Chapter 21 Bathtub. He stood there, stunned.
After Jing Hui finished asking the question, the two Rong Xiren exchanged a glance and stammered.
The person holding the imperial edict lowered his head and said, "This matter has not yet been announced, so it is really not appropriate for us to speak. We hope the princess will forgive us."
There are currently four or five princesses of marriageable age in the palace.
Jing Hui frowned, silently reassured himself, and then walked into the Lotus Jade Palace after responding.
The autumn sky is high, and the sun hangs brightly overhead, still quite dazzling.
The Lotus Jade Palace was already heated by fire, making it much hotter than in summer. As soon as the two stepped inside, they felt a thin layer of sweat on their backs.
After the servants bowed to the two men, they led them into the hall.
"Is my sister feeling any better after taking her medicine this morning?"
Jing Hui stepped over the threshold and into the house, noticing a faint scent of mugwort that had been used for incense.
The maid replied with a bitter face, "After taking the medicine you sent, the princess did feel a clear flow of energy in her chest, but she fainted after only a short while and vomited blood."
"What?"
Jing Hui was startled and turned to look at Lian Zhu.
"You girl, you only say half of what you mean."
The maidservant quickly apologized and said to Jing Hui in a series of words, "The imperial physician already reported that it was a normal reaction after taking the medicine."
Jing Hui felt a little relieved. "How is my older sister now?"
The maid then explained the whole story: "The imperial physician is currently by the princess's bedside. He examined her just now and said that although the medicine is mild, it is very potent. Once the blood blocking her chest is expelled, she will be fine."
As soon as the maid finished speaking, Zhang Lin from the inner palace came out and bowed to Jing Hui and Lian Zhu.
"This old minister pays his respects to Your Highness the Princess and to the General of the Palace Guard."
"Get up."
Jing Hui glanced at the inner hall through the curtain and asked, "How is my elder sister now?"
"The breath can enter the five internal organs and converge in the dantian. A lot of turbid air is expelled, and the princess's breath gradually becomes longer."
Zhang Lin sighed, "This medicine is of great use."
Those who practice martial arts naturally breathe slowly and deeply. After Jingning was injured, his breathing became short and rapid. Now that it has become long again, it is naturally a good thing.
"That's good."
Jing Hui breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile.
Zhang Lin then asked, "We observe that this medicine comes from the southern border. May I ask Your Highness, does this medicine need to be taken with other medicines to achieve its maximum effect?"
"The abbot has keen insight."
There was no time to lose. After Jing Hui finished speaking, he turned to look at Lian Zhu, who took out another pill from her bosom and handed it to Zhang Lin.
"This is the second pill. Now is the time to give it to my sister."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will obey your command. I will go immediately."
The imperial physician had never seen such rare pills from the southern frontier before. He quickly took them and carried them towards the inner palace as if they were priceless treasures.
Jing Hui followed closely behind and entered the hall. There, on the bed, Jing Ning lay with her eyes closed, her face contorted in pain. She was covered with a thick quilt, and large beads of sweat kept sliding down her face.
But the color of her lips was bright red.
The maid supported Jingning from behind, and Zhang Lin ordered someone to put the pills into Jingning's mouth and feed her water.
The pill must have dissolved in water in Jingning's mouth. She frowned and swallowed it in large gulps. After coughing a few times, she fell silent again.
Zhang Lin watched Jing Ning for a while before getting up to bow to Jing Hui and said, "Your Highness, there is no need to worry. The Fifth Princess is fine for now. I will take her pulse again after she wakes up to confirm her condition."
"When will she wake up?" Jing Hui asked, looking at Jing Ning.
Zhang Lin also turned to look at Jing Ning and said, "It's hard to say. It depends on how well the medicine is absorbed in the princess's body. If it's absorbed quickly, the medicinal power will reach where it's supposed to go, and she will wake up sooner. If it's absorbed slowly, she will wake up in no more than five days. Your Highness, don't worry."
"Thank you for your trouble, Your Excellency."
Jing Hui thanked him, saying, "If it weren't for the Imperial Physician taking care of my sister in the palace, I would be living in constant fear."
Zhang Lin packed his medicine box, saying, "It's all part of my duty. Your Highness is too kind to this old minister."
Jing Hui sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Jing Ning for a while.
Seeing that Jingning was indeed not going to wake up in a short time, Jing Hui bent down and pulled the blanket up for her. He then walked out of the inner hall and instructed everyone in the room, "You all stay here and take good care of my sister. If anything happens, come to the General's Mansion to find me."
The two men sent by Jing Hui mingled among the maids and both replied, "Yes."
Lian Zhu had been waiting outside the palace. Jing Hui glanced at Lian Zhu, and the two of them walked out of the Lianyu Palace together, slowly heading towards the Yangxin Palace along the palace road.
Now that Emperor Jingwen has awakened, Lianzhu is going to pay her respects, and Jinghui naturally wants to go see his father as well.
Jing Hui said, "Thank you."
"No need."
Lianzhu, with his hands behind his back, strolled alongside Jing Hui and said, "You love your older sister the most in the whole world. As your older brother, I should help you solve your problems."
"You've become addicted to being the older brother!" Jing Hui glared at him.
Not to mention on ordinary days, even from childhood to adulthood, Jing Hui had never called Lian Zhu "brother" more than a few times. Just now, he only called him that to spite Lu Songyuan, but he actually remembered it.
Lianzhu laughed a few times, her smile reminiscent of a rogue's recklessness. Jing Hui walked away quickly, disgusted, and Lianzhu hurried after her, playfully teasing her as they had in their childhood.
They arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation amidst their playful antics, just as Emperor Jingwen had finished his lunch.
The two walked in together and bowed to Emperor Jingwen, who was sitting on the couch.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well."
"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, pay my respects. May Your Majesty be well."
Emperor Jingwen's face was as pale as ever, and the hollows in his cheeks were becoming more pronounced. The sunlight shining into the room from behind him cast a halo around him, making him appear even thinner.
He coughed a few times, took a sip of tea, and waved his hand, "My good children, get up quickly."
"Thank you, Father Emperor."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The two got up, and Jing Hui strode over and sat on the couch opposite Emperor Jingwen. Lian Zhu then sat down next to Emperor Jingwen on a stool that the eunuch had brought for him.
"It's been a few days since I last saw her, and my Ah Zhu has lost weight."
"No way! I've actually gained weight."
Jing Hui was overjoyed to see Emperor Jingwen awake. She rested her arm on the table, cupped her chin in her hand, and asked Emperor Jingwen, "Father, do you feel any better?"
"Much better."
Emperor Jingwen laughed and said, "When I woke up this time, I felt much more energetic than I had a few days ago."
"That's good!"
Jing Hui exclaimed joyfully, "Father, you must be very well!"
"Hahaha."
Emperor Jingwen laughed loudly, the laughter echoing in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, dispelling the deathly atmosphere that had permeated the hall for many days.
Concerned about state affairs, Emperor Jingwen, after exchanging a few playful words with Jing Hui, directly instructed Lian Zhu to discuss the inspection of the southern border. Jing Hui then picked up paper and pen to jot down the main points.
In the past, when ministers came to Emperor Jingwen to report important matters, Jing Hui would be there to record them.
"Southern Xinjiang is vast and rich in resources, with many things that are not available in the capital. For example, there are medicinal herbs that can be grown there, as well as timber that can be used for military purposes. This has attracted many outsiders, and with the large number of people coming and going, there have been quite a few people who do not follow the rules."
Lian Zhu slowly recounted, "I have traveled almost all over the southern border. The customs and conditions vary from place to place, but there is one place that is almost the same everywhere. That is, officials are no match for merchants. Moreover, once wealth accumulates to an excessive degree, they begin to disregard the laws of the court, and smuggling is not uncommon..."
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, one person spoke, while two others listened.
As the sun began to set, Ning Lu came in for the third time to serve tea and snacks, which the three of them enjoyed together.
"In short, although the southern border is not as chaotic on the surface as the northern border, the undercurrents are not to be underestimated. If the court does not intervene now, it may shake the country in the future."
Lian Zhu pondered for a moment and said, "What I said today was just a rough outline. I have compiled a detailed memorial and will present it to Your Majesty tomorrow. I hope Your Majesty will give it much consideration."
Emperor Jingwen swallowed the tea in his mouth, took the handkerchief to wipe his lips, and looked at Lianzhu's much thinner figure, saying, "Alright. You'll have a hard time on this trip to the southern frontier."
"I would gladly die to share Your Majesty's burdens."
When Lian Zhu stood before Emperor Jingwen, he was solemn and spoke with great conviction. Anyone who saw him would have to admit that he was loyal to the emperor.
Emperor Jingwen stared at Lianzhu quietly for a long time. After a moment, he smiled, glanced at Jing Hui, and said to Lianzhu, "You, like your father and Azhu's grandfather, are indispensable people to me."
He was truly one of a kind, like a Vermilion Bird descended to earth, capable of seeing through all the changes in the world, but unfortunately... he did not have a good end.
Emperor Jingwen had not mentioned Jing Hui's grandfather for a long time.
Jing Hui and Lian Zhu were both stunned for a moment, then pursed their lips and remained silent.
After a moment of silence, Emperor Jingwen asked Jing Hui, "Did you go to the Lotus Jade Palace just now?"
"yes."
Jing replied, "My brother found some pills for my sister from the southern border. They might be helpful for her health, so we went to deliver them to her."
Even though Jing Hui was very concerned about Jing Ning, she would only mention Jing Ning lightly in front of Emperor Jingwen.
"Um."
Emperor Jingwen coughed twice. "She's not young anymore, and her health has been poor for many years. Tomorrow I will send a few more imperial physicians over to examine her properly and cure her as soon as possible so you can have peace of mind."
Jing Hui was stunned for a moment.
Everyone in the palace had witnessed Emperor Jingwen's usual attitude towards Jingning.
Not to mention sending imperial physicians to Jingning, even when Jing Hui was initially injured and unconscious, Emperor Jingwen was so worried that he was furious and said that there was no need to care about Jingning's life.
"Thank you, Father Emperor," Jing Hui said happily.
When Emperor Jingwen saw his daughter's smile, he unconsciously raised the corners of his lips as well.
"Now, your father only wishes you to be happy, Ah Zhu. Your father does not want you to feel resentment when you think of me in the future."
"How could that be?"
Such words are too harsh. There are still grudges between the previous generation between Jing Ning and Emperor Jingwen. Jing Hui will not interfere in these matters. She only hopes that Emperor Jingwen and Jing Ning can both be well.
"Your subject would never do that!"
Jing Hui raised her chin and wrinkled her nose as if she were being coquettish with Emperor Jingwen.
"Hahaha."
Emperor Jingwen was amused by Jing Hui, and his laughter filled the spacious Hall of Mental Cultivation. The group chatted for a while longer, and seeing that Emperor Jingwen was running out of energy, Jing Hui and Lian Zhu got up to say goodbye.
"Then I shall take my leave now. Father, please rest well."
"Wait a moment."
Emperor Jingwen raised his hand to stop the two men and instructed Ning Lu to take a letter from a large table to the side.
"Princess, please look."
Jing Hui opened the book, which contained information about an explosion in the deep mountains.
She looked up and asked, "Father, what is this?"
“This morning, the Dali Temple reported that they had news of the hunter. Tonight, the Dali Temple Minister will lead men to capture the fake hunter in the deep mountains. Ah Zhu, go there. The matter in the deep mountains has dragged on for a long time. Once you go there, you can clean up the mess and restore things to their former state, so as not to cause panic among the people.”
After Emperor Jingwen finished speaking, he took a few breaths and waved his hand, saying, "Lianzhu, go with her. Azhu's husband has difficulty walking and can't come along. You go and protect Azhu."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey the decree."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey."
As the sun dipped below the western horizon and shadows began to fall, the two men, knowing this matter could not be delayed, strode out of the palace, preparing to head directly into the deep mountains.
Lianzhu looked at Jing Hui's profile and said, "You're afraid of the mountains at night, so you should go back to the manor first. I'll take care of things in the deep mountains, so don't worry."
"It's alright, no need to say more."
Jing Hui strode forward, "Keep up."
Lianzhu shook her head; he was there to her left and right.
"OK."
"Princess!"
As soon as Jing Hui stepped out of the palace, she heard A Yan's voice. She turned around and saw A Yan leading her horse and striding towards her, followed by Lu Qingyue, who was also leading a horse.
Lu Qingyue stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Jing Hui took the reins from A Yan's hand and asked Lu Qingyue, "What are you doing here?"
Ayu looked at Lu Qingyue, who said, "The general anticipated that the princess might not return home tonight, so he ordered his subordinates to stay by her side and protect her."
Jing Hui raised an eyebrow. "Your general is incredibly resourceful; he even managed to calculate this."
Lu Qingyue choked, "The general is thinking of you."
Jing Hui scoffed.
Nobody would believe that.
Lu Qingyue reached out and took the cloak from the horse beside him, handing it to Jing Hui, saying, "This was also brought by the general for the princess. The autumn nights are chilly, so please put it on, Princess."
Jing Hui looked at A Yan, who then took out a cloak from her horse.
"No need."
Jing Hui gestured for A Yan to put a cloak on her, grabbed the saddle, and mounted the horse.
"Walk."
"yes."
"drive--"
The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves floated and sank like stars in the twilight.
-
Jing Hui originally thought he would only be gone for two or three days when he went to the deep mountains, but it turned out to be seven days.
On the first day, when he had just arrived and almost caught the fake hunter, someone tipped him off, and that person did not go to the place where everyone was lying in wait.
Knowing that the person must still be deep in the mountains, Jing Hui immediately ordered his men to seal off the mountain and search for the person. They searched for a whole night and a day before finally capturing the person.
Unable to extract anything from the interrogation on the spot, Jing Hui had him taken back to the Dali Temple. The Dali Temple also failed to extract anything, so Jing Hui sent Lian Zhu with people to the Censorate.
She remained deep in the mountains, overseeing the reconstruction of the destroyed area, restoring it to its former state.
The deep mountains gradually came to order, with only some finishing touches remaining.
Jing Hui was about to have his period and was experiencing severe abdominal pain, so he left Lu Qingyue and Ayan where they were and rode back to his residence.
Having been deep in the mountains for many days, Jing Hui was covered in dust. The first thing she did upon returning to the manor was to prepare for a bath.
It was already dusk. Knowing that Jing Hui would never enter the main hall when she was dirty, A Yu prepared bath supplies and then took her to the kitchen for a meal.
After dinner, Ayu helped Jinghui take off her outer clothes and then took her dirty clothes and instructed someone to send them to the laundry room.
Jing Hui could not bear it any longer. Wearing only a thin undergarment, he walked into the clean room.
In late autumn, the earthworm had not yet grown in the clean room, so the water that Ayu had prepared was a bit too hot.
As soon as you step into the clean room, the scenery is filled with water vapor and mist, as if a layer of morning fog is spreading in front of you.
Jing Hui frowned, took a few steps inside, and went to find the bathtub.
She walked around the screen, but after taking just one step, she froze on the spot.
In the center of the clean room, Lu Songyuan sat completely naked in the bathtub.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
