“Your Highness, you absolutely must not! Your precious body must not go outside the city walls! Those refugees outside the city… oh my goodness, you don’t know, they’re all infected with the Great Plague!”
When Eunuch Li heard that the Grand Princess intended to accompany Shen Yu outside the city to aid the refugees, his already pale face drained of what little color remained.
A man accustomed to grand scenes, he now stumbled over his words, genuinely terrified to the core.
‘Oh dear, my master, this is no joke.’
Eunuch Li inwardly grumbled…
‘What’s the difference between this and throwing your life away? The Grand Princess has always been frail and sickly. Her lung ailment has only just shown signs of improvement. How can she forget the pain once the wound heals? Isn’t this just reckless?’
Of course, Eunuch Li dared not voice this openly.
The Princess, as the Crown Prince, was also the future pillar of the eunuch faction.
As a eunuch, he naturally did not want anything to happen to this young heir apparent.
After all, the Grand Princess had treated them, the eunuchs, quite well, and eunuchs could only rely on the imperial power.
“If Physician Attendant Shen isn’t afraid, why should I, the sovereign, be? This matter is settled.”
“Then… then this old servant will accompany you!”
Eunuch Li gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and pushed aside his fear of the Great Plague.
His mind was now filled with thoughts of how to protect this young master, to safeguard the future interests of the eunuch faction.
What did the Great Plague matter?
If anything happened to the young master, the Emperor’s wrath would be far more terrifying than any plague.
“If you accompany me, what if Physician Attendant Shen figures out my identity? You stay in the palace and serve Empress Mother properly.”
“This… yes.”
Eunuch Li opened his mouth, words on the tip of his tongue, but held them back.
After all, this was the golden decree of the Crown Prince.
No matter how much he wanted to say, he could only swallow it.
***
Early the next morning, Shen Yu was jolted awake by a nightmare.
She sat bolt upright in bed, her weary eyes filled with terror.
“Sister?”
Yin Qiu beside her rubbed her sleepy eyes and slowly sat up.
She wore only a lotus-pink dudou, her small breasts just beginning to develop, accentuating the curves of her chest.
“What’s wrong? You talked a lot in your sleep last night.”
Yin Qiu asked cautiously.
Shen Yu wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, only relaxing slightly after confirming she was in the side courtyard room of Mu’en Hall.
“I had a nightmare last night. I dreamed the Emperor ordered me to deal with the refugees infected with the Great Plague outside the city and even assigned me an assistant.”
“Huh?”
Yin Qiu tilted her little head, looking at Shen Yu with confusion.
“What’s so scary about that?”
“That part isn’t scary. What’s scary is the assistant the Emperor assigned me… she turned out to be the current Grand Princess.”
Shen Yu patted her ample chest, relieved it was just a nightmare.
“But His Majesty really did entrust you with full responsibility for the refugee matter outside the city.”
“I know.”
Although Shen Yu had been nearly dead with exhaustion last night, she still remembered the important parts.
She remembered the business, but everything else was a blur.
Shen Yu remembered that just as she was about to fall asleep, someone seemed to have supported her and even wiped her drool.
Late at night, she seemed to have been carried back.
Probably Cao Xiangning, right?
“Physician Attendant Shen!”
Just as Shen Yu was recalling the events, a clear and familiar voice rang out from outside.
It was still that charming figure, hands on hips with a hint of arrogance, still accompanied by over a dozen servants, and that maid Xiao Tao, whose beauty outshone even the most stunning courtesan from the Jiaofangsi.
“Miss Xiaoyue? So early?”
“Is it early, Physician Attendant Shen? The plan for the day lies in the morning. Rising early makes it easier to get things done.”
Upon seeing Shen Yu, Xiao Yue’s slightly serious, tense little face immediately broke into a smile.
This caused Xiao Tao beside her to purse her lips, almost laughing out loud.
‘Who was it at the East Palace just now, yelling to sleep for one more incense stick’s time?’
And who fell asleep several times while getting dressed, washing up, combing hair, and eating breakfast?
“Yes, yes, Miss Xiaoyue is a lady from a great family. Someone like me, from the countryside, isn’t very sensitive to these things.”
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
Shen Yu exchanged a few pleasantries with Xiao Yue, completely unaware that Xiao Yue’s gaze towards her was practically dripping with affection.
She had specifically gotten up early today just to see what Shen Yu looked like right after waking up.
Makeup was a kind of sorcery in modern times, and it wasn’t much different in ancient times.
With a bit of rouge and powder on the face, as long as the face wasn’t too bad, practically anyone could be called a beauty.
So Xiao Yue was very curious: what was Shen Yu like without makeup?
Was she as fresh and pretty as she imagined?
But seeing her this morning, Xiao Yue was utterly stunned.
Shen Yu simply didn’t wear makeup…
When she got up in the morning, she just washed up, combed her hair, and rubbed a bit of ointment that looked like lard on her face, and that was it.
One must know that even a Grand Princess like Xiao Yue, blessed with natural beauty, wouldn’t dare go out with a bare face.
“Of course I’ve eaten. I even brought breakfast for Physician Attendant Shen. Just some ordinary food from home. Please don’t disdain it, Physician Attendant Shen.”
“You brought me breakfast too? You’re too kind…”
When Shen Yu saw the food boxes the servants brought in, she was completely stunned.
“Miss Xiaoyue…”
“Hmm? What’s wrong? Is the food not tasty enough?”
“No… I mean, does your family eat half a roasted suckling pig for breakfast?”
Shen Yu was dumbfounded.
“We can choose not to eat it, but it must be available. After all, we are entrusted by Empress Mother… no, by His Majesty this time to undertake a great task.”
“Physician Attendant Shen, please sit and eat first. I can brief you on the situation.”
Xiao Yue pulled Shen Yu to sit down, very casually poured herself a cup of tea, and also poured one for Shen Yu.
Shen Yu, of course, couldn’t see the nuance in this, but Xiao Tao was as if facing a great enemy, her pretty face deathly pale.
Xiao Yue was a Princess, of noble status.
She should not pour tea for herself, let alone for others.
As a Princess, she would only serve her consort by pouring tea and water after marriage, within her own home.
If the civil officials saw Xiao Yue’s current behavior, wouldn’t they criticize her to death?
“So, His Majesty wants you to assist me in aiding the refugees outside the city?”
Shen Yu stuffed a xiaolongbao into her mouth, finding that although it looked unremarkable, the taste was exceptionally delicious.
One bite released a fragrant, scalding hot broth, far more delicious than any sold at street markets.
“Yes, with my family’s resources, I can help you just right. To be honest, Physician Attendant Shen, my family started out in the medicinal herb business. We have collaborations with Imperial Merchants, and our business spans the entire country.”
Xiao Yue spun her lies without batting an eye.
Although she didn’t understand the herb business, she knew what to say to draw closer to Shen Yu.
She was truly a cunning little schemer, stopping at nothing to get close to Shen Yu.
“No wonder.”
Shen Yu showed not a hint of suspicion, nodding repeatedly.
“Also, I heard… you have a miraculous medicine here that can prevent the Hundred-Year Sore?”
“Yes, though it’s hardly miraculous, just a folk remedy from my hometown. It’s perfect that you’re here, Miss Xiaoyue. This medicine can be used on you too. Come… follow me to the inner room, take off your clothes.”
Before Shen Yu could finish her sentence, Xiao Yue had already shot to her feet.
If Xiao Tao hadn’t secretly tugged at the hem of Xiao Yue’s clothes, Xiao Yue would likely have blushed, taken the initiative, and dragged Shen Yu into the inner room by now.