Granny Liu couldn't say anything, after all, marrying a princess would ruin one's future.
The Empress Dowager sighed softly: "It would be best if he could be matched with Ruoling. The prince consort of Princess Shang cannot serve as an official in the court, and no ambitious young man is willing to do so. But I can't bear to wrong Ruoling. This child suffered a lot when she was young. Her uncle and aunt are no good people."
Fearing that the Empress Dowager might recall the injuries Princess Ruoling had sustained when she was brought to the palace, causing her distress, Granny Liu smiled and said, "With Your Majesty protecting her, the princess is truly blessed. This old servant thinks that the princess seems to have feelings for this Mr. Lu as well."
The Empress Dowager smiled so much her eyes narrowed: "Is that so? You noticed it too? I saw it clearly during dinner; Ruoling kept glancing at him every now and then."
"This servant noticed that the princess is blushing."
Both of them burst out laughing at this point.
Then the Empress Dowager sighed again: "It's a pity that Mr. Lu seems to have no interest in Ruoling. The way he looks at Ruoling is the same as the way he looks at me and you."
Granny Liu said, "Perhaps Mr. Lu knows that he comes from a humble background and is not good enough for our princess, so he doesn't dare to reveal his thoughts."
The Empress Dowager nodded. Perhaps. What if Ruoling is interested in him, but he is not interested in her? That would be bad.
Mr. Lu was quite sensible, which pleased the Empress Dowager even more.
"Grandmother, look who's here!" Princess Ruoling, having escorted Lu Yuyan back, ran into the palace and, as joyful as a magpie, pounced on the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager hugged Ruoling, who ran up to her, and beckoned to Lu Xiaoyun, "Yu'er, come here, come to your grandmother."
The Empress Dowager stroked Ruoling's hair with one hand and said to Ruoling in her arms, "Have you sent that Mr. Lu out of the palace?"
"Well, Mr. Lu said he hasn't been out shopping since he arrived in Shengjing, so he didn't wait for Fourth Brother. Fourth Brother assigned some bodyguards to protect Mr. Lu, and he left first."
The Empress Dowager smiled and nodded, her eyes glancing meaningfully at Granny Liu.
Granny Liu smiled secretly.
Lu Xiaoyun stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the Empress Dowager: "Grandson greets His Majesty."
Looking at her grandson like this, and recalling the past, the Empress Dowager's eyes welled up with tears. She released Ruoling, stood up with the help of Granny Liu, and went forward to personally help Lu Xiaoyun up.
Lu Xiaoyun dared not let the Empress Dowager exert any force, and quickly stood up with the Empress Dowager's help.
Zhu Yu was much taller than the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager's aged hand grasped Lu Xiaoyun's large, calloused hand, her voice trembling and choked with emotion: "Yu'er, Yu'er..."
"Grandmother." Lu Xiaoyun could tell that the Empress Dowager had some genuine feelings for Zhu Yu.
"It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright." The Empress Dowager raised her sleeve to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"It is my unfilial act to cause my grandmother worry. Is my grandmother feeling any better?"
"Much better, much better. It's all thanks to you for finding that Mr. Lu. He's so young but his medical skills are amazing. He really saved this old woman's life."
The Empress Dowager held Lu Xiaoyun's hand tightly, refusing to let go, and led her to sit down. When Granny Liu saw this, she quickly moved the low table in the middle to the side.
The grandmother and granddaughter acted like ordinary people. The Empress Dowager held Lu Xiaoyun's hand in one hand and gently stroked Lu Xiaoyun's face with the other: "You've lost weight, child. You've suffered."
The Empress Dowager's hands were icy cold, so Lu Xiaoyun held them in her palms.
"Grandmother, I am fully recovered, you don't need to worry."
Princess Ruoling knew that her grandmother had something to say to her fourth brother, so she pulled Granny Liu aside and said to the Empress Dowager, "Grandmother, the snow plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden have bloomed. Ruoling will go and pick a couple of blossoms for you to see."
The Empress Dowager wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled at Ruoling, saying, "Alright, alright, go ahead, but be careful not to fall."
"This old servant will accompany the princess." Granny Liu smiled and followed Princess Ruoling out of the main hall, then dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs who were serving inside.
"I heard you went to suppress bandits yesterday. Were you injured?"
The Empress Dowager looked Lu Xiaoyun over carefully from head to toe, still feeling uneasy, and reached out to touch her hand.
Lu Xiaoyun quickly said, "Grandmother, don't worry, it's just a small scratch. Mr. Lu has already applied medicine for me, it's nothing serious."
Not wanting to worry the Empress Dowager, Lu Xiaoyun did not tell her about the penetrating wound in her arm.
The Empress Dowager, concerned about Ruoling, asked, "Have you investigated Mr. Lu's background? How old is he?"
Lu Xiaoyun knew that Ayan was only sixteen years old in his current body, and that his superb Nine-Turn Resurrection Needle, which could heal bones, would arouse suspicion. Therefore, she had already discussed his background with Ayan.
Fortunately, it is said that the original owner was also named Lu Yuyan, and because he often hunted in the mountains, he knew some medical principles of bandaging wounds.
"Your Majesty, I have investigated. He is a disciple of Master Suwang, who lives in the mountains outside the capital. By chance, he saved me and the Princess."
The Empress Dowager breathed a long sigh of relief. She knew that such a skilled physician must have had an extraordinary master. She never expected that he was a disciple of Master Su Wang. If he also had a good family background, he would be perfect.
It is said that Master Suwang can revive the dead and heal the bones; there is no disease he cannot cure.
I heard that he only took one apprentice in his life, and I never expected it to be this Mr. Lu.
Master Suwang was elusive and very few people had ever seen him in person. The emperor and the crown prince sent many people to find him to treat her headache, but they had never been able to find any trace of him.
Now, it was his apprentice who saved his life.
"What about his background?" The Empress Dowager looked at Lu Xiaoyun anxiously.
Lu Xiaoyun felt that the Empress Dowager's question seemed a bit strange. As long as a doctor has good medical skills, that's enough. Did the Empress Dowager think the same way as Zhu Zhi and Zhu Chen, looking down on him because he was just a country doctor?
But the Empress Dowager isn't that kind of person.
Lu Xiaoyun shook her head: "According to him, he was abandoned by his parents and by chance was taken in by Master Suwang. He studied medicine with him for a few years and then settled down in the mountains."
The Empress Dowager sighed in disappointment. How could someone of such a background be worthy of Ruoling?
Seeing that only the grandmother and grandson were in the hall, the Empress Dowager sighed softly and said, "Yu'er, listen to your grandmother and live a good life with the Princess. That child is just spoiled and pampered, but he has a good heart and no bad intentions."
Lu Xiaoyun smiled awkwardly. After they switched back, they would get a divorce.
The Empress Dowager sighed softly to herself. It seemed that Yu'er still couldn't let go of the girl from the Prime Minister's residence.
It's not good to offer too much advice. You can only figure this out yourself. The more others try to advise you, the worse it sometimes will be.
"Just came from your father's place?"
"yes."
Have you had lunch yet?
"Father has bestowed lunch upon us."
That's truly rare.
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