Chapter 579 Sister-in-law Dispute
The imperial edict was posted for half a month. During this time, many folk doctors who were confident in their medical skills went to treat the fourth prince. However, after examining the prince's pulse, they all shook their heads, saying that their medical skills were not good enough and they could not cure him.
Emperor Jingwen was repeatedly given hope, only to be disappointed time and time again. Just when he had given up all hope and was about to lose his son again, a traveling doctor surnamed Fang appeared and rekindled his hope.
Dr. Fang said he was 70% sure about the diagnosis and that he could give it a try.
Emperor Jingwen was overjoyed and ordered the imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy to assist him and follow the instructions of Physician Fang. He was told to obtain any medicine he needed from the Imperial Medical Academy.
The Emperor trusted him so much that if Doctor Fang failed to cure the Fourth Prince, the Emperor would be furious and Doctor Fang's life would be over. The imperial physicians were all worried for him. But with Doctor Fang standing up for him, even if the Fourth Prince really died, if the Emperor wanted to punish someone, it would be Doctor Fang, and they would be spared.
Regardless of whether his medical skills were good or not, as long as they weren't the ones suffering, they were still very willing to follow Dr. Fang's orders.
However, Doctor Fang did not dispatch any imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital. He personally treated the Fourth Prince and managed to pull the prince back from the brink of death.
Emperor Jingwen was overjoyed to see that his son had indeed improved a lot. He immediately wanted to reward Doctor Fang handsomely and even offered him an official position and a place in the Imperial Medical Academy. However, Doctor Fang was indifferent to fame and fortune and refused both the reward and the official position. He only asked Emperor Jingwen to pay him the consultation fees he had received for his outpatient visits over the past few days, according to the usual fees for doctors.
Emperor Jingwen had no choice but to pay him a consultation fee and allow him to continue treating the fourth prince, paying him a consultation fee every day.
Under Doctor Fang's care, the Fourth Prince's health gradually improved, and in less than half a year, he was no different from an ordinary person. Doctor Fang was also known as a miracle doctor with miraculous healing skills.
Emperor Jingwen knew that Doctor Fang was indifferent to fame and fortune, and did not want gold, silver, or official positions, but he still wanted to reward him. In the end, Doctor Fang left quietly after finishing his business, hiding his identity and fame, leaving only a letter. The letter said that the fourth prince had recovered and was as healthy as an ordinary person.
Previously, although the ministers knew that the Fourth Prince was exceptionally intelligent, they dared not marry their daughters to him, as they would surely become young widows after marrying him. But now that the Fourth Prince had survived a brush with death and recovered from his illness, his health was no longer a concern and he was no longer at risk of dying young, everyone's minds began to stir.
Not only were the daughters' minds active, but the political situation in the imperial court was also changing.
Previously, court officials were divided into three factions: one faction was loyal to whoever became emperor, another faction supported the crown prince, and the third faction supported the second prince. Later, the crown prince was assassinated by the second prince, and the court officials who supported the crown prince switched sides to support the sixth prince. After all, the sixth prince was also the legitimate son and the crown prince's younger brother from the same mother. The sixth prince and the second prince were evenly matched.
Later, the Second Prince was found to have plotted against the Crown Prince, was demoted to a commoner, and imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court. Many of those who originally supported the Second Prince were now considering siding with the Sixth Prince.
As for the third prince, who was mediocre in talent, whose maternal family was weak, and who married Princess Anguo, he had no chance of inheriting the throne, so they didn't consider him. The fourth prince was sickly and no one knew when he would die, so they wouldn't consider him either.
Of the remaining princes, the fifth, sixth, and seventh, the seventh prince was born to Consort Tao, but he was too young to show any ability. The fifth prince was three years older than the sixth prince, but his maternal family was weak, and the emperor did not favor him much. He was practically invisible among the princes. Naturally, the sixth prince, who was born of the legitimate wife and favored by the emperor, was more likely to become the next crown prince.
But now that the Fourth Prince has escaped his sickly fate, things are different. The Fourth Prince is eight years older than the Sixth Prince, and is eighteen years old this year. He has been intelligent since childhood, and his birth mother is Consort De. Consort De's family is much weaker than the Second Prince's family, but with some effort, he may be able to compete for that position.
Furthermore, the sixth prince is far inferior to his half-brother, the Crown Prince Huizhao, who died young and was skilled in both literature and martial arts. The sixth prince, on the other hand, is mediocre in literature but quite good in martial arts. A monarch may be mediocre in martial arts, but he must be intelligent. In this respect, the fourth prince is superior.
Consort De longed for a grandson, and now that her son had recovered from his illness, she was eager to arrange his marriage. Emperor Jingwen granted her request, and a flower-viewing banquet was held in the palace, inviting eligible unmarried girls from various families to attend.
Upon hearing the news of the selection of a consort for the fourth prince, Madam Zhang sighed deeply and said, "Xuanyi is unmarried, but unfortunately she has been married before. Even if she is still a virgin, she has no chance. It's all my fault. I didn't investigate properly back then and chose a homosexual for her, which has caused her great suffering."
Madam Chen glanced at her and said bluntly, "Sister-in-law, I'm not trying to criticize you, but the position of Fourth Prince's consort is not for Xuan Yi. If Xuan Yi were the child of Third Brother and Third Brother's wife, then she would have a chance. So, you don't need to feel sorry."
Caught off guard, Meng Jinyao silently ate her snacks without making a sound, trying to minimize her presence.
Zhang was taken aback by these blunt words. Although what she said was true, it was still too harsh. She said irritably, "The position of the Fourth Prince's consort is not something I can covet, but the position of a concubine is not necessarily out of the question. Our Xuan Yi is exceptionally beautiful and comes from the Changxing Marquis's family. Maybe the Fourth Prince will take a liking to her?"
Madam Chen scoffed and retorted mercilessly, "Being a concubine listed in the imperial register sounds nice, but it's still a concubine. You yourself hate concubines, yet you let your daughter become one? If she encounters a kind and gentle mistress, her life will be a little better. Otherwise, her future will be similar to that of the concubines in my elder brother's courtyard, who can't even have children."
Upon hearing this, Zhang fell silent, but quickly realized what she meant and became furious: "Chen, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that I am not a kind-hearted person and that I mistreat my concubines?"
Chen glanced at her without saying a word, but judging from her expression, it was an admission of consent.
Madam Zhang slammed her hand on the table in anger and said, "You are not harsh on your concubines. You allowed my second brother to take his favorite concubine, Aunt Fang, as a concubine, and she even gave birth to Xuanling, a daughter born out of wedlock. If Aunt Fang hadn't died young, my second brother might not have been able to see your good deeds."
These words struck a chord with Madam Chen. Fang, originally a head maidservant to her mother-in-law, had been taken in by the second master as a concubine before Madam Chen entered the household. After Madam Chen's arrival, she was elevated to a concubine and greatly favored. Madam Chen treated her with the respect due to a wife, but without any romantic feelings. Fortunately, Fang was well-behaved; otherwise, Madam Chen's life would have been unbearable. It was precisely because of Fang's obedience that, after Fang's death, Madam Chen, out of pity for Xuanling who had lost her mother at a young age, genuinely cared for Xuanling.
It was rare for Zhang to see her get the short end of the stick, so she was in a good mood. She snorted and said, "I'm too lazy to argue with you," before getting up and leaving.
Meng Jinyao glanced at Zhang Shi, who had stormed off in a huff, then at Chen Shi, who remained silent to the side, and hesitated before asking, "Second Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
Chen took a deep breath and said, "It's okay, I'm fine. I used to upset her more often, and she only upset me once. I didn't lose anything."
Meng Jinyao: "..."
Is this how it can be calculated?
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