Chapter 471 Make a Deal
There was deathly silence in Kunning Palace.
They all looked at the Empress Dowager.
"I'm here to see you two sisters. You've just given birth, and I asked the imperial physician to prescribe some herbal medicine for you to recuperate." The empress dowager's eyes swept over the Mu sisters, finally landing on Lu Qingyao, who was standing next to Mu Jiangyue. "Madam Lu San, please come see her as well."
"Me?" Lu Qingyao, who was sitting in the corner, looked confused.
She is not sick, why should she see a doctor?
She didn't dare say this out loud and just smiled.
Mu Jiangyue asked for her, "Aunt is so confused. Yaoyao hasn't given birth yet, so why does she want to see it?"
The Empress Dowager looked at her eldest niece and glared at her.
Fortunately, it was not her who married into the royal family, nor was she the queen.
Otherwise you'll be worried to death.
So naive.
Princess Yuqing was feeding her little girl. When she heard this, she looked up.
I also wanted to join in the fun: "Grandmother, why don't you let me see it too? I've been busy running around for the past few days because of the palace coup. I'm exhausted. I even accidentally killed someone. I was scared to death!"
After saying that, he patted his chest.
Miaomiao stared at her trouble-making mother in amazement.
Wow! Good tea.
I don’t know where I learned it.
"Then take a look at them all. Take some ginseng back with you for nourishment when you leave." The Empress Dowager smiled and glanced at the nanny behind her.
After a while, the old nanny brought in a female medical officer.
He took the pulse of several people one by one.
When it was Lu Qingyao's turn, she remained calm.
If she still doesn't understand the Empress Dowager's intentions, then she is stupid.
What is coming cannot be avoided.
Miaomiao ran over and stood beside A Niang, holding her other hand and accompanying her.
She knew her mother's physical condition.
She was injured when she gave birth to her deceased sister, and she may not be able to give birth again.
And at this age, in his thirties.
In ancient times, some people who got married early probably already had grandchildren.
Regardless of what godfather thinks, the Empress Dowager will not agree. The incense of the Duke's Mansion cannot be cut off like this.
The ancients regarded their offspring as more important than their own lives.
What's more, he has a title to inherit.
It seems that the Empress Dowager's move today was aimed at A Niang. She wanted to expose A Niang's shortcomings in public so that A Niang would give up.
So insidious!
Sure enough, the smiling face of the female medical officer disappeared, her brows furrowed, and she started talking incoherently, using professional terms that Miaomiao could not understand.
The conclusion was: "Madam, you must have sustained an illness during your last pregnancy, and you didn't take good care of yourself. Plus, at your age, you may not be able to get pregnant again in the future."
Everyone was a little surprised, except the Empress Dowager.
She must know something.
But it's not surprising. As the most powerful woman in Daliang, it's not easy for her to check a woman's medical records.
Lu Qingyao calmly withdrew her hand.
He said calmly, "You are joking, Mr. Doctor. I already have three children. I am divorced now and have no plans to remarry, let alone have more children."
The imperial physician looked embarrassed and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know about this."
What the person above meant was that she wanted to see whether the woman was healthy and whether she could get pregnant again.
She thought it was a lady from a family who couldn't have a child.
Who knew she was a divorced woman?
Lu Qingyao nodded slightly: "No problem."
Miaomiao felt a little sorry for A'niang. It was obvious that she also loved her godfather, but she said something so decisive.
No room for maneuver at all.
Miaomiao was a little annoyed, but didn't know who to blame.
Probably to save face in front of the Grand Empress Dowager, she raised her little face and said, "My mother is satisfied with just us siblings. She doesn't need any younger brothers or sisters..."
Princess Yuqing pulled her daughter away and stuffed a piece of preserved fruit into her mouth.
For some reason, she always felt that her daughter was a little angry today, and the atmosphere between the Empress Dowager and Sanniang was also a little subtle.
It just wasn't right, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what.
She was worried that her daughter would get angry and say something that might get her into trouble.
When Mu Jiangyue heard what the imperial physician said, she immediately lost her composure and started cursing, "Quack, what nonsense are you talking about? Yaoyao is only three years older than me. I can have children, but Yaoyao can't? You made a wrong diagnosis, right?"
After saying that, he made faces.
She knew what her eldest brother was thinking. Whether it was true or not, if she revealed it to her aunt, her aunt would definitely oppose the marriage.
They will also break up couples.
It’s over!
I'm afraid that my brother's enthusiasm will be wasted.
She turned her back to the Grand Empress Dowager and kept winking at the imperial physician, threatening her: "Tell me, did you make a mistake in the diagnosis?"
However, she tried to signal for a long time, but it was all in vain.
How could the imperial physician dare to lie in front of the Empress Dowager?
Unless you don't want to live anymore.
She sank to her knees, looking aggrieved. "Grand Empress Dowager, Queen Mother, I swear to heaven that I was not wrong in my diagnosis. This lady will indeed have difficulty conceiving."
Mu Jiangyue was speechless.
Why is this imperial physician so stubborn and unable to adapt?
Seeing that the Empress Dowager looked unhappy, Lu Qingyao quickly stepped forward to help: "The doctor's diagnosis is correct. I was indeed injured during childbirth and cannot get pregnant again. Jiang Yue was just too worried about me and spoke without thinking."
Jiang Yue was the niece of the Empress Dowager, so nothing would happen if she told a few lies, but if she took her anger out on this female doctor, she would be committing a sin.
It's not easy to be an imperial physician.
It is even more difficult to become a female doctor.
It was also at that time that she learned from Doctor Feng that the Imperial Medical Bureau's assessment of female doctors was more stringent than that of male doctors, but the status of female doctors was extremely low.
She didn't want to ruin such a rare talent because of such a trivial matter.
The Empress Dowager thought that after the imperial physician's diagnosis, Lu Qingyao would be nervous and show some timidity, but she didn't expect her to be so calm and even worry about others.
Is there really nothing between her and Mu Yunji?
Did she see it wrong?
No, it's impossible, she couldn't be wrong.
Even a blind man could see from Aji's expression that he was fond of this woman.
Although Lu Qingyao expressed her opinion, the Empress Dowager was still worried because her nephew was a stubborn and obstinate person and there was no way to deal with him.
We can only start with the daughter of the Lu family.
She stood up and walked over to Lu Qingyao: "Sanniang, accompany me for a walk in the Imperial Garden."
What else could they say? Finally, they couldn't hold it in any longer.
Lu Qingyao hurried to follow.
Mu Jiangyue was about to follow but was pulled back by her sister, the queen.
"Sister, it's useless for you to follow them. Why don't you send someone out of the palace to tell my brother what happened today?" Mu Qianxue dragged her back to Kunning Palace: "Be patient and wait. Auntie won't touch Sister Lu."
This time when my eldest brother comes back, he is different from before.
He praised Sister Lu highly, calling her Yaoyao all the time. When he talked about things at the frontier, his face lit up with joy, and his heart and eyes were full of her.
She had never seen such a big brother.
As the pillar of the Mu family, the youngest Duke, the nephew of the Queen Mother, and the general guarding the border.
He carries too much and lives too tiringly.
I've almost lost the ability to laugh.
It is rare to find someone who can make him happy and understand him nowadays. Mu Qianxue doesn't want anyone to shatter his dream.
Neither can my aunt.
Now, she has sat on the throne of queen as her aunt wished.
Then she will be the one to support the Mu family.
Seeing that the Queen and her sisters were still arguing, Princess Yuqing took her daughter and took a detour through a small path and followed them.
Behind the rockery, a big one and a small one stretched their heads to peek.
You and I are talking at the same time.
"Miaomiao, you must know what's going on, right?"
"Of course." Miaomiao nodded.
She looked at the princess mother and said, "Your grandmother wants to separate my godfather and my mother. Will you help them?"
"This is difficult, unless your mother can still give birth..." Princess Yuqing thought for a while and said.
"My mother doesn't want to give birth even if she can. It's very dangerous for pregnant women at an advanced age." Especially with the medical conditions at that time, giving birth could easily lead to death.
It's too risky.
Miaomiao started to fart and grabbed the princess's sleeve. "Mother, you are the eldest princess with great magical powers. You must have a way, right?"
Princess Yuqing loves it most when her daughter flatters her, and she is really being controlled by her daughter.
After racking his brains to agree to his daughter's plea, he came up with another idea: "How about we help them elope?"
Miaomiao: "...Didn't your ancients despise unmediated adultery the most? Elopement would be condemned to death, right?"
Princess Yuqing: ...
Why does this sound so harsh?
Not far away, in the pavilion.
The Empress Dowager was sitting and Lu Qingyao was standing beside her.
Just standing there, waiting to be questioned.
"You don't seem afraid of me?" The Empress Dowager fiddled with the Buddhist beads in her hand without looking at her.
"The Empress Dowager is not a vicious person, so I am not afraid."
What Lu Qingyao said was a bit against her will.
She might not have been afraid just now in the Queen's Kunning Palace, but now that they were alone face to face, she felt a little scared.
None of the women in the palace are simple.
In the imperial city where a mother is honored by her son, this old lady, who had no children, was able to live through four generations of emperors and reach this age.
I'm afraid I've lived like a thousand-year-old fox.
She didn't dare to take it lightly.
The Grand Empress Dowager put down the beads in her hand and squinted her eyes as she looked at Lu Qingyao. "You are quite frank. I don't like beating around the bush. I will make my position clear here today. I do not agree with your marriage to Mu Yunji. If you stop pestering him and are willing to leave the capital, I will confer the title of Imperial Merchant upon you."
Conferred the title of imperial merchant?
If she were to ask herself honestly, Lu Qingyao was moved.
The idea of becoming an imperial merchant was quite attractive to her.
If Daliang wins this battle, border trade will reopen.
If one could become an imperial merchant, he could trade cloth, silk and tea with foreigners.
This is a good business with huge profits, who wouldn't want to get a piece of the pie?
Especially tea.
Don’t underestimate it as it’s just a small leaf, it’s worth as much as gold.
There are many nomadic peoples in the north, who have been eating meat and dairy products for a long time.
Only tea can help digestion and remove greasiness.
It can be said that Gentiles can hardly live without this little leaf.
She had been at the border for several years and knew very well that tens of thousands of tea bricks were shipped to foreign countries every year, whether through official roads or black market channels.
The foreigners used horses, sheep, and furs to exchange for tea from the people of Daliang, both openly and covertly. Without tea, they could not eat.
But this tea only grows in the south.
What a coincidence.
Lu Qingyao's trade route runs from north to south, and the method of roasting bamboo fungus that her daughter developed can also be used to roast tea.
The right time and place, everything is available.
It's just lacking an identity.
She knelt and saluted: "Grand Empress Dowager, your conditions are too tempting..."
"Well, do you agree?" The Empress Dowager looked happy.
For a businessman, it would be strange not to be tempted by such a huge temptation.
It is undeniable that this girl is good at making money.
Take Yipinju for example. It was originally Mu Yunji's private property. He ignored it over the years and used all the profits to subsidize military salaries. When it was almost bankrupt, it was revived by Lu Qingyao, and it is still running in full swing now.
It’s a pity that silly boy Aji gave all his share to her, so she only took a little bit.
She is quite good at managing the household and the board of directors.
If it were in the past, she might have agreed to let Lu Qingyao enter the Mu family.
But now, it's impossible.
Seeing her gloomy face, Lu Qingyao just wanted to end the topic quickly and leave as soon as possible.
Her intuition told her that this person was dangerous.
"To the Empress Dowager, I very much want to agree to your terms, but love is a matter between two people. I promise not to bother Lord Mu, but what if he comes to bother me? Will I drive him away? Wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Duke's Mansion? I can also agree to leave the capital, but my parents are old, and I need to come back often to visit them and be filial to them. I don't want to deceive you just to become an imperial merchant."
The Empress Dowager looked very unhappy, and her hands holding the Buddhist beads tightened.
This woman doesn't play by the rules.
Every word makes sense, but is very irritating.
It has been many years since anyone dared to make her angry like this. The last person who made her angry had already turned into a handful of earth.
"So, you're going to go against my wishes?"
Lu Qingyao shook her head: "No, I still want to be an imperial merchant, but I can't agree to your request."
"Lu Qingyao, don't think that just because you raised Princess Mingzhu and are planning to marry Princess Rong'an as your daughter-in-law, you can talk to me like this. The last person who disobeyed me has become fertilizer for the flowers in this yard."
The Empress Dowager felt that Lu Qingyao was provoking her.
Her neither humble nor arrogant, neither lukewarm nor angry attitude and words alone are enough to make people angry.
Lu Qingyao was really speechless.
Originally, she also felt that her situation was not suitable for marrying into the Mu family. The Mu family treated them and their son so well, it was impossible for him to repay kindness with evil and cause the family line to be extinct.
Having learned from her previous experience, she would never compete with other women for the same man again.
So, there is no solution to this problem.
It’s good enough that we are all well now.
"Grand Empress Dowager, I have never thought of this. I wanted to agree to your request, but I can control my own heart, but I cannot control the legs of others. Your Majesty, please take care of your nephew and stop him from coming to my house for free meals. He is taking the children to walk the wolf and fly kites, and he still refuses to leave."
"You...what are you so proud of? Don't think that I dare not touch you." The Empress Dowager slammed the table and stood up suddenly.
He said angrily: "Come here, drag him away..."
Miaomiao was really afraid that the old lady would chop her mother in anger, so she pulled Princess Yuqing and rushed over.
Protecting my mother.
Looking at the Grand Empress Dowager, she said, "My mother never said she wanted to marry godfather. It's godfather's business if she likes me. Mother is not wrong. Why doesn't the Grand Empress Dowager go and persuade godfather instead of bullying the weak here..."
Before Miaomiao could finish her words, she saw the Empress Dowager's chest heaving violently and her face flushed red.
He fell straight down.
"Grand Empress Dowager..."
"Grand Empress Dowager..."
…
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