Chapter 31 031 Receiving the Imperial Decree and Entering the Palace
Xi Ziyu, the Left Vice President of the Imperial Medical Academy, breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards Qingli. He saw that her face was as pale as snow, her eyes were brimming with tears, but she stubbornly refused to shed a single one. Her figure was slender, and she seemed to tremble slightly as if she could not bear it, which made people feel a pang of sorrow in their hearts.
“General Meng’s condition has stabilized for the time being, but we need to be extra careful these next two days.” Xi Ziyu, who was usually a man of few words, spoke up for no apparent reason. “His Majesty has ordered the Imperial Hospital to do everything in its power to treat General Meng, so I will stay by his side until he is completely recovered.”
Her eyelashes finally fluttered, and a large tear rolled down her cheek, still warm. Qingli snapped out of her daze, moved her frozen hand, turned to wipe her tears, and said gratefully, "Thank you, Imperial Physician."
He then instructed Granny Qiu, "Tidi up the front yard and have the kitchen prepare a meal."
Xi Ziyu watched as she forced herself to stay alert, his gaze falling on the hair ornament in her hair, which swayed slightly, her damp black hair resembling fine ink from an inkstone.
He was an imperial physician, and seeing how indifferent she was to her own health, he frowned and his tone turned cold. "Miss, you should take care of your health."
Qingli was taken aback. Seeing his gaze, she knew he meant well. She bowed slightly and then turned to go to the east side room.
The red silk curtain fell, blocking Xi Ziyu's view. The red tassels below kept swaying, and the plum blossoms embroidered on the curtain seemed to come alive, wafting a cool, refreshing fragrance.
Jiang Yue and Jiang Zhao quickly took off her wet clothes, ignoring her pleas, and tucked her into the warm quilt. They put a hand warmer in their hands and a hot water bottle at her feet. Jiang Yue knelt behind her, wiping her wet hair, while Jiang Zhao brought her a cup of warm water and fed her sips.
Half an hour later, she was finally allowed to get up.
Granny Sui lifted the curtain and entered the room. Qingli took the opportunity to peek outside; the imperial physicians had all left.
"Miss, the imperial physicians' food and lodging have been arranged, so please don't worry."
"Who is serving there?"
"Granny Qiu, Jiang Shui, and the two maids Yingyang and Yingchun."
"Give each imperial physician a five-hundred-tael silver envelope later."
Granny Sui was startled. The imperial physician's monthly salary was only one hundred taels, yet the young lady had given so much. "Isn't this too much?"
"After all, the opportunity to show his face in the palace has been delayed. As long as you take good care of him, this is something that should be paid off."
Granny Sui responded.
Qingli asked Jiang Yue, "Why was he carried to Dongwan Garden?"
Jiang Yue felt helpless thinking about this. "At that time, the steward sent a message that the general was injured and asked you to come back to take charge. Granny Sui was worried that the maids would make a fuss, so she went there herself. The general was initially in the front yard, but the imperial physician said that it was too cold in the front yard to recuperate. So Yunxiu went to the storeroom to find a heater. Just then, the maids outside were gossiping and said that it was the warmest place here. When the imperial physician heard this, he had someone carry him over."
"No one dares to stop them..."
Qingli was taken aback. Things had taken such an unexpected turn, and now her plans to leave the manor had to be postponed.
Plans really can't keep up with changes.
She went to the west side room and saw Jiang An, dressed in a green dress, sitting on a round stool, weeping silently. When she saw her, a look of panic flashed across her face. She quickly got up, lowered her head, and remained silent.
Granny Sui scolded, "You're becoming more and more unruly! Get out of here!"
Jiang An stepped out of the house. Before leaving, he saw the young lady sitting on a round stool. The snow light shone through the room, making her face even more beautiful.
“Jiang An’s behavior is becoming increasingly inappropriate.” Granny Sui was usually very lenient with the maids and servants, and rarely so harsh. She was still angry and thought for a moment before saying, “If we don’t send Jiang An to guard another courtyard…”
The Meng family had a small population, and although the monthly salary for guarding the courtyard was less, it was a peaceful and quiet place.
Jiang An wasn't one of hers after all, Qing Li said calmly, "Let her be."
"You all go ahead and do your own thing. I'll stay here for a while."
The room gradually quieted down, with only his breathing, sometimes shallow and sometimes heavy, audible. The smell had dissipated, but the lingering bitterness emanating from him spread around her, making her feel uncomfortable as well.
His imposing presence, coupled with his tall and strong physique, made ordinary people afraid to look him in the eye. Even she sometimes felt pressured by him and would intentionally distance herself from him.
He lay quietly on the bed, letting her look at him at will. His two sword-like eyebrows were slightly raised, thick and heavy, making him even more domineering. His eyes, which always held a complex meaning, were closed, revealing his distinct eyelashes, straight and thick, just like his other self.
His face no longer showed the roughness of the frontier, and his skin had lost its sallow color, though it was still not fair-skinned, but it had revealed his superior bone structure.
Cold and resolute, with a unique charm.
Yun Xiu peeked out from outside Dongwan Garden, hesitating slightly, clutching the porcelain bottle in his hand, his feet hesitant to go in.
Miss is so beautiful and intelligent; it would be terrible if her reputation were to be discovered.
"What are you doing, acting so sneaky?" Jiang Zhao called out from behind, and seeing him flinch, he stared at him with even more suspicion.
Yun Xiu had been keeping his breath on the general when he was unexpectedly attacked from behind by a maid. He immediately straightened up and said, "I want to know about the general's condition, but this is the inner courtyard, and I cannot enter without permission."
Jiang Zhao circled around him. She had dealt with Yun Xiu, Yun Li, and Yun Chen before and knew they were all highly skilled in martial arts, but so what? They still managed to bewitch her at the inn.
Jiang Zhao was not easily intimidated. He scanned the room with his eyes and said, "Now that the general has entered our Dongwan Garden, his life will be safe."
A mere maidservant, yet she speaks with such arrogance!
Yun Xiu thought to himself that the general was not in such a dangerous situation, but he could not argue with the little maid. He could only compliment her on her hard work and then quickly left the place.
Jiang Zhao muttered something and quickly went into the house. "Miss, the general's medicine has arrived."
Because of not having his eyes open for a long time, his vision went black. He blinked to clear his eyes, took the medicine bowl, and felt the warmth of the bottom of the bowl with his fingertips. It was just right to drink it now. She fed him spoonful after spoonful, and he obediently opened his mouth.
An unprecedented level of docility.
Qingli was taken aback. The word "docile" seemed to have never been associated with him. Because his father died early when he was young, leaving behind a widowed mother and younger sister, he acted willfully and decisively. However, there were times when he would be tolerant and helpless in front of her. Even when he was so angry that his veins were bulging, he could not vent his anger. Only then would she feel that he was a young man.
My thoughts drifted far away and then returned, but time had passed in the blink of an eye.
Outside, a blizzard raged, water froze instantly, and the wind howled. Faced with life and death, his deepest obsessions seemed insignificant.
Jiang Zhao stood awkwardly in the room, staring blankly at the young lady's serious expression, lost in thought.
Outside, thick snow weighed down the thin branches, and the sound of them breaking echoed everywhere.
The next morning, Qingli checked on his condition and then summoned the imperial physicians for a diagnosis. They all said that he was probably in good health and was much better than the day before. They said that as long as he rested and recuperated, he would recover soon.
A heavy weight lifted from her heart.
Xi Ziyu suggested, "General Meng is out of danger. I need to return to the palace to recover my sight and come back in the evening."
Qingli said politely, "Thank you for your hard work."
"If you are entrusted with a task, you should be loyal to it."
Qingli's cheeks flushed, sensing that he was implying something, but she quickly realized that he was expressing goodwill and calmed down.
In the afternoon, the snow that had been falling for a day and a night finally stopped.
His breathing also became steady.
Instead of Xi Ziyu arriving, an imperial edict from the palace arrived.
Qingli received the imperial edict and knelt on the ground, somewhat dazed, still not understanding its meaning, but that did not stop her from humbly expressing her gratitude. After getting up, she ordered Granny Qiu to hand her a heavy silver envelope.
The eunuch, Deshan, weighed her in his hand, his expression unreadable, and handed the task to the little eunuch behind him. He gave her a sharp look, his eyes sharp. Her figure was like that of a crabapple blossom, her cheeks drooping with delicate green, half charming and half elegant—truly a beauty.
Qingli lowered her eyes and let him look her over. She knew that she could not underestimate any eunuch. If she offended one, he would want to crush her to death if given the chance.
However, he didn't pack too much silver. Although Meng Qingshan had military merits, it was best not to attract attention when he first arrived in the capital.
"Miss Qingli, pack your things and be ready to enter the palace in five days." The eunuch Deshan turned to leave, saying casually before he left, "This mansion is really nice. So many people wanted it back then. His Majesty assigned it to General Meng. Even we are envious."
The steward flattered her with a smile, and Qingli suddenly realized that the fact that she, an invisible nobody, had the opportunity to enter the palace and accompany the princess must be the Emperor's way of appeasing Meng Qingshan.
Seeing that Granny Sui was barely daring to breathe, she smiled and teased, "What's wrong?"
"My goodness." The events that Sui Mama experienced in this year were more turbulent than those of the previous thirty years. At the beginning of the year, she was worried about her life, and at the end of the year, she was going to enter the palace.
Jiang Yue and Jiang Zhao shared the same feeling; once inside the palace walls, it was like entering a deep sea, and they were filled with both fear and trepidation.
Qingli hadn't thought about the past, but the unpredictable nature of life had also emerged. Since she couldn't see her aunt, this was practically a golden opportunity that came knocking on her door.
She had been watching over Meng Qingshan for the past two days. Now that she had left the inner courtyard, the steward and several other stewards came one after another to see her. After dealing with these general affairs, when she entered the west side room, the person who should have been asleep was now dressed in a loose blue robe, carefully reading the imperial edict that had been sent back earlier.
......
What exactly went wrong?
Meng Qingshan's brows were raised high, and his voice was weaker at the end, "Summon you to the palace?"
"Thanks to you."
Meng Qingshan tried to straighten up, but the pain from his wound made him gasp slightly. He then uttered a rude remark and asked, "Didn't you say that if I died, you would observe mourning for me?"
What kind of talk is this? How could he die? She had never even considered this possibility.
She ignored the advice about observing mourning.
"The imperial decree has been issued. Kneel down and thank the emperor. You are allowed to speak such nonsense." Qingli stepped forward and took the imperial decree. Although her eyes were bloodshot, they were bright. She said, "This is for me. You are not allowed to look at it."
Her charmingly arrogant words softened Meng Qingshan's heart. He murmured twice and awkwardly lay back down on the bed.
Qingli instructed Jiang Zhao to fetch the medicine, then turned around and sat down at the desk by the window. The west side room had been turned into a study by her, with a row of rosewood carved with auspicious symbols on the tables, chairs, cabinets, incense burners, vases, flowers, rockeries, inkstones, and antique shelves, all filled with red and green decorations. At first, she didn't think much of it.
He was lying on that daybed, his long legs stretched out, looking rather awkward.
She suppressed her chaotic thoughts and recorded all the matters reported by the steward in the ledger so that there would be records to refer to in the future. She wondered for a moment who she would appoint to manage the household if she were to enter the palace.
When she enters the palace, she can only bring one maid and one nanny. Who else can she bring?
She felt a pang of sadness.
Hearing the rustling sounds from the other end, Meng Qingshan felt a tickle in his ears and simply turned over to look at her. Her face was as fair and rosy as a peach blossom in March, and her figure was exquisite. However, a beautiful woman's heart is hard to understand, and he still couldn't see it clearly.
This realization left him dejected.
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