Chapter 42

Run all the way.

The eunuchs guarding the gates of each palace were already able to skillfully remove the thresholds when the little prince came flying over on his puppy carriage.

So they walked together and Qu Dubian arrived directly outside the Zichen Palace.

The voices of people chasing and calling him were quite far away. Qu Dubian jumped off the puppy carriage and walked to the door holding the egg custard.

Eunuch Bao, who was guarding the entrance of Zichen Palace, rubbed his eyes and confirmed that he was not dazzled: "Seventh Prince?! Why are you here!"

Qu Dubian handed over the egg custard in his hand, "Please help me take it first, thank you."

He struggled to climb over the threshold, and asked for the egg custard back. As soon as he entered, he shouted, "Father! Father! I came to see you!"

Emperor Chongzhao, who was having a meal, asked: "?"

He looked up and saw a dwarf carrot with a ball-like head that was like a ball of thorns running in. Its dark eyes were clacking, and no one knew what evil ideas it was up to.

The scene was familiar. Emperor Chongzhao saw him coming with a bowl in his hand. "You came to me from Changxin Palace to beg for food? Didn't I promise the Imperial Kitchen to make it for you these few days?"

"No, no."

Qu Dubian took a deep breath, patted his heart, and said, "Here, this is for you."

Emperor Chongzhao raised his eyebrows, clearly showing his disbelief.

It’s good enough that this kid doesn’t snatch food from his bowl, but he can even share the food in his bowl with others?

He snorted and laughed, "Do you miss me?"

Otherwise, why not call him Your Majesty or Father?

Qu Watanabe: “…”

Even gold miners can't dig up such narcissistic gold.

He tried his best to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Which ancestor gave him the confidence to say such words so calmly?

"Father, please have a taste. The egg custard that Empress Chu made for me smells delicious, even better than your spices."

"Is it more fragrant than mine? Can egg custard be made into flowers?" Emperor Chongzhao took the bowl of egg custard, and the eunuch who was tasting the food beside him immediately wanted to step forward.

Qu Dubian grabbed the egg custard, put it to his nose, and took a few deep breaths.

"Father, let me smell it again..."

Emperor Chongzhao laughed and asked: "Are you going to give me some food or not?"

"Give it to me."

Qu Dubian nodded repeatedly and handed it over again. When Emperor Chongzhao was about to eat it, he changed his mind again and sniffed it at the tip of his nose.

Like a puppy.

Emperor Chongzhao: "Xiaoqi, stop playing. I still have to review memorials later."

So the younger son reluctantly gave him the egg custard, but this time he didn't even hand it to Emperor Chongzhao. The child quickly moved it back to his nose and sniffed it greedily.

Each time he regretted his decision faster than the last, each time revealing more and more his fanaticism and the impatience that the child could not control at all.

If you look closely, it seems like he's possessed by a demon.

A chill crept up Emperor Chongzhao's back. Even the dumbest person would have sensed something was wrong. He grabbed Qu Dubian's hand, snatched the egg custard away, and said in a deep voice, "Xiao Qi!"

Qu Dubian stretched out his hand eagerly, "Dad! Good dad! Give it to me, smell it again, just smell it, it smells really good, really good..."

She even called out "Dad", which shows how much she wants it.

Emperor Chongzhao's expression became even more gloomy. He lowered his head and sniffed the cold egg custard amid Eunuch Yu's exclamation. He could not smell anything except a faint fishy smell.

But he thought of his youngest son's naturally sensitive sense of smell, which was much better than that of ordinary people. Last time, he even vomited when he smelled the blood on his body, and he could also recognize a big black moth by its smell.

He clamped his son with one hand and held the custard high with the other, his cold eyes cast on it.

"Call the imperial physician!!"

Eunuch Yu took the order and went.

He had just left when Eunuch Bao came in again to report, "Your Majesty, Noble Lady Chu wants to see you."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Let her in."

The closer Concubine Chu got, the more she could hear the Seventh Prince's voice of pleading and begging. She adjusted her breathing and facial expression. It seemed that the Seventh Prince had eaten the egg custard she gave him. His Majesty did not allow him to eat too much...

I just hope Your Majesty didn’t touch it.

Turning around the screen outside, Concubine Chu smiled and was about to pay her respects when she saw the scene inside and the cold eyes of Emperor Chongzhao.

Her mind was spinning and her face turned pale.

Emperor Chongzhao placed the egg custard heavily on the table, picked up his son who was fluttering like a chick, held him in his arms, and kept him away from the bowl of egg custard.

He said calmly, "The food made by Changxin Palace is very much to Xiaoqi's taste."

Concubine Chu managed to maintain her expression, "It was all done by the servants. No matter how exquisite the food is for Your Highness, it can never be too exquisite. Your Majesty, is there something wrong with this egg custard?"

Emperor Chongzhao: "How about you try it yourself, my beloved concubine?"

Immediately, a eunuch took out some egg custard from the bowl, picked up the spoon again and handed it to Concubine Chu.

“…”

Concubine Chu took it and tasted it openly.

"It's a little cold. Is it better when it's hot, Your Majesty?"

Emperor Chongzhao just glanced at her and said nothing more. Concubine Chu resisted the urge to vomit, swallowed it, and stood in the palace, feeling neither awkward nor embarrassed.

"Important news!"

The little son held in his arms was still making a fuss.

Emperor Chongzhao: "Find a clean towel and soak it in ice water."

The serving palace maids immediately prepared what he wanted, and Emperor Chongzhao put the ice handkerchief on the lower half of Qu Dubian's face.

The cold feeling made him shudder.

"Are you more awake?"

Qu Dubian was just pretending. He covered his hands with the ice handkerchief sullenly and glanced at Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun in the hall. Both of them were looking at him nervously.

He lifted the veil, smiled and winked.

Ye Xiaoyuan was slightly comforted.

For a moment, the only sounds in the Zichen Hall were the Seventh Prince's occasional dissatisfied groans. Not long after, Imperial Physicians Yang and Qiu hurried over carrying medicine boxes.

"Your humble servant greets His Majesty."

"Get up and check that bowl of custard."

Concubine Chu: "Your Majesty! I have tasted this bowl of egg custard and it is fine."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Let's check first, Xiaoqi is not in a good condition."

Concubine Chu was about to cry: "Your Majesty, do you not believe me?"

Emperor Chongzhao: "Are you questioning my decision?"

The tone was the same as before, but Qu Watanabe could tell that his cheap father was getting a little impatient at the moment.

Concubine Chu immediately shut up, twirled her fingers, and prayed desperately in her heart. The shell powder of the Wangye fruit was from the Nanning Kingdom. Although it was strictly prohibited in the Great Zhou, the imperial physicians did not have much contact with it after all... The amount she put in was very small and it would not be discovered.

Definitely not.

The two imperial doctors took the order and first took a little egg custard and sipped it on the tip of their tongue.

Doctor Yang: "It seems to be... a little astringent."

"It's a bit like the spices that cover up the smell of eggs." Doctor Qiu said, "May I ask your Majesty, what was your Highness's reaction just now?"

Emperor Chong Zhao: "I am very... obsessed with this bowl of egg custard. I keep smelling it and I almost can't stop myself."

Qu Dubian poked his head out: "It smells really good! None of the egg custards I've ever eaten smelled as good as this, so I thought of bringing it to my father..."

As he said this, he looked at the egg custard greedily, his nose twitching.

Emperor Chongzhao held down his youngest son's disobedient head and pressed it down hard.

He poked his head out again and pressed it down again.

"It looks better now. It was a little scary just now."

The two imperial doctors went to the side to discuss the matter.

Obsession, good smell, special, astringent taste...

Doctor Qiu suddenly remembered that Concubine Chu's home was in Baojiangfang near Nanning State.

His heart skipped a beat and he looked up at Imperial Doctor Yang, whose expression was as serious as his.

"Doctor Yang, did you bring the mugwort?"

"Some, but that's enough."

Doctor Yang took out the mugwort, ground it into powder, poured it into a portion of the egg custard, and after stirring it, the egg custard turned directly into black and purple.

His lips trembled unconsciously. The secret methods used in the harem were so vicious!

At this point, Concubine Chu's face turned pale.

Emperor Chongzhao: "Poisonous?"

Doctor Yang bowed his hands and suppressed his indignation: "Your Majesty, there is only one kind of medicine in the world that will react when mixed with processed mugwort powder. That is the Wangye fruit from Nanning country!"

Nanning State was once harmed by this fruit, and its national strength declined rapidly. It has improved a lot in recent years after the emperor was changed. The spies of Nanning State wanted to use the Wangye fruit to corrupt the officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Fortunately, they were discovered in time, and Emperor Chongzhao killed the source and made the Wangye fruit an absolute forbidden item that was prohibited from circulation.

He had personally witnessed the corruption and harm that the lily-leaf fruit could cause to people.

That's just crazy!

Qu Watanabe said at the right moment: "Wanye fruit? Can it make food taste better?"

When the youngest son's voice reached his ears, Emperor Chongzhao remembered how obsessed he was with the bowl of egg custard just now, and he felt a chill all over his body, followed by a huge rage.

How many times has Xiao Qi eaten this egg custard, or the food of Changxin Palace? Is he addicted?

The teacup was thrown directly at him, and Emperor Chongzhao said angrily: "Okay! You dare to use forbidden things to poison the prince?!"

The whole hall was silent, and the palace maids knelt on the ground.

Concubine Chu felt pain in her shoulder from being hit. She staggered a few steps and then collapsed. "No, I didn't, I didn't!! I didn't know. I didn't know about this. It was the person in charge of the small kitchen who did it!"

When Emperor Chongzhao was murderous, he spoke faster than usual: "Your mother's family is in charge of Baojiangfang, and your brother was imprisoned for smuggling Wangye fruit some time ago. Do you still dare to say that you have nothing to do with this matter?"

He walked forward and suddenly heard a cry in his arms.

"You are so fierce..."

Emperor Chong Zhao lost his temper but completely forgot that he was still holding his youngest son: "..."

A bow.

The child in my arms had a red face, I didn't know if he was crying or scared.

He quickly handed the child to the two imperial doctors and asked them to take the child to the West Warm Pavilion for a careful examination. As soon as Qu Dubian left, Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun also left, and Bao Gonggong went to watch.

The hall suddenly became much quieter.

Emperor Chongzhao said coldly: "Changxin Palace, search the palace. Don't leave any corner unsearched."

Eunuch Yu: "I will do it right away."

At the same time, he glanced at Concubine Chu who was lying on the ground and shook his head.

Concubine Chu is in trouble.

Dahei, who was lying outside, watched them coming and going, a few hums came out of his throat, and he looked at Qu Dubian who entered the West Warm Pavilion with a bit of anxiety.

-

West Warm Pavilion.

Qu Dubian lay on the small table, letting the two doctors take his pulse in turn, "No, it's just the first time I smelled that fragrant smell, it's really strange, you can't smell it..."

Ye Xiaoyuan frowned and said, "Your Highness, that is not a good thing. If you smell it again in the future, please stay away from it."

Qu Watanabe: "Banban, don't worry. Apart from that bowl of egg custard, I haven't eaten anything from Queen Chu."

Doctor Yang: "You won't become addicted if you eat the fruit once or twice. If you want to become mildly addicted, you need to eat it for at least three or four days."

After hearing this, Wen Xiaochun finally felt relieved about the egg custard he had eaten.

Fortunately, everything is fine, otherwise he would not be able to stay with His Highness.

He looked at Qu Dubian's red face and asked softly, "Your Highness, are you feeling uncomfortable in any other way?"

Qu Dubian touched his face and head, "I feel a little dizzy."

Doctor Yang took a closer look and said in a low voice, "You are frightened again, and have a slight fever. Don't worry, I will prescribe some medicine for you."

Ye Xiaoyuan felt distressed. How long has His Highness recovered? He needs to take medicine again.

"Excuse me, doctor."

Imperial Physician Yang waved his hand and confirmed that Qu Dubian had nothing wrong except a fever before going out to report to the Emperor.

Qu Dubian touched his forehead, genuinely puzzled, and asked the simulator: "I have a fever? The simulation is not turned on."

Simulator: [……]

Simulator: [Every human will have a fever. The reason for this fever is that the host is weak and the puppy car blows cold air too many times. The simulator can convert the host's spontaneous illness into a simulation. Please ask the host if he wants to convert.]

[The fever host has experienced level 1 and level 2. After experiencing level 3, new types of diseases can be unlocked, and the horse stance punch card can be unlocked. The simulator comes with the Qi running diagram of "Mian Shou Jue·Part 1".]

The same disease can only be simulated three times per level, so it is important to avoid the host from scoring points and unlocking new types. But more importantly -

"Qi Circulation Diagram!"

Qu Dubian was greatly encouraged. He was worried that he had the secret book in his hand but couldn't understand it. It would be much better with the operation diagram. The combination of the two could help him understand.

No, he asked cautiously: "Why are you so generous this time?"

Simulator: [Increases the survival rate of the host's harem.]

Qu Watanabe: “…”

Quite pragmatic.

After all, if the simulator hadn't reminded him this time, he might have really been in trouble. The simulator could remind him of dirty things like poison, but if someone really used force to suppress him, he couldn't resist.

The source of all fear is insufficient firepower.

Qu Watanabe originally planned to choose level one just for the sake of showing off, but when the benefit of the simulator's Qi operation diagram came down, he decisively chose level three.

The time is tentatively set at four days.

After all, it was in the Purple Palace, and he was not sure when he would be able to finish writing this paper.

But he is not in a hurry this time and will try to get a high score.