Chapter 8 Pear Paste The next day, the sky was dark at dawn

Xiao Lingjun walked to the window with his hands behind his back and pushed open half of the window frame.

The cold snow air rushed in, instantly diluting the thick aroma of medicine and ink in the room. Shen Zhiwei was awakened a little by the chill, and the heat in his heart gradually subsided, and he let out a breath of burning air.

"The road to Jianghuai is long, and it's cold and damp," Xiao Lingjun's voice drifted through the wind. He turned his back to her, gazing at the snow piling deeper and deeper in the courtyard. "Director Xu wrote a prescription, and I've also prepared some emergency herbs. The old ginseng in the East Palace warehouse is still in good condition, so I had them slice it up and pack it in a box. And..."

He paused, turned sideways, and the light and shadow cut a clear outline on half of his face.

"Xie Mingxu just sent someone to deliver a visiting card, saying that he would also go to Jiangnan to visit relatives after the New Year. He is familiar with the old place of Prince Xiang. I accepted it on your behalf. We will travel together so that you can take care of me along the way."

"...Prince Xie?" Shen Zhiwei almost blurted out, and when he thought of the box of Zhuoqingsu and the good things that might still be on Xie Mingxu, his brows subconsciously frowned.

Xie Mingxu, the prince of Xiang Wang, is a notorious troublemaker, a walking powder keg and a troublemaker.

"Your Highness, this man is known for his absurd and unruly behavior. He came to Jiangnan to supervise river works under imperial orders, not just for a quick visit. Bringing him along might add complications."

Xiao Lingjun looked at her frowning expression, and the corners of his lips curved up almost imperceptibly, and he waved at her.

Shen Zhiwei walked over as he was told and stopped just one step away from him.

The wind and snow were getting stronger outside the window, blowing snow and hail towards the eaves.

Xiao Lingjun reached out and pulled the black fox fur coat, still stained with her body temperature, closer. His cold fingertips brushed across the thick fur of the collar, raising the edge higher for her, almost covering her chin.

"It's ridiculous," Xiao Lingjun pointed his finger at Shen Zhiwei's furrowed brows, "and it's precisely because it's ridiculous that it works so well. No matter how good the East Palace Shadow Guards are, they can't always be in the open. The Xie family kid's identity is just right, he's a target that no one will investigate if he gets into trouble. As for you, my Ah Wei..."

"You are his sickly classmate, the Master Shen who was dragged along by him and forced to accompany him on his tour. Who would care about a guest who is so sick and barely hanging on to life because of the troublesome prince?"

Shen Zhiwei was silent for a moment.

"Your Highness is so far-sighted and far-sighted that I cannot even begin to compare to him," she breathed out softly, as if truly convinced, her eyelashes drooping slightly, "but."

She raised her eyes and looked straight at Xiao Lingjun.

"I hope Your Highness will agree to one thing."

"speak."

"Then if Prince Xie brings something of questionable character to your tribute again," she said in a gentle tone, yet still hinted at a hardness, "I have a bad temper and limited patience. If you then use harsh words or push me..."

To be honest, I just want to slap him, but it is somewhat impolite to do so in front of His Highness.

Although you still have to smoke when you need to.

"This is a bit embarrassing for me," Xiao Lingjun smiled, his voice gentle, and tapped the window sill with his hand. "According to the palace rules and ancestral laws, the prince is a member of the royal family. How can a minister beat or scold him at will? This is a protocol..."

He deliberately dragged out the tone, and as he wished, he saw Shen Zhiwei's brows frown even tighter, with impatience flashing in his eyes.

Xiao Lingjun's smile deepened, and he held her hand tightly: "But..."

He moved closer, his warm breath brushing against Shen Zhiwei's earlobe that was covered by fur, his voice was very low, with an almost indulgent intimacy.

"I never thought of asking what Ah Wei wanted to do. Since it's not an imperial decree, nor is it an act of command, naturally... I just want you to be happy."

He paused, looked at Shen Zhiwei's eyes which suddenly raised with a little surprise, and added slowly.

"Shiqi will take care of it for you. Whether he hits you lightly or hard, it's all his own fault. But it won't do if you get too angry. Be a little more restrained and don't really break any bones. Just give King Xiang some face and let it go."

"Besides," Xiao Lingjun said in a low voice, "it's not worth getting angry over that kind of filthy thing. I saw you looked frighteningly pale just now."

Theoretically, it is not possible, but it is only theoretically possible.

This is not about trying to stop a fight, it is clearly about handing over a knife to encourage others.

"Since Your Highness says it's alright, I won't be polite next time he bumps into me."

Shen Zhiwei stood in the wind for a while, and the medicinal properties had already dissipated.

She wanted to say something to atone for herself that she was not really that fierce, but she felt that it was pointless to pretend in front of Xiao Lingjun. Seeing his indulgent look, she lost all her temper and turned around to lean against the windowsill.

"...The waters of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers are warming, and it's time for me to get some fresh air. However, the journey is long, and Your Highness, please take care of yourself in the Eastern Palace."

She said this sincerely. She knew he was scheming, but she also knew he was deeply concerned about state affairs and was working tirelessly.

Shen Zhiwei slowly took a breath of the cold air, the icy taste rushing straight into her lungs. She bent down and gave a familiar and casual salute to her monarch.

"The Third Prince's injuries haven't healed so quickly, but if he's properly nursed back to health..." She recalled Xiao Wangqing forcing himself to stand with needles all over his back, and her brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again. "If he can still be properly nursed back to health, he won't be delayed in his journey to Jianghuai."

"Then I'll take my leave. Your Highness, please don't stay up too late." Shen Zhiwei walked to the door, put his hand on the door frame, paused, and turned back as if remembering something. "The snowy night is very cold, that window..."

"I know. It'll only be open for a moment before closing." Xiao Lingjun agreed with a smile, his eyes gentle as he watched the tips of her slightly red ears disappear into the thick fur of the black fox fur coat. The figure paused at the door for only a moment before disappearing outside, his steps much lighter than when he came.

Xiao Lingjun slowly walked to the desk and his eyes fell on the stained screen. The wolfberries painted with cinnabar were eye-catching red.

The candlelight in the hall danced quietly, and the snow fell silently outside the window.

The next day, at dawn, the sky was gloomy. Outside Xuande Gate, carriages and horses were already lined up in an orderly formation. The snow on the official road had been cleared overnight, but the newly fallen snow had a thin, colder, harder crust covering it, making a crackling sound when stepped on.

As Shen Zhiwei stepped onto the carriage, his hand, which was about to lift the curtain, paused mid-air, his eyes glancing at the tightly wrapped sedan behind him. Xiao Wangqing was helped in, his left leg as stiff as a dead tree.

"That sedan was specially made, with a goose down mattress on the floor and soft springs stuffed into the axles," a laughing voice echoed close behind her ear, mixed with the youthful exuberance and enthusiasm. "That Xiao... must be called the Third Prince now. He can't withstand the hardships of the Jiangnan official roads."

Shen Zhiwei's eyebrows jumped, and without looking back, he used his fingertips to pull down the curtain, isolating the gorgeous face with a bit of femininity and the cinnabar mole at the corner of the eye.

"Thank you, Prince, for your sharp ears and eyes."

A burst of laughter erupted from outside the carriage, and the clatter of horse hooves circling the window. Xie Mingxu's face, half forced through the gap in the curtains, was dazzling, with his brocade hat, mink fur, and eyes that were brighter than ordinary people's.

"Well, there's nothing new in the palace. Only you, Little Master Shen, are stuck in the East Palace like an ancient well... Hey, don't put down the curtain! I know you don't like the stuff I brought, but this time it's something serious."

A small clay pot tied with red silk was stuffed in without any explanation. The pot was warm and exuded the sweet fragrance of beeswax and citrus.

"Xu Ji's Autumn Pear Paste, the one on the bank of the Jinshui River, moisturizes the lungs and soothes the throat. Let me apologize to Master Shen. I thought it was a perfect match, but I never expected to offend such an important person." He winked and reined in his horse to move a distance. "Clear the way ahead!"

As we headed south, the snow gradually cleared, but the mud on the official road was even worse than the frozen roads. The carriages and horses were like dragons, and the baggage was following them, so the pace of progress was extremely slow.

Xiao Wangqing's specially made sedan with green curtains followed him like a shadow. Shen Zhiwei lifted the curtains to look in several times, but the curtains were so thick that she couldn't even tell whether the Third Prince was awake or asleep.

When the team stopped to rest at a post station, Xie Mingxu's overly handsome face would come over and offer the team all kinds of snacks and nourishing soups he had collected along the way, like offering treasures.

Shen Zhiwei accepted everything that came his way, but he always kept half a step away. He put away the oil-paper package with an indifferent look, and then slowly used a sentence to silence the prince's laughter that had not yet come out.

At noon on the fifth day, the frozen river finally vanished from view. The turbid, turbulent water, carrying broken ice from upstream, thundered against the sides of the boat. The ship's massive paddle wheels slapped the ice, stirring up muddy, yellow waves.

The wind at the ferry was so strong that it stung people's faces. Xie Mingxu led Shen Zhiwei onto the slippery deck, chattering all the way, even getting very close: "Master Shen, look, this is the big ship we're transferring to. It's a specially commissioned official ship, much more comfortable than that bumpy carriage..."

Before he could finish his words, he heard a noise and a suppressed groan of pain behind him.

The two of them paused and turned back at the same time.

Xiao Wangqing, who was supported by several eunuchs, moved with difficulty. Due to uneven force on his feet, his whole body tilted and his left leg hit the raised hardwood corner of the edge of the springboard.

"Ugh!" He let out a short, muffled groan, and his already pale face instantly lost all its color, with beads of cold sweat rolling down his temples.

The heavy brocade robe couldn't hide the obvious spasm in his left leg. Even more alarming was the extremely faint trace of blood rapidly seeping from the depths of his trouser leg, which was particularly conspicuous in the daylight. The eunuch supporting him was so frightened that his face turned pale and he almost knelt down.

Shen Zhiwei frowned and subconsciously took half a step forward.

Almost at the same time, the smile in Xie Mingxu's peach-blossom eyes deepened a little. He took a breath of cold air exaggeratedly: "Oh, Third Prince! What should I do? Quick, please ask the accompanying imperial physician to come and take a look!"

He shouted, but he stood firmly beside Shen Zhiwei, with no intention of going forward to support her. Instead, he turned his face to the side and spoke to Shen Zhiwei in a low voice. His voice was so sweet that it was a little choking, and his clear eyes were full of her.

"It looks so painful. Tsk, this leg injury is already serious, and the cold and damp riverbank has penetrated the bones... Little Master Shen is weak, so when you go into the cabin later, you must stay away from him to avoid being infected by his disease. He has a strong blood."

Total gloating.

Without a second thought, Shen Zhiwei raised her hand and slapped him hard on the back of the neck, nearly dunking him into the water.

"Your Highness, please calm down. Your shamelessness is almost forcing me out of the officialdom."

She stood on the deck and looked down at Xiao Wangqing, watching him bite his lower lip tightly, and his raised eyes just happened to pass through the messy wind and Xie Mingxu's obstruction, and hit her sight.

Those eyes were filled with physiological tears caused by severe pain, but they stubbornly penetrated the mist and locked onto her figure.

Tsk. "Help His Highness the Third Prince into the inner cabin and summon the imperial physician," Shen Zhiwei raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. His voice was low, but clear enough to drown out the wind and noise. He gave the order to the eunuch beside Xiao Wangqing, then turned away from his gaze and said to the boatman leading the way, "Excuse me."

The movements are crisp and clear.

The author has something to say:

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Xie Mingxu, with a complexion as white as snow and a beauty bordering on demonic, is a figure of gold and jade, with a heart as veiled as a cage.

I trampled the white jade steps to pieces with my drunken steps, and when I looked back I couldn't see the light I came with.

Intimate Jieyuhua, low-grade green tea

Low-level, but sufficient in most cases