The day after the crown prince of the Duke of Protector had his arm reattached, he returned home.
Although Doctor Qiu repeatedly exhorted that this matter must not be told to outsiders, it did not affect the Yuan Family's boundless veneration for Jiang Yuqing, and their five-bodied prostration of admiration for her skills.
Although they did not know what supernatural methods she had used to seamlessly restore their son's severed arm in such a short amount of time.
But when she left in the emperor's embrace, her pallid complexion was clearly not feigned, it seemed she had paid a considerable price for this feat.
This made the Yuan Family even more devoted to the emperor and empress.
Due to Doctor Qiu's exhortation, it was another half month before the Duke of Protector brought his son, whose "arm was still wrapped up", into the palace to give thanks.
The crown prince was most profoundly affected by this event. Having been saved by Lady Jiang in his childhood, and saved again by the empress this year, it would not be an exaggeration to call the Jiang father and daughter his life's benefactors.
Especially regarding this matter of his severed arm, he had thought he would be crippled for life, but unexpectedly the empress had reconnected it with her great supernatural powers, restoring it perfectly and flawlessly.
In his heart he practically regarded the empress as his parents reborn, he decided, from now on anyone who crossed the empress would be crossing him and crossing the Yuan Family.
Because Jiang Yuqing was pregnant, there were senior ministers who submitted a proposal, suggesting that the emperor reopen the selection for consorts, to bring more women into the imperial harem.
To quash their intentions, Jing Yan directly promised in open court in front of all his ministers that for his entire life he would only have this one empress, and would never take any other consorts.
That minister cried loudly: "Your Majesty, this violates court etiquette. Moreover with the imperial family's sparse progeny, you should even more reopen selection and bring consorts into the palace to flourish the imperial clan."
Jing Yan said: "The founding Taizu Emperor also only had one empress. Why don't you go and discuss court etiquette with the Taizu Emperor?"
That minister was immediately silenced.
At this time Yuan Yun directly stood out to retort: "Speaking so sanctimoniously, what's the point! Who doesn't know your family has two daughters, relying on their slightly better looks always hopping around frolicking in this poetry meet and that tea gathering in the capital, even shamelessly self-titling themselves the capital's number one beauty or some laughable title. What exactly are you plotting? Do you think others don't know? If it wasn't for this Duke looking down on you, just those two silly daughters of yours aren't even fit to carry Her Majesty the Empress's shoes. Yet you still fantasize about sending them into the palace to compete for favor, utterly idiotic. Tsk, comparing the glow of rotten grass to the moon's splendor over the sea of stars? How laughable."
That minister's face went white with anger. He yelled, "How dare you recklessly smear my daughters' reputations. I never had any such intentions."
Yuan Yun would not give him any face: "Bah! No such intentions? Then what nonsense are you spouting here! Who doesn't know what your elder daughter did in front of Her Majesty the Empress, at the celebration banquet for this old minister's longevity birthday when His Majesty honored us with his presence at the Yuan estate last time? Go on, tell me you don't know about it? Don't play big bad wolf in front of me!"
This remark truly tore all pretense from his face. That minister was so angry his eyeballs bulged out. He pointed at Yuan Yun, only managing to squeeze out a few words: "You, you, you..." Then suddenly his eyes rolled back and with a thud he collapsed unconscious on the ground. It was unknown whether he really fainted or was just pretending.
On the dragon throne, the emperor raised a fist to his mouth and lightly coughed. He summoned the forbidden troops to carry away that minister and called over an imperial physician to take a look.
From then on, no one else dared to raise any objections regarding the matter of the emperor selecting consorts for the harem.
News of what happened at court quickly reached Jiang Yuqing's ears. After the morning session ended, Jing Yan recounted the events to her. Jiang Yuqing found it incredibly amusing.
"Among all the generals at court, only the Duke of Protector Yuan Yun's sharp tongue can thrash people like this. Many civil officials are no match for him. It's quite rare."
Because of this, when court adjourned, Jiang Wenyuan pulled Yuan Yun aside to specially express his gratitude.
As the empress's father and father-in-law, although he was unhappy in his heart about the emperor taking consorts, he could not overtly oppose it. Yuan Yun speaking up for him could be considered helping him let out his resentment.
Yuan Yun understood his old friend's sentiments. He patted Jiang Wenyuan on the shoulder, "Just a trivial matter between us brothers, who keeps count." Moreover his own son's arm was saved by Her Majesty the Empress."
As the two walked, they agreed to meet that night and bring their sons to grill meat together at Thai An.
When Wei Lingyun came to the palace to see her, Jiang Yuqing brought her to the imperial gardens to pick vegetables.
Now the imperial gardens had become the favorite place for everyone in the palace to visit. Not because today's gardens were more beautiful than before, but because people could experience the joy of planting and harvesting vegetables there.
Jiang Yuqing picked the vegetables she wanted to eat for dinner tonight, then selected a large watermelon for the palace servants to wash, slice and deliver to the lakeside pavilion. As the two women sat eating melon, they chatted.
Wei Lingyun's husband Xiao Ming passed the provincial examination last autumn. Feeling his scholarship was inadequate, he was currently studying hard at the Imperial Academy, preparing for the triennial civil service examination in three years.
The two women spoke about the distant Yuan Wuyang in Cangzhou. Wei Lingyun said: "I heard from Mother some time ago that elder sister had a huge fight with her husband.
The cause was that he had taken in a concubine born of a brothel. That concubine then came knocking to try and become a proper concubine.
Elder sister was so angry she gave that concubine a beating right there. Then she called her husband back and thrashed him fiercely in front of his mother, the concubine, and all his children by concubines and maids, breaking two of his ribs. She then had him held down and shaved bald.
She declared that if he dared fool around with women outside again, she would straight up cut off his manhood, crippling his ability to be a man anymore. Then she gave him a bill of divorce to end their marriage. This finally shocked that bunch of freaks and monsters in her household.
That husband of hers has no abilities. If a few years ago the household had not been helped over some troubles by the Duke of Protector's estate, their entire household could have gotten implicated. Now the situation there deteriorates daily.
If the man was truly divorced by elder sister, not to mention the humiliation, without the protection of the Duke of Protector's estate he would become nothing.
The man understood this logic himself, so he pleaded for elder sister to give him another chance and forgive him this time. Instantly dragging his wounded body over, he sold off those concubines and unmarried maids.
The two remaining concubines now obediently cause her no trouble, not daring to provoke her in the slightest. Their daily life is much improved now."
Jiang Yuqing also felt Wei Lingyun's words made sense. In life one needed principles and bottom lines. One shouldn't blindly obey elders, as their words weren't necessarily all correct.
Being overly kind could seem weak to others, and weakness meant exploitability. Why suffer misfortune for other people's benefit? Nobody owes anybody anything in their first life. Why let others step all over you?
The two women chatted about some tasty snacks and fun sights to see around the capital. Wei Lingyun said that tomorrow was the mid-month fair, and the Baoyue Building would be holding an auction of treasures brought back by merchant fleets from distant southern seas abroad. She asked if Jiang Yuqing was interested in going to take a look.
Jiang Yuqing considered that ever since she had reattached the crown prince's severed arm at the charity hospital last time, she had not left the palace for many days.
There were no matters requiring attention tomorrow or the next day. Going out for some fun would be nice. After the auction they could visit the Jiang estate to see her elders.
After sending off Wei Lingyun, she told Jing Yan about wanting to visit the Baoyue Building tomorrow. Jing Yan did not stop her, only urging her to take good care of herself and bring some palace maids along.
Jiang Yuqing thought for a moment then agreed. Her belly was gradually growing bigger, and daily activities were indeed not as convenient as before. Having some palace maids attending her would be helpful for minor matters. She just disliked causing trouble.
Oh well, just endure for now! Things would get better after giving birth.
The next day, Jiang Yuqing arrived at the Baoyue Building on time, meeting up with Wei Lingyun.
Wei Lingyun had also brought her daughter along. The young lady was ten years old this year and had an elegant bearing that made her very lovable.
A few people were about to go in when they suddenly heard someone shouting for help not far away: "Come quickly, someone fell into the water!" As soon as Jiang Yuqing heard that, he hurriedly walked to the lakeside, and Wei Lingyun also pulled her daughter along to follow suit.
At this time, many onlookers had already gathered around the lakeside, and it was chaotic. About ten zhang from the shore, a small boat was upside down, capsized on the water, and several figures were struggling in the lake, shouting for help.
On the shore, several men had already gotten into the water and were swimming towards them, preparing to rescue people. They swam very fast, and soon pulled up two men and swam back to the shore.
Only one young woman was clinging tightly to the overturned boat, stubbornly refusing to let the rescuers pull her.
The men were afraid that she would drown, but did not dare to pull her forcibly.
Just as they were at an impasse, suddenly a beautiful figure in goose-yellow clothes flew up into the air, using the lotus leaves in the lake as footholds, and in just a few hops arrived at the overturned small boat. She reached down and lightly pulled the drowning woman out of the water.
Then the toes of her feet lightly touched the bottom of the boat again, and with just a few more hops like a dragonfly skimming the water, she brought the woman to the shore. During the whole process, her shoes did not even get wet once, showing her excellent lightness skill.
Even Wei Lingyun, who was very accomplished in martial arts, could not help but highly praise: "What wonderful lightness skill!"
As it was summer, they wore light clothes. Afraid that the woman would be exposed, as soon as they got to shore, the female warrior in yellow clothes protected her in her arms and shouted loudly, "Does anyone have spare outer garments to lend her for cover?" She was extremely thoughtful.
Jiang Yuqing then had the palace maid hurry back to the carriage to fetch a spare outer garment and hand it to the woman, saying, "If you don't mind, please use my garment!"
When the people saw her face clearly, they all gasped, and were about to kneel down to greet her, but Jiang Yuqing stopped them with a look.
The female warrior took his clothes and thanked him, put them on the drenched woman, and sent her away.
At this moment, another familiar voice suddenly rang out: "Little sister, what are you doing here too?" It turned out to be her brother, Jiang Yuchuan.
"I had some free time today and was thinking of going to Baoyue Building to take a look. What about you, are you also here for the auction?"
"Yeah. I took a day off today and made plans with some friends to come take a look. When I heard people shouting for help here, I rushed over." He paused for a moment, looking in the direction the female warrior in yellow had left and asked Jiang Yuqing, "Does my sister happen to know who that woman was who saved them just now?"
Jiang Yuqing shook her head. Then, suddenly realizing something, she smiled teasingly at Jiang Yuchuan, "It's rare for brother to take interest in a woman. Even if I don't know who she is, it wouldn't be hard for me to find out on brother's behalf."
Jiang Yuchuan's face turned red all of a sudden, and he stammered, "Sister is just joking, I was just...just asking casually, no need to investigate."
Although they were both here for the auction, the siblings were not in the same booth. So they parted ways here, each going their own way, only agreeing to meet up and return home together after the auction ended.
As soon as Jiang Yuqing entered Baoyue Building, the attendants led her to the highest-level private room. After sitting down, she casually cracked melon seeds while scanning the lower public area, and was surprised to discover that the female warrior who had saved those people was also there.
Her eyes glinted craftily, and she had a palace maid go invite the warrior to join her in the private room to chat.
The maid took her order and went out. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Jiang Yuchuan standing outside: “Little sister, my friends stood me up. May I join you and Sister Wei Lingyun?” What a coincidence!
Jiang Yuqing raised her eyebrows. This will be interesting!
