Chapter 78 Prescription

"Isn't this too hasty?"

As they walked out of the inn, one of the Third Prince's advisors whispered.

The smile on Li Zhuo's face had vanished. He tapped his palm with the handle of his fan and said slowly, "You don't understand."

Looking towards the horizon, he suddenly remembered something and chuckled, "Sixth Brother has done quite well these past two years, even achieving some success. If I had known Cen Yan was so willing to give up his achievements, I would have come out with him..."

He paused, then shook his head. "You can't say that. He and I have never gotten along. If I had come along, I would have been lucky if he hadn't cheated me. As for merit, he probably wouldn't have bothered to do anything about it."

After muttering to himself, he returned to the question about his advisors, "The current situation in the capital... the elixirs that Eighth Prince has been persuading Father Emperor to try these past two years have really improved Father Emperor's health considerably..."

“If I try to talk to Cen Yan indirectly, he won’t pay any attention to me. If I ask him directly, he’ll give me some answers.”

“He never takes sides, so at least I got a response when I asked him like this… Of course, it’s okay if he doesn’t take sides, I just hope that he can hold on until the very end, that would be the best outcome…”

Cen Yan doesn't have to be on his side.

But if he were to stand on the opposite side... having experienced Cen Yan's prowess, Li Zhuo didn't want to face that situation.

Changing the subject, Li Zhuo muttered again, "Does this child really not have a mother? Did he die in childbirth? His backyard is really mysterious..."

This advisor had inquired and whispered to Li Zhuo, "When the Crown Prince was conferred the title, it was done by someone from His Majesty's palace who personally went to Jiangnan to bestow it. At that time, he even stayed at the Prince of Dingxi's residence for two days. After returning, he inquired with various forces and indeed did not see any women. It is said that the young Crown Prince was raised by the Prince of Dingxi's wet nurse from birth."

Li Zhuo actually knew all of this.

Of all the princes, he was among the first to ask about the information that had already been inquired about.

Li Zhuo said with some regret, "This child is too young, and Cen Yan is stubborn and won't listen to reason. His mother even died in childbirth. The Prince of Dingxi's mansion is really incompatible with my birth chart. I can't even find a seesaw to lean on."

"It's good that he died."

Staff member: "..."

Li Zhuo: "Alright, let's go see what my silly little brother is up to, and put his mind at ease. I didn't come here to steal this little bit of credit. After all, I didn't contribute anything, so I have to appease him."

The staff nodded in agreement.

*

Inside the inn.

The gift that Cen An'an had taken was wrapped in a handkerchief and taken down. Then Liu Qi wiped Cen An'an's hands with strong liquor, let them air dry, and then had him wash his hands to remove the smell of liquor.

There's no other reason than that one should always be wary of others, and this applies especially to Cen Yan and Li Zhuo, particularly since they exchange gifts. Even if one knows the possibility is low, one should still take precautions against the possibility of poisoning.

The jade pendant was later given to Master Zhao for inspection.

After checking that it was not poisonous, Master Zhao had Liu Qi throw it into the box.

After Li Zhuo left, Cen Yan discussed the current situation in the capital with Liu Qi, Hao San, Xu Si, and Master Zhao.

Everyone felt that it was none of their business for the time being, and since they weren't getting involved in the mess of choosing an heir, they might as well stay out of it.

Cen Yan meant the same thing.

However, given the Third Prince's eager and obvious intention to curry favor, and the fact that they would be working together for some time to come, there were two things that needed careful consideration.

One matter is Zhuang Dongqing's true identity in the Prince's Mansion, which must be well concealed.

Li Yang is a straightforward and honest person who is focused on getting things done. Although he is with everyone in the Prince's Mansion, he does not pry into the private affairs of the Prince's Mansion and is quite upright.

Li Zhuo was completely different from his sixth brother.

Liu Qi: "To outsiders, the young master is still a retainer. If he goes to Hangzhou with us, I'm afraid the master and the young master will have to avoid suspicion recently. Otherwise, if the Third Prince finds out something, he will definitely test us many times."

Emperor Shengwu's paranoia was fully inherited by Li Zhuo.

As for the second matter, Master Zhao said, "Children are the least wary. The Third Prince is good at flattering others. I still need to talk to Grandma and make sure that An'an isn't left alone lately. I need to let Li Zhuo find an opportunity to be alone with An'an."

Thinking of Li Zhuo's behavior today, Master Zhao added, "When you're out, should the young master keep his distance from An'an? Will the Third Prince suspect something..."

Cen Yan interrupted, "An'an is mainly cared for by her grandmother, so she doesn't have many opportunities to interact with outsiders, which is fine."

"As for Qingqing and An'an avoiding suspicion, let's just forget about it. He already mentioned it, and the more we avoid suspicion in the future, the more he will have doubts. It's better to let things be natural, and just let Qingqing and I keep our distance in public."

Zhuang Dongqing was also reluctant to part with Cen An'an, and nodded upon hearing this.

Xu Si: "Your Majesty understands His Majesty and the princes. If that's how it is, then so be it."

Liu Qi and Master Zhao both nodded in agreement.

Hao San rarely participated in these discussions. If his opinion wasn't sought, he would only listen to the result. After Cen Yan had said enough, he gave Cen Yan a few more instructions on the arrangements for the personal guards, and that was the end of it.

For the next ten days or so, Zhuang Dongqing slacked off in the hospital ward, while Cen Yan was busy on the riverbank. To avoid Li Zhuo, Zhuang Dongqing did not go to the government office and rarely went to the riverbank, so they hardly saw each other during the day.

Cen An'an's activities were confined to the inn. When Cen Yan was not at the inn, Li Zhuo seemed to know that he was not welcome and never visited.

When Li Zhuo accompanied Cen Yan to the inn for a meal, he only went to the lobby, while Cen An'an ate in her room, so they didn't bump into each other.

Time flies by in the blink of an eye.

With the manpower and resources brought back by the Third Prince Li Zhuo, the disaster situation was stabilized in the blink of an eye.

The officials who accompanied Li Zhuo recorded that in two more days, he could completely relinquish his power and set off for Hangzhou.

Two large ships were used, with the large number of people from the Prince of Dingxi's residence occupying one ship alone.

Li Yang and Li Zhuo, along with civil and military officials who had come from the capital, occupied another ship.

Once on the ship, Zhuang Dongqing began to feel the reality of being spied on.

One second he was carrying Cen An'an to the deck for some fresh air, and Cen An'an was eating a shrunken skewer of candied hawthorns that the chef had made especially for him, which only had two candied hawthorns. Zhuang Dongqing was getting some fresh air and gazing at the distant view. Both father and son were happy, but when he glanced to the side, he suddenly saw the Third Prince Li Zhuo on the opposite ship, smiling at them.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Cen An'an was a polite child and waved to Li Zhuo in greeting.

Zhuang Dongqing felt uncomfortable, and even his son couldn't bring himself to kiss his little face anymore.

One second he was chatting and laughing with Cen Yan, and the other second Cen Yan came to tease him, and they had some physical contact. When they were about to take things further, he found that the window was still open. Zhuang Dongqing subconsciously went to close the window, and his gaze swept out to the side of the opposite ship. Li Zhuo was holding a fan and fanning himself with an air of elegance, while his eyes were fixed on his window.

"..."

Thank you, I'm done.

Fortunately, the two large ships had different internal structures. Their ship belonged to the Prince's Mansion, and the room doors all opened inwards. All personnel activities took place inside the ship, and the deck was only for ventilation. Therefore, as long as Cen Yan was in his room and Li Zhuo could not see Cen Yan, he would not know.

Zhuang Dongqing turned around and told Cen Yan about it.

Cen Yan teased, "Doesn't it look like you're having an affair?"

They always lived together, but this time in Hangzhou they were assigned rooms by a third party. However, they still stayed together at night. Liu Fu would close the windows at a certain time, and in the morning he would only open them to let in fresh air after confirming that no one was left in the room.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Cen Yanlai kissed him.

It was awfully right next to the window.

Zhuang Dongqing felt that these words were a bit too playful, but in reality... if he really followed Cen Yan's words and imagined it, he actually quite enjoyed it, feeling inexplicably ashamed and happy.

Cen Yan reached into Zhuang Dongqing's collar and whispered in his ear, "Guess how Li Zhuo will guess our relationship?"

"I...I don't know."

Zhuang Dongqing trembled when touched.

Cen Yan, however, said with certainty, "I think he definitely doesn't think we have a simple relationship as a nobleman and his retainer."

Zhuang Dongqing couldn't help but look up.

Not to be outdone, he went to dig up Cen Yan's face.

As soon as she put her hand inside, Cen Yan pinched it again, and her head started to spin.

Why?

But my mind asked.

Cen Yan gently kissed Zhuang Dongqing and said softly, "There are too many flaws. He's not stupid. He definitely won't think you're unimportant. But your abilities are different from Liu Qi, Hao San, Xu Si, and even Master Zhao. I guess he can't see through this and is curiously speculating."

"What is it... um, it's easy to guess."

"You don't understand. People who consider themselves smart like to know other people's secrets. The more secrets are hidden, the more interested they are. Plus, based on my understanding of Li Zhuo, he really likes to collect these so-called 'weak points' to control his subordinates."

Zhuang Dongqing, dazed from the kisses, gave up resisting and struggled to keep up, saying, "Isn't this the same as His Majesty's?"

Cen Yan understood.

This refers to the method by which Emperor Shengwu controlled the Dingxi Prince's Mansion, which was through secrecy.

Although he didn't want to say it that way, Cen Yan felt that the facts should be respected. "It's not quite the same. His Majesty's methods of checks and balances are very comprehensive. In fact, he has only used the method of grasping people's weaknesses on a few officials. Most of them are judged based on their interests or personality preferences."

"Li Zhuo, well, he didn't learn the good stuff, but he managed to learn ten times ten of the bad stuff."

Suddenly, Cen Yan asked, "Do you think he's still looking out this window from across the street?"

Zhuang Dongqing felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up instantly.

Immediately afterwards, Cen Yan grabbed her knees and rushed over while holding his breath.

Zhuang Dongqing's fingers tightened suddenly, her lowered eyelashes trembling, "No..."

He had barely uttered a single word when the rest was shattered between his lips and teeth.

Cen Yan said wickedly, "I'm so nervous, Qingqing."

Zhuang Dongqing was speechless.

Cen Yan pressed a kiss against his earlobe and exhaled, "So good."

Zhuang Dongqing closed her eyes.

He let himself cower in fear.

...

After finishing, Zhuang Dongqing didn't want to move a single finger.

She complained, "Stop teasing me all the time!"

Cen Yan retorted, "Where did we catch them?"

"I only like messing with you."

"..."

Zhuang Dongqing chose to mute herself.

*

Several days passed in this way, and when they disembarked, Li Zhuo finally had the opportunity to be alone with Zhuang Dongqing.

Zhuang Dongqing was actually a little intimidated by being alone with Li Zhuo.

Outsiders may only see Li Zhuo's respectable appearance, but those who have read the original work still remember the chapters that depict Li Zhuo's perversion. When it comes to torturing people and playing tricks, if Li Zhuo is second in the capital, then probably no one can be ranked first.

But he held back and tried his best to act as usual.

Li Zhuo: "Young Master Zhuang, how have you been?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "That's good. Thank you for your concern, Third Prince."

"Not bad, after being by Cen Yan's side for so long, you seem to have made some progress."

"..."

You overestimate him. Apart from some technologies he has discovered that are not open to outsiders, he has made no progress whatsoever.

However, Zhuang Dongqing managed to keep a straight face and simply nodded.

Li Zhuo: "I took another look recently, and that little brat Cen Yan does indeed resemble you somewhat."

He spoke with a smile, yet his words were firm.

Zhuang Dongqing's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm and composed, "Oh?"

Li Zhuo didn't care what he said, and bluntly asked, "You're more than just a retainer of the Prince's mansion, aren't you?"

Before Zhuang Dongqing could answer, he continued, "Do you have a cousin or something?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "?"

Li Zhuo said smugly, "The concubine who bore Cen Yan's child is related to you by blood, isn't she?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Ah, ah, this thought process...

Seeing Zhuang Dongqing's changed expression, Li Zhuo, smugly believing he had grasped the key point, said, "Didn't expect I'd guessed it? Actually..."

He spoke at length, but Zhuang Dongqing didn't hear a single word he said.

When Li Zhuo finished speaking, his smug expression was barely concealed. Zhuang Dongqing was silent for a moment, then said, "I have recently learned some medical skills. I noticed that the Third Prince's complexion is dull and his eyes are lifeless. How about I prescribe a medicine to help you recover?"

He recited a list of medicine names and then left.

And when he left, the look in his eyes when he looked at Li Zhuo was very strange.

Li Zhuo: "?"

Li Zhuo's memory was also quite good. After thinking it over, he felt that his deduction could not be wrong. If calculated according to the time when Zhuang Dongqing was a retainer, the child should be about the right age. The inner quarters are different from other places, so it is normal for the women not to show their faces.

Finally, Li Zhuo found a doctor, showed him the prescription, and wanted to see what the situation was.

"This prescription..." The old Chinese medicine doctor wiped his sweat upon hearing it.

Li Zhuo keenly asked, "Is there a problem?"

Over the years, countless people have tried to harm him, but Zhuang Dongqing's method was something he had never heard of before.

Do you really think he would follow the prescription and poison himself?

The old Chinese medicine doctor said, "No, it's just a tonic prescription, but..."

"but?"

The old Chinese medicine doctor was also puzzled. "But it's a folk remedy for children's brain development. I wonder how old the Third Prince is? Is there something wrong with it? Why would he need this remedy?"

Li Zhuo: "?"