mtl008 Chapter 172 Smart Woman
Chapter 172 Smart Woman
An Lingrong just smiled faintly, "Your Highness, you're worrying too much. Your Highness, the Peach Blossom Dew is made with daffodils. I thought your Highness was used to the strong fragrance of Huanyi Incense, so I chose the fresh fragrance of daffodils.
Concubine Fang's peach blossom dew is infused with sweet violets. Concubine Fang inevitably gets tired from handling palace affairs, so she chose violets to relax her mind.
Concubine Duan often suffers from chronic illnesses, so she chose the elegant and pleasant scent of jasmine; Princess Xinhe is young, so she chose the sweet and fragrant lily, and so on."
Concubine Jing's eyes lit up, "There's such a clever idea. I can't wait to go back and try it out."
"Empress Qian, does my peach blossom dew have the fragrance of lotus?" Ling Changzai asked.
An Lingrong nodded in surprise, "And the sweet and rich scent of gardenia."
Xinpin clapped her hands, "She emerges from the mud without being stained, and washes in the clear water without being coquettish. Doesn't it fit the title of Ling Changzai, which means spiritual, elegant, charming, and like an immortal or a demon."
Ling Chang's cheeks flushed red as she looked at An Lingrong with joy in her eyes. She knelt and said, "Your Majesty's ingenuity is beyond my ability to repay you. I hope I can consult with Your Majesty Qian about spices someday."
An Lingrong's heart sank, but she still smiled. "Of course, I can do that. I just have to call Doctor Zhang. I'm so grateful for his guidance."
Lou Yong'er had no intention of watching the two of them going back and forth, and fell into deep thought again.
"Concubine Qian is really thoughtful. No wonder the emperor always likes to visit the Yanx Palace recently." Concubine Wen said casually.
An Lingrong's heart began to beat again, "The Emperor always likes to visit the princesses and princes in the various palaces."
......
In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly.
Hongxuan was tired from running and fell asleep on the beauty couch next to Bingjian. Jiang Ruyin ordered someone to move Bingjian away and covered Hongxuan's waist with a piece of soft and breathable material before she felt relieved.
Chen Xun hurried over under the scorching sun.
Jiang Ruyin made a hushing gesture, left Suochun to accompany Hongxuan, and went back to the main hall with Fuqiu and Chen Xun.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am late. I will accept your punishment." Chen Xun bowed deeply and said respectfully.
Jiang Ruyin sat back on the couch, holding her chin as she fiddled with the unfinished chess game. "Get up. Don't be in a hurry. Just tell me why. If you can explain it well, I won't punish you."
Chen Xun lowered his head, a smile appearing on his face before he even opened his mouth. "To answer your Majesty's question, a month ago my mother bought a few maids on the street. One of them accidentally saved my mother's life. I asked her what she wanted, and she said she wanted to be free. I did as she said. Today, before entering the palace, I met her on the street. She was selling handkerchiefs and purses, and was being harassed by a bully."
Hearing this, Jiang Ruyin thought it was some kind of hero-saving-beauty drama, and then he continued:
"The bully looked quite rude, but the girl tried to persuade him. First, she said, 'I noticed you smelled of bitter herbs, and there was still black mud under your fingernails, so I thought you were some kind person.' Second, she said, 'You came to my stall to cause trouble, but you only kicked the wooden shelves a few times, not even getting your handkerchief or purse dirty. You must be a kind-hearted person.' Third, she said, 'Your eyes are dark and your brow is furrowed. Are you in trouble? You're not really trying to make things difficult for me, but I sincerely want to help you. I was once a slave, but I was able to escape and become a free man thanks to the kindness of others. Now I have some ability, so how can I help you?'"
Jiang Ruyin also became slightly interested. "And then?"
Chen Xun smiled broadly. "I've always been in the habit of arriving at the palace early, so I deliberately watched a little longer. The man was stunned at first, then tears welled up in his eyes, as if he had something to hide. He waved his hand and tried to leave. The woman packed up her stall and ran after him, and I followed her. It turned out that the man was a dockworker, and his mother was seriously ill and the expenses were huge, so he took the job. I had nothing better to do, so I suggested we go take a look. It turned out that his mother's illness wasn't a difficult one, but she was just being overcharged by the clinic. After I gave her acupuncture, she felt much better on the spot. The woman took out a headband and said she hadn't found a chance to give it to me, so she forced it on me. Then I realized I had wasted time and hurried back to the palace."
The plot after this was a bit clichéd. Jiang Ruyin nodded and spoke leisurely:
"If it were me, as soon as you followed him to a secluded place, I would have a man knock you unconscious and then kill you or frame you with a crime so that you could never enter the palace again."
Chen Xun was shocked and quickly apologized.
Jiang Ruyin just smiled and waved him to get up, "What do you think of this woman?"
"If you have wisdom, courage, and a skill, you will be able to live a peaceful life as long as no one deliberately makes things difficult for you." Chen Xun thought for a moment and answered quickly without hesitation.
Jiang Ruyin dropped the child and chuckled, "You are over thirty years old and still unmarried. I guess you haven't even had a close woman."
Chen Xun was at a loss, but he still bowed and said, "Your Majesty is right."
"You're right. No one makes things difficult for her, so she can be at peace. But human hearts are the most unpredictable. Is she pretty?" Jiang Ruyin asked again.
Chen Xun said without hesitation: "She can be called a beauty."
"That's right. Does she know that you are the royal physician?"
Chen Xun hesitated, "I think I know."
Immediately, he frowned again, "What does the Madam mean?"
“Two issues,
First: Your home is near a side gate of the Forbidden City, with only one busy street nearby, right where you must pass to enter the palace. The people on this street are all modestly wealthy, and women of such modest means tend to frequent established shops in the capital. The jewelry they wear must reflect their family's appearance, yet not be too extravagant, otherwise they'd struggle to maintain their wealth. They wouldn't buy conspicuous items like purses and silk handkerchiefs from small stalls. A woman of high social status naturally wouldn't consider the reputation of a shop when choosing jewelry, while commoners often buy low-priced jewelry from small stalls. She'd set up her stall at least two weeks ago. Why choose this place? Was her ingenuity insufficient to allow her to think this way?
Second point: She couldn't find the right time, so she chose to carry the headband with her when setting up the stall, and she gave it to you after you solved the problem. Did you feel a sense of reward?
Chen Xun opened his mouth and said, "Of course there is. What does the Queen mean?"
Jiang Ruyin spread her hands. "As you said, she is a wise woman. As long as no one deliberately makes things difficult for her, she will be able to live a peaceful life. But if someone makes things difficult for her, then she will naturally make some plans for herself."
Jiang Ruyin counted on her fingers, "She solved other people's problems, saved her own business, boosted your reputation, and alerted those behind the scenes. What a clever woman! If she's willing to be my slave, I can keep her by my side."
Chen Xun's eyes showed disappointment, "I have disappointed your Majesty."
Jiang Ruyin just smiled, "She really doesn't have any bad intentions, so you don't notice. If she did, how could you not notice it?"