Chapter 522: The Rest Of Her Life Is Ruined
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Teacher Fang hid in the dark and watched Imperial Physician Ruan walk out of Moon’s family home.
She glanced at the jade token on Imperial Physician Ruan’s waist and narrowed her eyes. Thereafter, she turned around and walked into the alley behind him. When she returned, Imperial Physician Ruan had already left.
Before she reached the house door of Moon’s family, she could hear sorrowful cries coming from inside.
She gave a scornful sneer. Then she pushed open the dilapidated house door and walked in.
Old Zhao and Mrs. Zhao were still immersed in the grief of their daughter’s misfortune. They were surprised to see someone pushing the door open and entering.
“Who… who are you?”
Teacher Fang stepped forward with red-rimmed eyes and said, “Mr. Zhao, Mrs. Zhao, I’ve let you down and also let Moon down. I didn’t protect Moon well. But… but this was arranged by the Empress. I… I didn’t dare to disobey her orders…”
Mr. and Mrs. Zhao looked at Teacher Fang in shock. Mrs. Zhao remembered that she had seen Teacher Fang in the school dormitory on the first day when she sent Moon to the academy.
“What… what do you mean by that?”
“What does Moon becoming like this have to do with the Empress? Make yourself clear!”
Teacher Fang raised her head with a sorrowful expression and said, “It’s… it’s the Empress. She set up the women’s academy just to make use of these girls to gain benefits. She wanted them to serve those young masters of aristocratic families so as to consolidate her power. She didn’t want to use the children of aristocratic families because she was worried that the matter would be exposed if something happened. As long as she chose families like yours, you guys wouldn’t be able to make a fuss. She made use of your daughters to sell their bodies!”
“What?” Mrs. Zhao’s eyes rolled back and she fainted right away.
“Mother, Mother!”
The dilapidated house was once again filled with sorrowful wails and cries.
“It’s not just Moon alone. There are other girls. They… they have all been…”
“The Empress… why… why is she so vicious? Why is she so vicious!” Mr. Zhao hammered his chest in grief. He thought that his daughter would have a different future if she went to the academy, but it never occurred to him that she would be pushed into the fire pit! If he had known earlier… If he had known earlier, he would never have let his daughter go even if he had to sell pounded rice cakes for the rest of his life!
Teacher Fang wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said while choking back her tears, “Don’t be afraid. Even if it’s the Empress, we will not let her off so easily!”
The Zhao family looked at Teacher Fang in a daze, thinking that she was joking.
Even a minor official could oppress civilians like them, much less the Empress. What could they use to fight against Her Imperial Highness the Empress?
“Don’t be afraid. Parents’ Visitation Day is coming soon. When the time comes, you can bring Moon there and work with the other girls’ families to expose this matter. On that day, the officials from the Imperial Court will also be present. After this matter is exposed, the Empress will find it difficult to hush it up even if she wants to. All of you must step forward bravely and fight for justice for your daughters!”
Teacher Fang spoke very impassionedly and her words thoroughly ignited the suppressed anger of the Zhao family members.
“Father, this teacher is right. Even if we die, we can’t just idly watch Younger Sister be bullied by beasts like this!”
“That’s right. We’re not afraid. Even if it’s the Empress, we’re also not afraid!” Mr. Zhao covered his face in anguish. That was right. What else could they lose now?
He wanted justice. He had to fight for justice!
Teacher Fang looked at their furious expressions and lowered her eyes to hide the glee in her eyes.
Imperial Physician Ruan only returned to the palace the next afternoon to report to Su Ying.
Su Ying watched Imperial Physician Ruan limping in and asked with a puzzled expression, “What happened to you, Imperial Physician Ruan?”
Imperial Physician Ruan’s aged face looked a little yellowish and he didn’t seem very energetic. “Your Imperial Highness, someone accidentally collided with my horse carriage yesterday. I fell off the horse carriage and accidentally injured my foot.”
When she heard this, Su Ying slowly sat up straight and gestured to Bai Shuang to bring the stool over for Imperial Physician Ruan to sit on.
“Who has the guts to drive a horse carriage so recklessly in the capital city?” Imperial Physician Ruan was also very puzzled. The street was relatively wide at that time, and the two horse carriages should not have collided at all.
“It’s also because I didn’t sit down properly. Your Imperial Highness need not worry. I only accidentally injured my ankle. It’s not a big deal.”
Imperial Physician Ruan was an Imperial Physician, so he knew his own condition. Thus, Su Ying did not pursue the matter further.
“Yesterday, you went to see that patient, Imperial Physician Ruan. How is she?” Imperial Physician Ruan sighed softly upon hearing this. Although his sigh was very soft, Su Ying still heard it.
“Imperial Physician, just tell me the facts.”
Imperial Physician Ruan’s hoary brows furrowed as he said, “Your Imperial Highness, that girl… I’m afraid she’s ruined.”
Su Ying frowned. “What do you mean?”
Imperial Physician Ruan was a man, so it was quite awkward for him to report this. “Well, it is because when the girl experienced her first time, she was tormented a little too roughly and her body was injured. Moreover, I saw that the girl had suffered a big shock so I prescribed some medicine to calm her nerves. But the girl refused to wake up from her nightmare. I… I have also administered acupuncture to her, but this disease afflicting the heart needs to be treated with heart therapy. I also can’t do anything about it.”
Imperial Physician Ruan’s words were rather obscure, but Su Ying still understood and stood up from her chair at once.
What did you say? How did she get sick?”
Now that he had already spoken up, Imperial Physician Ruan felt less burdened to elaborate further. He told Su Ying everything about Moon. “I told the girl’s mother to look at her body’s condition. Based on the mother’s description, I deduced that the girl was engaged in overly wild sexual intercourse. In addition, she suffered a big shock and that was why she fell ill.”
That day, Moon’s mother said that she was not in a hurry to let Moon get engaged. She wanted her to study for a few more years and then make plans when she was a little older. Yet now, she was…
The letter sent yesterday also stated that the girl had fallen ill in the academy.
Something must have happened to Moon in the academy.
Su Ying told Imperial Physician Ruan to go back and recuperate.
After he left, Su Ying’s expression turned ominous.
“Bai Shuang, immediately contact the people in the academy and tell them to investigate secretly what is going on. Remember, don’t alert the enemy.” Bai Shuang quickly excused herself after acknowledging the order.
When Xiao Jin walked into the inner hall, he saw Su Ying sitting on a chair with
a deep frown. She didn’t even react when he entered.
He walked over and sat down in front of Su Ying. Su Ying was shocked back to her senses and instinctively attacked him.
Xiao Jin swiftly reacted and dodged nimbly by turning his body sideways.
Su Ying realized it was Xiao Jin and quickly stopped her attack.
Xiao Jin held her hand in his palm. “What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
Su Ying replied after collecting herself, “Something might have happened in the academy.”
“What kind of matter can be bothering you so much? The schoolwork was too profound and the girls couldn’t learn well?”
Su Ying shook her head and told Xiao Jin about Moon.
Xiao Jin was also very shocked when he heard this.
“I’ll get Jiang Yang to secretly investigate and see what’s going on.” The guards patrolling the women’s academy were selected from the ranks of the Imperial Guards and only followed Xiao Jin’s orders.
Su Ying nodded. “The sooner the better.”
“Mm-hmm. Don’t worry. Since the matter has been discovered, we can stop it in time.”
Su Ying pursed her lips. Things were probably not as simple as they seemed..