Chapter 72b: Treating Empress w.a.n.g
Having prepared her needles early on, Luo Qing Luan’s movements were fast. She used the Ghost Hand Nine Needles method to skillfully aim at Empress w.a.n.g’s acupoints. Once she finished this, it’d be time for the medicine she already prepared yesterday. Luo Qing Luan pinched open Empress w.a.n.g’s lower jaw and placed the pill she made yesterday into her mouth. She didn’t use any water and just relied on the other’s saliva to melt the pill slowly, along with her throat swallowing bit by bit.
When Empress w.a.n.g woke up, everything seemed to be the same as before, as if she just fell asleep on the couch. She didn’t sense anything happening.
“Your Highness, everything’s done.” A voice approached.
Empress w.a.n.g heard and blanked out. It’s done so quickly? She didn’t feel anything!
“This is the first treatment. Two more treatments are necessary before your body will recover.” Luo Qing Luan stated, her voice as before, without any undulation. “However, it’s best that Your Highness remains at the General’s Mansion. I’ll provide the treatments tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. After that, you can then return to the palace.”
This sounded so simple. She merely needed to stay at the General’s Mansion for three days. Empress w.a.n.g was overjoyed at the turn of events and didn’t hesitate in the least. She immediately sent someone to return to the imperial palace and provided notification. She indeed found some random excuses to stay at the General’s Mansion for three days.
During these three days, besides receiving treatment, Empress w.a.n.g only stayed with Luo Qing Luan. Luo Cheng was so happy that he was grinning from ear to ear. Besides w.a.n.g Xue Ru, who waited nervously, probably everyone else at the general’s mansion was happy for Luo Qing Luan. Empress w.a.n.g was actually so fond of their young lady. This was indeed an honor that they could share in.
w.a.n.g Xue Ru also tried to go chat with Empress w.a.n.g and exhausted all methods to ingratiate herself with her. But no matter whether she provided an entire table of good food, or said some other nice sounding things, Empress w.a.n.g was indifferent from beginning to end. This caused w.a.n.g Xue Ru to rack her brains yet it was the same as punching cotton. She was so envious that her teeth itched.
On the third day, Luo Qing Shuang, who was already married to Fifth Prince, also returned. Naturally, she wanted to block Luo Qing Luan from continuing to receive Empress w.a.n.g’s favor.
And now, it was about noon time. There was still some time before the last treatment was to begin. Empress w.a.n.g and Luo Qing Luan, w.a.n.g Xue Ru, and Luo Qing Shuang were resting in a pavilion at the general’s mansion’s rear garden. On top of the stone table in the pavilion, fresh fruits and tea were displayed. A few servant girls were waiting by the side. The palace maid Empress w.a.n.g brought were also standing at the side.
“Your Highness’ presence at the general’s mansion during the last few days has truly been a light to our humble dwelling. The weather today is so good, how about I ask a few more people to come so that we can watch an opera, what does Your Highness think? I heard that recently, a famous theatrical troupe has arrived at the capital……”
“There’s no need.”
w.a.n.g Xue Ru’s fawning words hadn’t finished before Empress w.a.n.g already smiled and shook her head in refusal.
The Great Master already told her that she needed to remain especially tranquil during the treatment time. It’s not appropriate to be too sad, nor too happy. Even though she ordinarily enjoyed things like listening to an opera, let’s forget it for now.
Seeing that Empress w.a.n.g didn’t agree, w.a.n.g Xue Ru was unwilling to give up. With the turn of her eyes, she spoke again. “Oh yes, what would you like to eat tonight. The cooks at our general’s mansion are not bad. Even though they can not compare to those at the imperial palace, they’re also pretty good. How about I have the cooks make for Your Highness some fine……”
She hadn’t finished speaking when Empress w.a.n.g shook her head and said indifferently, “There’s really no need. It’ll be fine for me to casually eat something. Moreover, I recently don’t have much of an appet.i.te. There’s no need to go through so much trouble.” Actually, she kept the Great Master’s advice in mind. She recently needed to carefully control her diet, attaching the most importance to light, non greasy foods. She normally didn’t eat much meat and fish to begin with. Now that she needed to take care of her body, she was even more unwilling to eat indiscriminately. Successively snagged on a nail twice, w.a.n.g Xue Ru also felt somewhat awkward. She looked at Luo Qing Shuang, who reacted and immediately said, “It’s so rare for Your Highness to come visit our general’s mansion. How can we not properly receive our guests? If word got out, other people will even think that we don’t respect Your Highness! Younger Sister, Her Highness has basically spent all her time with you during the last two days. Have you told Her Highness something, that’s why she is so constrained?”
w.a.n.g Xue Ru also pretended to complain, “That’s right, Qing Luan, Her Highness has basically been inseparable from you during these last two days. What in the world have you said to Her Highness?”
Having been prepared ahead of time for w.a.n.g Xue Ru to jump out and create problems, Luo Qing Luan already advised Empress w.a.n.g to take note of a few things. She certainly wasn’t looking to dominate the empress’ favor and really just didn’t want trouble. In fact, she was looking forward to finishing up as soon as possible and send away this troublesome huge character.
But in other people’s eyes, Luo Qing Luan truly had Empress w.a.n.g’s ears, so much so that Empress w.a.n.g was getting duped, resulting in a group of jealous, envious and hate filled women who couldn’t jump out soon enough to cut her open.
This kind of covert maneuvering in a fight within the imperial palace was something that Empress w.a.n.g had already seen who knew how many times. It’s just that as empress, she simply didn’t need to care about these things, not to mention the going ons in a little rear garden at the General’s Mansion? She had already heard how Luo Qing Luan was not loved in the general’s mansion. Now that these people, who were already giving her face, were picking faults in her presence, Empress w.a.n.g couldn’t help but sigh on behalf of Luo Qing Luan, this clever and patient young girl.
In the end, her temper was good. Empress w.a.n.g merely said, “Miss Luo is not bad. I like her very much.”
One sentence blocked w.a.n.g Xue Ru and Luo Qing Shuang’s mouths. When they still wanted to continue saying something, Empress w.a.n.g already didn’t want to hear anymore. She pulled Luo Qing Luan and left.
At about three to five o’clock in the afternoon, the last acupuncture treatment was done, medicine was taken. Empress w.a.n.g’s problem had been thoroughly taken care of.
“Your Highness, when was the last time your period came?” Luo Qing Luan asked expressionlessly, playing the role of Master.
“It was about the twenty fifth of last month.” After thinking about it, Empress w.a.n.g answered softly, no matter how embarra.s.sed she felt.
Luo Qing Luan nodded her head and said, “Mm then, Your Highness, please take notice when you return. Please keep His Majesty company a few nights during the next seven or eight days. Perhaps success will come.”