Chongfei Manual

Chapter 131

Of course it hurt.

It was impossible for the bite to not hurt. She felt as if Li Song had almost bitten off a piece of her flesh. When she thought about the words that Li Song had said, she controlled herself and stayed silent.

But, seeing the anger and remorse in Zhao Jie’s eyes. Wei Luo decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea to say the truth. So she only shook her head and said, “It doesn’t hurt.”

Zhao Jie held her in his arms, took out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, and wiped at the teeth mark as he ordered the driver to drive faster. A short time later, the carriage stopped in front of Prince Jing’s residence. Zhao Jie carried Wei Luo into the residence and ordered the steward to take his token and use it to request an imperial doctor. His expression hadn’t been good from beginning to end. It was very terrifying. Even though the steward had been at serving at Zhao Jie’s side for a long time, he couldn’t help feeling scared and behaving more carefully than useful.

When the imperial doctor hastily arrived, he though that Princess Consort Jing had fallen sick from an incurable disease. He was so anxious that his forehead kept sweating.

He didn’t expect to see Wei Luo sitting on a rosewood couch and looking as if there wasn’t anything wrong with her. She was brightly smiling and her almond-shaped eyes were curved into two crescents.

Wei Luo ordered Jin Lu, “Jin Lu, go and pour a cup of tea for Imperial Doctor Zhang. He looks tired. Look at how his forehead is covered in sweat.”

It wasn’t strange that Wei Luo was acting so magnanimous. It was because Zhao Jie looked too anxious. She had originally been very angry, but seeing that Zhao Jie was even angrier than her, her anger disappeared.

How could Imperial Doctor Zhang dare to drink tea at this time? After hearing Prince Jing explain Wei Luo’s situation, he sighed in relief and said, “Your Highness, please raise your head so that this servant can examine you.”

Wei Luo obediently raised her head.

The teeth mark had already become swollen on the slender white jade-like neck and looked rather malevolent. Imperial Doctor Zhang looked at it left and right, then he shook his head and said, “This servant will prescribe some anti-inflammatory medicine to decreased the inflammation… But the wound is too deep. I’m afraid that it’ll scar.”

Zhao Jie’s face sank. He coldly said, “Is there no way to remove it?” He didn’t want someone else’s mark to be left on Wei Luo’s body, especially a teeth mark. Moreover, the teeth mark was on her neck. If she wore thinner clothing during summer, other people would easily be able to see the mark. Wei Luo was a girl that loved beauty. She definitely wouldn’t want a scar on her body. If there was slightest chance, he didn’t want this teeth mark to remain.

Fortunately, after Imperial Doctor Zhang considered for a while, he nodded and said, “There is a very good medicine called su ji san (whitening powder). A foreign nation had given this medicine to His Majesty as a tribute in the previous year. Later on, His Majesty gave it to Noble Consort Ning. Not only can the medicine reduce swelling, it can also nourish the skin to make it look more youthful. However, there was only one bottle. I’m not sure if Noble Consort Ning still has it…”

After hearing these words, Zhao Jie said to Zhu Geng, “Bring me a brush and paper. This prince will personally write a letter to Noble Consort Ning.”

Zhu Geng brought the brush and paper. Zhao Jie wrote a few sentences, then he told Zhu Geng to deliver it into the palace.

In addition to this, Imperial Doctor Zhang also mentioned dietary restrictions. “It’ll be the best if Your Highness doesn’t eat seafood during this period. If you cover the wound with a hot towel, the swelling will go down.”

On the side, Jin Lu and Bai Lan listened to his words and stored each word into their memory.

An hour after Imperial Doctor Zhang was sent away, Zhu Geng came back from the palace. He brought back a white porcelain bottle that was decorated with blue sparrows and plum blossoms. “Your Highness, this is yu ji san.”

Zhao Jie was sitting next to Wei Luo. He took off the hot towel from Wei Luo’s neck and took the porcelain bottle. “Did the noble consort say anything?”

Zhu Geng said, “After Noble Consort Ning found out about the princess consort’s condition, she ordered people to bring the medicine on the spot. She also asked how the princess consort got injured. This subordinate said that a wild cat bit the princess consort. Noble Consort Ning didn’t ask any further questions.”

Zhao Jie nodded and saw that the teeth mark’s swelling had decreased. He poured the ointment into his palm and rubbed it between his hands, then he applied it on the wound.

At first, the ointment felt cold. Soon after, there was a faint tingling sensation that became an acute pain as if insects were burrowing into her skin. Wei Luo tried to pull away and retreat.

In a coaxing tone, Zhao Jie said, “Don’t move.”

Wei Luo looked at him. After pondering something, she asked, “Since Noble Consort Ning gave us this ointment, shouldn’t we send her a gift too?

Zhao Jie faintly curved his thin lips. His phoenix eyes looked at her. “What do you want to give her?”

Wei Luo seriously considered. Since Noble Consort Ning lived in the palace, she had probably seen countless treasures. She wouldn’t value gold and silvery jewelry. Silk fabric wasn’t sincere enough. Moreover, Empress Chen and Noble Consort Ning didn’t have a good relationship. Empress Chen was her mother-in-law. If she gave Noble Consort Ning something that was too valuable, it would be like slapping Empress Chen’s face. She thought about this back and forth. Selecting an appropriate gift really required a lot of thought.

Wei Luo went through the items in her dowry, but she didn’t know what to give her.

Seeing that she was distressed, Zhao Jie smiled and said, “If you obediently finish using this medicine, I’ll take you to the storeroom to select a gift. You can give whatever item that catches your eye.”

Wei Luo’s eyes shined. She nodded in agreement.

Wei Luo hadn’t seen the storeroom in Prince Jing’s residence yet. Before Wei Luo married Zhao Jie, first madam and fourth madam had taught her how to manage the household and the accounts. She spent three months learning about this and gradually mastered it. She didn’t expect that Zhao Jie would worry about tiring her out and wouldn’t let her manage these matters. He still had the steward directly managing the residence. Then, every month the steward would report the major events and trifle matters to her.

As a result, Wei Luo could relax and stay happily idle.

However, Wei Luo didn’t expect that Zhao Jie would turn out to be such a low-key person. Although he was a person that usually hid his thoughts and behavior, there were numerous treasures hidden in the storeroom.

Wei Luo stood at the storeroom’s entrance and glanced around. There were ancient calligraphy and paintings messily placed in the storeroom. When she casually picked them up to see, they were either the genuine work of famous artists from the past dynasty or rare treasures from the current dynasty. Each of them was worth over a thousand gold.

The sight overwhelmed Wei Luo. She took out a painting that was gilded with gold from a bamboo scroll tube that had been in the storeroom’s cobweb-filled corner. She opened the scroll to see. It was the famous painting by Huang Yi, “Wintersweet and Wintry Crows”, from the previous dynasty. It was said that this painting had disappeared a long time ago. Even an imitation of this painting was difficult to find in the world, much less the authentic painting. And Zhao Jie had casually flung it in a corner of the storeroom?

Wei Luo carefully looked at the inscription on the scroll painting. It was undoubtedly Old Master Huang Yi’s seal. She lowered her head and looked at the bamboo scroll tube. An image of a landscape with a pavilion was carved onto the bamboo scroll tube.

There was only person in this world that liked to store paintings in bamboo scroll tubes. Unfortunately, the old master had only painted three paintings. One of them was buried with him. The other was in the emperor’s study. Zhao Jie had actually left the third one forgotten in a storeroom’s cobweb-filled corner.

For a moment, Wei Luo looked at Zhao Jie in different light.

Wei Luo walked to an eight treasure shelf and selected a precious coral to pick up. She asked, “What’s this?”

Zhao Jie said, “Imperial grandmother gave this to me. It’s blood coral, the best type of red coral.”

Wei Luo silently placed the item back and asked about another item, “What about this flower arrangement base?”

Zhao Jie said, “This flower arrangement base is made of red and white agate craved that was carved into a Pisces pattern.”

Wei Luo blew off the dust on a light golden-colored gourd-shaped item, “What’s the origin of this item?”

Zhao Jie glanced at it and explained, “It’s just an ivory-colored tray with decorative cravings that was given by a court minister. Its origin isn’t significant.”

Wei Luo, “…”

So much treasure! And he was actually wrecking all of them like this!

Wei Luo circled the storeroom again. Every item was well known. They were all rare treasure that other people couldn’t even get if they begged for them. But, Zhao Jie piled them up in the storeroom like they were radishes and cabbages. If Wei Luo didn’t come here to look around today, who knows how long they would continue to be buried? Wei Luo even wanted to stretch her hand out to scratch Zhao JIe. “How could you treat these items so poorly?”

Zhao Jie laughed and said, “There was no one to take care of them before. I don’t like to place too many items in the rooms, so I left all of them here. If you like, you can have the servants take them out and clean them. You can place them wherever you like.”

These words suited Wei Luo’s intention.

There were so many treasures. She had to carefully organize them. But, when she thought about it again, she remembered that she was here to select a thank you present for Noble Consort Ning. She looked around. She was unwilling to part with anything and didn’t want to give any of it away.

Wei Luo felt that the decision had become even more difficult after she came to the storeroom.

In the end, it took her a long time before she selected a pair of mandarin ducks with lotus flowers agate paperweight and a golden-colored warming ink box with dragon patterns on six sides. She reluctantly said, “Let’s give these two items. I heard that Noble Consort Ning likes to paint. These two items could be considered a good match.”

Zhao Jie stroked her head and seemed rather ruefully as he said, “My Ah Luo has grown up and understands the ways of the world.”

Wei Luo waved his hand away and looked at him strangely. What did he mean by this? She wasn’t a fool. Noble Consort Ning had given her a very good medicine. How would it be okay if she didn’t send gifts back in return?

Several days after the servants delivered the gifts, the teeth mark on Wei Luo’s neck started to gradually fade. According to Imperial Doctor Zhang, as long as she persisted in applying su ji san, the teeth mark would completely disappear.

Hearing these words, Zhao Jie’s complexion finally improved.

In addition, the weather had become colder as winter approached, so Wei Luo was wearing thicker clothing and the average person wouldn’t notice that there was something strange with Wei Luo’s neck. Today, Wei Luo received news that first madam had engaged Wei Chang Yin to Marquis Ping Yuan’s daughter, Liang Yu Rong.

Marquis Ping Yuan and his wife didn’t agree to the engagement at first. Although the treatment for Wei Chang Yin’s leg had started, it might not be completely successful. What would they do if they married their daughter to him and found out that the treatment for his leg wasn’t successful? As a result, Marquis Ping Yuan’s wife hesitated for a long time. The couple didn’t agree until Wei Chang Yin personally visited them at their residence and said very sincere and passionate words.

As for the exact words that Wei Chang Yin said, it wasn’t known.

Liang Yu Rong wouldn’t suffer the slightest bit by marrying Wei Chang Yin. The title of Duke Ying was hereditary. If Wei Chang Yin’s leg could be successfully treated, as the legal son of the first branch, he would definitely inherit this title after his father. When that happened, Liang Yu Rong would be Duke Ying’s wife. This new status would be far higher than her current status as a marquis’s daughter.

That meant that Liang Yu Rong would be the one that was getting a bargain. If Wei Chang Yin’s leg recovered, there would definitely be many people who would want to marry him. At that time, Marquis Ping Yuan’s wife wouldn’t be looking down on this marriage anymore.

When Wei Luo heard this news, she felt very happy for Liang Yu Rong and moved by their story.

Liang Yu Rong and Wei Chang Yin’s ending had been so tragic in her past life. Many things had changed in this lifetime, so it was only natural that they would end up together. It really made her feel utterly delighted.

Liang Yu Rong and Wei Chang Yin’s wedding was scheduled for the second month of the next year. The timing was a bit rushed since Wei Chang was half a year older than Zhao Jie. In the past, his marriage had been delayed because of his leg. Now, that the matter of his wife was settled, first madam naturally wanted him to marry Liang Yu Rong sooner and have children for House Wei.