In the Ji Wang Mansion.
Yan Yu and Lu Li Luo escorted the injured man into the capital overnight, only to realize that both men were sons of the current Emperor. The severely injured one was Prince An, and the other was Prince Ji.
After they entered the capital, Prince Ji took Prince An to the palace to find imperial physicians to treat him. Afterward, the sisters were brought to the Ji Wang Mansion by Prince Ji's men to rest.
Yan Yu and Lu Li Luo were brought into the Ji Wang Mansion, feeling utterly bewildered, surrounded by maids and servants.
"Two young ladies, your bathing maids have prepared the baths. Please go and wash," a young maid said softly as she approached them.
"Uh, miss, there's no need for such trouble. Just find us a place to rest for a while. We'll be leaving tomorrow," Lu Li Luo and Yan Yu said, flattered.
The young maid shook her head.
"Two young ladies, the Prince instructed the estate steward to take good care of you. He also said you are saviors to Prince An and Prince Ji. If we do not take good care of you, the Prince will hold us accountable when he returns to the mansion," the maid said pitifully, lowering her head.
Yan Yu and Lu Li Luo were speechless.
Since the maid had said so, it would be rude not to go in and wash.
"Alright, miss, then we'll trouble you," Yan Yu said with a light smile.
Following that, she and Lu Li Luo followed the maid into a room.
The room's doors and windows were tightly sealed. Behind a screen was a large bathtub, with pink gauze curtains hung around it to ensure privacy. The bathtub was filled with steaming water, shrouded in mist. As the two walked to the side of the bathtub, they looked down and saw it filled with rose petals of various colors, emitting a pleasant floral scent.
"Two young ladies, this maid will not disturb your bathing. There is a bath towel and two sets of clothes on this screen. This maid will wait outside. If you need anything, please call me," the maid said very politely.
"Okay, thank you, miss," Yan Yu and Lu Li Luo said in unison.
This immediately made the young maid develop a good impression of Yan Yu and Lu Li Luo.
"You're welcome, two young ladies. This is what this maid should do."
After speaking, the young maid bowed, turned around, and walked out of the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.
"Sister Yan Yu, should we take this bath?" Lu Li Luo asked Yan Yu, blinking her large eyes.
"Let's. Prince An's blood is on us. The smell of blood is truly unpleasant."
As she spoke, Yan Yu sniffed the strong smell of blood on herself, which brought back memories of everything that had happened in the "Puppet Lady" underground palace.
Immediately, the two quickly took off their dirty clothes and stepped into the bathtub.
"Wow! It feels so comfortable soaking in the warm water! All my fatigue seems to have vanished instantly."
Lu Li Luo stretched lazily in the water, feeling comfortable.
"Li Luo, do you know medicine?" Yan Yu asked with some confusion.
"Sister Yan Yu, I don't know medicine!" Lu Li Luo replied truthfully.
"Then how did you know which acupoints could stop the bleeding tonight?" Yan Yu asked, very curious.
"Sister Yan Yu, my grandfather taught me acupuncture for stopping bleeding and relieving pain," Lu Li Luo said faintly.
"So, according to you, Grandpa Lu knows medicine?" Yan Yu pondered for a moment and said.
"My grandfather did know a little medicine, but he didn't seem to like using it. The reason he taught me acupuncture for stopping bleeding and relieving pain was because I had severe stomach pain during my period, so he taught me," Lu Li Luo said with a blush.
"Oh, I see, no wonder," Yan Yu seemed to understand.
"Sister Yan Yu, since we're in the capital this time, let's find my grandfather before we go back. I'm a bit worried about him," Lu Li Luo said with a worried expression.
"Yes, I have the same idea, but the capital is so big, where can we find him!"
Yan Yu was suddenly troubled.
"Yes, we are unfamiliar with this place, and we really don't know how to find that eccentric old man," Lu Li Luo said, with a headache.
"When it's daylight tomorrow, we'll search the streets of the capital, and also the taverns."
Lu Li Luo listened to Yan Yu's words and nodded in agreement.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two finished their bath and changed into clean, comfortable clothes. They then followed the maid to a beautiful room to rest.
To their surprise, the table in their room was also laid out with some snacks for them.
"The people in the Ji Wang Mansion are too considerate!" Lu Li Luo exclaimed.
"Don't just stare at them. You can't eat snacks at night. Didn't I tell you before? We should go to bed and rest now, or it will be almost dawn."
Yan Yu flicked Lu Li Luo's forehead with her hand to remind her. Lu Li Luo cried out, "Ouch! That hurt! Wuwu... Sister Yan Yu, you hit me too hard."
"If I don't hit you hard, you won't learn. Don't think I don't know how many snacks you sneakily eat every night."
Yan Yu finished speaking, turned around, and prepared to take off her shoes to go to bed. Lu Li Luo, standing behind her, quickly made a face at her back.
...
The Imperial Palace, in Consort Jing's Jinghua Palace.
Only Consort Jing and Prince Ning remained in the vast palace. All the palace maids and eunuchs had been dismissed by Consort Jing.
"Xiao'er, it was you who dealt with Prince An, wasn't it?" Consort Jing asked in a light tone.
"Yes! Mother Consort," Prince Ning admitted directly, not avoiding Consort Jing.
"Since you did it, why did you spare the lives of the fifth and sixth princes?" Consort Jing rebuked Prince Ning.
"Your son sent nearly a hundred martial arts experts to ambush and assassinate the fifth and sixth princes multiple times on their way back to the capital, but for some reason, the attempts repeatedly failed."
Prince Ning's deep gaze suddenly turned cold, his dark pupils contracting like a deep vortex.
"If you want to ascend to that position, you must learn to be ruthless. You must know that your brothers are obstacles blocking your path to the highest place. If you don't kill them all, you will never be qualified to ascend to that position. Do you understand? I hope you will not disappoint Mother Consort again," Consort Jing shouted at Prince Ning.
After speaking, she gently patted Prince Ning's shoulder.
"Mother Consort, your son understands."
"Go back! This Consort needs to rest!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, this son withdraws."
Prince Ning turned and left Jinghua Palace.
Consort Jing looked at Prince Ning's lonely back, a hint of heartache flashing through her heart.
Xiao'er, Mother Consort knows that you blame me for being too strict with you, but if I weren't strict with you, and if they discovered that you are... they would surely not spare your life. Mother Consort is forcing you to do all this for your own good.