Seeing Zhang Tingyu retract his foot after stepping out, Su Peisheng asked knowingly, "Lord Zhang, what's going on?"
Zhang Tingyu said, "I suddenly remembered that this matter is not very important. The Emperor is busy, so it's best not to disturb him."
Su Peisheng said, "We're already at the door, and His Majesty is still waiting. Please don't joke with a servant like me."
Helpless, Zhang Tingyu walked inside with a bitter expression, dusted off his sleeves, knelt down, and kowtowed.
"Your subject Zhang Tingyu pays respects to Your Majesty and to the Imperial Concubine."
"Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty and Your Highness."
Sun Miaoqing flicked her handkerchief and said, "Don't thank me, I didn't tell you to get up."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Tingyu, who had risen halfway, knelt back down. He had never seen anything like this before.
If he had known that Consort Cheng, who was praised to the skies, was this kind of person, he would never have said that!
Rumors are harmful...
"What happened before was my fault, but it was for the sake of the court. I did not want to offend Your Majesty, so please forgive me."
No matter how Sun Miaoqing looked at him, she couldn't help but think that this man had a pointed face and looked like a monkey; he didn't seem like a good person. Was he asking for her forgiveness? If she didn't forgive him, would she be disloyal to the court?
"Don't try any tricks on me. I don't understand politics. I only know that a dowry is a woman's private property."
"If you really manage to accomplish this, everyone in the world will have an excuse to seize the bride's dowry."
"If Lord Zhang is truly so selfless, why not set an example by first sharing the dowries of your mother, wives, daughters-in-law, sister, and daughter?"
"If you can't do it, then stop trying to hold me hostage here. My temper is not like that of my other sisters."
Upon seeing this, the chubby orange cat immediately stepped in to smooth things over.
"He was just trying to share my burdens. Although his idea wasn't very good, it was ultimately a matter for the previous dynasty. I also fined him a year's salary. You've always been sensible, so don't hold it against him."
In front of outsiders, please give Big Fat Orange some face, otherwise I'll definitely rant a few more times.
[As expected, Zhang Tingyu is the apple of Da Pang Ju's eye; he came up with such a terrible idea, and he only got a year's salary as a penalty.]
Sun Miaoqing said, "Since His Majesty has said so, I am also magnanimous, so let's just let this matter go."
"But some things can only be done once, Lord Zhang, please don't let it happen again."
"Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Highness. I will remember this and never do it again."
Zhang Tingyu felt aggrieved. To be lectured like this by a concubine in front of the emperor—which powerful minister was as unlucky as him?
If the emperor had changed his attitude, he wouldn't have given in so easily.
Sun Miaoqing said, "Get up."
Zhang Tingyu said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
After Sun Miaoqing finished bowing to the fat orange, she raised her chin, flicked her handkerchief, and left, without interrupting their conversation.
Zhang Tingyu felt increasingly agitated and wanted to try again.
"Your Majesty, Consort Cheng's temperament is just too..."
Big Fat Orange snorted, "Who told you to offend a woman for no reason? You got yourself into trouble."
Zhang Tingyu said, "So you like this kind of thing? I'm still wondering if that was really Consort Cheng."
"The rumors are untrue, but they have truly killed me."
Big Orange looked slightly embarrassed and casually explained, "She was spoiled by Sun Zhuhe since she was a child. Taking advantage of her young age, she is good at pleasing the Empress and Consort Hua."
“The other concubines all give way to her. Sometimes I want to discipline her, but out of respect for the Empress and the other concubines, I can’t be too harsh.”
"I figured it was fine to be a little more casual in the harem, since it didn't involve the court, so I didn't pay much attention to it."
"You're a high-ranking official, why bother arguing with a little girl about these things?"
Zhang Tingyu was dumbfounded. Where in the world could there be a little girl like Consort Cheng? How old was the Fifth Prince already? How dare his mother say he was too young to understand?
The Empress and Consort Hua are spoiled and cannot be controlled; it is clearly because you, the Emperor, indulge them.
Bah! A womanizer with bizarre tastes, we despise such a person!
However, he dared to keep these thoughts to himself and not let anyone see them.
Zhang Tingyu could only admit it, bowing his head and saying, "Your Majesty, I understand. I offended the Imperial Concubine before, so it is only right that the Imperial Concubine say a few words to vent her anger."
*
Less than half a month after the outbreak of the epidemic, Wen Shichu, Lu Jingsi and others went to the front line. The imperial physicians who knew the situation best developed a prescription.
Upon learning of this, Prince Chun immediately went to the palace to report. Dozens more medicine stalls were set up both inside and outside the capital, guarded by imperial guards, to uniformly prepare the medicinal soup.
After diagnosis, people who are simply infected with the epidemic can simply take their medicine on time every day.
Those with severe illnesses or suffering from several ailments were gathered together. Wen Shichu, along with seven or eight folk doctors, treated each patient with a prescription, diagnosing their specific condition.
Although many people still contract the epidemic every day, they are no longer as fearful as before after they know that there is a cure.
Everyone in the palace breathed a sigh of relief, because thanks to the good precautions, the disease had not spread into the palace.
Despite her relief, Consort Hua was ultimately somewhat disappointed.
"What a great opportunity! It seems that fate doesn't want to take her away yet."
Songzhi said, "How could Heaven favor someone like the Empress Dowager? It is Your Majesty's good fortune and Heaven's benevolence in giving life."
Consort Hua said, "She's lucky."
"Give the order that none of the palace maids and eunuchs should let their guard down. Although the prescription is ready, the epidemic has not subsided, and the number of people who die every day could fill a mass grave."
Shou Kang Palace
The Empress Dowager had been waiting for either Yikun Palace or Chuxiu Palace to make a move against her. She wanted to catch them in the act, not only to punish them but also to negotiate with the Emperor.
As a result, despite the continuous deaths outside the palace and the strict precautions taken inside, no one has been infected.
Now that the prescription has been issued, it seems there won't be any further developments.
The Empress Dowager was somewhat puzzled. If it were her, she certainly wouldn't have let such a good opportunity slip by. She could have eliminated her opponent with ease.
Could it be that she guessed wrong?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
