Chapter 71: I'll follow her from now on!

In the Qingju Pavilion, the two supported each other and sat down on the stone stools in the courtyard. After resting for a long while, they finally adjusted their breathing.

"Do I really have to go to the Empress Dowager to receive punishment?" After Lin Jiaojiao calmed down, she tore a piece of cloth from the edge of her skirt and bandaged the wound on her palm.

"It shouldn't be to punish you that they called you to the Shoukang Palace." Qingdai said. She saw that Lin Jiaojiao's cut was not shallow, and she could vaguely see the tender pink flesh inside, with fresh blood gushing out from the wound. The cloth was instantly dyed red with fresh blood.

Hearing this, Lin Jiaojiao looked at the three people fainted in the room from the corner of her eye, pondering how to deal with these three people who had fainted.

Qingdai went into the room and took out a medicine box to help her re-bandage the wound, and explained, "Lin Guniang, rest assured, the eunuch who came to pass the Empress Dowager's decree is Xiao Zhuozi. We once worked together in front of the Emperor. Xiao Zhuozi often told me that the Empress Dowager is majestic and not an unreasonable person."

Seeing Lin Jiaojiao's puzzled face, Qingdai continued, "Xiao Zhuozi saw my state just now and roughly understood that a mistress had come to find trouble, so he hurried back to report the situation first."

As she spoke, a smile appeared on the corners of her mouth involuntarily, as if recalling the time they worked together: "Xiao Zhuozi has a cautious temperament, unlike me, who just bears things when they happen."

Lin Jiaojiao saw a glimmer of light in her eyes and roughly guessed that her relationship with the eunuch who passed the message was not ordinary. She thought of the saying about "eating together" in the palace, but did not point it out.

She admired Qingdai's character. Thinking of the day Qin Yuan came, he didn't speak to Qingdai in such an overbearing way, which showed that Qin Yuan also appreciated Qingdai's character.

Moreover, Qingdai was bullied by the three people lying in the room because she was protecting her, so she clenched her fists and said angrily: "If you don't fight back, you wouldn't know how much you'd be bullied!"

Qingdai looked at Lin Jiaojiao and felt that she had similarities with herself.

But the difference was that she was ultimately a palace maid, inferior to others, and there were many things she dared not do. Moreover, Lin Jiaojiao clearly didn't understand the rules of the Inner Palace, so she was ruthless when she acted.

Thinking that she had vented her anger for her, Qingdai, while bandaging the wound on her palm, made up her mind in her heart: from now on, I will follow Lin Jiaojiao and serve her for the rest of my life!

The two looked at each other, and the more they looked, the more their eyes were filled with appreciation. As the saying goes, it's a case of meeting too late. Lin Jiaojiao thought: if she were born in modern times, she would definitely become her best friend!

At this moment, the little eunuch's high-pitched shout came from outside again, "The Empress Dowager has arrived—"

As soon as Qingdai heard that the Empress Dowager had arrived, she couldn't care about anything else and hurriedly pulled Lin Jiaojiao to the entrance of the Qingju Pavilion to kneel and welcome the Empress Dowager.

Although Lin Jiaojiao had already met the Emperor, the previous two encounters were not formal occasions, so etiquette didn't matter.

Welcoming the Empress Dowager of the Dakang Dynasty in the Huang Gong like this was the first time!

Moreover, the Empress Dowager that Qingdai spoke of just now didn't sound like someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong. She felt a trace of respect from the bottom of her heart, learned from Qingdai's appearance, lowered her eyes, knelt on the ground, and performed the salute of meeting the Empress Dowager, "Paying respects to the Empress Dowager, may the Empress Dowager live for a thousand years."

"Rise." A graceful and luxurious voice sounded above them.

Before Lin Jiaojiao could stand up, another woman hurried forward and helped her up, "My future good daughter-in-law, I have finally seen you!"

This was Song Mu's voice!

Seeing a familiar person in the Huang Gong, Lin Jiaojiao was so excited that she almost jumped up and flew away!

She looked up, saw the familiar face, and the surprise in her eyes was beyond words, "Auntie, why are you here?"

As soon as Song Mu saw Lin Jiaojiao, she wanted to go up and hold her hand to ask about her well-being.

But the moment Lin Jiaojiao looked up, the burn on her left cheek was reflected in her pupils. Instantly, a sense of sadness and pity rose in Song Mu's heart, and a mist of tears covered her eyes, "Lin Guniang, you suffered such a heavy injury, why didn't you tell me?"

Speaking of this, Song Mu was angry, "It's all my useless son's fault! He couldn't protect you and almost let you be burned to death by the fire!"

"It's not Song Shijie's fault," Lin Jiaojiao laughed dryly, thinking that Song Mu probably didn't know that she and Song Shijie were going to cancel their engagement.

But now that the Empress Dowager was here, she was afraid it wouldn't be convenient to say this directly, so she supported Song Mu and invited her to sit down, "Auntie, why did you enter the palace?"

But the Empress Dowager standing on the side saw her bosom friend pitying a young woman with facial injuries like this, and was amazed.

"Runiang, I was wondering why you entered the palace in such a hurry. It turns out it wasn't to see me, nor to treat your son's illness and injuries, but to see your future daughter-in-law!"

Qingdai stood on the side, secretly surprised in her heart: this Lin Guniang really doesn't know the etiquette of the Inner Palace at all! She didn't even greet the Empress Dowager and went to greet Song Mu first!

And the Emperor had taken a fancy to her. She thought she could go with the flow and be named a favorite concubine in a few days, but she even cleared the aphrodisiac from the Emperor and herself.

She originally thought she had no intention toward the Emperor, but it turns out she had an engagement with the Song family early on!

Lin Jiaojiao directly heard the point from the Empress Dowager's words, "What happened to Song Shijie? Did his wound burst open?"

She asked and turned to look at the Empress Dowager, but was instantly amazed by the Empress Dowager's appearance!

She saw the Empress Dowager wearing a purple-red phoenix robe, her hair tied in a high bun, with two golden hairpins on it. Her face was like beautiful jade, and her eyes carried a trace of teasing and kind smile.

Although there were two fine lines at the corners of the Empress Dowager's eyes, one could still see the style of her youth, and even now that she was old, she was still majestic!

Why was she so stupid just now, forgetting to entertain the Empress Dowager and let her take the seat of honor!!

Lin Jiaojiao felt ten thousand horses galloping in her heart, and even had the heart to be trampled to death by the horses!

She maintained a calm expression on her face, bowed to the Empress Dowager again, and said respectfully, "This commoner Lin Jiaojiao pays respects to the Empress Dowager, and asks for the Empress Dowager's forgiveness for my lack of manners."

The Empress Dowager smiled, "No need to be formal. I didn't know that a lovely person had newly arrived in this palace. If I had known, I would have come to see you early."

"The Empress Dowager is too kind. This commoner only entered the palace at noon today to cooperate with the investigation because I was involved in a grievance case." Lin Jiaojiao bowed again and gave Qingdai a look.

Qingdai understood: Lin Guniang was telling her to hold back the Empress Dowager and Song Mu, and not let them enter the room and see the three people fainted on the ground!

She cleverly led the Empress Dowager and Song Mu into the courtyard: "Empress Dowager, it is a crisp autumn day, the fallen flowers are colorful, and the clouds in the sky are as gorgeous as if they were on fire. Why not taste some tea and enjoy the autumn scenery in the courtyard?"

"Oh dear, I have no mood to enjoy the autumn scenery. Lin Guniang, Shijie had a high fever today and was carried back to the mansion by his subordinates!" Song Mu was anxious, "Hurry and think of a way!"

"He has a fever?" A flash of surprise crossed Lin Jiaojiao's eyes, but she quickly understood: Song Shijie had just had his stitches removed two days ago, but he had been rained on all night last night and had been in contact with the filth on Xu Xiao's body. It was likely an infection!

"Don't be afraid, I will write two prescriptions," Lin Jiaojiao thought about the medication while saying: "One is for a medicinal bath, and one is for internal use. Perform the medicinal bath first, then take the internal medicine. Qingdai, prepare the brush and ink for me."

"Yes." Qingdai went into the room to get the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, without noticing that Noble Lady Hui in the room moved her eyelids and was about to wake up.