Chapter 389 – The Person You Cannot Let Go
Mo Rongzhan eyed him coldly. He wanted to scold Gong Tang for not respecting the princess. However, remembering that the little girl next to him wouldn’t like it if he did so, he could only change his method of approach. “I think you are too idle. A chief of the Imperial Physicians’ Courtyard can’t even properly manage a medicine storeroom! Look for yourself! How many molding or bug-infested herbs are there? You are wasting the money in my Imperial Treasury!”
Gong Tang buried his head further down. “Your servant will absolutely manage the medicine storeroom aptly from now on. Such a thing will never happen again.”
Mo Rongzhan coldly snorted. He wanted to continue shaking Gong Tang a little more with his imperial might but caught a glimpse of Ye Zhen glaring at him unhappily from the corner of his eye. This little girl definitely disliked his meddling with the matters of the female physicians. He didn’t want to garner any outside suspicion before he got her to open her heart up to him.
“See for yourself!” Mo Rongzhan coldly threw down this last statement, turning to leave. As he passed by Huangfu Chen, he took a look at him. “You’ve stayed for pretty long in the palace today. Do you not plan on leaving yet?”
Huangfu Chen smiled and nodded. “It seems I am a little unwilling to leave now.”
The corners of Mo Rongzhan’s lips slightly lifted. “How about you settle in the palace?”
“That won’t be necessary. I was thinking about leaving now,” Huangfu Chen said with a smile, slightly nodding at Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen returned a bow. “Goodbye, Teacher.”
Mo Rongzhan looked at the respectful and close demeanor the little girl had towards Huangfu Chen, and felt an uncomfortable sourness in his heart, turning to leave the medicine storeroom.
Huangfu Chen followed him with a smile.
“What did you talk about with Yaoyao today?” Mo Rongzhan flatly asked him.
“Are you jealous?” Huangfu Chen asked happily.
Mo Rongzhan snorted disdainfully. “Do I need to be jealous?”
Huangfu Chen lightly laughed aloud. If he hadn’t been jealous, why make the trip down here? “It looks like you can’t let go of Yaoyao now.”
“Just like you couldn’t let go of Mu Jiejie*.” Mo Rongzhan said flatly, “I remember that Mu Jiejie wasn’t that willing when she married you either.”
[*Jiejie = Older sister]
The casual smile on Huangfu Chen’s face gradually froze. Tenderness and sorrow silently coursed across his eyes.
Seeing this, Mo Rongzhan was taken aback. “I didn’t know that you still hadn’t let it go. It’s been so many years, you….”
“That’s because you haven’t experienced what it feels like to have something, then lose it,” Huangfu Chen said flatly.
“Those that have died are gone.” Mo Rongzhan didn’t know how to comfort him.
Huangfu Chen lightly smiled. “She is not dead.”
Mo Rongzhan sighed to himself. If she hadn’t died, why hadn’t she come to look for Huangfu Chen? After so many years, Huangfu Chen had almost walked across the entirety of the kingdom for her. If she was still alive, why wouldn’t she come and see him?
“Are you up for a drink?” Mo Rongzahn said softly.
“Yeah.” Huangfu Chen smiled. He really did want a drink right now.
♚
After Mo Rongzhan and Huangfu Chen left, Ye Zhen wanted to continue organizing the medicinal herbs. Gong Tang hurriedly said, “Your Imperial Highness, how could I allow you to do such rough work?”
Ye Zhen smiled. “Chief Gong, you don’t need to do this. I am no longer a princess when in the Imperial Physicians’ Courtyard.”
Though this was true, he still couldn’t let her do this rough work. The emperor’s glare had almost put him to death just then. “This work isn’t for a female physician either. Who was it that arranged for you to do this?”
“If this isn’t the work of the female physicians, then whose work is it?” Ye Zhen asked curiously.
Gong Tang was choked by her words, and could only say, “Even if it is the work of female physicians, you shouldn’t be doing it yourself. Head back first. I’ll arrange for someone to come and organize the medicine storeroom.”
Ye Zhen wasn’t the type that liked to find hardships for herself. She didn’t insist any longer on staying behind. “Then I’ll go back now Chief Gong.”
“Please, Princess.” Gong Tang was about to bow but then hurriedly stopped himself. “Return to your post then.”
“Yes.” Ye Zhen smiled and nodded, thinking to herself that this Chief Gong was pretty quick to catch onto new things.
Right as she walked out of the medicine storeroom, she ran into Imperial Physician Huang and Gao Xueping. She looked at the medicinal herbs on the field before coldly looking towards Ye Zhen, “Lu Yaoyao, is the medicine storeroom organized yet?”
A sly look flashed across Ye Zhen’s eyes. “Not long, Imperial Physician Huang.”
Imperial Physician Huang looked at her sternly. “Seeing as you have not completed your task, where is it that you want to go now?”
“It is still early, and I haven’t eaten lunch yet. I want to eat lunch now,” Ye Zhen said.
“You haven’t yet finished the task assigned to you, yet have the audacity to go eat lunch?” Gao Xueping mockingly laughed from the side. “Or perhaps you’re running off to complain to someone of your troubles.”
Ye Zhen explained, “It is impossible for me to finish organizing all of the medicinal herbs in the medicinal storage on my own.”
“So what you’re saying is that you cannot do what others can?” Imperial Physician Huang demanded coldly.
Right then Gong Tang walked out of the medicine storeroom, completely void of the fear that had just been on his face when facing Mo Rongzhan. His face was set into a stern expression, piercingly looking at Imperial Physician Huang. “Imperial Physician Huang, what female physician do you think can complete such a task on their own? Is it that apprentice of yours? Then let’s have your apprentice do it.”
The expression on Imperial Physician Huang’s face soured. She hadn’t expected Chief Gong to be here. “Chief, this is Lu Yaoyao’s task. She has not yet completed it, so naturally, it should be she who finishes it.”
“If I remember correctly, organizing the medicine storeroom is not a task for a single female physician, but one divided amongst all of the female physicians, each drying and organizing the medicinal herbs. In this half-year, it has always been you who has been in charge of dividing the responsibilities and tasks amongst the female physicians, and look at what the medicine storeroom has become as a result? Seeing as you think the medicinal storage can be organized by a single person, then let your student do it. I heard that she wasn’t chosen as a result of being disqualified from the female physician entrance examination. It is the perfect opportunity to sharpen her skills,” Gong Tang said flatly.
Gao Xueping’s face was almost green, looking at Imperial Physician Huang with desperation.
“Chief, is it because she is a princess, so she does not have to do anything?” Imperial Physician Huang asked unresigned.