in2ebook Chapter 396 Seeking a Prescription
Chapter 396 Seeking a Prescription
The claim that the three women are close is just an excuse.
The younger sister is not one to dwell on the past. Of the three, only Du Shangge can be considered a true friend. She does want to see him to relieve the discomfort of being cooped up in the palace all day.
Gui Shan had indeed helped her a few times, but Gui Shan was about to become the Crown Princess, siding with the Crown Prince. As a member of the Si family, their relationship would likely only be superficial in the future.
But this Miss Hu, Hu Manman, and the two of them had barely even met a few times.
When Hu Manman received the news that Consort Wan in the palace was lonely and missed her friends outside the palace, including herself, she found it all very strange.
Before Consort Wan entered the palace, they had exchanged no more than ten sentences in total.
As for the supposed sentiment of giving flowers, that was utterly inexplicable. Of course, it's customary to exchange gifts upon first meeting; the palace flowers she gave were one for each of the three Si sisters.
However, since Consort Wan invited her, she could not refuse. After discussing it with her father, she entered the palace.
My father's words still echoed in my ears.
He said: "Now that Consort Rong is useless, although you will be entering the Eastern Palace in the future, Consort Wan has taken the initiative to befriend you, so it's good for you to get closer to her. After all, His Majesty is in his prime, and who knows what might happen in the future."
Hu Manman kept her father's words in mind. When she saw her younger sister bow, she smiled sweetly and said, "Sister Du is here too. I thought Consort Wan had only invited me."
Du Shangge wasn't familiar with Hu Manman, a pampered girl, but hearing her joke and act coquettishly, he felt a bit closer to her and laughed, "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have come. I didn't want to make you jealous, little sister."
The three sat together talking. When Hu Manman learned that Gui Shan was also coming, her eyes flickered slightly, but she only said, "Miss Gui is busy, and she lives a little far away, so it's normal for her to be a little late."
After talking for a while, Du Shangge couldn't wait any longer. She noticed that it was late autumn in the palace, but there were still lotus flowers. She was very curious and followed the nanny to take a look.
The younger sister said, "The plants in the greenhouse look fresh to me. His Majesty ordered them to be transplanted here this morning."
The weather is cold, so those lotus flowers won't bloom for long.
Hu Manman spoke politely to her younger sister, and then said, "My older sister used to be ignorant. When the Emperor dismissed the concubines, she refused to come out, which made my father very worried. I wonder if my sister has caused any trouble for the Empress?"
"No, not at all," the younger sister said with a smile. "I had some free time the other day, so I went to see Consort Rong. But she lost her child and was always a bit depressed and didn't like to socialize with others."
Hu Manman sighed, "My sister used to be like this. Alas, she can't blame anyone else but herself for being so weak and trusting others too easily."
She seemed genuinely close to her younger sister, willing to confide anything in her.
The younger sister then spoke up: "Speaking of which, His Majesty is in his prime. If Consort Rong is open-minded and doesn't hold a grudge against His Majesty, she can have another child."
The Emperor was angry with Consort Rong because she had used him as a shield during a dangerous situation at a palace banquet.
The younger sister and Hu Manman didn't mention it at all, only saying that it was because Consort Rong had lost her child.
Hu Manman understood what he meant, lowered her eyes for a moment and then smiled: "It's just that my sister's health was not good before, and it was a matter of luck for her to have a child. Where else can she have such good fortune?"
“Opportunities are hard to come by,” the younger sister sighed. “Now I live alone in the deep palace, and I often think how wonderful it would be if I could have the same opportunity as your sister.”
Hu Manman understood and smiled, "Speaking of which, Your Majesty seems to have become even more delicate than before. However, there seems to be a freckle on your forehead. I wonder why?"
The younger sister raised her hand and touched the non-existent freckles on her forehead, sighing, "They were caused by the strong summer sun, and they just won't go away. I'm really worried about them."
"Your Majesty need not worry. I have a good remedy. Why don't I write it down for you?"
The younger sister instructed someone to bring over pen and ink, and Hu Manman quickly wrote down a prescription and handed it over with a smile.
"Thank you so much, Miss Hu."
"Why must Your Highness and I be so distant?"
At this moment, a palace maid led Gui Shan over.
Hu Manman was unwilling to associate with Gui Shan, so she stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I would also like to see those lotus flowers that Miss Du mentioned earlier."
"Go."
Once everyone left, Gui Shan approached her younger sister and whispered, "Your Highness, what did Miss Hu give you?"
The younger sister looked at Gui Shan and, seeing that the anxious look in her eyes didn't seem like that of a writer, said, "I asked her for it."
Gui Shan hurriedly said, "Although I don't know what it is, Miss Hu is a woman of deep thoughts, no less so than Consort Rong. Please be extremely careful."
The younger sister lowered her eyes, pondering Gui Shan's words, which still held some credibility. However, thinking of the help Gui Shan had given her at the palace banquet, even if they might end up on different sides in the future, she was unwilling to ruin their current friendship.
She stated frankly, "I want to find a good way to get pregnant."
Gui Shan stared wide-eyed, stunned for a long time before she reacted and hurriedly said, "Lord Hu is two-faced, and the Hu family intends to have Miss Hu enter the Eastern Palace as a concubine. They cannot be trusted, and the things they give us cannot be used."
The younger sister looked up at her: "Do you think I should be at odds with the Crown Prince?"
Gui Shan gave a bitter smile: "Wan'er, if I weren't smart, how could I have gotten to where I am today? You may not believe me, but you can't joke around with your own body. The Hu family father and daughter are unfathomable. What she gives you may not be wrong, but they are not so kind as to give it to you for free. They will definitely make you pay a certain price."
The younger sister remained silent. What she really wanted to ask was whether Gui Shan's words were credible, since she was also going to enter the Eastern Palace and become the Crown Prince's principal wife.
But the moment she saw Guishan, she couldn't ask her anything.
Gui Shan stood up and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I will always remember what Your Majesty told me that day: 'Never forget your original intention.' It was because of Your Majesty's words that I changed my mind and prevented myself from degenerating into someone I despise. I never will before, and I never will again."
The three young ladies spent the whole day with Gui Shan in the Imperial Garden. Only after seeing them off did the younger sister return to the Zi Chen Palace.
She held the prescription Hu Manman had written for her and looked at it for a long time.
Seeing this, Madam Tian asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, shall I ask a trusted imperial physician to come and take a look?"
Mama Tian was originally given to the Si family by the Emperor. After Xiaomei woke up from her injury, the Emperor was afraid that she would not be used to being alone in the palace, so he summoned Mama Tian and Yinxin to the palace, where they remained her personal servants.
The younger sister thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Not for now."
She opened the hidden compartment of the makeup box, put the prescription inside, and locked it away, intending not to use it.