Xu Yao looked at her mother with some resentment. The old lady smiled and said, "These few things were sent to Grandmother by the Emperor. They are all royal items. Grandmother cannot give them away to just anyone. Grandmother has more than just these few good things."
Seeing that Xu Yao had been scolded by Madam Ning, the girls thanked the old lady in unison after she finished speaking. The old lady said, "The teachers have been settled. Let Granny Shen take you to meet them. These teachers have all learned the rules of the palace. Grandmother specially asked someone to invite them for you."
Among these young ladies, Xu Mian was the eldest. She and her younger sisters quickly bowed to the old lady to express their gratitude. The old lady smiled and said, "Alright, you can go and meet the gentlemen now."
After the girls left the courtyard, the old lady picked up her teacup and took a sip. Then Ning Shi said, "Old Madam, I feel that the young master has some ideas lately. I wonder who he has been spending time with lately."
Upon hearing this, the old lady asked, "Oh? What are your thoughts?"
Ning frowned and said, "Grandmother, you and Father have always taught us that a single tree cannot make a forest. Our Marquis's Mansion is what it is today because all the brothers and sisters work together as one. Grandmother, among all the dukes, marquises and earls in the capital, no one lives as comfortably as our family. What I fear most is that our young master will be instigated by people with ulterior motives and have those inappropriate thoughts, and then treat his brothers coldly and neglectfully."
The old lady nodded and said, "Yinlan, I am very happy that you think this way. The young master will be the master of this family in the future, and his character is very important. Even if his ability is a little weak, if his descendants are unworthy, even if he leaves behind a huge fortune, we don't know who will benefit in the end. Don't worry, we will find out eventually."
Ning nodded and said, "Grandmother, I also know that there are some things in our family that the young master and I cannot know."
Hearing Ning say this, the old lady sighed and said, "Yinlan, sometimes, the more you know, the greater the risk. The Marquis and I have been keeping some things from you, all for your own good. The capital is in such a turbulent state right now. With me in charge, no one dares to act openly. But I'm already over seventy. Life expectancy is short, and I don't know how much longer I can hold on. If we don't have a capable person to hold the household together, we'll become easy prey for many. Yinlan, you and the young master, do your jobs well. We will make sure you know what you need to know."
Ning nodded, said a few more words, and then left.
Granny Shen came in from outside. She looked at the old lady's gloomy face and felt worried, but she didn't know what it was about.
When the old lady saw Granny Shen, she sighed and said, "Guixiang, although we haven't been prominent in public all these years, we've still become a thorn in the side of many people. Well, I've been a vegetarian and a Buddhist for so many years, and I've cultivated such a good temperament. It's time for them to know my true nature."
Granny Shen asked, "Madam, what's wrong this time?"
The old lady said, "Go and arrange for someone to keep an eye on the young master and see who he's been spending time with lately. I want to see who's bewitching our young master."
Granny Shen nodded and went to give instructions. The old lady held her favorite jade peach-shaped pendant in her hand, gently stroking it. Although the adult princes had been depressed for a while after being suppressed by Emperor Liang Cheng in the past two years, their underhanded actions had never stopped. However, many of their actions had shifted from overt to covert. In the past two years, the Xu family had won Emperor Liang Cheng's favor, and he had given them many rewards, both openly and covertly. Some were envious, and even more were jealous. The more this was the case, the more they had to remain calm and not let the underhanded actions of those with ulterior motives deceive them.
Zhang Zhaoci came in from outside and saw the old lady's face as soon as she entered. She made a slight noise and waited for the old lady to look over before scolding her, "Grandmother, look at you, worrying again. Didn't I tell you to worry less?"
When the old lady saw that it was Zhang Zhaoci, she smiled and said, "Grandmother was thinking about some not-so-important things just now, and she got a little lost in thought. Come, sit down. I've seen you running around with those two maids these past few days. What have you been busy with?"
Zhang Zhaoci said, "I have made several kinds of prepared medicines into pills. As long as the symptoms are correct, you only need to take a few pills. There is no need for a special pulse diagnosis and prescription, which is a bit troublesome."
The old lady nodded and said, "Treating the sick and saving lives is a great act of merit."
Zhang Zhaoci said, "I don't really care about merit or not. I just enjoy the process. Seeing my patients recover their health through my efforts makes me happy. Grandmother, let me take your pulse and see how I can adjust your prescription."
Zhang Zhaoci took out a sandalwood pulse pillow from a small bag he carried with him. After carefully taking the old lady's pulse, he said, "Grandmother, you need to avoid anger and irritability in the next few days. I will write you a new prescription and also prepare a medicinal diet for you."
The old lady said, "I am your patient, and I will do whatever you say."
Zhang Zhaoci nodded and joked, "We doctors like patients like you who are obedient and cooperative the most. Don't worry, I guarantee you will recover as soon as possible."
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