Chapter 56: The Treasure Miss

Lu Zhaoling thought to herself, given how sincerely that little girl had kowtowed and struck the floor three times, wouldn't it be stingy not to give her a peace amulet?

Xiaohe rapidly kowtowed, quickly scrambled back to her feet, and swiftly brewed a cup of ginseng tea.

Lu Zhaoling took the cup and sipped it with rapt attention.

Right now, however, she was wondering when Prince Jin would be able to leave the imperial palace. Once he returned to his manor, it would be much more convenient for her to go and absorb a few breaths of his energy.

The imperial palace was not an easy place to enter.

Holding her cup of ginseng tea, she felt a trace of melancholy: Ah, another day of yearning for Prince Jin.

Madam Wu finally finished weeping, and her crying also woke Lin Yanran up.

The moment Lin Yanran regained consciousness, her thoughts immediately drifted back to her hands, and she burst into tears, "Mother, am—am I turning into a monster..."

If she wasn't a monster, why on earth had her hands turned to look like those of an old crone?

"Yanran, it's alright, it's alright," Madam Wu hurriedly lifted her hands up so she could see clearly, "Look, you are cured!"

Lin Yanran's eyes widened.

"My hands..." Had her hands really recovered?

At that moment, Physician Fu also noticed her eyes; they too had returned to normal.

"Yanran, y-your eyes?"

Tearing and smiling all at once, Lin Yanran cried out, "Mother, I can see you clearly now. The red curtain in front of my eyes is gone..."

She was truly healed!

Madam Wu pulled her into an embrace and began to weep anew.

Lin Rong patted his wife's shoulder, his voice slightly choked with emotion, "Alright, Yanran's illness is cured, this is a wonderful event. Stop crying now, help Yanran up so she can express her gratitude to the Second Miss Lu."

Only then did Madam Wu remember this crucial matter. She quickly dried her tears and, together with her husband, helped Lin Yanran to sit up.

"Quick, Yanran, properly thank the Second Miss Lu. It was she who saved your life."

Still in a daze, Lin Yanran managed to murmur, "Thank you, Second Miss Lu."

She still didn't quite understand what had happened, only seeing a young maiden sitting in her room sipping tea.

Their gazes met, and an instant wave of fondness surged in Lin Yanran's heart. She liked this older sister immensely; there was an immediate affinity between them.

So this was the Second Miss Lu?

How had the Second Miss Lu saved her?

"Rest well. Ventilation is a must in this room; don't keep the windows sealed too tightly. At noon when the sun is at its brightest, help her outside for a while to bask in the sunlight, which will help clear away the lingering illness qi. As for the rest, just follow Physician Fu's prescription and take the medicine," Lu Zhaoling instructed.

Lin Rong and Madam Wu naturally memorized every single word.

Outside, the sky had already grown dim.

"I will be heading back now. Physician Fu, care to accompany me for a stretch of the road?" Lu Zhaoling looked toward Physician Fu.

"We will personally escort the Second Miss Lu back," Lin Rong quickly stepped forward to see her off.

"Second Miss Lu, how much do we owe you for the consultation fee?"

Lu Zhaoling pondered for a moment. "Five thousand taels."

She had mentioned beforehand that her fees would be exorbitant, especially since she had drawn those rejuvenating talismans while already in such a weakened physical state.

How could Lin Rong dare to find it expensive?

If his daughter had truly remained like that for the rest of her life, his wife would have been destroyed along with her. In essence, Lu Zhaoling had saved his entire household.

Five thousand taels—he would certainly pay it.

Although he was an incorruptible official, his wife possessed considerable wealth.

Lin Rong immediately went to fetch five thousand taels in silver banknotes. Along with the banknotes came a jadeite Ruyi pendant of exceptional translucency and a century-old wild ginseng root.

"Please accept this, Second Miss Lu, as you are still recovering from your injuries."

"Thank you, Lord Lin." Lu Zhaoling did not refuse the offer, motioning for Qingyin to accept them. She had received far more lavish gifts in the past, her storerooms piled high with all manner of precious treasures.

She accepted them with a clear and untroubled conscience.

Lin Rong dispatched a carriage to send her safely back to her manor.

Physician Fu also took his leave at the same time.

Through this trip, he had once again witnessed the extraordinary capabilities of Lu Zhaoling.

Carrying the box in her arms, Qingyin still felt a sense of unreality. Just by going out once, her young mistress had earned another five thousand taels!

Five thousand taels!

The Lu family treated parting with three hundred taels as if chunks of flesh were being carved from their bodies; how could they ever imagine that their young mistress could earn five thousand taels purely through her own skill?

Aside from that, there was also a jade pendant and a ginseng root, which were easily worth several hundred taels on their own.

Did the Lu family truly have any inkling of what an absolute treasure trove their young mistress was?

Qingbao had not tagged along this time, choosing instead to keep watch at Tingnuan Pavilion. Having kept track of the time, she had already gone ahead to fetch the evening meal.

As soon as Lu Zhaoling returned, dinner was ready to be served.

"Qingbao timed this to absolute perfection," she praised, before adding, "I'll reward each of you with five taels of silver later. Go buy yourselves some favorite treats."

More silver for them!

Qingbao's eyes widened as she looked inquiringly at Qingyin.

Without a word, Qingyin opened the various boxes and displayed their contents to her.

"Our young mistress is so incredible..." Qingbao was so shocked that her voice drifted slightly.

Lu Zhaoling smiled softly. "Alright, let's eat."

After finishing dinner and bathing, she once again surrendered to the cozy embrace of her bed.

"We're heading to the scripture transcription gathering tomorrow, so the young mistress should rest early," Qingyin whispered to Qingbao.

"We must stay sharp. I have a bad feeling that the eldest miss harbors malicious intentions, and Princess Changning is notorious for her foul temper. I'm afraid she'll bully our young mistress," Qingbao worried aloud.

"We will just have to protect the young mistress well."

While the two maids fretted anxiously, Lu Zhaoling fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

With the gathering spirit array she had set up, she slept incomparably better than before.

When she woke up, the daylight outside was bright and clear.

After washing up, Qingyin and Qingbao bustled about to dress her.

During the period of deep mourning, wearing bright reds and greens was entirely inappropriate. However, because Lu Zhaoling was physically frail and still rather pale, dressing in plain white would only make her look completely devoid of vitality.

Therefore, they selected a water-blue dress for her, tying a matching silk ribbon into her hair, rendering her appearance elegant, refined, and graceful.

Having been thoroughly disciplined by Lu Zhaoling previously, the kitchen staff did not dare to pull any tricks. When Qingyin went to fetch breakfast, a bowl of bird's nest with lotus seeds had even been added to the tray.

Madam Lin was probably so infuriated by this that her mouth would twist in anger. But since both Madam Lin and Lu Zhaoling's half-sisters had theirs, Lu Zhaoling was entitled to a portion too, and they simply didn't dare to make any noise about it now.

They were reserving their breath, planning to let her go to the scripture gathering first.

When the time came, there would naturally be people waiting to put her in her place!

Lu Zhaoling's other sister, Lu Zhaoyue, had no wish to go; her calligraphy was atrocious, and knowing she would only humiliate herself, she feigned illness to stay behind.

Lu Zhaohua, however, was eager to go. Thinking that she needed some form of assistance by her side, Lu Zhaoyun grudgingly brought her along.

"Second Sister, the carriage isn't large. It won't accommodate you if you bring both of your maids."

Seeing Qingyin and Qingbao stepping out behind her, Lu Zhaoyun frowned slightly.

Those two maids were sent by Prince Jin's manor, and bringing them along would be inconvenient.

With a gentle and affectionate expression, she continued, "The three of us sisters can look after one another, and I've brought my own maid as well. Why don't you leave them behind? The carriage truly cannot seat so many people."

Qingyin and Qingbao exchanged glances. Not letting them accompany her? That would never do.

And yet, the carriage indeed looked rather cramped.

"Second Sister, I didn't bring any maids either," Lu Zhaohua chimed in. The Lu family wasn't so extravagant, and at a time like this, it wasn't her turn to bring personal attendants; being allowed to tag along with Lu Zhaoyun was already a stroke of fortune.

"Besides, we'll be at the Princess's Manor, surrounded entirely by young ladies. Nothing untoward will happen," Lu Zhaoyun added.

Lu Zhaoling gave her a deep, meaningful look. "Are you certain you want me to go?"