Dingxiang rushed home. As soon as she stepped inside, her mother rushed out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her inside.
"Quick, quick, I have something to ask you."
Dingxiang was puzzled; she had never seen her mother like this before.
"What's up?"
"Will you be able to see the Emperor in the palace?"
Aunt Ding only knew that Dingxiang was a physician in the palace, but she didn't know the specifics. Whenever Dingxiang came back, she didn't talk much about things in the palace.
Therefore, the Ding family was unaware of Dingxiang's status in the palace.
Dingxiang nodded: "Yes, he can see him! The Emperor visits the child every morning and evening. What happened, Mother? What's wrong at home?"
Dingxiang pondered, what could her family possibly need to ask the Emperor for?
She thought of everyone in her family, but still couldn't figure it out.
Unexpectedly, not long after, Aunt Ding led her to a guest room.
"Do you remember the eldest maid from the Guan family shop?"
Dingxiang nodded: "You mean Sister Ying? What happened to her?"
Aunt Ding lowered her voice and recounted the Meng family's affairs, then pointed to the room.
“Your sister Guan was greatly traumatized and jumped into the river yesterday. Luckily, your grandfather found her and saved her.”
Dingxiang could hardly believe her ears.
"The Meng family has gone too far!"
"Isn't that right? The Meng family is utterly shameless! Your sister Guan is such a good person! Not a single neighbor in the neighborhood has a bad word to say about her, yet the Meng family actually wants to demote her to a concubine. Who could tolerate such humiliation?"
Dingxiang frowned: "Mother, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Isn't Meng Liang a palace guard? Go talk to the Emperor and have him dismiss Meng Liang from his post. He still wants to marry a princess and become a high-ranking official! He's dreaming for eight lifetimes!"
Aunt Ding spoke with such venom that she was practically gritting her teeth.
Dingxiang did not agree immediately.
Although she held a special position in the palace, she was actually quite perceptive and only concerned herself with treating illnesses, not interfering in anything else.
Although the Meng family was in the wrong and Sister Guan was pitiful, Dingxiang was unsure whether she could speak up since the Imperial Guards were involved.
Finally, she couldn't resist her mother's nagging and had no choice but to agree.
Unexpectedly, Guan, who was inside, overheard everything the mother and daughter said.
Guan had actually woken up long ago. She originally planned to leave the Ding family clinic once she recovered and find a secluded place to end her remaining days.
Hearing what Dingxiang and her daughter said, she was filled with immense emotion.
She thought of her mother.
Then she thought of her son.
She lay quietly on the bed, tears streaming down her face, wetting the sheets.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but Guan felt that she had cried all her tears.
At the same time, some of her feelings, those reluctances, were also washed away with her tears.
She propped herself up on her elbows and sat up.
Hearing the commotion inside, Aunt Ding and Dingxiang stopped talking and pushed the door open to enter.
Aunt Ding, with a kind face and a smile, walked towards her.
"Awake? Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
Suddenly, Guan grabbed Aunt Ding's hand.
"Auntie."
Aunt Ding looked at her with some surprise.
“Auntie, I heard what you and Sister Dingxiang were saying just now,” Madam Guan said slowly. “I know you mean well, but if the Ding family gets caught up in this because of me, wouldn’t that be my fault?”
"What do you mean by that?" Aunt Ding asked, somewhat confused.
Guan sighed, "I've thought it through. Since the Meng family wants to marry the princess, I'll back down!"
"This won't do!!"
Aunt Ding got anxious.
"Xiaoying! You mustn't give up on yourself! Don't be afraid, the Meng family is nothing yet, what makes them so arrogant? Our Dingxiang is the most trusted person by the Imperial Concubine in the palace!"
Dingxiang was speechless at her mother's antics.
You've never praised me like this before!
Guan smiled gently: "Auntie, I'm not giving up on myself, but I've come to terms with it. After how the Meng family treated me, what is there for me to hold on to? Even if I really get Meng Liang's mother to admit defeat and take me back, will life still be any better?"
Her words silenced Aunt Ding.
Dingxiang glanced at Guan Ying in surprise.
"So, Sister Ying, what do you plan to do?"
“I request to leave the Meng family and resign.” Guan Ying said this with unwavering determination. “But I must take my child with me. I can’t stop Meng Liang from climbing the social ladder, but I can’t let my son stay in the Meng family and suffer.”
Appreciation appeared in Dingxiang's eyes.
"Sister Ying has made a decision?"
Guan Ying took a deep breath and nodded.
"Once I recover, I'll go to the Meng family and bring the child out. Since they want to marry the princess, Mao Mao will only be a burden, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Also, I have some of my dowry. Although I've used up quite a bit, there's still some left, which I should be able to get back."
Although Mencius' mother was difficult, she probably wouldn't care about these trivial matters for the sake of her son's "future".
Guan Ying's dowry was actually quite substantial, including beds, cabinets, tables, chairs, chests, food, drinks, clothes, and other necessities—several trunks in total. She probably couldn't take all of that with her, but the money her mother had left her as a treasure chest absolutely had to be brought back.
At this moment, Guan Ying had completely calmed down and began to think about what would be most beneficial to her.
As Dingxiang listened to her soft murmurs, her appreciation grew even stronger.
"This is the Ying-jie I know!"
She clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling.
"If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know."
At this moment, Dingxiang's manner of speaking to Aunt Ding was remarkably similar.
Guan Ying smiled, pursing her lips.
"Sister Dingxiang, you are indeed my daughter. You are all so kind. I am truly ashamed."
"What's the big deal? We've practically grown up together since we were kids. Even though you're much older than me, Sister Ying... I still ate a lot of candy from your family when I was little!"
Dingxiang sat on the edge of the bed with a grin.
Guan Ying felt much more relaxed, and her illness improved quickly. After sleeping soundly through the night, her cold was almost completely cured.
Dingxiang slept at home for one night and returned to the palace early the next morning.
The two left the clinic almost one after the other, but their purposes were completely different.
Dingxiang returned to Changqing Palace and went to see the two children first.
As luck would have it, Yuan Shen was also there.
Dingxiang quickly bowed to him.
"Your Majesty, why did you not attend court today?"
Yuan Shen didn't even look up: "Today is a day off."
Dingxiang said "Oh," and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
Yuan Shen had always been quite polite to her, so he took the initiative to ask her about it.
"Is there anything at home? Is everything taken care of?"
Dingxiang nodded, and suddenly the Meng family came to mind. Without thinking too much, she started to speak.
"Nothing actually happened in my family, but something happened to a neighbor's older sister..."
She spoke somewhat incoherently, and it took her quite a while to explain Guan Ying's situation clearly.
Yuan Shen had only listened casually for a moment, but as he listened, his brows furrowed.
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