Chapter 6: Within the Palace Walls (II)
Young master, you have returned. Little Yang stepped forward and performed a bow
Hmph. This point, I naturally understand better than anyone else. Lu Manjun glanced at her and said, "Let us not mention Lin Wenjing for now. Rather, you..."
Lu Tong's lively eyes were filled with helplessness. She looked at Jiang Kang with affection and sighed, "My prince, if you were to know, wouldn't you rush to the teaching hall to observe? With your condition, how can you be so reckless? If anything were to happen, I fear the empress would blame me terribly."
In the inner chamber, a mature and beautiful woman was wiping the sweat off the man lying on the bed. Upon seeing Lu Tong enter, her expression turned cold. She cast an unhappy glance at Lu Tong and scolded, "I told you to keep an eye on him. As a result, Kang'er still caught a chill. A Tong, are you dead? If anything happens to Kang'er, can you bear the responsibility?"
Lu Tong shook her head and said, "Lu Tong does not know. However, the palace is heavily guarded, and there are many attendants around His Highness the Crown Prince. I believe that even if Lin Wenjing deliberately tries to approach the Crown Prince, he would not be able to harm him."
"Miss Su, please rise." Jiang Kang extended his hand to help Su Wan up, surprised as he asked, "How did Miss Su end up here?" While asking, he turned to Lin Wenqing, hoping to get an answer from her.
"Xiao Yang, I just accidentally got lost. Fortunately, I encountered His Highness the Crown Prince, which allowed me to return safely," Lin Wenqing interjected.
"I have met His Highness the Crown Prince, Young Master Lin." The young woman performed a graceful bow and introduced herself. It was only then that Lu Tong suddenly recalled that this was indeed Su Wan, the "Nine Mystical Fairy" who had recently become famous in Yu City and had also performed at the Qitian Hall a few days ago
"No need for formalities." Jiang Kang chuckled and turned to Lin Wenqing, saying, "It seems that Xiao Yang has quite a bit of research on phonetics, to the extent that he can replace Wen Jing to guide the rehearsal."
As the last drop of medicinal liquid fell into the bowl, the woman placed the bowl onto the tray beside her. She lifted the tray and walked towards the inner hall, her steps hurried yet orderly, and the tray in her hands remained steady without a tremor
"Alright, alright. I will do as you say." Jiang Kangle responded with a chuckle, quickly walking over to Lin Wenqing, taking her hand and saying, "Young Master Lin, let us go."
Lin Wenqing took the teacup, nodded, and replied repeatedly: "Of course. Of course."
After some pleasantries, everyone finally shifted their attention to the song and dance performance. Jiang Kang showed a clear interest in the performance; he was more enthusiastic than Lin Wenqing, the main person in charge, in offering his opinions on the music and dance movements. As the event progressed, Lin Wenqing realized that he could remain silent and let Jiang Kang and Su Wan fully express themselves.
After sitting down with a hint of apprehension, Lin Wenqing picked up the teacup and apologized, saying: "Wen Jing was reckless and disturbed the Crown Prince during his bath. Today, I offer tea in place of wine, and I hope the Crown Prince can forgive me."
"Mother, please do not blame Tong. It was I who insisted on going," Jiang Kang weakly grasped the woman's garment and pleaded.
Your Highness! Lu Tong, feeling helpless, could only sigh and say, "When the time comes, I will ask you to rest, and you must not argue with me."
Yes. A Tong understands
Your Highness, please forgive me. It is truly because Lin Wenjing unexpectedly appeared in the greenhouse palace today, which caught the Crown Prince's attention. Lu Tong was caught off guard. "I will now recount in detail what transpired in the greenhouse palace today.
Lu Tong did not dare to retort, but knelt on both knees, presenting the tray above his head, and said softly: "Lu Tong acknowledges his mistake"
Your Highness is overthinking. The Crown Prince shares a deep bond with you, and there are no flaws to be found. Even if Lin Wenjing has any intentions, he has no means to act on them
The woman was indeed Empress Lu He and Lady Tu Shuman. Upon hearing Jiang Kang's plea, she could only respond with indignation, saying, "For the sake of the Crown Prince, I shall temporarily let this matter go."
"I brought you into the palace not to serve as a maid, nor to be a young lady of high status," Lu Manjun said coldly, looking at her. "You are here to bear a new little prince with the Lu family bloodline, the future King of Qi. If you cannot accomplish this, then your existence holds no significance. Do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Kang felt a surge of joy. He turned to Lu Tong and, with a slight frown, said, "Tong, why did you not mention this to me?" There was an implicit tone of reproach in his words.
"Silly Kang'er, she is now your treasure. How could the Empress dare to touch her?" Lu Manjun reached out and flicked Jiang Kang's forehead, looking at him with a half-smile. Jiang Kang smiled foolishly and then relaxed his grip.
An afternoon was spent in the pretense of interaction with Prince Jiang Kang and Su Wan. As the sun set in the west, Lin Wenqing walked out of the palace gates with a hint of dejection, climbed into his family carriage, and felt deeply frustrated by the lack of any tangible results from today.
The matter concerning the child cannot be rushed. The imperial physician said that His Highness's health is still not good. Moreover, my relationship with him is also...
... ...
Xiao Yang immediately stepped forward, and Jiang Kang performed a bow, saying: "I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince"
Jiang Kang noticed her hesitation. However, he was truly good-natured, not getting angry at all. He simply turned his face and earnestly pleaded with Lu Tong, "Tong, I promise that if I feel unwell, I will return to the Qitian Hall to rest immediately, is that not acceptable?"
Mother! Jiang Kang saw Lu Manjun about to take Lu Tong away and hurriedly grabbed her sleeve, his face filled with a pleading expression
Oh, no, no. This has nothing to do with His Highness Yu. It is purely that Wen Jing is infatuated with the spring scenery and has unwittingly lost his way. I was originally invited by His Highness Yu to the academy to rehearse songs and dances and to study literature.
Only after Lu Tong heard this sentence did she dare to rise. She stood to the side with her eyes lowered and brows furrowed, glancing at the direction of the bed. The deeply affectionate scene between mother and child caused the corners of Lu Tong's mouth to involuntarily curve upward. Before her mocking smile could fully form, it was disrupted by Jiang Kang's apologetic gaze. She could only retract her sarcasm and return a gentle smile.
This is Lin Yang, Your Highness, you may call him Xiao Yang." Lin Wenqing introduced him to Jiang Kang
Xiao Yang, having collaborated with her for many years, immediately displayed a look of realization and said: "No wonder. Young Master, you said to go out for a walk, and you have been gone for so long"
I see. Jiang Kang smiled knowingly and said, "That being the case, I recall that Wen Jing is indeed Miss Su's mentor."
Lutong, who had been waiting nearby, skillfully took the bottle, turned it to the left, and separated the bottle into two halves. Most of the medicinal residue was filtered out and remained in the upper half of the bottle. She then picked up the half bamboo tube placed to the side and positioned it at an angle over a milky white porcelain bowl. Each segment of the bamboo tube was covered with a thin layer of cloth membrane. Lutong allowed the medicinal liquid from the brown bottle to flow down the bamboo tube in a very fine and slow stream, with the remaining small amount of residue being blocked layer by layer, causing the originally boiling medicinal liquid to gradually cool down.
Jiang Kang felt a bit embarrassed by her words and could only turn to Lin Wenqing and say, "I have also seen the piece 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers.' It is a wonderful dance. I wonder if I have the honor to accompany Young Master Lin to the teaching hall this time"
Su Wan, being exceptionally intelligent, immediately interjected: "Today, Su Wan has entered the palace to entertain Her Excellency, the Virtuous Consort. Knowing that Young Master Lin is also present, I requested the maidservants of Wan'an Palace to bring me here to greet Young Master Lin"
The chamber, dominated by a dark red color scheme, is filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs. In the east side room, there is a medicinal cauldron, from which a servant uses a specially designed ladle to scoop out a ladleful of boiling medicinal liquid and pours it into a brown bottle
Lu Tong, upon hearing this tone, suddenly stiffened and ceased to respond.
Looking at the playful Prince Qi before him, Lin Wenqing felt a sense of frustration in his heart, yet he had to put on a smile and said, "Your Highness, you may call me Wenjing."
Upon arriving at the teaching hall, Xiao Yang continued to instruct the palace maids with meticulous care, just as she had done when Lin Wenqing left. When Xiao Yang noticed Lin Wenqing entering with Jiang Kang, she immediately sensed the suppressed aura of frustration emanating from her mistress, realizing that she must have encountered setbacks in her endeavors.
It seems that Kang'er has a good impression of you. Just now, she even pleaded for you. " Lu Manjun reached out to touch Lu Tong's abdomen, a distorted desire flashing in her eyes, and said, " When will you be able to conceive the beloved grandchild of this palace and His Majesty "
Young Master Lin is being too polite. It is always inevitable to get lost occasionally. I have rarely wandered around the palace since I was young, and even now, if there are no palace attendants by my side, I often find myself lost as well. Jiang Kang's smile felt like a breath of spring, easing Lin Wenqing's heart.
After Jiang Kang finished taking his medicine, he lay down to rest. Lu Manjun covered him with a light blanket and instructed a palace maid to watch over him, then summoned Lu Tong outside.
"Young Master Lin, have some tea." The light green tea leaves floated on the surface of the water, exuding a faint fragrance. This tea is of high quality; just by inhaling its aroma, one can tell that the person brewing it possesses considerable skill.
Lin Wenqing glanced at the stern-faced Lu Tong and found herself somewhat hesitant to agree easily
Upon exiting the inner hall, Lu Manjun's smile quickly faded. Her icy gaze locked onto Lu Tong like a venomous snake as she said: "This palace remembers that someone was sent to discuss Lin Wenjing's matter with you. Why has the Crown Prince still been allowed to interact with him?"
Lu Manjun stood up, using her index finger to lift Lu Tong's face, and said: "A Tong, do not forget. Before you entered the palace, what was your status and what kind of life did you lead? You and the books were originally just a minor branch of our Lu family, with a gambling father and no roof over your head. If it weren't for the day I happened to visit home and encountered you at the door, you would not have the title of a Miss of the Lu family now, and perhaps you would have been sent to the Cheng'en Hall by your father long ago"
By the way, why did Young Master Lin enter the palace without anyone accompanying him? Is he out wandering alone? Could it be that Yu Di did not provide proper hospitality?
Hardly, he certainly wouldn't dare. Who knows if he has some soft knife waiting ahead. This kid Jiang Yu is not simple at all. As Lu Manjun spoke, her expression gradually twisted.
She suddenly found it amusing that the Jiang brothers indeed resembled their grandfather, the Martial Emperor, as rumored in society. At the very least, their infectious smiles must have been inherited from that legendary Emperor Qi, who was known for his ability to overcome strength with gentleness and to move people with his emotions.
"A Tong cannot bear to forget," Lu Tong replied, lowering her head
The palace maids who were originally practicing their dance had lost the rhythm and had long since stopped their movements. Upon discovering that the Crown Prince was present, it caused a small stir among them. Although they did not dare to move about freely, they unconsciously leaned slightly towards the Crown Prince amidst the commotion
Lu Tong, who was trailing behind Jiang Kang and Lin Wenqing, immediately frowned upon witnessing this scene. Just as she was about to whisper a few words to the palace maid beside her, suggesting that they intervene, she saw the crowd parting to reveal a graceful and outstanding woman stepping forward
Lu Manjun frowned and, after listening, asked in confusion: "Getting lost all the way to the greenhouse palace. What a coincidence that Kang'er happened to see it. Atong, do you think such a coincidence is possible?"
Lin Wenqing slightly raised his head and saw it was Lu Tong. Lu Tong smiled gently at Lin Wenqing and said, "My lord is just of this temperament. Since you have allowed him to come, let him enjoy himself to the fullest."
It was merely a matter of following the rules set by the young master. Your Highness, you flatter me.