Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

As she walked and pondered, she reached the outer courtyard. The doctor and her aunt's maid, Qiaozhu, were already waiting for her with a middle-aged doctor in the corridor.

"Miss, Madam ordered me to invite Dr. Cui, the best doctor in the city for treating bone injuries. Did you also hurt your hands and feet that day, Miss? That damned physician couldn't even detect it!" Qiaozhu said indignantly. Before giving birth to Miss, Madam had been struggling to conceive and had seen many doctors without success. It wasn't until after Miss's birth that Madam was diagnosed with pregnancy a few months later and gave birth to Miss smoothly. Therefore, Madam always said that Miss was a lucky star. Moreover, as Madam's personal maid, Qiaozhu also knew that Miss had concealed her pregnancy, so she always treated Miss as her own young lady.

"It's alright. I didn't call the doctor for my sake. I just vaguely remember hearing my cousin cry out in pain before I fainted. Everyone's been worried about me these past few days, and the family physician isn't good at external orthopedics. What if my cousin hurt a bone or something? The physician wouldn't be able to see it, and it would waste time. It's better to call a doctor who specializes in external orthopedics. Even if nothing's wrong, it'll give me peace of mind." Xiao Lan dared not say she had been reborn; otherwise, she'd be dragged out and burned like a monster. So she could only lie and say she heard something before she fainted. Anyway, it was so chaotic then; Wu Yuyu probably didn't even remember whether she cried out or not.

"Miss, you truly treat my young lady like your own sister. It's so much better than her half-siblings," Qiaozhu sighed. Although her mistress (wife) wasn't favored by General Wu and their relationship was strained, thankfully her family was supportive. Her cousin treated the young lady like her own sister, even more so than her wife. Her wife could finally rest easy. Thinking of her wife's health, Qiaozhu shook her head, deciding it was best not to mention it.

A group of people arrived at the main hall of Jiang Xiuzhi's residence and saw Aunt Jiang Xiuzhi and her younger sister Wu Yuyu waiting for Xiao Lan in the hall. Aunt Jiang Xiuzhi was still the same as always, despite some hardships in life, she always had a smile on her face. Although her younger sister inherited her father's features and wasn't as fair as other women, her eyes and eyebrows resembled her aunt's very much. Although only 14 years old, she was already a beauty in the making. Wu Yuyu was happy to see her sister and wanted to jump and skip over, but Xiao Lan quickly quickened her pace to support her and scolded, "It takes 100 days to recover from a broken bone. You haven't even had a proper check-up before jumping around like that!" Turning to Jiang Xiuzhi, she said, "Aunt, shouldn't you keep this little rascal in check?"

"I can't control this little rascal, only your uncle can," Jiang Xiuzhi said gently, her face full of affection. But Xiao Lan knew that there was bitterness behind that smile. In her past life, her aunt was like that—seemingly weak, always smiling, but she didn't tell her family many things, including those about that scoundrel Wu De. He used tricks to marry her, but didn't cherish her. He took concubines one after another. Later, after her cousin got married, he shamelessly took a middle-aged woman into the household, doting on her immensely, even clamoring to give her the power to manage the household. The key was that this Lin woman was neither beautiful nor talented, nor was she the gentle and understanding type. At the time, everyone was puzzled, thinking that Wu De was under a spell. A few years later, they realized that it wasn't Lin woman who was remarkable, but her two daughters. It was said that Lin woman had a paralyzed man who used to be Wu De's subordinate. He was wounded on the battlefield and became disabled in both legs. Wu De, as a general, often visited their home to comfort him. Over time, they became familiar and often ate and drank there. One time, after drinking too much... Upon waking, he found himself lying naked in bed, with Lin's two daughters sobbing beside him. He was only wearing an outer cloak. The eldest daughter was already 17, which wasn't too bad; at worst, she could be taken back as a concubine. The problem was that there was also a younger daughter, three years younger than the eldest. If word got out and the officials impeached them, his position as general would likely be over. Moreover, Lin's eldest daughter was already engaged and was to be married the following year. So, after some discussion, Lin divorced her husband and brought her two daughters with her to marry into the family. This way, she could both get close to General Wu De, and her daughters could marry as concubines from the general's household, thus elevating their social status. Lin also had a cunning plan: she had Wu De write a document to control him. This is why, even though the Jiang family was still around, Wu De dared to openly demand that Jiang Xiuzhi hand over the power of managing the household. Offending the Jiang family only meant losing some support in his career. But if he angered Lin and her two daughters, that shrew would tear things apart and expose the affair, and the Wu family would likely be raided. Thinking this, Xiao Lan composed herself. Wu De was indeed fond of drinking, but not to the point of being lustful. So, whether he was framed by the Lin mother and daughter or there was another reason, she would protect both her aunt and sister in this life. She wouldn't let her sister's lameness limit her marriage prospects, nor would she let her aunt's life be wasted because of marriage. In short, she would try her best to avoid contact with that person from her previous life, and she would never enter the palace. The time wasted in her previous life by entering the palace would be used to love her family and make money in this life. Let whoever wants to be empress be empress; being a female tycoon is better than being empress. With this in mind, Xiao Lan quickly asked the doctor to check Wu Yuyu's leg. Jiang Xiuzhi initially thought Xiao Lan was worrying too much, but then the doctor came over and said, "Madam, Miss Wu's bones have been dislocated and need to be realigned. Fortunately, it was discovered early. If it had been a few days later, the bones would have healed, and it would have definitely hindered her walking. Even a miracle wouldn't have been able to save her."

"Then I'll trouble you, Doctor, to set my sister's bones. Please take good care of her; I will be very grateful," Xiao Lan said, holding Jiang Xiuzhi's hand and wiping away her tears. Auntie may seem to nag her cousin every day, but everyone knows she's their true darling, a child they went through so much trouble to have. Seeing her mother's tears, Wu Yuyu bit her handkerchief while the bones were being set, enduring the pain without uttering a single cry.

"Aunt, let's not be sad anymore. Fortunately, we found out in time. My sister is only suffering a little, which is better than having difficulty walking later," Xiao Lan comforted her. "Lanlan, it's good that you're so thoughtful and know how to care for your sister. You rushed to see Gu Yu'er as soon as she woke up. I'm relieved to have Yu'er by your side."

"Does Aunt really think it's good for Yu-mei to be by my side?" Xiao Lan asked.

At this moment, Wu Yuyu was having her leg fractured. After the doctor finished explaining the details, Xiao Lan spoke up, "Yue'er, doctor, you've worked hard today. I'll give you three times the consultation fee. Please have someone take this back safely." Turning to the doctor, she said, "This is my youngest sister. The whole family has cherished her since she was little. I'm also grateful that you'll come for a follow-up visit every three days. The consultation fee will be calculated separately. Please make sure my sister's leg recovers completely." The doctor was naturally happy to receive three times the consultation fee for free. Hearing that Xiao Lan requested a follow-up visit every three days, he figured the consultation fee wouldn't be small either. He hurriedly said, "Thank you, Miss. I will do my best to ensure Miss Wu's leg recovers completely." Turning back, the doctor explained the precautions again, wrote a note, and handed it to Xiao Lan, arranging the next follow-up visit. Then, he bowed, accepted the consultation fee, and took his leave.

Seeing that Wu Yuyu was covered in sweat, Xiao Lan figured she must have been enduring a lot of hardship, so she had the maid carry her back to the inner room to rest.