Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127
It was getting late. Miao Zhen was ticking off a piece of paper when Xiao Jingshi took off his coat and looked at her, saying, "Wife, what are you still writing? Didn't you go out to play today instead of seeing a doctor? Why are you still writing medical records?"
"It's not about writing medical records, it's about observing Miss Liu. Half a month ago, after seeing off the Su family, I attended the Han family's banquet with the Liu family. Miss Liu followed her mother, and she performed the proper etiquette. She spoke fluent Mandarin. I saw that she ate beef, mutton, fish, and shrimp without any problems. During our conversation, I also saw that her pulse was normal, and she seemed to be in good health."
"Yesterday was the Ghost Festival, and today I'm offering free medical consultations. I asked Madam Liu to come and help, and she did her best." Miaozhen thought the girl was quite nice, while Zhengge'er was still clueless.
Xiao Jingshi laughed and said, "Aren't you afraid that they're just putting on an act?"
“If someone is willing to put on an act, then they have the will. Some people don’t even want to put on an act, nor are they willing to.” Miaozhen shrugged.
Xiao Jingshi nodded: "That's true. We judge by actions, not intentions. Just like the officials in my Dali Temple, I don't care what they're thinking, as long as they're useful. So, what do you think about this marriage? Why don't we settle on it?"
“As the groom, we definitely need to be more proactive. If we're fickle, we wouldn't be worthy of the Liu family's high regard for us. You and your fiancé both said that the Liu family has a good tradition, that Old Madam Liu is a woman of character, and that Miss Liu is also quite nice. So, I plan to send the betrothal gifts over next month, and then we can start the engagement ceremony after the eldest daughter-in-law enters the family.” That was Miaozhen's plan.
The couple often did this: they would talk about important matters first, and then about their own affairs.
After discussing her son's matter, Miaozhen went to bed and said to Xiao Jingshi, "I recently bought a kind of incense at a spice shop. It's not a sweet and cloying scent, nor is it too crisp and pine resin. It has its own unique fragrance. I think I'll light it later to help me sleep."
"Just order whatever you want," Xiao Jingshi said, indicating that he didn't mind.
Miaozhen replied, "I'm afraid you'll give in to me. You used to say whatever came to mind, but now you're always afraid of making me angry and you have to watch my expression. That's not good. The more comfortable a husband and wife get along, the better."
Xiao Jingshi was cautious because he was afraid his wife would dislike him. He knew he had a bad temper, but his wife was a highly skilled doctor with a broad-minded personality. Many people were impressed by her when she went out, but she always kept her distance from others.
She always succeeds in whoever she wants to be with or whatever she wants to accomplish.
He was a man of many ups and downs in his official career, and he was known for his volatile temper and willful nature. It was often she who would try to calm him down. Whenever she was by his side, he would completely lose his temper.
Although his wife is no longer young, she is still beautiful and has a graceful figure. Years of being a government official's wife have given her a refined and elegant demeanor. Not to mention her ability to save people with needles, she is often admired by those she has saved.
What if he doesn't do well and Zhenzhen dislikes him and stops liking him?
But Zhenzhen is Zhenzhen. She knows every time his mood changes and will ask for his opinion. After he lit the incense pill and put it in the incense burner, he smelled it and turned to look at Miaozhen: "I like the fragrance."
"Then come and rest, it's getting late." Miaozhen patted the thin blanket. She now pays great attention to health, often goes to bed early, controls her blood sugar, and doesn't want to stay up late anymore.
Xiao Jingshi quickly went to bed, and the two soon fell asleep. On the other side, Xiao Jingtang and his wife were not asleep. Although Lou Qiongyu was not particularly beautiful when she was young, she was still a very pretty and delicate girl. Now that her husband has been away from her for many years, she has relaxed and often accompanies Ren Shi to banquets, eating and drinking heavily. As a result, she has become much heavier and more robust. At night, she feels remorseful and often stays up late, which has caused her face to be covered with dark spots.
Now, thinking about the letter from Wei Jie'er, she was saying to Xiao Jingtang, "Now our Xiao family is considered one of the most prominent families in the capital. Fourth Brother is the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and he has also formed a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Yun Jian's family and Grand Secretary Han. Our in-law Su family is also a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from two different examinations. Their official reputation in Suzhou is also excellent. The Dengzhou they are going to now is not as good as before."
Suzhou is a prosperous place. Families who serve as officials there all make a fortune. Dengzhou is far inferior. The in-laws chose this official position because they wanted to marry into our family. It's quite a slap in the face for Fourth Brother.
"That being said, the Su family still obediently took up their posts, which shows that they have no other choice now." Xiao Jingtang had worked by Xiao Jingshi's side for several years and knew that his fourth brother was quite experienced in officialdom, so he was very clear about the situation.
Lou Qiongyu knew that in Xiao Jingtang's heart, his brother, who had given him an official position, was reliable. If she said anything that angered Xiao Jingtang, there were two vixens, Qin Ying and Yu Zan, watching her like hawks. Xiao Jingtang was still giving her face, visiting her three or four times a month, and she couldn't break this balance.
The next morning, Lou Qiongyu and her confidants told a different story: "The fourth branch of the family would rather offend the Marquis of Xian'an in a case for the sake of his son-in-law, but they treat the Su family like beggars. It's clear that what brotherly favors are nothing compared to our Sixth Master's joy at receiving such an appointment. Look at our in-law Xu, he just gave us the Suzhou Prefecture appointment without hesitation."
Fangyi thought that the young lady used to be very sensible, not greedy, and very reasonable. But now she was becoming more and more like Mrs. Lou. People can work hard for their own daughters, so why bother with other people's daughters? Her own mistress was also very indifferent to the eldest young master back then, and didn't even take care of him. It was just that everyone was doing what they wanted for their own children. She really didn't know what she had to complain about.
However, Fangyi dared not say that. As a servant, if the master said east, the servant would not say west. But she also dared not stir up trouble, lest the little devils suffer when the King of Hell fights. So she had to persuade him, "The Xu family has two sons. One is only a student of the Imperial Academy, and the other has not even passed the county-level examination. It is clear that their fate has run out. Our Miao-ge'er is already a county-level scholar at a young age. If he passes the provincial-level examination and becomes a metropolitan-level scholar, how can the Xu family compare?"
Sure enough, when Miao Ge'er was mentioned, Lou Qiongyu's thoughts changed: "When Miao Ge'er passes the provincial examination in the future, he can marry a government official of equal social standing. That would be truly wonderful."
Fangyi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Lou Qiongyu was no longer repeating what she had said before, and gave perfunctory replies.
*
After the Ghost Festival, on an auspicious day in September, Miaozhen specially sent a matchmaker to deliver the betrothal gifts. Old Madam Liu was completely in favor of the marriage. Madam Liu regarded her husband as her heaven, and since her mother-in-law and husband both agreed to the marriage, she had no objections. A month later, the Liu family returned the betrothal gifts. By the end of the year, the horoscopes were compatible, and Miaozhen chose the 26th day of the third month of the following year for the engagement.
Now she is busy with the New Year and Zhao Ge'er's marriage, especially Zhao Ge'er's marriage, which is of utmost importance.
Just at this crucial moment, the Crown Prince fell ill and requested that Miao Zhen come to him.
It's worth mentioning that Princess Yu, who was the second wife, has been married for several years but has not given birth. On the contrary, it was Li, a palace maid of Prince Yu, who gave birth to a son in August of this year.
I don't know if it was because she cured Prince Yu's eldest son, but when the child had just turned eight, Miaozhen made a special trip to pay her respects. Now that he's sick, she rushed over.
Zhu Yiyi is eight years old this year. Since he was sick when he was young, Prince Yu's second wife, Lady Wang, came into the family and treated him like his own son. It can be said that he has been living a pretty good life.
How did you get sick?
Miaozhen said to her maid Qiuchan, "Go to the East Courtyard and tell the eldest young master that I have something to do at the Prince Yu's residence and ask him to look after the house."
Qiu Chan hurried over, and Miao Zhen went to get the medicine box and some prepared medicines. She waited for the driver outside to hitch up the carriage before rushing over.
Xiao Xi was also worried: "The young master trusts you very much. He has relied on you to treat his illnesses all these years. If... all your efforts will be in vain."
"No way, the Crown Prince was perfectly fine in October. How could he get such a serious illness in just two months? I don't believe it." Miao Zhen was very fond of the Crown Prince of Yu whom she had saved. He was very affectionate and would always call out to her whenever she visited, unlike other children who would be forgotten after being seen.
When she hurried over, Princess Yu's people told her to go directly to the Prince Yu's courtyard. When Miaozhen arrived, she saw the prince clutching his stomach. Upon seeing Miaozhen, he was as if he had seen a relative: "Doctor Miao, I have severe abdominal pain and cannot vomit. I feel so uncomfortable. Please help me."
Miaozhen immediately took his pulse and found that his pulse was weak and thready, and he seemed to die suddenly in an instant.
"Did he eat something unclean? The young master has contracted colic."
The so-called "intestinal colic" has yin and yang aspects, but now that the prince's life is in imminent danger, she first took one ounce of salt and five mace of ginger, crushed them, stir-fried them in a large bowl of water until they turned black, let them cool, and then gave them to the prince to drink.
After he took it, I used my hand to probe his throat, trying to get him to vomit the filth. If he didn't vomit, he would probably have diarrhea.
Thankfully, after she probed twice, the prince vomited, and Miao Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that his hands were cold, she knew it was probably due to intestinal paralysis. She had someone remove the prince's clothes, and the young prince was still a little shy: "Doctor Miao..."
"Your Highness, please bear with it for a while. Once you recover, everything will be fine." She looked and saw that he indeed had red spots on his body. So she had the maids hold him down and used a lamp to lick the red spots.
Her hands were known for their steadiness; she would immediately remove the lamp wick after it touched her skin.
A palace maid, who was puzzled, asked, "Madam Xu, what kind of treatment is this?"
"This is called the Cui Sha therapy. It is recorded in the 'Secret Formulas of Immortal Surgery'. For patients with abdominal pain and cold hands and feet, look at the red spots on their body and burn them with a lamp wick dipped in oil." Miao Zhen would read medical books and take notes when she had nothing to do. Sometimes the notes came in handy, and sometimes they didn't, but she still gained a lot from reading them.
Miaozhen was kept there that night, and Xiao Jingshi was also forced to have dinner with Zhao Ge'er. After all, his wife had gone to the Prince Yu's residence, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to send someone over.
"Father, will the young master be alright?" Zhao Ge'er asked worriedly.
Xiao Jingshi shook his head: "Generally speaking, your mother should be fine if she goes. You don't know, your mother's pediatric skills are quite superb. Last time, a wealthy merchant's eldest son was poisoned by his stepmother, and your mother cured him. As long as it's not someone who is destined to die, they should be fine."
Zhao Ge'er thought that this was probably because his father was so sharp-tongued, but he never dared to raise his voice at his mother. Once, when he went back to get something, he was very surprised to see his father massaging his mother.
Because on ordinary days, his father seemed to be the kind of person who was always sharp-tongued and inconsiderate of others, and he and his younger brother were often scolded for being utterly useless. But his father was so considerate towards his mother, and he secretly guessed that his father might be afraid that one day he would also be poisoned and his mother would have to save him.
"Father, please go to the yamen early tomorrow morning. I will go to Prince Yu's residence to inquire in person," said Zhao Ge'er.
Xiao Jingshi looked at his eldest son. Unconsciously, the children were now able to help. He wondered how Zhenzhen was doing at the Prince Yu's residence. He was very worried.
Actually, after Miaozhen gave the prince his medicine and he fell asleep, she was able to take a short nap in the side room next door. She would come in every one or two hours to check his pulse and condition. By dawn, the prince's condition had finally stabilized.
Princess Yu came early in the morning, inquired about the Crown Prince's condition, put her hands together, and chanted Amitabha: "It is truly the Buddha's blessing."
"Yes, Your Highness's condition has improved, so I'll take my leave now." Anyway, she had already spoken to him this morning when he woke up, and now that his condition has improved, other doctors in the Prince's mansion will also take care of him, so she left first.
Princess Yu hurriedly said, "How can Madam Xu leave? We were so grateful to you yesterday. Otherwise, we wouldn't know what to do. Come to my place later, and we'll talk."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but the Crown Prince's illness is of utmost importance. We have plenty of time in the future." Miao Zhen and Princess Yu were quite familiar with each other, so she didn't stand on ceremony.
She had planned to wash her hair yesterday, but not only did she not, she also stayed up all night, resulting in her hair being very oily. She needs to hurry back.
Seeing that the Crown Prince's condition had improved, Princess Yu let her leave first. Unexpectedly, Zhao Ge'er was waiting at the door. Miao Zhen asked, "Why did you come here?"
"Your son is worried about you and was just about to send someone in to ask," Zhao Ge'er said, helping his mother into the carriage.
Miaozhen said, "Alas, yesterday was too dangerous, I forgot to tell you. Let's go back and talk first."
Back home, she first had the servants prepare hot water for the bathroom, and then quickly explained the prince's illness: "It's either because he ate something unclean, or it's a cold, but I'm more inclined to the former. Fortunately, I saved the prince, and he was able to eat something this morning, so he's recovered."
"Mother is truly a miracle doctor," Zhao Ge'er exclaimed with admiration.
Miaozhen waved her hand: "I often study these things, and I may not be able to cure other illnesses. I only hope that the young master can get well, then my efforts will not have been in vain."
This is what is meant by "playing the long game." The emperor is old and obsessed with Taoism, and has long lost the vigor of his youth. Prince Yu may not seem to be favored at present, but everyone in the court knows that Prince Yu is the future emperor. After all, Prince Yu has two sons who have grown up, while Prince Jing has no sons, and the Yan faction that supports Prince Jing is no longer a force to be reckoned with.
After saying this, Miaozhen chased her son away and immediately went to wash her hair and body, only then did she feel like a normal person again.
After arriving at the greenhouse, Qiu Chan dried her hair and couldn't help but say, "Madam, in this cold winter, only you are not afraid of the cold and take a bath every day. We servants really admire you."
"Let me tell you, the reason some people have body odor is twofold: first, they don't like to bathe, and second, they don't like to change their clothes." When Miaozhen was a child, she didn't have the means, especially when she lived in the old house, she didn't bathe often. Now that conditions are better, bathing is the first thing she does. She bathes once a day in winter and twice a day, morning and evening, in summer.
Leaning against the incense burner, Miaozhen waited for her hair to dry before going to bed to rest. When she woke up in the afternoon, she felt much better. Staying up late isn't so bad; the most important thing is to catch up on sleep.
In the afternoon, Madam Zhang came over and chatted with her for a while. Miaozhen looked at her and said, "Speaking of which, my niece is getting older. I heard that the Han family has a girls' school. When Zhao's daughter-in-law gets married, we can let her go and study there too."
"Thank you very much, sister."
"No need for thanks. You came here for me, and I can't let you come for nothing. A young lady doesn't necessarily have to be well-read and talented, but she must be reasonable."
After Miaozhen finished speaking, she asked someone to bring her a set of writing implements and also asked Xiaoxi to invite a tailor to make several more outfits for her niece. Girls of this age are most afraid of being compared to others and are easily prone to feeling inferior.
After returning home, Madam Zhang told her daughter, "You should thank your aunt more in the future. The Han family's girls' school is very famous. I didn't even dare to ask her for help, but she remembered it."
"Mother, I know." The young lady of the Xu family probably knew as well.
The wedding day arrived quickly after the New Year. The house was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. This time, Master Xiao Er and his wife, Li Ge'er, went to the capital to attend the wedding. They also brought their two aunts, Xiao Suyin and Xiao Suyun, along with them.
When Xu Erpeng's family held a funeral, even Xu Kun had to immediately suspend his duties and stay home to help with paperwork, all because of the mourning period.
Xiao Suxin originally wanted to arrange a marriage for her daughter, but it didn't work out, leaving her feeling very angry. Now, her daughters are already married and her son is also married. She was originally the apple of Ren's eye, and she visited her parents' home several times. Ren felt that after so many years, it wasn't a life-or-death feud, so she came this time as well.
Besides her, her younger sister Xiao Suyun also came.
Miaozhen looked at her two aunts and sighed. Xiao Suxin had a bad temper and a strong desire to control, always giving off an arrogant vibe. But Xiao Suyun had been a clever little devil since childhood. She seemed to have no presence, but in reality, she was much more proactive.
Just like Xiao Suxin had brazenly tried to force Zhao Ge'er to marry her daughter, Xiao Suyun also brought her daughter with her. After arriving, she didn't mention those things, but simply had her daughter make some pastries and offered her some needlework. She even complained, half-jokingly, "Sister-in-law, you don't know, I can't not bring my daughter to the capital. Her grandparents want to use her as a favor, saying that they arranged a marriage for her after drinking, and that family is a poor one. Now I don't know what to do. Do you expect my daughter to marry a family of more than ten people living in a single courtyard, struggling to make ends meet?"
“Since it was just a verbal agreement and there was no formal engagement, and that family is poor now, why don’t you see what they need and just provide it?” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Xiao Suyun was unaware that Zhengge'er was engaged, and kept making excuses about how the family was full of scoundrels. Miaozhen couldn't help but shrug: "I really like my niece, but it's a pity that Zhaoge'er is too old and getting married soon. Even Zhengge'er changed his betrothal certificate last year and will be going to settle the engagement in a few days. Otherwise, we could still help."
"Hehe, thank you very much, sister-in-law." Xiao Suyun was taken aback, knowing that Miaozhen had seen through her meaning.
Miao Zhen smiled, seemingly oblivious to everything. She wondered if Xiao Jingshi would still be acting this way if he had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations.
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