Chapter 4 Meizhi It’s my fault, I’m sorry

Shen Zhiwei felt that he should go see the imperial physician to check his eyes.

However, the most urgent task was to appease His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who was about to explode. Shen Zhiwei avoided Xiao Wangqing's sight and coughed twice, then pinched the Crown Prince's fingertips subtly along the drooping cuffs.

She had not expected that the relationship between the monarch and his subject would be so strong over the years. Even though she had done it so obviously, the crown prince did not show any signs of hostility towards her. Instead, he poured all his murderous intent on Xiao Wangqing.

The Third Prince is indeed somewhat innocent.

"I'll have my shadow guards clear the way for us, and we'll set off on the seventh day, just in time for Huai'an's Boat Lantern Festival," Xiao Lingjun seemed to be holding his breath, "It wouldn't be a problem for Ah Wei and my third brother to stay a little longer."

He spoke in a very magnanimous manner, but when the wheelchair tracks disappeared from his sight, he raised his hand and tapped Chen Zhiwei's forehead.

"A broken umbrella can only protect me from the rain. With a prince who enjoys the emperor's favor accompanying me, those corrupt officials in Jiangnan won't dare to act too recklessly. However... there is something I don't quite understand."

Shen Bandu's heart skipped a beat, and he covered his forehead with the back of his hand and raised his eyes.

Xiao Lingjun lowered his eyelashes and turned his wrist to reveal Shen Zhiwei's hidden peacock bile sac: "Awei brought this to the banquet, is he trying to make tea for me?"

Shen Zhiwei felt a chill run down her spine. The poison sac, clearly hidden within three layers of hidden pouches, now lay exposed like a baby at the crown prince's fingertips. She hadn't noticed when the East Palace's secret guards approached.

"I am stupid." Her tone was filled with careless guilt.

"If my study partner is stupid, all the civil and military officials in the court should go to the moat to feed the fish." Xiao Lingjun smiled and held her wrist. His voice was as gentle as the misty rain in the south of the Yangtze River, and the jade bracelet made a faint cry under the armor.

"Chen Zhiwei, I don't need you to sacrifice yourself for me."

“…”

"At least not now."

Why is he breathing heavily while speaking? Shen Zhiwei's heart, which had just been lifted up, relaxed again. She looked at Xiao Lingjun and gave him the same smile in return.

"I understand."

*

The prince's tutor had no rank, and logically, Shen Zhiwei had no difference in status from the eunuchs and palace maids. However, because Xiao Lingjun favored him, the servants in the East Palace all treated Shen the tutor as half a master and respectfully called him Master Shen.

When Shen Zhiwei strolled into the small kitchen, the palace maid Jingshu was trying the dishes. She was frightened by the footsteps and her hand shook, causing her to drop the iron spoon.

Turning around and seeing that the person coming was Shen Zhiwei, the little girl, who was not very old to begin with, pouted at him.

"Sir, we're really out of candied sweet potatoes. We're planning to have them as snacks for New Year's Eve."

"Why do you make it sound like I came here just to eat?" Shen Zhiwei sighed, walked over and bent down to pick up the iron spoon. The heat from the small kitchen made his vision foggy.

"The roasted sweet potatoes we talked about last time..."

"No! I didn't make an agreement with you, Master. Court Judge Xu said that you shouldn't eat sweets. It's ok to have a candied fruit while taking medicine, but you're not allowed to sneak in any more."

"...Alright, actually, I came here to get the medicinal food. I didn't expect to be mistaken for a thief." The flickering firelight from the stove made the tip of the girl's nose sweat. Shen Zhiwei handed her a handkerchief and took out an oil-paper bag from his bosom and placed it on the stove. "Share the crab meat-wrapped lotus pastry with Chuntao and the others."

The casserole on the stove was bubbling. Jingshu hurriedly opened the lid, and the rich aroma of medicine wrapped in the sweetness of candied dates filled the air.

"Why would you do it yourself...it's a gift from His Highness, right? Sir, don't try to fool me." She glanced at the oil-paper wrapped around the pastry, her hand trembling slightly as she scooped up the black chicken soup. "Who was it that coughed and couldn't sleep the other night? He said he'd take us to the Qinhuai River to light lanterns for the Lantern Festival, and now he's taking us to the Jianghuai River..."

The brown chicken soup was handed steadily to Shen Zhiwei, and two candied sweet potatoes with sugar shells were placed on a small porcelain plate next to it, still hot.

Shen Zhiwei sat on a small stool with his eyes downcast, holding the medicine bowl and sipping slowly.

Jingshu, with her back to her, arranged the steamer beside her. "At the Boat Lantern Festival, young master, pick the brightest lantern and bring it back. Next year on the 30th..." She paused and smiled, "Next year on the 30th, when we stay up all night, hang it on the plum tree in the east wing hall. It will surely be more beautiful than the glazed palace lanterns in the Imperial Garden."

At this angle, Shen Zhiwei could look up and see the corners of her eyes reddened by the steam.

Mr. Shen's words were quite depressing: "By then, only the shell of the lamp would be left."

Then, unsurprisingly, he received a glare from the little girl.

"Pfft! Hang it up anyway. Eunuch Li is the best at making these begging tricks. At worst, he can just fix it up and it will be a new one."

"Okay, shall I bring one back for you too?"

"That's more like it."

It was New Year's Eve. The emperor was old, and the family banquet was more luxurious every year than the previous one. This year was even more extravagant, with more than 800 delicacies steaming in the food boxes.

After three rounds of drinking, the old emperor was already drunk and was helped away from the table by Empress Hui.

Shen Zhiwei knelt beside Xiao Lingjun and served the dishes. His green shirt covered his thin body tightly. He hooked his fingertips around the wine jug and poured half a cup, revealing a section of his snow-white wrist as he moved.

Xiao Wangqing sat below the Crown Prince. Because his leg injury hadn't healed, the old Emperor exempted him from the formalities. This was a special favor that anyone with a discerning eye could see, so naturally, no one dared to embarrass him.

Without the emperor at the banquet, the atmosphere was more lively than before.

There were already many people in the hall, and with every whisper, the air became three points hotter.

Shen Zhiwei has always been unable to tolerate cold or heat, and he has been kneeling all the time. He could barely hold on just now, but now he can hardly hold on when there are more people talking. It feels like there is a burning charcoal stuck in his throat.

"Your Highness..." She whispered in Xiao Lingjun's ear. Before she started to take her leave, she saw the crown prince waving his hand with a frown, and the eunuch behind him brought a white cloak embroidered with peacocks.

"Come back soon, those kids will want to build a snowman with you."

The snow fell silently. Shen Zhiwei wrapped his cloak tightly and walked along the path to the back garden. The cool air made his chest feel a little better.

The plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden bloomed much more wildly than those in the East Palace. She walked and looked at them, but after a few steps she got tired and moved in small steps towards the pavilion in the distance.

“Pah.”

Shen Zhiwei heard some noise coming from the wall. Just as he was about to step back, he felt his vision go dark and something pressed down on his head.

"Bang!"

Before I could react, I saw the red ball being kicked into a snow pile not far away.

Shen Zhiwei narrowed his eyes and recognized that the one who kicked him was Seventeen, the secret guard of the East Palace. The child had been upright since he was young, and he would really fight when he accepted the task of guarding. At this time, he grinned at her, revealing eight white teeth: "My lord, are you okay?"

"It's okay..." She seemed to see that it was a human figure?

Before she could think about it, she heard a cough coming from the snow pile, and the man dug himself out of the snow.

"Ouch my waist—who dares to kick me?"

The red-dressed young man, his head covered in snow foam, raised his head and met Shen Zhiwei's pale face, bathed in moonlight. The peacock feather on the young man's neck was lifted by the wind, revealing half of his jade-like collarbone.

"So handsome..." He didn't finish his words when the secret guard's scabbard was pressed against his throat.

"How dare you!" Veins bulged on Ying Shiqi's wrists.

"Seventeen." Shen Zhiwei used the palace lantern to see the cinnabar mole at the corner of his eye. His fingertips suddenly touched the tense arm of the secret guard and pressed down the hilt of the sword, looking expressionless.

In fact, my brain is spinning like smoke.

She recognized this man. It was the Prince of Xiang whom she had met during the autumn hunt last year. At that time, this little ancestor had startled the imperial carriage by riding his horse, and was beaten by the Prince of Xiang according to family rules, and could not get out of bed for half a month.

Can’t kill, can’t kill.

Not only can he not be killed, but if this matter gets out, the secret guards around him will also be punished.

"Zhiwei greets the prince," Shen Zhiwei gathered her cloak and coughed lightly, "Please don't blame me, Prince. Seventeen thought there was an assassin, but I never thought I would bump into you."

"However, I remember that outside the walls is the Cold Palace. Trespassing into the Forbidden Garden is punishable by thirty strokes of the cane according to the law."

Xie Mingxu's sneer instantly faded. He tumbled to his feet and brushed off the snow. "I was wondering whose guard was so fierce. It turns out he's the Crown Prince's sweetheart... No, Master Shen, please forgive me this time. I blame my own fall for my back injury. I just consider it bad luck."

…Unlucky kids are so easy to fool.

"Prince, please be careful with your words." Shen Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief, and touched the prince's chest with his fingertips, which were almost sticking to him. "Your Highness is kind and benevolent, but he hates people who overstep their bounds the line."

Prince Xie rubbed his waist and chuckled twice, "Master Shen is right. Just now at the palace banquet, I heard His Majesty say that you were going to Jiangnan with Xiao Wangqing? I'm very familiar with that area... There's a new water shield and sea bass restaurant in the west of the city..."

“Bang!”

The scabbard lay between the two of them. Seventeen said with a dull face, "Sir, it's time to return to your seat."

It seemed as if he was going to rush up and beat him up in the next second.

Xie Mingxu shrank his neck, quickly took out a small box from his arms and stuffed it into Shen Zhiwei's hand: "Good things to replenish the body, Master Shen, remember to ask the prince for a favor for me!"

Before he finished speaking, he lifted up his clothes and climbed over the wall, his movements were quite smooth.

Shen Zhiwei sighed as he looked at the direction he left. Seventeen was about to fly after him when he suddenly heard the sound of a wheelchair crushing snow from deep in the Merlin forest. He immediately sheathed his sword and retreated into the darkness.

"Let him be."

Shen Zhiwei put the small box into his sleeve and looked at it. The sound of a wheelchair rolling over thin ice was getting closer. Xiao Wangqing, wearing a black fox fur coat, turned around the plum tree, and a few freshly broken plum branches were stuck to his knee pads.

Xiao Wangqing's knuckles curled slightly as he rested them on the armrest. His eyes swept across the red corners of her eyes, and he raised his hand to hand over the plum branch: "It rains a lot in Jiangnan. Master Chen should change into a thicker cloak then."

"...Thank you." Shen Zhiwei was speechless for a moment, the wound on her right wrist still aching. She really wasn't a good-tempered person, but facing the Third Prince's soft gesture.

It seems like not answering the call would be a bit ungrateful?

Mr. Shen accepted his plum branch, somewhat politely.

"Is the Third Prince's injury better?"

"Fine."

"It won't hurt as long as Master Shen is here."

Shen Zhiwei: ...

?

Does this person know what he is talking about?

Shen Bandu looked at Xiao Wangqing's motionless face and slowly took half a step back.

She never cared about the rumors that she was using her beauty to please the king, after all, she did have a good-looking appearance.

A man of integrity fears no slander.

But it’s different if your body is tilted.

"Your Highness, you are joking. I am not a panacea. If you are sick, I suggest you go to the Imperial Hospital for treatment."

Shen Zhiwei laughed dryly. She didn't feel any aggression from Xiao Wangqing, but she felt it was strange.

She had served the crown prince for too long, and the Third Prince's expression with his brows lowered seemed to overlap with Xiao Lingjun's, but what floated in his eyes was not the misty rain of Jiangnan, but the frost that had not melted for years.

"sorry."

"……Um?"

“When I was in the cold palace, it was Master Shen who saved me, but I hurt you in the snow.”

Xiao Wangqing's voice was cold. He pursed his lips, his expression showing a hint of regret. It was the first time that Shen Zhiwei saw emotional fluctuations on his face.

"It's my fault. I'm sorry."

Red plum blossoms in the snow, two people facing each other.

Shen Zhiwei was caught off guard.

"I...don't deserve your Highness's apology." She lowered her eyes and raised the plum branch, wielding it between them like a sword. "You were delirious with fever at the time, so it's understandable."

Xiao Wangqing seemed to be in a state of confusion. He stood up, raised his hand to touch the top of her head, and plucked a plum petal that was broken by the snow.

The cuff of the fox fur coat slipped down, revealing a wrist wrapped in gauze. The wound was in the same location as Shen Zhiwei's right wrist, perhaps a scratch from forcing himself to use the wheelchair to cross the snow slope.

Shen Zhiwei was so shocked by this unruly action that he froze in place. Seventeen's sword was already three inches out of its sheath.

However, Xiao Wangqing simply placed the plum petals in her palm, as if what he had just touched was just the new snow on the branches.

"Your Highness is drunk."

"I never drink."

"The peacock cloak in the East Palace is too thin," Xiao Wangqing turned his wheelchair around, "I'll have the Clothing Bureau send over a black fox cloak tomorrow."

"Your Highness."

"Consider it compensation for your fox fur." ​​The wheelchair stopped in the shadow of plum trees, and the outline of the Third Prince's face was chilled by the moonlight. "If Master Shen feels it's too hot, just throw it into the brazier."

Shen Zhiwei opened her mouth but said nothing, watching him disappear around the corner.

Not long after, Seventeen silently handed over a new hand warmer, and his expression clearly showed that he wanted to say something extremely treasonous, but he was holding it in very badly.

"If you have something to say, just say it."

The secret guard breathed a sigh of relief: "Young Master, your breathing was disordered seven times just now."

“…”

"That's three times more than when His Highness fed you rice dumplings with fermented rice last month."

“…You’re out of pineapple cakes this month.”

The author has something to say:

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Jingshu is the best cook in the Prince's Mansion and the only one who can control Shen Zhiwei. Her recent wish is to quickly reinforce the small kitchen windows.