Tit for Tat
Changsun Chenqian received Su Musong's letter and set out from Tangquan Mountain overnight and rushed to the Duke of Anguo's Mansion. However, Su Musong had already sent Xiao Luochen back to the Prime Minister's Mansion at his request.
Changsun Chenqian was not unfamiliar with Xiao Luochen. He had heard Su Musong talk about Xiao Luochen's cold disease when he was in Wanhua Castle before, and he had promised to treat him if he had the chance. Now that he had already arrived in Yongjing City, there was of course no reason to refuse.
So the next day, Su Musong took Changsun Chenqian to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Xiao Luochen had heard Su Musong talk about Changsun Chenqian. Although he could guess from the stunning appearance of Lady Anguo that Su Musong's cousin must be good-looking, Xiao Luochen was still secretly surprised when he saw Changsun Chenqian. This girl was only fourteen or fifteen years old, but she was extremely beautiful. She was wearing a cool and elegant plain dress and jacket, which made her look even more extraordinary and otherworldly, as if she was not tainted by the dust of the world.
Chang Sun Chen took Xiao Luochen's pulse, palpated the wound, checked the prescription written by the doctor invited from the Prime Minister's Mansion, gave him another acupuncture, changed the bandage method for the injured leg, and gave him pills to strengthen his tendons and bones. Only then was the matter over.
Su Musong knew Changsun Chenqian's temper, so he didn't dare to ask any more questions during her diagnosis. But when she stopped, he couldn't wait any longer.
"How is it? How long will it take for Luo Chen to recover?"
"Forty-five days."
"So long?"
Chang Sunchen gave Su Musong a look.
"Do you think this is just a scratch? If someone else were to treat it, it might not heal in half a year. If you don't trust me, find another doctor."
Seeing that Changsun Chenqian was angry, Su Musong quickly smiled and flattered her in a flattering tone.
"You are a disciple of the Divine Doctor Valley. How can those quack doctors compare to you? If I don't trust you, who will I trust?"
"The medical skills of my Divine Doctor Valley are naturally unrivaled in the world."
"So how should we treat it next?"
"Rest in bed and take the bone-reinforcing pills I gave you every day. I'll come over every other day to give you an acupuncture treatment."
Xiao Luochen felt a little guilty when he heard that Changsun Chenqian said that he would give her an acupuncture treatment every other day.
"Miss Changsun, it's hard for you to travel back and forth. Why don't you stay in the Prime Minister's residence for a while? That way you can avoid the hassle of traveling."
Before Changsun Chenqian could speak, Su Musong spoke first.
"No need. I will accompany her with my carriage and horses. She won't be tired at all. It's my horse that's running around."
"Mu Song is right. With carriages and horses to pick me up, it won't be a big deal for me. Besides, I'm visiting my aunt's house. If I stay at the Prime Minister's Mansion, it won't be cheap."
"In this case, I'm sorry to trouble Miss Changsun."
"Brother Luo Chen, you don't have to be polite. I feel like we get along well when I see you. Besides, you are Mu Song's friend, so there is no need for us to say thank you."
Although Changsun Chenqian looks like a banished immortal, he is actually warm, calm and easy to get along with, which is beyond Xiao Luochen's expectations.
Under the care of Changsun Chenqian, although Xiao Luochen was bedridden for more than a month, he finally made it to the year-end festival.
The year-end ceremony was dedicated to the gods of Heaven and Earth. The emperor, his officials, and all participants were required to fast and bathe for three days as a sign of respect. On the day of the ceremony, scholars read the sacrificial text, and a distinguished figure was chosen to lead the recitation. This time, Wang Zheng was the one leading the recitation.
After the cannons blared, the emperor slowly ascended the steps to the altar amidst the chorus of ritual music. A northerly wind blew, chilling the bones. The frail officials beneath the altar involuntarily shrank back. The Minister of Rites, in charge of the ceremony, was sweating profusely, his heart shivering. The emperor was about to ascend the altar, but the person to lead the eulogy was nowhere to be seen.
Missing the ceremony was a grave sin, but if he were to change the person now, firstly, he wouldn't be able to find a suitable leader, and secondly, wouldn't such a last-minute substitution tell everyone that Wang Zheng wasn't there? He couldn't afford to offend the Grand Tutor, so the Minister of Rites could only pray silently that Wang Zheng would arrive in time.
The scholars were already in their seats, but there was no one leading the recitation. The Minister of Rites felt something was wrong and asked the Vice Minister in a low voice:
"Why isn't the scholar who led the recitation here?"
"Your Excellency, he...he was not present."
"Then why don't you arrange for someone to take your place?"
"But he is the grandson of the Grand Tutor..."
"Stupid! Missing the ceremony is a serious crime! Hurry and find a replacement. If the emperor investigates, just say Wang Zheng had a sudden emergency. He is the grandson of the Grand Tutor. The emperor won't investigate further for the Grand Tutor's sake."
The Minister of Rites was enlightened as if by a sudden change of heart, and he quickly found the chief priest of Zixue, who then chose Xiao Luochen to replace Wang Zheng.
Although Xiao Luochen was surprised, he didn't think much about it. He glanced at Su Musong, who seemed to know everything. This made Xiao Luochen curious whether Wang Zheng's absence was related to him.
The emperor ascended the altar and looked down. He saw that the person leading the recitation was not Wang Zheng, who had presented the memorial earlier, but Xiao Luochen. He couldn't help but feel puzzled. Prime Minister Xiao's youngest son was a renowned prodigy, and the emperor naturally knew him. Having Xiao Luochen lead the recitation was perfectly acceptable, but it was a temporary change, and there was something fishy about it. He would have to investigate after the ceremony.
It was thanks to Xiao Luochen's accustomedness to large occasions that he was able to calmly and measuredly lead hundreds of scholars in reciting this long and difficult eulogy in such a solemn and dignified occasion.
As the sun rose to the zenith, this grand and elaborate ceremony finally came to an end.
The Grand Tutor, filled with worry and suspicion, finally had the opportunity to ask about his grandson, who was supposed to lead the recitation but never showed up. He had certainly noticed Wang Zheng's absence, but due to his high position and the scrutiny of everyone, he had never found the right opportunity to ask.
The Minister of Rites answered truthfully, and the Grand Tutor suddenly felt something was wrong. Although his grandson was arrogant and domineering, he still knew the importance of things and would never miss the ceremony without reason. Was there any accident?
The emperor stepped down from the altar and prepared to return to the palace. The commander of the imperial guards who was in charge of guarding the ceremony brought a man up.
The man reeked of alcohol, his clothes were disheveled, and there was a woman's rouge on his lapel. He was lying on the ground, soundly asleep. It was obvious that he had been hanging out in a brothel.
When the Grand Tutor who was accompanying the Emperor saw this man, he was shocked. It turned out to be his grandson Wang Zheng who had been missing for half a day!
Why did the scholar leading the recitation suddenly change? The emperor didn't need to ask again, as he had the answer.
Many of the civil and military officials present knew Wang Zheng. At this moment, they all nodded and lowered their brows, but they were all wondering in their hearts what the emperor would do.
"Return to the palace."
The emperor showed no sign of anger and gave the order in a very calm tone, which made it even more difficult for the ministers to guess what he was thinking.
The imperial guards still detained Wang Zheng and escorted the emperor back to the palace.
A small official from the Ministry of Revenue was transferred from the local area to the capital not long ago. Although he did not recognize all the powerful people in the capital, he did recognize Wang Zheng. Seeing this, he was quite puzzled and could not help but talk to his colleagues.
"The commander of the Imperial Guards is a rough and tumble warrior, and he has no manners. He brought someone before the Emperor in public, leaving no room for maneuver. Having offended the Grand Tutor, I'm sure he'll have a rough life in the future."
The fellow travelers could not help but sneer at the young official's self-proclaimed wise words.
"Do you know who brought the prince up here?"
"Who is it?"
"The third son of Prime Minister Xiao's family."
The official suddenly realized what was going on and kept saying, "No wonder, no wonder."
Half a day later, news came out that Wang Zheng was sentenced to exile to the northern border for desecrating the sacrificial ceremony.
At that time, Xiao Luochen and Su Musong were tasting food in Wangjinglou. When they heard the news, they reacted quite calmly. Xiao Luochen was at ease and didn't care much about Wang Zheng's fate. Su Musong was confident, as if he had known this result.
"Mu Song, you don't seem surprised at all about Wang Zheng's disappearance and subsequent appearance at the festival in that state? Do you know something about this?"
Su Musong's attitude at the ceremony made Xiao Luochen suspicious, so he asked about it at this moment.
"I asked Chen Yan and Chen Qian to send Wang Zheng over."
Su Musong only said this, and Xiao Luochen understood that the commander of the imperial guards was his third brother, and Wang Zheng would definitely be brought before the emperor at an appropriate time, and in a form that no one could plead for him and exonerate him.
Su Musong did use some tricks in the matter of Wang Zheng. He suddenly felt a little scared, afraid that he would become a villain full of conspiracy and intrigue in Xiao Luochen's mind.
"Luo Chen, I didn't frame Wang Zheng. He was the one who didn't behave properly. He went out to have fun the night before the festival, and I caught him."
Xiao Luochen looked at Su Musong's aggrieved and anxious face and couldn't help but feel funny.
"Mu Song, there's no need to say more. I know you're a man of integrity and wouldn't resort to such tricks." After saying that, he took a piece of black rice cake and said, "This is delicious and suits your taste. Come and try it."
Su Musong took a bite with Xiao Luochen's chopsticks. The black rice cake was indeed delicious, even better than the one that the delicate little baby fed him on that snowy morning that year.
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