Chapter 73 Welcoming the Emperor (1)
Magistrate Meng's mind went blank as he stared blankly at Li Xiaoxiao, who had returned a step ahead to report the news: "Who did you say? Who's here?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Your Highness, he has returned with us. The young master asked the master to quickly think of a place to settle the Crown Prince in. They are probably already at the city gate."
Magistrate Meng felt dizzy for a moment, swayed, and almost fell. Li Xiaoxiao quickly supported him: "Sir, now is not the time to be dizzy. You should prepare to receive the emperor."
Magistrate Meng asked repeatedly, "Are you kidding me? How could the Crown Prince have come back with you?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "I'll keep it short. The Crown Prince was assassinated, and we saved him. He only has one guard commander with him now, and a eunuch named Wan Quan. Zhao Jian took him to the Qingzhou Guard Command to borrow troops. They probably won't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest. Our family has to ensure the Crown Prince's safety tonight. Once the troops arrive tomorrow, we probably won't have much to do."
These few words terrified Magistrate Meng, turning his face pale. The Crown Prince had been assassinated, and only a guard captain and a eunuch remained by his side? Assassinating the future heir apparent was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. Who on earth had the audacity to do such a thing?
But now that things were urgent, he didn't have time to ask any more questions: "Go to the inner courtyard right now and tell Madam about receiving the Crown Prince. Tell her to prepare the main house. Steward Zhao and I are going to welcome His Highness the Crown Prince."
He immediately changed into his official robes and hurriedly left with Steward Zhao.
Li Xiaoxiao had no choice but to run into the inner courtyard to find Liu Shi and Granny Qi.
Liu almost fainted: "What did you say?" She was mostly shocked, but not at all surprised.
Li smiled and said, "The master has already taken Steward Zhao out to welcome the Crown Prince. The master told the madam to quickly prepare the main room for the Crown Prince to stay in."
Liu felt as if the sky was about to fall, and her vision blurred. Her son had actually brought the Crown Prince back after going out for a while. This was an incredible opportunity! But the county government's backyard was so simple that they couldn't even find a proper courtyard. How could the Crown Prince live in such a place?
Liu burst into tears: "Granny, what should we do? We don't even have an extra courtyard. If we let the Crown Prince stay in the main house, won't he think we haven't treated him well?"
Granny Qi had never received such important figures before. Even back in the Minister's Mansion, when high-ranking officials frequently came and went, they were never allowed to stay overnight. When the old lady received distant relatives from other places or the old master's fellow students, the family would simply allocate a guest courtyard for them to stay in, and there was never a shortage of maids and servants. But the backyard of the county government was such a small place. They had no problem giving up their main house, but they couldn't possibly live in the same courtyard as the Crown Prince, could they?
In this way, Magistrate Meng and his wife, Aunt Luo and Meng Liniang would all have to move out of here, and the entire courtyard would have to be vacated.
Granny Qi said, "Madam, since the master said he wants to prepare the main room for His Highness the Crown Prince, let's hurry up and replace all the used bedding, blankets, and cushions with new ones. Xiaoxiao, go and tell Aunt Luo to pack their things and move to the side room of the study in the front yard immediately. The master and madam can stay in the study for the next couple of days. Hurry, there's not much time left. Call everyone to pack their things right away."
The inner courtyard immediately descended into chaos. Some were changing beds, others were packing things up, and after everything was tidied up, they had to clean up again. The already few maids wished they had eight hands, and when they carried the mistress's and young lady's belongings to the outer courtyard, they wished they had four legs.
The prince condescended to live in the backyard of the county government office, and even the toilet had to be new. Chai Bo took the money and, disregarding his old arms and legs, went out to buy the toilet, limping along.
The entire inner courtyard was in chaos for a moment. Li Xiaoxiao did not go out, but went directly to the well to fetch water and asked Mama Mao to empty the large pot and boil water.
Since descending from Wanshan Academy, she hasn't had a proper sleep in five days. Even with her strong constitution, she's starting to feel the strain. She's exhausted, and the Crown Prince and Pang Shi are still injured. Meng Guanqi is weak, and Asheng is even worse off than her due to her young age.
She estimated that these people would all get sick for a few days after taking a break.
Not to mention the chaos in the backyard, Magistrate Meng, who was on his way to greet His Highness the Crown Prince with Steward Zhao, encountered the Crown Prince and his party of four before they had even finished walking down East Street.
Upon seeing that familiar face, Magistrate Meng's eyes lit up with excitement. He straightened up and was about to bow when the Crown Prince gave him a wink, signaling him not to make a fuss.
Upon hearing Li Xiaoxiao's words about the Crown Prince's assassination attempt, Magistrate Meng quickly suppressed his anxiety and respectfully bowed, saying, "Second Master, this way please."
The Crown Prince was pleased with Magistrate Meng's pragmatism: "Please, Magistrate Meng. I have come uninvited and have disturbed you."
In truth, how could he possibly know Magistrate Meng? He was quite familiar with the old Minister Meng before he retired, and he also knew that Magistrate Meng's elder brothers were familiar to the Crown Prince, who knew they were from the Meng family. However, before Magistrate Meng was demoted, he was just a minor official of the sixth rank, and he could only stand at the very back of all the officials during the grand court assembly each month. The Crown Prince stood below the Emperor, and Magistrate Meng couldn't even hear what the Emperor was saying, let alone have the opportunity to show his face in front of the Crown Prince.
However, he did not know Magistrate Meng, but Magistrate Meng did know him. He immediately said, "It is an honor for me to have you here, Second Master. There is no need to say that I am disturbing you. Hot water and hot food have been prepared in the mansion. Please come in and wash up first."
The Crown Prince had the same idea. He and Wan Quan, Pang Shi and others had been chased all the way to a dilapidated temple. After escaping danger, they traveled for three days and three nights without getting a proper rest. At this moment, he was eager to take a hot bath and then lie down on the bed for a good night's sleep.
Magistrate Meng led the Crown Prince into the backyard. Madam Liu had just finished tidying up the main house when she saw His Highness the Crown Prince. She was so surprised that she almost forgot to perform the proper etiquette. The Crown Prince, however, was very gentle: "Madam, you may dispense with the formalities. I have been the one to cause you trouble."
Liu hurriedly said, "No trouble at all, Your Highness's presence is an honor, I have failed to entertain you properly..." After saying a few words, her mind cleared up: "I have already ordered someone to prepare hot water, please have Your Highness take a bath and change clothes first."
She arranged for Pang Shi to stay in the east wing where Meng Guanqi had previously lived: "This is my son's room. General, please bathe here..."
Pang Shi's body was soaked with a mixture of sweat and blood, and he had been wanting to take a good bath for a long time. After all, he was not perfect; he was only responsible for the Crown Prince's safety, not his daily life. Therefore, after hearing that Liu had prepared hot water, he said goodbye to the Crown Prince and went straight into the room to wash up.
Ah Sheng stumbled in carrying a new set of clothes to Pang Shi. Pang Shi looked at him, who was stiff as a walking corpse, and couldn't help but laugh: "Was the horse easy to ride? Are your thighs chafed?"
Ah Sheng shook his head and then nodded, his face pale.
Pang Shi took off all his clothes, revealing his strong body. Several knife scars on his body were still faintly bleeding, but he didn't care. He splashed water on himself and started wiping himself with a towel: "This is how it is for men to ride horses. When I first learned, my thighs were also chafed. You'll get used to it."
After he dried himself off, he was about to step into the bathtub to soak when Ah Sheng hurriedly said, "Sir, your wound is still bleeding, you can't take a bath."
Pang Shi was about to say it was alright, but then he thought that he was the only one left by the Crown Prince's side, so he sighed and said, "Alright, ask Madam Meng to call a doctor over and prescribe some medicine for my injuries. I can't let this injury delay my journey."
Ah Sheng walked out with his legs shaking. Pang Shi glanced at him and said, "After you finish this errand, you should go back and get some rest. It would be best to take a hot bath, otherwise you might not be able to walk tomorrow. Just call another servant to come and take care of you."
Ah Sheng dared not answer; he dared not say that there were no other servants in the house.
Now, there are only sixteen people left in the household, including masters and servants.
There are five masters in the courtyard. Magistrate Meng is served by Steward Zhao and Zhao Jian. Liu is served by Granny Qi and Liu Zhi. Aunt Luo is served by Xiu Mei, who is married. Bao Qin has run away. Meng Liniang brought Mei Xiang, a maid she bought later, to serve her. Meng Guanqi is served by Li Xiaoxiao and A Sheng. In addition, there is only Uncle Chai who guards the gate, Granny Mao and Aunt Lin in the kitchen, plus a maid named Xing Ge who sweeps and does laundry. The population is simple and scarce. Without any one of them, the courtyard cannot function.
Despite his frail state, Ah Sheng still insisted on serving Pang Shi. However, Pang Shi was a rough and uncouth man who had always served in the military camp and was not used to having maids and servants serving him closely. So, he didn't ask Ah Sheng for help when he took a bath and simply told him to go and rest.
But it was different for the Crown Prince. He went into the washroom, opened his arms, and waited for a long time, but it was quiet and there was no one there.
Why are there no maids to help him bathe and change his clothes?
The prince also had a chest injury, making it inconvenient for him to bathe on his own. He needed someone to wipe his body and wash his hair, and he also needed to find a doctor to apply medicine. In the past, Wan Quan had taken care of all these trivial matters for him, and he would not have bothered with them.
After all, he had never had any problems with bathing since he was a child.
But after waiting for a while, his hand grew tired from holding it up, and no one came in. He frowned slightly and called out, "Someone come here—"
Liu, worried about her son, had already taken Meng Guanqi back to the front yard to inquire about his well-being. In the chaos just now, Granny Qi only had time to carry all of Madam and Aunt Luo's belongings to the outer yard, and before they could be properly organized, she took Liuzhi to help with the organization. As for the others in the yard, Aunt Lin had already gone home, and Granny Mao was busy showing off her skills in the kitchen, calling Xingge over to start the fire. Meixiang was also organizing luggage and bedding beside Meng Liniang. By the time Magistrate Meng realized what was happening, he was the only one left in the main hall of the large house, waiting for the Crown Prince to come out.
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's message, Magistrate Meng's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly went to the outside of the washroom: "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
The prince was startled. He had only wanted to call a maid to help him take a bath, so why had Magistrate Meng come in?
He coughed lightly: "Lord Meng, I am injured and it is inconvenient for me to take a bath. May I ask a maid to come and serve me?"
Magistrate Meng slapped his forehead, realizing he had completely forgotten about it.
Since he came to Biyang County, various accidents have occurred frequently, and the servants in his house have been scattered, leaving only about ten. He has been away from things like being served bathing for a long time, so long that he has forgotten that these are the habits of wealthy families.
He actually left His Highness the Crown Prince waiting in the washroom with no one to help him!
He panicked for a moment and immediately said, "Your Highness, please wait a moment. I will go and find someone to help Your Highness take a bath."
The Crown Prince frowned. Shouldn't this be arranged by Madam Meng? Why should Magistrate Meng, a grown man, be the one to find people for him?
Magistrate Meng knew, of course, that this matter required Liu's supervision, but Liu had gone to the front yard in a panic, so he had no choice but to go and find her.
Upon hearing Magistrate Meng's request, Lady Liu was extremely anxious. His Highness the Crown Prince needed help with his bath, but who was left in the household who could help?
Xiumei is married and it's inconvenient for her to go. Liuzhi is too young. Meixiang is twelve years old this year, which is the right age. But when she heard that she was going to bathe the Crown Prince, she rolled her eyes and fainted. After being revived by pressing her philtrum, she was so weak that she couldn't even stand up. If Yingchun were still alive, she would be the most suitable to go. But she has been sent back to the capital by Liu. What should we do now?
Liu was almost in tears: "In such a hurry, we couldn't even find a single maid. What are we going to do?"
We can't exactly send Granny Qi over to help, can we? Only teenage maids are allowed in the bathhouse; no old woman would go! We don't want to scare His Highness to death!
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