Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 1022 - 1020_1

Chapter 1022: Chapter 1020_1

The director of the Imperial Hospital, despite harboring his own contempt internally, had long since mastered the art of concealing his thoughts after years of serving as an imperial doctor. His demeanor was always respectful and obsequious.

He quickly made out a prescription and gently applied the medicine to the Empress Dowager.

Shangguan Xuanyi softly took Xiao’er’s hand, worried that she might feel upset because of the Empress Dowager’s words.

Xiao’er lifted her head and smiled slightly at him. She wouldn’t feel upset over the Empress Dowager’s casual words. There were too many things in her heart that deserved to be cherished, and there was simply no room for the petty difficulties imposed on her by insignificant people.

After her treatment, the Empress Dowager finally remembered the young girl who had saved her from a nasty fall.

She turned to her son and asked, "Emperor, just now a girl saved my life. Who is she? Where is she now?"

The Emperor didn’t know who the girl was. As soon as he heard about the Empress Dowager’s injury, he had rushed directly to the Cining Palace. He knew that the Empress would handle everything, so he turned to her for an answer.

"Mother, that girl is Master Ruan’s daughter. She is currently in the flower hall," the Empress answered immediately when the Emperor turned to her. The couple always had a deep understanding of each other.

Xiao’er recalled the challenging look that Fang Wanping had given her in the Imperial Garden, and she had not missed the fleeting provocation in her eyes.

Did she really think that she could challenge her just because she saved the Empress Dowager? What a joke! It wasn’t the Empress Dowager who had always protected her in this world!

However, Wanping really did risk everything this time. In order to save the Empress Dowager, she had scraped her elbows and knees and had a rib broken by the Empress Dowager’s weight!

Indeed, fortune favors the brave. She was someone who always knew how to seize the opportunity, even if she had to create one herself!

Xiao’er knew Wanping had her sights set on Liu Zhiwen and Brother Ri, so she had arranged for people to keep an eye on Wanping’s movements. As soon as Wanping tried to approach Liu Zhiwen, her people would find a way to obstruct her.

As for Brother Ri, Xiao’er wasn’t worried. Brother Ri was heavily guarded, not anyone could enter his heart!

"Master Ruan? Princess Xian, do you have a younger sister?" The Empress Dowager turned to Ruan Weizhen upon hearing this.

Ruan Weizhen stepped forward and paid her respects before answering, "Your Majesty, I am an only child in my family, with only older and younger brothers. I don’t have a sister. The Master Ruan that mother mentioned is not my father."

In the Imperial Capital, the Ruan surname was a rarity. The Empress Dowager knew that among the officials in the Imperial Court, only Master Ruan of Shuntian Mansion bore that name. She was puzzled, "If not your father, then who is he?"

"Mother, that Master Ruan was transferred from a local post, he is now a middle-ranking officer in the Ministry of Personnel." The Emperor had a vague impression of this Master Ruan, so he offered a possible answer.

A middle-ranking officer in the Ministry of Personnel, so the girl was the daughter of a fifth-rank official! That was a rather low rank.

"What is the young lady’s name? Summon her, I would like to meet her," the Empress Dowager requested.

"The young lady is called Ruan Wanping. She broke a rib and can’t move easily. If Mother wishes to see her, I can have people carry her in. How about that?"

Broke a rib? She actually managed to break someone’s ribs by sitting on them! If she had fallen directly onto the floor, wouldn’t her pelvis have shattered? The Empress Dowager felt a surge of gratitude towards Wanping. If it weren’t for her, the Empress Dowager’s old bones would have been scattered about, and she might have met her ancestors by now!

"Since she is injured, let her rest and heal. She can meet us after her injury has recovered," the Empress Dowager said after some thought.

Even though she couldn’t meet the one who had saved her life right now, the Empress Dowager certainly wouldn’t forget to reward her. Thus, she ordered her servants to prepare a multitude of tonics to send to Wanping.

Once the Empress Dowager had bestowed her rewards, the Emperor and Empress naturally couldn’t lag behind. They also gifted her with a few tonics.

Upon seeing this, Prince An said, "Miss Ruan saved my mother’s life, and I am deeply grateful. I’ll send some tonics to her when I go back to my mansion to help her recover."

The Empress Dowager was pleased to hear this, and then she turned her gaze onto her grandsons.

Just as Shangguan Xuanhao and Shangguan Xuanjun were about to mention their own rewards, they felt a jab in the back and decided to remain silent.

Shangguan Xuanyi stood expressionlessly, showing no reaction. He had no fondness for Wanping and there was no reason for him to reward her.

He did not believe that she had saved the Empress Dowager out of pure kindness. Rather than saying she had a well-intentioned heart, it would be more accurate to say she was calculating!

Shangguan Ruixi initially wanted to mention some reward as well, but seeing the inaction of the three brothers, he also decided to hold his tongue.

The Empress Dowager noticed that her grandsons had no reaction at all and she couldn’t help but let out a small cough.

Shangguan Xuanhao sneaked a glance at Shangguan Xuanyi and saw his stony expression. He immediately realized that there was something fishy about Wanping’s "selfless" act of saving the Empress Dowager.

Indeed, Shangguan Xuanyi was the wealthiest among the brothers. Since he hadn’t offered a reward, of course the poorest one, himself, wouldn’t do so either. He’d rather keep his money to provide a dowry for his own daughter!

Shangguan Xuanjun and Shangguan Ruixi thought the same and chose to ignore the Empress Dowager’s hint.

The Empress Dowager felt helpless. She couldn’t outright command her grandsons to give rewards to others!

Oh well, the next time she called Wanping in for an audience, she would give her more rewards.

----

Wanping was lying in the flower hall outside, accompanied by Mrs. Ruan and Ruan Yanhong.

Mrs. Ruan and Yanhong were feeling conflicted. Now that Wanping had saved the Empress Dowager, wouldn’t they flaunt their connection with the Empress Dowager in the mansion?

Even Master Ruan would have to show them respect!

Were Wanping and her mother specialists in saving people? Her own mother-in-law had saved her husband’s life years ago, and now her daughter had saved the Empress Dowager’s life. How come she couldn’t see their supposed kindness? Mrs. Ruan thought bitterly.

At this moment, the rewards from the Empress Dowager, Emperor, and Empress arrived. They were quite substantial. Wanping listened blissfully as the eunuch counted off the gifts.

After the eunuch finished, Mrs. Ruan and Yanhong knelt down to express their thanks. As Wanping was about to rise to do the same, the broken rib caused her to cry out in pain. The eunuch promptly interrupted, "Miss Ruan, you’re injured, so there’s no need to get up."

"I offer thanks for the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress’s generous gifts," Wanping said, raising her head slightly from the floor as a sign of respect.

Afterwards, she added, "Eunuch, saving the Empress Dowager was my duty, and it does not deserve such generous rewards from the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress. If possible, I’d like to thank them personally, is that okay?"

Wanping wanted to express her gratitude in person because she worried that after the Emperor and the Empress Dowager rewarded her, they might forget her. She wanted to make a lasting impression on them.

"Well, ...I will relay your request to them," said the eunuch who served the Empress Dowager after some thought.

"Thank you, Eunuch," replied Wanping.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.