Chapter 1553: Chapter 1527: Heartflutter

Zhou Wulang glanced over and immediately handed it to Zhou Lijun, who saw the note detailing the salary, rent rice, and silk cloth they could receive.

The clerk said, “Your family is lucky. This month happens to be the distribution of summer silk cloth, and June is the deadline for confirming the professional fields. So this year, your family should be able to allocate the fields, and you’ll receive the rent from them next year.”

Zhou Wulang and the others didn’t quite understand what professional fields were, but to avoid appearing inexperienced, they didn’t ask anything and decided to inquire with Old Madam Liu and Mr. Zhuang when they returned.

They are experienced, surely they would know.

After confirming the note, Zhou Lijun took it along with Fifth Uncle to one side, and when they were far enough away, she lowered her voice and said, “Fifth Uncle, we have a total of twenty-three stones of rent rice. Can our cart hold it all?”

Zhou Wulang’s eyes lit up, asking, “That much?”

Zhou Lijun nodded repeatedly, asking, “Can it fit?”

Zhou Wulang then consulted with Zhou Liwei briefly before replying, “It should be possible. Luckily, we brought the mule cart. Twenty-three stones, he might pack it into thirty bags. I and Liwei will rearrange some on the outside, surely they’ll fit,”

The mule has good endurance; it would be tough to pull with a horse or mule otherwise.

The three of them took the note to collect their salary and rent rice.

The Ministry of Revenue doesn’t like to settle in silver, so they gave copper coins instead. Just right, their combined official ranks amount to six thousand coins. The officer responsible for distributing salaries handed them six strings of coins, asked them to sign, and drew a circle on the note’s salary section to indicate they had received it.

Nearby, the warehouse was distributing the rent rice. Servants from the Ministry of Revenue moved bags of rice from the warehouse, measured them, and set them aside, coming up with twenty-three stones for them.

Zhou Lijun kept an eye on how another household was collecting their rent rice, and seeing that the servants stepped aside after weighing the rice, she stepped forward to slip a handful of copper coins into their hands, asking them to help move the rent rice onto the mule cart.

The servants chuckled, then lent a hand to help.

Zhou Wulang saw this, initially wanting to say that he and Liwei could do it, but Liwei pulled at Zhou Wulang, advising Fifth Uncle to listen to Lijun.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Wulang pulled Zhou Liwei outside to help. In reality, it was just to reorganize the grain, ensuring everything could fit.

They hadn’t expected this much rent rice; next month, they would need to bring two carts.

On the carriage, Manbao saw her Fifth Brother leading the servants with rent rice out and felt satisfied. She chuckled at Eunuch Rong Si and said, “Let’s go.”

Eunuch Rong Si responded with a laugh, turned the horse, and departed.

Because they had been delayed on the road, Eunuch Rong Si speeded up deliberately, passing several blocks outside the imperial city before reaching the main gate of Daming Palace.

Manbao hurriedly rushed towards the Crown Princess’s residence with the medicine box on her back when a palace maid from the Crown Princess’s side stopped her on the way, respectfully saying, “Lord Zhou Junior, the Crown Princess is with Princess Mingda and Princess Changyu. You should head straight there.”

After saying that, she led her towards Princess Mingda’s residence.

Manbao exhaled a breath of relief and followed her to the side hall.

Upon entering the room, a cool breeze greeted her due to the dissipated heat from the sun’s rays. Manbao breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “It’s much cooler here. What are you discussing?”

The Crown Princess laughed, “We were discussing the moisturizing rouge you made with Mingda and Changyu.”

She looked expectantly at Manbao, asking, “Manbao, can I use that moisturizing rouge?”

Manbao thought for a moment and nodded, “It doesn’t contain any blood-activating ingredients, so yes, but Your Highness, what do you want to use it for?”

Unable to resist, Mingda replied, “Everyone wants to look good. What do you think it’s for?”

The Crown Princess shyly lowered her head.

Manbao looked at Mingda’s face, then at the Crown Princess’s face, and after a moment, nodded, saying, “Use it, just sparingly.”

The Crown Princess immediately asked, “Why sparingly? Will it harm the fetus?”

“No,” Manbao replied, “Using too much might cause acne.”

Pausing, she continued, “But don’t worry about acne; this time we’re making a cream for it.”

The Crown Princess:… Well, it’s best to use less then.

Beside her, Mingda and Changyu couldn’t help but cover their mouths and laugh.

After taking the Crown Princess’s pulse, confirming everything was normal, Manbao went to make medicinal ointments with Mingda and the others.

After all, it is a medicine, and the smell is strong. The Crown Princess glanced from afar but dared not get too close, leaving with some regret.

However, before leaving, she instructed the three to save her a portion if they completed it.

While grinding the medicinal herbs and overseeing the palace maids boiling the medicinal liquids, Manbao curiously asked Mingda, “Do women indeed love these ointments so much?”

Mingda nodded.

Changyu touched her cheeks and asked in detail, “If something can make you more beautiful, more youthful, wouldn’t you want it?”

Manbao thought for a moment and shook her head, “I’m already young now, but if something could make me smarter, so I understand everything at a glance, I’d go to great lengths to get it.”

Changyu:… I said beautiful, you say smart?

Mingda laughed, “Same principle, it’s something you truly love, really want to have.”

Manbao nodded thoughtfully.

After completing today’s steps, making some instructions, Manbao was about to leave. Before leaving, she asked the palace maid, “I wonder if His Majesty is busy and if he has time to see me?”

The palace maid was momentarily stunned before asking, “Does Lord Zhou Junior need to meet His Majesty?”

Manbao thought for a moment and nodded, indeed having something to do; after all, she needed to apologize to someone.

So the palace maid went out, and returned shortly, saying, “His Majesty is in the main hall, and there’s no one there now. Please come with me.”

Taking Manbao to the main hall, Gu Zhong’s little apprentice awaited her and smiled as he led her inside.

The Emperor had just finished discussing matters with ministers, and since it was hot in the afternoon, he was sitting eating sweet melons.

However, this time he learned to be cautious and didn’t eat too much—just one at a time.

Seeing Manbao enter, he lifted his eyelids to glance at her, waiting for her to finish her salute before asking, “What business do you have to report?”

Manbao glanced at the sweet melon he was eating, watching his complexion carefully for a while, until the Emperor felt uneasy.

He couldn’t help but put down the sweet melon, sitting up a bit, and asked, “So, do I have an illness?”

Manbao hesitated and said, “Your Majesty seems to have caught a bit of cold.”

The Emperor: “… I only ate one!”

Manbao paused, and the Emperor followed suit, finally rolling up his sleeve and stretching out his hand.

Gu Zhong watched with alarm, quickly moving a small stool and shifting a table, allowing Manbao to examine the Emperor.

Manbao opened the medicine box, took out the pulse pillow, and as she placed the Emperor’s hand on the pillow, she seriously said, “Your Majesty, you must trust me. I didn’t come here today because I wished to see you sick; I came to bring you something.”

The Emperor asked irritably, “What do you wish to give me?”

“A medicine pouch.” Seeing the Emperor’s face tense up, Manbao immediately explained, “It’s an herbal pouch for relief from heat and preventing insects. I crafted it myself and spent money to get herbs from the Imperial Hospital. It’s very effective.”