books44 Chapter 533 Serving the Ill (1)
Chapter 533 Serving the Ill (1)
The two women, Zhou Niangzi and her apprentice, sent out by Madam Yun, have arrived in Jinnan.
After entering the city, they went straight to Zheng's Brokerage, a private brokerage that had once bought Meng Shu and Dong Gua, and had always been a private property of the Marquis of Lin'an.
Even though she's over thirty, Madam Zheng is still the apparent owner. Granny Zhou is still there too, and speaking of which, Green Willow can be considered her half-apprentice. During the four years Green Willow lived in Jinnan, she spent most of her time learning etiquette and experiencing the ways of the world from Granny Zhou.
That day, Granny Zhou had just returned from running errands in Haijin Town by carriage. As soon as she got off, she saw two riders approaching in the distance, raising dust. Seeing that the one leading them was Zhou Niangzi, she quickly stopped the gatekeeper Chunyue, who was about to go forward to ask questions, and personally led Zhou Niangzi and her apprentice into the inner courtyard, heading straight to see Master Zheng.
Madam Zhou and Master Zheng have been partners for many years. Years ago, Chen Lin was being transported to the capital by Zheng's brokerage firm when Madam Zhou took a liking to him and took him in, thus completely changing his fate. Now, Chen Lin has long been released from his indenture by Madam Yun and serves as a deputy general under Song Chengrui, with a bright future ahead.
At this moment, Madam Zhou, carrying out Madam Yun's secret orders, did not bother with pleasantries upon seeing Master Zheng. She immediately dismissed her attendants and presented the Yunshang Pendant that Madam Yun had given her.
Zheng Dongjia immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "I am Zheng, and I will obey your orders, Madam!"
Madam Zhou spoke quickly and gave clear instructions: "First, immediately and secretly prepare enough dry rations and water for three hundred people to last half a month. Second, quickly contact Zheng Shan and immediately mobilize his three hundred elite troops, all of whom should be disguised as ordinary citizens, merchants, and porters, and secretly travel in batches to the foot of the Taihang Mountains, a hundred miles away from Zhengding Prefecture, to assemble."
"Yes! I will take care of it immediately!" Master Zheng agreed without hesitation, then looked up cautiously and asked, "May I ask, Madam Zhou, when will the troops depart?"
"We must depart in one hour."
Zheng Dongjia's heart skipped a beat. Estimating the expenses and time, he calmly replied, "Madam Zhou and Miss Mingwu have been traveling day and night. Please come to my room to rest for a while. I will make all the necessary arrangements and will not delay you!"
In less than an hour, Madam Zhou had changed her clothes and quietly left the city, her figure quickly disappearing at the end of the official road.
On the same day, Marquis Jiang Wei of Zhenbei led more than 500 of his personal guards from Yuzhou and would pass through Zhengding Prefecture in six or seven days.
Interspersed among the procession was an inconspicuous gray tarpaulin carriage, its curtains drawn low, completely concealing what lay inside.
Inside the vehicle, a young girl dressed in Yi ethnic clothing sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, seemingly resting.
She was normally quite pretty, but now her brows were furrowed, and fine wrinkles, incongruous with her age, appeared at the corners of her eyes, giving her an eerie air of decay. Beside her lay a completely black, dull earthenware jar, its mouth sealed with beeswax. As the carriage jolted, a slight gurgling sound occasionally emanated from within the jar; only upon close listening could one discern a gurgling noise.
The wheels rumbled, and the procession moved at a steady pace.
Suddenly sensing something, the girl opened her eyes, which were empty and blank. Almost simultaneously, a seemingly ordinary jade bracelet on her wrist cracked with a soft "snap." Then, two streams of crimson tears silently flowed from the corners of her eyes.
Marquis Zhenbei was unaware that the court was in turmoil due to the corruption case in Yuzhou, and even less aware that an invisible net was being quietly cast toward his return.
He rode ahead of the group, and when they stopped to rest, he reined in his horse, turned it around, and slowly walked to the gray carriage. He said in a polite tone, "Miss Chu, you must be tired from the journey. Why don't you get off and rest for a while and have some food?"
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the car.
Immediately, a hoarse yet strangely calm voice, as if polished by sand and gravel, drifted out from the crack in the carriage window: "My lord, my daughter's master... has passed away."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Zhenbei's expression changed drastically, and his hands tightened around the reins. "Doctor Jiang... how could this be...?"
Before he could even hear any further explanation from inside the carriage, a sense of foreboding washed over him. He abruptly turned his horse around and shouted at the column, "Send the order! Full speed ahead! No mistakes allowed!"
.......
Harem.
When Jian Zhi came to Lingcui Palace to take Meng Shu's pulse for the first time, he brought news: "Today, Doctor He returned from treating patients at Renming Hall. Li Rui happened to see the prescription he wrote. It was all medicine to clear the heart, reduce internal heat, calm the mind, and relieve fright. It was the perfect prescription for treating sudden internal heat attacking the heart."
"Oh?" Meng Shu raised an eyebrow slightly. "So, she really is sick this time?"
Jian Zhi nodded: "Judging from the prescription and the pulse diagnosis, this should indeed be the case."
After Donggua saw Jianzhi off, Meng Shu pondered for a moment, then summoned Lvliu and instructed her: "Go to Huining Palace and tell Wan'er to immediately feign illness and rest for a few days. The one in Renming Palace will probably summon concubines to attend to her. At this critical juncture, it's best to avoid her."
Green Willow looked worried: "Your Majesty has thought things through very well. But... what about you? Why don't you also feign illness and stay home? If you want to attend to someone who is ill, Consort Shen, Consort Yang, and Consort Ye would probably be eager to have the opportunity to curry favor with you."
“If Wan’er and I both claim to be ill, our intentions will be too obvious.” Meng Shu shook her head. “I have my own way. You just need to go and pass on the message.”
Green Willow still felt uneasy and wanted to persuade her again, but when she saw Meng Shu's indifferent gaze sweep over her, she knew that saying more would be useless, so she could only sigh softly and quickly turn around and leave.
After the hall fell silent, Meng Shu immediately summoned Dong Ming.
Dong Ming quietly entered the hall, bowed, and before Meng Shu could ask any questions, he took the initiative to report respectfully: "Your Majesty, Lord Tong secretly investigated and found that the Empress bestowed perfume, jewelry, and clothing on Consort Mu and the other two. Consort Ye is very fond of the jewelry and rarely takes it off... However, Physician He discovered that the clothing given to Consort Yang was stained with a certain fragrance."
He paused slightly, then said, "After repeated comparisons and confirmations by Doctor He, this spice has a similar taste to Ningxianglu."
"What is the Emperor's reaction?" Meng Shu pressed.
"Your Majesty, Physician He has already reported to the Emperor. However, he has repeatedly assured us that although this incense is a specialty of the southwestern Yi people, its fragrance is only slightly unusual and is not toxic to the human body, nor is there anything wrong with it."
Meng Shu narrowed her eyes slightly. Given the Emperor's suspicious nature, these two rewards could not possibly be a coincidence. No matter how certain Physician He was, he must already harbor suspicions about the Empress, but he was simply holding back. Since that was the case, she might as well add fuel to the fire, making the suspicions transform into thunderous fury even faster.
......
The next morning, people arrived at Renming Palace. The Empress issued an imperial decree, ordering Meng Shu and Consort Chun to go and attend to the sick immediately.
Just as Meng Shu had predicted.
As soon as the palace servant who delivered the message left, Donggua immediately stepped behind Meng Shu and said, "Shushu, I have to go with you this time!"
Seeing this, Green Willow quickly pulled her aside and whispered reproachfully, "What's the point of a female cook like you following along? I am the head maid of Lingcui Palace, personally appointed by Shu'er, so it is only natural that I should accompany you. You should go back to your small kitchen and work on the recipes."
Meng Shu was about to change her clothes when she heard this. She turned around and walked to Lvliu. She reached out and gently pinched Lvliu's delicate cheek, her eyes filled with a smile: "Our Lvliu has been in the palace for many years and has learned the rules very well. This is the first time I have heard you call me 'Shu'er' so casually."
Two blushes immediately rose on Green Willow's face, and she stamped her foot: "This servant...this servant acted rashly, Your Majesty, please have Han Donggua leave."
"Alright," Meng Shu waved her hand with a smile, her tone relaxed, "We're going to the Renming Palace to attend to the sick, not to storm the Yama's Palace. Dunzi, step back and focus on preparing a table of Green Willow's favorite dishes for us to enjoy when we return."
With a worried look on her round face, Donggua tugged at Meng Shu's sleeve and said, "Who knows what kind of underhanded tricks are hidden in Renming Palace? What if they really want to use Gu to harm you? I have plenty of flesh and thick skin. If any evil insects come, they'll bite me first, and I can protect you!"
Meng Shu took her chubby hand in return and patted it gently. "Silly girl, don't talk nonsense. If she had such methods, she would have used them on me and Wan'er back in the Prince's mansion. Why wait until today?"
After settling Donggua in, Meng Shu changed into a moon-white robe with dark patterns, over which she wore a light pink jacket, and tied a matching palace sash around her waist. As she and Lüliu walked to the front hall, they saw Consort Chun waiting under a sparsely leafed flowering tree in the front courtyard, with Xia'er and Dong Ming being held captive by Mingyue and unable to leave.
A hint of surprise flashed in Meng Shu's eyes. She quickly took two steps forward to greet her: "Wan'er, what brings you here?"
Consort Chun seemed to share a telepathic connection with Meng Shu today, as they were both dressed in similar styles of moon-white jackets. It was early winter in October, and the twelve flower goddess hairpins adorning her hair featured a jade hibiscus in a half-open state, exuding a unique charm amidst the coolness.
She smiled sweetly, took Meng Shu's outstretched hand, and slipped a string of warm, fragrant osmanthus beads onto her wrist. "You always think of me first, always putting me in the shoes of others, but I can't always let you face things alone. It's just taking care of someone who's ill; we're sisters, why should we be afraid of her?"