Chapter 181: Chapter 181
"Hua Pin, come out, come out and tell me, is it true that Ah Ning has been infected with the epidemic?"
"If you don’t say it yourself, I won’t believe anyone else’s words."
The Empress Dowager had just arrived at the palace gate when she loudly shouted, disregarding her status, in a very emotional state. The usual nobility, dignity, and the calm collected over the years had entirely vanished, replaced by anxiety, disorder, and fear.
The Empress Dowager now simply looked like an elder who had heard something has happened to her beloved granddaughter.
Hua Pin had just used quite a bit of effort preparing those meals, and as soon as she sat down to take a breath, she heard the Empress Dowager’s voice outside.
She raised a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes, unsure of when they had started to fall, tidied herself, and went outside.
"Mother, why have you come in such hot weather?"
Qiong Hua hurriedly stepped forward to support the Empress Dowager in place of two old attendants.
Empress Dowager said angrily, "If I hadn’t come, you would have kept hiding this matter from me, wouldn’t you? Would you only plan to tell me when you can’t hide it anymore? Hmm?"
The Empress Dowager furiously accused, while her previously calm eyes overflowed with tears.
Qiong Hua began crying as well.
As Jun Ning’s mother, facing such a situation, she was the most heartbroken.
"Why are you crying? Answer my question!" the Empress Dowager sobbed.
She so wished she could hear a different answer from Qiong Hua, denying those rampant palace rumors. But Qiong Hua’s current reaction had already proven everything. No matter how much the Empress Dowager wanted to reject the truth about Jun Ning getting infected, she couldn’t avoid it anymore.
Facts are facts, and no one can conceal them.
Her only beloved granddaughter had indeed been infected with the epidemic.
The Empress Dowager couldn’t accept it, and after calling Jun Ning’s name, she fainted.
National Guardian General Mansion.
Jun Ning’s health had improved significantly; she could now go out and play rather than being restricted daily by the Imperial Physician who kept saying she couldn’t do this or that.
She and Jing Shu were currently flying kites on the spacious lawn of the General Mansion.
The kite string was in Jun Ning’s hand; she ran ahead while Jing Shu chased behind.
The two little girls were very joyful, and continuous laughter echoed throughout the General Mansion.
They were completely unaware of what was happening in the palace right now.
Jun Ning had been running for quite some time, covered in sweat, yet the kite wouldn’t fly!
There was wind, yet why didn’t the kite take off?
Could it be that she didn’t know how to fly a kite?
Unwilling to give up, Jun Ning continued to hold onto the kite string and run forward.
Due to previous physical training, she ran very fast, like a rabbit. Jing Shu chased her while panting heavily, unable to keep up.
"You, you... wait for me..."
Jing Shu couldn’t run anymore; she stopped, squatted on the ground, and gasped for air to rest for a moment.
Seeing Jun Ning had run far away, she quickly got up and chased after.
The National Guardian General didn’t have much to do today and was accompanying his wife to admire flowers in the garden. They were enjoying the flowers when they suddenly saw Jun Ning holding onto something and running towards them.
She ran very fast, her attention entirely on the kite behind her, unable to pay attention to the path ahead.
Moreover, the General’s wife was about to give birth, her body was very heavy, and couldn’t withstand collisions.
And Jun Ning was running straight towards her. If she collided with her... she didn’t dare to imagine... Read complete versıon only at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩
She supported her waist with one hand, stroked her belly with the other, eyes filled with panic.
"Husband, she’s coming straight for me."
"Don’t be afraid. I will intercept her for you; stand firm and don’t fall, alright?" Qi Qin advised.
His wife said, "I understand, go quickly to intercept her..."
Qi Qin nodded and went forward to stop her, but before he reached Jun Ning, she suddenly tripped over something and fell headlong onto the freshly tilled and watered muddy ground.
This land originally grew flowers, but recently Qi Qin’s wife wanted to eat vegetables she grew herself, so Qi Qin personally led the servants to till a patch for her garden.
Yet, the ground was too dry, so Qi Qin feared the vegetables wouldn’t grow and ordered the servants to water first.
Unexpectedly, before the water could fully penetrate the soil, Jun Ning had already fallen into it.
Qi Qin failed to intercept her, witnessing such a comical scene instead.
He twitched his mouth, turning to glance at his wife.
His wife was shocked by Jun Ning’s fall too; why had she suddenly fallen into the muddy ground?
"Ah Qin, hurry and pull the princess out of the mud, don’t let the dirty water enter her mouth or nose."
Upon hearing this, Qi Qin rushed forward to help her out of the mud.
Jun Ning was just a child, and this patch of land was quite large. After the fall, from head to toe, she was covered in mud, with only her big eyes still moving.
However, this wasn’t all; Jing Shu who chased after her didn’t notice the path either and ended up tumbling into the muddy patch, becoming a little mud person.
Unlike Jun Ning, Jing Shu couldn’t hold back her tears.
Never had she been this embarrassed; she cried loudly as soon as she fell.
"What is this? Where has this Commandery Princess fallen?"
Actually, one couldn’t blame the two little girls entirely for not watching the road, leading to their dual tumble into mud.
The main reason was the mud patch was obscured and somewhat lowered, making it hard to discern what’s inside, appearing flat and easily mistaken as a walkable road.
Who knew they’d fall into mud instead.
Two little mud people emerged.
Qi Qin never thought a patch of land could be so auspicious?
One princess, one commandery princess, both had fallen into this muddy patch.
Truly a treasured spot!
He wondered whether planting vegetables might ruin its potential?
While Qi Qin pondered this, a group of Imperial Physicians sent by Emperor Yongning to treat Jun Ning arrived.
As soon as the Imperial Physicians entered the National Guardian General Mansion, they saw two little mud people standing in the muddy ground at a distance, still holding a kite, with Qi Qin standing bewildered before them.
With no other children at the National Guardian General Mansion, currently only Princess Anle and Princess Jing Shu resided there.
The Imperial Physicians quickly guessed who those two muddy children were!
They looked at each other in disbelief.
Both were princesses and a commandery princess, why did they play so crazily? It was so improper!
Clearly, they were spoiled!
With darkened expressions, the Imperial Physicians approached the two mud-covered girls.
Upon reaching Jing Shu, the Chief of the Imperial Hospital took hold of Jing Shu’s hand, pressing his index and middle fingers on her wrist pulse, "Princess Anle, since you’ve been infected with the epidemic, you ought to stay isolated in your room and recuperate, rather than running around. Yet you refuse to listen? You’ve already caused so many officials to become infected and isolated at home, isn’t that enough? Hmm?"