Chapter 121 Summoned to the Palace
At the end of the year, the mansion was busy with many things to do, and Wen Ning was busy helping the old lady with the accounts and counting the New Year's goods.
The red lanterns hanging under the corridor filled the courtyard with warmth. Little Xibao would lean on the door frame every day, hoping that the Marquis would come back soon.
When the Marquis left, he said that he would bring him a birthday present when he came back!
But I didn't expect that the queen would send her nanny at this time.
"The Fifth Princess has been in poor health ever since she fell into the water and was frightened. The other day, she suddenly developed a rash and blisters on her body, which were extremely itchy and painful.
After the imperial physician examined the patient, he suspected that it was a case of dampness and toxicity. The patient's condition did not improve after taking the medicine. The empress was extremely worried and could not sleep well at night.
I heard that Miss Wen had dealt with smallpox and plague when she was in the border town, and she is most knowledgeable about this type of disease caused by external evil invading the body, so I specially ordered an old servant to invite the young lady to the palace.
If I can alleviate the princess's suffering, it will also comfort the queen's motherly heart."
The old lady's heart tightened when she heard this, and she hurriedly ordered Madam Zhou, "Quickly get the tea money I prepared and give it to this aunt to soothe her."
As soon as he spoke, a heavy brocade bag was stuffed into the hands of the palace maid.
The old lady's tone was both earnest and bewildered. "To be honest, Madam, this child isn't from an aristocratic family. She's never learned the rules of the palace. She's young and straightforward. I'm worried she's naive and ignorant. If she offends the princess or responds incorrectly to the queen, wouldn't that be a grave sin?"
The nanny calmly put the brocade bag into her sleeve and gently patted the old lady's hand. "Old lady, you worry too much. The Queen is kind and compassionate, not one to be bound by empty etiquette. Seeing that the New Year is approaching, I just hope that the princess will recover quickly. That's why I specially asked the young lady to come and see her."
After hearing this, the old lady understood. The Empress had instructed that this matter could not be refused in the slightest.
"Since that's the case, I'll have the child get ready. Please ask the nanny to go ahead. The Marquis' Mansion will immediately pack up the person and send him to the palace without delay."
The maid said, "You are too polite, old lady. There is no need for us to prepare another carriage. Your Majesty is so considerate that she has asked me to prepare a warm sedan chair. It is waiting outside the gate now. You only need to accompany me."
Wen Ning, who was standing quietly by, listened to these words. She thought of the private things that the Queen and the Prince had done to her master, and her heart suddenly felt cold, but her face remained calm.
She knew that the emperor's order was difficult to disobey, and the best strategy at this moment was to deal with it calmly.
She took a step forward, bowed gracefully to the old lady, and said in a clear and steady voice, "Don't worry, old lady. The Queen is kind and trusting. Ning'er will be careful in her words and actions and live up to the Queen's grace and the expectations of the Marquisate. Ning'er will be back soon."
It was not until the figure disappeared behind the screen wall that the worry on the old lady's face completely subsided.
She immediately called Qing Mang and asked, "When will the Marquis be back?"
Qing Mang bowed and whispered, "According to the itinerary, the master will not be able to return home until after noon the day after tomorrow."
The old lady nodded, "I understand."
She said no more and turned away.
After the old lady left, Qingmang did not dare to delay for even a moment. He turned around and walked quickly towards the stable.
Before leaving the mansion, the Marquis specifically instructed: If there is any unusual movement in the mansion, no matter the reason or the time, report it to me immediately by express horse!
…
The palace sedan swayed all the way, and when it finally stopped, dusk had quietly spread over the palace walls.
Wen Ning followed the nanny who was leading the way into the palace gate. Looking up, she saw the vermilion palace walls towering into the twilight, and the gilded bronze bells hanging under the eaves swaying gently in the evening breeze.
Everything around, from the carved beams and painted buildings to every brick and stone, exudes the solemnity and cold refinement of royal regulations.
Although she had never learned the etiquette of the palace, she was well aware that this place was unusual. She kept her head down the entire time, and only dared to cautiously look at the mirror-like stone slabs under her feet.
The nanny led her through the numerous palace doors until they entered the inner hall of Changle Palace.
A warmth from the stove, mixed with a rich aroma, hits you in the face.
She only felt a slight flicker of light before her eyes, and before she could see clearly what was happening inside the palace, she heard the nanny beside her softly remind her, "The Queen is here, quickly pay your respects."
Wen Ning's heart tightened, and she immediately knelt on the ground, "Your servant pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen. May Her Majesty be in good health and live a thousand years."
The Queen's voice was steady, yet filled with undeniable majesty. "Raise your head and let me see."
Wen Ning slowly raised her head as she was told, and saw the empress, wearing a crimson-purple palace dress embroidered with phoenix patterns, sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by pearls and jade, with a graceful demeanor.
The queen had already repeatedly imagined a similar appearance in her mind, but when she really saw the face that was almost identical to the one in her memory, she felt as if time had gone back, as if the old image from twenty years ago was brought back to her eyes.
Her fingertips trembled violently, and the teacup in her hand could not be held steadily. With a slight "click", she dropped it on the table beside her in a somewhat awkward manner.
The queen's gaze remained on Wen Ning's face for a long time. The flickering candlelight in the hall reflected a complex and indistinguishable light in her eyes.
After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke, "How old is Miss Wen? Do you still have relatives?"
Wen Ning bowed her head and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am nineteen years old this year. My parents... are both deceased, and I have no other relatives."
The Queen's fingertips gently traced the phoenix embroidery on her sleeves, her tone a sigh. "What a miserable child! So... when was your birthday?"
These words made Wen Ning's heart tremble slightly.
Asking about family background and age can be considered normal concern, but going so deep into the specific date of birth seems a bit inappropriate and abnormal.
She instinctively felt something was wrong and was about to blurt out the date "August 15th" but stopped herself abruptly. She replied cautiously in a low voice, "Your Majesty, my parents were rough and careless when they were alive. I only vaguely remember that I was born in the twelfth month."
Upon hearing this, the Queen's hands relaxed slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Fortunately, it is not your Majesty's child.
"Knowing your difficult life, I asked you in detail because I was afraid of neglecting you. Please don't worry."
The Queen exchanged a few pleasantries with a look of concern, then gestured to the nanny beside her, "Take Miss Wen to see the princess."
The nanny led Wen Ning into the inner room.
The fifth princess was leaning on the couch listlessly, and there were indeed some red rashes on her arms and neck.
Little did she know that the itchy rash all over her body was just caused by the Queen making her eat some incompatible foods just to find an excuse.
If I tell her the truth, I'm afraid she'll reveal it as soon as she opens her mouth.
At this moment, she sincerely thought that she had contracted some terrible disease and was afraid that she would not live long, and her heart was filled with panic.
When she saw Wen Ning coming in, her eyes didn't show any of the jealousy and troublemaking of the past, but instead showed a bit of obedience.
Perhaps she felt that one foot had stepped into the gates of hell, and her previous competitive spirit and infatuation with men faded away. She just felt that being alive and breathing was better than anything else.
She even managed to sit up straighter, her voice weak, "You...you're here. Mother said you might have a solution."
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