Chapter 476: Hope to Travel Together
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation | Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
When Su Ying woke up, she found Zhou Qing standing guard outside her door with two dark circles under her eyes.
“Your Imperial Highness, you are awake. I will bring water for the Your imperial Highness to wash up.” Before Su Ying could say anything, Zhou Qing ran off enthusiastically.
In the blink of an eye, she returned to the room with a basin of water to help Su
Ying wash up.
“You didn’t sleep last night?”
Of course, Zhou Qing didn’t dare to tell Su Ying that she was worried about Xiao Jin and that was why she stood guard outside the door for the entire night.
“After I fell ill, I fell asleep for a few days and now I couldn’t sleep. I was worried that Your Imperial Highness might need something at night, so I kept
watch all the while.”
“1 have never needed anything when I wake up at night. There’s no need to do
this next time.”
Zhou Qing murmured her acknowledgment repeatedly.
Su Ying washed up and changed into a clean dress. “Where’s that Lord Siao from the capital city?” Xiao Jin told outsiders his surname was Siao.
“Your Imperial Highness, is His Lordship an official sent by the capital city to deal with the disaster?”
Su Ying answered with a nod, “Yes.”
“His Lordship went to the study with Lord Wei at night and hasn’t returned
yet.”
Su Ying thought that Xiao Jin had probably gone to deal with the disaster.
The caretaker sent someone to bring breakfast over. Today, there were three dishes, one soup, and a plate of freshly steamed meat buns.
Su Ying picked up the meat bun and took a bite. She suddenly missed Uncle Hea’s cooking badly. She didn’t know how many days she would have to wait before she could taste his cooking again.
Just as she was about to start on the dumplings after finishing the plate of buns, a maidservant came to report that Zhou Xiangrong wanted to see her.
Su Ying swallowed the dumpling and told the maidservant to let the visitor in. Zhou Xiangrong was still wearing the same dress she wore yesterday. It looked a little wrinkled, but it still did not detract from her elegant bearing. From afar, she appeared as beautiful and gentle as a lotus flower.
“Your humble servant pays her respects to Your Imperial Highness.”
Su Ying picked up another dumpling and put it into her mouth as she signaled
for Zhou Xiangrong to rise.
Zhou Xiangrong raised her eyes to look at Su Ying and there was a faint tinge of reverence in her eyes. “I came here today to tell Your Imperial Highness that the reason I was able to cure the plague victims was because I obtained the only single extant copy of a book. It so happened that this single extant copy had records of that plague.”
Su Ying’s expression froze, and her gaze locked squarely on Zhou Xiangrong’s face. The more Su Ying looked at her face, the more she felt that Zhou Xiangrong was the person who had collapsed outside the capital city. “What single extant copy?”
Zhou Xiangrong took out a booklet and presented it to Su Ying.
Zhou Qing took the booklet and handed it to Su Ying.
Su Ying motioned for Zhou Qing to put the booklet aside. She would read it after she was full. Meals were very important to her, and she didn’t like to be interrupted during mealtimes.
Zhou Xiangrong merely stood there with a submissive expression. She did not show the slightest bit of displeasure at Su Ying ignoring her.
After she was full, Su Ying put down her chopsticks and picked up that single extant copy to read.
There was a bookmark in that single extant copy, and the location of this bookmark was the page that recorded the plague.
Su Ying read it carefully. The symptoms of the illness recorded on it were indeed similar to that of a plague. There was also a treatment prescription that was exactly the same as the one Zhou Xiangrong had written out for her.
This proved that Zhou Xiangrong was not lying.
“Then do you know any medical skills?” Su Ying asked after closing the book. “Your Imperial Highness, I have some medical knowledge, but my skills are not considered very good.”
“Where did you learn your medical skills?”
“Your Imperial Highness, my father has never liked me since I was young. I was brought up by my nanny. My nanny had some medical knowledge and taught me some. I was also very interested in this topic. After I grew up, I also learned some medical skills in secret from other people.”
There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with this explanation.
“You’re quite bold. You only know a little and based on a single extant copy of a book, you dare to enter the infected area to give people medical treatment.” Zhou Xiangrong said with a determined expression, “Your Imperial Highness, although I do not have much experience, I know how much harm this plague will bring to the people. I hope to contribute to the kingdom and do something for the people, so I came here brazenly. Please forgive my recklessness, Your Imperial Highness.”
Honest, humble, yet not servile or arrogant. She was quite different from those delicate young girls in the capital city.
This was Su Ying’s most direct impression of Zhou Xiangrong.
“Regardless of whether it’s because you saw the method to cure the plague from the single extant copy of the book, you have cured the people in the city. It is considered a contribution on your part. I will reward you well. Speak now. What do you want?”
Zhou Xiangrong replied softly, “Thank you, Your Imperial Highness. It is my honor to be able to share your worries. I dare not claim credit for this. I just wonder if you will let me follow you when Your Imperial Highness returns to the capital city? I have already been out for some time. It’s time to return to the capital city.”
Su Ying didn’t refuse. “Sure.”
“Thank you, Your Imperial Highness.”
“By the way, when did you leave the capital city?” Su Ying pretended to ask casually.
Zhou Xiangrong answered without any change in her expression, Your Imperial Highness, it was two months ago.”
Two months ago? That timing was different from the time Su Ying left the city. Su Ying remembered that the woman who had collapsed to the ground was injured. Even if her skin had healed, it would not be able to revert to its original condition. There would definitely be scars left behind. She planned to find an opportunity to verify this.
“If there’s nothing else, I will not disrupt you from resting, Your Imperial Highness. I will take my leave now.”
“You may leave.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”
“Your Imperial Highness, who is this Miss Zhou?” Zhou Qing looked at Zhou Xiangrong’s back profile as she left and asked with a baffled look.
“The Eldest Young Miss of Marquis Bo An’s Residence.
“Why is the Eldest Young Miss of the Marquis’s Residence here?”
“She’s here to give the people medical treatment. The plague victims in the city were cured by her.”
Zhou Qing was very surprised. Could plague victims be cured so easily?
Su Ying picked up the single extant copy and started reading again. She felt that something was not quite right about this matter, but everything seemed to make sense. Perhaps she really was overthinking things.
Zhou Xiangrong returned to her room and closed the door behind her.
The moment the door closed, her gentle-looking eyes gradually sank. She no longer appeared as gentle as she was earlier. Rather, a look of shrewd cunning emerged on her face.
She did not expect that the Empress would still be alive, much less meet her here. This was really… excellent…
In the study room…
Xiao Jin had summoned all the officials of various ranks in Luo City to this place. From the night before until now, he made them explain the current situation in Luo City to him one by one.
These minor officials all knew that Xiao Jin was a high-ranking official from the capital city and did not dare to act rashly. They explained the situation to Xiao Jin in detail.
Right now, the drought in Luo City was still not under control. As long as it did not rain, the drought would continue. More and more people in the surrounding areas would be affected by the drought. This was an urgent problem that needed to be solved.
After thoroughly understanding the situation in Luo City, Xiao Jin only told them to prepare more places to accommodate the disaster victims who might continue to come to Luo City. He also told them to ensure that the people had sufficient drinking water.
After the discussion, Xiao Jin dismissed all the other officials, leaving only Wei Zhongming.
Wei Zhongming’s eyes lit up. He thought that Xiao Jin was going to entrust him with an important task.
“My Lord, if you have any other instructions, just say it. I will do my best to carry it out..”