[The Grand View Garden Chronicle] Chapter 85: Her words, dry and cold, warn the beauties; her words, concealing their sharpness, are sent to convey a message to the prince.

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Chapter 85: A Cold and Desolate Face Warns the Beauties; Words Concealed, a Message Sent to the Prince
It is said that Hongzhou had the good fortune to visit Yihong Courtyard today, and was moved by Daiyu's zither music. He spent half a day enjoying the fragrance and jade in the crimson study
. Meanwhile, a thunderous upheaval was taking place in the garden, and everyone was filled with fear and unease. Outside, Fengjie,
Baochai, Li Wan, Xiangyun, and the other women of the garden were waiting helplessly in the front room. When Qingwen came out and delivered the news
, she said that "Miss Lin is serving the mistress inside, so it is inconvenient for us to go in." Xiren and the maids of Yihong, including Sheyue,
Qiuwen, Bihen, Si'er, and Wu'er, could only make arrangements haphazardly. Yingchun and Xichun hid in a corner of the crowd
. Lady Wang and Aunt Xue, considering their status, found it inconvenient and remained in the back room. Even
the female entertainers from Dicui Pavilion came. Baoqin, Li Wen, Li Qi, and Qiaojie followed behind Li Wan.
Only Miaoyu, who was always aloof, did not come. Yuanyang, Jinchuan, Yuchuan, and Ruiguan, her four personal
maids, were waiting in front. After waiting for half a day, Zijuan emerged, sobbing and disheveled, accompanied by two maids
who carried Daiyu, who was disheveled, filthy, drenched, wet, and pitiful, her hair disheveled, her face pale as paper, her
body slightly naked, and her whole body flushed with shame… The crowd, unaware of what had happened inside, naturally assumed that Daiyu had been raped to the point of near death by Hongzhou
. Thinking of Daiyu, so pure and noble, and always so proud, that she had suffered such a fate was truly heartbreaking. However
, at this moment, the women were at a loss for words of comfort. Fengjie simply gave a few instructions: “Take good care of her… send her some warm soup
…” and that was it. But 　　why were
the women of the garden, who were always well-versed in etiquette and knew the meaning of “avoidance,” gathered at Yihong Courtyard today ? 　　It turned out that ever since the day General Lekeshi, a member of Hongzhou's Zheng Hong Banner, came to report the capture of Liu Xianglian and the discovery of the white jade bracelet 　　, Hongzhou had been displeased, filled with suspicion, and harboring a deep-seated, cold anger. Although he hadn't suspected anyone else 　　, he always felt that the many troubles in the garden, especially the pitiful suffering of the Yingchun and Xichun sisters, must be due to Qin Keqing's scheming 　　, instigation, and even collusion with outsiders for illicit affairs. 　　In his mind, the jealousy and scheming among the women in the garden ultimately boiled down 　　to "who could be favored and indulged in pleasure," which was quite interesting. However, if they were to 　　plot and harm others, poisoning the young women of the garden and turning the Grand View Garden into a chaotic and dangerous place, he would not 　　allow it. He had already dispatched messengers on horseback to the Heilongjiang camp to investigate the secret correspondence between Yingchun and Jia Lian. 　　The investigation revealed that Jia Lian was completely unaware of the matter. Clearly, someone had forged the letters, impersonating "Jia 　　Lian," to entice Yingchun into committing a capital offense that angered him, a crime punishable according to the precedent set for You Sanjie. This 　　intention was undeniably malicious. While Yingchun had lost her virginity to Jia Lian in her youth, she was still 　　a pitiful victim of incestuous rape by her elder brother; and given their sibling bond, the familial affection she felt was somewhat understandable. Moreover, although Yingchun couldn't offer herself to him, 　　she had been dutiful and cautious 　　since entering the garden as a servant . She had been violated by him several times, her breasts had been rubbed against his penis during penetration 　　, and her valleys had endured his defilement and ravaging. How could she not feel some lust? Hongzhou had long wanted to let it go 　　, a small punishment would suffice. 　　But then, just the other day, unexpectedly, that little girl Xichun, unable to bear his anguish and fear of being ignored 　　, actually came to Gu'en Palace, claiming to "present a picture," but actually teasing him, seeking to violate and humiliate him. She was so young 　　, innocent and charming, wearing a snow-white coat on the outside but only a pair of close-fitting panties underneath, not even a small undergarment 　　. Her expression, full of twists and turns, pure intentions, flawless childlike body, pink gauze and childlike hair, ostensibly saying "I admire Consort Qing and 　　beg for forgiveness, sister," was actually imitating an adult, wanting to use her body to seduce him and beg for mercy. Hongzhou, however, could not bear it. 　　Although he did not actually penetrate her, he did not truly violate the chastity of the twelve-year-old girl. In fact, his embracing, 　　caressing, lewd play, desecration, abuse, wanton acts, and torment of her had 　　thoroughly humiliated and tormented the little slave girl. Seeing Xichun's bright eyes, two tearful eyes, and her beautiful body veiled in green gauze, how could he blame the sisters? 　　He issued an imperial decree, saying that the investigation of Zilingzhou was over and ordering them to move back to Zilingzhou. 　　As for Consort Qing, Hongzhou only suspected that she was colluding with the eunuchs outside to plot against people, 　　which led to the leakage of the white jade bracelet. He also suspected that the letter from "Jia Lian" was most likely a lie she had conspired with the eunuchs outside 　　. However, he could not believe that she would actually commit a capital offense of having an affair with an actor. 　　Who would have thought that this morning, Lekesh, the commander of the Red Banner Cavalry Battalion and a member of the Red Banner, would enter the garden again. At first, 　　he hesitated and dared not speak, but after I coldly pressed him, he had no choice but to kneel down and say that Liu Xianglian initially refused 　　to confess, but he couldn't withstand the five tortures of the army. When he was beaten half to death, he finally confessed that he had entered the garden to perform, and that 　　he considered himself handsome and charming, and that he had actually been having an affair with the concubine Keqing in the garden for a long time. 　　The concubine wanted me to keep quiet, firstly by giving me many jewels and jade ornaments, including that pair of jade bracelets; secondly, she was trying 　　to arrange a marriage between me and You Sanjie in the garden, just to drag me into this mess and keep me in the dark; she even said that if I 　　served her well and kept my mouth shut, in a couple of days I could also have You Erjie to rape and play with. 　　Upon hearing this, Hongzhou was so enraged he nearly flew into a rage. He didn't even bother to inform the eunuchs and imperial guards of the three mansions, but instead ordered 　　Lekesh to lead the Plain Red Banner personal guards into the Grand View Garden, seal off the Tianxiang Tower, and search it for evidence of adultery. 　　His anger had nowhere to vent, and he didn't want to openly express his fury and be secretly ridiculed, so he 　　stormed outside to 　　clear his head. He was so angry with Keqing that he decided to come to the Yihong Courtyard to watch Yingchun and Xichun move and relieve his boredom. Hearing faint melodious music coming from in front of the Yihong Courtyard, he came to investigate. Thus, the incident of Daiyu being sexually assaulted occurred today 　　. 　　The garden was in such chaos that when Keqing returned to Tianxiang Tower, the soldiers didn't stop her, but said, "You can 　　enter, but you can't leave." They then locked up Keqing, Ruizhu, Baozhu, and the others in Tianxiang Tower, conducting a thorough search 　　. They turned several cabinets upside down with letters, jewelry, clothing, and paintings, shouting things like, "We found men's 　　clothes!" and "We're looking for letters and evidence!" The garden was in an uproar, a complete mess 　　… the female slaves were understandably terrified. The first-class palace maids, eunuchs, and servants were particularly adept at spreading rumors and gossiping…

Within half a day, rumors were already rampant. Some said, "Consort Qing is having an affair with an actor, and the master is furious. He's just waiting to investigate
and seize the evidence before ordering the soldiers of the Plain Red Banner to rape Consort Qing in front of everyone until she dies
… Whether Consort Qing's subordinates Ruizhu and Baozhu knew about it but didn't report it, or colluded, they will all be punished." Others
said, "Even the young lady from the You family was wronged; Consort Qing used her as a scapegoat. Now that it's been discovered, poor
young lady You has no future." Still others said, "The same thing happened with the raid on Zilingzhou;
the master was just as aggressive, but he spared Yingya. This time it will probably be the same…." And some even said with
certainty, "Even those who are close to Consort Qing will be punished," referring to You Erjie, Tan Chun, and others.
Within half a day, the garden was filled with unease. At first, Fengjie and the others managed to maintain composure, pretending nothing was wrong. However, as the
morning passed and Qingfei remained inside the Tianxiang Tower without any news, not even about "what to do with her," Fengjie pondered
for a long time. She then summoned Li Wan, Baochai, Xiangyun, and Tanchun, saying, "Why don't we go see the master and
plead for Qingfei's life? We're all sisters and relatives; it's not right to stand by and watch her
suffer the same fate as Youjia's younger sister. Even if the master is angry, we can't care." Although Baochai felt it was inappropriate,
she couldn't refute Fengjie's words. So, everyone gathered at Yihong Courtyard, hoping to see Hongzhou
and get some news. But Hongzhou, enticed by Daiyu's zither music, had gone to his study to relax… The others could only wait
outside.
At this moment, seeing that Zijuan and Daiyu had returned to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, Yuanyang and Jinchuan
said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please wait here. We'll go in and serve you, and hear
what Master has to say." The four personal maids went into the study.
When the four women entered the study, they saw Hongzhou already dressed, sitting there in a daze.
His clothes were still slightly disheveled, clearly from their recent lovemaking. The four women had been serving Hongzhou for many days, and seeing
that their master was irritable today, Yuchuan, relying on her youth and innocence, and because Hongzhou rarely humiliated her, hurried to help him
straighten his clothes. Ruiguan, however, curtsied and softly suggested that all the women in the garden were waiting outside, "to see
what Master has to say." Hongzhou only gave a cold laugh.
It was Yuanyang and Jinchuan who were more perceptive and noticed Hongzhou's displeasure. Jinchuan, sensing the tension, softly suggested
, "Actually, it's nothing. It's just... Sister Xiren said that the weather is getting cold, and she's worried that Your Highness might feel uneasy. She suggested
that you use a hot pot tonight... Consort Feng has already prepared a piping hot pot with baby pheasants, but it's a
double-layered cloisonné pot, and there's only one set in the garden. She just didn't know where Your Highness would have dinner, so she came
to ask... so they can bring it over... Your Highness... do whatever you want, go wherever you want
... just tell us to arrange it for you. This room is so stuffy, what's the point?"
Hongzhou, unusually, understood that what she meant by "do whatever you want" was that
she was trying to reassure him that "it's so stuffy, what's the point?" He nodded, ordered the four women to follow him, and went to the front hall
. A group of women were already kneeling on the ground, their voices rising and falling in a cacophony of greetings.
Hongzhou, who had initially intended to ignore them, changed his mind and sat down in a grand chair in the main hall
, making the women kneel and look up, but without uttering a sound. Xiren, knowing she was a servant in the Yihong Courtyard, brought over hot
tea. Before Fengjie and the others could speak, Hongzhou waved his hand to stop them, saying indifferently, "You
've only come to annoy me, asking about Qin Shi… The matter isn't clear, so I can't say how to handle it now. Let's wait
until Lekesh searches Tianxiang Tower and see if there are any contraband items before we talk…" He paused, then turned
to Fengjie, finding fault, saying, "Feng-ge'er, you, as the head of the household, are negligent. How can you properly care
for Lin Daiyu when she's unwell? We should invite a physician to examine her. Ordinary physicians are just mediocre, they're just wasting their time. We should find a proper physician
…" "The imperial physician must come and take a look..."
Wang Xifeng hadn't expected him to bring up this matter so soon, so she could only lower her head and reply, "Your Majesty is right.
Lin-meimei is pitiful. But we are merely the concubines of the garden. To invite an imperial physician to examine us requires
the services of the three mansions... Even if we trouble Your Majesty's servants to invite one, it would only be a low-ranking official. Your Majesty, you know,
what kind of people are we? How could we possibly invite a chief imperial physician? He doesn't treat patients without imperial orders. In the past,
even the masters and matriarchs of the mansion had to send invitations and offer high prices to invite him. Lin-meimei is just a...
" She blushed, but didn't know how to continue.
Hongzhou nodded, still speaking calmly, "Since that's the case, then so be it. Tell Feng Ziying it was my
idea to send a letter to the Imperial Medical Academy, requesting Physician Wu Qian to come and take a look. Tell him
that I have been visiting for a while, and that a maid in the garden is unwell. I request the physician's guidance and medical advice... If she needs recuperation, then she should be recuperated; if she needs medicine,
then she should be given medicine... Lin's health is poor; she should take a few doses of medicine to get rid of the root of the problem."
Hearing his nonchalant tone, focusing only on Daiyu's health and not mentioning the Tianxiang Tower incident, the young women
felt uneasy. Xiangyun, however, was naturally mischievous and charming, and close to Daiyu. But recently
she had been unwell and sleepy, and unusually lacked the energy to come today. Seeing Hongzhou attending to Daiyu, she assumed it was because Hongzhou had just
taken Daiyu's virginity and was enjoying himself. Wanting to amuse Hongzhou, she forced a smile and replied, "It's
Lin-jie's good fortune to receive such care from her master… With her master's protection, her illness is no longer a concern."
Hongzhou, however, was in a bad mood and had nowhere to vent his anger. Hearing her attempt to amuse him, he coldly snorted, "You…" "When
did you learn to be so cunning? And how did you know I was going to take care of Lin Daiyu? ...Yes, I'll tell you now
. Lin Daiyu in Xiaoxiang Pavilion was originally given the title of 'Miss' upon entering the garden. She should have been with Miaoyu, Li Wan
, and the others. Hmm... I already spoke with Zijuan inside. Lin Daiyu... didn't serve well and didn't serve
her mistress as she wished. She'll be punished... demoted to the title of 'Young Lady.'"
The women were taken aback. They thought that Daiyu had just been brought out, and had been violated, humiliated, and played with. With Daiyu
's beauty and grace, even if she didn't want to, her mistress was just playing with a violent intent, which must have been quite enjoyable. How could she be
described as "not serving well" and "not serving as she wished"? Demotion was unprecedented in the garden. Seeing that Hongzhou was...
In a bad mood, finding fault everywhere, one could only bow one's head and agree.
Hongzhou, filled with displeasure, coldly surveyed his surroundings, noticing the group of daughters on the ground, terrified, though they were all pitiful
and adorable. But by some strange coincidence, amidst the throng of girls, a single cold glance caught sight of
a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl kneeling in a corner. Still small and childlike, she wore only a pink embroidered jacket
, a pink palace flower in her hair, adorned with a string of pearl flowers, and a silver bell necklace. Although just a
little girl whose body hadn't fully grown, somehow, at that moment, she possessed a jade-like beauty
, captivating grace, almost ethereal. Not only did she possess the childlike purity and delicate charm of a young girl, but her eyebrows
, lips, and figure revealed her to be a true little beauty, perhaps even rivaling the most
beautiful women in the garden in a few years. Kneeling timidly behind Li Wan, he could still catch a glimpse of a young girl's
alluring figure emerging from her breasts. Her delicate, exquisite features and refined air resembled Baochai's; her slender waist and charming eyebrows
rivaled even Daiyu's. Even Hongzhou, a connoisseur of beauty and countless women, felt
a flutter in his heart at this sight. He almost forgot his earlier words about "demotion," his heart stirred with desire… From afar, the girl's
red lips, white teeth, and graceful features, with a hint of the allure of a wild herb, revealed her to be Baochai's cousin, Baoqin.
She usually studied with Li Wan and rarely went out… He hadn't expected to see her so captivating.
He was momentarily stunned. The others, who had been kneeling awaiting his reprimand, were somewhat oblivious,
but since their master wanted to look at a girl, they couldn't very well cough and make a fuss, so they simply lowered their heads and let him be. However, Hongzhou
had something on his mind, and he was also waiting for news of the raid on Tianxiang Tower. Today, he couldn't indulge in his desires, and his heart
was troubled by the matter of Keqing. He glanced around the hall, seeing everyone silent, and then looked around again, noticing Li Wan was also there, seemingly still harboring
resentment. He regained his composure and continued his previous statement: "Since your rank has been lowered, there must be rules for such demotions..."
…I'm assigning you ranks and titles so that I can have my own amusement. She was originally a young lady, and you and Li Wan were
of the same rank… Now that she's been demoted, she'll naturally be humiliated… Later, when Li Wan is feeling better, you must go and play
with her body, humiliate her, and make her serve you, so that you can have your pleasure… Don't just agree to anything, I'll investigate later
.”
Hearing his orders like this, the women were greatly embarrassed and ashamed. Li Wan, already terrified, kowtowed and repeatedly said yes.
Realizing that her silence was inappropriate, she timidly replied, “Yes… how could we dare to be negligent…” Thinking of Hong Zhou
's thoughts and catering to his preferences, she reluctantly came up with some lewd words: “Lin girl… young and beautiful, with a
charming body and captivating figure… Now that you've demoted her, she's become my inferior sex slave, since
you…” "Since you have bestowed this upon me, I will certainly take advantage of your favor and... have my way with her body. This is what she should do, and it is also for your amusement
... I dare not neglect it. However, Li Wan is not clever enough and knows little about matters of the heart. Since you
have said that the superior should humiliate the inferior for amusement... I wonder if I may talk to... Miao'er, and let Miao'er also have a turn to
humiliate her... The two of them are originally close, it would be more interesting if they were mixed together... What do you think, Master...?"
Hongzhou hummed in agreement, and upon hearing "it would be more interesting if they were mixed together," he almost couldn't help but laugh, indicating that he
was satisfied with the answer. He took a sip of tea, gave a self-deprecating smile, and then said, "Since you are all here, talking about Lin'er
's matter is also talking about your own matter. You have been servants in the garden for some time now. In terms of age, weren't you once
the daughters of noble families?" "Miss Jin, she's a daughter-in-law from a prominent family... Oh, of course, and all those maids and servants,
now they've all become my female slaves. Today I'll ask, do you... oh... feel wronged? If you do
, just say so..."
He spoke calmly, but every word was sharp. Who among them wouldn't be terrified? The women exchanged
glances, knowing he was upset about Ke Qing's affair and was complaining. They all cried out, "We wouldn't dare!"
Li Wan, who had just answered, suddenly mustered her courage and hurriedly replied, "Master... if you say that,
we'll be doomed... It's because of your kindness that we are here today... Otherwise, given the crimes of our families,
we should have been punished as adulterers and sent to distant lands... Besides, Master's kindness... I..." She became more and more emotional as she spoke. Unlike
usual, she crawled forward a few steps on her knees, weeping, "My master's kindness and virtue are beyond words.
I don't care what others think, but I... as your slave, to serve your pleasure,
even if I were ground into powder, it wouldn't be enough to repay your kindness..."
Hongzhou was stunned, then realized she was talking about his son, Jia Lan. He thought that if it weren't for him, Jia Lan, though a child
, would still be a legitimate male descendant of the Jia family, and should have been killed. Even if it was an exception to the law, considering his mother
's service to the prince, he should have been castrated and sent to the palace to serve. He had simply written
a decree, not only sparing his life but also granting him birth and education. Regardless of others, Li Wan's gratitude and desire to repay
him were genuine.
He scanned the crowd, unable to discern the thoughts of the women in the garden. He sensed that because of the affair with Qin Keqing,
someone was probably mocking him behind his back. He sighed, losing even the will to frighten the women and vent his
anger. He waved his hand and said, "Enough... Whether you are grateful, ashamed, or harbor
any delusions... I only tell you, the ancients said, 'Of all evils, lust is the worst. Judge by actions, not by intentions, for there have never been
good men.' So I will not concern myself with what you think... I am kind-hearted and have always treated you kindly, showering you with fine
clothes, delicacies, and beautiful women. It seems that this has made you somewhat arrogant, daring to associate with that lowly actress
..." …Let me remind you a few more times today. Why don't I care what you think? Because of your status
… To be fair, if we're talking about looks, figure, temperament, appearance, even your learning and temperament…
some of you are certainly quite good. However, in any case, there are fundamental principles and minor matters. The fundamental principle is that once you
enter this garden, you are my servants. In terms of status, you are not even considered human beings. To put it bluntly, you
are just cats and dogs, or like those first-class antique playthings… You say a plaything, no matter how exquisite and elegant, how
charming and beautiful, is still just an object. Even if it's just a cat or dog, who cares what they think? Therefore, only…
"I warn you, it's fine if you think whatever you want, but if you do anything that displeases me in the slightest... then you're just a plaything,
and I'll punish you... If you really think I only have a smiling face and no temper... then I'll
show you what I'm made of..."
He felt frustrated as he said this, and without waiting for the women's reply, he said to Yuanyang, "I'm tired today... I'm
not going anywhere, let's go back to Gu'en Palace..." He then ignored everyone and
left with his four personal servants. At Gu'en Palace, he hastily ate a few bites of dinner, then had Yuanyang wash and massage his feet, and had Ruiguan
sing a song for his amusement. He barely managed to arouse her interest, embracing Ruiguan, but it was nothing more than ordinary teasing,
and then he fell asleep.
The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Hongzhou woke up. Yuanyang and Jinchuan came in to serve breakfast before gently informing him that
someone was waiting outside to see the prince. Hongzhou assumed it was General Lekesh reporting on the raid on Tianxiang Tower the previous day,
but Yuanyang replied that three people had come to pay their respects to the Prince. First, General Lekesh had arrived; second,
Feng Ziying, the steward of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, had also come to pay his respects. Both were Hongzhou's protégés and were quite respectful, saying repeatedly, "Please wait for Your Highness
to rest and not disturb him. We have nothing urgent to discuss, we'll just wait..." Coincidentally, the Grand Eunuch Xia Shouzhong
arrived to pay his respects, and both men respectfully said, "Eunuch Xia is a guest, so naturally, please go first..."
Hongzhou was taken aback. He was in charge of the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Clan Court, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and he also oversaw the eunuchs of the inner palace
. In fact, the Forbidden City had its own rules. The head eunuchs in each
area either served the Emperor personally, attended to the concubines, or were directly under the jurisdiction of princes or dukes; each had their own background. This Xia Shouzhong was
a close attendant of Emperor Yongzheng. Although his rank was no higher than that of Tong Keshuang of the Imperial Household Department and Zhou Bingquan of the Imperial Clan Court, he was still a person
of some standing. So, the emperor ordered him to be brought in.
Xia Shouzhong entered and respectfully bowed, performing two kneelings and six kowtows… Hongzhou was quite polite and ordered Jin Chuan'er
to personally “help Eunuch Xia up, don't bow anymore, bring him a stool to sit and talk.” Xia Shouzhong declined repeatedly before finally
sitting down, leaning to one side, and said:
"This servant has been presumptuous in coming to pay respects to Fifth Master today, I am truly terrified... but this servant knows that Fifth Master is usually very
kind-hearted and considerate of us servants, this servant is now like a headless fly... so I have no choice but to
beg for Fifth Master's favor..."
Hongzhou laughed at his vague words, and said, "You old codger, stop beating around the bush, just say what you want to
say."
Xia Shouzhong then replied repeatedly, "Yes, yes, this servant is clumsy with words, I've been rambling... it's like this... Fourth
Master... oh... Prince Bao had previously issued an oral decree..." "Your Majesty is unwell. In the Imperial Palace, stability is paramount
. Whenever medicine is needed, besides the Imperial Hospital keeping records, the Imperial Household Department and the Grand Council must also be notified..."
Hongzhou asked curiously, "This is an old rule established during the reign of Emperor Shizu... Is there anything wrong with it?"
Xia Shouzhong smiled bitterly, "Alas... This servant has always only followed the rules of the Imperial Palace; how could I dare say anything
is wrong... It's just that the other day, the Grand Council described the medicine case submitted by the Imperial Hospital as 'tiger and wolf,' but His Majesty himself
was unwell and lacked energy, only saying, 'That's how it is.'" "...Fifth Master, think about it. Whether it's the Emperor or the Grand Council
, they could easily turn this servant to dust with a flick of their fingernail... If the medicine isn't prepared according to the prescription, and His Majesty's health suffers
even the slightest misfortune, this servant could not atone for this sin even with ten thousand deaths; if the medicine is prepared according to the prescription, and the Grand Council blames us,
that would be terrible... If it's done according to His Majesty's will, His Majesty's poor health is probably due to his diligence in state affairs,
and he might consider it a minor matter, leaving this servant to bear the consequences later. Even if this servant dies, it's a minor matter... But His Majesty's health... that
cannot be taken lightly." "This servant is merely a eunuch, barely literate, how could I possibly know anything about potent
or dangerous medicines? I heard Fourth Master tell the servants that if His Majesty finds the weather too cold and wants to move to Changchun Garden for the New Year, Fourth
Master will have to go in and serve him… If Fourth Master finds out later that this servant has failed in his duty regarding this medicine, this servant's
life will surely be over… This servant has thought and thought, and you are the Prince in charge of the three palaces, and you have always been considerate of
your servants, especially taking good care of this servant, so I came to ask Fifth Master for your instructions…" As he spoke, he handed over a prescription.
Hongzhou ordered Jin Chuan'er to take the prescription and look at it for a while, but he was puzzled, secretly pondering Xia Shouzhong
's intentions.
In principle, it was standard practice for the Imperial Medical Academy, the Grand Council, and the Imperial Household Department to keep records of
the emperor's medications. The old men in the Grand Council were all learned scholars who could offer some guidance, and the Imperial Medical Academy naturally knew that
the gentlest approach was best when administering medicine to the emperor. Some discrepancies were actually "common occurrences." Xia Shouzhong was an old hand in his job,
and since Yongzheng had given the order, "that's how it is." He just needed to follow the emperor's instructions. His earnestness
and even going so far as to come to the Grand View Garden to find him... no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like there was an ulterior motive
.
He hesitated for a moment, then changed to Qi Rong and said, "Father's health is not good... I myself was careless and fell,
injuring myself, and was unable to properly serve him... I am also ignorant of medicine and pharmacology... How could I dare to speak recklessly? But I know
you are in a difficult position... Since His Majesty is currently ill, what he says casually cannot be taken as an imperial edict. He always prioritizes
state affairs over his own health... The Grand Councilors' instructions must be well-intentioned... Hmm..."
"...So...Yuanyang...take Eunuch Xia to the accounting office and withdraw fifty taels of gold. Please have
Eunuch Xia order the Imperial Hospital to prepare and brew the medicine according to the prescription, but don't go upstairs yet. I'll send someone to the Grand Council later
to ask Lord Ma and Lord Zhang for their opinions...Sigh...that little bit of gold...Old Xia, you're in charge of things in the palace
, so please do it for me. Go to the Yonghe Temple and make a vow before the Buddha, adding some incense oil. If His Majesty's health improves,
I will definitely allocate five thousand taels of gold to rebuild the golden statue of the Three Buddhas. However, such matters shouldn't be known outside, otherwise
the censors will gossip again. I'll trouble you, Old Xia, to quietly do it for me..." Xia Shouzhong naturally
nodded obsequiously, uttering a bunch of flattering words about "Fifth Prince's utmost sincerity and filial piety."
After Xia Shouzhong had gone some distance, Hongzhou called Feng Ziying and Lekesh in. The two, one a scholar and the other a warrior
, sat down on either side of him. Lekesh was about to speak when Hongzhou stopped him, saying, "Let's not talk about the affairs of the garden yet..." He then
thought that he had always had Feng Ziying handle his "external affairs" in the garden, only because Liu Xianglian was Lekesh's...
Having secured the position, he then ordered Lekesh to lead his personal guards into the garden. He couldn't help but offer a few words of comfort to Feng Ziying: "Ziying
, Lekesh, you two are acquaintances… I originally intended to ask you, Ziying, to handle this, but since Lekesh is leading troops at the capital's border
defenses, asking him wouldn't disturb the three prefectures, so… um…"
Feng Ziying, already smiling and bowing, waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "What are you saying, sir… Whoever it is, isn't he just
a servant from Fifth Master's household… Servants or Brother Lekesh, we're all doing our master's bidding."
Hongzhou nodded, saying, "Let's not talk about that now… There's another topic. You two can learn from me…
what kind of methods are used… You're all my retainers, no need to be shy," and then repeated Xia Shouzhong's words.
Lekesh, being a military officer, though meticulous, was still unfamiliar with such palace affairs. It was Feng Ziying who lowered
his head and pondered for a long time before slowly explaining.
To find out what Feng Ziying said, please wait for the next chapter.
This is truly:
Dark clouds and sorrowful mists press down on the fragrant garden;
Daytime chill and nighttime cold assail the
beautiful woman; Heavenly fragrance and sea-like elegance abound
; The goddess, weary, casts a solitary shadow;
How could she wish for yesterday's splendor? How could
she find rest in spring's embrace in future years?
A thunderbolt from the nine heavens
crushes even the icy soul in vain.
(To be continued)

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[The Grand View Garden Chronicle] Chapter 85: Her words, dry and cold, warn the beauties; her words, concealing their sharpness, are sent to convey a message to the prince.

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