Abandoned Woman Busy Farming
Chapter 1531: If You Can’t Avoid It, Face It Head On_1

Chapter 1531: Chapter 1531: If You Can’t Avoid It, Face It Head On_1

The banquet hadn’t ended yet, and to vomit at the table was indeed unseemly. Fortunately, Liang Jing’s seat was relatively far from the emperor and the empress, but the officials on either side of him couldn’t help but cover their noses and mouths with their sleeves.

After vomiting, Liang Jing sobered up quite a bit. With a face full of shame, he bowed to the emperor, "I ask the Emperor to forgive me, this humble official has been rude."

"Liang Aiqing, you have worked hard today. Go back and rest now. I will have someone send the reward to your residence later," Tang Yin’s voice was light-hearted, evidently not angry with Liang Jing.

Liang Jing said with shame, "Your Majesty, this official is truly unworthy, I am too ashamed to accept this reward."

Tang Yin waved his hand, "Your capacity for alcohol is already very impressive. None of the other people here have a better tolerance than you. It’s just that Prince Saihan was a bit strange, you don’t have to take it to heart."

After hearing this, Liang Jing felt it would be improper to refuse any further, so after bowing to the emperor, he was escorted out.

"Let’s call it a day. Everyone may leave," the emperor said.

The courtiers stood up, bowed, and watched the emperor and empress leave before they dispersed in small groups, but their conversations were all about the audacity of the Turkic people.

"Minister Jiang, on behalf of my colleagues, thank you. You have redeemed our Danliang Country’s honor," Prime Minister Si Yuanhang came over and suddenly gave Jiang Yichun a deep bow.

Jiang Yichun hurriedly returned the bow, "Prime Minister, you give me too much credit. I can only exert physical strength; when it comes to strategizing, we still need to rely on you and the others."

Si Yuanhang was somewhat surprised that Jiang Yichun was being so polite. In his memory, Jiang Yichun rarely exchanged pleasantries with others, let alone complimented anyone. Today was indeed unusual.

Bai Ruozhu was also a little surprised, but she quickly understood.

Her man was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He couldn’t be bothered to be courteous with most people, but when it came to his own family, he took great care.

He was probably considering Si Yuanhang’s granddaughter possibly marrying her second brother, so he was a bit more courteous to Si Yuanhang.

Thinking of this, Bai Ruozhu felt a warm feeling in her heart. His concern for her brother’s matters was also because he cared about her, and therefore cared for her family as well.

Jiang Yichun exchanged a few more pleasantries with Si Yuanhang, then left with Bai Ruozhu.

"There were no officials’ wives present today, why insist on calling me here? Could it be that his original plan was to defeat you, and then deal with me afterward?" Bai Ruozhu asked, somewhat puzzled.

Jiang Yichun smiled and took her hand, saying, "It’s true that no officials’ wives were present, but you are an official, aren’t you?"

Bai Ruozhu thought that might indeed be the case, but Li Yi must have intended to target them in the first place.

As the two were talking, they saw a group of palace maids carrying lanterns approaching. It wasn’t until they were close that Bai Ruozhu could see clearly that the maids were escorting a concubine, none other than Liu Fei, with whom she had a personal grudge.

"Oh, isn’t that Official Bai? This is the Inner Palace, how unseemly of you to be clinging to each other like this," Liu Fei spoke.

Bai Ruozhu bowed to her, saying, "This low-ranking official has seen Imperial Concubine Liu, oh, I’m mistaken, now it should be just Concubine Liu."

Liu Fei’s alluring eyes flared with flames, but they quickly settled down, "Official Bai truly lives up to being an official, such arrogance."

"This official is just about to leave the Palace; it’s inappropriate for the Inner Palace concubines to be running about at this time of night, isn’t it?" Bai Ruozhu narrowed her eyes, remembering that Liu Fei had been grounded. Had she been released from her confinement?

Liu Fei let out a coquettish laugh, "I was ordered by the Emperor to go, so Official Bai need not worry. Let us go."

Obviously, Liu Fei was in a hurry to serve the Emperor and had no intention of bickering with Bai Ruozhu anymore.

Once out of the palace, Bai Ruozhu said disdainfully, "I can’t believe the emperor has such poor taste to let her serve him."

Jiang Yichun’s eyes darkened slightly as he lowered his voice, "Based on my understanding of the emperor, I’m quite surprised as well."

"Could she be lying?" Bai Ruozhu asked and then felt it unlikely, "She wouldn’t be that stupid, and she seems quite pleased with herself."

"Let’s drop it, guessing the emperor’s thoughts is beyond us." Jiang Yichun took her hand and helped her into the horse carriage, and as soon as they sat down, he started getting frisky.

Bai Ruozhu stepped on his foot and gave him a reproachful look, but the dim light in the carriage meant Jiang Yichun couldn’t feel the lethality of her gaze, he chuckled and said, "Having had some wine tonight, naturally, I’m a bit light-headed."

After saying that, he leaned lazily against her, his breath heavy with the scent of alcohol.

’’Tch, you can’t hold your liquor nearly as well as Liang Jing can,’’ Bai Ruozhu teased him on purpose.

"At least I didn’t throw up," Jiang Yichun shamelessly made excuses for himself.

"Right, Jianqi, send someone to bring Liang Jing a packet of the hangover remedy I prepared," Bai Ruozhu instructed towards the outside of the carriage.

Jiang Yichun grabbed her hand to bite it and said, "Why do you care so much about Liang Jing?"

Bai Ruozhu smacked him with her other hand, "We’re colleagues serving the same court, do you want him drunk for days, unable to attend court sessions, and then becoming a laughingstock for Li Yi and his group?"

Jiang Yichun took her words to heart and didn’t object further, as in the end, they couldn’t afford to be looked down upon by their enemies.

...

The next day, Liang Jing indeed reported sick and failed to attend the morning court session; he had drunk zealously, naturally harming his health, but how could Prince Saihan not have done something on purpose?

Bai Ruozhu looked at the smirking Prince Saihan before her and sighed silently, considering that indeed, he was going to cause her trouble.

That morning, she had been at the Female Physicians Institution when a manager from the Medical Alliance sent in a message saying that Prince Saihan from the Turkic Country had come to the Medical Alliance seeking treatment and threatened to tear down their signboard if the leader did not attend to him.

If it had been anyone else, the manager would have reported it to the authorities; the Medical Alliance was a place for the medical community to gather and exchange knowledge, not an ordinary clinic, and though there was a scheduled free clinic once a month, they couldn’t just treat anyone anytime they wanted.

But Prince Saihan was a Turkic prince here for an intercultural marriage, and even if they reported him to the authorities, the government office would find it difficult to handle the situation. Thus, the manager had no choice but to seek help from Bai Ruozhu.

What was inevitable would eventually come; Bai Ruozhu knew that what could be avoided temporarily could not be escaped forever, so she sent for Jiang Yichun and dared to head towards the Medical Alliance herself.

If she couldn’t avoid it, she would face it head-on; how could she let him smash the signboard?

"Why is Chief Doctor Bai unwilling to find a foreign physician for me? Do you look down on us Turks?" Saihan provoked, "The Turkic people you look down upon will soon marry your princess. If I fall ill here in Danliang Country, the marriage alliance might well be called off."

"Doesn’t Prince Saihan have his own Imperial Doctor accompanying the delegation? Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to intervene in your entourage’s medical affairs?" Bai Ruozhu asked.

"If this prince lets you treat me, there’s nothing inappropriate about it, unless you’re afraid to treat me," Saihan laughed heartily, causing the manager standing by to shiver uncontrollably.

He scornfully glanced at the manager, "Are you willing to employ garbage? Your judgment really is poor!"

"I trust the people I use, and it isn’t Prince Saihan’s place to worry about whom I employ," Bai Ruozhu was running out of patience, even her normally good nature wearing thin.

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