Chapter 132 Zhao Jingxing is Unloved
Once Zhao Jingxing was fully awake, the emperor's reward for solving the case of trafficking in young girls was also issued.
Needless to say, he received gold, silver, and silk. More importantly, he was promoted to the rank of Dingyuan General, a fifth-rank official, for his merits, and held real power, enjoying the emperor's favor.
Zhao Jingxing escaped with his life and was even promoted a rank as a result. The people in the Zhao family were both happy and worried.
Looking at his eldest son, who was lying on the bed with a pale face but clear eyes, Zhao Wuzhou felt a mix of emotions that were hard to describe.
This son, whom he had not valued in the past, and even disliked somewhat because of his status as an illegitimate child and the machinations of Lady Zhan, had grown up so much without him realizing it, making numerous outstanding contributions, and now even being registered before the Emperor, with a limitless future ahead of him.
For the first time ever, he would come to Zhao Jingxing's room every day to sit for a while. Sometimes he would pick up the medicine bottle on the table and look at it. He didn't say anything, but he didn't leave with a frown like before. There was a hint of relief in his eyes.
The sunlight streaming through the skylight was perfect. Zhao Jingxing leaned back on the soft pillows, closing his eyes to rest, when suddenly hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard. Before the person even arrived, the sound drifted in first:
"Zhao Jingxing! You're really tough! I told you you wouldn't die!"
Before he finished speaking, Cheng Fang burst in, carrying several boxes of precious medicinal herbs and tonics, his face beaming with genuine smiles and relief.
Seeing Zhao Jingxing's pale but lucid appearance, he breathed a sigh of relief, placed the gift on the table, and leaned closer to the bedside to examine it carefully:
"Tsk tsk tsk, I heard you almost met your maker? You're bound to have good fortune after surviving such a close call, brother!"
A faint smile appeared on Zhao Jingxing's lips: "Thank you for your concern. I'm fortunate to have escaped with my life."
Cheng Fang pulled up a stool and sat down, lowering his voice, his tone still somewhat fearful. "I've heard everything. This trip was extremely dangerous; even the imperial physicians were almost helpless."
Zhao Jingxing's gaze swept over the medicine bottles on the table with their traditional Chinese labels. A hint of warmth and gratitude flashed in his eyes as he said softly, "I owe my survival this time to Miss Jiang."
"Jiang Ling?!" Cheng Fang's eyes widened in surprise. "Could it be that she gave us all these medicines and booklets?"
"Mm." Zhao Jingxing nodded.
"On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, she knew that my case was dangerous, so she gave me a lot of medicine before she left, as well as this manual for the treatment of external injuries. Although I had never heard of the methods in it before, they were particularly effective. If she hadn't carefully prepared these things, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it through this time."
Outside the window, Mr. Zhan, who had originally intended to pretend to be passing by but actually wanted to find out some information, happened to overhear the entire conversation.
She was just curious about what news Cheng Fang had brought, but she never expected to hear such shocking inside information!
Miss Jiang Ling? Could she be the legendary Goddess Jiang?
The miraculous medicine that was all the rage in the capital a while ago, capable of bringing the dead back to life with a single pill, is exactly what Zhao Jingxing is currently taking.
No wonder she said that this bastard child survived such a dangerous situation!
Those medicines and that medical book were actually given by the legendary goddess!
Jane's heart pounded wildly, and greed and jealousy instantly overwhelmed her.
She gripped the handkerchief tightly in her hand, held her breath, and pressed her body against the window frame, afraid of missing a single word.
Back in her room, Mrs. Zhan couldn't sit still.
The elixir she had been searching for was right before her eyes. She had seen it before; a small bottle contained a hundred pills!
It is said that one pill can bring the dead back to life. His Highness the Crown Prince saved thousands of disaster victims in Ping'an County with this medicine!
Zhao Jingxing actually had a full one hundred pills in his hand?!
James's eyes instantly turned greedy, and his fingertips turned white from the force he exerted.
With these medicines, she could not only save her own life, but also save her son Zhao Jingtao if anything happened to him in the future. She could even... use them to curry favor with the nobles in the palace!
In the following days, Zhan sent three trusted men to steal the medicine.
The first time, she had her maid pretend to be a water delivery girl, hoping to steal the medicine bottle when Zhao Yi wasn't paying attention, but Zhao Yi saw through her disguise at a glance;
The second time, he ordered the servant to climb through the window at night. As soon as he touched the bedroom door, he was pinned down by the guards waiting outside.
The third time, she tried to bribe Zhao Yi, offering him a hundred taels of silver, but Zhao Yi coldly chased her away.
Over the years, Zhao Jingxing had been wary of his stepmother, and the people in her household had changed batch after batch, but now they were all people he could trust.
How could we possibly let her succeed so easily!
After several failed attempts to steal the medicine, Zhan became anxious and decided to try to steal it from Zhao Wuzhou.
That night, she whispered sweet nothings in Zhao Wuzhou's ear again, saying softly:
"My lord, Jingxing's escape from danger this time is truly a blessing from our ancestors. Now that he has awakened, he should be alright. I heard... he has some excellent medicine for injuries, seemingly a gift from that goddess from Ping'an County last time?"
Such a miraculous medicine, left in the hands of a young man, what if he mishandles it or uses it? Wouldn't that be a waste? Perhaps… it would be better to entrust it to the master for safekeeping? That way, if anyone in the household suffers an acute illness or injury in the future, they can access it promptly, wouldn't that be wonderful?”
In the past, Zhao Wuzhou might have considered it.
But today in the imperial court, the emperor praised Zhao Jingxing in front of all the officials, saying that he was brave and resourceful in solving the case of the missing girl and that he cared about the people.
Only then did he realize that this illegitimate son, whom he had previously looked down upon, had not only made military achievements but also gained the emperor's favor, and might bring glory to the Zhao family in the future.
Having been stuck in the position of Fourth-Rank Grand Master of the Palace for five years, and seeing that he was getting older, the only person the Zhao family could rely on in the future was probably Jingxing.
If we try to take his things now, wouldn't that break his heart and cut off our own arm?
Thinking of this, Zhao Wuzhou's face darkened, and he unusually rebuked Zhan Shi in a stern voice:
"What a foolish woman's view! Jingxing's medicine is his own creation, how could you possibly covet it? It's his stuff, he can manage it however he wants! Don't try anything underhanded behind his back."
Madam Zhan's face paled, and she still wanted to argue, "Sir, I was only doing this for the Zhao family..."
"For the Zhao family? You're doing this for Jing Tao, aren't you! Let me tell you, Zhan family, Jing Xing is currently highly regarded by His Majesty. If I find out that you dare to plot against those medicines, or do anything to harm Jing Xing in the slightest, I will write you a letter of divorce and have your Zhan family take you back!"
Mrs. Zhan was stunned by the scolding, her face turning red and white in turns.
She never imagined that one day her husband would give her such a stern warning because of that illegitimate son.
In recent years, her family has faced adversity and is becoming increasingly worse off than before. She no longer dares to be arrogant and domineering in the Zhao household.
Intense humiliation and resentment grew wildly in her heart, and her eyes were filled with venom.
With the emperor protecting Zhao Jingxing and Zhao Wuzhou also protecting him, she couldn't touch Zhao Jingxing. In the end, her resentful eyes turned to Liu Shi, who had been inconspicuous in the backyard for many years.
Since giving birth to Zhao Jingxing, Liu lived like a ghost in the Zhao family mansion, never daring to step into the main room.
Previously, Madam Zhan had been too lazy to pay attention to her, but now, seeing Zhao Jingxing rising step by step and Liu Shi also benefiting from it, Madam Zhan's anger flared up.
"If I can't touch your son, can't I touch you?" Madam Zhan sneered and summoned her trusted servant.
Since you and your son have made me unhappy, then no one else will have an easy time either!
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