Chapter 1426: Chapter 1404: The Greatest Reward (December Monthly Ticket Bonus 2)
Upon hearing this, Liu Huan could only regretfully take his leave and turned to head home.
Bai Shan pulled Manbao toward Yin Huo’s carriage, but refused Bai Erlang’s company, saying, "San Tou and the others are traveling this path for the first time, you should go and introduce it to them, so they don’t lose their way when they come to find us in the future."
Yin Huo tilted his head, "San Tou?"
Manbao replied, "That’s their nickname."
Bai Erlang glanced among them and said, "I see you all are hiding something from me. If you won’t tell me, then I don’t want to know! Hmph!"
After that, he turned and climbed into his own carriage, going off to have fun with Zhou Lixue and the others.
Bai Shan shook his head and helped Manbao into the carriage.
Once the three were settled inside the carriage, Yin Huo smiled and asked, "Is there something going on?"
Bai Shan looked at Manbao, paused, and then asked, "Nothing much, just heard that things were restless in the palace over the New Year. Manbao is currently responsible for treating the Crown Prince, so we are a bit worried and wanted to ask if you have heard anything special from the capital prefecture."
Yin Huo asked, "Something related to the palace?"
He tilted his head to think, then shook it, "I haven’t heard anything, but I can go home and inquire for you."
He curiously asked Manbao, "Is the Crown Prince’s condition not good?"
Manbao sighed, "He’s doing better now, but he really wasn’t well before. The Eastern Palace doesn’t allow me to discuss their health conditions outside."
Yin Huo then stopped asking, "My father typically doesn’t discuss palace news with the family, nor does he allow us to inquire about it."
Regarding matters in the capital, Yin Li doesn’t restrict them, and sometimes even brings some news home voluntarily, but he doesn’t allow them to inquire about palace matters, and Yin Huo isn’t sure if he can find out.
Bai Shan said, "It’s okay if you don’t find anything, we’re just looking for peace of mind. You know, we have offended people in the palace."
Yin Huo nodded to show his understanding.
Back in Changqing Alley, Manbao felt his pulse and performed a set of acupuncture, she said, "Your health has improved significantly, you can have acupuncture once a month from now on; eat some more meaty soups and move around to strengthen your breath, your body will become healthier."
While it can’t be like a normal person, he should be able to live a few more years without a problem.
Yin Huo could feel his body was much better than before, at least way lighter now, and not gasping for breath after walking a distance.
Most importantly, his habit of crying had improved quite a bit.
Though he still got red-eyed when emotional, tears weren’t as easy to fall now.
Yin Huo got dressed and couldn’t help but look towards Xiang Mingxue’s room, Bai Shan saw this and said, "Don’t look, Brother Xiang has recently been obsessed with reading at the bookshop and usually doesn’t come back until the shop is about to close and the sky darkens."
"Plus, he either takes the carriage or insists on walking back by himself, and it’s always dark when he returns."
Yin Huo asked, "How is Young Master Xiang’s foot now?"
Manbao: "The tendon is moving now, and he is in rehabilitation. I’ve started acupuncture-assisted therapy these days, and in twenty to thirty days, he should be able to stand and walk."
Perhaps because of his youth and strong willpower, Xiang Mingxue’s recovery was going well, at least Manbao thought that in time, even if he couldn’t run, he should be able to walk like a normal person.
Yin Huo muttered, "This is a miracle..."
He turned his head to look at Manbao and said, "I’m also a miracle, so you are that miracle; there should also be a miracle with the Crown Prince, right?"
Bai Shan asked, "Is a miracle already needed with the Crown Prince?"
Yin Huo said, "He has been married for years without an heir. Although the Imperial Hospital has never explicitly said it, everyone thinks that if there were any hope, the Crown Prince wouldn’t let rumors spread freely outside, indicating that it’s truly incurable."
Bai Shan mumbled, "No wonder the Crown Prince is under so much pressure."
This was the whole world thinking he was incompetent.
Manbao also felt a bit sympathetic towards the Crown Prince, and the next day when she entered the palace to perform acupuncture, she was a bit gentler towards him and even gave him a smile.
The Crown Prince silently glanced at her. That day, during acupuncture, he did not fall asleep, and when Manbao had removed the needles and went out to wash them, he turned to the Crown Princess, "Is she asking me for a reward?"
The Crown Princess said, "Your Highness, you might be overthinking it?"
The Crown Prince snorted and said, "I haven’t rewarded her for several days; she must have complaints."
The Crown Princess suggested, "Then, perhaps reward a little?"
"No reward!" The Crown Prince said coldly, "If things succeed, I will naturally let her continue the treatment in the future; then I can reward her with gold and silver houses. There’s no need to rush this moment; if things don’t work out, not rewarding her today would be the best reward."
The Crown Princess couldn’t help but give a quiet counsel, "Your Highness, she said, let’s wait two more months..."
The Crown Prince suddenly rose from the chaise longue, casting a sharp glance at her, speaking in a deep voice, "If that stone hadn’t been found, two months later, I would have become nothing but bones. Since last year, his methods have become increasingly sinister, and the Emperor has indulged him again and again, and now he directly wants my life. What, haven’t you had enough?"
The Crown Princess grasped his sleeve and whispered, "Think of the Empress Mother."
The Crown Prince fell silent, after a long time, he said, "I have thought, and precisely because I have, I have endured again and again. When he harmed the child in Ms. Liu’s womb, I only severed his arm at most, perhaps hit him once, did I harm him? Did I harm him?"
The Crown Prince had just finished his acupuncture and his body was still in a peaceful state, so even though he was angry, it seemed rather soft and lacked much rage.
He said, "It’s just that now, I don’t want to endure anymore."
He sneered, "They all want me dead, I will not die!"
"Someone has petitioned to dethrone the Crown Prince, the Emperor has always thrown the petitions back, defending you in many ways, he doesn’t want it."
"Then he shouldn’t keep Third in the capital, nor should he favor him so much." The Crown Prince knew these grievances couldn’t be spoken aloud, so he lowered his voice and said, "Has he forgotten about Fifth Uncle? How the Empress Dowager treated Fifth Uncle, and how he treated Fifth Uncle? How long has it been since Fifth Uncle’s remains were buried?"
Seeing this, the Crown Princess knew today wasn’t a good time for counsel, and silently withdrew her words.
The Crown Prince waved his hand irritably, "Have her leave quickly; you also go out, I want to lie down alone."
The Crown Princess rose and left.
Manbao boiled the needles again, then took them out and dried them with a clean cloth before putting them back in the needle bag. She saw the Crown Princess approaching and lifted her head to smile at her.
The Crown Princess smiled and said, "Doctor Zhou Junior, let me have someone escort you out of the palace."
Manbao agreed, packed her things, and then followed the palace attendants to leave.
Yet she hadn’t left the Eastern Palace when she encountered an acquaintance.
Lord Tang, in full official attire, stood not far from the entrance to the Eastern Palace. Eunuch Wu bowed slightly with his men, then turned, immediately facing Manbao.
He immediately smiled and came forward, "Doctor Zhou Junior, leaving the palace?"
Manbao nodded, looked past Eunuch Wu to see Lord Tang smiling and nodding at her before turning to leave, so she said to Eunuch Wu, "It’s getting late, I’ll head out of the palace now."