Chapter 420: Chapter 422: Into Turmoil Again
After nightfall, the Capital City buzzed with life as the street lamps were lit for the first ti.
In a small tavern, several drunken n huddled together, drinking themselves into stupors, shaking their wine pots as they burst into laughter.
“When do you think the Fifth Prince will inherit the throne? The Second Prince is really stupid, he can’t even outdo the Fifth Prince; it’s an embarrassnt to the royal family.” After saying this, the man tilted his head back and took another swig.
Another man took up the conversation, saying carelessly, “What do we care? Let’s just drink.”
A companion shook his head in disagreent and muttered, “Are you kidding? It’s clear that The Emperor favors the Fifth Prince, isn’t it obvious that he’s setting up the Fifth Prince to succeed?”
The speaker was casual, but the listener was interested. The first man slamd the table and stood up, glowering with eyes as big as copper bells, yelling, “Bullshit! The Second Prince is born of the Empress, the heir apparent not the younger. How could The Emperor ever discard the Second Prince?”
Seeing this, those nearby hurriedly tried to calm him down, saying, “Hey, bro, don’t get angry, please don’t get angry.”
A young server stepped forward, poured half a cup of wine for each person, and said, “Gentlen, please calm down, it’s best we speak less of such matters. It makes no difference to us who becos the Crown Prince, as long as he is good to the common people.”
As the topic shifted, soone suddenly ntioned Abbot Yuan Hui’s recent prophecy in the Capital City.
“What do you make of this woman who’s so formidable that she can destroy the entire Great Yao Kingdom?”
“I think that’s alarmist talk.”
“But Abbot Yuan Hui’s prophecies always co true; this ti shouldn’t be an exception.”
The crowd burst into heated debate, and Liang Weishuang just happened to overhear this conversation as she ca down from the second floor.
The next day, Liang Weishuang sent her maid to investigate the rumors in the Capital City and a cold smile curled at the corner of her mouth.
“Shao He, Shao He, why should you and the forr Empress live so comfortably while I’ve been reduced to this? I will not let you bask in glory forever!”
Liang Weishuang slowly crushed the flower in her hand, her face growing increasingly ferocious.
Soon, the matter of Shao He giving birth at Mass Burial Mound leaked out, and Anji Hall was once again caught in a storm of controversy.
Many patients insisted on seeing Shao He and demanded she leave the Capital City with her child.
Yun Qian kept explaining, but the people would not listen, and so even threw rotten eggs into the hall.
Suddenly soone shouted out, “When you were receiving kindness, you didn’t have this attitude, and now you’re so ungrateful!”
“What nonsense are you spouting? We pay her for dical services, what’s wrong with that?”
“Exactly, she doesn’t treat us for free, how are we ungrateful?”
“Right, and she’s going to destroy the entire Great Yao Kingdom, what’s wrong with us wanting her gone?”
At this, so people began to infla the mood, and many others, finding it reasonable, joined in agreent.
Especially so of the older folks who, feeling entitled due to their age, started to act more unruly.
They had long forgotten who had concocted convenient dicinal redies for them, or who, seeing their difficulty in traveling due to age, would personally make house calls to offer treatnt.
From behind the crowd, Shao He shouted, “Yes, you pay and I provide treatnt; that’s perfectly natural, and there are no favors involved. Since that’s the case, I hereby resign my position as doctor at Anji Hall.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the place fell silent and many of the sane common folk began to persuade her, “Doctor Shao, don’t listen to their nonsense. We believe in you; you’re not soone who would bring disaster to the Great Yao Kingdom.”
“That’s right, you’ve done so much good for the people; others might forget, but we hold it in our hearts.”
Yun Qian stepped forward, saying, “Doctor Shao has always been devoted to every patient, never sparing any effort, and this slander is what she gets in return, truly unworthy!”
The ones who had been shouting just monts before now fell silent, with everyone looking ashad and lowering their heads.
Shao He continued, “I understand you’ve been manipulated by those with ulterior motives, but I trust The Emperor will give justice for this matter.”
The onlookers started to disperse, and as one man was about to leave, Shao He grabbed his shoulder.
“It looks like this young brother is weak; you must be suffering from severe restlessness and health-depletion. Why not co inside and let take a look?”
The man shrugged off her hand from his shoulder, saying coldly, “No need, my health is just fine.”
Shao He stood in his way again, “How can that be right? I’ve always been a compassionate doctor, I can’t stand to see soone ill and not offer treatnt.”
Her words were strong and firm, as though the man before her had no choice but to enter Anji Hall today or not leave at all.
The man stared at her intently, sensing sothing was amiss and attempting to flee, only to be blocked by n brought by Pei Huaian.
At the critical mont, he quickly produced a dagger from within his clothes, grabbed Shao He, and placed the dagger at her throat, pressing slightly to draw blood.
Blood slowly trickled down from the dagger’s edge as the man shouted at everyone, “Don’t move.”
Pei Huaian and Yun Qian watched the man anxiously, gesturing for their n to stop moving.
“If you dare to hurt her, I won’t let you die easily!” Pei Huaian declared somberly.
The man was unafraid of his threat, answering with a defiant attitude.
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