After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 891 - 886: Unfilial
The next day, not long after Su Jin finished her breakfast, a Hidden Guard returned with a notice for Su Jin to see.
Su Jin’s lips twitched.
The Empress Dowager was so diligent in helping her find someone that she felt a bit embarrassed.
However, this notice made her seem unfilial.
After all, her outstanding medical skills were well known.
Even though the Empress Dowager disliked her, she was still the high and mighty Empress Dowager, her royal grandmother.
As a granddaughter ignoring her "grandmother’s" illness, it was truly unfilial.
So, Su Jin entered the palace once again.
This time, she went straight to Yongning Palace.
But she didn’t see the Empress Dowager, as she was stopped outside the door. Nanny Li said, "The Empress Dowager has a headache and will see no one. The Princess should return."
Su Jin quickly took out the notice and said, "I came to the palace because I saw the notice. The Empress Dowager has a headache; there’s no need to seek someone far. I can treat the Empress Dowager myself."
Su Jin’s face showed urgency, fearing the Empress Dowager would refuse.
Nanny Li, who had suspected the eunuch overheard the conversation, was now certain.
If not for the fear that the Empress Dowager might truly bring Doctor Wei into the palace, would the Princess Consort Zhenbei, someone who cares nothing for her reputation, be in such a rush to enter the palace to offer to treat the Empress Dowager?
Before, she wouldn’t come when asked to treat an illness; now she’s volunteering, and the Empress Dowager still refused her.
Nanny Li expressionlessly said, "The Empress Dowager appreciates the Princess’s goodwill, but seeing the Princess makes her headache worse."
Su Jin: "..."
"If the Empress Dowager doesn’t want to see me, I can diagnose her from a distance," Su Jin said.
"The Princess should return," Nanny Li remained unmoved.
"..."
Reluctantly, Su Jin left, turning back every few steps.
After leaving Yongning Palace, Su Jin smacked Xingxing on the forehead. "You and your big mouth! Someone must have overheard the conversation yesterday; otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?!"
Xingxing looked aggrieved, "What should we do now?"
"If I knew what to do, would I be this angry?" Su Jin glared.
With that said, Su Jin turned to leave, looking troubled.
Xingxing followed behind, admitting her mistake.
Su Jin continued to knock on Xingxing’s head, which was seen by a palace maid and reported to Nanny Li.
Nanny Li was thoroughly convinced that Doctor Wei was indeed Mr. Wei in Su Jin’s words, but even if mistaken, it was no big deal.
Doctor Wei’s medical skills were indeed excellent, and over the years, they must have only improved.
Nanny Li returned to the bedroom and said, "The Empress Dowager’s foresight is truly farsighted. Publicly summoning Doctor Wei to the Capital means even the Princess can’t protect him."
It was the first time seeing the Princess Consort Zhenbei anxious and taking the initiative to visit to help treat the Empress Dowager. It was quite exceptional.
As for Su Jin, shortly after walking with Xingxing, a familiar little eunuch came to invite her to the Imperial Study.
Inside the Imperial Study.
The Emperor was angry.
The Empress Dowager had not given any forewarning, instead directly announcing to the world that Doctor Wei was being sought for treatment, which was enough to anger the Emperor.
Now Su Jin offered to treat the Empress Dowager, yet was still refused.
His daughter’s warm intentions were like sticking a hot face to a cold butt, not even making contact!
When Su Jin stepped into the Imperial Study, the Emperor was reviewing memorials.
He glanced at one and then closed it, tossing it onto the Dragon Desk.
The memorial was rather slippery, about to fall to the ground. Eunuch Fu, quick-eyed and quick-handed, caught it and placed it carefully.
But while he caught one, another slipped through and fell to the ground.
Su Jin stepped forward to pick up the memorial, saying, "What memorial has made Father so angry?"
Though memorials weren’t something she could casually look at,
a glance or two didn’t matter.
Su Jin looked and saw it was a memorial requesting the Emperor to establish the Eldest Prince as the Crown Prince.
Su Jin looked at Eunuch Fu, who said, "In recent days, a bunch of ministers have been requesting the Emperor to establish the Eldest Prince as the Crown Prince."
The Emperor currently had no intention of establishing a successor.
What truly angered him was that the ministers advocating for the Eldest Prince used to be part of Duke Chong’s faction.
It is clear they intended to curry favor with the Eldest Prince and align with him.
Such opportunists were contemptible in the Emperor’s eyes.
Previously, the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince were quite evenly matched. Now that Duke Chong was missing and Prince Qi had fled, the Second Prince’s influence had significantly diminished, naturally boosting the Eldest Prince’s standing.
If more than half the court’s ministers requested the Emperor to establish a Crown Prince, the Emperor would have to consider it.
It seemed now that they were nearly at the halfway point.
Among Duke Chong’s faction, someone had set the precedent, prompting others to curry favor with the Eldest Prince using memorials, thereby exerting pressure on the Emperor.
Su Jin looked at the memorial, her brows slightly furrowed.
If Prince Qi were indeed the biological father of the Second Prince, if the Emperor truly established the Eldest Prince as the Crown Prince, Prince Qi would surely cause chaos.
The best way to stabilize Prince Qi was to let him know that the Second Prince still had a significant chance at the succession.
These ministers, in their attempts to curry favor with the Eldest Prince, were only adding fuel to the fire for the court.
However, the matter of establishing a successor was not her place to intervene, and thus Su Jin bit back the words at her lips.
In any case, the Prince knew of the Second Prince’s situation. If the Emperor were to establish a Crown Prince, he would undoubtedly seek the Prince’s opinion, sparing her from speaking further.
Su Jin placed the memorial back.
The Emperor looked at her and said, "Why have you taken the initiative to enter the palace today to treat the Empress Dowager?"
Su Jin couldn’t very well say it was part of a trap for the Empress Dowager, intending to make it as perfectly deep as possible so the Empress Dowager might stay in it more comfortably?
Su Jin could only lie against her conscience, "Father loves his daughter, so naturally, as your daughter, I must consider a thing or two more for Father."
Actually, it wasn’t entirely a lie, for she truly was doing it for the Emperor.
The Emperor’s heart was touched, and Su Jin added, "Having Doctor Wei summoned to the Capital isn’t a bad thing. With such an outstanding doctor, the Empress Dowager shouldn’t require my services anymore."
The Emperor was angry because this move directly placed Su Jin in an unfilial position.
Moreover, it wasn’t just Su Jin who was unfilial; he, as an emperor, was too.
A father unable to direct his daughter, not providing treatment for the Empress Dowager, forcing her to summon a long-retired doctor back to the palace...
Public opinion was formidable.
But Su Jin consoled the Emperor with a few words, significantly improving his mood.
Actually, it would have been more appropriate for this decree to come from the Emperor. Others might think Su Jin was unable to cure the Empress Dowager’s headache, necessitating the summoning of Doctor Wei.
The Emperor looked at Su Jin and said, "In a few days, the court is about to send a batch of grain and grass to the border, and I plan to have the Prince Consort go along."
Xie Jingchen going to the border was expected.
But the Emperor mentioning it now suggested the departure from the Capital was imminent.
Su Jin said, "Then I’d better hurry to prepare more ointments for my husband to take to the border."
This was Su Jin’s genuine sentiment.
The Emperor was quite gratified by this.
After all, the battlefield was dangerous, and no one could predict whether one might return alive.
Even the martial prowess of the late Heir of Duke Chong, who led the invincible Flying Tiger Army, ended in total defeat, encased in horse hide.
If Xie Jingchen weren’t the Heir of Prince Zhenbei, the future Prince Zhenbei, the Emperor truly wouldn’t want him on the battlefield, worrying his daughter.
Su Jin stayed with the Emperor for a while, and then, not wishing to disturb him further with court affairs, she took her leave.
As Su Jin took Xingxing and exited the palace, the Eldest Prince approached and happened upon the Second Prince.
The Eldest Prince, in high spirits, was greeted by the Second Prince, who said, "Eldest Brother, isn’t it a bit too soon to celebrate?"
