The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 1115 - 194: Cancel

Chapter 1115: Chapter 194: Cancel

The Emperor pondered, not yet decided, when Aunt Shang already hastened over from behind and knelt, saying, "Your Majesty, the Empress has awakened. Knowing that the Crown Prince and Your Majesty wish to grant clemency to all under heaven, she became somewhat anxious. Her Majesty says she understands this is the Crown Prince’s filial piety and Your Majesty’s kindness, but if this leads to the release of vicious people back into the populace, and if they harm others again in the future, then it would be her fault. Therefore, Her Majesty asks Your Majesty to rescind the decree."

The Emperor glanced at the Crown Prince, then turned and said, "I shall go see the Empress."

The Crown Prince immediately followed, and upon seeing this, the Third Prince also started to follow.

The Princes and Princesses immediately flocked toward the rear palace, and Manbao looked towards Imperial Doctor Zheng.

Imperial Doctor Zheng made a gesture with his eyes, signaling her to follow.

Director Xiao led the imperial doctors over as well; the Empress had woken up, and they all needed to check on her condition.

The Empress felt much more spirited after her sleep, although she still coughed from time to time, it had lessened significantly compared to before.

Director Xiao took her pulse and then stepped aside to let the Emperor and the Empress talk.

He nodded slightly to his subordinates, giving his approval of Manbao’s acupuncture technique.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The Empress was speaking with the Emperor, opposing the idea of granting clemency to all under heaven. Firstly, she felt that pardoning criminals, especially those sentenced to death, was a defiance of the law; secondly, she deemed it unnecessary.

She knew her own body, and she didn’t believe in Buddhism or Taoism.

The Emperor believed in Buddhism, but seeing the Empress firmly opposed, he could only sigh dejectedly and agreed to cancel the edict. So, he looked at Gu Zhong, instructing him to find Wei Zhi, telling him there was no need to draft the decree.

Although it was likely that he hadn’t started writing it, but instead was writing a memorial admonishing him.

Seeing him agree, the Empress finally showed a smile, and only then turned to look at the Crown Prince, chiding him, "You’re already of such age, yet lacking in steadiness, resorting to desperate measures when ill at ease."

The Crown Prince lowered his head to admit his mistake.

The Third Prince then approached and said, "Mother, your son will copy scriptures to offer before the Buddha for your longevity, is that okay?"

The Empress smiled at him, "You are thoughtful, your mother understands your intentions. Once the Grand Empress Dowager’s thousand autumn anniversary is passed, you’ll have to go take up your viceroyalty. I’m afraid you have much to busy yourself with during this time."

The Third Prince’s eyes then reddened, as he grasped her hand, "Mother, with you being this ill, your son truly worries. Father, please allow me to stay in the palace to serve Mother until her health improves, and then I can leave."

The Emperor nodded, about to agree when he heard the Empress’s gentle yet firm voice, "No."

The Third Prince looked towards the Empress with teary eyes.

The Empress gently ran her fingers through his hair, softly saying, "My illness is an old affliction that flares up from time to time; indeed, there’s no need to worry. You’ve grown up and are a father now; you can’t be willful and act like a child anymore."

She said, "It’s time for you to go out and gain experience, manage your fiefdom well, and later when Mother has time, I’ll bring your brothers and sisters to visit you."

The Emperor nodded, "That’s right, Sanlang, hold back your tears. What kind of behavior is this, crying like that before your mother?"

Sanlang felt extremely wronged inside; what started as feigned tears had now turned genuine, and so his eyes reddened more.

Manbao watched with great interest on the side, eliciting several glances from Director Xiao.

Imperial Doctor Zheng, standing beside her, was extremely anxious and covertly stepped forward to tug at her sleeve, signaling her to behave and quickly bow her head to act invisible.

Manbao then lowered her head and listlessly stared at her own toes, though her ears perked up.

The affection between the Imperial Family’s father and children was, in fact, quite boring to hear, but upon closer thought, it seemed very interesting.

Manbao listened with her left ear to the conversations of the emperors, empresses, princes, and princesses above, and with her right ear to the whispered discussions of Director Xiao and the others. No one was asking her questions now, nor was anyone talking to her, so she could seriously focus on thinking about her toes.

The Emperor was a father who felt compassion for his children; he almost agreed as soon as the Third Prince began to cry.

But the Empress was clearly on the side of the Crown Prince, insisting that the Third Prince go to govern his fief. The other princes and princesses were also very interesting. Although it was just a brief moment of less than a quarter of an hour, basically, anyone who spoke had a bias; surprisingly, most were in favor of the Third Prince, pleading with the Empress for him to stay.

Once again, Manbao couldn’t help but stealthily glance at the Crown Prince, wondering if he, as an elder brother, had failed so badly that so many younger brothers and sisters stood with the Third Prince.

It was only after their lengthy farewells that the Emperor noticed them waiting on the side, and he waved them away.

Manbao’s legs were a bit sore from standing; it was her first time standing so still for such a long time. She felt a bit numb and weak when she took her first step.

Director Xiao and the others, who were much older than her, showed no sign of shaky legs as they performed their courtesies and backed out.

Following behind them, Manbao stepped out of the Lizheng Dian and kicked her feet a bit, shaking them to get rid of the numbness.

Not to mention Eunuch Wu, who followed out, even Director Xiao was startled by her actions. But before he could say anything, Manbao had already asked him, "Director Xiao, are we heading to your home right away?"

Director Xiao: "...There’s no rush; I still haven’t finished my duties. We’ll go at the hour of You. You can come to my house then."

"I don’t have an entry card for your house."

Director Xiao replied, "I’ll have finished work and be home by then, you won’t need an entry card to visit."

Manbao nodded, "Alright, then I’ll come to find you at the hour of You."

Once they had settled the matter, Manbao sought out Young Manager Zheng and also greeted Imperial Doctor Zheng, "Imperial Doctor Zheng, I’ll be leaving the palace first."

Imperial Doctor Zheng quickly responded, eager to get rid of this little ancestor as soon as possible.

Director Xiao then said to him with a smile: "After I finish work, you should come over too, Imperial Doctor Zheng. She is a member of the Zheng Family, you should be well-informed about her medical skills."

Imperial Doctor Zheng smiled and agreed, but inwardly he snorted: Of course, he knew well enough; at any rate, she wouldn’t be too bad.

Eunuch Wu escorted Manbao out of the palace gates, giving her detailed instructions along the way: "Young Doctor Zhou, the next time you enter the palace, don’t be like you were today."

Manbao reflected for a moment, feeling that her behavior today had been quite good, and quickly asked, "What did I do wrong? I thought I was very careful."

"Ah yo, this is careful? If you were careless, wouldn’t you have turned the sky upside down?" Eunuch Wu covered his mouth after saying this, looked around, and then lowered his voice, "When you enter the palace next time, keep your head down and just look at your own toes. Don’t raise your head unless the nobles ask you to. Actions like stretching your legs are definitely not allowed, and most importantly, don’t interrupt when the masters are speaking."

Eunuch Wu patted his chest and said, "Back at Lizheng Dian, you almost scared my little heart out of my chest. It was terrifying."

Manbao hesitated: "Then, should I take your pulse for you?"

Eunuch Wu: "... Never mind, I can’t afford it."