Chapter 2 Schemes "Yes, this servant will go immediately." Chu…

"Yes, this servant will go right away."

Chu Yixin rolled up her sleeves, tried to suppress her smile, and lowered her head to catch crickets in the porcelain jar, no longer looking at her master who was holding a fat carp and standing in the middle of the room.

Although this scene was truly astonishing, it was also somewhat... comical.

Jiang Zhuoying felt extremely uncomfortable out of the water and instinctively tried to struggle. She twisted her body uncomfortably and suddenly realized that her body was actually enormous!

She was actually broader than the shoulders of the tall man who was hugging her?

She hadn't realized this while swimming in the water; she had always thought of herself as a small, delicate red carp...

Jiang Zhuoying looked around and spotted a bronze mirror facing her.

Good heavens! Not only am I so long, but I'm also so strong?

It's not some small red carp at all, it's clearly a big, fat carp that's round and plump!

Jiang Zhuoying quietly dismissed the idea in her heart; at most, she could only accept being called Little Fatty Carp...

"Master, the cricket has been caught."

Chu Yixin was quick and skillful, and it didn't take him long to scoop up the lively earthworm.

"Um."

Qi Fan nodded slightly, took two steps forward, and threw the fiery red carp in his arms back into the tank.

In an instant, water splashed everywhere. The man kept a cold face and narrowed his eyes, letting the splashing water wet his clothes.

Chu Yixin observed her master's expression and tentatively suggested, "Master, why don't you go to the bedroom to change your clothes?"

Qi Fan remained indifferent, his eyes half-closed as he looked at the red carp in the porcelain jar.

Chu Yixin, who was slightly hunched over beside him, also looked in his direction.

Jiang Zhuoying remained motionless at the bottom of the jar, feeling uncomfortable all over. Whenever she recalled the cricket swimming freely in the water, she couldn't feel happy.

She wanted to take a bath...

But she was already in the water, so how could she take a bath?

Jiang Zhuoying sighed softly: "Glug glug glug..."

"Replace the water in the porcelain jar."

Although the man's voice was cold and clear, Jiang Zhuoying found it extremely pleasant to hear.

She slowly rose from the bottom of the water, wagging her tail fin happily, swimming back and forth in front of Qi Fan.

This action drew exclamations of wonder from Chu Yixin, who stared at the crimson carp on the water's surface and exclaimed in surprise, "Master, what's Zhuozhuo doing?"

The man stared at the red shadow moving back and forth, a slight smile playing on his lips: "After raising it for so many years, it's probably become a spirit."

"……ah?"

Chu Yixin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly turned her head, only to see her master already striding towards the bedroom with his wide sleeves fluttering.

He quickly packed up his many questions and turned to leave.

I need to hurry and change Zhuozhuo's water!

Jiang Zhuoying was extremely satisfied with this, but she didn't take the man's words about 'becoming a spirit' to heart.

Given the opportunity, her future performance will surely be even more amazing!

Now that the room was quiet, her heart felt empty, and she didn't know how she could get back...

I can't keep living in this scarlet carp's body forever, can I?

When she first arrived, a veterinarian was by her side, which shows that the red carp must have been sick.

Was she originally ill?

*

Meanwhile, in the village on the eastern outskirts.

The main house was separated from the main house, the door was tightly closed, and there was no one at the door.

Inside the house just a door away, the anxious cries of a woman could be heard from time to time.

Xiangyue's voice was already hoarse as she wiped the woman's forehead on the bed again and again: "Miss, I beg you, you must hold on!"

The woman on the couch had her eyes closed, her small, pointed face flushed red, and a rosy rash had even appeared on her exposed neck.

"Miss, please think of the master and young master. The master must still be alive. I beg you, the master has not yet returned, you cannot be harmed!"

Xiangyue cried bitterly, and her eyes were already red and swollen. Another maid hurriedly came up behind her.

"Xiangyue, why are you still crying? This is the doctor's prescription, quickly feed it to the young lady, and also this decoction, we need to use it to wipe the young lady's body..."

Upon hearing this, Xiangyue sniffed and stood up. Together with Xiangxing, they helped Jiang Zhuoying to her feet, where she leaned against the pillow behind her.

She took the medicine bowl from Xiangxing's hand, knelt down in front of the bed, and fed it spoonful by spoonful to Jiang Zhuoying, who had already lost consciousness.

"If the master were still in the manor, why would the young lady have to suffer like this..." Xiangyue could barely hold back the tears streaming down her face. She murmured, her lips trembling, "The young lady has contracted smallpox and is on the verge of death, yet the Duke's manor wouldn't even bother to summon an imperial physician for her..."

Xiangxing frowned deeply: "Alright, stop saying such useless things. It would upset the young lady if she heard them."

She knelt beside Xiangyue, pinched Jiang Zhuoying's chin, and said firmly, "Even if it costs us our lives, we must find a way to help the girl pull through."

“Mmm…” Xiangyue nodded vigorously, wiping away her tears, “That’s for sure.”

She stared intently at the woman whose face was flushed, and murmured, "This girl is my life."

*

The water in the porcelain jar had been changed, and Jiang Zhuoying was swaying in the clean, clear water.

"Master, it's time for dinner. Shall I send someone to bring the meal over now?"

Shall we serve the meal?

Jiang Zhuoying was blowing bubbles; her stomach was empty too. She hadn't eaten since she opened her eyes and became a red carp.

"Glug glug glug!~"

No matter how much she called out, no one in the house paid any attention to her.

"Yes, have Wang Yue send over some of Zhuozhuo's meals as well."

The man paused for a moment: "I want cooked food."

Chu Yixin bowed: "This servant knows, but Master, Zhuozhuo has always preferred live bait, and she has only just woken up. Is it really necessary to prepare some more crickets and earthworms?"

"Live bait?" Qi Fan glanced at the specially made fish tank not far away, his eyes flashing with an ambiguous meaning.

After a moment, he said in a cold tone, "No need."

"Yes, then this servant will go and prepare it immediately."

Jiang Zhuoying floated in the water, listening to the footsteps fading into the distance, and happily paddled her pectoral fins.

As expected of a prince, she understands things immediately. As a human being, she naturally needs cooked food.

...

Two more figures emerged from the water, staring intently at her.

"Your Highness, this is desalted and shelled shrimp, this is diced pumpkin, and this is cooked pineapple..."

Jiang Zhuoying was so anxious that she circled around in the water. She was starving and could smell the delicious aroma of shrimp. She needed to be fed quickly!

The man moved slowly and methodically, asking detailed questions about the food on each porcelain plate, and finally nodded slightly.

"Yes, I would like to trouble Lord Wang to explain the effects of each of these dishes in detail."

Jiang Zhuoying: "!"

"Your Highness, according to my research, these shrimp will add nutrition to Zhuozhuo..."

Fortunately, Jiang Zhuoying was too lazy to swim anymore, so she sank to the bottom of the water to rest and wait for the two people outside to talk.

She poked at the seaweed leaves at the bottom of the water with her pectoral fins, and from what one of them said, she figured that the tall figure outside must be the current Second Prince.

She left the Duke of Rui's mansion three years ago and moved to this estate in the eastern suburbs of Luoyang. She had heard about it at that time.

This second prince is truly incapable of shouldering great responsibilities!

Emperor Rong'an had few children, only three sons.

The original crown prince was born to the Empress and was the eldest son of Emperor Rong'an. He was made crown prince at birth, but died before reaching adulthood.

From then on, the position of Crown Prince was vacant. The Second Prince's birth mother was Consort Wan, who passed away several years ago. The Third Prince's birth mother was Consort Gui, who had enjoyed the Emperor's favor for many years.

She had heard this rumor before: Consort Wan was not favored by the Emperor, which led to the Emperor not paying much attention to the Second Prince. Otherwise, why would a royal heir be named 'Fan'?

While Jiang Zhuoying was lost in thought, she accidentally stirred up the water plants tied to the bottom stone of the tank...

She tried to pull the seaweed back by paddling with her pectoral fins a few more times, but unsurprisingly, she failed.

...

"Well, in your opinion, Lord Wang, has Zhuozhuo recovered completely?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuoying naturally looked towards the water, and her gaze met Wang Yue's dark-circled face.

Wang Yue was lying face down on top of the porcelain jar, his forehead lined with wrinkles, looking exhausted and weary, as if he had been working very hard lately.

Jiang Zhuoying felt quite sympathetic towards this; look, it must be because of that second prince's torment...

A proper master would never treat his subordinates like this.

She had heard that the Third Prince was courteous to scholars and won people over with virtue, which was highly praised in the court, but she had heard very little about the Second Prince.

Jiang Zhuoying stared wide-eyed at Wang Yue, then wagged her tail at him with a hint of sympathy.

Wang Yue nodded in relief, then stood up and said, "Your Highness, Zhuozhuo has fully recovered and is now very healthy and active."

Then a man's clear, cold voice rang out: "In that case, Lord Wang may return to the palace. I'm grateful for your tireless care of Zhuozhuo these past few days."

Jiang Zhuoying shook her head in the water, and sure enough, it was true.

But at a time like this, shouldn't we at least give some reward money?

With such harshness and stinginess, how could any servant be willing to work for him?

Even the most respectful Lord Wang probably harbored many complaints about him in his heart.

He was indeed as rumored—incompetent and mediocre, and didn't know how to use people.

The little fat carp shook its head and blew bubbles with a "tsk tsk tsk~" sound.

"Zhuozhuo is my beloved possession. I will give this jade pendant to Lord Wang as a token of my gratitude for saving Zhuozhuo's life."

"This...this is so precious, how could I possibly accept it?"

"It's alright."

Wang Yue bowed deeply, tears streaming down his face, and said, "This humble official thanks Your Highness for your generous gift."

Jiang Zhuoying, who was in the water, was so shocked that she kept spitting out bubbles.

If she wasn't mistaken, the man had taken the jade pendant directly from his sash.

Ordinary people would never give such a thing as a reward; this jade pendant was clearly something he kept close to his body!

If you are to give such a meaningful gift, you must either value the recipient very much or be financially strapped.

Unexpectedly, he valued this red carp so much; Lord Wang must be filled with mixed emotions and deeply moved.

Sure enough, the next sentence was Lord Wang's impassioned voice: "If Your Highness ever needs my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask! I will not refuse!"

"You're too kind, Lord Wang. It's getting late. I'll have someone escort you back to your residence."

Wang Yue bowed again, saying, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness!"

Jiang Zhuoying heard Wang Yue leave with her own ears. The door opened and closed again, and then soon new footsteps could be heard.

"Master, dinner is ready."

"Yes, set out the meal." Qi Fan nodded indifferently, lifted the front of the table, and sat down directly on the square stool next to the round table.

The two servants following behind Chu Yixin set out the meal in an orderly and efficient manner, while the former stepped into the bedroom and brought out a tray.

"Please take a look, sir."

The man glanced at it and said, "White jade will suffice."

"yes."

Only the two of them were left talking in the room, and Jiang Zhuoying couldn't help but hear them.

White jade?

She couldn't help but think of the jade pendant she had just given away.

Surely not...

"Your strategy is unparalleled. When Lord Wang left just now, he was so moved that he almost burst into tears while holding the jade pendant in his hands."

Unable to contain her curiosity, Jiang Zhuoying leaped out of the water and stared wide-eyed ahead.

The tray held by the eunuch was filled with neatly arranged and overflowing jade pendants of all kinds.

All kinds of materials and styles are available!

With a "thump," the fiery red carp fell back onto the water's surface.

Jiang Zhuoying was shocked.

Such cunning is far beyond the mediocre and incompetent person she had ever heard of.

What a cunning second prince!