CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 148: DILEMMA

Su Chong was just here to get a prescription.

Every day after training, he would soak in a medicinal bath for half an hour, then apply ointment to the bruises on his body.

Then he’d sleep for a while.

In just one hour, he would feel completely refreshed.

Even the servants at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion noticed he could endure more hits and struck harder.

The medicine ran out yesterday, and after getting a beating, he couldn’t recover for half a day.

It was then he realized the effect of the medicine.

To suffer less, he had no choice but to make a trip.

Unexpectedly, he discovered that his own sister had become highly skilled in medicine.

After confirming multiple times that Xie Jingchen wasn’t out of his mind,

Su Chong left feeling relieved.

Su Jin stood by the wooden tub, watching as Su Chong walked away.

Xie Jingchen gazed at Su Jin, with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

He knew Su Jin had lost her memory.

But during so many days together, her behavior didn’t seem like that of someone with amnesia.

"Are you really the daughter of Marquis Dongxiang?" Xie Jingchen asked.

Su Jin glanced at him, curling her lips into a smile, "Do you think someone would be foolish enough to pretend to be Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter to marry you and bring good luck?"

Xie Jingchen, "..."

When fooling Su Chong, Su Jin lacked confidence.

But with Xie Jingchen, she was absolutely certain.

Xingxing was adding firewood.

She was a bit puzzled.

Why did the young master suspect that the young lady wasn’t the Marquis’s daughter?

Who would dare to impersonate the young lady right under the Marquis’s nose unless they wanted their family grave to be in ruins?

It was still the young master’s fault for being too handsome.

If the young lady hadn’t been too excited and tripped over the threshold, she wouldn’t have lost her memory.

Thinking about how so much time had passed and the young lady hadn’t recovered in the slightest, Xingxing couldn’t help but worry.

...

In the blink of an eye, two days passed.

On this day, the sun was shining brightly, and spirits were high.

Su Jin stood outside, looking at the white clouds drifting in the sky.

Xingxing checked the small satchel to see if anything had been left behind.

The maid came running over and said, "Eldest Young Madam, the carriage is ready."

Su Jin lifted her foot to move forward.

Xingxing followed closely behind.

The maidservant and servant girls couldn’t help but smirk.

They had to admire the Eldest Young Madam.

Every time she went to the palace, she’d turn it upside down; just when it finally recovered, she was going again, not giving anyone a break.

Peony Garden.

Princess Nanzhang was having breakfast.

Just as she set down her chopsticks, a maid stepped forward and said, "Commandery Princess, the Eldest Young Madam and her maid have prepared a carriage to enter the palace."

"They’re going to the palace again?!" Mrs. Zhao frowned.

"They’re already on their way," the maid said.

Why wouldn’t the Eldest Young Madam dare to enter the palace?

It’s not they who had misfortune, but others.

They’d dare to walk into a sea of blades and a mountain of fire.

Princess Nanzhang chuckled coldly, "The Empress Dowager won’t let them into the palace again."

The carriage slowly drove towards the palace gates.

The gatekeeper saw that it was the carriage from Duke Zhen’s Mansion and blocked the way.

The driver pulled the reins tight.

The guard said, "Who is entering the palace?"

"Our Eldest Young Madam," the driver replied.

"The Empress Dowager ordered that the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion is not allowed to take another step into the palace," the guard said.

Xingxing suddenly pulled open the curtain and asked, "Why doesn’t the Empress Dowager let us in?"

The guard, "..."

Is there even a need to ask?

They went to the palace, and the pharmacy inside was emptied. Who would dare let them in again?

"Why the Empress Dowager thinks so, we do not know," the guard said.

"Then if you don’t know, just let us through and we’ll ask for ourselves," Xingxing said.

"..."

The guard’s mouth twitched.

"The Empress Dowager’s decree, we dare not disobey. Please don’t make it difficult for us," the guard said courteously.

Su Jin said nothing.

Xingxing, displeased, said, "This guard is really annoying, making it hard for us, not letting us in, and then asking us not to make it hard for them!"

The Imperial Palace doesn’t belong to the Empress Dowager, so why can’t they enter?

Xingxing glared at the guard and said, "The Emperor said that my young lady could treat the Imperial Palace as her home, and if you block my young lady, be careful she has the Emperor whip you! The Emperor dotes on my young lady very much!"

The guard, "..."

It’s known that the Emperor favors the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

But—

"The Empress Dowager’s decree, we are powerless," the guard said awkwardly.

Even bringing up the Emperor didn’t work.

Xingxing was at a loss. She looked at Su Jin, scratching her head, "Miss, who has more authority between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager?"

The Emperor was the master of the world.

The Empress Dowager was the Emperor’s mother.

Who was greater?

Xingxing was bewildered.

Su Jin looked at the guard, smiling faintly, "You should ask the guard this question."

The guard, "..."

Silently, the guard stepped aside.

The driver drove the carriage into the palace.

Imperial Study.

The Emperor was reviewing memorials.

A eunuch ran in and said, "Your Majesty, the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion has entered the palace."

The Emperor suddenly felt a headache.

He was already having nightmares about this.

"How did she get in? Didn’t the Empress Dowager instruct the guards not to let her pass?" Eunuch Fu said.

Not only the Emperor, but Eunuch Fu was also afraid.

The Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion was better off staying far from the palace.

The palace had just recovered; it couldn’t withstand her antics again.

The little eunuch looked at Eunuch Fu.

The Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion doesn’t even regard the Empress Dowager; how could a few guards stop her?

Eunuch Fu’s mouth twitched.

Expecting the guards to stop her was perhaps overestimating them.

The Emperor was more concerned, "Why did they enter the palace?"

"I don’t know; they didn’t come in the direction of the Imperial Study," the little eunuch replied.

Entering the palace not to see the Emperor?

Then whom could they be looking for?

Eunuch Fu slapped his forehead and said, "They must be in the palace selecting an Imperial Chef."

That was a mistake on his part.

He should have selected an Imperial Chef and delivered them to her.

"Go keep an eye on the Imperial Kitchen," the Emperor said.

"At once, Your Majesty."

Eunuch Fu nearly jogged to the Imperial Kitchen.

By the time he reached the Imperial Kitchen, he was panting heavily.

For fear that if he delayed for even a moment, the Imperial Kitchen would be destroyed by Su Jin and her maid.

"Where, where is the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion?" Eunuch Fu gasped.

"In the kitchen eating," the little eunuch replied.

"..."

Eunuch Fu quickly walked over.

Just as he reached the door, he heard muffled voices coming from the kitchen, "This, this is delicious. Miss, try it."

"Don’t just focus on eating, check which Imperial Chef’s dishes taste best," Su Jin said.

"Everything tastes good. If only we could take them all," Xingxing said.

"..."

Eunuch Fu rubbed his forehead.

Giving away one Imperial Chef was already quite generous.

He lifted his weary legs and stepped inside.

The Imperial Chefs, seeing it was him, looked as if they’d seen their savior, walking over with a face full of woe and said, "Those dishes were the lunches for the palaces, eaten by the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion. What should we do for lunch?"

"Why didn’t you try to stop them?" Eunuch Fu whispered.

"Didn’t dare stop them," the Imperial Chef said.

"..."

Eunuch Fu waved his hand, and the Imperial Chef stepped back.

Eunuch Fu approached and said, "Has Eldest Young Madam chosen an Imperial Chef?"

Su Jin said, "Eunuch Fu came at just the right time. With so many Imperial Chefs, all of them skilled, I can’t decide which one to choose. Could I trouble Eunuch Fu to pick a suitable one for me?"

Eunuch Fu, "..."

How could anyone else choose someone she’d fancy?