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The medical hall's business was deserted for only one day. The next day, there were many people again. Fortunately, the injured patients who had been treated here earlier had already been discharged from the medical hall one after another.
Only Jiang Shi remained under treatment.
He was the most gravely injured patient in that accident. But just a few days ago, he successfully passed the dangerous period. He was now in good condition and new improvements could be seen every day.
His voice was also gradually recovering. Occasionally, he was able to say a few words hoarsely.
Gu Jiao had learned that his name was Jiang Shi, a native of Yu County, and he was currently twenty-one years old. His younger sister Jiang Li was eight years old.
There had been a famine in their village, which caused their parents and family to starve to death, leaving only him and his younger sister.
The two of them were bought by people and resold many times. In fact, they could be sold well if they separated, but Jiang Shi didn't want to be separated from his younger sister.
It was also a coincidence that they were sold into the capital, and he worked as an illegal worker for the yamen of the Ministry of Works.
Illegal workers weren’t paid well, but it was at least barely enough to feed his younger sister a bite.
From Jiang Shi's mouth, Gu Jiao also learned that there were many illegal workers like him, and as an illegal worker, to be able to work for the imperial court was a kind of luck. Those who failed to be bought by corrupt officials of the court were sold to some ‘shady’ small workshops, which was truly miserable.
Illegal workers had no household register or travel pass in the capital. Although the imperial court had paid for their treatment and made up for their wages, they all had to leave the capital when they recovered.
Gu Jiao set up the infusion for Jiang Shi today.
Jiang Li wasn’t in the ward. She went to the lobby to help.
The little girl had become familiar with the people in the medical hall. Knowing that the people here wouldn’t hurt her, she gradually let down her guard, and even provided assistance when there were many guests.
Today, she was helping to pack medicine bags. Her hands and feet were not very nimble, but she was quite meticulous in her work.
While Gu Jiao was observing Little Jiang Li, Physician Song suddenly came up, smiled and said, "The little girl works very hard, and she knows a lot of medicinal herbs. She’s much better than me when I was her age."
Just then, a carriage arrived outside the medical hall.
All four imperial guards accompanying the carriage sat atop tall horses, and at first glance, one could tell that the person within the carriage had extraordinary identity.
Sure enough, when the carriage curtain was lifted, a beautiful young lady stepped down.
Who was it If not Rui Wangfei?
Rui Wangfei last met Gu Jiao on the stone arch bridge during the day of the New Year, and they never saw each other again after that.
She got off the carriage with the help of two court ladies, and then waved her hand impatiently, "Alright, stop supporting me, I'm not without hands and feet!"
"But Your Highness should be careful." Court Lady Xu said.
Rui Wangfei ignored her and stepped into the lobby. When she saw Gu Jiao, she smiled and called out, "Young Miss Gu!"
Gu Jiao nodded slightly.
Rui Wangfei looked around, walked up to her and took Gu Jiao's hand, "Is it convenient to sit in your courtyard?"
"Sure." Gu Jiao then said to Physician Song, "I’ll leave things here to you."
"En." Physician Song responded and then bowed to Rui Wangfei in salute.
The patients here didn’t know the identity of the other person, but he did.
Rui Wangfei didn't pay much attention to him and went to Gu Jiao’s small courtyard with her.
The two people took their seats.
Gu Jiao poured her a cup of tea.
Instead of drinking the tea, Rui Wangfei said, "I'm sorry that I haven't come to see you for so long. When I returned home from the palace that day, I also just found out that I was pregnant. My grannie won't let me go out, locking me up for two months!"
The grannie was also just following the meaning of Imperial Concubine Yu. She had to wait for three months before her pregnancy could be announced and she could go out.
"Congratulations." Gu Jiao said.
A little bashfulness swept across Rui Wangfei's face, "I've been married to His Highness for several years, and this is my first child. Please help me check how my pulse is."
Gu Jiao examined her pulse and declared, "Your pulse is very stable."
Rui Wangfei rarely showed an innocent smile, "The imperial physician said the same thing, but I don't trust what those imperial physicians say. I only trust your words!"
Thinking of something, she added, "By the way, I haven't thanked you for what happened last time. If you hadn't asked me to make preparations in advance, I couldn't have saved those who fell into the river."
Gu Jiao replied, "I simply told you. It was you who believed my words and saved them. The credit is all yours. There’s no need to thank me."
Rui Wangfei gaped her mouth, "Ah..."
How should she respond to this?
Gu Jiao calmly asked, "Are you here today just to have your pulse examined and thank me?"
Rui Wangfei smiled wryly, "Actually, there is something else. I’d like to ask you for a house visit. I know this is too abrupt, and I should have told you earlier, but it was only when I entered the palace today to greet His Majesty and the Empress that I accidentally got the news. I am not at ease to ask others."
Gu Jiao had always been someone amenable to coaxing but not coercion.
If Rui Wangfei pressured her with her status, she would immediately refuse, but Rui Wangfei just looked at her with a pair of deer-like eyes. Gu Jiao could only sigh and agreed.
"You’re the best!" Rui Wangfei took Gu Jiao into her carriage.
The object of Gu Jiao's house visit was an Imperial Concubine Dowager of the current dynasty. This Imperial Concubine Dowager did not live in the palace, but in a Buddhist monastery near the Puji Temple.
They also needed to cross the river to get there.
The hanging bridge had been repaired, but carriages could only cross to the other side using the stone arch bridge.
The carriage stopped outside the monastery.
The two people got off the carriage.
Rui Wangfei asked her court ladies to wait outside, and then took Gu Jiao into the monastery.
This monastery wasn’t big, and there were not many Buddhist nuns either. So far, they only saw two.
"Is the Imperial Concubine Dowager here?" Rui Wangfei asked.
"Yes, Prince’s Consort, this way, please." A young Buddhist nun took Rui Wangfei and Gu Jiao to a living quarters in the backyard.
They immediately heard a repressed cough coming from the room.
Rui Wangfei's heart tightened; she quickened her footsteps, holding up her skirt a bit, and said, "Imperial Concubine Dowager! Are you okay?"
In front of the bed, an elderly maid saluted Rui Wangfei, "Prince’s Consort."
Rui Wangfei sat down beside the bed, holding the thin hand of the coughing woman, "Why are you so sick?"
"Cough... Why have you come? I don’t want to be a burden... This is an old illness... Cough..." She was coughing badly.
Gu Jiao came in with her back basket.
Her eyes fell on the other party. It was an old lady who submitted to Buddhist discipline while still wearing her hair. She was about the same age as Grandaunt, and her elegant face showed the beauty of her youth.
"This is..." The other party looked over at Gu Jiao.
"Imperial Concubine Dowager, this is my friend. Her surname is Gu, and she has excellent medical skills! She is here to treat you!" Rui Wangfei said, looking at Gu Jiao, "Young Miss Gu, this is Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing."
Gu Jiao nodded.
She didn’t have the habit of bending down and kneeling.
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing was now a Buddhist nun, so she didn't mind it. She covered her face and coughed twice again, then she said to Gu Jiao, "Since you’re a friend of Qianqian, there’s no need to be overcautious. I'm no longer an Imperial Concubine Dowager. You can just call me Sister Jing An."
Gu Jiao checked Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing's pulse and examined her body, "Did sister have asthma before?"
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing was kind of surprised that such a young girl was able to diagnose her with asthma right away, but at this age, she was more easy to accept things.
She said, "Yes, it’s an old illness of mine. It gets worse during spring."
"Can it be cured?" Rui Wangfei looked at Gu Jiao.
"It’s difficult to cure, but it can be controlled." Gu Jiao opened the small medicine chest, took out some medications for asthma and asthma spray for Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing, and explained how to use it, as well as told her which daily activities she should avoid.
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing thanked Gu Jiao.
Rui Wangfei talked with Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing for a while, and only reluctantly left when Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing was sleepy.
After taking the carriage back, Rui Wangfei lamented, "Imperial Concubine Dowager is so pitiful. Why insist on living like this?"
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing was the adoptive mother of the Emperor. The Emperor's birth mother was from a humble background, and being a lowly palace maid, she wasn’t qualified to raise a prince. Therefore, when the Emperor was born, he was adopted under the name of Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing.
At that time, Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing was still Imperial Lady Jing. A few years later, she gave birth to a little princess before she became Imperial Concubine Jing.
Imperial Concubine Jing was a gentle and generous woman. She was never someone to fight with others out of jealousy, nor was she someone to stir up any trouble
It was this temper of not contending for anything that she was chosen by Empress Dowager Zhuang, who abandoned so many princes and made her adopted son the Emperor in the end.
However, she also made a sacrifice.
Since the Emperor had been adopted under her name, that meant he was her son. When the Emperor ascended the throne, she should also be named Empress Dowager.
But how could Empress Dowager Zhuang allow a second Empress Dowager to appear in the imperial palace?
Therefore, Empress Dowager Zhuang declared that out of Imperial Concubine Jing’s longing for the late Emperor, she willingly became a Buddhist nun to recite scriptures for the late Emperor everyday.
"However, there is another rumor among the common people." Rui Wangfei didn't treat Gu Jiao as an outsider. She didn't have any bestfriends of her own, and Gu Jiao was the first one. Yes, she recognized her as her bestfriend unilaterally.
She said, "They say Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing has a lover, so she didn’t want to be an Empress Dowager. She voluntarily became a Buddhist nun."
She didn't even say this to her younger sister, Du Xiaoyun.
Of course, the main reason was that Du Xiaoyun had a loose tongue, a loose tongue that had no brain and favored the Crown Princess.
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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