Suhetai followed Li Dequan to the Qianqing Palace.

"Your Majesty, this humble servant greets you! May Your Majesty be blessed!" Suhetai kowtowed to Emperor Kangxi.

"Get up!" Kangxi looked up at Suhetai. "I've already had the medicine brewed for you. Drink it while it's hot! Otherwise, the effects will wear off!"

The bitterness of Coptis chinensis can only be felt when the medicine is hot.

"Your Majesty, you see that I am perfectly fine now, so does that mean I don't need to take the medicine anymore?" Suhetai looked at Kangxi ingratiatingly.

"Should we listen to you or the imperial physician?" Kangxi asked Su Hetai. "You'd better hurry up and drink your medicine. You must get better. We can't delay the Crown Prince's marriage to Hexue!"

"Drink it! This is an imperial edict; are you going to disobey it?"

"This servant dares not!" Suhetai said miserably as he picked up the medicine bowl, the bitter smell emanating from a great distance.

"It must be drunk clean, not a single drop can be left!" Kangxi emphasized.

Suhetai closed his eyes and drank the entire bowl of medicine.

Emperor Kangxi kept watching Su Hetai, and when he saw Su Hetai drink the whole bowl of medicine in one go, he felt sorry for Su Hetai.

Suhetai's face was contorted with pain, his expression twisted.

"You must drink it, or another bowl!" Kangxi said immediately when he saw Suhetai about to vomit.

Suhetai could only swallow it down with difficulty.

"Liang Jiugong, quickly prepare water for him!" Kangxi ordered.

Liang Jiugong immediately had someone bring him tea.

Su Hetai picked up the teacup, drank it down, and handed the teacup back to Liang Jiugong, indicating that he should continue.

Liang Jiugong poured Su Hetai another cup, which Su Hetai gulped down in one go. This was repeated three times before Su Hetai felt the bitterness in his mouth lessen.

Seeing Su Hetai guzzling his tea like a cow, Emperor Kangxi felt sorry for his precious tea and said with a hint of disdain, "Like a cow chewing on a peony!"

"Your Majesty, why is this medicine so bitter? Are you deliberately trying to torment this servant?" It has to be said that Suhetai was right.

"I'm not that bored! We'll continue tomorrow!" Kangxi said. "If you don't come, I'll have someone deliver you to your residence with great fanfare!"

Suhetai knew that Kangxi was absolutely capable of doing it, so he could only grit his teeth and reply, "This servant understands, this servant takes his leave!"

When Kangxi saw Suhetai leave the Qianqing Palace, he threw down his pen and went straight to the door. Only after Suhetai had gone far away did he burst into laughter, "Hahaha! Hahaha!"

"Liang Jiugong, prepare the same amount of Coptis chinensis tomorrow!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Liang Jiugong felt a pang of sympathy for Su Hetai.

For three consecutive days, Suhetai went to the Qianqing Palace to drink a medicinal soup with added Coptis chinensis. Finally, Suhetai could not bear it any longer. "Your Majesty, this servant really cannot drink it anymore. This servant feels like I've been pickled! This servant is bitter all over."

If you have any complaints, you might as well give this servant a quick death! You can't torture someone like this!

"How could I possibly be dissatisfied with you! Alright, you've drunk your medicine for today, now go back!" Kangxi waved his hand at Suhetai.

The next day, Suhetai asked for leave from the morning court session, thus ending the matter of Suhetai taking medicine.

The Crown Prince's back wound had scabbed over. He learned that Su Hetai had not attended court for the past few days, so he wanted to go and see him, and also to meet He Xue.

The Crown Prince spoke to Emperor Kangxi and then led He Zhu out of the palace straight to the General's Mansion.

Looking at the Crown Prince who treated her with utmost respect, Lady Tongjia was at a loss for words. She had already said everything she needed to say, so she could only sit there awkwardly. The problem was that the Crown Prince had no intention of leaving at all.

I don't know how it happened, but today, Su and his two sons were all out of the house.

The Crown Prince only came after he heard that Su Hetai and his two sons were not at the residence; otherwise, with Su Hetai there, he would never have seen He Xue.

"Madam, I have a few words I would like to say to He Xue. Is it convenient for me?" the Crown Prince asked.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment!" Lady Tongjia asked Lingyun beside her to check where Hexue was.

"Thank you for your trouble, Madam!" the Crown Prince said happily.

Lingyun returned quickly. Upon learning of Hexue Garden, Lady Tongjia instructed Lingyun to take the Crown Prince to see Hexue.

The crown prince arrived at the garden of the general's mansion and saw a scene that surprised him.