Chapter 2593 - 2567: A Favor

It’s just unfortunate that the people taken to the Prince of Hejian’s manor that day were mostly household servants and long-term workers, and many of these were soldiers and veterans who had fought with the Prince of Hejian in the past.

The oldest among them was already forty-two years old, while the youngest was only twenty-two. Even though they had retired from the battlefield for years, though their fighting skills might have waned, their ability to evade was undoubtedly better than that of ordinary tenant farmers.

Therefore, although they were also seriously injured, with some losing limbs or getting head injuries, none of them died.

On the other side, the casualties were heavy, primarily because a significant portion were accidental injuries. In particular, the two people from the Chief’s families who came to mediate were killed when trying to stop the Zheng Family’s tenant farmers and mistakenly got hit on the head with a hoe.

That’s why County Magistrate Guo’s judgment was so severe, making the steward’s son of the Zheng Family culpable as well. Moreover, while the other side arrested two sons, only one was arrested from the Li Clan’s side.

County Magistrate Tang walked leisurely with his hands clasped, looking at the dark clouds on the horizon, estimating that it would rain again, and stopped to sigh at the clouds: "The case might not have been wrongly judged, but for such a significant issue to occur under his jurisdiction still counts as negligence. Not to mention, it’s yet to be concluded whether the case was judged incorrectly. Who knows what the final verdict will be?"

"Oh, what a coincidence, County Magistrate Guo, did you forget something?"

County Magistrate Tang immediately withdrew his gaze from the horizon, put on a serious face, and looked straight ahead, only to see County Magistrate Guo, who had walked ahead, standing to their side.

County Magistrate Guo looked at the two of them, "Are you talking about me?"

Manbao was about to deny it, but County Magistrate Tang nodded and sighed, patting his shoulder, "Old Guo, being a county magistrate is tough."

Hearing this, County Magistrate Guo’s expression softened a lot, and he sighed too, feeling a sense of shared hardship.

Manbao looked at County Magistrate Tang and then at County Magistrate Guo, sighed deeply as well, and said to County Magistrate Guo, "County Magistrate Guo, you seem exhausted. Would you like me to prescribe some calming and sleep-promoting medicine?"

"... No need," County Magistrate Guo replied, "Imperial Doctor Zhou, I came back to find you. I wanted to ask about Young Master Zheng’s condition."

"Oh, he has passed the critical period," Manbao did not hide anything and said to him, "There should be no more life-threatening danger."

"Then why is he still in the palace? I wanted to ask him some questions, but the Zheng Family has been blocking me."

If he were outside the palace, regardless of whether he was willing, he would find a way to meet him. However, since he is in the palace, he cannot just break into the Eastern Palace.

After thinking for a moment, Manbao said, "You can ask questions, but he might not be able to use his mouth to answer you, only a pen."

Not only County Magistrate Guo but also County Magistrate Tang was taken aback and asked, "Why is that?"

"His head injury is severe, and he is temporarily mute. As for staying in the palace, it is because I need to give him acupuncture for awakening the mind and opening the orifices."

County Magistrate Guo & County Magistrate Tang: ...

Zheng Fei, well, they had met him before, truly a young noble cultivated meticulously by the Zheng Family, and now he’s mute?

Isn’t this a disability?

County Magistrate Guo fell silent, now understanding why the Zheng Family was so angry.

But knowing it made him even angrier, feeling that they were unreasonable. If their family’s steward had not started trouble, none of these things would have happened.

And they want to get people out? What are they thinking?

As County Magistrate Guo thought of this, his body stiffened, and he became thoughtful.

County Magistrate Tang also lifted his eyelids and tactfully said to County Magistrate Guo, "Haven’t the Zheng Family visited the prison?"

They have, of course, but they probably didn’t get the information they wanted, so they want to take people back?

County Magistrate Guo pursed his lips and said to Zhou Man, "Lord Zhou, I want to see Young Master Zheng."

Manbao hesitated for a moment and said, "I’ll have to ask Director Xiao and Young Master Zheng for their opinions."

County Magistrate Guo did not force her, nodded, and looked around before whispering, "Let’s not let the Zheng Family know about this yet."

Manbao understood and nodded in agreement.

Only then did County Magistrate Guo leave.

Once he had gone, County Magistrate Tang looked at Manbao and said, "Bai Shan often stays by His Majesty’s side now. Has he told you that this matter is also somewhat related to land enclosure?"

Manbao was stunned and asked, "What does it have to do with land enclosure?"

County Magistrate Tang then said, "Perhaps the senior officials have not mentioned it yet."

After saying that, County Magistrate Tang left without explaining the relationship with land enclosure to Manbao.

Manbao scratched her head and could only return to the Imperial Hospital to find Director Xiao.

Director Xiao had no opinion on the matter and said to her, "Ask Young Master Zheng. If he wants to meet, then meet; if not, then forget it. His head injury should not provoke excessive excitement. As physicians, the court intrigues are none of our concern."

Manbao nodded and went to find Young Master Zheng.

Well, along the way, she would give a needle treatment to his head.

Young Master Zheng had already adapted to the routine of two needle treatments a day, one in the morning and one in the evening.

Upon seeing Zhou Man, he withdrew his gaze from outside the window and sat obediently on the couch, placing his hands on his knees.

While preparing, Manbao asked, "Young Master Zheng, County Magistrate Guo wants to see you to ask about the case. Do you want to meet him?"

Young Master Zheng was stunned for a moment before nodding.

Manbao then stopped asking questions, took out a needle, and gave him the acupuncture. After finishing, Young Master Zheng held back for a long time to utter a word, "Pen..."

Manbao waited for a while, found no intention for him to say more than one word, and could only nod helplessly, "We will prepare for you ink, paper, and brush, but Young Master Zheng, your aphasia needs practice. Don’t be shy; only through repeated practice can your recovery be faster. The quicker your brain’s hematoma dissipates, the sooner you can regain your speech ability, or you might regress."

Young Master Zheng pursed his lips, and after a long pause, he finally said "uh-huh" and didn’t say another word.

Manbao could only pack up her things and leave.

As she walked out, the palace maids and eunuchs guarding outside immediately surrounded her to make small reports, "Lord Zhou, Young Master Zheng drove us out again last night, and then strange sounds came from his room."

Curiously, Manbao asked, "What kind of strange sounds?"

"It was... well, just very strange, like talking, or maybe crying. It was weird."

Manbao: "You are overthinking it. Young Master Zheng seems to be in good spirits. If he doesn’t like someone being close to him at night, don’t enter his room."

Remembering something, Manbao opened her medical box, took out a bottle of medicine, and handed it to her, "Here, you said last time that when your monthly cycle comes, it is unbearably painful. This is honey-prepared womb-warming medicine. Start taking it with warm water ten days before your next cycle, two pills a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. This bottle contains twenty pills. After your cycle ends, send me a message, and I’ll give you another type of pill to take for ten days. Doing this back and forth for three months should help a lot."

The palace maid was stunned, not expecting Lord Zhou to remember this. She blushed and took the medicine bottle, embarrassed, "Lord Zhou, this is just a small ailment. You need not trouble yourself."