Her mind was still a jumble, when she saw Xia An and Chunqi already bringing in the dishes.
"Madam, perhaps you should eat first, it’s almost noon."
Xia An gently advised.
Though Mrs. Dong had only been in the palace for two hours, she still needed to eat.
She couldn’t spend these two hours doing nothing but crying.
Lin Wanyi took a handkerchief and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Then she pulled her mother to sit at the table.
The table was filled with Lin Wanyi’s favorite dishes, just as she had mentioned.
"There is no one else here, Mother, you need not be reserved. Let’s be the way we used to."
As she spoke, Lin Wanyi served a bowl of soup to Mrs. Dong.
The hot soup going down her throat could warm her heart by three degrees.
As they ate, Mrs. Dong did not wish to disrupt Lin Wanyi’s solace.
Only after they finished the meal and had tea, with only Chunqi and Xia An left in the room,
did she take off her beaded hairpin and jewelry, as well as her belt.
And handed them to Xia An.
"The pills inside are stored well; they were prescribed by Second Master for the young mistress. They’re beneficial for her health. Make sure no one finds them, or it will be troublesome, understand?"
"Madam, rest assured, I will store them safely."
Xia An opened the hidden clasp and gradually took out the pills.
The more she took out, the more shocked she became.
What a collection of treasures was hidden inside?
The Dong Family even sent Yunjian Grass, along with a heap of detoxification pills.
Then, somewhat sheepishly, she said to Lin Wanyi.
"The Elder Master has sent in all the precious treasures from the bottom of the box, if..."
The Yunjian Grass not only detoxifies but also has life-restoring effects.
The original thought was that the Dong Family would not use it unless absolutely necessary.
Before Xia An could finish, Lin Wanyi already understood.
She felt both touched and distressed as she spoke to her mother, Mrs. Dong.
"Mother, weren’t these medicines meant for Grandfather? Why send them to the palace?"
"Don’t worry, since your grandfather asked to send them in, there is a reason. As long as you’re well, Xingzhi and Muzhi are well, and your mother will..."
Mentioning Lin Wanyi’s older brother and younger brother made Mrs. Dong cry even more sorrowfully.
Lin Wanyi thought her mother was worried about her elder brother, and she comforted her.
"Elder brother has been arranged to be a trusted aide beside the Fourth Prince, rest assured, Mother, he won’t be in danger."
"This is news brought by someone from His Majesty. It should be correct. Rest assured and guide your younger brother. If there’s a chance, I will ask the Emperor to let him attend the Imperial College!"
Currently, she still had some influence in front of the Emperor.
She had not mentioned family matters yet, as she wasn’t fully confident the Emperor would agree.
If turned down once, it would be troublesome to bring it up again.
However, when Mrs. Dong heard this, the tears that had stopped suddenly surged out like a dam broken.
"Qianqian, what about Muzhi..."
Lin Wanyi, who was smiling, immediately grew worried upon seeing her mother’s expression change.
"What’s wrong? Has something happened to my younger brother?"
Suddenly recalling what her mother mentioned about family separation earlier, she asked.
"Has Ronghe Hall or the people in the West Wing been making things difficult for you?"
"Hm, ’making things difficult’! If it were merely making things difficult, Muzhi was... hit by Nanny Wang from the second branch, injured on the head, and now he’s still unconscious. Your second aunt is doing her best to treat him. If... I’m afraid..."
She hadn’t finished before bursting into tears.
Lin Wanyi never imagined something would happen.
"What happened? Mother, quickly tell me!"
Mrs. Dong, choking on her emotions, recounted the events at Yuxin Hall in one go.
When Lin Wanyi heard that Nanny Wang struck her brother on the head with a stick, she was filled with loathing for the West Wing.
"Hm, all these years, the second branch has never respected us. Now, even an old servant dares to harm my brother. If my brother and I were home, we never would have let this happen."
"Where is Nanny Wang?"
"She was beaten to death on the spot by Nanny Dong."
"Good! But Mother, how did you manage to separate from the Prime Minister’s Mansion?"
"It was with the account book. I exposed all the Silver Coin the West Wing and Ronghe Hall extorted from us over the years before my father-in-law, which is how we escaped. If not for that, even Nanny Dong’s life couldn’t have been preserved!"
"Are you now living at Grandfather’s residence?"
"Yes, your brother needs to be tended to, so it’s more convenient to stay at home."
Lin Wanyi nodded, her inner fury unabated.
Ronghe Hall and the West Wing seemed determined to push their family to the brink.
Now they’ve gone as far as to bash the back of his head, presumably intending to end his life in one blow.
Even if not, leaving a lifetime of dullness and pain is another way to ensure their family’s misfortune.
With a determined look in her eyes,
since they disregard the eldest son’s life, they shouldn’t blame her for retaliating.
Anyways, she had disliked that cousin from the West Wing for a long time, now let Lin Guifei taste the bitterness of having one’s sibling harmed.
Thinking this, she hastily comforted her mother.
"Is my brother’s injury serious? Did Second Aunt mention the possibility of recovery?"
"Second sister-in-law mentioned that her Golden Needle Skill might help, but nothing can be said for certain until Muzhi regains consciousness."
Lin Wanyi now regretted not having learned medicine properly from her second uncle.
If she had, perhaps she could have helped now.
"Then shouldn’t we take back the Yunjian Grass and use it for my brother’s recovery?"
"Ah, your brother’s injury is caused by external trauma, and he’s already taken the Life-extending Powder. This Yunjian Grass won’t be much help to him."
If it were effective, they would’ve administered it to Lin Muzhi long ago.
Thus, Mrs. Dong took great pains to bring it into the palace.
Xia An finished packing the medicine, totaling twelve bottles.
Combined with what they initially brought into the palace, it would be sufficient for two years.
In fact, Xia An knew how to make the pills herself.
They just couldn’t acquire the ingredients within the palace.
Time flew by, and soon it was time for Mrs. Dong to leave the palace.
As much as Lin Wanyi was reluctant, she could only watch her mother depart.
On her way out, Mr. Dong stopped by especially.
He said the Emperor had given a reward.
It was not much, just a few lengths of fashionable satin and some commonly used jewelry for women.
But the meaning was significant.
The families of other concubines received gifts sent by the Inner Court Department as per regulations.
Only Lin Wanyi received a gift directly from the Emperor.
Lin Wanyi, worried about attracting attention, specifically warned her mother to be careful on the way back.
However, Qin An was the first to jump in to express that he would safely escort Madam back home.