Chapter 7

The Empress Dowager was kind and amiable. Thinking of Zi You's aunt Née Liu, she easily said, "Yatou, don't be formal. Aijia counts as your great aunt. Your aunt is Aijia's cousin's daughter. How is she doing?"

Zi You immediately smiled sweetly. This smile was like ice melting and the sun breaking through the clouds. "Yes, imperial great aunt. Chennu came into the Palace today and aunt mentioned you. She said that if imperial great aunt summons me, Chennu must pay respects on her behalf to you."

The Empress Dowager nodded, gratified. "En, that yatou is blessed. Yatou, Aijia heard that you came into the Palace today because a censor censured you? Aiyo! Why would those rascals censure a little yatou for no reason?"

Zi You had not replied, but Shangguan LingRan, panting with rage, answered. "That's because this idiot doesn't know her own abilities. She bought fifty-plus female slaves. She wants to teach them medicine and let them follow generals onto the battlefield to treat the wounded soldiers. Someone found information to use against her. How can she not be censured?"

The Empress Dowager was puzzled. "This is a good thing. What information can be used against her?"

"Many of the slaves are relatives of criminal officials. Imperial uncle and Taizi gege listened to the officials' bias and worried that those little yatous would want to take revenge and harm our soldiers. I said this yatou was stupid. Can't noble xiaojies be female doctors?" Shangguan LingRan summed it up, still like a dandy.

The Empress Dowager listened and lightly slapped him. She said pamperingly and gently, "Nonsense! Would noble xiaojies want to be a doctor? Where do you want yatou to find them?"

Zi You said, "Empress Dowager is wise. It's exactly because of the reason you said that Chennu had no choice but to purchase slaves and teach them medicine. Chennu thought that no one would be unwilling to live a normal life and want to live in hell? Empress Dowager, Chennu gave them an opportunity to be reborn. How can they not cherish it? If they would seek vengeance, they would go to prison, serve a sentence, be demoted to official slave status, and be sold like animals by slave dealers in the slave market. It was an inhumane existence. These ten- to fourteen-year-old slaves have experienced it once and would never forget it in their lifetime. Why would they want to experience it again?"

Shangguan LingRan waited until Zi You finished and once again, mocked, "How rare! Idiots have times when they are smart and know how to analyze? Much better than those idle officials with paste-filled heads."

The Empress Dowager pondered. She frowned and did not speak. Five minutes later, Shangguan LingRan continued, "Imperial grandmother, grandson thinks this is a good thing. Don't you think it's better for those criminal officials' daughters to do something meaningful for our army than be prostitutes? If they really want to seek revenge, they'll have many more opportunities in brothels. High-ranking officials frequently visit brothels. Isn't it better to kill a high-ranking official rather than a soldier?"

The Empress Dowager nodded and smiled. "En, you are right. Yatou, rest assured forming that female medical team. Aijia will tell the Emperor. Indeed, this really is a good thing. Why are there objections? It seems like they don't even listen to reason."

Shangguan LingRan laughed mockingly again. "That's because she's too stupid. Of all the people, she had to offend fourth meimei? It would be strange if fourth meimei lets her off."

"Lingluo?" The Empress Dowager asked, "How did you offend Fourth Gongzhu?"

Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You in despise. He sharply and meanly said, "She's stupid. Fourth meimei insulted her mother, but she won't give up and had to have fourth meimei apologize. And she had to compete with fourth meimei…"

Shangguan LingRan recounted the conflict between Zi You and Shangguan Lingluo at Duke Anguo fu vividly and realistically. He then once again mocked, "An idiot is really an idiot. A powerless chennu fancifully thinks she can compete with a gongzhu of the imperial family. Aren't you looking for death? Who is fourth meimei? She's the beloved meimei in Taizi gege's heart. Offending fourth meimei is the equivalent of offending Taizi gege. Offending Taizi gege is tantamount to offending imperial uncle. This stupid yatou hit a stone with eggs. Her brain not popping out from the impact is already minor."

The Empress Dowager didn't want to hear anymore. She frowned and said, "If so, then Taizi and Lingluo are wrong. One's mother is insulted for no reason, but has to silently bear it and can't talk? Isn't this bullying? Lingluo is spoiled and insensible, but why is Taizi muddleheaded too? Aijia heard from Née Liu that yatou's mother was a highly medically-skilled loyal, kind, and good woman. She made a lot of war contributions when our army suppressed the rebellion in Nanjiang. Wouldn't Lingluo insulting her make Old General Mu and General Mu's [Mu YingYi] hearts grow cold? It's completely reasonable that yatou was angry. If she was unaffected, that would be unfilial."