Chapter 2684: It Is Honor

The Empress was meeting with some elderly titled ladies, and Changyu had been sitting with them for quite a while. She was so bored that she started giving Mingda glances.

Mingda still hadn’t achieved her purpose, so she was unwilling to leave, pretending not to see.

Changyu had no choice but to sit a little longer. It was really unbearable; if she sat any longer, she would fall asleep.

So she quietly got up and left.

As soon as she walked out the door, a breeze blew, revitalizing her spirits. She exhaled deeply and was about to return to her sleeping quarters.

A senior palace maid stopped her, “Princess, most of the officials with titles have already come in. In a while, Her Majesty will go over. If you return to your quarters now, you might not make it back in time.”

She suggested, “If you’re feeling low in spirits, why not head over to Wude Hall? Talking to people there will surely perk you up.”

Changyu, feeling bored, responded, “Alright. I wonder if Zhou Man has come in?”

At the mention of Zhou Man, Changyu perked up slightly, “Let’s go find Zhou Man.”

Meanwhile, Manbao was also looking for them, searching through Wude Hall, and they encountered each other on the palace path, immediately rushing towards each other with joy.

Manbao took her hand and said, “I was just about to look for you.”

Another asked, “What is Her Majesty doing now?”

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

“It’s a big deal,” Manbao said, “I heard you mentioned that Her Majesty wants to raise funds for our Imperial Hospital to buy medicine?”

Changyu: “…Did I say that? I just heard Mother talk about it being for the military expedition’s funding, and you guys at the Imperial Hospital are accompanying, so surely you’ll have a share. Why?”

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

Changyu thought for a moment and replied, “Quite a bit, I think. I alone donated eight silver ingots worth ten taels each, plus many pieces of jewelry, worth about seventy or eighty taels.”

She continued, “Mingda gave fewer pieces of jewelry but quite a bit of cash, totaling one or two hundred taels.”

Manbao was absolutely thrilled; if the palace were willing to allocate all the funds to their Imperial Hospital for medicinal herbs and medical equipment, it might even exceed the five million coins allocated by the Ministry of Revenue.

Energized, Manbao dragged Changyu toward the harem, saying, “I haven’t paid my respects to Her Majesty yet; let’s go give our respects.”

She decided that proximity meant gaining an initial advantage.

Changyu was somewhat reluctant, but still steadied her steps. However, Zhou Man, being strong, simply dragged her along, “Hurry, hurry, don’t let me delay paying respects to Her Majesty.”

Changyu said, “It’s full of old titled ladies like the State Duchess Zhao and Old Madam Yin talking about their sons or grandsons. We can’t really join in their conversation.”

Manbao said, “In this military expedition, His Majesty will be accompanied by Lord Yin.”

So, they could indeed find common ground for conversation.

Changyu: “…”

With Changyu leading, they went directly into the main hall, where everyone was engaged in lively conversation.

Manbao perked her ears and heard them discussing “The Princess’s benevolence.”

“This is our duty. If we can alleviate His Majesty and Her Majesty’s burdens, then it’s our fortune.”

The two planned to sneak in quietly, and the smiling Empress overlooked the whole situation in the hall.

Naturally, she noticed the two sneaking in and said with a smile, “The ladies demonstrate great understanding. I’m very gratified. Coincidentally, Courtier Zhou is also here. Courtier Zhou, what do you think of this matter?”

Manbao and Changyu, halfway through their sneak, froze.

Upholding the philosophy of saving herself even if others sink, Changyu freed her hand from Zhou Man’s, gracefully returned to her seat, and sat elegantly.

Yes, what do you think?

Changyu thought: What could I possibly think? Having just returned from outside, they had no idea what had been said before, how could they have any opinion?

Manbao lifted her head and smiled slightly, just about to feign ignorance, when Mingda also lifted her head, smiling brightly, “Mother, she must be delighted! Though the money was donated for the soldiers, ultimately it’s under the management of their Imperial Hospital.”

“She’s a physician; wouldn’t she be glad to have ample medical supplies when treating and saving lives?”

Manbao’s eyes lit up, quelling her willful thought, she nodded repeatedly and said, “Yes, yes, I am genuinely pleased.”

The Empress glanced at Mingda with a smile and said, “Courtier Zhou is someone who deals with the government; she should understand better than us harem women. This year, many regions experienced poor harvests, and before the autumn harvest, His Majesty waived several regions’ taxes, so the treasury is not abundant. Yesterday, concubines in the harem, along with royal princes and princesses, donated some funds for military purposes. It’s not much, but accumulated bits amount to something, helping His Majesty and the officials with some minor issues.”

Manbao nodded approvingly, suppressing her excitement, “For example, buying medicinal herbs for our Imperial Hospital, buying bandages and linen lamps. Your generosity knows no bounds, even a single coin can purchase hemostatic medicine. This is indeed a great meritorious deed; I, Zhou Man, on behalf of the soldiers, thank Her Majesty and the ladies.”

The ladies led by Princess Mingda who had donated, though initially with some reluctance and regret, now felt all such feelings dissipate.

Indeed, it was a meritorious act akin to the charitable actions done during festivals.

And the elderly ladies and titled women with family members on the expedition whispered silent prayers to celestial beings or Buddhas, wishing for their safe return, thinking, if…

The donated money would also be used for them.

Even though given their status, they wouldn’t lack medicine if injured, they still comforted themselves mentally.

If the Imperial Hospital had sufficient funds, they might buy better medicines. At such times, the disparity between a hundred copper coins and one such coin is significant.

With such thoughts, one elder lady couldn’t help but ask, “Lord Zhou, does your Imperial Hospital have enough medicine prepared?”

Ladies with family members on the expedition immediately perked up to listen.

Manbao replied with a smile, “Not yet. The Ministry of Revenue only allocated us a five million budget, but this expedition involves a hundred thousand soldiers. Including His Majesty’s personal army, it would be at least a hundred and twenty thousand.”

Manbao sighed, “Meaning, excluding laborers and logistics soldiers for transporting supplies, the frontline combatants have only a little over forty coins each for medicine, this considering at least three months of medicine expenses.”

Forty coins would merely buy two prescriptions of the cheapest hemostatic medicine.

If the condition was more severe, one prescription would exceed that price.

The older ladies didn’t know the cost of medicine, but they weren’t foolish. If fighting extended into the harsh winter months, relying on mere forty coins for three months of medical expenditure seemed like sending people to certain death.

They cast a glance of slight discontent at the wife of Minister Liu.

Minister Liu’s wife: …

She was merely sitting honestly, yet misfortune befell her unexpectedly.

Minister Liu’s wife glanced at Zhou Man but refrained from speaking.