Chapter 856 - 764: Not Here_2
Lu Qianxue’s face flushed, giving him a sideways glance, she reproached, "At your age, still so unserious?"
Prince Cheng smiled smugly, "Not that old; I’ve known my lady from the Jianghu for exactly twenty-three years, three months, and thirteen days! We shared tribulations in enemy camps, deepened our bond in the Capital City, and walked together in Yunzhou, so the time has been even shorter!"
He recounted the exact days since they met, making Lu Qianxue pout in a smile. They had been married for over twenty years; Prince Cheng had only one wife, with no concubines or side chambers in his household, a rarity among the Royal Family.
Of course, if it wasn’t for the fallout between Prince Cheng and the Emperor back then, which chilled the father-son relationship to the extreme, leading to the Emperor abandoning him at Yunzhou and leaving him to his own devices, he wouldn’t have such freedom.
Though they claimed to let their son and Xia Wenjin go first, with plans to leisurely travel behind them, it was not so in reality.
They placed great importance on their son’s marriage.
Back when they got married, it was held in Yunzhou. While it was lively, it was attended only by their Jianghu friends; the Emperor didn’t even bother sending a congratulatory gift, let alone any blessings.
Their son shouldn’t have to endure such neglect now.
So, the young couple could return to the village lightly, while they took care of the subsequent matters, ensuring that engagement gifts, among other things, weren’t skimped on.
A fast ride from the Capital City to Jinzhou takes five days. Xia Wenjin thought of Hua Yuanming and Gu Hongxin, who had escaped from Haotian Village; now both were more utilized by Huangfu Yuxuan. Hua Yuanming remained in the Capital Guard but had been promoted to General.
Rising from a Third Class Captain to General by three levels, this naturally was due to Huangfu Yuxuan paving the way and arranging it for him.
Gu Hongxin abandoned martial career for civil service and currently holds a post in the Ministry of Revenue, albeit a small role as a Chief, but that’s Sixth Rank. Without entering through civil examinations, exceptional talent, or significant achievements, it was impossible for a man of Jianghu to directly join the civil service with such fortune.
Huangfu Yuxuan placing him in the Ministry of Revenue was no random act.
The Ministry of Revenue manages the National Treasury and finances, thus any major undertaking requires plenty of Silver. Having one’s own hand in the Ministry is akin to having a money basket.
Of course, a simple Chief wasn’t enough.
Huangfu Yuxuan already arranged other officials, with Gu Hongxin merely assisting.
However, when the news reached Xia Wenjin, she was quite surprised. She hadn’t expected Huangfu Yuxuan to be struggling to such extents. Previously, he wouldn’t have resorted to using people from Haotian Village to penetrate the civil servants.
It seems that due to her and Huangfu Jingchen’s actions in this life, he found himself short-handed.
With most people leaving Haotian Village, likely his Jianghu personnel were also lacking, so he couldn’t execute a massive assassination of those unwilling to submit to him as he did in the past.
Xia Wenjin was in a rather good mood.
Huangfu Jingchen turned his head, looking at the girl’s bright profile and her flower-like smiling lips, feeling extremely content himself. However, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Has my Seventeenth Aunt’s matter really been resolved?"
Xia Wenjin replied with a bright smile, "Yes!"
Huangfu Jingchen did not ask further; with Wenjin’s confirmation, it was surely settled.
Meanwhile, Meng Zhang and Luo Jia, returning disheartened from the Xia Mansion, did not look well. Having found no one and at a loss, Luo Jia invited Meng Zhang to his residence to sit and discuss whether there was something they might have overlooked in the Seventeenth Princess’s illness.
Luo Jia’s home was in West City Willow Lane, a three-entrance courtyard, simple in household but spacious to live in. He ordered the servants to prepare food and wine as the two began drinking heavily laden with concerns.
Both of them were certain that regarding the Seventeenth Princess’s illness, they truly had no solution!
They were well aware that if the seven-day deadline passed and there was no improvement in the Seventeenth Princess’s condition, Consort Li crying before the Emperor could easily lead to him, in a fit of rage, ordering their heads be cut off.
Especially hearing that an envoy from East Tang had come to Nanxia seeking to marry the Princess, and the Emperor seemed inclined to agree.
With the Princess now in trouble and untreated, weren’t they, the two Imperial Physicians responsible for her condition, first in line for blame?
If they were just ordinary Imperial Physicians, the consequences might not be so dire.
But after over a decade of navigating the ups and downs in the Imperial Hospital and reaching their current positions of Fourth Rank, they were regarded highly. Even those with higher official ranks treated them with respect, for who in this world could guarantee they would never fall ill?