Chapter 166
King Zhao came to Concubine He's yard, but saw no one.
"Where is He?"
The maid hurriedly greeted him and said respectfully: "My Lord, the master is feeling unwell and is resting in bed."
"Please ask the court doctor to come over."
King Zhao strode into the room and saw Concubine He lying on the bed at a glance.
Concubine He was helped up by the maid, and said in a coquettish tone: "My Lord, why are you here? I'm fine, please go and accompany Sister Ji!
Yesterday, I..."
She paused for a moment, then spoke softly, with infinite shyness on her face: "I never thought that my sister would be angry about this."
King Zhao looked at Concubine He, who looked very happy, and said directly, "She is not angry. She just wanted to come and see you. Fortunately, I stopped her."
Before Concubine He could feel sweet in her heart, she heard Prince Zhao continue: "You feel unwell as soon as you entered the palace. Were you not feeling well before?"
She seemed to be questioning her and the He family's decision to send their daughter in just to get her medical treatment.
Maybe a lot of precious medicinal materials will be needed. After all, General He has invited the imperial physician from the palace. If all else fails, he can ask the emperor to let the imperial physician see his daughter.
The best thing I can do is send my daughter to him. There's no guarantee that she might need some precious medicinal herbs that even the general's mansion can't get, so I want to count on him to find a solution.
Think about it this way.
King Zhao felt more and more that the dark-faced man in his impression was scheming: "General He really has good intentions!"
Did you actually mistake the palace for a pharmacy?
No wonder the He family was so proactive in sending their daughter to his house.
Concubine He was stunned, "My Lord, how can you say that?"
As we all know, when women in the harem claim to be sick, isn't it just to win favor?
In the general's mansion, when she was a young girl, Concubine He often saw her father's concubines use this trick to get her father away from her mother.
Tried and tested!
I have never heard of my father questioning my aunts over such trivial matters!
She just thought of this trick, but she didn't expect it to be so useless.
"Your Majesty, the court doctor is here."
Although Concubine He's courtyard was not large, its location was much better than Ji Yunqing's residence. Apart from anything else, the palace doctor arrived very quickly.
But at this time, Concubine He really hoped that the court doctor would not come so soon.
Before He Shiqi could stop him, King Zhao quickly ordered, "Call the palace doctor in to check He's pulse."
The court physician entered the room, but he didn't dare to raise his head or look around. He just bowed and walked to the bedside of Concubine He without looking around.
"Concubine He, please extend your hand."
Concubine He glared at the old man and stretched out her hand reluctantly.
I hope this old doctor can be more sensible.
'The Other Hand'
After taking the pulse of both hands, the court doctor looked at Prince Zhao and said, "Your Majesty, Master He is just a little tired, which caused his body to be unwell. He just needs to take more care of himself."
After hearing this, Concubine He breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, the prince felt a little uncomfortable last night... She was indeed feeling a little uncomfortable, and it was not a lie.
The court doctor took out a small porcelain bottle from his medicine box and said, "Here is an ointment. I made it myself using a secret recipe passed down from my ancestors. It is used to reduce swelling and relieve pain."
But he just said it casually and thought that King Zhao might not use it.
There are so many beautiful ladies in the palace. Maybe the prince has special medicine to maintain his health.
Sure enough, King Zhao nodded and said, "We have medicine. I'll have someone send it over later."
The prince specially sent her medicine, and Concubine He felt very sweet in her heart.
When she saw the prince for the first time, she fell in love with him. Although she could not be his principal wife, she did not care as long as the prince treated her well.
Holding the ointment, Concubine He couldn't help but smile.
At this time, King Zhao asked the court doctor in a cold voice: "Does He Shi have any other symptoms?"
The court doctor was a little confused by the prince's question.
He secretly wondered if this concubine He had some hidden illness that he couldn't see?
This is bad!
The palace doctor looked serious and said, "I dare to ask Your Majesty for permission to take my concubine's pulse again."
Of course the prince granted his permission.
But the court physician had examined the patient thoroughly and was confused. Could it be that the prince had other intentions?
But he finally insisted on studying medicine.
"My Lord, I am as strong as an ox and there is nothing wrong with me."
Only then did King Zhao feel truly relieved.
Wait until King Zhao leaves.
Zhiliang, the maid beside her, looked at her master, hesitating whether to say it out loud.
But Zhixin was always quick to speak, and she said directly: "Master, I heard that the prince gave a lot of good things to the one in Guihuayuan today!"
Zhiliang lightly scolded: "Zhixin!"
Didn’t you see that the master is happy?
Sure enough, Concubine He's face turned cold: "Is this true?"
Zhiliang had no choice but to take a step forward and whispered, "Master, it is true."
"Okay, this concubine Ji!"
Concubine He had a gloomy face and a very unfriendly expression.
Suddenly, a maid reported: "Master, Concubine Cen came to the door and said she had something to say."
……
In the next few days, Ji Yunqing seemed to have found a new hobby. She didn't go anywhere else. After the morning meeting, she went back to do handicrafts and finally made preparations before her birthday.
Last year, Ji Yunqing was not very familiar with the environment. Plus, she was pregnant, so she tried to keep a low profile the whole day and did not celebrate her birthday properly.
This year is different. Ji Yunqing got himself a super luxurious birthday gift.
But the gifts were opened last.
Early in the morning, when going to the main courtyard, Ji Yunqing dressed up beautifully.
She wore a light green shirt and a water-patterned pleated skirt in the same color. There were a few bamboo leaves embroidered on the cuffs, which echoed the clusters of green bamboo at the hem.
There are a few more ornaments on her head, which were picked up from the green bamboo headdress that King Zhao gave her last time.
In the increasingly hot summer, Ji Yunqing dressed herself neatly and refreshingly, which was a pleasant sight.
This caused all the girls today to look at him sideways.
When she saw her gorgeously dressed, Concubine He secretly cursed her as a shameless vixen. She must be trying to seduce the prince by dressing so beautifully.
Thinking that the prince had never entered her courtyard since the first day he beat her, Concubine He's eyes were filled with tears.
Is she so unsightly that she cannot catch the prince's eye?
What Concubine He didn't think about was that King Zhao didn't go to other courtyards, and he didn't even go to the backyard.
It's not that he has kidney deficiency, but King Zhao doesn't like to stay in the women's room in the backyard every day.
Cen Xi curled her lips in disdain, relying on her status as the princess's cousin, she couldn't help but speak in a sarcastic tone.
"Sister Ji, why are you so beautiful today? Could it be that something good happened to you recently?"
Concubine He's eyes lit up, and she couldn't wait to speak with one hand covering her mouth, saying vaguely: "I heard that Sister Ji is going out of the mansion recently. Could it be that there is someone important outside the mansion..."
She had known that she was going to enter the palace, so she checked the women in the palace early on and thus learned a secret.
This Ji Yunqing, she once had a fiancé.
What is puzzling is that since Ji Yunqing entered the mansion, this so-called fiancé disappeared very quickly and no one has seen him since then.
Concubine He didn't believe that a living person would disappear for no reason. She had to guess where this so-called fiancé was hiding.
Maybe he will hang around in the palace and renew his old relationship with Ji Yunqing!
When Concubine Wen heard this, she couldn't help but frowned and said, "What is Concubine He talking about? She is so secretive. She is so stupid... What kind of people can she know outside the palace?"
Concubine Jian also quietly mustered up her courage and spoke with trembling courage: "Concubine Ji has always behaved in a proper manner and has never transgressed the rules."
Concubine He was surprised. Shouldn't the woman in the backyard take the opportunity to take advantage of the situation?
What’s going on with the people in this mansion?
Taking this opportunity, Ji Yunqing quietly raised her eyes and looked at Concubine Wen with gratitude in her watery eyes. Concubine Wen's regret for speaking up for Ji Yunqing disappeared instantly. Yunqing didn't do anything. She was just telling the truth.
Ji Yunfeng thought that Concubine Jian was also speaking up for her, and looked at Concubine Jian happily again.
When she looked at her like that, Concubine Jian straightened her chest slightly, and the pressure in her heart was immediately relieved.
When she made eye contact with the princess sitting at the top, the emotion in her pair of expressive almond-shaped eyes changed instantly, suddenly showing endless grievance.
It seems to be saying, Princess, are you just going to watch others get bullied?
The princess felt a little guilty in her stiff heart. No matter what Ji Yunqing did, he couldn't question her character. What's more, she was just dressed better.
Completely unaware of what the princess was thinking, Ji Yunqing performed this smooth little combo as usual, stirring the hearts of several people, who then turned into blatant surprise.
"Concubine He, what are you talking about? When will I leave the house? How come I didn't know?"
Ji Yunqing really didn’t know. She wondered what was going on.
Who can give her a spoiler?
The princess glanced at Cen Xi calmly and said in a deep voice, "I also want to know how Concubine He knew this news?"
Concubine He's heart skipped a beat, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her head, and she came to her senses instantly.
This news was passed on to Concubine He by Cen Xi, who relied on her special status as the princess's cousin and secretly eavesdropped on the news in the main courtyard.
Except for the main courtyard, no one in the mansion knew that Ji Yunqing was about to leave the mansion.
Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Concubine He felt uneasy, but when she remembered her identity, she no longer felt guilty.
He straightened his back and said calmly, "Princess, when I came here this morning, I heard a maid from the main courtyard say it. What else could it be?"
"Oh? Which servant is unruly? Princess, you have to teach the people in your courtyard some rules. If you don't have enough manpower, I can lend a few to the main courtyard."
When Concubine Wen heard this, her eyes flashed and she took the opportunity to speak.
How could the princess want people from other courtyards to interfere?
Her expression remained unchanged, she looked dignified and generous, "Don't worry about it, Concubine. There are plenty of people in the main courtyard."
The princess looked at Concubine He again and said, "I wonder which maid Concubine He saw? This unruly maid is just right to be found and replaced."
Concubine He was just saying it casually. Every time she came to the main courtyard, she didn't even look at the maids. How would she know what a maid was?
I just can't put it into words. Let's see what she can do to herself.
So he casually said, "How would I know which maid it was? Princess, can't you check it yourself?"
Hearing this, the princess' eyes turned extremely cold when she looked at her, but only for a brief moment, and then returned to normal.
If you don't pay attention, you really won't notice it.
"Indeed, I will investigate the matter of the main courtyard myself."
Concubine He couldn't help feeling proud again.
Look, she said that this princess is useless, this woman is not popular with men, and she just can't stand up straight.
The princess had long since grown old and lost her beauty, and as her beauty faded her love also faded. On the other hand, she herself was young and beautiful, so she asked, "Is there anyone in the backyard who can compare to her?"
She glanced around and saw Ji Yunqing, who was dressed very gorgeously and dazzlingly, and she glared at her fiercely.
What a vixen, what a slut, all she does all day is flirt!
Ji Yunqing immediately caught her gaze, like a cat with its fur standing on end: "Concubine He, what do you think that look of mine means?"
She usually has a loud voice, and at this moment, she attracted everyone's attention with just one voice.
Concubine Xu Shu watched with great interest: "Today's greetings are so lively!"
Concubine Lou echoed softly: "That's right!"
Concubine He hadn't expected that she had just taken a look, so why did she have to make such a big fuss about it?
Just ask yourself, in this situation, who wouldn't endure it silently and then look for an opportunity to retaliate?
Who would ask this question openly?
Seeing that something was wrong, Concubine Cen quickly spoke up, "Concubine Ji, did you just say that Concubine He was looking at you on purpose?"
She said "look" instead of "stare", which was obviously an attempt to make a big deal out of nothing.
Concubine He said with disdain: "Humph, I just looked at you, what's the matter?"
That is now. If it were in the past, a woman of such humble status would not even be qualified to stand by her side!
It is her blessing that he can have the honor to look at her now.
Ji Yunqing's eyes widened, as if she had heard something incredible.
She clapped her hands, and crisp applause sounded.
"Great! I knew there was something wrong, Princess. I saw her peeking at me more than once, and she even had the nerve to ask me what was wrong.
Your eyes are so blurry, are you trying to seduce me on purpose?"
Everyone was shocked: "...Ah?"
The princess was also caught off guard: "..."
Concubine He, who was suddenly the target of rumors, felt that she needed to use her whole body to clarify the rumors.
After she realized what was happening, Concubine He felt as if she had been humiliated. "What are you talking about? When did I ever look at you?"
How could Ji Yunqing suffer such a loss?
She immediately tensed her face, and said righteously, "Just now, and before that, you said you secretly looked at me, Concubine Cen is the witness!"
Concubine Cen: "..."
She was right in saying that just now.
But she did all that to help Concubine He.
Before the two could continue speaking, Ji Yunqing looked at the princess and wailed.
"Princess, please help me. I am so scared. What if He Shijiu...becomes a beast? I am so weak and kind. What if I am deceived by someone with ulterior motives——"
Others also said that this made sense.
Concubine Wen took the lead and sat lazily in her exclusive seat. She glanced at Ji Yunqing with a slight smile on her lips.
"Princess, you must pay close attention to these. I saw it clearly just now. For some reason, Concubine He always looked at Concubine Ji with a sneaky look in her eyes."