Chapter 13 [13] Red as a flower, enchanting as jade

【13】/First release

When Zheng and her two daughters-in-law hurried out to greet them, Nanny Lan Gui was already standing in the main hall with Doctor Liu, with their hands behind their backs.

"It's Aunt Lan Gui. I wonder what the Queen Mother has ordered that has you come here in person."

Even though Zheng was a marquis' wife, she was still polite in her words when facing the empress dowager's confidant.

Nanny Lan Gui didn't take it personally. She politely bowed to the Zheng family, the mother-in-law, and the daughter-in-law, then relayed the Queen Mother's instructions, "...Please, Madam, lead the way. Allow me and the imperial physician to visit the young lady for a while."

Zheng naturally did not dare to neglect him and hurriedly took him to Tingxiaxuan.

Yun Ran's Tingxiaxuan was not far from the garden. There was an osmanthus tree planted at the entrance. When the autumn sun shone on it, it shone golden and fragrant, which was extremely pleasant.

After crossing the courtyard and reaching the inner hall, Doctor Liu took Yun Ran's pulse through the green silk curtain, while Nanny Lan Gui stood by with her hands in her pockets.

"It's just a high fever caused by the evil wind entering the body. It's nothing serious."

Doctor Liu looked at the prescription written by the doctor from Huichuntang and added two more warming and nourishing medicines before packing up his medicine box.

Zheng thanked Doctor Liu and ordered her eldest daughter-in-law Li Wanrong to see him off.

Seeing that Nanny Lan Gui was still standing by the couch and asking Yun Ran about her well-being, Zheng had no choice but to wait patiently.

When the two of them had finished their conversation, Zheng interrupted, "It's just that the child got cold at night and caught a cold. It's so frightening that the Empress Dowager has to ask about such a trivial matter."

Nanny Lan Gui crossed her arms and said, "After all, your young lady is the Queen Mother's chosen Princess Jing. How could the Queen Mother not value her?"

Zheng: "Yes, yes, the Queen Mother's kindness is so great that we are deeply grateful and overjoyed."

After a pause, she looked at Aunt Lan Gui and said, "It must be very tiring for you to come here, Aunt. Please go to the front hall and have a cup of tea to relieve your fatigue."

This means to see the guest off.

Nanny Lan Gui smiled faintly and said, "Let the Marquis know that the Empress Dowager loves your young lady dearly. When she heard she was ill, she sent me here immediately after having barely eaten a bite of breakfast. The Empress Dowager also said that until the young lady's wedding to His Royal Highness Prince Jing, I will stay at the Marquis' mansion to take care of her daily life and teach her some palace etiquette."

As she spoke, she pointed to several boxes piled on the table and said, "Look, I've even brought clothes with me. I'll be a bother to you in the future. Madam Hou, please bear with me."

Zheng never expected that Nanny Lan Gui would not leave after she arrived.

She thought those boxes of things were supplements and medicinal herbs given by the empress dowager.

Having stated her purpose, Nanny Lan Gui glanced at Yun Ran, who was still covered in an ice towel by the bed, and said to Zheng, "The young lady has just taken medicine and needs to rest. Please ask Madam and the Third Young Master's wife to go back first. I will stay here to watch over her."

Zheng/Qian Sijin: "..."

Until she was "asked" to leave Ting Xiaxuan, Qian Sijin couldn't help but stamp her feet: "This is really too much, if you don't know, you would think this is her home!"

Zheng: “…”

Qian Sijin: "Mother, what do you think the Queen Mother means by this? Is she worried that we will treat Ranran harshly, or is she afraid that Ranran will run away, so she even sent someone to keep an eye on him?"

Zheng looked back at her daughter's yard and sighed, "Maybe... the Queen Mother is also afraid."

As for what we are afraid of, everyone knows it.

Inside Xiaxuan, Nanny Lan Gui seemed to have become the leader of the courtyard. She instructed Qingling and others to clean up the ear room for her, and then ordered people to register the supplements and other items given by the Queen Mother.

After going around like this, Nanny Lan Gui found that the courtyard of Lady Yun Wu was loose and there were no rules at all.

This won't do.

With such a casual and relaxed personality, how can she manage the household affairs of a palace after she marries into it?

As soon as Lady Yun Wu recovers from her illness, I must teach her the rules and regulations so that she can behave like the future mistress of the palace.

As Nanny Lan Gui was thinking about this, she returned to the bedroom and saw the sickly young lady poking her head out from the head of the bed and looking at her.

As their eyes met, the young lady quickly retracted her head like a shy plant.

Aunt Lan Gui: "..." She solemnly walked to the bedside and asked, "Young lady, do you have any instructions?"

Seeing that she was caught red-handed, Yun Ran didn't deny it. She raised her fair little face and looked curiously at the stern old nanny in front of her, who was wearing a Qiuxiang palace dress. "I just felt that the nanny looked a little familiar."

Aunt Lan Gui was startled for a moment: "Look familiar?"

Yun Ran nodded: "Madam, you... look a bit like my master."

Nanny Lan Gui's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Are you talking about your former master at the Yangzhou Taoist temple?"

Yun Ran hummed. "Mammy is like my master. Although she always has a stern face, she has a soft heart. Even if I really do something wrong and my master scolds me, I know she is doing it for my own good."

Hearing these words that were tinged with admiration, Nanny Lan Gui suddenly didn't know what to say.

"Mammy, are you free now? If you are, please sit down and talk to me."

As Yun Ran spoke, he moved closer to the bed and patted the empty edge of the bed.

As an old woman who had served the Empress Dowager for many years, Nanny Lan Gui had come into contact with many noble ladies in the past, but no young lady had ever been so relaxed and casual in front of her, and some even took the initiative to chat with her.

This generous attitude made Nanny Lan Gui feel a little favorable towards him, but she still remembered the rules and moved another stool to sit down.

"I wonder what the young lady is going to say?"

"Just chatting."

Yun Ran leaned against the pillow, her dark eyes looking at the old nanny sitting upright, "Has nanny always been serving the Queen Mother?"

Nanny Lan Gui: "Yes, when the Queen Mother first entered the palace, this old servant served her."

"That's a long time."

Yun Ran nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Then, Madam, you must have met Prince Jing, right?"

Aunt Lan Gui's mouth twitched slightly: "Of course."

As soon as she finished speaking, the young lady with disheveled black hair sat up straight and looked at him expectantly. "Madam, can you tell me about His Royal Highness Prince Jing? I'm about to marry him, but I'm still a stranger to him."

Looking at the pair of bright eyes in front of her, Aunt Lan Gui thought that even the most heartless person in the world would not be able to refuse her request.

Besides, she had no intention of refusing.

Clearing her throat, Nanny Lan Gui straightened her back and said sternly, "Young lady, please feel free to ask whatever you want to know. I will tell you everything I know."

At the same time, at Prince Jing’s Mansion.

In front of the courtyard gate with a plaque reading "Liuxianyuan" hanging on it, there are towering high walls and double iron gates that are tightly locked. A gust of bleak autumn wind blows by, and the red maple leaves beside the moon-shaped gate rustle.

Suddenly, there was a "click" sound, and one of the outer doors opened. Chang Chun, wearing a complete set of protective clothing made of bamboo and rattan, crawled into the compartment between the two doors.

He turned around and locked the first door before carefully opening the second one.

Even though he had been in the palace for six years, Chang Chun still had to mentally prepare himself for a while before he mustered up the courage to push open the second door.

There is no other reason, it is because behind this heavily guarded Willow Fairy Garden, there are really hundreds of "Willow Fairies" living there——

There are giant black pythons coiled on vines, long emerald green snakes hanging upside down on branches, and small beige snakes sleeping behind rockery rocks, not to mention the huge man-made snake cave in the middle of the courtyard, where hundreds of snakes of various colors are densely packed and wriggling.

Unlike Chang Chun who was protected from head to toe, King Jing, who was sitting next to the snake cave, was only wearing an ordinary black robe, with his black hair loosely tied with a dark red hairband.

Everyone said that King Jing was the reincarnation of an evil spirit and was extremely ominous.

Whether King Jing was looking at this moment was a good omen or not was another matter, but he was sitting quietly beside the snake cave, with his black hair, fair skin, dark eyebrows and red lips, truly living up to the saying "red as a flower, enchanting face like jade".

Chang Chun was once again captivated by the appearance of his own prince. After a while, he realized that King Jing was holding a pair of pliers and picking up a squirming baby mouse from the box.

Chang Chun: “…”

Even with a face like that, it's still hard to accept him doing such a thing!

Suppressing the fear and disgust in his heart, he stepped forward cautiously: "Your Highness."

Sima Jing turned his head slightly: "Why are you here?"

If he had a choice, he wouldn't want to come.

Chang Chun forced a wry smile from his face, which was covered by a bamboo hood. "I have something to report."

Sima Jing threw the mouse into the snake den with an expressionless face: "What's the matter?"

Chang Chun tried hard not to look at the hundreds of snakes writhing in the snake den. His voice trembled as he said, "Veterinarian Guo just came to report that Jin Dou'er's life span has come to an end and there's no way he can be saved."

Sima Jing paused holding the pliers.

After a while, he said, "Send it to Qingqiu Tomb for burial."

Chang Chun responded with a "yes," and then glanced at his Highness's expression, "Don't be sad, Your Highness. Veterinarian Guo said that for a small snake like Jindou'er, it's not easy to live for six years."

"It's been six years..."

Sima Jing murmured, his gaze sweeping across the snakes in the snake den, then down to the large black python coiled on the thick tree trunk: "It's better to leave. Once they're all gone, I won't have any more worries."

Upon hearing the implication behind these words, Chang Chun quickly knelt down and said, "Your Highness, please do not speak in such terms. You are a descendant of the royal family, blessed with a long and prosperous life. One day you will marry and have children, and your descendants will be endless. You have no idea how much importance the Empress Dowager attaches to your marriage. Not only did she order the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to set an auspicious wedding date long ago, she also sent Nanny Lan Gui to the Marquis of Changxin's residence..."

Before he could finish his words, he saw Prince Jing, who had been staring at the giant python, raise his eyes and look at him: "What happened in the Marquis' Mansion?"

Chang Chun was startled and stammered, "No...it's okay, the Empress Dowager is just concerned about the lady from the Yun family..."

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll use you as a snack for them."

“………”

Chang Chun suddenly wanted to slap himself in the face. He knew that the prince was always sharp and suspicious, so why did he bring up this matter for no reason?

Although he felt regretful, he still told the story of the young lady from the Yun family falling ill.

Finally, Chang Chun asked carefully, "The Empress Dowager has expressed her feelings. Your Highness, please send some supplements to Madam Yun as a token of your appreciation."

"Thoughts?"

Sima Jing chuckled, "What do I have in mind for her?"

Chang Chun hesitated: "At least...at least Madam Yun is the future princess..."

"So what?"

Sima Jing picked up a small mouse and threw it into the snake den. His voice was filled with a hint of impatience and coldness: "You'd better not meddle in other people's business. If I find out that you've acted on your own behind my back, you'll end up like this mouse."

Looking at the little mouse cub that was immediately snatched up by countless snakes as soon as it was thrown into the snake den, Chang Chun felt a chill down his spine. "Yes, yes, I saved it."

Sima Jing said nothing more, but turned his head to look at the basket of pink mice. Suddenly, he thought of the girl in green skirt on the street in West Market and the nosy young lady last night.

Was the familiarity between the two his illusion?

"etc--"

Chang Chun, who was about to leave in a panic, shuddered and turned around: "Your Highness?"

Sima Jing grabbed the bamboo basket and dumped the overflowing basket of mice into the snake den. He said calmly, "Send someone to keep an eye on the Marquis of Changxin's residence. Report any unusual activity immediately."

The author has something to say:

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Chang Chun: ??? You don’t care, do you?

Still a little red envelope, see you tomorrow~[Blue Heart]