the point of pain, he never fell sick.
Director Xiao, upon taking his pulse, detected ntal strain. He politely advised him not to overthink and to focus on recuperation.
When prescribing dication, Manbao did include a calming decoction, but it was only moderately effective, mainly because he hadn’t made peace with himself.
And just when Prince Gong was gradually recovering, the emperor finally issued an edict to arrange a marriage between Bai Erlang and Mingda.
The imperial decree arrived on a day when Manbao and the others were off duty. After a fortnight, she rarely went ho, as Yin Huo agreed to send so beef for shaved noodles by noon, but before the beef arrived, officials from the Ministry of Rites did.
Along with these officers ca Gu Zhong, bearing the imperial edict. An inner palace attendant ca ahead to notify them to prepare to receive the imperial decree. Even though Old Master Bai was ntally prepared, he was so excited that he beca montarily dizzy, while Mrs. Bai was utterly stunned, sitting motionless in her chair.
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