Sheng Jinyu didn't know why, but just thinking about the little girl sneaking around to find him today and spouting those strange words to get close to him made him find it rather amusing. She was like a little kitten craving food, drooling over a dried fish...
No, that wasn't right. He wasn't any dried fish.
Sheng Jinyu tightened his lips. She was just an insolent little thing. Usually so haughty, the only person in her eyes was Fu Rongxuan, that hypocritical and good - looking man. But today, he had no idea why she'd taken the initiative to seek him out.
Could it be that she'd grown tired of Fu Rongxuan and had other ideas?
For some reason, although he thought he should loathe that spoiled girl, now that he'd detected her possible feelings, he didn't feel disgusted at all. Instead, there was a faint sense of elation?
This couldn't be. His elation could only be because of his old friend's return to the capital and their rare reunion.
Lu Wanning had no idea what Sheng Jinyu thought of her. As soon as she got home, she pestered the princess to go to the palace and invite the imperial physician to examine her injury. She complained that her head was throbbing painfully and kept insisting that the doctor from the Duke He's Mansion must be a quack.
The princess doted on her daughter. How could she refuse? Immediately, she ordered someone to go to the palace with her token.
Lu Wanning grabbed the princess's hand. "Mother, I want the imperial physician beside the Empress Dowager. I won't see any other imperial physicians. I only want the one beside the Empress Dowager."
The princess gave her daughter a reproachful look. "The Empress Dowager isn't feeling well. Why bother her?"
The current Empress was the princess's younger sister. For something as trivial as inviting an imperial physician, all they had to do was say a word to the people in the Empress's palace. There was no need to make such a big deal and trouble the Empress Dowager.
But Lu Wanning stared at her mother pleadingly and refused to back down. "No, I want the imperial physician beside the Empress Dowager. I really do!"
The princess had no choice but to send someone to invite the imperial physician.
The imperial physician arrived quickly. He reached the mansion in the late afternoon. Along with him came Granny Gui, who served beside the Empress Dowager.
"The Empress Dowager heard that the county princess was seriously injured and was very worried. She ordered this servant to come and make sure that the county princess is fine before she can rest easy."
The princess felt guilty. "Thank you for the Empress Dowager's concern. Actually, it's not a big deal. The doctor from the Duke He's Mansion has examined her, and it's just a minor injury. This child is so disobedient and insisted on troubling the Empress Dowager."
Lu Wanning had spent half of each year in the palace before she came of age. Granny Gui had watched her grow up. How could she think the county princess was disobedient? She took a careful look and was relieved to see that the county princess was in good spirits.
But Lu Wanning grabbed Granny Gui's hand and murmured, "Granny Gui, I haven't been to the palace to visit the Empress Dowager recently. I wonder how she is. Have you taken good care of the Empress Dowager? Does she sleep well and eat well?"
Granny Gui's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. She answered "yes" several times in a row and coaxed Lu Wanning to get her injury examined like she was a little child.
The imperial physician carefully examined the wound on Lu Wanning's forehead, but his expression grew more and more solemn, which made the princess extremely nervous.
"Imperial physician, is there something wrong with my daughter's injury?"
The imperial physician shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with the county princess's injury. But who prescribed this medicine and who applied it on her?"
Lady Wei quickly fetched the prescription from the doctor of the Duke He's Mansion and handed it to the imperial physician. "The doctor prescribed the ointment, and he taught me how to apply it. I applied it on the county princess myself."
The imperial physician stroked his long beard and carefully examined it. "There's nothing wrong with this ointment for the time being, but it's not a medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. If used in summer, it can help the wound heal faster. But if used in winter, although the wound may heal quickly, there's a risk of leaving a scar. Moreover, this prescription conflicts with the ointment. If this ointment is applied along with this prescription, not only will the injury not heal quickly, but the scar will also become more serious."
The princess's expression grew solemn. She had never suspected anything because the Duke He's Mansion was her natal family. But after hearing this, she felt a chill run down her spine. Having grown up in a high - ranking family, she knew how terrifying the secrets in the inner courtyard could be. Involuntarily, she looked up at her daughter. Did Ning'er sense something and act so willfully today?
Lu Wanning exclaimed, "Mother, Sister - in - law, I told you that the doctor is a quack. Humph, you just didn't believe me."
The princess looked at Ning'er helplessly. This child had been innocent since childhood. How could she have such a meticulous mind?
The imperial physician was a smooth - talking man. Seeing this, he quickly added, "But an ordinary doctor may not know that these two medicines are incompatible. It's possible for them to make a momentary oversight. Your Highness, don't worry. Let me prescribe new medicine, and in just a few days, the county princess's forehead will return to normal."
After the imperial physician had prescribed the medicine, Lu Wanning pulled him and asked about the Empress Dowager's condition. She also instructed Granny Gui, "In a few days, when my father comes back, I'll go to the palace with him to visit the Empress Dowager. Granny, when you go back, take good care of the Empress Dowager. Don't let her worry about other things. We're all fine."
Granny Gui's eyes flickered. She knew that Lu Wanning meant that today's incident was just a small matter and there was no need to tell the Empress Dowager.
As soon as the princess left the room with the others, Lu Wanning quickly got up and rummaged around the room.
Jiyue walked in with a medicine bowl in her hand and asked curiously, "What are you looking for, Your Highness? Please come and drink your medicine quickly. Let this servant look for it for you."
Lu Wanning scratched her head and thought for a while. "I remember I had a jade flute made of Hetian jade. It warms up when you touch it, and the sound is excellent. Where is that jade flute?"
Jiyue thought for a moment, went to the small storeroom at the back, took out the box containing the jade flute, wiped it clean, and then brought it to Lu Wanning. "Why do you suddenly think of this jade flute, Your Highness? This servant still remembers that this jade flute was sent by the young master of the He family when he returned to the capital a few days ago."
Lu Wanning didn't remember anything about the young master of the He family. She only knew that this jade flute was extraordinary. Later, during her wedding, Fu Rongxuan took a fancy to it, and she gave it to him. Then it was passed into Shi Aohan's hands. Shi Aohan played a tune on this jade flute in public and was even hailed as a talented woman in the capital. This jade flute even became a symbol of the lingering affection between Shi Aohan and Fu Rongxuan.
Why should she give her precious flute to that scumbag and that slut? It would be better to give it to the new powerful person she wanted to befriend. Hehe!
Jiyue looked at the flute curiously. Her mistress couldn't play the flute. What was she going to do with it?
Lu Wanning thought for a moment and waved Jiyue over. "Jiyue, I have something for you to arrange. Send someone to follow Shi Aohan and Fu Rongxuan."
Jiyue hesitated for a moment. She knew everything that had happened today. It was understandable that the county princess was not willing to let things go like this. But why follow the heir of the Fu family? Wouldn't it be enough to deal with Shi Aohan? In Jiyue's opinion, the county princess didn't need to care about these things at all. With Shi Aohan's status, how could she pose a threat to the county princess? Even if she married the heir of the Fu family, Shi Aohan could only be a concubine.
"Follow them? But... should we tell the princess?"
Lu Wanning shook her head. "Don't tell my mother. If my sister - in - law finds out, there's no need to avoid her."
Jiyue didn't understand, but she just assumed that the county princess was not willing to let things go. She nodded obediently and went to make the arrangements.