☆, Chapter 160 I will eliminate you
Princess Jinling pricked up her ears.
Zhao Yunjing cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, it is an engagement banquet."
"Such a big thing as an engagement, and you didn't even tell me? Yun Jing, how can you be so wary of me! What, are you afraid that I will arrange another marriage for you?" The emperor pointed at Jinling, "Even if I insist on arranging a marriage, Jinling is still my most beloved daughter. Although she doesn't have many merits, marrying her to you wouldn't be a disgrace to you, would it?"
"The princess is of noble birth, well-educated, and has a dignified appearance. She is the perfect wife. However, the student comes from a poor family and cannot guarantee that the princess's life after marriage will be of the same quality as before marriage. Furthermore, Yun Jing has someone else in his heart. Even if he were to marry the princess, he would not be able to give her the care and love that a man should give a woman."
"I wish to find one heart to share, and stay together until our hair turns white. Your Majesty, rather than forcing the princess to marry into another family, please grant my wish and A'jiao's wish to be united in marriage."
"Then you'd better think it over. I may not arrange a marriage, but it's very likely I'll eliminate you in the palace examination."
"Since I haven't achieved any official rank, I'll go back to farming. As I said before, although some things require the court's intervention to spread more quickly, it's not that I can't accomplish them without the court's intervention; it's just a matter of time. And from my interactions with the Emperor during this period, I know that you are not the kind of monarch who would abandon the people's livelihood for the sake of his children's personal feelings."
Marrying Gillian Chung has always been my wish. If one cannot contribute to the world or serve the people in this life, then let one do everything in one's power to be with the one one loves.
The Emperor turned to Jinling: "Did you hear that? Jinling, it's not that your father doesn't want to fight for you, it's just that Yun Jing is unwilling. If I force him any further, I'll become a foolish ruler who abandons the people's livelihood for the sake of his children's personal feelings!"
Since the Emperor has said so, if Princess Jinling continues to pester him, it would be a disgrace to the royal family. However, her not making a fuss or pestering him doesn't mean she has let the matter go.
A princess, dignified as she was, was outshone by a village girl; she could never swallow this insult!
Ten days later, the capital city experienced its first snowfall of the year.
The first snow fell heavily all night, and by morning the branches were bent slightly under the weight of the snow. A thin layer of snow covered the road. As soon as the sun came out, the thin snow melted in no time, leaving only a chill and water on the ground.
Zhou Mujiao has entered the palace again, this time because the Empress Dowager is ill. In addition, Princess Jinling is also due to begin her second course of treatment.
Outside, a chilly north wind blew, but inside Fenghua Palace, stoves burned in the four corners, making it warm as spring. Zhou Mujiao held a silver needle in her hand and approached Princess Jinling with a faint smile.
"You, you shouldn't laugh like that." Princess Jinling felt a chill run down her spine. "Although we don't get along and I'm your rival in love, you're a doctor. As the saying goes, doctors have the heart of parents. You have to treat me like your daughter. You can't be too rough, and you definitely can't deliberately make me—ah!"
With a series of sharp, quick thrusts, twelve silver needles were inserted into her skin. Zhou Mujiao's smile vanished. "Princess Jinling, I advise you not to be so dramatic. Illness doesn't discriminate based on whether you're a princess or a beggar. Even if you become the empress who unifies seven kingdoms, your illness will still flare up when it's time to flare up."
After enduring the initial half-cup of tea, Princess Jinling recovered and pouted, "You only dare to bully me secretly at times like this."
"The acupuncture was performed openly and honestly, with others present. How could it be considered secret bullying? Your Highness's words about doctors having the heart of parents are very apt. If I were your parent, I would have already spanked you. If you're sick, get treatment; if you have medicine, take it. What's with the fuss? It's good enough that you're alive, let alone a princess like you!"
"Such a silver tongue! That's how you fooled Young Master Zhao, wasn't it?"
"How come you think Brother Zhao is such a fool? Then I'm curious, since I can fool him with just a few words, what do you see in him?" Zhou Mujiao asked, puzzled. "There are plenty of men who are better looking than him, why don't you like them? Could it be that you're tired of the good life and want to be a village woman and experience hardship?"
"You! I can't argue with you! I want to sleep, don't talk to me anymore!"
"You go to sleep, I'll treat you. If you don't talk, am I supposed to pry your mouth open and make you speak?"
"You! I'm going to chop you up!"
"Tsk."
Such conversations occur almost every time a patient is treated. It only took half a month for Physician Liu and the two female physicians to go from being terrified at the beginning to being used to it.
However, Physician Liu reiterated that a princess is a princess, and just because Zhou Mujiao dared to be disrespectful does not mean that they can follow suit.
The second course of treatment would take five days. To facilitate treatment and research, Zhou Mujiao moved into Fenghua Palace. Since Wei Xu's treatment had also begun, Princess Jinling allowed Wei Xu to enter the palace as well, and he lived in a side hall of Fenghua Palace.
She originally thought that Wei Xu was her own cousin and would definitely be on her side. Could the two of them not even win an argument against Zhou Mujiao?
Who would have thought that once Wei Xu entered the palace, he would call Zhou Mujiao "sister" so happily, and follow her around like a little follower every day.
That day, Zhou Mujiao was going to treat the Empress Dowager again, and Wei Xu once again very conscientiously helped Zhou Mujiao carry her small medicine box, his short legs running so fast they seemed to fly.
Princess Jinling watched from behind, her heart pounding: "Xu'er, slow down! Don't fall! Is it serious? Give her back her things!"
He then berated Zhou Mujiao: "Zhou Mujiao, are you even human? Don't you have hands? You actually made a child carry such a heavy box! You said you were helping Xu'er get treatment, but I think you just want Xu'er to work himself to death!"
“Wei Xu is just not as tall as the average person, but he is strong. What’s wrong with a five-year-old carrying ten pounds of things? When I was five, I could carry water to water the vegetables and go to the fields to work. It’s only a short distance from Fenghua Palace to Cining Palace, so it won’t tire him out.”
"Cousin Jinling, Xu'er isn't tired. Xu'er is strong, Xu'er is very strong!"
"Tomorrow morning, you should get up at the same time as me. I need to improve your physical condition first, otherwise your body won't be able to withstand the subsequent treatments." Zhou Mujiao patted Wei Xu's head, thinking of Xiao Jiu and Xiao Wu, and couldn't help but sigh softly in her heart.
If the Emperor hadn't suddenly summoned her to the palace that night, she wouldn't have run into Jinling's illness. If she hadn't run into Jinling's illness, she wouldn't have had to keep running to the palace, and maybe Xiao Wu and Xiao Jiu could have gone to the capital with Liang Shanzhang and the others this time.
On the winter solstice, students from all over the country arrived in Beijing to take the exams.
Zhao Yunjing received the news and went to the city gate early in the morning. Just after Chenshi (7-9 AM), he finally saw a few familiar faces.
"Brother Chen! Xiao Ran! He Jiu! Feng Wei! Over here!"
After two months apart, the twenty candidates reunited once again.
Zhao Yunjing prepared a welcome banquet at Yue Dong Lou to express his joy, and said, "The Imperial Academy has already started recruiting students. Everyone, take a couple of days off, and then we'll go take the exams together!"
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