Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 110 Are you a female doctor?
The New Year’s Eve fireworks were still blooming, the killing was still going on, and the Forbidden City was celebrating the New Year in full swing.

The three officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate were walking hurriedly in the private residence.

The three powerful second-rank officials did not even have time to eat the New Year's Eve dinner and hurried to the residence of Xu Pu, the chief minister of the cabinet.

Xu Pu declined to meet the guests on the grounds of illness and asked them to go find the deputy assistant Liu Jian.

Three high-ranking officials from the ministry were looking for someone on New Year's Eve. This must have been a big deal. Xu Pu was about to retire from the position of Prime Minister. He didn't want to be involved in any court disputes anymore. He just wanted to settle down smoothly next year, retire to his hometown and live out his life in peace.

Old fox!
At the residence of Liu Jian, the second assistant of the cabinet, Liu Jian had a gloomy and solemn expression. There was an assistant minister of the Ministry of War, a minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and a right censor of the Censorate. Although the remaining two were not high-ranking officials, they were also powerful officials of the central government. The death of any one of them would be a huge matter.

But on the New Year's Eve of the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, all these people died inexplicably!

Such a serious matter forced Liu Jiandu to bite the bullet and take the three judicial officials to the Forbidden City.

Harem.

Empress Dowager Zhou, Emperor Hongzhi, Empress Zhang, Zhu Houzhao, Earl of Changning, Marquis of Shouning, Earl of Jianchang and others gathered together to celebrate the New Year's Eve of the eleventh year of Hongzhi.

The sky above the Forbidden City was filled with brilliant fireworks and a prosperous and harmonious atmosphere.

The laughter was interrupted by the hurried steps of an eunuch, and then Emperor Hongzhi frowned and ran straight to the Qianqing Palace.

The cabinet's deputy prime minister and other high-ranking officials also walked over quickly, and Liu Jian informed Emperor Hongzhi of the details one by one.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Hongzhi's face suddenly changed, and he immediately ordered the three judicial officials to investigate the matter thoroughly and not let the murderer go unpunished!

"Mr. Liu."

Emperor Hongzhi left Liu Jian alone and asked earnestly, "Can this matter be investigated?"

Liu Jian was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, let the three judicial officials investigate secretly."

Emperor Hongzhi looked at him deeply and asked, "What about the deaths of these people?"

Liu Jian was silent for a moment, then asked, "Plague?"

"Can you keep it secret?"

Liu Jian said: "The bodies were burned quickly to prevent the spread of the plague."

Emperor Hongzhi took a deep breath and said to Liu Jian meaningfully, "Lao Xu will retire next year."

"Mr. Liu, please work harder and do a better job."

"According to the order!"

Even though the reason for the plague is ridiculous, it is better than having so many high-ranking officials in the court's confidential offices being assassinated. This is a provocation to the court's majesty. If the murderer is not caught in the end, where will the court put its face?

Emperor Hongzhi and Liu Jian had to consider this risk.

After Liu Jian left, Emperor Hongzhi actually laughed for the first time.

Eunuch Huai En looked puzzled and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to notify the Royal Guards?"

Emperor Hongzhi glared at him fiercely, and Eunuch Huai En quickly shut up.

Emperor Hongzhi walked out of the hall with his hands behind his back. The wind blew his sleeves and hair. Looking at the fireworks in the night sky, Emperor Hongzhi said with emotion: "Why didn't you have this courage when you were alive? Look at how courageous others are."

“I just don’t know who did it.”

Chen Ce was wrong about one thing. Emperor Hongzhi actually wanted them dead more than anyone else!
……

On the third day of the first lunar month, Tang Yin rented a villa on Xiaoxing Street in Shuntian Prefecture. It was not large, but it was enough to entertain guests.

After arriving in the capital, many of his classmates and scholars kept inviting Tang Yin to banquets. He would either get drunk in brothels or stay up all night at his friends' homes.

During the New Year period, he planned to repay all the favors, so he invited more than ten of his classmates and friends to his villa, borrowed two servants from Xu Jing, and instructed them to invite a singing girl to dance at the villa.

Xu Jing felt that he should listen to Chen Ce and stop doing these meaningless things. Tang Yin felt that it was not a big deal. This time the favor had been repaid, so he would have less contact with Chen Ce in the future and concentrate on preparing for the exam in his residence.

At dusk on the third day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Ce was going out to buy food, and Mrs. Wu happened to be out with a basket. The dishes prepared before the New Year had been eaten, but life had to go on.

Chen Ce wanted to bring the basket, but Lady Wu said to him, "Mr. Chen, if you don't mind, you can use my basket. There are so many people outside, and if a grown man like you goes out to buy groceries all the time, people will say something behind your back."

Chen Ce actually didn't care, but since Mrs. Wu was so kind, Chen Ce didn't refuse, and the two of them went out together.

Zhengyang Street was crowded with people. There were more and more people after the New Year. Servants from various powerful families poured into Zhengyang Street, making it impossible to get through.

Chen Ce thought he was a smart man and deliberately avoided the morning market peak, but he then discovered that he was not the only smart person, there were many, many more.

Madam Wu and Chen Ce were almost suffocated by the crowd.

"Let's go to Xiaoxing Street to buy it. It's too crowded here."

Madam Wu raised her voice a few notches higher. In such a noisy environment, if her voice was lowered, it would be inaudible at all.

"Okay! Let's go."

Chen Ce did not refuse. He also had some difficulty breathing because there were too many people joining in the fun.

Xiaoxing Street is three or five miles away from Zhengyang Street. Although it is a bit far, there are fewer people here and the dishes are much cheaper.

Mrs. Wu went to a small egg stall with familiarity and greeted the lady selling eggs warmly.

An egg in Zhengyang Street costs two cents, but here it's only one cent and fifty cents. I guess the egg-selling lady and Mrs. Wu are familiar with each other.

The dishes she buys are generally cheaper than those on Zhengyang Street.

Madam Wu said to Chen Ce, "Although it's a bit far, the vegetables here are fresh and cheap, not much worse than those in Zhengyang Street."

"Zhengyang Street is expensive because many rich and powerful people live there. If this side is more expensive, no one will buy it."

Chen Ce asked doubtfully, "Do you walk so far to buy groceries every day?"

Madam Wu asked, "Is it far? Not far, right?"

Nearly five miles away, isn't that far? Chen Ce admired her a little, but in order to save some money on food, it seemed worth it?

A sedan chair stopped beside Madam Wu, and the curtain was lifted. A heavily made-up woman looked down at Madam Wu, then looked at Chen Ce beside her, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Sister Cang'er, how did you become so miserable?"

"Three years ago, when you told me that you were going to go shopping for groceries yourself, I thought it was a fantasy."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Chen Ce and said with emotion: "Even if you are down and out, you shouldn't marry so hastily. With your looks, you are more than qualified to be a concubine for a scholar if you dress up."

"Why bother bargaining over a few dishes?"

"You have been in the world of fame and fortune for so long, but you still don't know that a man's looks are the least valuable. Nothing is as real as gold and silver."

Three years ago, you were definitely better than me, but what about now? The once famous Mancanger married a sickly woman? I have to come out to buy vegetables myself, and it’s fine to buy vegetables, but I also have to bargain?

Would any man with a little bit of ability let his woman do this?

Not to mention that this man doesn't even have a servant to take care of him, which is enough to show how poor he is!

Madam Wu raised her eyes to look at her, but did not speak. She just said to Chen Ce, "Mr. Chen, let's go."

The woman in the sedan lowered the curtain and said, "I'm going to sing a song for Tang Jieyuan. Where do you live? I'll come visit you later."

"Eh? Sister Cang'er, why are you walking so fast? Are you afraid that I will say something about your man? I didn't say anything wrong."

The sedan caught up with Wu Niangzi and Chen Ce. The woman lifted the curtain again and said to Chen Ce, "My dear, do you know what a Juren is?"

Chen Ce thought about it seriously, blushing and said, "You, you are a doctor? A female doctor who can make an impotent man erect?"

(End of this chapter)