This reiteration made Miss Jun suddenly laugh.
The coincidence this time was real, which implied that previous coincidences were feigned.
She now also knew why there had been those coincidences before.
This sentence not only referred to past events but also explained the current situation.
Miss Jun laughed. Ning Yunzhao was the first man to express affections for her, something she had never encountered before, let alone known how to continue interacting after rejecting them.
She was simply not someone who needed to consider these things.
After she had rejected Ning Yunzhao, she had thought about it once, finding it somewhat headache-inducing and restrictive.
But now that she had truly seen him again, and with Ning Yunzhao speaking in such a way, she felt that nothing much had changed.
In such interpersonal interactions, she felt somewhat inferior to him.
"What a coincidence, just in time to offer you early New Year's greetings," said Miss Jun, bending her knees in a bow.
Ning Yunzhao graciously accepted the gesture while returning the salute.
"I am going to deliver New Year's gifts to my friends," he said, looking at the case in Liu'er's hands.
"I've picked up some New Year's gifts at Manager Liu's," Miss Jun said with a smile.
Ning Yunzhao laughed and raised his hand.
"Then, I'll be off," he said.
Miss Jun nodded, stepped aside to bid him farewell, and Ning Yunzhao also nodded and walked away with a smile.
This was quite all right, a nodding acquaintance; it should be just so.
Ning Yunzhao did not look back, unaware if she had.
"...Young Master, Miss Jun looked back for a moment, and now she has turned the street corner," Xiaoding said.
He wasn't a young nobleman, so he didn't need to be reserved and thus looked back frequently.
Ning Yunzhao glanced at him and, after a moment's thought, also looked back.
As expected, the girl was no longer in sight on the street.
He hadn't expected to encounter her.
This was indeed a great coincidence.
Life was like this, always with small unexpected surprises.
Besides, the conversation he just had with her was very pleasant—a nodding acquaintance, and now still able to maintain this was not bad.
A smile appeared at the corner of Ning Yunzhao's mouth as he walked on with light steps.
However, he had forgotten to congratulate her on curing Prince Huai.
He hesitated for a moment, but then thought it was not much to congratulate her for, as curing Prince Huai was something to be expected, a trivial matter not worth mentioning.
Ning Yunzhao continued forward, and Xiaoding also breathed a sigh of relief, his steps becoming lighter.
This was just great; finally, they could properly enjoy the New Year.
The clerks from Jiuling Hall had gone back for the New Year, and Seventh Chen and Fang Jinxiu were watching two maidservants clean and hang peach talismans.
"What delicious things did Aunt Liu make?" asked Seventh Chen with a smile, noticing Miss Jun and her servant's arrival.
"They're Yangcheng's pastries," Miss Jun said, letting Liu'er open them up, "You should try some."
Fang Jinxiu and Seventh Chen came over, calling the maidservants to try some as well, just when the sounds of urgent knocking echoed.
"Who could it be so late?" Seventh Chen exclaimed in surprise.
"Does sickness tell time?" Fang Jinxiu retorted, "Illnesses don't observe the New Year."
Upon opening the door, however, it wasn't a patient inquiring for help but Shopkeeper Liu.
"Shopkeeper Liu, why have you come?" asked Liu'er, confused.
They had just returned from his place.
Shopkeeper Liu raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his brow.
"I've just received news that the Empress Dowager has invited you to accompany the Imperial Mandate ladies into the palace for the New Year's audience," he said.
An invitation to the palace audience was a bestowed honor.
There was a moment of silence in the room, swiftly followed by joy.
"I was just saying, after saving Prince Huai, how could there only be silver, without any reward," Seventh Chen said, clapping his hands, "So the reward was here."
Entering the palace with the ladies of the court for the audience, the Empress Dowager would surely call Miss Jun aside to speak with her. In front of so many Imperial Mandate ladies, Miss Jun's reputation would surely rise.
Fang Jinxiu also rarely showed a smile.
"I'll take care of the ceremonial dress needed for entering the palace, Miss Jun, so you don't have to worry," Manager Liu said, rubbing his hands together. "I've also asked a few former female officials from the palace to come back and tell you about the palace etiquette later, so you don't need to be nervous."
Miss Jun smiled.
"You don't need to be nervous, Manager Liu," she said.
She wanted to say that she didn't need someone to teach her, but seeing everyone's excitement and nervousness, Miss Jun felt an inexplicable sourness.
Instead of showing that she had no problems and didn't need help, it would be more comforting and easing for them to have something to do.
With this thought, she nodded her head.
"The time is a bit rushed, but I will study hard."
Manager Liu nodded contentedly.
"I got this news through connections. The palace will soon send someone to notify you. Ultimately, treating Prince Huai was about competing with the Imperial Hospital, and the nobles don't like such things," he said seriously. "Being summoned by the Empress Dowager this time, your identity as a female doctor is extremely advantageous. If you handle it appropriately, it can alleviate the unstable image you had before."
Miss Jun smiled and assented.
Manager Liu twirled his beard with a joyous expression, his gaze sweeping over the Jiuling Hall.
The imperial decree of the first emperor owned by the Fang Family was here, and now they were about to gain favor from the current emperor as well. This firmly established Jiuling Hall's status in the capital.
Just half a year's time, and for Miss Jun, living in the capital didn't seem too difficult.
"This year can be well celebrated," Manager Liu sighed.
Compared to others' happiness, Doctor Geng from the Imperial Hospital was very unhappy.
The Imperial Hospital had also begun its holiday, and Imperial Physician Jiang, as the head, still dutifully kept watch. This was his longstanding habit and was commended by everyone.
"Master, why are you speaking well of that Miss Jun?" he said, his face full of grievance. "Everyone is clearly speaking ill of her, yet you praise her."
Imperial Physician Jiang put down the medical case in his hands.
"What fault does she have? Is it just because she spoke a few impolite words?" he said. "Besides, Prince Huai was cured by her, if not praising her, then who else should be praised?"
When everyone else sees the good, and you alone speak ill, not only can it not turn the person bad, but it also makes you look ridiculous.
Doctor Geng was embarrassed.
"Master, you truly have a generous heart," he flattered. "She was so impolite to us, and yet you still speak well of her. She looks down on our medical skills, but you go out of your way to extol her medical skills."
Thinking about it, he couldn't help feeling wronged and indignant.
"The emperor and the Empress Dowager weren't thinking of summoning her at first, it was all because you praised her so highly, Master, that the Empress Dowager became curious and wanted to meet her. That's an audience with the Empress Dowager we are talking about, and it's during the time of the New Year's Court celebration, what great honor is being bestowed upon her."
Imperial Physician Jiang smiled.
"It's good to give a lot of face," he said.
In the future, if her face gets slapped, it will be easier and by then, it won't just be her own face being slapped, but the face of the imperial family as well.
And that result will surely be more painful.
Such a good opportunity was like how he preferred to be on duty at the Imperial Hospital during the festival times because fewer people fall ill during the festivals. The nobles are all cautious around the festivities and prefer to delay their sickness until after, so he would certainly want to do such work that's both leisurely and responsible.
Let her enjoy a good year for now.
...
On the first day of the first lunar month, just as dawn broke, Miss Jun's carriage left Jiuling Hall under the watchful eyes of Manager Liu, Seventh Chen, and Fang Jinxiu, heading straight for the imperial palace.
"The carriage will stop at the imperial approach; Miss, once you get off, don't walk around."
"Men go to pay respects to the emperor, while women head directly to the harem."
"The standing places for the women with imperial mandates also differ, divided into inner and outer commands as well as princesses. Miss, you should stand on the side for women with outer commands; don't stand in the wrong place."
In the carriage, the palace maid brought by Manager Liu was still giving last-minute reminders.
Miss Jun, snapped out of her reverie, looked at her and smiled.
"So many rules," she said.
"Yes, there are many rules for the audience," the palace maid said earnestly. "Miss, you might not be aware."
Miss Jun nodded, indeed she wasn't aware.
In the past, she was the one being granted an audience, either brought along by her mother or sitting beside the empress, with no knowledge of what it was like to wait outside.
...
Thank you to "Xiu Yu Burial of Flowers," "Dusk Beauty," "One Inch of Agarwood," "Southern Ice One," "The Last Gun," and "md12" for rewarding me with He's Bi.
Thank you, everyone.
[You have received a kiss from the recipient in return for your love ( ˘ ³˘)♥]