Volume 3 Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Would Recognize Even if He Turn Into Dust

At this moment, Yao Mowan was currently lying on the bed of an inn in Ji Province. Her facial color was purple and her eyes were tightly shut. After Imperial Physician Li finished checking her pulse, the senior official of Ji Province, Wu Zi, walked over with a respectful bow.

"Sir, may I ask how the empress's condition is?" asked Wu Zi quietly as he glanced towards the bed at Yao Mowan.

"Don't worry, Official, Her Imperial Highness is fine for the time being." Imperial Physician Li started putting items away in his medicinal box as he replied respectly. Wu Zi's status was higher than Li Zhun's by two ranks, but Li Zhun was an imperial physician. Since he was someone who worked right beneath the son of Heaven, it was natural for Wu Zi to fawn on him a little.

It was only after Wu Zi left that Yao Mowan sat up on the bed with a sigh of relief.

"Your Imperial Highness, why did you get up?" When Li Zhun saw Yao Mowan get up, he immediately walked to the entrance. His heart only settled once he saw that Ting Yue was guarding the door.

"Li Zhun ah, it's good to be cautious, but being too cautious is sometimes even more of a mistake." Yao Mowan stretched her arms briefly before getting off the bed.

"But this subject is committing the crime of deceiving the monarch! If this subject isn't cautious, this subject could be beheaded at any moment." Li Zhun walked to Yao Mowan's side humbly as he secured the medicinal chest to his back.

"Sit. Accompany this empress for a cup of tea." When Yao Mowan saw that Li Zhun intended to leave, she deliberately had him stay. She had threatened him before, so now it was time to entice him.

"This… This humble subject doesn't dare. Your Imperial Highness, if you have instructions, feel free to give them." Li Zhun didn't sit down, but he also didn't dare to turn and leave. There was no way for him to feel hatred towards Yao Mowan, but he had plenty of complaints towards her. If she hadn't threatened him with the lives of his family, he never would've dared to lie about some illness called 'drowse' or about the existence of some 'Remote Springs'! As for that medicinal text, it was even more made up. He still felt fear even now thinking about it. If that day His Majesty had commanded him to go back to the residence to get it, he really didn't know what he could pull out to explain things.

"You're blaming this empress?" Yao Mowan got straight to the point.

"This humble subject doesn't dare…" Li Zhun immediately set down his medicinal chest and knelt down in front of Yao Mowan fearfully. At that time, when he had personally seen that Yao Mowan was not only not a fool, but also exceptionally intelligent, he had known that she wasn't someone he could afford to provoke.

"Don't worry, since this empress dared to have you say such a lie, this empress had naturally made all the necessary preparations. That book recording the symptoms of drowse is already in your study." Yao Mowan knew what Li Zhun was worried about, so she straightforwardly addressed it.

"Many thanks, Your Imperial Highness…" Li Zhun was once again taken aback by how wise and farsighted the woman in front of him was.

"There are over thirty imperial physicians in the imperial hospital, but this empress chose you. Do you know why that is?" Yao Mowan lowered her eyes to look towards Li Zhun. Her heart stung slightly from her memories.

Back then, when she had been pregnant with Zhong er, Li Zhun had been the only one in the imperial hospital who had done his all for her. He had personally brewed every single bowl of pregnancy stabling medicine that was brought to Changle Palace and he never made use of people. After she died, this Li Zhun was also the only one who had secretly burned paper for her to pray for her happiness.

It can be seen that not only was this person very meticulous in his work, he was also very kindhearted. It wasn't easy to find a truly kindhearted person in the palace. If she wanted to be able to trust her subordinates fully, she naturally had to be extremely selective with who she picked.

"This humble subject doesn't know." Li Zhun truly didn't know. He believed that there were plenty of people in the imperial hospital who were more skilled in the medicinal arts than himself.

"It's because you look the most pleasant!" Yao Mowan walked to Li Zhun with an amused smile to help him up with both hands. Li Zhun didn't dare to decline and could only follow suit and rise. However, when he saw that smile on Yao Mowan's bruised face, he almost fainted.

"Don't worry, this empress never treats those that follow this empress unfairly, and you're not an exception. From now on, this empress will guarantee the safety and wealth of your family. This is a thousand taels of gold, take it. This empress will also allow you to become the head of the imperial hospital. You will be instated immediately once we return to the imperial palace." Yao Mowan passed the check that she had prepared beforehand to Li Zhun as she said this with firm dignity.

No matter how honest Li Zhun was, his whole body still trembled and his heartbeat sped up at the sight of the check in his hand. With his current salary, even if he worked for a hundred years, he wouldn't make this much.

So after Li Zhun left the room, he suddenly pulled Ting Yue over.

"What do you think of this imperial physician's looks?" When Li Zhun recalled what Yao Mowan said, a trace of warmth arose in his heart.

"Imperial Physician Li, are you joking with Ting Yue? You're sixty years old with sideburns covering your face… Ting Yue feels that it's best for you to check the mirror when you get back." Ting Yue looked towards Li Zhun in complete earnestness and immediately struck the confidence that had just arisen in Li Zhun's heart back down into an abyss.

The moment Yao Mowan got to Mangyuan, she impatiently took the antidote. Her originally bruised face instantly became tender and softly flushed again. It was like a flawlessly peeled egg, pure and delicate.

"Didn't you take the antidote a little too soon? His Majesty also has eyes here." Ye Junqing's gaze was fixed on Yao Mowan's face as a strange feeling gradually arose in his heart.

"With Ben Lei here, do you think His Majesty's spies would be able to do anything?" Ben Lei had already secretly bribed all the spies Ye Hongyi had in Mangyuan the moment he got here. That was why even though Yao Manifest Trade and Thousand Paths were currently in a trade war, all that was written in the secret letters Ye Hongyi received was 'all is normal.'

As the carriage passed through the streets, there was the constant sound of clamor. Yao Mowan lightly lifted the curtain as a reminiscent feeling filled her heart. As of now, all the places and people were different, but Mangyuan was as lively and flourishing as always. From time to time, she saw all sorts of people pass by the carriage. There were people from great Chu, from Shu, from Qi, and even some women from Loulan. Merchants from the west and the south also came here to do business.

Almost right after Yao Mowan had left the palace, the carriage driver was swapped out for someone that Ben Lei had sent. As of now, the sounds of all the clamor was gradually vanishing and the carriage slowly stopped. Yao Mowan allowed Ting Yue to pin a white veil to her hair to cover half of her face before walking out of the carriage. Ye Junqing hesitated for a moment, then tugged at Yao Mowan.

"Should this prince also put on a mask?" Ye Junqing didn't know what Yao Mowan's plan was, so he was worried about ruining her plan.

"Even if Prince turned into dust, those who recognized you would still recognize you. Ben Lei, don't you agree?" said Yao Mowan with a teasing smile. At this time, Ben Lei was currently standing by the carriage, looking towards Ye Junqing with unconcealable excitement on his face.

"Yes! Yes! Even if Prince turned to dust, Ben Lei would still be able to recognize you! Prince, Ben Lei really missed you!" When Ye Junqing saw the tears in Ben Lei's eyes, although he was annoyed with Ben Lei for betraying him to serve someone else, he didn't make things hard for Ben Lei anymore and just nodded slightly before getting off the carriage.

"This prince is perfectly fine, so why should this prince turn into dust to test your recognition?" said Ye Junqing in slight indignance as he shot a glower as Yao Mowan.

Ben Lei also didn't mind Ye Junqing's attitude and immediately commanded the servants to pull up the prepared banner. On it was written 'The Esteemed Prince, A Beauty that Stuns the World, Whose Magnificence is Unmatched! The Empress of Chu, A Majestic Hero Who Will Be Remember Throughout the Ages!' Right after that, the two rows of female servants started tossing flower petals into the air. As petals danced in the air, music arose. This moment, this scene, was truly a beautiful sight.

However, Ye Junqing was completely ticked off. As he swept the petals off his head and shoulders, he pointed at Ben Lei's nose angrily.

"Who would want to be a beauty that stuns the world!? Whose magnificence is unmatched!? Preposterous! Pull him down now and beat him to death!" The moment Ben Lei heard this, he whirl around, then his expression stiffened. His heart instantly flooded with complaints. It was truly scary to have no culture. They had gotten the descriptions mixed up…

After the grand welcoming ceremony ended, Yao Mowan and Ye Junqing walked into this luxurious residence. In reality, this residence had been built when Yao Mowan had first established her business in Mangyuan. Later, she had Ben Lei renovate it more, so it was already the most luxurious courtyard in Mangyuan. Due to the fact that the master of the household hadn't changed, it was still called Yao Residence.

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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira

[Chiyomira's Corner]

Enjoy~