Chapter 376 – I Seek Your Hand in Marriage (1)
Tang Zhen was here today just to test the waters. He knew that it would be impossible to succeed if he begged the emperor, so he could only try through the Lu Family angle. If Third Master Lu was willing to marry his daughter to him, then it would be easy to deal with the emperor. After all, he was Yaoyao’s imperial brother now, no matter how unwilling he was, it would be unreasonable to refuse.
Lu Lingzhi hadn’t expected Tang Zhen to bring up Lu Yaoyao. He had never thought of giving away Yaoyao’s hand in marriage. There was a voice in his heart screaming, he was unwilling to marry her off to anyone. He was willing to keep her forever in the Lu Family.
“Lingzhi, help a brother out. Help me test Master Lu’s intentions,” Tang Zhen said. In the whole world, the only person that could help him in the matter was Lu Lingzhi.
“You aren’t the first person to ask this. Old Madam and Third Uncle have both stated that they’re going to wait until Yaoyao graduates to begin discussions,” Lu Lingzhi said.
Tang Zhen smiled and said, “Then isn’t now the perfect time? Yaoyao has already successfully tested to become an imperial physician. Those that are able to test to such a point are already considered graduates. Lingzhi, my lifetime happiness is in your hands.”
Lu Lingzhi frowned. “Are you sure that Yaoyao wants to marry you? Don’t make this one-sided.”
“——”
This was one-sided! Tang Zhen wasn’t sure whether Yaoyao would be willing to marry him. Right now, what he was most afraid of was that Yaoyao might have feelings for the emperor.
“It looks like my guess is correct. Yaoyao is a little girl that is quite unique. She is very independent. If she is unwilling to marry you, even Third Uncle will be unable to do anything,” Lu Lingzhi said, smiling.
Tang Zhen sighed. “I’ll go ask her first. If she is unwilling, I won’t force her into anything.”
Lu Lingzhi smiled, suddenly that stone in his heart had melted away and he was carefree again. He didn’t think that Yaoyao would agree.
Ye Zhen, who was already at school, didn’t know that Tang Zhen had gone to the Lu Family. She was immersed in her preparations to enter the palace as an imperial physician. Although she had pa.s.sed the test, she still needed to be examined to confirm that she had no illnesses, was of blemish-free family repute, and had an acceptable appearance before she could enter the palace.
This year, the palace had sent many women physicians around the country to prison camps as doctors. Although those women physicians couldn’t become physicians at the palace, with this type of experience, they could open their own hospitals in the future. If it were in the earlier times of Qi Yanling, these female physicians would definitely earn t.i.tles and positions, but today… it was possible that this would never be possible.
Seeing as Ye Zhen wanted to become an imperial physician, naturally, she wouldn’t be living in the Cining Palace when she entered the palace. Her only wish now was that she would be able to avoid Mo Rongzhan after entering the court, preferably that she would never see him again.
“Yaoyao.” Chen Jinru and Sun Wen walked over together, their expressions solemn.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Zhen closed her book, looking at them with confusion.
Sun Wen said frustratedly, “Imperial Physician Huang accepted Gao Xueping as her student, and directly took her into the palace as an imperial physician.”
Ye Zhen slightly frowned. “Gao Xueping is now Imperial Physician Huang’s student?”
“That’s right. Everyone was talking about it today. Gao Xueping didn’t even come to school today. They say that she’s already been taken by Imperial Physician Huang into the palace,” Chen Jinru said.
They had grievances with Gao Xueping. In the future, when they would go to the palace, she would certainly stir up problems for them at every turn. They were just ordinary palace girls, while Gao Xueping had Imperial Physician Huang as a teacher. They would definitely be unable to defeat her.
“It is her own skill, to become Imperial Physician Huang’s student. However, we have become eligible due to our own strengths and skill in the examination. We don’t need to be afraid of her,” Ye Zhen said. She had never feared Imperial Physician Huang, and naturally wouldn’t blink an eye at Gao Xueping.
Sun Wen gasped as she had an epiphany. “We forgot. Yaoyao is a princess! How would it make sense to be afraid of a physician?!”
Ye Zhen smiled and said, “I am entering the palace as an imperial physician. Naturally, I am an imperial physician.”
“Though that is true, there is still a difference.” Sun Wen insisted.
“Don’t be too worried. After entering the palace, we’ll mind our own business. No one will come and stir up trouble for us.” Ye Zhen rea.s.sured smilingly.
♚
It was only three days later that Tang Zhen came looking for Ye Zhen. The girl was in the medicinal field when he came. Seeing him, she thought there were matters again from the palace.
“I’m here to deliver your bow and arrow.” On Tang Zhen’s face was a handsome smile, as he handed her a brocade covered box.
The box wasn’t really big, about half a chi long. Ye Zhen was a little surprised. No sooner had she opened and peeped in than her face broke out into astonishment and pleasure. “It’s beautiful, this is… a crossbow?”
The sight of the beaming girl, warmed Tang Zhen’s heart. “I made some alterations, then had it made. Didn’t you say you wanted something light and easy? There’s a mechanism here that can fire three arrows in a row. These arrows must be custom-made. I made some for you. When you’re done with them, you can ask me for more.”
This is so convenient! The bow wasn’t even half a chi long, and she could hold and fire wit a one hand. If she ran into danger like she had last time, this crossbow would come handy.
“Brother Tang, thank you,” Ye Zhen said sincerely, “I really like it!”