CHAPTER 1552: CHAPTER 1527: RECEIVING THE SALARY

The Crown Prince looked silently at the cooling tea she handed over.

Eunuch Wu reacted quickly, stepping forward to take it.

Manbao looked the Crown Prince up and down, then took a packet of herbal remedies from her medical kit and handed it to Eunuch Wu, smilingly saying, "This is a bug-repellent sachet that can be placed in a pouch for the Crown Prince to wear. Rest assured, it can be worn even when close to the Crown Princess; it’s very effective."

Eunuch Wu hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it.

Having given out the gifts, Manbao was satisfied. Carrying her medical kit, she smiled and said, "Then I shall head to Daming Palace to visit the Crown Princess now."

The Crown Prince slightly raised an eyebrow and asked her, "You’re leaving already?"

Manbao nodded and even turned back to ask the Crown Prince, "Would you like me to take your pulse?"

The Crown Prince put down his brush, rolled up his sleeves, and extended his hand, "Go ahead."

Manbao stepped forward to feel his pulse, then confidently said, "Your Highness is maintaining good health, although today you may be overly fatigued. Paying extra attention to rest and going to bed early tonight would be beneficial."

Seeing that Manbao examined his pulse but still made no requests, and instead picked up her medical kit to leave, he looked towards Eunuch Wu.

Eunuch Wu, understanding the Crown Prince’s signal, immediately put away the two packets of herbs and cheerfully escorted Manbao out. He walked her out of the Office of Palace Affairs and even to the pathway, "Lord Zhou Junior, this place is far from Xing’an Gate, how did you end up here if you are heading to Daming Palace?"

Manbao replied, "I exited the Imperial City through the main gate today."

Eunuch Wu saw that she didn’t understand, so he looked around to ensure no one else was listening, then whispered, "Doctor Zhou Junior, if there’s anything you need, you can speak directly to His Highness. You and His Highness have a good relationship; he wouldn’t hesitate to help."

Manbao realized and immediately shook her head, "I don’t need His Highness’s help. I genuinely wanted to give the herbal sachet to the Crown Prince."

Eunuch Wu was also somewhat doubtful since Manbao was never someone to show excessive attentiveness without a reason. He hesitated for a moment, then bluntly asked, "Did something happen yesterday that made you rush out of the palace?"

Manbao: "...No, it was simply to register at the Ministry of Revenue and collect my salary."

"Really?" Eunuch Wu couldn’t understand why it was so urgent that Manbao had to run within the Eastern Palace.

Whether Eunuch Wu believed it or not, that was the truth.

Manbao knew that her actions today made the Crown Prince and Eunuch Wu overthink, so she couldn’t help but sigh, "I truly care about the Crown Prince sincerely."

Eunuch Wu watched as Manbao left dejectedly.

Eunuch Wu thought for a moment, then started to doubt himself. Did he misjudge Doctor Zhou Junior?

Actually, Doctor Zhou Junior is pretty nice.

Still, that sachet — giving it to him or even others would be typical of her, but giving it to the Crown Prince...

No matter how you think about it, it seems odd.

Even though Zhou Man did not make it obvious, everyone believed she might give gifts to the Crown Princess, to the inner palace staff, and maidservants, but not to the Crown Prince, or the Emperor.

As for why, no one figured it out yet; it’s just the perception.

Eunuch Wu, not having completed the Crown Prince’s assigned task, had to cautiously return to the alcove and softly told the Crown Prince, "Doctor Zhou Junior said she was worried about you getting heatstroke and genuinely concerned about you, which is why she specifically brought you something."

The Crown Prince asked, "Did the Crown Princess bestow any significant reward on her yesterday?"

Eunuch Wu shook his head, whispering, "Not that I’ve heard of."

So there wasn’t.

The Crown Prince glanced at the sachet Eunuch Wu had put away and waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it. If she doesn’t say anything now, she will eventually. Just use the items for now."

"Yes."

Meanwhile, Manbao, who had boarded the palace carriage on her way out of the palace, was instructing the driver to slow down as they passed the Ministry of Revenue’s warehouse.

It required quite a detour, but it happened that Eunuch Rong Si was the one driving her this time, the same eunuch who used to take Manbao to the Eastern Palace to treat the Crown Prince.

After Manbao’s carriage accident last time, he benefited subtly. Although he was bedridden for a long time, because Manbao occasionally checked on him and provided bone-setting and medicine, Eunuch Wu recommended him to work in the Eastern Palace without sending him to the quarantine zone to fend for himself.

After recovering, he stayed in the Eastern Palace, still running errands but now with a higher rank and better living conditions than before.

So when Manbao expressed she wanted to take a look near the Ministry of Revenue warehouse, he accommodated, knowing there was still plenty of time since Lord Zhou Junior left early, ensuring they wouldn’t be late no matter how fast they traveled.

From afar, even before reaching the Ministry of Revenue warehouse, Manbao lifted the curtain and leaned over the carriage window to look ahead.

She saw many people with carts lined up and civil officials loudly calling names, "Master Zhang Zheng from the Ministry of Rites, step forward. The family of Editor from Chongwen Pavilion and Doctor Zhou Man from the Imperial Hospital, step forward..."

At this point, there was no need for Manbao to instruct. Eunuch Rong Si knew what to do, gently pulling the reins to stop the carriage from afar, allowing Manbao a view.

He lowered his voice to tell Manbao, "Lord Zhou Junior, we can’t go forward. If the palace learns we met outsiders privately, there will be consequences. Even minor, being punished is undesirable."

Manbao nodded repeatedly, "I understand, which is why I’m just watching from afar."

Leaning at the window, Manbao looked towards the scene. With many people and carriages passing by, Manbao’s carriage didn’t draw any attention.

However, some who recognized Eunuch Rong Si as a eunuch did curiously glance at the carriage.

Standing at the door, Zhou Wulang, unaware that Manbao was watching from afar, promptly led Zhou Lijun and Zhou Liwei inside upon hearing the call.

After all, it was his first time receiving salary from the palace, and Zhou Wulang felt a bit apprehensive, so he brought Zhou Liwei along for courage.

The three entered, where the Ministry of Revenue’s clerk checked the pass and the seal on it before handing them a note, again confirming, "A fifth-ranked editor and a sixth-ranked imperial physician?"

Before coming, Old Madam Liu and Ms. Zheng had explained to them that as long as the official ranks were correct regarding Manbao, it was fine. Therefore, all three nodded together.

The clerk looked up at them and curiously scrutinized the girl present, but there wasn’t a rule against officers’ families involving daughters in fetching salaries.

In the capital, officials’ domestic situations varied; some sent stewards to fetch the salary, others sent wives or children, including daughters.

As long as the pass and seal matched, and they were indeed family, it was acceptable.

Making a record, the clerk asked, "What relation are you to Zhou Man?"

Zhou Wulang quickly replied, "I’m Zhou Man’s Fifth Brother, and these are Zhou Man’s nephew and niece."

He emphasized, "We’re blood relatives!"

The clerk: "...No one accused you of being fakes."

After verifying their identities through their family register, the clerk stamped the note, saying, "Alright, take this note and move to the side to collect your salary."