Chapter 284: Chapter 281: Evil Deeds
He Ying saw her say so and was still happy—it seed she didn’t trust Luo Shan that much either. The one she trusted wholeheartedly was probably just him.
“Okay. I’ll send soone to investigate. You don’t need to worry so much.”
“Alright.”
The two chatted for a while, then He Ying went to deal with governntal affairs.
Sang Yan waited for the results from He Ying, and two days later, she learned about Luo Shan’s past.
Indeed, as she had thought, Luo Shan was a woman with strong character and distinct personality.
She admired her even more.
To help Luo Shan adapt faster to life in the Capital City, Sang Yan arranged for her and Xuanrao to enter the palace so the two could et and help each other outside the palace.
Xuanrao arrived first.
She had been waiting to see Sang Yan for a long ti.
Now that they had t, the first thing she said was, “I finally get to see you. I thought you were about to beco Empress and wouldn’t want to associate with a commoner like .”
Sang Yan laughed softly, “How could that be?”
Xuanrao replied, “How could it not? I’ve sent in my card to enter the palace three tis now, and I haven’t been able to co in.”
She was hinting at the Emperor’s “misconduct”!
Sang Yan could tell, and spoke truthfully, “I guess that’s the Emperor’s will. I’ll talk to him about it tonight. This won’t happen again in the future. Please, have a seat.”
She was pleased that Xuanrao was just as forthright as before and didn’t regard her as the Empress.
She still hoped their friendship could remain simple.
Xuanrao felt the sa.
After sitting down and having a sip of hot tea, she regained her composure and lanted, “Your life has been full of ups and downs recently. I’ve been anxious and delighted by turns just hearing about it.”
Sang Yan nodded, “Thankfully, it’s all behind us now. It should be calm from here on out.”
“That’s good. After hardship cos happiness.”
Xuanrao was genuinely happy for her.
Sang Yan was happy for her as well, “I heard you’re with the second master from the Jiang Family?”
At the ntion of this, Xuanrao blushed and said shyly, “Sort of.”
“Congratulations, congratulations. When is the wedding? I’ll need to co and enjoy the wedding feast.”
“It’s not decided yet.”
Thinking of the Emperor and Empress’ wedding, Xuanrao said, “I should be looking forward to drinking at your wedding first.”
Sang Yan laughed heartily, “Sure thing. There will be plenty. When the ti cos, bring him along, I’d like to see who has caught your eye.”
“Okay. If he’s willing.”
Xuanrao agreed but also expressed her concern, “It’s just that he’s lived in seclusion for many years, and I doubt he likes such bustle.”
Sang Yan showed understanding, “A great scholar, indeed, they can be a bit temperantal.”
After chatting for a while, Xuanrao inquired, “You must have summoned for another matter, right?”
“None knows better than Xuanrao.”
Sang Yan nodded with a smile, “Yes. I know a woman who has set up a residence outside the palace, but since she lives alone, I’m a little worried, so I hope you can look after her.”
As they spoke of Luo Shan, Luo Shan arrived.
“Greetings to the Empress.”
Luo Shan wore the white garb of a female doctor, with a cool deanor and an air of aloof independence.
Seeing her, Xuanrao took to her imdiately, “Is this the beautiful woman you spoke of? Rest assured, I’ll take good care of her.”
With that, she nodded and smiled at Luo Shan, introducing herself, “Hello, I’m Xuanrao, I run the Rao Yan Building in the Capital City. If you need anything, feel free to co to . Don’t be embarrassed. As won, we should help and support each other. Oh, and this is also the Empress’s wish.”
Luo Shan hadn’t expected the Empress to arrange for soone to take care of her outside the palace.
She was so moved that her eyes reddened.
Lately, as she beca familiar with the Capital City, she had also witnessed the bustling splendor of the Rao Yan Building.
“So the Rao Yan Building cos from your hands, miss. I have long admired the na.”
Her comnt was not re flattery but sincere appreciation.
Indeed, the won of the Capital City were extraordinary, each one confident and composed.
“Well, you flatter ,” she said with a laugh. “The success of Rao Yan Building owes much to the Empress.”
Xuanrao humbly took no credit, explaining clearly the origins and developnt of Rao Yan Building.
Luo Shan suddenly understood: “So the Empress is so clever and wise.”
No wonder she had captured the heart of the Emperor.
And had him utterly smitten.
Recalling the al they had together, every ti the Empress spoke to her, the Emperor frowned and his expression grew darker.
In the end, he even pushed his bowl towards her, asking the Empress to pick up so dishes for him.
That was quite childish.
But within that childishness lay the depth of his love for the Empress.
How much must he like her, to be jealous of even a woman’s attention?
These days, she had heard their love story in the Capital City, and had she not seen it with her own eyes, how would she have known that rumors did not do justice to their deep affection?
Such an enviable couple!
Of course, the Empress deserved his love.
“Don’t praise too much.”
Sang Yan smiled modestly: “There are countless charms and beauties in the world, each with its own kind of grace. As girls, we must learn to appreciate ourselves.”
With that, she thought of the constraints placed upon won in the world and continued: “Won bear many shackles, such as the three obediences and four virtues, the expectation of being devoted to one man, and the insistence on purity and chastity; these are all ways of suffocating our very selves. We might not be able to resist all at once, but we must not ntally torture or bind ourselves. No one can deny our will, only we can do that.”
“Very well said!”
Xuanrao was the first to agree: “Empress, every ti I talk to you, it’s like listening to you for a mont is better than reading books for ten years.”
Luo Shan also smiled and echoed: “The Empress is a woman of great wisdom. This common girl admires her.”
She truly admired her.
How fortunate she was to et such an exceptional woman as the Empress in her life.
She was even beginning to feel thankful to Cui Jianqing.
If he hadn’t betrayed her, how could she have co to the Capital City? How could she have t the Empress? How could she have had such an extraordinary experience?
In this mont, the empathy between won washed away the pain of her failed love.
Compared to the enlightennt and understanding of this mont, what did love’s suffering matter?
Cui Jianqing and his family looked down on her because of her background, which was their way of suffocating her, but she could not suffocate herself any longer.
She wanted to be a female doctor whose na would be rembered throughout the ages.
Just as she had been in Luozhou.
To establish her life on her character, to earn fa as the brothel’s skilled doctor, and also as the Da He Divine Doctor.
That was her pursuit from now on.
“This common girl thanks the Empress for her guidance.”
“What guidance have I given? Hahaha, I haven’t said anything at all.”
Sang Yan laughed and played dumb, implying she would gracefully distance herself and keep her true capabilities hidden.
The three won sat in the palace, savoring tea and engaging in leisurely conversation.
They talked all the way until lunchti.
This ti for lunch, Sang Yan did not invite He Ying, explaining it was a lunch gathering just for won.
At that mont, He Ying was reviewing petitions in the Imperial Study.
Guessing that it was lunchti, he was about to go and join her when he received this distressing news.
He was so deflated, looking at Pei Muyang, he sighed deeply: “Do you think the Empress actually prefers won?”
Pei Muyang naturally disagreed.
He had never thought the Empress preferred won.
He only thought the Emperor’s love for the Empress was like a poison!
The Emperor would overthink and beco jealous over any small kindness the Empress showed to soone else.
Of course, these thoughts he dared not voice out loud.
He could only silently watch as the Emperor talked to himself—
“The Majesty has been trying so hard. Can a woman make her so happy? Could it be that Majesty hasn’t been good enough? That Majesty hasn’t given her the ultimate experience?”
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