Chapter 57 Holding a pair of sachets, how interesting!

Considering there were other people in the room, the pale-browed female physician didn't dare to say anything more after calling out "Sixth Miss".

While Ah Zhu appeared remarkably composed, calmly observing the female healer, she was actually filled with panic and confusion.

Ah Zhu truly believed that she would never see those so-called old friends from the Jiang family again in her lifetime.

Or rather, even if she did meet them, given that A-Zhu had only been in the Jiang residence for a few days, how many people could she possibly remember?

The plaster to be applied to the side of the leg was ready.

Several female healers respectfully brought over the medicine and were about to remove A-Zhu's clothes to apply it to her wounds.

Ah Zhu coughed twice, feigning embarrassment, and reached out to tug at the hem of his sleeve.

"Cough cough cough, it's not a serious injury, so there's no need for so many people to take care of me."

Ah Zhu casually pointed to the nearest female doctor and said, "Just leave her here to apply the medicine."

Embarrassed yet feigning composure, Ah-Zhu's cheeks flushed pink, making her look incredibly soft.

Seeing her like this, Lü Fu forced herself to suppress her smile, simply nodded in agreement, and then left with the other female healers.

After the palace doors closed, the pale-browed female healer looked at A-Zhu, then at the scrape on her leg, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

She tried hard to keep her hands from trembling as she gently applied medicine to A-Zhu's injured leg. With tears welling up in her eyes, she choked out in a trembling voice, "Girl, you've suffered so much."

Hearing this, A-Zhu's nose also tingled with emotion.

After all, no matter how fake her identity was, the hardships Ah Zhu had endured for this identity over the past ten years were real.

With a deeply moved expression, A-Zhu wiped away her tears with her sleeve. She looked at the female healer, who seemed vaguely familiar, and hesitated before asking, "You are...?"

"Girl, I am Chunyan."

The female healer with light eyebrows looked at A-Zhu and said repeatedly, "You once spoke of the early orioles vying for warm trees and the new swallows pecking at spring mud."

Swallow?

This name sounds very familiar.

Ah Zhu looked at her two very faint eyebrows, which were truly impressive, and suddenly an impression came to mind.

When she first entered the manor to serve Miss Jiang, she got into a fight with a young maid one night over a piece of leftover sweet cake.

She was so angry that she cursed the little girl for not having eyebrows, and as a result, Qian's mother slapped her twice.

"Spring Swallow!"

She had said that she could only have a few old friends, but unexpectedly, A-Zhu actually met one. She couldn't help but be surprised.

"It was you! It really was you!"

Seeing that the Sixth Sister remembered her, Chunyan nodded quickly, both crying and laughing.

"Girl, it's me."

Before Azhu could ask any more questions, Chunyan had already told him everything.

"Back then, the manor... the manor suddenly suffered a disaster, and the madam gave my mother a sum of money so that she could take you, young lady, and leave quickly amidst the chaos."

"Those soldiers and yamen runners arrived far too quickly, and they kept a close watch on the roster, leaving no one unchecked. This servant is truly, truly..."

Even though the late emperor was furious and ordered the Jiang family to be raided and punished, there were still a large number of maids and servants serving in the household, so naturally he wouldn't be so heartless as to kill them all.

After their homes were raided, according to custom, most of these women were sold again.

"The money that the lady gave me, my mother gave some to my great-aunt, and she used it to buy me from among the maids being sold."

"Later, when you were transferred from the imperial prison to the brothel, we tried everything to find a way, but it was truly impossible. Then you entered the palace..."

With tears streaming down her face, Chunyan looked at Azhu with shame.

"My mother and I are truly ashamed before Madam and Miss... Back then, we thought that if I entered the palace as a servant, I could look after you and Miss. But the palace maids didn't want me at all."

"Because my mother has always served by the Madam's side, she has a basic understanding of pharmacology, and I also learned some things from her before..."

"Later, I managed to slip some money and stayed at the medical clinic in this garden, hoping that since I could at least have some connection with the royal family, there might be a chance I could see the young lady again..."

"Thank God, I've finally met the girl."

Chunyan smiled as she wiped away her tears.

"Young lady, you are now a person of high status, that's wonderful."

It's astonishing that even now, there are still people who worry about the Jiang family day and night, and who are willing to risk their lives to rescue the real Jiang family's golden daughter.

Despite the stinging pain of the plaster on her leg, Ah Zhu refused to give in, tears streaming down her face.

She accepted Jiang Zhu's identity without hesitation, even in front of Chunyan.

She's a jealous, vain, petty, and stingy woman.

She harbored resentment and hatred.

She had nothing left, and entered the palace as an orphan of the Jiang family.

For the sake of the name Jiang Zhu, for the sake of her status as a convicted slave, she endured so many years of suffering kneeling in the palace... Everything she has today is something she fought for with her life on the line.

This is what she deserves, and she won't give it up no matter what!

Seeing Ah Zhu shed tears, Chun Yan dared not cry anymore.

"Miss, it's getting late."

"This servant, this servant really dares not delay. May I come again tomorrow to change your dressing?"

Seeing that A-Zhu nodded, Chunyan packed her things and left the hall.

With Consort Feng absent, A-Zhu had no one to consult with. With tears streaming down her face, A-Zhu turned away, already weighing how to deal with Chunyan.

A-Zhu, whose appearance has changed drastically over the past ten years, is not afraid of being exposed by the maids who once served by Miss Jiang's side. She just wants to... meet an old friend here by chance for no reason.

Yes, Ah Zhu's paranoia is actually quite severe.

After all, anyone who knows they've lived all these years despite a death sentence can't really relax.

Aside from those who were forced to be utterly loyal, willing to die for their masters, and swore to serve the nobleman to the death, A-Zhu trusted no one else in the palace.

During her years in the Yeting Palace, she didn't have a single friend she could talk to.

Nowadays, no one around Azhu knows much about pharmacology, and Chunyan is such a loyal servant who is devoted to Miss Jiang.

If Azhu were willing to speak, she could easily bring Chunyan back to the palace.

But...

Putting himself in others' shoes, Ah Zhu knew perfectly well what a miserable thing he was, complaining about being loyal.

Ah Zhu wasn't entirely at ease with such a loyal servant who came to him with the title of "utterly loyal" and moved people to tears.

Let's take another look.

Ah Zhu bit her finger and began to think seriously.

If Chunyan truly has a request, seeing that she is hesitant to speak up and bring people back to the palace, Chunyan will eventually speak up herself.

Qingliu and Lüfu walked around the screen and came in, only to see that Azhu's eyes were red from crying. The two were startled and asked repeatedly, "Your Highness, is there anything else that's bothering you?"

"But the female doctor applied the medicine with improper pressure?"

No, no.

Ah Zhu bit her lip, "It's just that I can't tolerate pain at all these days. I only rode a horse once, but now I'm lying here, while the hunting grounds up ahead are bustling with activity..."

Feeling somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, Azhu turned her head away and refused to look at Lvfu and Qingliu anymore.

She was only covered by the blanket and said in a muffled voice, "The medicine feels cool after I applied it, and it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Don't forget to reward them for me."

Qingliu and Lvfu exchanged a smile, then replied, "Yes."

After saying this, one stayed by the bedside to wait, while the other took the purse to reward the person.

......

Ah Zhu, who was recuperating on the couch, missed the lively hunt, which was indeed quite a spectacle.

Prince Qi defeated the Crown Prince, though the victory was small, just a deer.

But in literature there is no first place, while in martial arts there is no second place; a win is a win.

Emperor Xuanpei's expression remained unchanged upon seeing the outcome; he merely smiled at Prince Qi, praising his son's bravery with pride.

"It is said that a king's word is law. I have promised that whoever wins the first prize will be granted a favor. This time is no exception. Mao'er, is there anything you desire?"

Countless eyes were fixed on the tall, imposing figure on the high platform—

What does Prince Qi want? Is it the tax collection in Jiangnan, the vacancy for the position of Grand Secretary, or a candidate for the position of Princess Qi?

Prince Qi, the center of everyone's attention, looked at Consort Zhang, who sat below the Empress, her face beaming with pride, and gave him a slight nod with a smile.

Having made up his mind, Prince Qi lifted his robe and knelt down before Emperor Xuanpei.

"Your subject does indeed have something to ask of you."

Emperor Xuanpei nodded and said, "Speak freely."

"Your Majesty and Mother wish to have a taste of the deer that I hunted myself."

"Is this all there is to it?"

Prince Qi smiled with a childlike sincerity and repeatedly replied, "Yes."

Emperor Xuanpei smiled and nodded.

He looked around and laughed loudly, "Very well, let's have a banquet tonight, and the main dish will be this deer that Prince Qi hunted himself."

Seeing that Emperor Xuanpei was happy, everyone else was naturally delighted as well.

Everyone praised Prince Qi highly, commending his bravery and filial piety.

Consort Zhang looked up at Empress Wang, who was turning her head to look at her, and adjusted the hairpin at her temple with a smile in her eyes.

Empress Wang would never lose her composure in public; she remained calm and smiled as she looked at Prince Qi.

As Prince Qi approached amidst praise for his benevolence and filial piety, the Crown Prince gently pressed down on Prince Rui, who was standing beside him with an indignant expression, and said with a smile, "Third brother is indeed exceptionally skilled and extremely valiant."

Prince Qi smiled and said rather "humbly," "Your Majesty flatters me. This victory was only narrow. Tonight, you must do me the honor of enjoying this venison."

The King of England wiped the blood from his hands and walked over, smiling as he took the opportunity to say, "Hey, Third Brother, we're all brothers, you can't show favoritism."

"Let's make this clear first, I have to get a share of this venison. I have a huge appetite."

Seeing that the Prince of Ying, the Crown Prince, and the Prince of Rui were standing to one side, the Prince of An also stepped forward and stood beside the Prince of Qi.

Prince An has always been an honest person and doesn't talk much, so Prince Qi still spoke up himself.

He smiled and readily agreed, "Of course, of course."

"If you, fourth brother, can eat this deer, what harm is there in hunting another one?"

Seeing the lively scene of "brotherly love and respect" below the platform, the seventh prince, who had been watching eagerly from the platform since the start of the hunt, could no longer resist.

As soon as Emperor Xuanpei left, he ran down from the high platform, greeted his brothers, and then grabbed Prince Qi's sleeve, pleading, "Third brother, I also want to go hunting deer."

"Alright!" Prince Qi smiled and took the Seventh Prince's hand, saying decisively, "Come on, I'll take you deer hunting."

Watching Prince Qi leave with his two younger brothers, Prince Rui was truly displeased. He snorted, "One is a silent dog, and the other is a fool who only knows how to fawn over Father."

"Mingzhen," the Crown Prince glanced disapprovingly at Prince Rui, "they are all your brothers after all, why be so harsh in your words?"

The King of England smoothed things over and then suggested going to pay his respects to the Queen, after all, his mother, Consort Zhao... Alas, the King of England could only express his gratitude with tears in his eyes and thank the Queen for her care again and again.

With Emperor Xuanpei gone, the hunting grounds naturally became even more lively.

Empress Dowager Shu also summoned her nephews and nieces to bring the two beautiful sisters to an audience.

"Yunya and Yunhui greet Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. May Your Majesty be blessed with good fortune and happiness forever."

They look very similar, but their overall demeanor is completely different.

One was born with a bright and beautiful appearance, the other with a gentle and graceful demeanor.

Empress Dowager Shu looked at the two elegant and graceful young ladies on either side of her, and couldn't help but smile.

Perhaps because she was not close to Emperor Xuanpei when they were young, and now there are many misunderstandings, the harmony between Empress Dowager Shu and Emperor Xuanpei is more due to the binding of interests.

Now that the external enemies have been eliminated, the two have risen to a high status and become increasingly respected. However, the interests between Empress Dowager Shu and Emperor Xuanpei have become "unequally divided".

Empress Dowager Shu felt that Emperor Xuanpei had given too little, but Emperor Xuanpei refused to give her more.

Since she couldn't get it by asking, Empress Dowager Shu decided to find a way to get it herself!

If these two sisters are useful, Empress Dowager Shu wouldn't mind giving them a good push, and even the position of Consort Xian... it's not impossible to get that useless thing to give it up.

"The Emperor will come tonight to invite me to a banquet."

Empress Dowager Shu, who had just arrived at the palace and was immediately given a hard time by A-Zhu's arrogant attitude, smiled with a rare kindness.

"You two sisters will serve me and pay your respects to His Majesty."

These two sisters were born to their aunt, and they both knew very well why they had their faces showing, so naturally they didn't refuse in the slightest. They both nodded shyly and replied, "Yes."

There are at least ten versions of the story of Ah Zhu climbing into the emperor's bed that have circulated in the palace.

Even if one despises her despicable methods... seeing how favored she is now, it's impossible for anyone not to be tempted by this path.

In Empress Dowager Shu's mind, as long as she could get rid of Jiang, this "rebellious" woman who was bewitching the emperor, any method, good or bad, was a necessary sacrifice.

Having received Empress Dowager Shu's instruction, Granny Li naturally didn't forget to lead the two sisters down and give them a good, subtle lesson.

......

Songxiuxuan

The scratches weren't actually that serious.

After having lunch, taking her medicine, and having her wound dried and treated with ointment, Ah Zhu woke up from a light nap and regained her strength, and was able to move around freely again.

The scrapes on my legs looked like broken strips of red silk, but thankfully the skin wasn't broken. There were also one or two small, congealed wounds, like broken threads or red jade beads.

Having finished dealing with the previous matters, Emperor Xuanpei naturally arrived at Songxiu Pavilion without any surprises.

Seeing is believing, so he personally pressed down on A-Zhu and carefully examined the injury on her leg.

Ah Zhu blushed and turned her head away, pretending she couldn't see what was happening.

Her fair skin was stained with pink, red silk, and faint bluish-purple from bumps and bruises... As she looked, her breathing became heavier.

In short, all the absurdity of this life truly fell on A-Zhu.

When the heat suddenly hit her thighs, A-Zhu shuddered and widened her eyes. Then she kicked out.

Emperor Xuanpei raised his hand and caught Azhu's leg.

Only after leaving several marks on her legs did he slowly raise his face, satisfied.

Seeing that A-Zhu had turned her head away, her ears were bright red and she was not saying anything, Emperor Xuanpei, who also liked her red ears very much, leaned over and kissed her ear.

"Let's have some fresh food in the front hall for dinner, that way we can warm up a bit."

Seeing that A-Zhu did not speak, Emperor Xuanpei said to himself, "In the past, hunting trips lasted three to five days. Should we leave it for three days or five days this time?"

Upon hearing this, Ah Zhu, who had been pretending to be dead and ignoring everyone, immediately came to life.

"Your Majesty, what can be done in three days?"

Ah Zhu gave Emperor Xuanpei a sticky kiss on the side of his lips, blinking his eyes and making his voice sound like it could be pulled out of sugar.

"His Majesty originally promised to teach his concubines how to ride horses and hunt."

"And also, there's soaking in hot springs... These days, it takes me a whole day just to recover from my injuries."

Emperor Xuanpei remained silent, only staring at Azhu with an unclear gaze.

A-Zhu reached out and put her arms around Emperor Xuanpei's neck, kissing him several times as she pleaded, "Your Majesty, my wise and mighty Emperor, please, you are the best, let's stay in this hunting ground for a few more days, okay?"

Emperor Xuanpei, covered in a sticky, sweet fragrance, smiled.

He hugged A-Zhu, smiled and nodded, "Okay."

Ah Zhu in this hunting ground was truly eager for novelty and also very daring.

Seeing that her leg injury wasn't serious, she thought she'd go to the hot spring that night to take a look, since she'd only ever heard of this rare thing when she was in the palace, never actually seen it.

Unable to resist Ah Zhu's persistent pestering, Emperor Xuanpei readily agreed, saying that he would take her to Changchun Pavilion after the banquet.

Wherever A-Zhu is, it's like a luxurious and glamorous world, and before you know it, your time will have flown by.

Knowing that Empress Dowager Shu disapproved of and couldn't stand A-Zhu, Emperor Xuanpei didn't want to bring A-Zhu along and let her suffer a lot of humiliation for nothing.

Emperor Xuanpei reached out and rubbed Azhu's chest again. He then instructed Azhu to ride in the sedan chair to the front hall. Afterward, he got up, straightened his clothes, and went to Jingshou Garden to be with Empress Dowager Shu, enjoying the "motherly love and filial piety."

*

Looking at Emperor Xuanpei, who was standing bowing before her, Empress Dowager Shu simply smiled and told him to get up.

Not only was she not in a hurry to set off, she also said as she asked Emperor Xuanpei to sit down, "This morning, your uncle had Wu'er send some Luochun tea over. He was afraid you would be too busy to bother him, so he sent it all to me."

"It has been aged for three years, and now it is at its best flavor. Would Your Majesty like to try it?"

When Empress Dowager Shu is in a dignified state, Emperor Xuanpei will not be the first to ruin that dignified state.

He nodded calmly.

Soon, the two sisters, Shu Junya and Shu Junhui, came in, one carrying a teacup and the other carrying tea and snacks.

You don't even need to get close to see; just smelling the perfume from a few steps away tells you that the person serving tea is definitely not a palace maid.

But the aloof and cold-faced Emperor Xuanpei was truly exceptionally "unromantic".

He didn't even glance at the two sisters. He simply reached out, picked up the teacup, lifted the lid, and smelled the aroma before praising Empress Dowager Shu: "Indeed, this is excellent tea."

Empress Dowager Shu was barely able to keep her smile on her face.

She smiled, but her eyes were rather cold as she looked at Shu Junya and Shu Junhui.

She had already gone to such lengths, and even lowered her head as if submitting to the emperor.

If these two useless things continue to be so disappointing...

"Your Majesty." Shu Junya stepped forward with a stiff upper lip and bowed to Emperor Xuanpei. She tried her best to smile naturally and sweetly: "Junya greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be blessed with good fortune."

Shu Yunhui, who was standing to the side, couldn't bear to see Shu Yunya embarrassed alone. With the idea of ​​advancing and retreating together, she also stepped forward and bowed.

"Yunhui, Yunhui greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal happiness."

Emperor Xuanpei calmly put down his teacup.

With a "thud," the sisters' eyelids twitched.

Emperor Xuanpei was inherently extremely oppressive.

When his face is expressionless, he always has a stern and unsmiling look. If he frowns or gives a cold look, it's frightening enough.

Anyway, when Ah Zhu, that shameless guy, first entered Hanyuan Hall to serve tea, he didn't say a word and started thumping his knees the whole time.

Sure enough, the same old story unfolded. Before Emperor Xuanpei could even speak, the two sisters were so frightened that they hurriedly knelt down.

Empress Dowager Shu tried her best to maintain a dignified smile and said, "Your Majesty, these two girls are your cousins. You have met them before, and they have been kept at your residence ever since."

"Your uncle thought that since they are getting old, they should come out and move around more, so he sent Wu'er to bring people to the hunting grounds."

"As the saying goes, a girl changes drastically at eighteen."

"Don't even mention that you wouldn't recognize me at first glance; even I didn't recognize me when I saw me today."

Emperor Xuanpei watched as Empress Dowager Shu, who was determined to achieve her goal, forced a smile and rambled on for a while, her face showing appropriate surprise.

"So they are actually two cousins ​​from the Shu family."

Emperor Xuanpei raised his hand, signaling the two to rise: "I thought they were just some palace servants who didn't know the rules."

Empress Dowager Shu and Emperor Xuanpei engaged in a subtle but effective verbal battle, and Shu Yunhui and Shu Yunhui, who had been caught in the crossfire, dared not utter a word.

Seeing that Empress Dowager Shu was determined to bring people to his side, Emperor Xuanpei responded indifferently, but in reality, he was already getting impatient.

After all, no matter how delicious the food is in front of you, it won't taste good when someone forces it into your mouth.

Just as Emperor Xuanpei was trying to avoid getting up because it was getting late, he suddenly noticed the sachets tied around the waists of the Shu sisters.

These sachets come in pairs, with each of the two sisters wearing a pair around their waist.

Beneath the pinkish-white satin sachet are a ruyi knot and drooping yellow tassels, with a delicate and exquisite jade pendant in the center.

What good things doesn't the palace have?

These sachets are nothing to be surprised about.

But the unique and intricate patterns on this sachet... Emperor Xuanpei remembered seeing them somewhere before.

Where is it?

When did things like sachets become something he cares about so much?

Emperor Xuanpei had a truly excellent memory.

He almost instantly remembered—he had seen it before on a rather old sachet with a blue background and white satin.

This sachet... belongs to A-Zhu.

It was a sachet that his son, A-Zhu, had brought into the palace when he was young. He kept it close to his body and treasured it dearly. He searched for it several times in a panic, but refused to exchange it no matter what.

What kind of sachets are so popular in the capital that noble ladies wear them?

Even these sachets look like a pair... Ha, how interesting.

......

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Author's note: Thank you for your support, my lovely readers! (High five, clasped hands)