Dugong

Chapter 135 Heaven Did Not Grant a Long Life
Some maids in the palace, after spending a long time by the side of nobles, lose their sense of hierarchy and think that they are also nobles.

That's how the palace maid Xueyun was; she forgot her status as a servant.

After Li Ping'an returned to the palace, he was pondering whose head to use to establish his authority when Xue Yun offered herself up, saving him the trouble of finding a scapegoat.

"Xiao Chenzi, you should thank them!"

Whether the adopted son understood or not, he arrived at the Cining Palace and the eunuchs on duty at the gate bowed and paid their respects.

"Greetings, Steward An. Her Majesty instructed that you should come over as soon as you return for a talk."

Li Ping'an swept his true energy across the ground, his neat trousers getting dusty. He quickened his pace and arrived outside the Empress Dowager's palace. As he stepped over the threshold, he tripped and fell.

He lunged forward, tumbling and crawling to the phoenix bed, where he kowtowed three times and nine times.

"This servant, Xiao Anzi, greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. May Your Majesty live a thousand years!"

"Xiao Anzi, get up quickly."

Empress Dowager Zhou reclined on the phoenix couch, holding a lion cat in her arms, and said with a smile, "I have been looking forward to it day and night, and finally Xiao Anzi has returned."

Li Ping'an's eyes were filled with tears, and compared to when he was in front of His Majesty, he showed a greater sincerity.

"Your Majesty, let's not go there anymore."

"Good, good, good. Only when Xiao Anzi is in the palace can my heart be at peace."

Empress Dowager Zhou slightly raised her hand, and Li Ping'an quickly stepped forward to help her up. Rong Gonggong, who was serving nearby, took the lion cat.

Li Ping'an said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, who has made you restless? That must be a traitor. Let's go and deal with him right now."

"Who else could it be? Cough cough cough..."

Empress Dowager Zhou coughed a few times, covering her mouth, and sighed, "My health is getting worse and worse. Since the beginning of spring, I have had few peaceful days."

"Your Majesty, I have learned a few martial arts techniques for nourishing the body at the Sanqing Temple."

Li Ping'an pressed down on the Empress Dowager's pulse, and his true energy flowed in like a trickle, circulating back and forth along her meridians.

Taoism emphasizes health preservation and longevity, and the Sanqing Temple is a leader in this field. Successive generations of Taoist masters have painstakingly researched methods for cultivating vital energy, nourishing the meridians, and rejuvenating the body to cure diseases.

After a while.

Empress Dowager Zhou felt that her nasal cavity was clear, her chest and abdomen were no longer congested, and her voice was less buzzing.

"Xiao Anzi is the best. His return puts my mind and body at ease."

Li Ping'an joked, "How about we call him Little Anzi?"

"Giggle..."

Empress Dowager Zhou covered her mouth and chuckled. With Eunuch An's help, she walked back and forth in the palace several times, and surprisingly, she felt hungry.

Li Ping'an hurriedly ordered, "Quickly have the imperial kitchen send over the glutinous rice and red date soup."

After eating her porridge, Empress Dowager Zhou chatted for a while, listening to Eunuch An recount the sights and sounds of Jiangnan. Feeling slightly sleepy, she changed her clothes and went to bed.

Li Ping'an served by the phoenix bed for a long time until the Empress Dowager's breathing became steady and calm. He then gave Rong Gonggong a wink and went to the side hall to talk.

"What's wrong with Her Majesty's health?"

I caught a cold at the end of last year and it hasn't fully healed.

Eunuch Rong explained, "Her Majesty specifically instructed us not to tell you, so as not to delay the affairs of the court."

Li Ping'an asked, "How is the imperial physician's treatment?"

Eunuch Rong said, "The Imperial Hospital doctors come every few days to prescribe some nourishing prescriptions. We asked Physician Lü about it, and he said four words in private."

Physician Lü came from humble beginnings and had no powerful connections in the palace. He had once identified the properties of medicinal herbs for Li Ping'an. He was a man of principle and organized in his work.

After Li Ping'an became the Director of the Three Offices, he used his connections to promote him to Imperial Physician, thus gaining a trustworthy person among the imperial physicians.

Li Ping'an frowned: "Heaven didn't grant him a long life?"

Eunuch Rong nodded slightly: "According to Physician Lü, if Her Majesty takes good care of herself, she may be able to live for another three to five years."

It's rare for someone to live to seventy; throughout history, few emperors and empresses have lived past sixty. Empress Dowager Zhou was already considered quite old for the palace. Li Ping'an pondered for a moment and asked, "If one were to nourish and replenish oneself without regard to cost, how much longer could one live?"

"At most ten years."

Rong Gonggong guessed An Gonggong's thoughts and took out a slip of paper from his sleeve.

"The Imperial Physician Lü wrote down several rare treasures, saying they could prolong life, but none of them were things that could be obtained by chance."

Li Ping'an took the note and glanced at it. Even though he had worked in the Tribute Bureau and considered himself well-informed, he had only heard of two of the rare treasures mentioned on it.

It was the same thousand-year-old ginseng king, which was a tribute from the King of Zhenbei. It was recorded in the account book but never actually seen. It was sent directly to the Fire God Temple to be refined into elixirs.

Another dragon turtle shell, said to have been found by a fisherman stranded on a deserted island overseas, is as large as a millstone, with sharp spikes on its back and a jade-like texture.

The magistrate of Zhuang County, who was worshipping auspicious omens at the time, was promoted three ranks and is now in charge of Donghai Prefecture.

Last year, when Li Ping'an was reforming the salt administration in Donghai Prefecture, he privately inquired with Prefect Zhuang, but the prefect knew nothing about it. He guessed that the so-called auspicious omen was similar to that of Vice Minister Qian.

"Whether the treasures are real or fake, there is always hope."

Li Ping'an said, "I will instruct the salt transport authorities in various places that as long as they provide clues or information about rare treasures, they can obtain a share of salt tickets."

"So good."

After a long silence, Eunuch Rong suddenly asked, "Little Anzi, you have gained His Majesty's favor and appreciation, while the Empress can no longer be considered your backer. Is all this hard work worth it?"

Li Ping'an raised an eyebrow: "Little Rongzi, you're the only one in the palace who dares to ask such a question."

"If someone asked that question, how could I possibly survive?"

Eunuch Rong looked around and, seeing that the palace maids and eunuchs were far away, whispered a reminder.

"If the Empress does not pass away, no matter how many merits you have made, it will be difficult for you to take charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial!"

No matter how much His Majesty trusts her, he would never entrust the position of Grand Admiral to the steward of Cining Palace, especially since they are not his own mother and son.

If they join forces from within and without, it's possible that a change of dynasty could occur.

"If we were in the Cold Palace, we would definitely use any means necessary to climb up the social ladder."

Li Ping'an sighed, "In the past, we didn't understand our godfather, but now we finally understand why he voluntarily died of illness in the cold palace."

Even an old dog loves its home, let alone a person?

For Eunuch An, his original home was no longer a home; the only place in the palace where he could rest and relax was Cining Palace.

After a long period of bloody battles, people have come to value a place of rest more and more.

Li Ping'an raised his eyes and looked towards the Imperial Study, saying confidently, "Furthermore, our family has plenty of ways to compete for the Directorate of Ceremonial!"

A strange light flashed in Eunuch Rong's eyes. His earlier reminder was also a test. If Xiao Anzi was unscrupulous, he would have to be careful in his actions.

Fortunately, even the ruthless Eunuch An still retained some humanity.

Eunuch Rong pulled another slip of paper from his sleeve: "While Xiao Anzi was away from the palace, these palace maids and eunuchs were causing trouble. What do you think we should do?"

This time, Li Ping'an didn't take the note. He said directly, "If it's minor, send him to empty the chamber pots. If it's serious, let him go and not suffer in the palace. Send him on his way."

Eunuch Rong put away the note and laughed, "Aren't you afraid that we'll eliminate dissidents and sideline you?"

"In this palace, we only have one and a half people we trust."

Li Ping'an said, "Xiao Rongzi, you should plant more of your own people in your family. If our family falls into trouble in the future, as long as you are still here, we can make a comeback!"

The more you read, the more you realize that success is determined by fate, and how many heroes and great men of the past have failed because of destiny.

Eunuch An did not consider himself a hero. He climbed from the bottom to the position of the Three Supervisors by relying mostly on his ruthlessness, which made it difficult for him to maintain his position for long.

Eunuch Rong asked curiously, "Who is the other half?"

"Little Yuanzi..."

(End of this chapter)