Seeing a group of maids and eunuchs waiting not far away, Ruan Niang was afraid they might overhear Wei Dongling's words about wanting to go home and misinterpret them. She quickly pinched Wei Dongling's waist and said with a laugh, "Silly girl, the palace is your home! Where the emperor is, that's your home!"
Only then did Wei Dongling realize her slip of the tongue. She nodded and said with a smile, "I've just been missing you all! Father Emperor and Grand Empress Dowager rewarded me with a lot of jewels! Come on, come on. I'll take you to have a look." As she spoke, she tugged at Ruan Niang and walked towards the sleeping quarters.
Ruan Niang said anxiously, "I heard you were injured. Walk slowly!" Anyway, it was getting late today and she couldn't go back. They would have plenty of time to chat privately at night. Why be in such a hurry?
But Wei Dongling wouldn't agree. She hurriedly dragged Ruan Niang inside and shut the maids and eunuchs out, then was about to rummage through the cabinets for jewels, jade, and gold ingots. Ruan Niang pressed her down on a round stool and reached out to feel her pulse.
After carefully sensing the pulse for a while, Ruan Niang asked in surprise, "Have you taken some tonics recently? Your pulse used to be weak and floating, but now it has improved a lot."
Wei Dongling nodded and said, "Grand Empress Dowager gave me some excellent pills for longevity." Then she lowered her voice and said, "I took them together with those fake poison pills you gave me last time. Will there be any side effects?"
After a detailed examination, Ruan Niang asked, "Have you felt anything strange recently?"
Wei Dongling shook her head, then suddenly nodded and asked, "Does occasional heart palpitations in the middle of the night count? Is it because I took too many tonics?"
Ruan Niang murmured to herself, "It shouldn't be. See if you can find a way to get the prescription of that tonic for me. I'll study it carefully."
Wei Dongling nodded in agreement and then asked, "How is Grandpa Su? How is everyone recently? What happened to Lu Kou later?"
Ruan Niang waved her hand and said with a smile, "Everyone is fine! The weather has turned a bit cooler, and the business of the Listening-to-the-Wind Tower has improved a lot. Everyone is busy running around. Old Su misses you very much. I've seen him secretly wipe his tears several times..."
Hearing this, Wei Dongling felt extremely heart - ache.
Ruan Niang added, "As for Lu Kou, I was really shocked when Jing Zhe brought her back. But luckily, her injuries were only skin - deep. After a few days of recuperation, she recovered almost completely. But what about you... How did you get injured? Did you suffer any grievances in the palace? Who bullied you?" Ruan Niang deliberately lowered her voice when she spoke, hearing someone eavesdropping outside the door.
Wei Dongling felt extremely sad, but she didn't want her family to worry about her, so she just said with a low laugh, "I'm fine. Compared with all these rewards, these injuries are nothing."
Ruan Niang said helplessly and complainingly, "You! You're really obsessed with money!"
Wei Dongling smiled and asked, "How is Jing Zhe recently? What's the situation between him and Lu Kou..."
Ruan Niang's eyes sparkled, and she said with a charming smile, "You also think he has special feelings for Lu Kou? It's a pity he has no chance. Lu Kou follows me around every day. Every time she sees him, she's so scared that her hair stands on end."
Wei Dongling clapped her hands and laughed heartily.
Ruan Niang said helplessly with a smile, "Jing Zhe is not as easy to deceive as Luo Xunlong. I've helped him several times, both openly and secretly, but he's really a coward. I can't do anything about it."
Hearing this, Wei Dongling covered her forehead and laughed so hard that she could hardly catch her breath.
It took Wei Dongling a long time to calm down. She sighed, "I miss everyone so much! When can I go back and have a look? By the way, what about him?"
Ruan Niang pretended to be stupid and asked, "Which him?"
Wei Dongling said coyly and pretending to be angry, "You know exactly what I'm talking about!"
Ruan Niang pretended to suddenly realize and said with a soft smile, "Oh, you mean Young Master Yu?"
Wei Dongling gave her a glare.
Ruan Niang said wickedly with a smile, "Well! This man is no good! You should find someone else! Two days before you left, he squatted in front of the Su Mansion every day and followed us around. At night, he quietly climbed into your room to sleep. Just when we were sighing that this kid was quite affectionate, he left quietly without saying a word these days. Tsk tsk tsk. Who knows if he has fallen in love with another woman..."
Wei Dongling said speechlessly, "Ruan Niang, you've accepted his Nine - Needle Resuscitation Technique. Isn't it a bit too much to sow discord behind his back?"
Ruan Niang laughed maliciously. "You're different now. You're a celestial beauty! His master is so fussy. He refused to budge on the matter of Luo Xunlong and Cui Huan. Now he won't even let them meet. You don't know how spineless Luo Xunlong is! After not seeing Cui Huan for a few days, he has been listless and absent - minded. Now he can't even twist the pearls round! Humph! What do you think of his He family? Without our approval, can Young Master Yu marry you?"
Well, she was at odds with Master He Jingyao again. Wei Dongling could only helplessly touch her nose.
At night, Wei Dongling summoned the head of the Imperial Medical Office and asked for the prescription of the top - grade pill from the Empress Dowager.
Some of the medicinal materials were rare and hard to find, so the Imperial Medical Office didn't hide anything and generously presented the prescription.
After carefully reading the prescription, Ruan Niang thought over and over again and said, "Two of the medicinal materials conflict a bit with the medicine I gave you, but it should be okay. Is your heart palpitations at night caused by the external injury?"
Wei Dongling shook her head. Ruan Niang then carefully unwrapped the bandage to check the wound on her chest. The female medical officers in the palace were really dedicated. The wound had recovered well, and she didn't see anything abnormal.
Ruan Niang carefully applied the wound medicine rewarded by the Empress Dowager on her and instructed, "It seems there is nothing abnormal. You should observe for a few more days. If there is anything strange, send someone to tell me immediately."
Wei Dongling nodded.
At night, Ruan Niang didn't go to the side room prepared for her. Instead, she slept directly in Wei Dongling's sleeping quarters with her.
With Cheng Hao guarding the courtyard, the two of them chatted in whispers for most of the night.
Wei Dongling casually told Ruan Niang about Concubine Xue being sent to the Cold Palace, deliberately avoiding the dangerous things she had experienced in the past few days. Ruan Niang still sensed some of the perils but didn't point it out and could only secretly feel heart - ache.
The next day, she took Ruan Niang for a stroll in the palace. After lunch, it was time to send her back.
Wei Dongling quickly rummaged through the cabinets for jewels, jade, and gold ingots, packed them one by one, and made a big bundle.
Ruan Niang asked in surprise, "You should keep these precious rewards for yourself!"
Wei Dongling waved her hand and whispered in her ear, "I'll leave the palace one day. What's the use of keeping them here? They're my means of livelihood outside the palace! You have to take them back for me!" If one day she really insisted on marrying Yu Zixi, she would need some decent things as a dowry, right?
Ruan Niang said with a laugh, "You really think things through. It's right to plan ahead!"
Wei Dongling carefully instructed, "Don't put them in the cabinet by my bedside! Bury them secretly under the big tree beside the rockery in the courtyard. Don't tell anyone!" She had once lost all her belongings in a fire at General Qi's mansion. She had to be more careful this time!
Ruan Niang casually agreed to her and got on the carriage out of the palace with the bulging bundle on her back.
Afraid that Ruan Niang would be stopped when leaving the palace, Wei Dongling quickly followed to see her off.