The most heartless are those of the imperial family.
When my flower blooms, all others wither…
How could I, Shen Yu, endure being suppressed under others for long?
Dog Emperor, I want you dead!
“Your Majesty, does this hurt?”
Shen Yu slightly tightened her thighs at that moment, nervously gripping the scalpel in her hand.
Feeling the occasional chilly draft blowing through the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the Empress’s intermittent glances, she felt like she wanted to die.
And Shen Yu, although she was so angry she felt like she might explode, still had to ask the Dog Emperor with a hint of flattery whether her pressure was too much.
Seeing the Dog Emperor’s look of enjoyment, occasionally glancing at her with the corners of her mouth unconsciously turning up, Shen Yu’s desire to die intensified.
So humiliating.
She grew up cursing the Dog Emperor with Grandpa, only to end up being controlled by the Dog Emperor as an adult.
If Grandpa found out, wouldn’t he scold her for being unfilial?
“I don’t feel much. Will this really spare me from the Hundred-Year Sore?”
The Empress glanced at the bottles and jars in Shen Yu’s hand.
She couldn’t understand them, but she could see Shen Yu’s professionalism from her skilled movements.
That technique was definitely not something that could be mastered in a day.
“Yes, Your Majesty. However, during this period, you must still be careful. Absolutely avoid spicy foods, and pay attention to keeping warm and avoiding cold…”
“Stop.”
Before Shen Yu could finish speaking, the Empress directly raised her hand to interrupt.
“These are matters for you to worry about, my dear Shen. With you here, isn’t that enough for me?”
The Empress’s words left Shen Yu speechless, with no idea how to refute them.
Fine, you’re the Dog Emperor, you call the shots.
Just you wait.
Tonight, when I go back, I’m going to fiercely gossip about you with Yin Qiu.
You old hag!
“Yes, Your Majesty’s instruction is correct.”
Shen Yu silently packed up her things.
The great hall fell into a prolonged silence.
Shen Yu didn’t know what to do either, so she could only kneel-sit on the ground, using her hands to cover her thighs as much as possible.
“Um… Your Majesty, it’s finished. May this humble official return now?”
Shen Yu cautiously spoke up.
The Empress, who had been staring at her the whole time, was really a bit frightening.
Shen Yu felt like a plump little lamb being watched by a vicious wolf, afraid the Empress might just gobble her up in one bite.
And in the Empress’s gaze, which held a hint of desire, there also seemed to be a taste of wanting to devour someone.
“If the vaccine truly proves effective, I will naturally dispatch people to promote it throughout the entire country. And those analgesic and antipyretic pills of yours, I will also order all local Huimin Halls to keep them in regular stock. Of course, these pills and the vaccine will certainly bear the names of you, Shen Yu, Mu’en Hall, and the Medical Recruitment Exam.”
The meaning behind the Empress’s words was very clear: leveraging the widespread recognition of Huimin Halls while simultaneously boosting the fame of Shen Yu, Mu’en Hall, and the Medical Recruitment Exam.
It was essentially using Huimin Hall, but the benefits were all firmly grasped in the Emperor’s hands.
This Empress was truly a shrewd person, always calculating no matter the situation.
“You have rendered no small service in this matter, my dear Shen. Speak, what reward do you desire?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the renovation of Mu’en Hall still requires a very large sum of silver. Could Your Majesty possibly…”
“Granted.”
The Empress nodded.
Hearing that the Emperor was willing to give money, Shen Yu’s eyes instantly lit up.
Her body, which had been slightly curled up due to shyness, couldn’t help but straighten.
“I appoint you as a Seventh-Rank Inner Court Physician. Your official rank is promoted one level, but your position remains unchanged, still managing Mu’en Hall. However, you will also hold a concurrent post at the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Having the backing of the Academy will make things more convenient for you, and you can also draw two salaries. How about it?”
“Th-thank you for Your Majesty’s great kindness. But, Your Majesty, the matter of the silver…?”
“Ah…”
The Empress let out a long sigh, then looked directly at Shen Yu with a grave expression.
“My dear Shen, you may not know this. Currently, the court situation is shifting, the national treasury is empty, and even the Private Imperial Treasury cannot make ends meet. The state faces difficulties… every step is a struggle.”
As she spoke, the Empress reached out, picked up a bright red Lingnan cherry, and popped it into her mouth.
Shen Yu was dumbfounded.
“By granting you full authority over Mu’en Hall’s profits, I am actually placing my trust in your capabilities, my dear Shen. Mu’en Hall is, in fact, an institution with great commercial potential.”
“You must understand, the court currently holds a suppressive attitude towards merchants. For me to help you so blatantly, my dear Shen, can’t you see the significance?”
The Empress spoke earnestly, but in her heart, Shen Yu cursed “Dog Emperor” three times in a row.
In plain terms, you just don’t want to spend money, right?
Who knows if you’re really broke or just pretending?
After all that talk, the core point is just four words…
“No money for you.”
Dog Emperor is Dog Emperor, no wonder Grandpa curses you to high heaven!
Dog Emperor! Dog Emperor…
Dog Emp…
“However! I can reluctantly scrape together one hundred thousand taels of silver for you, my dear subject.”
The Empress changed her tone.
Hearing there was money to be had, Shen Yu immediately cast the words “Dog Emperor” beyond the highest clouds.
“Long live my Emperor, ten thousand, ten thousand times ten thousand years. Your subject thanks the Sovereign for your great kindness.”
No choice, she was too poor.
Forget about pride or face.
Only with money could Mu’en Hall grow stronger, gain a voice, and protect Qingfeng Village.
Otherwise… all talk was pointless.
“Don’t thank me just yet. I have conditions. Do you recognize the daughter of Marquis Dingyuan, Cao Xiangning?”