People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 36, Xu Qing's Kindness, Hu Meiren's Initiative

The palace of King Han, the bedroom of Consort Hu.

At this moment, Hu Meiren was wearing a pink short-skirted palace robe, her fragrant shoulders exposed. The back of the robe was wide open, revealing her delicate back and the strings of two pink bodices.

A pair of long, beautiful legs were wrapped in flesh-colored stockings, with her feet casually resting at the foot of the bed.

Her toes, painted with cherry blossom pink nail polish, looked like ripe red grapes, delicate and alluring, even under the stockings.

Her alluring and delicate face carried a hint of worry and tension, her eyes glancing occasionally towards the outside of the palace, as if she were waiting for someone.

"Why aren't they here yet? Did that wicked woman call them away again?" Hu Meiren muttered to herself.

She was waiting for Xu Qing. Although they were attacked at the theater the night before last, the two sisters managed to recognize each other in the chaos.

After their initial excitement, she inquired about the truth behind the Fire Rain Manor tragedy, but her sister claimed to know nothing about it. She assumed her sister didn't want her to take any risks that might jeopardize her current prominent position.

In order not to spoil the excitement of the two recognizing each other, she didn't delve into the matter further, since there was another person here who knew the truth about what happened back then.

"My lady, Physician Xu has arrived," a maid at the palace gate called out.

A glint of light flashed in Hu Meiren's eyes as she looked expectantly toward the entrance to the palace. Her body unconsciously struck an alluring pose, displaying her curvaceous figure to the fullest.

Over the past two weeks, the rivalry between her and Madam Mingzhu over Xu Qing has intensified, with neither wanting to lose to the other.

Hu Meiren was an expert at manipulating a handsome, vigorous young imperial physician. She found it incredibly amusing whenever she saw Xu Qing feigning respect while secretly glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.

Teasing Xu Qing, this innocent young imperial physician, was one of her few sources of pleasure.

Under the watchful eye of Hu Meiren, Ruotao led Xu Qing into the palace.

"My lady, Physician Xu has arrived."

"I have seen a beautiful woman."

Xu Qing bowed to Hu Meiren behind the curtain.

"Alright, Ruotao, you may leave now. Let Physician Xu examine my pulse," Hu Meiren said calmly.

"promise."

After watching Ruotao leave, Xu Qing looked around for the incense burner and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that there was no incense burning inside.

Looking at Xu Qing outside the curtain, and seeing his weak face, Hu Meiren felt a strange sense of concern.

"Are you alright?" Hu Meiren asked anxiously.

"Thank you for your concern, my lady. I am fine, but refining the pills took a lot of effort," Xu Qing said in a deep voice.

After half a day of calming down, Xu Qing thought her complexion had returned to normal, but she didn't expect that her expression would still be noticed at a glance.

It seems he really went all out last night, but you can't blame him. He risked his life to save people, fed the fish with his own body, and was even bitten by a great white shark at the last moment.

Thinking of this, Xu Qing felt a slight pain in the teeth marks on her neck and couldn't help but move her shoulders.

"Come in."

Xu Qing walked into the curtained room and looked at the alluring beauty Hu on the bed. Normally, he would have stolen a few glances at her.

But he is no longer the same person he once was. Now, his mind is filled with a thirst for medical knowledge, a quest for the ultimate truths of the universe, and a contemplation of the wisdom of sages.
To put it simply, it's still within the period of spiritual enlightenment.

Upon seeing Xu Qing kneel down, Hu Meiren extended her fair arm.

Xu Qing immediately took her pulse. He had been coming to take her pulse almost every day for the past two weeks, and he no longer bothered to avoid her by wearing a veil. "I heard about what happened the night before last. The Imperial Hospital was attacked by remnants of the Baiyue tribe. Were you injured?" Hu Meiren asked with concern, her eyes full of anxiety.

"It's alright. I was refining medicine in my room at the time, and the guards blocked the assassins," Xu Qing said, shaking his head.

Hu Meiren's pulse was steady and there was no problem at all. Xu Qing knew in his heart that it must be that day at the theater when the other party and Madam Hu recognized each other.

But having received no information about his enemy, he came to inquire about him today. As he began to formulate his response, he paid no attention to Hu Meiren's alluring and seductive figure.

"I reunited with my sister the night before last, and I still want to thank you for your help."

Hu Meiren glanced at Xu Qing, who was intently taking her pulse, and leaned forward slightly. The collar of her pink palace robe drooped, revealing her fair breasts and alluring depths.

Xu Qing remained unmoved. After carefully preparing his response, he spoke.

"Congratulations, beautiful lady, on your reunion with your sister. I'm sure you've learned the truth about what happened back then from Madam Hu."

Hu Meiren looked at Xu Qing's cold face with suspicion, secretly thinking that something was wrong.

Normally, this stinky man may appear respectful, but his eyes are definitely not honest; he'll always glance at her from time to time.

Why is he being so well-behaved today? Has he changed his personality?
Based on her understanding of men, Hu Meiren believed that lust was a problem that men could never change in their lifetime. The only way to make a man shift his attention away from a woman was if a more beautiful and generous woman appeared.

Thinking of this, she recalled what she had found out that morning.

Last night, Madam Mingzhu was unwell, and Xu Qing, despite his exhaustion, went to check her pulse. In the end, he was too weak to continue and rested for the night in the outer palace of Mingzhu Palace.

She originally thought it was a minor matter. After all, it was common for some concubines in the harem to have their physicians stay in the side halls of the outer palace to rest due to serious illnesses, in case of emergency.

But seeing Xu Qing like this today, Hu Meiren concluded that Madam Mingzhu must have done something last night to entice Xu Qing's restless heart.

No, Xu Qing is still too naive. He has no idea about that poisonous woman's methods and has fallen into her trap without realizing it.

Hu Meiren's heart was filled with alarm bells. She knew that a naive young man like Xu Qing was no match for Madam Mingzhu's methods.

Looking at the dazed Hu Meiren, Xu Qing was also a little confused. What was wrong? How could I start the performance if you didn't respond?

Looking at Xu Qing's handsome face, Hu Meiren seemed to have made up her mind and reached out to remove the plain gauze outer garment from her palace robe.

"I called you here today not only to discuss my sister's affairs, but also because I've been feeling some discomfort in my back lately, and I'd like you to massage it for me."

After Hu Meiren finished speaking, she turned around and lay face down on the bed, revealing her fair back. Her lower back and full peach-shaped breasts outlined a perfect curve. Her beautiful legs, covered in flesh-colored stockings, were taut, and her small feet swayed slightly in front of Xu Qing.

This scene is enough to arouse any man, who would not hesitate to use his massage and manipulation skills.

Xu Qing watched this scene in surprise, wondering what Hu Meiren was up to.

Although Hu Meiren often used body language to tease him, this was the first time she had been so intimate and daring.

Could it be that they're trying to use this to threaten me again? A sense of vigilance crept into Xu Qing's heart.

Hu Meiren felt her face burning hot and her heart filled with shyness, but when she thought about Xu Qing about to fall into Madam Mingzhu's trap, she became determined.

The best way to win a man back from another woman is to be more beautiful and more generous than that woman. Although she harbored hostility towards Madam Mingzhu, Hu Meiren still admitted that her beauty was somewhat inferior to Madam Mingzhu's.

Therefore, she could only approach the issue from the perspective of generosity, as she did not believe that Madam Mingzhu was more generous and magnanimous than she was now last night.

Xu Qing helped her reunite with her sister, for which she owed him an immense debt of gratitude. She felt she could repay this debt even with her own body. Now, all she had to do was sacrifice her beauty to save her benefactor from danger; why should she care?
Yes, all of this was simply to repay a debt of gratitude, to rescue Xu Qing'en from Madam Mingzhu's clutches.

Hu Meiren told herself that she felt a faint sense of anticipation and excitement, which made her hum involuntarily.

Chapter Two will be revised a little later.
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(End of this chapter)