Chapter 2683

The Empress was meeting with some older titled madams, Changyu accompanied them for quite a while, feeling bored, she signaled to Mingda.

Mingda still had goals to achieve and was unwilling to leave, pretending not to see.

Changyu had no choice but to sit for a while longer, but if she continued to sit, she would surely fall asleep.

So she quietly got up and left.

As soon as she exited, a breeze blew, making Changyu feel refreshed. She exhaled and was about to return to her sleeping quarters.

A senior palace maid stopped her, “Princess, the titled officials and madams have almost all entered. Soon, the Empress will come over. If you go back to your quarters now, you might not make it back in time.”

She suggested, “If you’re not feeling energised, you could walk towards Wude Hall and have a few words with someone to feel more spirited.”

Changyu replied lazily, “Alright, I wonder if Zhou Man has arrived yet.”

Speaking of Zhou Man, Changyu perked up a bit, “Let’s go find Zhou Man.”

Manbao was also looking for them, searching from Wude Hall, and the two sides met on the palace path, immediately rushing joyfully toward each other.

Manbao held her hand, one said, “I was just going to look for you.”

The other asked, “What is the Empress doing now?”

Changyu asked curiously, “Why are you looking for Mother?”

“It’s something major,” Manbao inquired, “Earlier, you said the Empress would help our Imperial Hospital raise money to buy medicinal herbs?”

Changyu: “…Did I say that? Just heard Mother mention it was for the expedition’s military supplies, since quite a few from your Imperial Hospital will accompany, surely you have your share, what’s the matter?”

Manbao asked, “Is a lot of money being raised?”

Changyu thought over it, “Quite a bit, I alone contributed eight silver ingots worth ten taels each, plus many pieces of jewelry, worth seventy or eighty taels in total.”

She added, “Mingda contributed less jewelry, but lots of cash, totaling one or two hundred taels.”

Manbao was delighted, thinking perhaps the palace’s contribution might surpass the five million coins allocated by the Ministry of Revenue for their medical supplies and equipment.

Manbao, invigorated, pulled Changyu towards the harem, saying, “I still need to pay respects to the Empress, come, let’s go pay our respects.”

She decided to strike while the iron was hot.

Changyu wasn’t inclined, hesitating, but Zhou Man was strong, pulling her along, saying, “Quickly, quickly, don’t delay my greeting to the Empress.”

Changyu remarked, “It’s all State Duchess Zhao, Old Madam Yin Family, and other old titled madams in there, discussing their sons or grandsons. We can’t even participate in the conversation.”

Manbao responded, “This expedition, His Majesty will be accompanied by Lord Yin.”

So they would have common ground to say.

Changyu: “…”

With Changyu leading, they entered the main hall directly, where everyone was enthusiastically conversing.

Manbao perked her ears to hear them speak of “the princess’s benevolence.”

“This is what we should do; if it can alleviate His Majesty’s and the Empress’s troubles, it is our fortune.”

The pair planned to sneak in unnoticed, but the Empress, smiling on her seat, took in the whole scene.

She naturally saw the sneaky duo and laughed, “The madams are truly understanding, which delights me greatly. And now, Courtier Zhou is also here, Courtier Zhou, what do you think of this matter?”

Just halfway sneaking in, Manbao and Changyu froze.

Changyu upheld the principle of saving herself, releasing Zhou Man’s hand, and gracefully returned to her seat.

Yes, what do you think?

Changyu internally thought: What divine opinion could she have; they had just entered from outside, not knowing the prior discussions, so how could they have an opinion?

Manbao looked up with a slight smile, just about to plead ignorance, when Mingda also smiled, cheerfully saying, “Mother, she could not be happier. Although the donation is intended for the soldiers, ultimately the Imperial Hospital will manage.”

“She is a physician, having enough medicinals when treating patients would certainly please her.”

Manbao’s eyes lit up, swallowed her excuses, nodding repeatedly, “Right, right, I couldn’t be happier.”

The Empress glanced at Mingda, smiling slightly, saying, “Courtier Zhou is someone in court; you should be more aware than us women in the inner chambers. This year many regions had poor yields; before the autumn harvest, His Majesty exempted several areas from taxes, so the treasury isn’t abundant. Yesterday, concubines and princes and princesses from the harem donated some money for military supplies; it’s not particularly large, but every little bit helps to solve some problems for His Majesty and the officials.”

Manbao nodded approvingly, suppressing her excitement, “For example, buying medicinal herbs and bandages, gauze and cloth for us at the Imperial Hospital, let alone the generosity of the Empress and madams, even one coin can buy hemostatic medicine. It’s indeed a great kindness in saving lives, and Zhou Man here first thanks the Empress and madams on behalf of the soldiers.”

The madams, initially begrudgingly led to donate by Princess Mingda, felt relieved.

Indeed, it was a noble deed, akin to providing gruel to the needy during festivals.

Madams with family members participating in the expedition internally prayed to deities or Buddha, hoping the heavens would bless them with a safe return in light of their sincerity, also thinking…

The money donated would be used for them.

Though given their status, should injuries occur they’d not go without medicine, they still comforted themselves inwardly.

If the Imperial Hospital had enough funds, perhaps better medicine could be purchased; if they accidentally needed medication, the difference between one hundred copper coins and one coin was significant.

Thinking thus, an Old Madam couldn’t help but ask, “Lord Zhou, are your Imperial Hospital’s medicine supplies prepared?”

The madams with family members deploying immediately pricked up their ears.

Manbao replied with a smile, “Not yet, the Ministry of Revenue only allocated five million coins, but there are one hundred thousand soldiers due to deploy, not counting His Majesty’s personal guards, roughly a hundred and twenty thousand.”

Manbao sighed, “That is to say, excluding the laborers and logistics staff, among those on the battlefront, the money for medicinal treatment per person amounts to just over forty coins, and that’s for at least three months of medicinal expenses.”

Forty coins barely buys two prescriptions of the cheapest hemostatic medicine.

If it’s more serious, the price for one prescription is inadequate.

The other madams weren’t aware of medicinal prices, but they weren’t fools either; if fights extended into the cold winter months, three months relying on forty coins for medicine seemed like sending people to their deaths.

Everyone couldn’t help but glance at Minister Liu’s wife, expressing some discontent with their eyes.

Minister Liu’s wife: …

Truly sitting quietly, calamity descending unexpectedly.

Minister Liu’s wife glanced at Zhou Man and remained silent.