Chapter 2649 - 2582: Who Scared Whom

Keke was also taken aback. Without caring about collecting points from the host, it immediately scanned towards the Eastern Palace and then extended to the entire Royal Palace.

After scanning, it was somewhat unsure, "The palace defenses are indeed more numerous and tighter than before, but the Crown Prince is currently in the Eastern Palace, not in the Taiji Hall. Oh, as for your colleagues, the courtiers are all in the Eastern Palace discussing state affairs as usual. According to your human history, doesn’t rebellion usually result in casualties?"

Manbao: "Is Lord Tang there too?"

Keke replied: "Yes, he is."

Manbao breathed a sigh of relief. With him there, the situation shouldn’t be too grave.

As they exchanged a few words, Eunuch Wu had already arrived with his entourage. Manbao greeted them with a bright smile, assisted him down two steps, and curiously asked, "Eunuch Wu, what is so urgent?"

Eunuch Wu swallowed, caught his breath, and grabbed Zhou Man’s hand, "I was just about to go to the Imperial Hospital to fetch someone when I heard that Lord Zhou had returned, so I hurried over to invite Lord Zhou."

He forced a smile and said, "The Crown Princess is feeling a bit unwell and wishes to have Lord Zhou attend to her."

The Crown Princess’s pregnancy had reached over six months by now. Manbao was startled and quickly asked, "What are the symptoms?"

Did she fall, experience abdominal pain, or see blood?

Eunuch Wu dared not curse the Crown Princess, so he bowed his head and was vague. Seeing this, Manbao thought it might be a state secret, grew increasingly anxious, and stomped her foot, "Is there an Imperial Doctor or medical maid at the Eastern Palace? Is there a medical kit?"

There was.

Eunuch Wu nodded continuously.

Thus, without bothering to speculate about what was happening in the palace, Manbao lifted her skirt and ran to the Eastern Palace.

Eunuch Wu widened his eyes and reached out to stop her, but she had already quickly descended the steps and was about to finish going down. He hurried to chase after her, "Lord Zhou, slow down, slow down, the Crown Princess is... not in such a serious state."

Poor Eunuch Wu, finally catching his breath, had no choice but to pick up his robe and run after her.

The two young servants followed behind Eunuch Wu.

When the patrolling guards saw them running, they furrowed their brows, but when they saw Eunuch Wu chasing behind Zhou Man, they swallowed their words.

Eunuch Wu explained as he ran, "The Crown Princess needs an Imperial Doctor..."

As they ran far away, a guard couldn’t help but ask, "Could something have happened to the Crown Princess?"

"Shut up. Matters of the inner palace are not for us to discuss. Just focus on your own duties."

Everyone immediately lowered their heads in agreement, but privately, they couldn’t help but speculate.

If anything happened to those at the top, any incident equaled an earthquake.

Manbao was in good physical condition and in high spirits. She dashed all the way into the Eastern Palace. The palace maids and servants were familiar with her and, though surprised to see her running in, did not stop her. She ran all the way to the back courtyard of the Eastern Palace.

The Crown Princess had not received any news yet. She was napping on the couch beside the window in her room, with two palace maids fanning her from either side. Inside and outside the room, several palace maids and servants, either sewing or dozing against pillars, sat by.

Manbao’s sudden arrival made quite a commotion. Within the palace, even the slightest noise seemed loud, causing those outside the room to awaken in surprise. One of them saw Manbao and asked, "Lord Zhou, you’ve returned?"

Manbao ran up, slightly out of breath, and asked, "Where is the Crown Princess?"

Seeing the sweat on her forehead and face, the smile on the maid’s face paused and she began to feel a bit anxious, "She is napping inside. If Lord Zhou wants to see her, please wait for a moment. I will go report this."

Saying this, she turned to go inside to report.

Manbao grabbed her arm, puzzled, "The Crown Princess is fine?"

The maid was momentarily stunned and said, "Her Highness is fine..."

Manbao slowly released her grip, took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, and wiped off her sweat, "Alright, it’s nothing, no need to report."

The maid frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled. Just then, Eunuch Wu and the two young servants caught up, panting.

The palace maids and servants were all wide-eyed in shock. What major event had occurred for them all to arrive in this state?

Eunuch Wu dared not be noisy in the Crown Princess’s courtyard. Pointing at Manbao, too out of breath to speak, he lowered his voice, "Couldn’t you just slow down a bit?"

Only then did Manbao, hands on hips, look at him angrily, "Eunuch Wu, why did you deceive me, making me run all this way?"

Eunuch Wu wiped the sweat off his forehead and whispered, "Oh dear madam, please lower your voice. I am here to apologize. It’s the Crown Prince who wishes to see you. But with the current turbulent times, it wouldn’t be appropriate for His Highness to summon openly..."

Manbao was utterly bewildered, "Why wouldn’t it be appropriate to summon openly? How is it turbulent times?"

Eunuch Wu carefully observed Zhou Man’s expression, exhaled in relief, and smiled, "That’s a slip of the tongue from us lesser ones, my fault. Lord Zhou, should we perhaps relocate?"

Manbao gave him a deep look, then snorted twice before following him to the Crown Prince’s study.

The Crown Prince was not in the study but in another part of the Eastern Palace — the Office of Palace Affairs.

Eunuch Wu invited Zhou Man into the study and immediately had someone brew tea.

Meanwhile, at the Crown Princess’s side, upon seeing them leave, the maid thought for a moment and then went inside to gently tap the Crown Princess awake.

The Crown Princess opened her eyes, a bit disoriented, and asked in a raspy voice, "What is it?"

The maid quietly reported, "Your Highness, Imperial Doctor Zhou has returned from the Summer Palace."

The Crown Princess sat up abruptly from the couch, "Why has she returned? Did something happen at the Summer Palace?"

The maid, kneeling to put shoes on her, replied, "I don’t think so. But it seems Eunuch Wu used Your Highness as an excuse to trick Imperial Doctor Zhou over here, and judging by her appearance, she seemed to have run all the way, sweating profusely."

The Crown Princess asked, "Where is she now?"

"Taken to the front study, His Highness is still in the Office of Palace Affairs."

The Crown Princess then, holding onto the maid’s hand and her pregnant belly, went to the front study. As soon as she entered, she saw Eunuch Wu apologizing, holding a cup of tea.

Seeing the Crown Princess arrive, he was so startled that he knelt on the ground. Despite the Crown Prince’s implication, he had used the Crown Princess as a reason to invite her with such a vague excuse, which was a serious taboo.

Manbao subtly glared at Eunuch Wu, taking the tea from his hands, stood up, placed it on the table, and smiled as she greeted the Crown Princess, "I’m sorry to have woken Your Highness."

The Crown Princess extended her hand, took hold of her, and with a smile, "If it weren’t for my people reporting, I wouldn’t have known you returned, so how could you have woken me?"

She glanced at Eunuch Wu and said to Manbao, "This old servant is becoming more unruly. I’ll discipline him."

Manbao laughed, "He was just playing a joke on me. It was my fault for not verifying things and rushing over. Luckily, I didn’t disturb Your Highness."

The Crown Princess sat in a chair, holding onto Manbao’s hand, and smiled, "Since you’re here, why not check my pulse?"

Seeing the sweat seeping through Zhou Man’s hair, understanding she had run a lot earlier, she turned to instruct a palace maid, "Bring a basin of water for Lord Zhou to freshen up."

Eunuch Wu quietly got up and retreated, breathing a sigh of relief.