The emperor angrily pointed at Yi Qing but finally failed to say a single word.
"You shouldn't shy away from medical treatment when it comes to this kind of thing. Come on, let me feel your pulse, Your Majesty." Yi Qing said generously.
"No need." The emperor flicked his sleeve and placed his arm firmly on the table. "I've been swamped with official business lately. I've simply had no time to attend to matters in the harem."
"Oh, not even daring to give it a try. Your Majesty, you've got a mental ailment." Yi Qing looked at him sympathetically.
Knowing full well that he would be infuriated by Yi Qing, the emperor still provoked himself. "I bet the princess will send an ugly girl to your general's mansion someday, and you'll have to look at her every day."
"Beauty or ugliness lies in the heart. If the inner ugliness can be reflected on the face, it'll save me a lot of trouble." Yi Qing looked relaxed.
"Don't think I don't know. You must be behind this." The emperor said firmly.
"If I don't do it, then I'll leave it to Your Majesty. Anyway, I don't count on General Xiao to stabilize the border or anything." Yi Qing shrugged indifferently.
The emperor was cornered by the threat. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
Yi Qing turned around and left.
"Come back." The emperor paced down from his seat. "I've been having a bit of a sore throat lately. Take a look for me." He sat down on a chair beside.
Yi Qing stifled a laugh. This emperor could be so coy when he wanted to.
She went over to feel the emperor's pulse. His body had almost recovered. "I'll write a prescription for Your Majesty. Taking a few doses of the medicine will do the trick."
The emperor looked at Yi Qing in surprise. "I'm really ill."
"I think Your Majesty is just too idle and irritable. How about taking a few doses of coptis decoction? It'll clear your mind and refresh your spirit." Yi Qing joked.
"Get out of here." The emperor knew Yi Qing was teasing him again.
"Sure thing." Yi Qing scurried away quickly.
This time, she finally managed to leave the palace smoothly. But at the palace gate, she saw the princess. Her ceremonial carriage and entourage had been confiscated by the emperor, and even her special canopy had been replaced with an ordinary umbrella. However, her imposing manner remained unchanged, looking like a peacock that had been plucked bald.
"Yi Qing!" The princess gritted her teeth and called out.
"Your Highness." Yi Qing bowed slightly. "Does Your Highness want me to give you a ride? I'm sorry. My carriage is too small. I'm afraid it'll do Your Highness an injustice. Your Highness must never lose her dignity..."
"Yi Qing!" The princess interrupted Yi Qing. "I'm telling you, no matter how ugly my daughter is, she will definitely marry into the general's mansion. You can forget about it." After saying that, she turned around and left.
The princess's mansion had sent another carriage. It was as luxurious as the imperial ceremonial carriage, only without the royal insignia.
Yi Qing looked at the carriage from the princess's mansion and thought to herself that the princess was really rich.
"What on earth has Ruo Hong been keeping an eye on for so long?" Yi Qing said crossly. "Let's go home."
Since neither Qin Miao nor Qin Qian could change the princess's mind, Yi Qing had no choice but to go after the princess herself. After all, for a family, being in good order was the most important thing.
When she returned to the mansion, a young woman was waiting at the gate of the general's mansion. Yi Qing thought the woman looked lively and wondered if she was one of the romantic debts that Xiao Jinghan had incurred somewhere.
Suddenly, she felt something was amiss. She turned her head and took a closer look. "Lu Youming?"
"Yes." Lu Youming bowed. "Thank you, Madam, for the medicine. After taking one dose, my mother felt much less pain. I'm here to report for duty."
"You don't have to be in such a hurry. Wait until your mother recovers."
"I'm in a hurry to get an advance on my salary." Lu Youming gave a flattering smile.
This was the first time Yi Qing had encountered someone who asked for money so directly. She motioned for Sang Sang to give Lu Youming twenty taels of silver. "I happen to have something for you to do."
Lu Youming hesitated after taking the silver. "It's not enough."
"How much do you want?" Yi Qing wondered if she had hired a money - guzzling beast.
"A hundred taels. I pawned my mother's things before. It was the token of love between my father and my mother. If I don't redeem it..." Lu Youming looked embarrassed.
Yi Qing let out a sigh. "Go and call Jushuang out. Go and redeem the things with her."
Only then did Lu Youming feel relieved. Actually, she wasn't sure if a hundred taels would be enough. "What does Madam want me to do?"
Yi Qing leaned closer to Lu Youming and whispered, "The princess's two daughters have a strange disease. After contracting it, they will become extremely ugly, and this disease is contagious. You should spread this news quietly without being traced."
"Don't worry, Madam. It's a piece of cake." Lu Youming was most adept at this kind of thing.
"Go ahead. You don't have to look for me in a hurry. From now on, you can work for me outside the mansion." Yi Qing instructed.
There were so many people keeping an eye on her general's mansion, and even the maids by her side were being watched closely. It was really difficult for her to handle some things personally.
"Yes." Lu Youming bowed.
Jushuang took Lu Youming to the pawnshop. Jushuang knew the pawnshop best and it would be easier for her to redeem the things.
Ke Shanlong kept thinking about the woman he had met today. He always felt that she was very familiar. Suddenly, he had an epiphany. She should be the maid Sang Sang who had been sent to warm his bed. Later, because she was pregnant, she stopped serving him, and he had forgotten about her.
"Go and invite Madam here." Ke Shanlong ordered.
Madam Ke was about the same age as Ke Shanlong. She was a bit plump and looked well - rounded, but the sharp look in the corners of her eyes showed that she was no easy person.
She was originally a concubine's daughter from the Duke Mu's mansion. After marrying Ke Shanlong, she was adopted as the legitimate daughter. She considered herself the legitimate daughter of the Duke Mu's mansion, but in other people's eyes, she was still just a concubine's daughter.
"My lord." Madam Ke bowed, but her eyes involuntarily glanced elsewhere.
"I remember there was a maid named Sang Sang in the mansion. Is she still in the mansion?" Ke Shanlong didn't even look at Madam Mu directly.
"There are so many maids in the mansion. How would I know which one you're talking about, my lord?" Madam Mu said sarcastically.
Ke Shanlong was not a man who was addicted to women. He only regarded women as playthings. He would accept them all, but would not miss them when they left. Madam Mu had long known his nature. Since she couldn't control him, she simply didn't bother. As long as she was still the mistress of the Ke family, that was enough.
"I remember she was pregnant. It concerns the bloodline of the Ke family. How could you not remember, Madam?" Ke Shanlong said calmly. Their relationship had long been estranged. They were just living under the same roof.
"There are so many children of my lord in the backyard. With my lord's salary, we simply can't afford to raise them all. I've had no time to take care of them all. I really don't know which one you're talking about." Madam Mu really couldn't remember.
Those women who were pregnant with Ke Shanlong's children had been dealt with by Madam Mu if she could. For those she couldn't deal with but were obedient, after they gave birth to the children and if her lord still didn't pay any attention, she would send them away, out of sight and out of mind.
Madam Mu was threatening Ke Shanlong, letting him know that the glory of this mansion was maintained by her.
"Madam Mu!" Ke Shanlong finally got a bit angry. "I don't interfere in the matters of the backyard, but if it concerns the bloodline of the Ke family, not even you can act recklessly."
Seeing that Ke Shanlong was angry, Madam Mu softened her tone a bit. "Since my lord is so concerned, I'll go and check. I'll give my lord an explanation."