Pulling the thread of the Princess, she would often have the chance to visit the palace. The fear lay in being asked to stay frequently.
The opportunity to enter the palace came too swiftly, and these decisions were indeed made in haste, so much so that she dared not speak of them to Jin Zijin.
"Come every few days?"
The Empress seemed to ponder something, her eyebrows rising slightly as she looked towards the Ninth Princess, who was almost hiding behind the Empress Dowager.
"What do you think, Mother?" The Empress turned to the Empress Dowager and asked with a smile.
The Empress Dowager sighed and said, "I’m old, and I don’t have many years left. Such trivial matters can be decided by you, the Empress."
The Empress smiled and replied, "Since Mother has no objections, then let it be every few days. It’s just, will Youyou be able to handle it with your constitution?"
"Replying to Her Majesty the Empress, Youyou will be careful."
Between these exchanges, Gu Youyou could not discern much, only a vague sense that the Empress was not as simple as she seemed.
In the palace, although the Empress Dowager appeared to be the most powerful, with the Empress still needing to please her, many matters were, in fact, decided by the Empress. The Empress Dowager had to maintain her dignity but could not overstep.
Gu Youyou observed Lin Qianqing, who was making faces at her, and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty the Empress, my maternal grandmother has fallen ill recently, and she was asking about my older female cousin..."
The Empress raised her eyebrows, her gaze shifting to Gu Youyou.
The Empress Dowager made a sound of acknowledgment and asked, "Madam Lin is ill?"
Lin Qianqing feigned concern with an "Ah," hurriedly saying, "Grandmother is ill again?"
"Again? Has Madam Lin been getting sick often lately?" The Empress Dowager inquired further.
Before Gu Youyou could reply, Lin Qianqing could no longer restrain herself and was about to burst into tears as she said, "Empress Dowager, my grandmother has been in poor health in recent years, and she has fallen ill many times from last year to this year. The illness during the New Year was the most severe—we thought she wouldn’t make it. It scared my father into sending Butler Qiu to Lingnan to fetch my cousin. If it weren’t for my cousin’s miraculous healing, we don’t know what would have become of grandmother."
As she spoke, tears were already streaming down her face.
The Empress Dowager sighed woefully, "Ah, when people get old, these days are inevitable. Don’t be too heartbroken."
After a moment of contemplation, the Empress warmly said to Lin Qianqing, "Originally, I had planned to keep you here for a few more days, but under the circumstances, you may follow your cousin back to the Lin Family later."
Lin Qianqing could hardly contain her joy, "Thank you for Your Majesty the Empress’s grace!"
"You, next time your cousin comes to the palace, come and accompany me," said the Empress.
Lin Qianqing: "..." Suddenly feeling unloved.
The next round of acupuncture for the Empress Dowager would be performed by Physician Cui, who already had a foundation in acupuncture. Having observed Gu Youyou a few times, she was able to perform very well.
Therefore, the responsibility of giving acupuncture to the Empress Dowager fell upon her, and Gu Youyou only needed to come and check every few days while teaching the Ninth Princess medical skills in passing.
This turned out to be an unexpected delight.
Returning to the Lin Family, her aunt’s face darkened further upon seeing Lin Qianqing trailing behind Gu Youyou, the sight fueling her ire.
"Why have you returned?"
Lin Qianqing replied, "I heard that grandmother was ill and wanted to see me."
Madam Lin’s eyebrows rose sharply, and at the same time, she glared fiercely at Gu Youyou, saying sternly, "Since the Empress has sent you back, you should go see your grandmother."
"Alright, then I’ll go now." Lin Qianqing glanced at Madam Lin and then sympathetically looked at Gu Youyou before quickly making her escape.
Madam Lin’s gaze towards Gu Youyou was as black as the bottom of a pot.
She had run off to the old lady’s compound early in the morning, and afterwards, word spread that the old lady was seriously ill.