Chapter 134: Why did Xiahou Yu convict her?
Meng Yan was very unfamiliar with the voice and asked, "Who's outside?"
Ruizhu came back and said, "Your Majesty, it's a junior medical officer who said that Xiahou Imperial Physician sent him to bring some herbal tea."
Xiahou Yu, I haven’t seen this person for a while.
But when she heard that it was his apprentice at the door, Meng Yan suddenly remembered something and ordered, "Let him in. I have something to ask you."
Ruizhu felt a little strange, because the Empress had never asked about such matters of delivering items in the past.
She turned around and went out, and a moment later she led a handsome young man in.
The man was wearing a summer cloth shirt, the attire of a lower-ranking medical officer at the Imperial Hospital. He lowered his brows and bowed, "My humble position is Lu Xuanming. I pay my respects to the Imperial Concubine and Noble Lady Bai."
This type of low-ranking medical officer is merely an apprentice of the imperial physicians. They have no rank and cannot call themselves subjects, nor are they palace servants, so they cannot call themselves slaves. In front of the palace masters and empresses, they all call themselves "little ones."
Meng Yan looked at him and asked with a smile, "Are you the apprentice of Xiahou Imperial Physician? How many years have you been in the Imperial Hospital? What do you do on a daily basis?"
Lu Xuanming answered them one by one. While he was speaking, he noticed that the imperial concubine's eyes were bright and she was looking at him. He felt a little embarrassed and lowered his head very low.
Meng Yan listened and said casually, "Your master asked you to bring some cold tea. It turns out that the imperial physician Xiahou has also come to the garden. Who is serving the emperor in the palace now?"
Lu Xuanming replied, "The Emperor has ordered Master to come with him to serve the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine, and all palace affairs have been handed over to Vice Judge Song."
After asking a few more unimportant questions, Meng Yan instructed Ruizhu to give him some reward money and send him away.
After Lu Xuanming left, Bai Yuxin asked, "Sister, is there something wrong with this young medical officer?"
Meng Yan shook her head and said nothing more, perfunctorily, "It's nothing, it's just that Xiahou Imperial Physician is always aloof and not someone you should get close to. It's surprising that he has such a young disciple, so I'm curious about what he's like."
Bai Yuxin knew that she was just saying it for show, and since she didn't want to say anything, she just smiled and let it go.
Meng Yan gently waved a round fan in one hand, thinking silently in her heart.
Lu Xuanming, if she hadn't met him here, she would have almost forgotten about him.
In his previous life, this person was just a minor medical officer in the palace, and was unknown from beginning to end.
But this person's death brought her trouble.
It was August 16th of the fifth year of the Qianyuan reign. Just after the reunion festival, he heard from his subordinates that a male corpse who had died of poisoning was found in an empty room in the North Fifth Institute. After investigation, it was found that the body was that of a young medical officer named Lu Xuanming.
Although the medical officer's status was not high, it was still a human life. Such an untimely death naturally caused a big commotion in the palace.
This matter was handed over to the Ministry of Punishment for investigation, but after much investigation, they couldn't find anything.
At that time, Meng Yan did not care about palace affairs. When she heard the news, she just laughed at Liang Chengbi.
That evening, Lu Haozhi went to her Changchun Palace for dinner and overnight as usual, but his expression was somewhat unpleasant. She asked a few questions, but Lu Haozhi didn't answer directly. He only vaguely said a few words about the murder case and told her not to worry about it, saying that it would be fine in a few days.
Since he said so, she didn't ask any more questions.
After going to bed at night, she nestled in his arms and fell asleep in a daze. In her hazy sleep, she heard Lu Haozhi say, "...It's all just groundless talk."
Two days later, rumors suddenly spread in the palace that the murder was related to Changchun Palace, but because Concubine Meng was favored by the emperor, the case was suppressed by the emperor.
Meng Yan has always been straightforward and can't tolerate any sand in her eyes. She guessed that this was another obstacle set by Liang Chengbi, so she went to Yiku Palace to confront her.
At that time, Liang Chengbi was still the gentle and virtuous Imperial Noble Consort, and her words and deeds were all dignified. She was so angry that her face turned pale and she was speechless.
When Lu Haozhi heard about this, he issued an order, forbidding anyone to discuss the matter recklessly. The case was left unresolved and eventually became an unsolved case.
However, in the eyes of others, this naturally became another piece of evidence of Meng Yan's rampant dominance in the palace and her arrogance.
She herself felt it was incomprehensible that she had nothing to do but poisoned a low-ranking medical officer who had nothing to do with her.
Now that I think about it, Lu Xuanming is Xiahou Yu's apprentice, so all those things make sense.
It was heard that Xiahou Yu was very protective of his disciples. If he also believed that this little disciple died at his hands, then it would not be surprising that they became enemies.
It's just an inconclusive case. Why would Xia Houyu convict her?!
The fan in Meng Yan's hand stopped at some point, and the tea bowl beside her gradually lost its heat.
Ruizhu came over quietly and wanted to change it for her.
Meng Yan suddenly said, "Bring this herbal tea here for me to see."
Ruizhu was a little surprised, but still responded and went to get the bags of herbal tea.
Meng Yan opened it and took a look, only to see some commonly used summer heat-clearing herbs such as honeysuckle, momordica grosvenori, licorice, selfheal, and tribute chrysanthemum. In addition, there were also longan, codonopsis, and astragalus.
Bai Yuxin had been following her around with the herbs for a while, and had a rough understanding of their properties. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "Are these warming herbs in this herbal tea meant to clear away heat or to prevent people from getting irritated?"
Meng Yan didn't respond, but she understood in her heart.
Because she was born with a spiritual vein constitution, although she looked strong on the outside, she was actually weak on the inside. Her grandfather had told her since she was a child that she must take care of herself and nourish herself all year round, and she must not seek coolness even in the middle of summer.
This herbal tea looks strange on the outside, but its medicinal properties can calm liver fire and nourish qi and blood. In fact, it is most suitable for her constitution.
Xiahou Yu, this is the herbal tea specially prepared for her.
Meng Yan's face was as calm as water. She only instructed Ruizhu, "Take five taels of silver to pack it up and send it to them. If they have anything to say, just say it was my order. Don't ask the Imperial Hospital to give money to treat the concubines in the harem to cold tea."
Ruizhu agreed and took the cold tea away.
Meng Yan took Doukou and went back to her room with Bai Yuxin for a nap.
When she woke up, it was already past noon. Seeing that the sun outside was not so scorching, Meng Yan made an appointment with Bai Yuxin and took Doukou to Shou'an Academy to pay her respects to the empress dowager.
When they arrived at Shou'an Academy and entered the courtyard, the three of them felt a cool breeze blowing on their faces.
Bai Yuxin surveyed the courtyard carefully, finding it a small, elegant one, even smaller and more magnificent than their own Chunzezhai. There were few flowers or plants, but instead there were some pine and cypress trees, perhaps symbolizing eternal youth and good fortune. The courtyard was quiet and peaceful, with a small pond dotted with lotus leaves, adding a refreshing coolness.
"The Queen Mother doesn't like crowds and noise, so when she comes to the garden, she stays here."
Seeing a hint of doubt on Bai Yuxin's face, Meng Yan explained softly from the side.
When they reached the main hall, the palace maid guarding the gate saw them and hurried in to announce it. She came out and said with a smile, "My two masters, please go in. The Empress Dowager has gotten up and is sitting in the main room."
Meng Yan took Doukou's hand and walked into the hall with Bai Yuxin.
Entering the main room, I saw that Empress Dowager Jiang was only wearing a half-worn silk shirt. She was leaning on a soft light red pillow sprinkled with gold, sitting on the kang under the west window.
Upon seeing them come in, the Queen Mother smiled and nodded, saying, "You've come at the perfect time. I just asked the kitchen to prepare apricot cakes and rock sugar loquats. You're in for a treat."
Meng Yan walked forward with a smile, and together with Bai Yuxin, she saluted the empress dowager, and also asked Doukou to pay her respects.
Empress Dowager Jiang was old and loved her grandchildren the most. She brought Doukou to sit next to her on the kang, and asked the palace maids to bring stools for them both.
After sitting down and chatting for a while, Zang Xiu came in and reported, "Empress Dowager, Imperial Physician Xiahou is here to check Ping An's pulse."
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