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Song Ming was extremely grateful to Lu Man. Without her tireless efforts, his mother’s life would have been in danger. Truly, Lu Man possessed both medical expertise and cleverness, evident in how she had managed to improve relations with both Princess Changting and old Marquis Jiang within a few months. With the comforting presence of Lu Man, Princess He’s laughter had increased significantly.
For the sake of his mother, Song Ming knew he needed to maintain a good relationship with Lu Man.
He smiled and said, “Whatever Third Young Lady Lu desires, as long as I can provide it, even if it’s my life, I am willing to offer.” Realizing the implications of his words, he felt uneasy. Overjoyed, he had inadvertently made a suggestive remark, almost flirting with his niece-in-law. He quickly coughed a couple of times, attempting to cover his slip.
Focused on her reading glasses, Lu Man didn’t pick up on the inappropriate undertones of his statement. She chuckled and responded, “I, hehe, just want a pair of reading glasses, you know, for… practical use.”
Assuming Lu Man’s request to be something invaluable, Song Ming prepared to fulfill it. Although reading glasses were not easy to come by, anything purchasable with money was not a big issue.
Amused, Song Ming replied, “I thought you were asking for something precious. Turns out, it’s reading glasses. That’s easy.” He instructed someone to fetch the item from his study and explained, “Although these reading glasses are unique and rare, they are most useful for elderly individuals with poor eyesight. Young people wearing them won’t benefit, instead, they might feel dizzy and struggle to see clearly. That’s why they’re called ‘reading glasses.'”
Was this the origin of the name “reading glasses”? Lu Man had never pondered this before.
She mentioned, “I read in a miscellaneous book that reading glasses have other intriguing uses, and I wanted to give them a try to see if it’s true.”
Both Song Ming and Lu Man were talkative individuals, having spent time around Princess He and grown familiar with each other. As they waited for the reading glasses, they engaged in a comfortable conversation, finding no awkwardness or discomfort. The Princess shared future considerations with Lu Man and indicated that if any issues arose, Lu Man would be consulted. She also spoke about Song Mo and how endearing and delightful he was…
In reality, Lu Man almost blurted out Song Mo’s potential poisoning several times but managed to suppress the urge.
In less than fifteen minutes, the servants brought the reading glasses.
Lu Man received the embroidered box and took out the reading glasses.
The lenses of the reading glasses were round, frameless, with a copper frame directly fixed onto the lens.
The round lenses were ideal, requiring fewer manufacturing steps. Lu Man smiled radiantly, her cheeks blushing with the glow of her smile, illuminating the room like a dazzling sunset.
The sparkle caught Song Ming off guard, causing him to blink rapidly, his face turning red as he quickly looked away.
Having obtained the reading glasses as desired, Lu Man stood up to express her gratitude. Despite Song Ming’s insistence on gifting her more items, Lu Man politely declined but eventually accepted with a smile.
Returning to the East Courtyard, she found Qingqing and Sweet Pea back. Qingqing reported things about Song Mo, who had eaten four dried longan fruits and some snacks, nursed from Tang, and before bed, drank a small bowl of Ophiopogon japonicus water.
Lu Man was now 95% certain that Song Mo had been poisoned. The remaining 5% of uncertainty stemmed from not witnessing him consume shanhu.
After listening to the report, she tried on the reading glasses. Feeling slightly dizzy but not experiencing any blurriness, she adjusted them for a while before finally resting.
The next morning, Princess He had improved significantly, able to get out of bed and move around slowly in the room.
In a side room, Lu Man and the imperial physicians were discussing the next steps in Princess He’s treatment.
Due to the Princess’s allergy to Angel’s Trumpet, long-term use was not advisable. Lu Man believed that the previous treatment had effectively controlled the Princess’s condition, indicating the success of the medical treatment. Therefore, sticking to the previous medication seemed appropriate.
Although she felt that Physician Gu’s medication might be more suitable for cardiac patients, she hesitated to make changes without further observation and treatment for different ailments.
Subsequently, Lu Man shared her treatment plan with Song Ming and the Princess. With the high regard for her medical skills from Princess He and her son, even the imperial physicians deferred to her.
Song Ming agreed, saying, “We will follow Third Young Lady’s advice.” He paused, then added, “If my mother’s condition worsens, we may have to trouble Third Young Lady Lu to come to the mansion.”
“Of course.” Lu Man nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Song Mo and the two side consorts came to pay their respects.
Aware that Sweet Pea was departing that day, Song Mo greeted everyone and hurried to the East Courtyard to play with Sweet Pea.
Concubine Wei and Concubine Jiang were pleased to see Song Ming. They occasionally cast affectionate glances at him.
Song Ming, while not showing any special attention, was polite and gestured towards a nearby embroidered stool for them to sit. The Princess seemed to favor Concubine Wei, who was pregnant, inquired about her health, and advised her to take care of herself and hopefully provide a grandson.
Despite Concubine Jiang being relatively straightforward, Concubine Wei was eager to exchange words with Lu Man, displaying warmth and gratitude, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor. She offered compliments on Lu Man’s medical skills and thanked her for treating the Princess.
Having little patience for pleasantries, Lu Man initially smiled politely but eventually grew annoyed, retorting, “There’s no need for Concubine Wei’s thanks. I willingly treated the Princess as she is my great-aunt.”
Her blunt response left Concubine Wei blushing.
After speaking her mind, Lu Man also felt a blush rise to her cheeks. With Song Ming present, challenging his consorts in such a manner seemed inappropriate.
Song Ming not only shrugged off the situation but chuckled, suggesting to Concubine Jiang and Concubine Wei, “It’s best you both leave. The room is getting crowded, affecting the air quality, which is not ideal for mother’s health.”
Feeling offended, even Concubine Jiang’s face flushed. The two consorts stood up, bowed to the Princess and Song Ming, and were about to leave. Song Ming’s expression darkened, prompting a cough.
Concubine Jiang quickly smiled at Lu Man, “We’ll take our leave. Third Young Madam, you’ve worked hard.”
Concubine Wei smiled at Lu Man, but didn’t say anything, simply nodding.
Lu Man rose to bid farewell, “Please take care, Consorts.”
Internally rolling her eyes at Song Ming, Lu Man found his behavior irritating and peculiar. It was perplexing how he could laugh after his consorts were rebuked, leaving her feeling uncomfortable.
As Lu Man felt uneasy, Lu Ying entered with a bowl of medicine, saying, “Princess, please take your medicine.”