Disease rights policy

Yao Yuze insisted that Qiao Ran had taken things from the Imperial Hospital, but Qiao Ran naturally couldn't admit it, and Yao Yuze couldn't forcibly search her body.

"Somebody come!"

Qiao Ran was dragged out of the pharmacy by Yao Yuze in a humiliating manner. The young courtyard attendant saw this and exclaimed in panic, "General, what are you doing? Let's talk this out."

With a single glance from Yao Yuze, the young court attendant shut his mouth, looking pitiful. He looked at Qiao Ran with a wistful expression, indicating that he was also powerless to help, as Yao Yuze was simply too heartless, and Qiao Ran was already very grateful to him.

Soon the Imperial Hospital was alerted. Yao Yuze called out a palace maid and said coldly, "Search her body."

The palace maid whose name was called looked panicked, but Yao Yuze's face looked really fierce, so she didn't dare to offend him and went over tremblingly, "General."

Yao Yuze: "Search."

The young palace maid dared not disobey, and her hand trembled as she reached out to Qiao Ran. Qiao Ran looked down at her, her thick, curly eyelashes concealing her complex emotions. Under Yao Yuze's watchful eye, the young palace maid searched very carefully, taking out all of Qiao Ran's belongings, which amounted to nothing more than a handkerchief and a few taels of silver.

"General...," the little palace maid said in a trembling voice, her voice barely audible, "there's nothing there."

Yao Yuze's dark eyes narrowed. "Search again."

The palace maid touched Qiao Ran all over again, but still said, "Nothing."

Yao Yuze: "Search again."

"Why don't you search me yourself, General?" Qiao Ran dodged the maid's hand and said coldly, "What have I done to offend you, General, that you would humiliate me like this? If you insist that I took something from the Imperial Hospital, I am but a lowly person and have nothing to say! You have searched twice and clearly found nothing. If you still insist on holding this against me, then I will have no choice but to take off my clothes in public and let you see them properly to prove my innocence!"

She spoke louder and louder, staring into Yao Yuze's eyes and enunciating each word clearly, which gradually darkened Yao Yuze's face.

As Qiao Ran spoke, she took off her belt and threw it at Yao Yuze. The plain blue brocade belt, carrying the fragrance of the woman, slipped from Yao Yuze's nose and gently fell to the ground.

Everyone in the courtyard stared wide-eyed and immediately lowered their heads.

Qiao Ran is probably finished!

What kind of methods does Yao Yuze use? He kills people without blinking an eye.

"What? General, you still don't believe me?" Qiao Ran's lips curled up, full of sarcasm. Since Yao Yuze was targeting her so much, what did she have to worry about? "Then you'd better watch carefully."

The delicate fragrance wafted past his nose like a gentle breeze. As he watched the girl in front of him unhesitatingly take off her outer garment and throw it forcefully in his face, Yao Yuze's hand holding the sword became sweaty.

"Want to watch it again?"

Qiao Ran's smile was full of provocation as she approached Yao Yuze step by step, until the two were less than a finger's width apart.

"Yao Yuze," Qiao Ran lowered her voice, standing on tiptoe to warn him in his ear, "Don't think that my backing down is because I'm afraid of you. Even a cornered dog will bite. Who do you think you are?"

The girl's hair was thick and black, and Yao Yuze could see her fierce appearance with just a slight lowering of his eyes.

He said, "I'll grab you by the tail."

"Okay, I'll wait."

After Qiao Ran finished speaking, Yao Yuze took a step back, turned around and left. Qiao Ran stared at his broad back with cold eyes, her feelings indescribably complicated.

The palace servants were stunned by Qiao Ran's actions, and for a moment they couldn't tell whether she or Yao Yuze was more terrifying. Qiao Ran's expression was cold as she casually picked up her clothes from the ground, slowly put them on, and turned to look at the palace maids who were searching her.

The young palace maid was on the verge of tears and quickly waved her hands, saying, "I didn't mean to."

Qiao Ran said, "I know."

She approached the young palace maid and casually patted her shoulder. By the time she left the Imperial Hospital, the two medicinal herbs that had been in the young palace maid's waist pouch had returned to her.

No near misses.

Qiao Ran hurried back to Kunning Palace. Just as she reached the entrance, Yinghong called out to her, "Her Majesty has something to ask you."

Qiao Ran then turned and went to the Empress's bedchamber, where she very politely greeted the Empress, raising her voice to say, "May Your Majesty the Empress enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

With her head bowed for a long time, but no voice came from above, Qiao Ran's heart pounded. She remained in a bent-over position, waiting quietly.

After a full cup of tea had passed, the Empress finally said, "I heard that the Imperial Hospital was quite lively at noon. Yao Yuze claimed that you stole something from the Imperial Hospital. Is that true?"

Of course she had, but Qiao Ran was shameless and didn't feel ashamed at all.

She lowered her head and replied, "It is the General who has wronged me."

"I have also heard about it," the Empress paused for a moment, her gentle voice carrying a hint of authority, "You proved your innocence in front of Yao Yuze, and Yao Yuze had nothing to say, did he?"

Qiao Ran marveled at how many eyes and ears there were in the palace; the news traveled so fast.

"Yes."

The Empress asked again, "Why did you have to undress to prove yourself? Didn't that little palace maid search you and find nothing there?"

Qiao Ran kowtowed heavily, "Your Majesty, please understand. The General was being too aggressive, and I was unwilling to allow him to humiliate me again and again. In a moment of anger, I did something inappropriate. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"You certainly have a strong personality," the Empress said, without openly blaming Qiao Ran. After she got up, she said, "If you work in my Kunning Palace, you are considered a member of the Kunning Palace. Every word and action reflects the face of my Kunning Palace. As for what happened today, you can have someone report it to me, and I will certainly uphold justice for you."

Qiao Ran nodded in agreement, "Yes."

"Then let me ask you again, did you know Yao Yuze before? Or did you have any grudge against him?"

"This humble woman has never seen the Great General."

The Empress was helped to her feet by Yinghong. "Alright, I only summoned you here to ask you some questions. You may go back now."

"This humble woman takes her leave. May Your Majesty be well."

Qiao Ran was glad that the Empress was a good person, at least in her eyes.

“Your Majesty,” Yinghong helped the Empress walk into the courtyard. The portrait in the courtyard made her even more clear-headed. She said, “Qiao Xiaoran’s actions today were a bit too conspicuous.”

The Empress gently traced the cluster of peonies in front of her with her fingertips. The bright red stamens were as vibrant as the Kunning Palace itself. She looked up at the azure afternoon sky and said slowly, "Yinghong, do you know that I somewhat envy her fierceness and uninhibited spirit?"

Yinghong: "Your Majesty is of the highest rank and possesses the best of everything in the world. You have no need to envy others. Your Majesty is already the best."

The Empress chuckled softly, “The constraints imposed on women in this world are endless. If one is too concerned with rules and conventions, one will end up like countless other women in the world, imprisoning oneself and one’s life.”

Yinghonghou remained silent to the side.

The Empress picked a peony, turned to Yinghong and asked, "Do you think Qiao Xiaoran and Si Ruo look alike?"

Yinghong compared the two in her mind. Gao Siru was a member of the royal family and of noble status. Although she was arrogant because of her favor, it was what she deserved. How many young ladies in the capital dared to compare with her?

Although Gao Siruo is not unruly and will retaliate fiercely against anyone who wrongs her, she has the Empress and the Crown Prince behind her.

What about Qiao Xiaoran?

She is nothing.

“Your Majesty,” Yinghong raised her eyes, “Miss Siruo is like a cloud, while Qiao Xiaoran is like mud. They are worlds apart, so how could they be similar?”

The empress neither denied nor expressed agreement.

"Si Ruo was spoiled by her family and me, so she can be unruly because she knows that someone will cover for her if she makes a mistake. What about Qiao Xiao Ran?"

Yinghong looked at the Empress.

"Qiao Xiaoran only has herself. If she makes a mistake, she has to take responsibility for it herself, but she is not afraid."

This is the difference between the two. The Empress was once an innocent girl, but she experienced the deep palace and spent many years settling down to observe people and their hearts. She saw things deeply and for a long time.

Qiao Ran was different from others. The Empress did not reprimand her for her rudeness or for being immoral, because she viewed Qiao Ran from her own perspective and knew that Qiao Ran was not suited for the deep palace or a life of flattery.

Perhaps one day, she will leave.

She was walking a rebellious path, and the Empress couldn't bear to ruin someone who was like the wind.

This is why Qiao Ran lived a comfortable life in Kunning Palace; the Empress was deliberately indulging her.

-

Qiao Ran took the medicine that night and meditated all night to regulate her internal energy. The next morning, she was pleasantly surprised to find that she had turned misfortune into blessing. Bi Chan had broken through the bottleneck and had reached the threshold of the sixth level.

With a flick of her palm, the door creaked open as she pushed it open mid-air. Hearing the noise, Kong Hanyan ran out, utterly shocked.

She knew Qiao Ran had some martial arts skills, but she couldn't guess the extent of them. She never expected her to be so skilled.

She could probably put up a fight against Yao Yuze.

"That's wonderful," Kong Hanyan said happily, "Your efforts have not been in vain."

Qiao Ran got out of bed, still looking radiant despite not having slept all night. She said, "It will be much easier to leave now."

Kong Hanyan felt a pang of reluctance upon hearing the word "leave".

Qiao Ran asked her, "Why are you helping me like this?"

You should know that if Qiao Ran causes trouble in this palace, the first person to be implicated will definitely be Kong Hanyan.

Kong Hanyan smiled and said, "There's no reason why, it's because I consider you a friend."

Qiao Ran smiled too.

Two days later, Chen Jinning went to the palace again to keep the Empress company. She stayed in Kunning Palace for a day, and in the evening, Chen Jinning bid farewell to the Empress. The Empress then sent someone to escort her out of the palace.

"Miss Qiao, whom I met at Your Majesty's palace on the day of the flower viewing banquet, may Your Majesty grant me permission to escort me out of the palace?"

Empress: "Why?"

"I just think she's nice, and she makes people happy."

Chen Jinning was sincere but not pretentious. The Empress did not expect that she and Qiao Ran had known each other for a long time, so she gave her permission.

Qiao Ran was overjoyed to see Chen Jinning. On the way out of the palace, Chen Jinning finally seized the opportunity to ask her, "Sister Qiao, weren't you in Shu? What happened?"

Qiao Ran spoke frankly, "I'm so unlucky. I don't know who kidnapped me, but I was forced to take the place of the daughter of the Prefect of Qianzhou and enter the palace to participate in the selection of female officials. It must be related to the Prefect of Qianzhou!"

"Ah?" Chen Jinning hadn't expected things to be so difficult. She immediately said, "Sister Qiao, don't worry. I'll go back and tell my brother to help you investigate the situation of the Prefect of Qianzhou. I'll bring it to you next time I go to the palace."

Qiao Ran was extremely grateful to her. "I've been pretending to have amnesia for too long, so I need to know everything about the Qianzhou Prefect's family."

Although Chen Jinning felt it would be a bit difficult, he still nodded and said, "Okay."

Is your brother still in Kyoto? How is he?

“My brother was afraid that staying at home for too long would cause trouble, so he moved to another house and wouldn’t let me go there, afraid that it would be bad if people saw me. He is still resting at home and rarely goes out.”