This translation is in response to the reward for the Spirit Beast Egg contributed by the ice from the south (4.30)
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This man, he always feared entangling himself with her.
It seemed helplessly strange that she, nevertheless, got entangled with him in many matters.
He did not know why, so he felt frustrated and annoyed.
Miss Jun watched his retreating figure and smiled.
"Miss Jun," the elderly Marchioness Dingyuan approached from behind.
Miss Jun quickly performed a courtesy.
"Today, you have gained favor in the presence of the Empress Dowager, so your business will no longer be troubled, nor will you have to fear others meddling with your rules," the elderly Marchioness Dingyuan said with a smile.
Miss Jun respectfully performed the courtesy again.
In the great hall, the Empress Dowager initially was not courteous, and in that situation, only the elderly Marchioness Dingyuan stood to speak for her, which truly was no easy deed.
"Many thanks to the elderly Marchioness," she sincerely said.
Like Princess Jiuli, the likes and dislikes of these people were never expressed in words. Much was left to understanding—if you got it, you got it, and if not, so be it.
The elderly Marchioness Dingyuan smiled without a word, declining to continue on the subject, and walked away with Marchioness Dingyuan's arm.
Miss Jun watched them leave.
It was all thanks to her medical skills, winning the words of these noble ladies—skills her master had imparted to establish and support herself.
In the future, more people would benefit from these medical skills, and then, more would speak for her, no doubt.
"Miss Jun, your carriage," said a eunuch behind her.
The eunuch had brought the rewards to load into the carriage, and Miss Jun's carriage, which had been parked on the outer edge, was also brought forward. Miss Jun nodded in gratitude and stepped back.
The carriage, loaded with ample rewards and watched by envious and curious eyes, departed along Imperial Street. Upon entering the street where Jiuling Hall was situated, Manager Liu, who had been waiting for a while and had received the news, started setting off firecrackers with his team.
The sounds of firecrackers shook the street. The Chants of gratitude for the benevolence of their lord from the crowd of De Sheng Chang attendants standing in two dense rows overwhelmed the firecrackers, spreading the news of Jiuling Hall's receipt of the Empress Dowager's reward throughout the city.
Miss Jun sat in the carriage, seemingly deaf to the deafening noise outside, only gazing at the case on her lap.
It was the osmanthus cake gifted by Princess Fengping.
Miss Jun opened the case, took a piece, and slowly chewed on it.
The osmanthus cake differed from those made previously; presumably, the palace chefs had changed, adapting to the tastes of a new master.
The blood of the past had been washed clean by them, but that did not necessarily mean the past would be forgotten.
Miss Jun slowly swallowed the osmanthus cake.
The commotion was almost audible all the way in the Imperial Hospital, and Doctor Geng, somewhat irritated, threw down the cloth stuffed in his ears.
"It's so noisy," he yelled out, "Does the Five Cities Military Department not care about such disturbance?"
"Leave aside that Jiuling Hall has the imperial decree from the first emperor, now with the many rewards given by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager for curing Empress Dowager Huai, even if she turned the capital upside down, the Five Cities Military Department wouldn't intervene," Imperial Physician Jiang said.
Knowing this was precisely why he was peeved, Doctor Geng sat down angrily.
"The Five Cities Military Department dares not to intervene, but why has the Jinyiwei also fallen silent?" he queried, "Isn't Thousand-Man Commander Lu holding a personal grudge against her? Could it be that because she cured his young brother-in-law, he too has turned hostility into peace?"
Upon hearing this, Imperial Physician Jiang couldn't help but click his tongue.
"What are you talking about? Is Thousand-Man Commander Lu that kind of person?" he said.
Of course, Thousand-Man Commander Lu wasn't that kind of person, and whether Prince Huai's recovery or demise was more significant to him was yet undecided.
"Was his past ruthlessness all hot air?" Doctor Geng couldn't resist saying, but after uttering these words, he involuntarily shivered, shrinking his head and looking around with some regret.
He dearly hoped his words wouldn't reach the Jinyiwei's ears; otherwise, they would show him whether the ruthlessness was merely inflated tales.
"I just mean they are being too courteous to Jiuling Hall this time," he added.
Although unseen and unheard, he felt verbally addressing this eased his mind.
"They are not being courteous to Jiuling Hall, but to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager," Imperial Physician Jiang corrected, "Now that Jiuling Hall is in the limelight and even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager have praised it, would the Jinyiwei dare to slap the faces of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager? Thousand-Man Commander Lu may be fierce, but he is not foolish."
"It's only because you, master, spoke well of her in front of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager that they've bestowed such great favor upon her," Doctor Geng grumbled.
"Idiot," Imperial Physician Jiang replied.
After she cured Prince Huai, how could the Emperor and the Empress Dowager not honor her?
Doctor Geng felt sheepish.
"What should we do?" he said. The sound of firecrackers outside had stopped, but he seemed to still hear and see the hustle and bustle at Jiuling Hall and knew that all the nobles in the city were waiting to send invitations to her.
These nobles would not be easy to serve after all; if she cured their ailments, it was expected, and if she couldn't, they would certainly scorn and mock her.
Imperial Physician Jiang chuckled and stood up.
"Miss Jun truly has talent," he said. "She cured Prince Huai and saved us from danger, so we should present her with a congratulatory gift as well."
Doctor Geng was startled.
"Master, are we going to personally go and offer our congratulations?" he exclaimed immediately.
Imperial Physician Jiang smiled.
"Such congratulations are too common," he said. "If we are to present a gift, it should be a grand gesture of merit."
"Master, what grand gesture of merit?" Doctor Geng asked, puzzled.
Imperial Physician Jiang did not respond; he simply twisted his beard and smiled faintly.
After the fifth day of the first lunar month passed, the festive atmosphere did not fade but grew even thicker. Officials coming to and leaving the capital were ceaseless, and people who were free during the winter once again bustled on the streets. Taverns, tea houses, and alleys were all lively with activity.
Security checks at the city gates during the first month were much more relaxed than usual. The gatekeepers, with their arms crossed, chatted casually while keeping a casual eye on the people entering.
Even with the relaxed atmosphere, two individuals still caught the attention of the gatekeepers.
One was a woman pulling a child along.
The woman's padded jacket was patched, and she carried a basket as if she were a countrywoman visiting relatives or peddling goods. However, the child she was pulling wore thick clothes with the head and face completely covered.
The woman looked around furtively as she walked, seemingly avoiding someone.
The gatekeepers exchanged looks, and the leading guard nodded at two soldiers, who understood and approached the woman.
"Stop there," they said, blocking her path.
The woman took two steps back in fright, holding the child close, shaking with terror.
Looking this frightened surely meant there was a problem, and the guards became less courteous.
"What's your business? Where are you from?" they demanded.
"I'm, I'm here to visit relatives," the woman stammered, clutching the child tightly.
Pulling the wool over their eyes, huh?
The two guards frowned, and one pressed the hilt of his blade against the woman's shoulder.
"Come over here, this way," he said.
The other abruptly used his blade to lift the clothes covering the child's head and face.
"Did some beggar woman steal a child?" he remarked.
As the clothes were lifted, the woman let out a shrill scream and frantically tried to cover the child again, but it was too late—the guard had already seen the child's face.
His eyes bulged in shock.
"It's, it's smallpox!" he shouted, aiming his blade at the woman and child, "It's smallpox."
Smallpox?
The disease was contagious, so anyone with smallpox in any region was confined and not allowed to roam freely.
This woman had dared to parade a child with smallpox through the marketplace and had even entered the capital. There was silence at the city gate, and shortly, the crowd coming and going dispersed like birds and beasts.
"How dare you leave your home without permission!" the gatekeepers surrounded the woman and child in unison.
The woman trembled violently and fell to her knees.
"Sirs! I beg for the divine doctor to save us! Please, beg the divine doctor to save my child!" she cried hoarsely, repeatedly knocking her head on the ground.
Meanwhile, at all four gates of the capital, people with smallpox-infested children appeared. In the distance, one could faintly see a dense crowd of people stumbling toward the city, some dragging, some carrying, some holding children.
The gatekeeper standing on the city wall felt his scalp tingle.
"Quick, quick, close the city gates!" he raised his hand and shouted.
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Thank you? The Final Shot?, Ice from the South, One Inch of Incense, and md12 for rewarding with He's Bi O(∩_∩)O~
It's Thursday~