Chapter 137 Trip to Jingcheng

Meng Zhelan inwardly groaned, wondering what exactly the King of Liang meant.

She vaguely knew that Prince An was frequently poisoned, and that Prince Liang was involved. It was common knowledge that she treated Prince An.

To outsiders, she was a folk doctor in charge of treating Prince An, and that was also the emperor's instruction.

“Your Highness, I am truly unfit for such a great responsibility. I hope Your Highness will forgive my refusal. I am merely an ordinary folk doctor, lacking sufficient experience and knowledge to assume such an important position.”

Meng Zhelan knew that if she accepted this mission, it would be like stepping into a huge vortex.

She felt uneasy and didn't know what to do.

Just as she was pondering how to politely decline the Prince of Liang's offer, someone outside announced her arrival.

"Your Highness, Prince An has arrived."

King Liang glanced at Meng Zhelan, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Oh? Then please invite him to the reception room."

Then he said to Meng Zhelan, "Doctor Meng, why don't you come with me to see what my good brother is up to?"

When they entered the reception room, Prince An immediately looked at Meng Zhelan and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that she was alright.

King Liang looked at the two men with a meaningful gaze.

"Third brother, what brings you here? I have been extending a warm invitation to Doctor Meng to serve as my physician, but she has been refusing. Why don't you try to persuade her for me?"

When Prince An heard what Prince Liang said, he was stunned for a moment, then glanced at Meng Zhelan, his expression somewhat unnatural.

"Second brother, I, your third brother, cannot make decisions for Doctor Meng. Since Doctor Meng has his own ideas, why force him to do something against his will? Besides, Grandmother often consults Doctor Meng to check her pulse; perhaps you should ask Grandmother first."

Meng Zhelan raised her eyes, calmly met Prince An's gaze, then looked at Prince Liang and said in a light tone, "Your Highness Prince Liang, I am truly uneducated and serve in your residence."

"Doctor Meng, why belittle yourself? I sincerely wish to invite you to serve as my physician," King Liang said with a gentle smile.

"I appreciate Your Highness's kindness, and I hope Your Highness will grant my request." Meng Zhelan's expression was firm.

A hint of displeasure flashed in the eyes of the Prince of Liang, but he did not show it. He turned to the Prince of An and said with a smile, "Third brother, I heard that the Empress Dowager has gone to live at your residence?"

Prince An knew he would bring this up. “Second brother, Grandmother was worried that something might happen to me, so she and Grandfather came to stay for a few days.”

Upon hearing this, the King of Liang's expression softened considerably, and he said with a smile, "Grandmother's love for my third brother is truly enviable."

He then looked at Meng Zhelan and said, "Since Doctor Meng insists on not coming to my residence to be the royal physician, then I will not force him. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Prince An looked at Prince Liang's retreating figure and said calmly, "Doctor Meng, I will see you off."

Meng Zhelan was slightly taken aback, but still nodded. The two walked out of the hall one after the other.

"Your Highness, I have some matters to attend to, so I will not trouble you to see me off."

When they reached the back garden, Meng Zhelan stopped. Prince An also stopped and looked at Meng Zhelan, saying, "Then I'll see you off."

What a coincidence! Just as Meng Zhelan was frowning in worry, Prince An suddenly appeared and came to her rescue. "I am very grateful to Your Highness for helping me out of this predicament today."

Prince An smiled and waved his hand, "Don't be so polite. I felt much better after taking the tonic you sent today. That reminded me of some things, and I was going to look for you, but I saw you get into Third Brother's carriage as soon as I arrived, so I followed you. I waited for a while and didn't see you come out, so I couldn't help but worry and wanted to go in and see what was going on."

She was surprised to find Prince An so thoughtful and considerate, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and comfort.

She lowered her eyes, concealing her gratitude, and said softly, "Your Highness's kindness is beyond my ability to repay. I will do everything in my power to refine an elixir that will protect you from all poisons."

Prince An smiled slightly, a hint of inquiry in his eyes, "Then thank you very much, Doctor Meng."

Prince An waved his hand, indicating that Doctor Meng did not need to be so polite.

He felt a surge of gratitude towards Doctor Meng, for there were few people in the world who treated him with such sincerity.

“Doctor Meng, actually, I came to see you today because there is another matter I want to discuss with you,” Prince An said, a hint of mystery in his eyes.

Doctor Meng couldn't help but feel a little curious; she didn't know what Prince An wanted to discuss with her.

"Please speak, Your Highness," she said respectfully.

Prince An took a deep breath and said slowly, "In a couple of days, I need to go to Jingcheng. I would like to invite Doctor Meng to be my accompanying physician. The remuneration is generous, and all arrangements for the journey will be made."

Doctor Meng was somewhat surprised; she had never heard of the trip to Jingcheng.

"Jingcheng?" she asked, puzzled.

“Yes, Jingcheng,” Prince An affirmed again. “My trip is to quell some local rebellions. These rebellions have a wide impact and time is of the essence.”

After listening, Doctor Meng hesitated. She knew Jingcheng was remote and the journey was arduous, but Prince An...

Upon hearing the word "rebellion," Meng's heart tightened.

She knew this was no small matter; if not handled properly, it could cause significant losses and casualties.

“I understand, I will think about it,” Dr. Meng said.

“Very well, I look forward to your reply,” Prince An said with a smile. “If you agree, I will have everything prepared.”

"Doctor Meng, I know this invitation is somewhat sudden, but I desperately need your help." Prince An noticed Doctor Meng's hesitation.

He then added, "This trip to Jingcheng is also to address some local epidemic issues. I know you have superb medical skills and will definitely be able to help many people."

Meng Zhelan was somewhat moved after hearing this.

She has always been dedicated to medicine, and saving patients is her greatest wish.

Now that she has the opportunity to help more people, how could she refuse?

So she nodded and agreed: "Since Your Highness is so sincere, I am willing to go to Jingcheng with you."

Upon hearing this, Prince An smiled with delight: "Doctor Meng, your kindness will surely be blessed by Heaven. I will arrange the journey as soon as possible to ensure a safe travels."

Prince An got up to leave, but he suddenly stopped at the door.

"By the way, Dr. Meng, if you have any questions or need more information, you can come to me anytime," he said with a smile.

After seeing Prince An off, Meng Zhelan fell into deep thought.

She needs to make proper arrangements for her trip to Jingcheng.

Although the rewards are substantial, the risks are considerable. If the rebellion cannot be quelled, even if the epidemic is resolved, the consequences could be disastrous.

Meng Zhelan paced back and forth in the room, constantly weighing the pros and cons in her mind.

Healing the sick and saving lives has always been her goal, and now it seems she has to make that trip.