The Prime Minister's Darling novel Chapter 980

Chapter 980: 459 The Truth About the Great Fire (First Update)

Gu Jiao left the palace and went straight to Vermilion Bird Avenue.

The first treatment course for Princess Xinyang had ended, and the effects were not bad; now the second course was about to begin.

Gu Jiao took some medicine from the first-aid kit and put it into a small porcelain bottle to hand to Princess Xinyang.

Neither of them mentioned anything about the Imperial Palace.

In fact, Princess Xinyang had heard about it; after all, she had some old acquaintances inside the palace who would send her messages when necessary, like the time when the Imperial Guards arrested Long Yi, which was reported to her by her former subordinates.

Only at that time, she was drunk, and it was Xiao Liulang who had entered the palace to quell the Empress Dowager’s fury.

How he had appeased her could be imagined; it must have been by revealing his own identity to the Empress Dowager.

More and more people were learning of his identity, and this secret was bound to come out eventually.

"What is the princess thinking about?" Gu Jiao noticed Princess Xinyang’s distraction.

"Nothing." Princess Xinyang regained her composure and glanced at the medicine bottles on the table. "Is this all? It seems like there’s one less bottle than last time."

Gu Jiao explained, "The princess’s heart disease has improved, so there’s no need for the other medicine anymore."

Princess Xinyang nodded.

Yujin came over and took the medicine bottles to store them properly.

Gu Jiao planned to rise to take her leave when Princess Xinyang hesitated and then called out to her, "What’s the deal with his leg?"

Gu Jiao looked at her and said, "Does the princess want to know how his leg was injured or if his leg can receive effective treatment?"

Princess Xinyang said, "Both."

Gu Jiao put the small backpack she had lifted back onto the table: "He was injured while saving someone, about two years ago. At first, he didn’t receive proper treatment, which led to a disability in his right foot. Every step he took was as painful as a stabbing to the heart."

Princess Xinyang’s hand tightened.

Gu Jiao continued, "Roughly a year later, he had surgery to correct the injury to his right foot, but due to limping for so long, the muscles in his right leg were weak and still incapable of walking. He spent another half a year in rehabilitation. The rehabilitation process was very arduous."

Princess Xinyang’s eyelashes trembled slightly: "Then why hasn’t it healed?"

"The injuries on his body have healed." Gu Jiao pointed to her own chest. "It’s here, where my scalpel is powerless to help."

...

The demotion of Prince Ning caused a huge stir in the Capital City, and Grand Master Zhuang was intent on manipulating public opinion, attempting to launch a chorus of voices that could tarnish gold. However, the Empress Dowager was not someone who could be taken lightly either.

You, Grand Master Zhuang give as much silver as you like; I’ll give three times more!

–––– At least she wasn’t as stingy as her brother.

The ultimate beneficiary of the manipulation of public opinion turned out to be the old Storytelling Master who, having received silver from someone, would write a whitewashing story for them, then sell it to Tea House waiters and Storytelling Masters.

His plots were logical and easy to understand; his choice of words was impeccable and highly engaging, which made him very popular among Tea House waiters and Storytelling Masters.

The Empress Dowager, with her utterly different nature of spending money like water compared to her brother, successfully defeated Grand Master Zhuang and obtained the ultimate whitewashing package from the old Storytelling Master.

Of course, the old Storytelling Master did not approach either side under his real name. He used the bookstore as a liaison point, playing two roles to deal with both sides using the identities of two writers.

The Empress Dowager thought the writer she had found was particularly talented when it was actually just a matter of her silver being in place.

The old Storytelling Master made a tidy sum.

He patted his bulging purse filled with banknotes, no longer worried about Zhuang Jinse coming to rob his private money! And then, as soon as he entered his house, he was robbed.

Old Storytelling Master: Wuu, my banknotes haven’t even warmed up––––

While the case of Prince Ning was boiling over, by contrast, the news that the Crown Princess had suddenly fallen ill and went to the villa to recuperate seemed rather calm. In reality, whether it was Prince Ning or Wo Linlang, their affairs had little to do with Bishui Alley; what concerned them most was the child Xiao Liulang.

Lately, that child seemed to have lost weight again.

Madam Liu came over to ask: "Madam Huo, what’s the matter with your Liulang? I’ve seen him looking deep in thought several times when I’ve visited."

The Empress Dowager sighed: "Ah, he’s missing his mother."

"Ah, he has a mother?" Madam Liu had never seen or heard this family mention it, and had assumed Xiao Liulang was a child without a mother. "Is his mother beautiful?"

His father certainly is.

Madam Liu thought of Marquis Xuanping, believing him to be even better-looking than Madam Huo’s son.

Actually, no one had told her that Marquis Xuanping was Xiao Liulang’s father, but no one doubted their relation when they stood together.