Chapter 242 - 238: The Momentum of a Turtle-1
The nanny was the former wet nurse of the Crown Prince, naturally she was not like the others.
Chen Tiantian initially intended to win over this nanny, so that she could accompany her into the inner palace, but the nanny was too proud, refusing to associate with her.
With no other option, Chen Tiantian had to try and cozy up to Yingbao.
“No need to report back, I can go in myself.”
Yingbao asked Changxiu to help carry the medicine box and she dashed into the inner hall with her short little legs.
Chen Tiantian also wanted to follow in but was blocked by the eunuch at the door. She could only watch in helpless as Changxiu and that damn Jiang Yingbao disappeared behind the inner palace curtains.
Chen Tiantian stomped her foot and returned disappointedly to her own quarters.
She lived with three other palace maids in a shared chamber, where they would sleep side-by-side when night fell.
Chen Tiantian was new, and not very familiar with the palace maids here, or rather, the other maids somewhat rejected her and were reluctant to speak to her.
Not only that, but the older maids particularly enjoyed ordering her around, asking her to fetch water or do their laundry.
In this hot weather, fetching heated water from the dining room required a long walk, and the slightest carelessness would cause her to spill water from the large jug and scald herself.
“Hey! Take this basket of clothes to be washed.”
An older palace maid ordered Chen Tiantian as soon as she saw her, “Take those two pairs of shoes as well, be careful when washing them, don’t let them become discoloured.”
Chen Tiantian dare not disobey, so she could only pick up the basket of clothes and head to the lake to wash them.
The East Palace covers a vast area, nearly half the size of the Imperial Palace, with seven or eight large palaces and several hundred tile houses within its walls.
There was also a large lake within the palace that connected to the moat outside the Imperial City.
A painted pleasure boat and two smaller boats were moored by the lake shore.
On one side of the shore, there were pavilions, towers, and winding corridors, while the other side was ser up with stone docks for the palace maids and eunuchs to do their daily laundry.
Chen Tiantian reached the lake and took off her shoes, standing barefoot in the clear water to wash clothes.
The clothes of the palace maids couldn’t be washed with a washing stick as she might tear them and she wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for the damages.
While she was washing clothes, she suddenly felt someone approaching.
Chen Tiantian glanced behind instinctively and saw Xiao Mo leisurely walking over with a few people.
Besides Xiao Mo, Chen Tiantian also recognized another person—it was Xiao Mo’s younger brother, Xiao Chengjun.
Xiao Chengjun, talking to his elder brother while glancing in her direction, was around fourteen or fifteen years of age. He was dressed in a light green gauze robe and wore a jade hairpin in his tightly coiled hair. His handsome features and gentle demeanor made him ten times more attractive than the Crown Prince.
Chen Tiantian’s eyes met his and her face abruptly turned red, she quickly turned back to continue washing the clothes.
The group of people steadily approached and finally stopped not far behind her.
Chen Tiantian was so nervous that she accidentally dropped the clothes into the water.
She hastily bent down to pick them up, and almost slipped into the lake.
“Who allowed you to wash clothes here?” a crisp, youthful voice inquired.
Chen Tiantian was startled and thought it was forbidden to wash clothes here, so she quickly defended herself, “I… I didn’t know…”
Xiao Chengjun asked again, “Weren’t you ordered by His Majesty to serve in the inner palace? Why are you here washing clothes?”
At his words, Chen Tiantian nearly broke into tears and answered with her head bowed down, “Yes, the older sisters in the palace told me to do so.”
Xiao Chengjun furrowed his brows and said to the young girl, “Come up.”
She was only about eleven or twelve, washing clothes alone by the lake. If she were to fall in and drown, nobody would even know.
Chen Tiantian wrung out the clothes, picked up the basket, and came ashore after quickly wiping her feet and wearing her cloth shoes.
Xiao Chengjun glanced her over and said, “Go back, my brother and I will speak to the palace secretary so you can stay and serve in the inner palace.”
Chen Tiantian bowed to Xiao Chengjun and Xiao Mo, her heart filled with joy, “Thank you, Young Master Xiao.”
Xiao Mo looked at his brother, then at Chen Tiantian again, but didn’t say anything.
Speaking of Yingbao, after checking Murong Xian’s pulse, she began writing the medical case.
A doctor then brought a small bottle of medicine and had the prince drink it.
This medicine was mixed by Yingbao the day before, containing a good amount of five dingzhi.
After drinking the medicine, Murong Xian felt a warmth spread through his body, giving him an incredible sense of comfort.
He had felt this way yesterday too, but his consciousness was a bit muddled then, so he didn’t sense it as clearly as he did today.
After drinking the medicine, a eunuch brought him a bowl of soup made from top-quality bird’s nest.
After drinking the soup, Murong Xian became drowsy and quickly fell asleep in bed.
With her task completed, Yingbao left with Changxiu carrying the medicine box.
Running right into Xiao Mo and Xiao Chengjun peacefully seated.
“Yingbao, I have a question for you.” Xiao Chengjun said, with a stern face, stopping the child.
Yingbao looked at him suspiciously.
He was acting strange today, as if he came to interrogate her.
“Who told you that women are not allowed in the prince’s room?” Xiao Chengjun asked.
Yingbao suddenly realized. So, he was here because of Chen Tiantian.
So she half truthfully half falsely replied, “An immortal told me.”
“Ridiculous!” Xiao Chengjun: “Are there really immortals in this world?”
“If I say there are, then there are.” What can you do about it?
The more Yingbao looked at this boy, the more wrong he seemed. That arrogant aura, even stronger than his brother’s.
Xiao Chengjun’s brows furrowed even tighter. He didn’t waste any more words with Yingbao and asked directly, “The order from the saintly one was to let Chen Tiantian serve in the inner palace, why did you stop her?”
“Patients with chronic diseases have heavy Yin energy on them. To cure them, Yin and Yang need to be balanced. As women are considered Yin, naturally they cannot enter the inner palace.” Yingbao spouted nonsense.
Anyway, the medical book also states that women are Yin and men are Yang. This point is correct, it just depends on how others interpret it.
Xiao Chengjun was slightly irritated, “Aren’t you a woman too? Why are you allowed to enter the palace?”
“Because I am a doctor, in addition, I am just a child, my energy is on the rise.” Yingbao squinted her eyes and continued, “If you insist on letting Chen Tiantian enter the inner palace, you can. Nobody is stopping you. But, if something were to go wrong with the prince, you would bear full responsibility.”
Suddenly, Xiao Chengjun stopped talking and strode out of the hall in a huff.
Watching his retreating figure, Yingbao suddenly felt she had seen him somewhere.
But where exactly?
Yingbao glanced at Xiao Mo again, asking, “Is my mother well?”
Xiao Mo: “She’s very well. I’ve already told your mother about you temporarily staying at the East Palace. She asked you to focus on treating the prince and not to worry about her.”
Yingbao nodded, “Thank you, Mr. Xiao, for delivering the message.”
Xiao Mo smiled a bit, “I should be the one thanking you for not only saving Chengjun but also the prince.”
Oh.” Yingbao didn’t warm to him: “When others thank for saving lives, they give money and put in effort. Your family is different. Not only do I not see a single coin from you in thanks, but I also have to work like an ox and a horse for you, on top of that still have complaints and grudges thrown at me.”
Xiao Mo touched his nose, “Chengjun is straightforward and soft-hearted. He can’t stand seeing a girl being bullied and speaks without thought. I urge you to bear with him.”
Yingbao tilted her head and glanced at him, “What if I don’t want to bear with this?”
Now she finally understood that the male lead from the book was likely a certain young master from the Xiao Family.
It might be Xiao Chengjun.
But it could also be Xiao Mo, after all, his status aligns more with Xiao Chengjun’s.
He came from a military background, led soldiers into battle, and was very capable.
Plus, he was dedicated, loyal, and bore no grudges or regrets towards the female lead.