Chapter 35 Entering the Palace
The two sat together in the carriage. Xu Wangzhi tugged at her loose dress. Compared to the way she had confidently approached Zhu Yuhuan to ask for the clinic, she was a little more shy. She asked sheepishly, "Where did you find this dress? It fits perfectly."
Xu Wangzhi had previously agreed to Zhu Yuhuan to "dress as a woman", and originally thought that she could just wear any clothes, but she didn't expect that Zhu Yuhuan had already prepared a green dress and a blue skirt with simple patterns, but it was clear at a glance that these clothes were not something that ordinary people could wear, which showed that Zhu Yuhuan was indeed from a wealthy family.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "I asked the servants at Mr. Zhang's house, and the Duke of Ying said she planned to make some new clothes for you, so I asked for the measurements."
Xu Wangzhi was confused and asked doubtfully, "How did you know?"
"Madam is in charge of all matters in the mansion, big and small. Naturally, she is very familiar with the food, clothing, housing and transportation of a guest like you." Zhu Yuhuan fiddled with the folding fan in his hand and said with a smile, "You are not surprised that I am a woman."
Xu Wangzhi's face lit up with pride as he smiled and said, "Of course. I'm a doctor. I can tell whether you're a man or a woman at a glance. You're nothing like those silly boys like Shi Jing." She asked curiously, "Is Shuntian's culture more unrestrained? Your family actually lets you go out as you please."
Zhu Yuhuan shook his head and said with a smile: "That's not the case, it's just that I'm different from others."
Xu Wangzhi pondered for a moment and quickly understood. He said, "I see. Since your family is either wealthy or noble, and you can even help the Empress run the charity hall, could it be that you are Princess Shunde's study partner? I heard that the princess would summon the ministers' daughters to the palace to study with her..."
Seeing her so certain, Zhu Yuhuan didn't explain, but asked curiously, "You're just talking about me. I actually want to ask you, Madam Lu has something bestowed by His Majesty at home, and she has medical skills, which seem to be passed down from generation to generation. Why did you run away from home?"
Hearing her ask this, Xu Wangzhi sighed and said, "A few years ago, when my grandmother was still alive, I wanted to compile her medical experience into a book, but my uncle and aunt disagreed. They said there was no precedent for a woman publishing a book, and it would cause criticism if it were spread. Besides, this medical skill belongs to the Xu family and cannot be easily passed on. If others learn it, the Xu family clinic will not be able to operate." At this point, she curled her lips and said, "My father is gone, and my mother can't say anything. Anyway, I have an older brother at home, so I ran away on my own."
Zhu Yuhuan exclaimed, "Can Jiangnan now move around freely?"
"Taxes in Jiangnan were extremely heavy, and some farmers would secretly flee. I escaped with them." Speaking of this, Xu Wangzhi felt a little emotional. "At the time, I heard that the Empress Dowager and the Empress, under the orders of the late Emperor, sold off their inventory, wove cloth and made clothes to raise money for disaster relief. All the prefectures followed suit, and these people escaped death and were able to settle down again. I took this opportunity to practice medicine in Dantu. Thanks to the Empress Dowager and the Empress..."
Zhu Yuhuan lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, "Dantu and Wuxi aren't that far apart."
"Not that far?" Xu Wangzhi's eyes widened. "If you could just walk over there, you'd know how amazing it is."
Zhu Yuhuan burst out laughing, then he remembered that with the level of transportation in ancient times, it would take several days to travel back and forth between Wuxi and Dantu, which were not far apart on the map. It was especially difficult for the common people who had no means of transportation.
Zhu Yuhuan said a little embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, I haven't been away from home for a long time. It's only in the past two years that I've been out and about."
Xu Wangzhi didn't expect her to apologize. He was stunned for a moment, then said politely, "This is also the first time I've been so far away from home. If I hadn't come to Dantu, I wouldn't have known that the world is so vast, and there are so many diseases that I've never heard of or seen... Ignorance is not a crime, so you don't have to say that..."
She originally thought that these wealthy and powerful people were all arrogant, but after several conversations with Zhu Yuhuan, she clearly told her that Zhu Yuhuan was different from others.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and reminded: "You don't know how long you will stay in Shuntian, don't forget to write a letter to your family, otherwise they will worry about you."
"I left a letter at home before I left. I stopped contacting them because I was afraid they would find out and take me back to Wuxi." Xu Wangzhi raised his hand and touched his cheek, then smiled. "But now I'm stable in the Duke of Ying's mansion. I can also practice medicine at the charity center and carry on my grandmother's medical skills. I'm sure my mother and brother won't blame me. I've sent them a letter. I should get a reply in two or three months."
Seeing this, Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "By the time they reply, your clinic should be established. Why not let them come to Beijing together to run the clinic? This way, your family won't be separated."
Xu Wangzhi hadn't expected her to be so thoughtful and thorough. He was a little surprised, yet also a little moved. He promised with a solemn oath, "Don't worry, even if you don't help me build a clinic, I will definitely help you cure your grandmother's headache!"
Seeing her so confident, Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't worry, even if grandma doesn't say anything, I will help you build a clinic. The people who come to the charity clinic for treatment have praised you highly, and I can't bear to let such a good doctor like you go back to the south like this."
The word "good doctor" made Xu Wangzhi happier than anything else. She sat up straight and asked, "Where is your family? The Duke of Ying's mansion is already a luxurious place in the capital. Can your family be more powerful than the Duke of Ying's?"
Zhu Yuhuan calculated the time himself and heard that there was no more noise outside. Then he said to Xu Wangzhi, "Pull open the curtain and take a look."
Xu Wangzhi noticed a sly look on her face, exclaimed, reached out to lift the curtain and peek outside. He was stunned and quickly retracted his head. While stroking his chest, he asked with lingering fear: "Where are we? There are so many soldiers outside..." After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized something and said, "That's not right. Are you from the royal family? Is this the prince's palace? No wonder the young master of the Duke of Ying is so respectful to you."
Zhu Yuhuan chuckled and shook his head.
Xu Wangzhi stared at Zhu Yuhuan for a long time, and finally asked, "Are you going to sell me out?" She suddenly realized that Huai En, who used to be with Zhu Yuhuan, was gone, and the expression on her face became even more frightened.
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but admire her imagination and explained, "We are going to enter the palace."
Xu Wangzhi was stunned for a long time when he heard the word "enter the palace". Finally, he understood and stammered, "You...you are the Princess Shunde that Shi Jing and the others were talking about? Didn't you say your last name was Zhang?"
"I just said it casually. You should keep a low profile when you go out." Zhu Yuhuan was even more puzzled by her expression and asked, "What's wrong? Is my reputation really bad?"
It's okay that she has a bad reputation with Third Sister, but are there rumors about her outside? But how could she not know...
Xu Wangzhi took her hands, his face full of longing, and said, "So, your grandmother is the Empress Dowager?"
Zhu Yuhuan had a vague sense of foreboding in his heart, but he nodded and said, "Yes."
Xu Wangzhi's eyes lit up as he spoke, "When my grandmother was still alive, she would talk about the affairs of the palace and she would say that she admired Empress Renxiao and the Empress Dowager, who was then the Crown Princess, the most. She said that the Empress Dowager's words and actions were all very thoughtful and she was truly an outstanding woman! My grandmother lived a long life and met many people, but these two were the only women who could be called outstanding..."
Zhu Yuhuan felt relieved when she saw how much she admired Empress Dowager Zhang. Otherwise, she would have been afraid that Xu Wangzhi would be too fierce.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "Don't act rashly when you see grandma later. Save those compliments for after the consultation."
Xu Wangzhi nodded repeatedly and said, "Don't worry, I will never get into trouble!"
Seeing her so serious, Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but ask, "Why were you surprised when you mentioned 'Princess Shunde' just now?"
"I've heard from some people at the Heshan Hall in Beijing that Princess Shunde is quite favored by the Empress Dowager, and her food, clothing, and other expenses are no different from those of the princes." Xu Wangzhi smiled awkwardly and said, "I thought she was a delicate young lady, but I didn't expect her to be so far away and so close to me."
Zhu Yuhuan was born beautiful, with a pair of bright and lively eyes, but the word "delicate" was rarely associated with her. This was probably because she had an easy-going personality and always had a smiling face, which was quite different from the traditional girl.
Zhu Yuhuan shook his head helplessly. He had hoped to hear some good things about himself, but in the end it was still linked to favoritism.
Sometimes I really want to punch the earth to pieces...
She changed the subject and said, "I'm afraid I'll have to stay in the palace for a while this time. At least I need to get some results first."
Xu Wangzhi agreed readily, saying, "Don't worry. My grandmother, in her later years, researched many prescriptions, personally tested the medicines, and annotated their effects. I've memorized every word. When the time comes, I'll combine it with the Empress Dowager's pulse history and I'm sure I can calm her headache."
Her confident look was particularly adorable. Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but smile slightly, then whispered in Xu Wangzhi's ear: "After grandma's headache gets better, I would like to ask you to go to my mother and the virtuous concubine's palace to see how they are doing."
Finally, a truly reliable doctor entered the palace, and she was a woman who was more capable. Zhu Yuhuan naturally wanted to seek benefits for his family and give them a comprehensive physical examination.
Xu Wangzhi pondered for a moment, then leaned over to Zhu Yuhuan's ear and asked cautiously, "Is there a lot of open and covert fighting in the palace? I heard from Shi Jing that the Imperial Concubine is extremely popular and is the most favored concubine. His Majesty is planning to depose the Empress for her."
Seeing her speak so frankly, Zhu Yuhuan did not hide it and said, "That's what I meant."
After finishing his gossip, Xu Wangzhi sighed, a hint of disappointment on his face, but he quickly concealed it and whispered to Zhu Yuhuan, "Everyone says that Your Majesty is wise and powerful, but I didn't expect that even the innocent Empress would be deposed. To help Your Majesty, the Empress opened a charity and provided disaster relief. This is too heartless..."
When Zhu Yuhuan heard her reaction, he already had an idea in his mind.
Xu Wangzhi's idea was the standard answer in her mind. She was not a follower of heaven, but she also understood Hu Shanxiang's reputation, not to mention the people in the capital.
Xu Wangzhi suddenly realized something after he finished speaking. He looked at Zhu Yuhuan in disbelief and asked in a low voice, "What are you going to do?"
Zhu Yuhuan laughed and said, "You have said that His Majesty is wise and powerful, so how could he depose the Empress?"
Xu Wangzhi suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is..."
Seeing her cautious look, Zhu Yuhuan joked, "How does Shi Jing know everything? He's not going to gossip with you guys as soon as he gets to the charity hall, is he?"
"Gossip?" Xu Wangzhi was a little confused at first, but when Zhu Yuhuan explained it as "idle talk," he finally understood and said, "It's those little brothers around him who are talking. After all, His Majesty is much more tolerant than Emperor Taizong and the late Emperor. People like to chat about this even when they have nothing else to do."
Zhu Yuhuan felt relieved after hearing this and said with a smile, "Don't be nervous when you get to see grandma later. I'm here, just focus on seeing the patient."
Seeing her so calm, Xu Wangzhi felt inexplicably relieved.
Apart from anything else, Zhu Yuhuan's influence on the people around him is invisible, especially his friendliness, which is somewhat like "sneaking into the night with the wind, moistening things silently."
In any case, meeting the empress dowager was not a trivial matter. Xu Wangzhi was inevitably a little nervous at the beginning. Fortunately, Zhu Yuhuan was right next to him, making jokes from time to time, and he felt as relaxed as he did outside the palace.
Empress Dowager Zhang had known Old Madam Lu when she was in Yingtian. Now that she saw her granddaughter, she actually felt a little nostalgic for the past. After Xu Wangzhi took her pulse and prescribed medicine, she started chatting with him.
"Your grandmother's medical skills were praised by Empress Renxiao herself, and she even gave instructions to the imperial physicians." Empress Dowager Zhang spoke with a hint of regret, saying, "What a pity for your grandmother. If she were still alive, she would be brought into the palace to be raised there. It would be a wonderful story for you two, grandmother and granddaughter, to live together in the palace."
Xu Wangzhi couldn't help but reveal a hint of sadness when he thought of his grandmother. He then said, "Grandmother was born in turbulent times, but she was fortunate enough to see Taizu's northern expedition and unification of the country. This was already a great blessing. Moreover, Grandmother lived to be over ninety years old, and her uncles inherited her medical skills. She was already very satisfied before she passed away..."
Empress Dowager Zhang looked at her with admiration and said, "You are a filial and good child..."
Zhu Yuhuan took the opportunity to say, "Grandma, why are you only praising Wang Zhi? Huanhuan found him—"
Empress Dowager Zhang was amused by her and scolded her, "You, you are the first to take credit for yourself."
Zhu Yuhuan chuckled and said, "Who told Huanhuan to be thick-skinned since childhood?"
Empress Dowager Zhang knew that Zhu Yuhuan was asking for a reward. She thought for a moment and said to Zhu Yuhuan, "You love to go out of the palace on weekdays. If you have nothing to do, take Wang Zhiduo to the Imperial Hospital. The doctors in the Imperial Hospital see too few patients. You should let Wang Zhiduo teach them."
Xu Wangzhi hurriedly said: "Wangzhi is still young, how dare you show off your skills in front of an expert..."
Empress Dowager Zhang said with a smile, "Not all of these imperial physicians know all the medical skills. Just go ahead and have a good exchange."
Zhu Yuhuan understood the implication of Empress Dowager Zhang and took the initiative to agree.
Empress Dowager Zhang simply hoped that Xu Wangzhi could select a few useful imperial physicians, and then train the candidates on this reliable list. After all, her grandmother had personal experience of being cheated by imperial physicians.
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