Chapter 24 Unexpected Changes

After sitting for a while, Zhuang Dongqing not only didn't let go, but also seemed to subconsciously regard Cen Yan as something else. He held him with one hand, and soon after, his other hand followed suit, gripping him tightly.

For a brief moment, Cen Yan felt as if he were a lifeline.

Liu Qi was somewhat frightened, but Cen Yan remained silent throughout, letting Zhuang Dongqing be.

After a long while, Zhuang Dongqing's heartbeat finally calmed down, and he let out a long breath, his soul returning to its place.

With the slightest movement, I felt warmth under my palm, and as I moved my right hand, I touched a string of beads.

Zhuang Dongqing hesitated.

Zhuang Dongqing lowered his head.

Zhuang Dongqing was stunned.

"You've recovered?"

A male voice came from above.

Zhuang Dongqing nodded, then looked up in despair and saw Cen Yan's face.

Ahhhhh, what is he doing?!

Is it really okay to arrest someone like this?!

Under the immense impact, Zhuang Dongqing unconsciously loosened his grip, while Cen Yan remained calm. Once he released his grip, he naturally withdrew his hand.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."

Tongue tied in knots.

It's still useless.

Cen Yan's gaze fell on Zhuang Dongqing's face. Seeing that he was more embarrassed than afraid, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I know, I gave it to you."

"...Oh, oh, oh."

But I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.

Suddenly realizing something, Zhuang Dongqing tried to change the subject: "Would you like to sit down?"

The guards were sent to stand guard to the side. Liu Fu and Liu Qi stood far away on the outer perimeter of the pavilion. Only Zhuang Dongqing and Cen Yan were in the pavilion. However, Zhuang Dongqing found himself sitting alone in the middle of the wooden bench. There was space on both sides, but not enough for one person to sit. It was... very inappropriate.

This is not the behavior of someone who just wants to do nothing!

Cen Yan lowered his gaze again, and the two separated their hands. The moment she was being watched, Zhuang Dongqing obediently moved to the side, then moved again, as if she wanted to move again. Cen Yan said, "That's enough."

Sitting down next to Zhuang Dongqing, Cen Yan immediately noticed the tips of his bright red ears.

Cen Yan chuckled: "You're quite shy."

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Bending down to straighten his sleeves, Cen Yan teased, "It's like you haven't touched any part of my body."

Zhuang Dongqing: "?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "!"

Boom! The little devil inside Zhuang Dongqing's heart cracked open!

"By the way, you..."

Cen Yan looked up again and was stunned.

Their eyes met, and one of them couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

No wonder, Zhuang Dongqing's entire face turned bright red, like a boiled shrimp.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Cen Yan laughed heartily.

Halfway through, it was clear he was trying to hold back, turning his head to the side and looking away, his fist pressed against his nose, but he managed to control his expression. But the moment he glanced at Zhuang Dongqing, he would burst into even more joyful laughter.

It happened repeatedly, and it was quite funny.

Zhuang Dongqing gently closed her eyes, trying to comfort herself. It was nothing, just embarrassing.

But the effect wasn't very good, because he felt his face getting even hotter from Cen Yan's laughter.

That would be very embarrassing.

I still can't control it.

By the time Cen Yanzhen stopped laughing, Zhuang Dongqing was practically exhausted from laughing too much.

Cen Yan caught a glimpse of the bright red face out of the corner of his eye and said seriously, "Nothing happened this time, but you shouldn't go looking for Li Yang for a while."

Zhuang Dongqing agreed with this statement, "I know, I've caused everyone trouble today."

He lowered his head and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Hearing this, Cen Yan raised an eyebrow and said disapprovingly, "You got bitten by a rabid dog on the street, and the dog wasn't even seriously injured. Why are you blaming yourself for this?"

"ah?"

Cen Yan: "Did you provoke Li Zhuo on your own initiative?"

Zhuang Dongqing shook her head.

"That's it, it's not your problem."

Zhuang Dongqing was stunned, not expecting Cen Yan to say such a thing.

After a long pause, Zhuang Dongqing said, "But it's also because of me..."

Cen Yan understood: "You think I'm blaming you for going to see Li Yang?"

Zhuang Dongqing fell silent.

I dare not.

But the expression on his face was easy to read, and Cen Yan shook his head.

After thinking it over, Cen Yan felt that if Zhuang Dongqing were left to figure it out on his own, he would probably rack his brains. So he decided to be clear and said, "I will protect the people of my Wangfu. No one can touch them."

"This has always been my principle."

Cen Yan: "So, whether I hand you over to Liu Qi, Hao San, or Xu Si, I'm at ease."

“But Li Yang is different,”

"To put it nicely, he's pure and kind; to put it bluntly, he's not even fully grown yet."

"He invited you to his palace, so he should have properly sent you back, but look what happened..."

Cen Yan's face was cold. "Not only did he not send you back, but he also didn't come out to check on you when there was such a commotion outside his palace. What can we expect from such a young prince?"

Zhuang Dongqing was stunned.

Cen Yan: "So, the reason I don't let you go to him is simply because I don't trust him."

"He is of noble status, and his birth mother is a favored concubine. Even if he makes a huge mess, Consort Shu and His Majesty will protect him. There will be no problem."

Turning her head, her light-colored eyes seemed to see right through people as she stared at Zhuang Dongqing and said, "He's fine, but he wasn't thorough enough in his actions. If something happens, only those around him will be left to suffer. Do you understand that?"

Zhuang Dongqing swallowed and nodded emphatically.

That's too clear, otherwise he wouldn't have given up on the male lead path.

Being too clever made Cen Yan chuckle again.

I thought to myself, not very smart, but simple-minded and obedient...that's good. And quite rare.

Having seen many people, being stupid is not terrible, and being smart is not something to boast about. Being stupid without realizing it, and being clever for a little while and liking to be clever are the two types that Cen Yan hates the most.

Fortunately, Zhuang Dongqing was not among them.

Zhuang Dongqing nodded and then promised, "Then I won't go looking for him anymore."

Cen Yan didn't rule out the possibility entirely, saying, "The imperial palace is a mixed bag of people, so it's best not to go. Once we return to the capital, things will be the same as before."

"?"

Cen Yan: "I see you two get along quite well, are you really willing to part with this friend?"

Zhuang Dongqing had mixed feelings.

I want to say something, but I don't know where to begin.

After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out a sentence, "...I understand."

He then sincerely added, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Cen Yan gave him a smiling glance, raised her chin slightly, and said with a sense of entitlement, "You should thank me."

On the way back, Cen Yan talked to him about the Third Prince Li Zhuo again. He said, "He knows my temper and doesn't dare to touch the people in the Prince's Mansion easily, but he is a person... not a good person. You'd better avoid him next time you meet him, don't gamble."

"Of course, if he comes to your door, you don't need to be afraid. He's the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. The more afraid you are, the more aggressive he'll become."

After thinking for a moment, he realized that these were not things Zhuang Dongqing could control, so he simply said, "How about this, you should tell Liu Qi where you are going and have him follow you. If he needs anything, he can arrange for Hao San to help."

Before Zhuang Dongqing could speak, Liu Qi answered first: "Understood, Master."

That was the end of it.

Upon returning to the palace assigned to them by the Prince of Dingxi, Cen Yan had other matters to attend to, and the two parted ways.

Zhuang Dongqing went back to her room and stared blankly for a while.

When Liu Fu asked, he whispered, "It's nothing. I just think that the Prince is actually quite nice."

Unlike Li Yang, Cen Yan's good qualities were only visible to the staff of the Prince's Mansion.

He valued and treated everyone in the Prince's Mansion with respect.

Although he doesn't have a good reputation, he is very clear-headed, knows his own capabilities, and can protect what he wants to protect.

Zhuang Dongqing murmured, "It was a lucky accident, but I guess I made the right choice."

At least Cen Yan provided the kind of protection Zhuang Dongqing desired.

Liu Fu didn't understand, and Zhuang Dongqing didn't explain further. Instead, she asked what was prepared for the late-night snack.

Liu Fu said he didn't know, and Zhuang Dongqing suggested they go and take a look. The two of them happily ran off to the kitchen.

*

The group consisted of members of the royal family, members of the imperial clan, and ministers. The palace servants were all different, making the process complicated and time-consuming. It took another day to tidy up the palace and make arrangements. The spring hunt did not officially begin until the third day.

Zhuang Dongqing saw Cen Yan dressed in riding attire.

Far away.

It was a sudden, blinding flash.

There's nothing I can do; he's not an important person, and nobody cares whether he shows up or not. So, of course, I'll just sleep until I naturally wake up.

Many tents were set up around the perimeter for the nobles who couldn't participate in the hunt to rest. By the time Zhuang Dongqing got up and found the tent reserved for the Prince's residence, the sun was already high in the sky, and the spring hunt had been underway for quite some time.

Liu Qi was in the tent when he saw Zhuang Dongqing arrive, and quickly invited him to sit down.

There were only a few people in the tent. Liu Qi said, "The prince has taken Hao San and Xu Si into the hunting grounds. Young Master Zhuang, what kind of meat would you like to eat? Have them hunt more this afternoon."

Zhuang Dongqing is quite energetic.

Their eyes were shining.

What kind of meat is there?

“There are many. A tiger was specially released into the mountains this year, but it’s not certain that you’ll encounter one,” Liu Qi changed his mind after thinking of something, “but there’s a high probability that you will. Even if you do encounter one, Master won’t hunt it. This morning His Majesty made a golden promise that whoever hunts a tiger will be richly rewarded.”

Zhuang Dongqing understood. Large animals could demonstrate bravery and also represent the emergence of outstanding talents in Dasheng. Hunting them was an auspicious event.

Such things to please the old emperor were naturally something the princes would eagerly pursue. Cen Yan, a prince of a different surname, had already won the emperor's favor, so there was no need for him to compete with the princes in this regard.

Zhuang Dongqing nodded: "Cat meat is sour, it doesn't matter."

"Let's talk about delicious food."

She cupped her face in her hands, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Liu Qi laughed and said, "The common animals in the royal hunting grounds include rabbits, snakes, birds, and deer; there are also chickens and ducks, but most of them are raised to supply the palace kitchen. The free-range pheasants and wild ducks are not popular with nobles who are good at riding and shooting, as they find it uninteresting; there are also geese, foxes, and bear cubs, but these are difficult to hunt, and it depends on whether you can find them."

"That's about it. What would you like to eat, Young Master Zhuang?"

Zhuang Dongqing then had something to say: "Rabbit is delicious, rabbit meat is chewy, and it smells very good when roasted."

"Pheasant is good too, its meat is firm."

"I haven't tried the wild goose and fox, but I might give it a try if you have them."

"Snake meat doesn't taste very good, but there's only a little meat from one snake, so it's good to eat something new."

"Venus meat is very tender and also suitable for grilling."

After thinking it over, Zhuang Dongqing decided that whatever they hunted would be fine, and said, "We'll eat whatever we bring back. I should be able to handle it."

Since they were all wild game, Zhuang Dongqing was curious.

Liu Qi was somewhat surprised. Zhuang Dongqing had never eaten wild geese or foxes, but had tasted venison, which seemed a bit incongruous.

But it was just a fleeting thought. He poured Zhuang Dongqing a glass of water, talked about wild game for a while, and soon after, Master Zhao arrived.

Master Zhao gets up early, but he takes care of his health by practicing a set of boxing exercises after breakfast. He arrives after finishing his exercises, thus falling behind Zhuang Dongqing.

After exchanging greetings, it was time to take Zhuang Dongqing's pulse.

Liu Qi, thinking of something, also stood guard to the side.

After taking his pulse, Master Zhao said, "It's alright. You can stop taking the medicine today. We'll see how effective the acupuncture is from now on."

Zhuang Dongqing nodded repeatedly.

While Master Zhao was packing his medicine box, Liu Qi leaned over and whispered a couple of questions.

It's nothing more than the question of whether Cen Yan and Zhuang Dongqing can share a room.

I've been too busy these past two days. I said I'd ask, but I couldn't find the time, and it's been delayed until now.

Master Zhao, who had been keeping an eye on things, said to Liu Qi, "It's alright now. I specifically asked, and the young master said he hasn't smelled that fragrance again these past two days, so the poison should be suppressed for now."

Liu Qi breathed a sigh of relief.

Turning his head, he saw Zhuang Dongqing stand up, point outside the tent, and ask him, "What happened?"

Liu Qi looked in the direction Zhuang Dongqing was pointing and saw several squads of imperial guards, clad in armor, converging and running in one direction like dragons.

The group was large, and each of them carried a quiver of arrows, so it was clear that they were not a regular patrol or command post.

Liu Qi's heart skipped a beat, but he said on the surface, "I'll send someone to ask."

When the person who inquired returned, it turned out that something had indeed happened.

"There are wild beasts roaming the edge of the hunting grounds. Several members of the patrol team were killed, and the commander was seriously injured and is currently receiving treatment."

"His Majesty has ordered the Imperial Guards to capture the beast that injured people."

Liu Qi: "What kind of ferocious beast is it?"

A tiger was released into the mountains, but the hunting grounds would demarcate its territory, making it difficult for it to leave easily.

Guard: "The seriously injured guard said it was a black bear."

Zhuang Dongqing asked in surprise, "Didn't you say you only released the bear cubs?"

Guard: "That's right. The hunting ground manager confirmed that it wasn't caused by the bear cubs they released."

"Therefore, we are now making every effort to capture the livestock that have injured people, and the Imperial Guards have been dispatched to search for the nobles who have entered the depths of the hunting grounds."