After Xue Zhi came back with injuries, he was no different from usual except that he was a little less energetic.
The food in Hao Yetang was better than before, from the standard of four dishes and one soup to eight dishes and one soup. And the food was even more sophisticated than before.
In addition, Princess Guiyang also sent people over to fill the vacancies in Hao Yetang.
Zheng Xiu directly promoted Fen Ge and Bai Zhu to first-class maids.
Princess Guihe sent five maids, and Zheng Xiu picked the oldest one, Ruizhu, to first-class, and the other four became second-class maids.
Ruizhu and others were all family-born children. Although they had never served in front of the master, they were also considered old people in the Duke of Qing’s Mansion.
Haoye Hall became lively all of a sudden. Fortunately, the new servants also gave some warnings to those careless old people. The yard seemed to be more orderly than before.
Zheng Xiu's life finally had a focus. Every day when she got up, she would boil medicine for Xue Zhi, then have breakfast with the whole family, and then supervise Xue Zhi to drink the bitter medicine that made people want to frown. She asked Minghui to tell the small Buddhist hall that she had to take care of Xue Zhi recently and would not go there for the time being. The old lady didn't say anything.
It was just that it was a bit troublesome to change the external powder every day. She had to uncover the gauze and apply it directly to the wound on his vigorous upper body. When Zheng Xiu changed the dressing for him for the first time, she saw a bloody hole on his chest that was about to scab over. She was so scared that her hands trembled and her eyes turned red. Xue
Zhi smiled and held her shaking hand holding the medicine bottle, "Look, I'm fine now, aren't I?"
Zheng Xiu closed her eyes, calmed down, and slapped his big hand away, "Don't move."
Xue Zhi's eyebrows moved, and he smiled and said, "How about letting someone else come?"
Zheng Xiu glanced at him. The maids that Princess Guihe had just sent were all beautiful. He was dreaming!
Xue Zhi was of course joking. He smiled and said, "I mean let the guards come to apply it for me. Look at you, what are you thinking about, so indecent."
The "indecent" Zheng Xiu blushed and stuffed the medicine bottle into his hand, "I won't apply it for you." As she said that, she was about to stand up.
Xue Zhi hurriedly pulled her back, and then cried out, "Don't move, don't move. My wound is going to split open."
Zheng Xiu didn't dare to move anymore, and took the medicine bottle, poured out the white powder, and gently applied it on his wound.
Her fingers were delicate and soft, and she applied the medicine as gently as if a feather was brushing. Xue Zhi couldn't help showing a look of enjoyment.
After applying the medicine, Zheng Xiu took the bandage and wrapped it around her. Because it was the first time she did this, she seemed a little clumsy.
Xue Zhi didn't rush her, and obediently let her play with him like a rag doll.
Zheng Xiu concentrated and held her breath, and worked very hard for a while, and finally found the trick, tied the bandage for her evenly, and finally tied a bow around his waist.
Xue Zhi: ...
Zheng Xiu couldn't help laughing when she saw the bow.
Xue Zhi simply let her do what she wanted. It would be fine if she could make her laugh, not to mention tying one, but tying a few. Anyway, she was wearing a set of outer clothes, and no one could see it.
The maids were standing guard outside, and they couldn't help laughing when they heard Zheng Xiu's clear laughter. Especially Minghui, who had served Xue Zhi closely before, was even more happy for Zheng Xiu. Their Second Master usually had a sullen face, but he was especially kind to the Madam, and would even tell jokes. The Second Master and the Madam were doing well, and their days in Haoyetang would definitely get more and more prosperous in the future.
Xue Zhi's injuries looked scary, but they were not fatal. He was in good health. The doctors in the palace came to check his pulse every morning and evening, and said that he would be fine after a period of rest.
The prince came back half a month later than him, and the East Palace also sent a doctor and gave him a lot of medicinal materials.
On the day the imperial edict came, Zheng Xiu was feeding Xue Zhi medicine. Although Xue Zhi's complexion was much better than when he came back, his ability to act coquettishly was gradually improving, and Zheng Xiu had to feed him medicine personally every day.
Minghui walked in quickly with a smile and announced, "Someone is coming from the palace in front."
Xue Zhi had already told Zheng Xiu in advance that this time he was injured in order to save the prince, and the palace would probably reward him. Therefore, Zheng Xiu did not panic. She helped Xue Zhi change his clothes in an orderly manner and supported him to the front yard.
Xue Zhi stood up straight and walked with great vigor. If he had not insisted on being supported by Zheng Xiu, it would have been impossible to see that he was injured. The person
who came to the palace was the chief eunuch Li Dequan who was by the emperor's side. He was a round-faced eunuch who looked very kind - he had a white face and no beard, and he smiled at everyone he met. Just by looking at him, you wouldn't know that this was a person who had served the emperor in the palace for many years, and even the concubines had to be wary of him. The fact
that the emperor allowed him to issue an edict had already given the Duke of Qing's Mansion great respect.
Princess Guihe and the old lady were already waiting in the front yard.
Li Dequan smiled and exchanged a few words with Princess Guihe.
Princess Guihe also greeted him with a smile, and Qiurui stuffed two heavy purses into her.
Li Dequan accepted the tribute with a clear conscience, but he had to be polite to Princess Guihe: "It's all my duty, Princess, you are really embarrassing me."
Princess Guihe also smiled and said: "Eunuch Li has worked hard to come here, and brought good news. You should take some reward money to drink."
Li Dequan was not polite and bowed to Princess Guihe.
"The prince has really grown up now." Seeing Xue Qin and Xue Mian behind Princess Guihe, Li Dequan did not forget to compliment them, "A tiger father will have a dog son."
He mentioned Duke Qing in his words, which was considered a taboo for Princess Guihe, but she still smiled and said, "Eunuch Li is too polite, Ah Qin is still young."
The old lady sat far away, watching the two of them talking lively with cold eyes. In her opinion, the people in this palace are the most disgusting, and they are good at saying one thing to one person and another thing to another. People who don't know really think that these two people have any good personalities. Others don't know about her daughter-in-law, but he doesn't know it. When she got married, she looked down on her eldest son. Now that the eldest son has been lying in bed for so many years, if someone else brings him up, it would be strange if she doesn't get angry with them!
Not long after, Xue Zhi and Zheng Xiu also arrived.
Xue Zhi bowed to Li Dequan and said with a polite smile: "Thank you for waiting, Eunuch Li. I am not feeling well. It takes a lot of effort for me to dress and walk."
If someone else made Li Dequan wait like this, no matter how proud he was, he would not be able to get a good face from him. After all, he came out of the palace and took time out of his busy schedule. But facing Xue Zhi, the friendly smile on his face did not decrease but increased. Princess Guihe must not be offended for one thing, and Xue Zhi was now a big celebrity around the prince.
"Second Master, you are too polite. Of course, your health is urgent. I was thinking that Second Master was not feeling well, so I went to the backyard to see you in person." Li Dequan said with a smile, his face still quite concerned.
Everyone was present, and Li Dequan did not say anything more. He immediately asked for the imperial edict.
Everyone in the room knelt down according to their seniority.
In the imperial edict, the emperor was very satisfied with the results of the investigation of the crown prince and Xue Zhi during this southern tour. Not only did he give each of them a lot of gold and silver, but he also promoted Xue Zhi from the counselor of the Central Military Governor's Office to the third-rank Huaiyuan general.
After reading the edict, Li Dequan bowed to Xue Zhi and said, "Congratulations, General!"
Zheng Xiu made a face at Minghui, and Minghui also stuffed a purse into it.
Zheng Xiu had never rewarded anyone with money, let alone such a task in the palace, so the purse was filled with some loose silver ingots and fifty-liang silver notes. Thinking about it, it is not so shabby.
Li Dequan got the purse, weighed it and felt it was a little light. Of course, he did not expect to live on the reward money, but the reward money was his own face. His eyes turned to Zheng Xiu.
Zheng Xiu wore a homely jacket with auspicious patterns in fragrant gold thread, and a emerald green jade hairpin and the silver hairpin given by Xue Zhi in her hair. There was no makeup on her face, but her face was dazzling.
Li Dequan couldn't help but think in his heart that the second wife of Xue had a good appearance and temperament, but she was born in a poor family. She could only smile when standing next to the second master Xue, and didn't even say a word. I don't know if she can sit firmly in the position of the second wife of the Duke of Qing's Mansion.
Of course, he just thought so. It was not his turn to worry about Zheng Xiu's future.
"Thank you for your gift, Madam." Li Dequan also bowed to Zheng Xiu.
Zheng Xiu quickly turned aside and knelt down to return the greeting.
"I have to go back and report, so I won't bother you anymore." Li Dequan bowed to the whole family and walked out with them.
Xue Zhi and Princess Guihe and others personally sent him out.
Seeing Li Dequan get on the carriage, the smile on Princess Guihe's face faded. She turned to Xue Zhi and said, "It's windy outside. Your injuries haven't healed yet. Why don't you put on more clothes before going out?" As she spoke, she glanced at Zheng Xiu intentionally or unintentionally.
Xue Zhi wore a sky-blue straight-tied gown with a black silk ribbon tied around his waist. In this month's weather, it's not much. Zheng Xiu was afraid that the eunuch who was going to announce the decree would have to wait for a long time, so she put on the clothes for his convenience.
Xue Zhi smiled indifferently, "It's in the mansion anyway, just a few steps away, and there's a charcoal basin in the house, so I don't feel cold."
Princess Guihe glanced behind him and saw that only Minghui followed him, her face became even worse, "Where are the maids in your Haoye Hall? Didn't I send several of them over?"
Xue Zhi said carelessly, "It's just a few steps away, why should I bring so many maids, I'm not a delicate lady. Ah Xiu is enough." As he said that, he also put his arm around Zheng Xiu's shoulders. He was not stupid, so he naturally noticed Princess Guihe's hostility towards Zheng Xiu. The more this happened, the more he would naturally protect Zheng Xiu.
Princess Guihe looked at Zheng Xiu coldly, and said no more, "In that case, you should go back and have a good rest."
Xue Zhi bowed to her, and Zheng Xiu also knelt down, and the two walked back together.
The old lady did not come out to see Li Dequan off, but returned to the small Buddhist temple. If she were there, she would probably laugh out loud when she saw Princess Guihe's embarrassed look.
On the way back, Xue Zhi whispered to Zheng Xiu: "My sister-in-law is just concerned about my injury, not against you, don't take it to heart."
Zheng Xiu knew very well that Princess Guihe was really concerned about Xue Zhi, but her hostility towards her was also real, otherwise she wouldn't have said those words in front of the servants, and no one could tell that she was blaming her.
"Yes, I understand it in my heart." Zheng Xiu nodded, and didn't say much. Xue Zhi protected her to such an extent, I think he knew it in his heart, and he didn't need others to say anything.
Princess Guihe didn't like her, so she didn't like her. Anyway, she didn't think of trying to get her to like her or cling to her thighs.
In Changfeng Garden, Princess Guihe dismissed everyone after returning, leaving only Qiu Rui and the old nanny.
Qiu Rui knew what she was going to ask, and before she could ask, she spoke first: "Princess, except Ruizhu, the people we sent to Haoye Hall were all made second-class maids by the Second Madam. Although Ruizhu was a first-class maid, she was not allowed to enter the house. Usually, Minghui, Fen Ge and Bai Zhu served the Second Master and the Madam in terms of food and daily life."
Princess Guihe smiled coldly. Who said that people from small families don't have any schemes at all? Didn't she know that everyone she was sending would be separated?
I just don't know what means this Zheng Shi used to make Azhi protect her so closely that she couldn't even say a word...
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