Xue Zhongfu saw his mother and Chen Jin walking out of Ci'an Palace one after the other. He immediately went to meet them and asked nervously, "Mother, what's going on?"
Hong Yingrong saw her son's anxious look and said softly, "Don't worry, His Majesty won't punish you severely."
Xue Zhongfu heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but then frowned again: "That eldest brother..."
"Yuanchu is under house arrest and cannot leave the palace without an imperial decree. This is the emperor's order." Hong Yingrong briefly explained the situation and cast a grateful look at Chen Jin. "This time, it is thanks to Eunuch Chen for conveying the emperor's order in a timely manner."
Chen Jin smiled slightly and waved her hand, saying, "Old Madam, you are too kind. I am just following your orders."
"The palace gates are about to be locked. It would be best for the old lady and the second young master to return home early. The mansion still needs you, the old lady, to take charge and deal with various matters."
Hong Yingrong nodded in agreement. "Eunuch Chen is absolutely right. We will return home now... By the way, regarding the search for your lost younger brother, we have already sent a letter to the border, but there has been no progress so far. As soon as I have any news, I will send someone to inform you immediately."
Chen Jin felt a surge of warmth in his heart when he heard this. He bowed and thanked her, "Thank you, Madam, for your concern. With the help of the Marquis' Mansion, I believe there will be good news one day."
Hong Yingrong and Xue Zhongfu said no more. Chen Jin accompanied them to the gate of Dong'anmen Palace, watched their figures disappear into the night, and then turned back to the Qianqing Palace.
The sky gradually darkened, and light and shadow intertwined in the Qianqing Hall. Li Longze was preparing to have dinner.
Chen Jin stepped in lightly, washed his hands carefully first, then took the ivory chopsticks from the young eunuch and began to serve the dishes skillfully.
"The scallop, emerald shrimp and pearl shark fin soup prepared by the imperial kitchen today are particularly delicious. Your Majesty ate a lot more than at lunch." Chen Jin whispered.
Li Longze smiled slightly, "Now that everything that needs to be done is done, my appetite will naturally improve."
Chen Jin picked up a piece of crystal-clear amber winter melon with delicate ivory chopsticks and gently placed it on the colorful porcelain plate in front of Li Longze. "This is a fresh vegetable specially found by the Fruit and Vegetable Department. Your Majesty, please try it."
Li Longze nodded, chewing the food slowly and finding it sweet and juicy. He casually asked, "The girl we assigned to Feng Shaoying must not leave any traces."
Chen Jin paused as he picked up the food he was picking up, then realized, "That girl has no one to rely on. Her only sister married young, but unfortunately, her husband's family got involved in a crime and was exiled by the entire clan. She has no other wishes, only that her sister and brother-in-law be freed from their crimes and return to their hometown to farm."
"You can do whatever you want, no need to ask me!"
Compared to the countless people in the world, these insignificant little people are just as small as ants in Li Longze's eyes.
The meaning of their existence is limited to whether they can be used by him. As long as this can be satisfied, it is enough.
At this time, the eunuchs from the Jingshifang respectfully entered the hall carrying the sleeping cards of the concubines in each palace.
"Your Majesty, please turn over the cards."
Li Longze glanced at the name tags of the concubines on the tray and flipped through them casually. "Let's go to Yilan Courtyard tonight."
The night was deep, and for the Emperor, it was just an ordinary day.
Outside the imperial city, Hong Yingrong's carriage sped past, raising a cloud of dust.
The coachman whipped the horses and hurried to the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion.
When she arrived at the gate of the Marquis' Mansion, Hong Yingrong caught a glimpse of the officials from the Jingzhao Yin government office evacuating one after another. She immediately understood that the emperor's decree had been conveyed here, and the officials would no longer impose martial law on the Xingyuan Marquis' Mansion.
Xue Zhongfu helped Hong Yingrong slowly get off the carriage. The steward Xue Zhong had returned from the farm and was waiting at the gate.
He quickly stepped forward and reported to Hong Yingrong, "Madam, I have already handed over all the people from the Dacheng Rice Shop who were detained at the farm to the Jingzhao Yin for interrogation."
Hong Yingrong nodded with satisfaction and said approvingly, "This is a very good move. If we keep detaining him at the farm, I'm afraid there will be more trouble. Now hand him over to the Jingzhao Yin, and we don't need to worry about the follow-up matters."
As they were talking, several doctors carrying medicine boxes came out of the mansion one after another. Hong Yingrong and Xue Zhongfu looked at each other and hurried into the mansion.
Mother Han finally waited for them, and when she saw Hong Yingrong, she felt like she had seen a savior.
"Madam, you're back! The prince... the doctors are doing their best to treat him." Mother Han reported anxiously.
Hong Yingrong's heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "How is Yuanchu's condition? What did the doctor say?"
Mother Han calmed down a bit and responded, "We've invited several doctors to the palace, and finally Doctor Qi, who specializes in treating bone injuries, is treating the patient. I believe that the prince will be blessed with good fortune."
At this time, a heart-wrenching scream came from the Prajna Hall. The sound was sharp and tragic, which made people terrified.
Hong Yingrong walked quickly into the Prajna Hall. As soon as she stepped into the room, the scene before her made her feel distressed.
Xue Yuanchu lay on the bed, his face as pale as paper, beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead. Facing the pain of broken bones, every time a broken bone was repositioned, he let out a shrill scream.
Two servants held Xue Yuanchu's upper body tightly to prevent him from struggling due to pain and affecting the doctor's treatment.
Doctor Qi was also concentrating on treating Xue Yuanchu's fractured right leg. His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. Fortunately, his technique was skillful and quick. The broken bone had been repositioned and his right leg was firmly fixed with a splint.
Rui'er and the other little girls were busy going in and out, carrying hot water and gauze.
Jiang Shuxiu was silently washing the blood-stained towel. Her cheeks were covered with tears, silently expressing her inner worry and heartache.
The treatment lasted for a long time, and Dr. Qi finally completed the final bandaging work.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Alright, the prince's fracture has been properly treated. As long as he rests well and changes the dressing on time, he should be able to recover as before."
Hearing this, Hong Yingrong's tense expression finally relaxed a little. She looked at the doctor gratefully and said, "Thank you, Doctor Qi, for your hard work."
Doctor Qi waved his hand gently and said, "Old Madam, you are so polite. Saving the dying and healing the wounded is the duty of a doctor. In the next few days, I will come to your house every day to change the dressings for the prince and ensure that his injuries can recover smoothly. There is no need to worry."
After saying this, he began to pack up his medicine box in an orderly manner, preparing to say goodbye and leave.
Hong Yingrong immediately ordered Mother Han to escort Doctor Qi out of the house, and told her to give him a generous medical fee as a token of gratitude.
Mother Han responded respectfully and left, while Hong Yingrong turned and walked to the bedside. Her eyes were full of concern as she carefully checked her son's injuries.
Although Xue Yuanchu's face was still pale, the spirit in his eyes had recovered a little.
"Mother..." he called out weakly, his voice revealing a deep sense of powerlessness.
"I want to divorce my wife..."
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