Pei Luo was startled by his sudden movement and quickly got up to help him up: "What are you doing, child? Get up quickly."

"Please sit down." Xuan Yuanzhan pulled Pei Luo back and said earnestly, "You saved my grandfather, my mother and my master. Now that I have inherited the martial arts manual of the Xuanmen, I naturally have to kowtow to you on their behalf to thank you for saving them."

Xuan Yuanzhan kowtowed three times to Pei Luo with great solemnity.

"Alright." Knowing that Xuan Yuanzhan was sincere, Pei Luo helped him up after he finished kowtowing and said with relief, "If Heming were here, he would be very pleased to know that he has such an outstanding great-grandson."

Although Xuanyuan Zhan had never met that ancestor, what kind of bad person could someone be who made his masters so concerned about him, and who also brought his mother, his granddaughter, along with him?

Pei Luo saw through Xuan Yuanzhan's thoughts and comforted him, "Your ancestor was indeed not a bad person, so don't feel burdened. Even if you learn the martial arts of this Xuanmen sect, you can still act according to your own heart. Master believes that you can stick to your own heart."

It must be said that Pei Luo truly comforted Xuan Yuanzhan.

He thought he understood why his master had suddenly given him the Xuanmen secret manual; it was probably related to Ning'er's visit to him the night before last.

Xuanyuan Zhan smiled and bowed to Pei Luo again: "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will definitely stay true to myself."

The patriarch was not a bad person, which shows that the martial arts of the Xuanmen sect will not turn people bad.

He himself believed that even if he learned the martial arts of the Xuanmen sect, he would never use them to do anything evil.

Seeing that Xuanyuan Zhan understood his words, Pei Luo was also very happy: "Alright, hurry back to the capital for court, it's almost too late."

"I'm leaving."

It was indeed getting late, so Xuanyuan Zhan quickly left the bamboo forest.

After finishing court, Xuanyuan Zhan went to the Imperial Study as usual.

Having spent the morning in the Imperial Study, handling numerous state affairs, Xuan Yuanzhan did not forget the matters Su Xuening had entrusted to him.

Before leaving the palace, he also went to the Imperial Hospital.

Upon seeing Xuan Yuanzhan approach, Hang Yuqing immediately led a group of imperial physicians over to pay their respects: "Greetings, Your Highness."

Xuanyuan Zhan kept Hang Yuqing and dismissed the other imperial physicians.

After everyone had left, Xuanyuan Zhan looked at Hang Yuqing and asked, "You must often take the Emperor's pulse, right?"

Hang Yuqing nodded immediately upon hearing this: "Yes, I will have your pulse checked every three days."

Xuanyuan Zhan understood and asked again, "Is His Majesty's health alright?"

Xuan Yuanzhan's words startled Hang Yuqing, who looked at him nervously and asked, "The Emperor's health is fine, Your Highness. What do you mean by this?"

Seeing how nervous Hang Yuqing was, Xuan Yuanzhan quickly reassured him: "It's alright, I was just asking casually. I heard that people his age are most prone to health problems. Even if he's fine now, you can't be careless and must take good care of his health."

Hang Yuqing quickly replied, "Your Highness, please rest assured, we will do our utmost to help Your Majesty recover."

Actually, His Majesty's health has improved considerably recently.

He guessed that the prince was helping the emperor with state affairs. He had heard that the prince was very resourceful and had helped the emperor solve many problems and come up with many good ideas. With fewer worries, the emperor's mind was more open, and naturally, his health improved.

The Emperor is still young. With his current health, he can easily live for several more decades.

Xuanyuan Zhan trusted Hang Yuqing quite a bit, patted him on the shoulder, and left.

Hang Yuqing looked at Xuan Yuanzhan's retreating figure with some emotion.

If only the prince were a proper prince, the emperor wouldn't have to struggle with this; he would probably just make the prince the crown prince. After all, in terms of ability and character, the prince far surpasses the other princes in every aspect.

However, given the Emperor's appreciation for the prince, it's only a matter of time before he's made the prince the crown prince.

bamboo forest.

When Su Xuening woke up naturally, Xuan Yuanzhan was nowhere to be seen.

After getting up to keep her mother company, and having breakfast with her master and Yun An, Su Xuening brought out a rocking chair, lay down to read medical books, and listened to her master and mother chatting while playing chess.

While reading medical books, Su Xuening would occasionally pick up a couple of candied fruits that Xuan Yuanzhan had brought back.

It has to be said that the candied fruit that Xuan Yuanzhan brought back was indeed quite delicious. Even Su Yun'an, who was practicing martial arts in the bamboo forest, would come over every now and then to crave a couple of pieces. When Pei Luo saw this, he couldn't help but scold him a few times.

However, every time he scolded Su Yun'an, You Yi and Bai Shi would speak up for Su Yun'an.

Only Su Xuening refused to help, because she knew that her master's strictness was also for Yun An's good.

Of course, she understood even better that Yun An's frequent comings and goings weren't solely due to Xuan Yuanzhan's candied fruit; a large part of it was to see her.

Although children's thoughts are subtle, she understands them, so she neither helps nor scolds them.

With the addition of my uncle, Yun'an, my mother, and the nun, the bamboo grove became much livelier, and the atmosphere became more harmonious.

Lying here eating candied fruit, reading medical texts, rocking in a rocking chair, listening to Yun'an practicing swordsmanship in the bamboo forest, the sound of his master and mother playing chess with his uncle pointing fingers, and the sound of his master patting his uncle's head—everything was so pleasant to hear.

At this moment, Su Xuening felt extremely relieved. She could understand why her mother was unwilling to return to the capital after coming to the bamboo forest.

With my closest loved ones all around me, and no backstabbing or scheming here, I can live such a happy life every day. I'm sure I could live to be many years old!

Su Xuening suddenly understood why Xuan Yuanzhan didn't want to seize the throne; he probably just wanted to live a simple life.

Unfortunately, even if they wanted to live a simple life, those people would not let them go. That's why they had to fight and scramble, not for wealth and glory, not for imperial power and throne, but only to save their lives and protect the people they loved!

When Xuanyuan Zhan returned in the afternoon, he saw this harmonious scene.

Su Xuening covered her face with her medical book and fell asleep in the rocking chair.

Meanwhile, his master and mother were still playing chess, and his uncle was, as always, pointing out the flaws in their relationship. They seemed not to even notice his return.

Xuan Yuanzhan chuckled, but didn't go over to disturb them. He walked to the rocking chair, picked up the sleeping Su Xuening, and carried her back to the room.

Once inside, Xuan Yuanzhan had just put Su Xuening down when she seemed to wake up, snuggling into his arms and saying sweetly, "I'm a little sleepy, why don't you sleep with me for a while?"

Xuanyuan Zhan hadn't slept all night practicing martial arts, and now that he had just finished lunch, he was indeed feeling sleepy, so he simply gave in to her and held her as they slept.