Jiang Mian was startled. She quickly jumped off the railing, wiped the crumbs from the corner of her lips with her sleeve, and curtsied. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Xiao Tianchi waved his hand indifferently. "There's no need to be so flustered. Be at ease."
But how could Jiang Mian really be at ease? She still had half a piece of pastry in her hand, so she had no choice but to pop it into her mouth again. Sensing Xiao Tianchi's gaze on her, she explained, "These pastries were originally prepared for Brother Mo. But I can't find him now, so I have to finish them myself."
Xiao Tianchi looked at her with a very gentle expression, as if looking at a somewhat naughty junior.
"He's not at the South Beijing Posthouse. There's something going on at the Feiyu Hall, and he's gone to handle it."
So that's it.
No wonder she hadn't seen Mo Zhizhang since daytime.
Jiang Mian lowered her head and nibbled on the pastry like a little squirrel.
"Do you blame me?" she suddenly heard Xiao Tianchi ask.
Jiang Mian immediately understood that Xiao Tianchi was referring to the matter of arranging Mo Zhizhang to go to Dongli Town.
She shook her head. "No."
"Really not?" Xiao Tianchi gently raised his eyebrows. "You can't lie in front of me. Otherwise, it's an act of deceiving the emperor."
Jiang Mian said, "I really don't. Your Majesty only sent him to Dongli Town and asked him to pretend to be my uncle. It was his own choice to come to the Huichun Hall. Actually... even though he lied to me and concealed his identity, I don't seem to have lost anything. Instead, he helped me save my mother and taught me the art of poison."
But then again, why was Mo Zhizhang so nice to her?
The more she got to know him, the more she could sense the evil and unruly nature hidden beneath his smile.
He didn't seem like the kind of person who would readily teach others everything he knew.
Xiao Tianchi mused, "Really? He's done so many good deeds in Dongli Town. It really exceeds my expectations. But it's good this way."
Good? Good in what way? Xiao Tianchi didn't elaborate.
Jiang Mian remembered what Mo Zhizhang had said that day and couldn't help but secretly sized up Xiao Tianchi. Sensing her gaze, Xiao Tianchi asked with a smile, "What? Is there something on my face?"
"Your Majesty was drinking with my father and the others inside just now. Why did you leave the table too?" Jiang Mian asked.
Xiao Tianchi said with a half - smile, "Girl, you haven't answered my question yet, but now you're asking me."
Jiang Mian thought for a while and said vaguely, "I'm thinking about someone."
Xiao Tianchi also picked up a piece of the pastry she had hidden and put it into his mouth. "Really? I'm also thinking about someone."
Jiang Mian's heart skipped a beat.
Could they be thinking about the same person?
"Who is Your Majesty thinking about?" After asking, Jiang Mian held her breath. Would his answer be Xiao Jingcheng?
Xiao Tianchi said, "It's a Minister Shen in the court. I've been away from the capital for so long and left all the government affairs to her. But she didn't come to greet me with the others today. I'm wondering if she's very angry."
Ah, Minister Shen?
Jiang Mian was a bit disappointed.
She actually wanted to ask what Xiao Tianchi's attitude towards Xiao Jingcheng was now, if he still recognized his nephew as the crown prince of the Sheng Kingdom, and if he still wanted to mention Xiao Jingcheng's achievements in saving the people of Dongli Town.
But...
She was worried that if she said it, it would backfire and bring unnecessary trouble to Xiao Jingcheng.
The emperor clearly knew that Xiao Jingcheng had been with them before and also knew the purpose of their return to the capital. But since they met in Luozhou, the emperor had never asked about Xiao Jingcheng. Maybe he was also waiting and probing?
"If I were Minister Shen," Jiang Mian said. "I would definitely be very angry."
"Really? Why?" Xiao Tianchi asked.
"The situation in the Sheng Kingdom is unstable. There are people eyeing the south covetously. It's a time when everything is in need of rejuvenation. But Your Majesty left the capital for a grand scribe. You've been away for half a month or a month. As a minister, it's natural to be dissatisfied." Jiang Mian said very seriously.
Xiao Tianchi laughed out loud. He nodded. "That's right. When I return to the palace, she will surely scold me for being irresponsible. But after returning to the capital and seeing your father, maybe she won't be angry with me anymore."
Jiang Mian became curious again. "Does Minister Shen know my father too?"
"Yes," Xiao Tianchi's tone couldn't help but become playful and relaxed. "They've met before. Maybe she'll like you too."
This statement left Jiang Mian confused. She couldn't help but take a step forward. "Your Majesty, how is my master now?"
The little girl's eyes were bright. Xiao Tianchi couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her hair. "So, your master is the person you were thinking about just now?"
Unexpectedly, he would show such a loving gesture towards her. Jiang Mian paused and forced a laugh. "Yes, yes."
"Of course. He's now the chief of the imperial physicians, in charge of all the affairs of the imperial physicians. When we reach the capital, you two masters and apprentices will be reunited." Xiao Tianchi said.
"That's good, that's good." Jiang Mian let out a sigh of relief.
She really felt sorry for her master. She had used him as an excuse at this time.
But the closer they got to the capital, the more she missed her master.
She wanted her master to see her progress in medical skills. She could now treat patients on her own and hadn't let him down.
"Alright, it's autumn. It's cold at night. Go back and rest early." Xiao Tianchi gently patted her forehead and turned to leave.
Jiang Mian touched the place where she had been patted. It seemed that the faint scent of medicine from Xiao Tianchi's sleeve still lingered in her nostrils. Watching Xiao Tianchi's departing back, she felt a strange feeling in her heart.
This feeling...
It was a bit like how she sometimes felt when looking at her father.
Although he looked rosy - cheeked, walked steadily, and spoke in a strong voice, she still couldn't help but worry about him.
Her heart tightened. She tightly grasped the pastry in her hand, and a thought suddenly popped into her mind.
Was the emperor, who used to be so weak that he would gasp and cough after taking two steps, really completely recovered?
Was her father, who always said he was in good health and no longer spat blood, really completely well?
This thought lingered in Jiang Mian's mind, disturbing her so much that she tossed and turned in bed at night and couldn't fall asleep. But in order not to let Jiang Zhiqing worry, she didn't dare to show any signs of it in front of her mother.
After resting at the South Beijing Posthouse for a day, they set off on their journey back to the capital again.
This time, there were many more important court officials accompanying them, and the imperial guards were there to protect them. The scale was much larger than before. The news that Emperor Beisheng had personally left the capital to greet the grand scribe of the Sheng Kingdom, Li Bingjun, in Luozhou had naturally spread.
Maybe only a small number of people had heard about it before, but now the news was completely confirmed.
Along with the spread of this news, there was also the folk saying -
Whoever gets Li Bingjun gets the world!
The Li family in Luozhou had chosen Emperor Beisheng in this north - south struggle. The situation in the Great Sheng was probably going to change because of this!
Amidst all the speculations, Jiang Mian returned to the bustling capital with her parents smoothly and moved into the mansion that Xiao Tianchi had prepared for their family -
The former Prince Mu's Mansion, now the Prince Li's Mansion!