From the room came Xie Xun's screams, like a pig being slaughtered. It was the imperial physician who was applying medicine to him. The way he was applying medicine to him was so good that if you didn't know better, you would think the physician had a grudge against him.
Su Juan and a few others stood in the yard. The night wind blew away her drunkenness and she felt a chill on her back.
[The old emperor is so scary. He can tell even when someone is drinking in the Duke's Mansion from the palace...]
Liu Miaoqing learned from her father that the emperor had sent people to secretly protect Su Juan, but what she didn't expect was that His Majesty even wanted to know what Su Juan did, who she met, and what she said.
Less than an hour after they had started drinking, someone came from the palace.
Liu Xuan lowered his eyes and thought, if His Majesty had spies in the Duke Ping's Mansion, then the people in the palace should not have come so quickly, otherwise if Duke Ping knew, His Majesty's action would hurt the relationship between the monarch and his subjects.
His gaze fell calmly on Su Juan. Could it be that there was His Majesty's spy around Su Juan?
But why did Your Majesty place spies around her? What's so special about her?
Duke Ping came out of the room and saw that several people were still standing guard. He waved his hand and said, "It's okay, don't worry. The imperial physician checked it out and it's nothing serious. It's just a superficial injury. I think he will be able to jump around tomorrow."
The few of them breathed a sigh of relief, luckily everything was fine.
Liu Xuan said with concern, "You still have to stay in bed for the next two days." After all, it takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone.
Su Juan was impressed, "The old emperor has made all the necessary preparations. Those who beat people and those who rescued people have all come together. Once this excellent medicine is applied, even if the Duke is angry, he won't be able to vent it."
【Xie Xun is probably choking on this sweet date he ate.】
Duke Ping was still smiling, "It's okay, he has thick skin and tough flesh, twenty strokes is still not enough."
If it were me, I would give him at least fifty strokes of the cane.
[My dear son...]
Soon, the imperial physician came out and said, "It's not a serious matter. Just stay in bed for one night and you'll be fine tomorrow. Your Majesty, don't worry."
The people in charge of caning in the palace are well versed in the art of beating. Some of the beatings seem severe but are actually just superficial injuries, while some seem light but actually break bones and muscles, or even take a person's life.
As for Prince Xie, Your Majesty was only giving him a lesson. After all, he didn't do anything wrong. It's impossible that he really hurt anyone.
Duke Ping smiled, "Why should I worry? Your Majesty is willing to teach this kid a lesson for me. I am so happy. Imperial Physician Liang, I will see you off."
Liang, the imperial physician, carried the wooden box and said politely, "Your Excellency, there is no need to see me off. It's just a short walk. How can I be so embarrassed to do this?"
Duke Ping is a down-to-earth person. Since you said you don’t need it, I won’t see you off. “Since Imperial Physician Liang has said so, then I won’t see you off. Imperial Physician Liang, take care.”
Imperial Physician Liang: “…” I’m just being polite.
As soon as the imperial physician left, Duke Ping asked the steward and two servants to take good care of Xie Xun in the room. He turned around and looked at Su Juan with a happy look on his face, "Come on, I will show you the yard."
If someone hadn't come from the palace, he wouldn't have known that Su Juan had come, and he had been taken to the yard by this brat to drink.
He even wants to snatch people from a old man like me. He really deserves a beating.
Your Majesty, the twenty strokes of the cane were truly not in vain.
Duke Ping looked at Liu Xuan and Liu Miaoqing, "Are you two going together or staying here?"
The two looked at each other, and at this moment, Xie Xun's voice came from the room, "Help! Someone come quickly... It hurts so much!"
Liu Miaoqing looked at Su Juan and said, "I'd better go with A Juan."
It's probably not appropriate for a girl like me to stay here.
Liu Xuan nodded slightly, "This is the courtyard that the Duke arranged for Miss Su. I also want to go and see it."
Su Juan: “?” [But I didn’t say I was going, didn’t you even ask me? ]
Duke Ping and Liu Miaoqing pretended not to hear anything, and they left Xie Xun's yard one after another, until the pig-slaughtering screams gradually faded away, and their ears became quiet.
...
The courtyard that Duke Ping arranged for Su Juan was very large. As soon as you entered the courtyard, you could smell the fragrance of flowers. There were lights along the way and the courtyard was very clean.
When Liu Miaoqing saw the yard, she was stunned. Behind a large patch of colorful flowers, there was a swing. The wood of the swing looked like sandalwood. Only then did she notice that these flowers were very valuable, and many of them were rare species that could only be encountered once...
The Xie family is truly wealthy.
No wonder Xie Xun wears new clothes every day when he goes out, wears a lot of jewelry on his body, and always eats the best.
Previously, many upright figures in the capital had written articles criticizing Xie Xun for spending money like water, being too extravagant, and being so dissolute and unaware of the sufferings of ordinary people.
But she has been raised like this by the Duke since she was a child, and she has no chance to understand this kind of suffering.
Duke Ping was very satisfied with his arrangements. He looked at Su Juan with a smug look on his face, "Girl, what do you think?"
You know, many of these flowers are not available in Beijing, so he specially sent people to ship them back from outside.
It was exactly the same as the courtyard she remembered. Su Juan showed surprise on her face, "Thank you, Duke. I like it very much."
Duke Ping narrowed his eyes and realized that his vision was correct. Look how much his niece-granddaughter liked her, which showed that his arrangement was absolutely correct.
Su Juan sighed, "This flower is so fragrant..." [I have to prepare more medicine in the future to prevent insect bites. If it attracts bees, it will be no small matter. ]
Duke Ping: "......"
Su Juan walked across the sea of flowers with a happy face and came to the swing, which was wrapped with vines and had flowers blooming on it.
She sat down on the swing, but it was too low. The maker of the swing thought it was for a little girl, so he made it lower for fear that she might fall. As a result, when Su Juan sat on it, it was like she was sitting on a chair, with her legs bent and she couldn't get up at all.
Duke Ping: "......"
Liu Miaoqing smiled but said nothing. The person who built this yard probably thought that it was for a little girl to live in.
Su Juan's face was full of surprise. She looked at the Duke with a smile on her face, "I like this swing too. Thank you, Duke."
[It's a pity that this fine sandalwood can't be cured, it's a waste...]
Duke Ping coughed lightly and said, "This swing seems a little small, and there seem to be too many flowers. It's okay, I'll call someone to fix it tomorrow."
He looked at Su Juan and cursed several colleagues, "What kind of person did they recommend? He can't even make a swing."
Su Juan wanted to laugh, but she held it back. After all, this was the old man's kindness, and she had to cherish it and be grateful.
Liu Xuan's gaze fell on Su Juan, then looked at Duke Ping, his thin crimson lips slightly pursed. Was the Duke too good to Su Juan?
Xie Xun was still lying in the room, but he took Su Juan to stroll around the yard.
The decoration of this whole courtyard must have cost a lot of money and manpower, which shows how much he values Su Juan, and how much Duke Ping values Su Juan...
Thinking of what his father said to him that day, he looked at Su Juan, his eyes slightly stunned. Could it be... that girl is the Su Juan in front of him?