CHAPTER 1632: CHAPTER 1607: BREWING (JANUARY MONTHLY TICKET BONUS 2)

Mrs. Wang’s face was slightly cold, but Manbao smiled at her and said, "If you have something to attend to, Madam, please go ahead."

Mrs. Wang quickly snapped back to reality, smiled, and agreed, then took a purse from Ms. Tian’s hand and stuffed it into Manbao’s hand, saying, "Thank you so much for your help today, Imperial Doctor Zhou."

Manbao hesitated for a moment, then pushed it back, saying, "You are too kind, Madam. I am here on orders, and being on orders, it’s my duty, so there’s no need for thanks."

Mrs. Wang didn’t expect her to refuse and was momentarily stunned before she said, "I understand. The Crown Prince has given my son a lifesaving favor, but this is our sincere gratitude to you. Please, Imperial Doctor Zhou, don’t mind that the gift is light."

Seeing that Zhou Man refused to accept, Mrs. Wang, feeling a little downhearted, said, "Is it that Imperial Doctor Zhou looks down on us, a widow and orphan without standing and friends, so..."

"What’s the point of saying that," Manbao quickly said, "My family comes from the countryside, how could we look down on others?"

Manbao struggled a little and said, "It’s just that I am here on orders, and taking money would be inappropriate."

Mrs. Wang saw her little face all scrunched up, and couldn’t help but smile even though she was in a bad mood. She forcefully shoved the purse back into Manbao’s hand, saying, "This is our gift of thanks to Imperial Doctor Zhou, it has nothing to do with whether you’re here on orders."

Manbao glanced at Rong Si, and only then did she accept it.

Mrs. Wang took the opportunity to say, "Tomorrow, please come over again to take a look, to ease our hearts."

Manbao thought for a moment and nodded, "I will speak to His Highness the Crown Prince."

She would need the Crown Prince’s approval to leave the palace.

Mrs. Wang then breathed a sigh of relief and watched as they left.

Once out of the alley, Manbao said to Rong Si, "Let’s go to the Daming Palace, and then you can return to the Imperial Palace on your own. I’ll take the waterway back in the evening."

Rong Si agreed, turned his horse around, and ran ahead. When he passed by a carriage, someone stuck their head out and called, "Manbao!"

Rong Si reined in his horse, and Manbao leaned out of the window to see Madam Tang looking at her from the window.

Madam Tang confirmed it was Manbao and then got off the carriage.

Manbao was slightly surprised, "Madam Tang, what a coincidence."

She also jumped off the carriage.

Madam Tang used a fan to shield her head from the sun and said, "Coincidence? This is my uncle’s house, are you here to see Wang Rong?"

Manbao hesitated, nodded, and then looked at Madam Tang with uncertainty, asking, "Is Wang Ji your father?"

Madam Tang: "... Wang Ji is my uncle, my great-uncle, to be precise. Our family is the main branch, and they’re the second branch. Wang Rong is my cousin. How is he?"

Manbao clicked her tongue and shook her head. Since it was Madam Tang, she hesitated but still said, "The situation isn’t very good, it looks like he’s going to suffer quite a bit. Plus, he’s injured his tendons and bones, it’ll take at least three to four months to heal, and that’s only if the wounds don’t worsen. Give it three days; if after three days there’s a sign of scabbing without pus, then he will have passed this life-threatening phase."

Madam Tang’s face turned dark, "That serious?"

"Exactly, it’s not much different from when Xiang Chao underwent corporal punishment back then. But Xiang Chao had a thick skin and survived. Your cousin is too delicate."

Madam Tang: ... One is a noble scion, the other a seasoned outlaw, how can they be compared?

She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and asked, "Did the Crown Prince send you?"

Manbao thought that the matter must have been spread widely by now, so she didn’t hide it and nodded directly.

Madam Tang nodded and said, "Alright, I understand, thank you for coming to see him. Please take care of him in the future."

Manbao immediately smiled and said, "No problem, no problem. Sister-in-law, I will take my leave first?"

"Go ahead." Before leaving, Madam Tang also gave her a pack of snacks, which she had brought to visit Wang Rong. The family chef made them, using particularly good ingredients.

Manbao happily accepted it, then went to Daming Palace.

She followed the usual procedures, first visiting the Crown Princess, and if she had the time, she’d visit Prince Gong. If not, she wouldn’t. After all, Prince Gong just needed to lose weight, which depended on Aunt Shang and Prince Gong’s own self-discipline; her visit would only be to see someone suffer.

When the sun was setting, Manbao returned to the Eastern Palace, then first reported back to the Crown Prince, explained Wang Rong’s condition, and then left.

When she returned to the Chongwen Pavilion, everyone immediately gathered around her. Feng Zongping even spoke before Bai Shan, saying, "I heard you went to the Wang family on the Crown Prince’s order to treat Wang Ji’s nephew?"

Manbao nodded, "Your news is indeed quick."

Bai Shan pulled her to his side and asked, "Have you had dinner? Let’s eat first."

"Let’s chat while eating," Feng Zongping said, "It’ll be locked up after dark."

So, everyone gathered in the dining hall to watch Manbao eat.

Manbao didn’t feel awkward and thought for a moment. When she left the Wang family, Mrs. Wang didn’t ask for secrecy, and just now when she met the Crown Prince, he didn’t remind her either. Moreover, with Mrs. Wang’s loud scolding earlier, many people probably already knew.

So, Manbao didn’t hide anything and vividly described Wang Rong’s injuries while eating. Naturally, she also recounted Mrs. Wang and Wang Ji’s distant verbal spat.

All the fellow students were filled with emotion, even the oldest, Li Sanlang, couldn’t help but sigh, "Lord Wang’s actions were too harsh. We all thought it was just a show, a few strokes with a rod, then locked in a room for a few days, but who knew he actually used a court cane."

"They say it was for riding through young crops, but it’s already been over four months, and the grain is almost ready to harvest. It’s just a few people’s one-sided statements. Even if an imperial censor impeaches, it’d be just an insignificant fine," Cheng Erlang said, "Ultimately, it’s because Lord Wang and others wouldn’t let go of us initially, making a big deal out of something minor. His Majesty was a bit unhappy, thus punishing him with house arrest. There wasn’t any concrete charge, at most a ten-day half-month meditation, then he’d be back. Why make it harder?"

Bai Shan couldn’t help but say, "You’re all talking after the fact, analyzing it insightfully now. Who was gloating yesterday when entering the palace? Even we couldn’t help but tease and gloat. Who knows what Lord Wang was thinking? To expedite reinstatement, he had to harshly punish Wang Rong, didn’t he?"

Zhao Liulang said, "But this punishment was excessively harsh."

Bai Shan just sighed and said, "This is being ruthless. Because Wang Rong isn’t his own son, he doesn’t feel any pity."

Just then, the Emperor was also speaking with the Empress, "...After all, he’s not his own son. Over such a small matter, he beats the child like that. It’s too ruthless."

The Empress asked, "Then what does Your Majesty plan to do?"

The Emperor thought for a moment and said, "It’s not appropriate for me to meddle too much in a minister’s family affairs. Let’s see what intention the Wang family shows. If they ask me to preside over justice, I will naturally need to be fair."

The Empress nodded, "Whatever the case, they shouldn’t have used the court cane."

The Emperor fully agreed.