Chapter 106 Medicinal Cuisine: This is a Big Misunderstanding

Zhao Liangxu returned to the mansion, assuming that Anhe would surely return to see her today after she had stayed away for a day.

But to her surprise, not only did she not see Anhe, the person who went to ask her came back and told her that Anhe was not leaving the palace today.

That's really strange.

Zhao Liangxu was somewhat puzzled, but she didn't feel that there was anything wrong with the matter.

He does occasionally get bogged down in things when he's busy.

Zhao Liangxu then decided to go see Anhe again the next day.

When she returned, Chun and Xia had already been called away, and she went back into the house carrying a wooden gift box from Hazar.

Upon seeing the rather large wooden box, Zhu Mu asked, "Princess, what's inside?"

She noticed that the wooden box was exquisitely crafted, and the contents inside must be even more valuable.

Zhao Liangxu did not open the wooden box for Zhu Mu to see, but simply said, "We won't be going to that shop for the next few days."

Zhao Liangxu seemed to be changing the subject, but Zhu Mu blushed deeply after hearing this.

The previous shop...

After Zhao Liangxu bought books at the bookstore, the bookstore owner recommended a small shop to her, saying that the items there might satisfy her.

Zhao Liangxu then took the bamboo and wood with her to take a look.

It's full of strange and unusual things...

Having spent a long time in the Southern Zhou Dynasty, Zhu Mu, like the people around her, became more and more reserved and restrained, always keeping a respectful distance from things in the boudoir that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Now Zhu Mu could probably guess what was inside the wooden box.

Her face flushed, and she stammered, "Okay, okay."

Zhao Liangxu placed the wooden box on top of the cabinet. Since it was no longer needed, placing it in such a conspicuous spot was just taking up space.

*

The next day, Zhao Liangxu did not see Anhe. She only heard from people in the An family that Anhe was busy with affairs recently and probably would not be able to return for several days.

In the following days, just as they said, she didn't even see Anhe, let alone Zhang Sheng.

Zhao Liangxu realized that something was wrong.

Even if she's very busy, Anhe shouldn't have stayed away from the palace and her residence for so many days.

As for what they were busy with, the people of the An family couldn't say for sure.

Something's not right, something's very wrong.

While waiting for Anhe, Zhao Liangxu has chosen to stay in the mansion these past few days. She either stays in the house all day without moving, or she has a sudden urge to build a pavilion in Anhe's garden of rare herbs and choose a set of stone tables and chairs to place under the trees.

Anhe didn't like sitting in the garden to enjoy the scenery, but Zhao Liangxu was occasionally interested.

The people of the An family did not stop Zhao Liangxu and let her tend to the garden.

Just like before, Zhao Liangxu was a person of equal influence in the An family as An He.

This is also why Zhao Liangxu sensed something was wrong, but didn't hesitate too much.

For her, nothing in the An family had changed.

Zhao Liangxu stayed in the house for a few days, and after being busy for several days, she felt a little bored, so she occasionally went out to chat at Zhilan Hall.

She then learned some information about Anhe's recent situation from Qiu Cheng.

"I heard that His Highness has been unwell these past few days. I heard this from the imperial physician when I went to the Imperial Hospital to deliver a prescription. Moreover, people in the palace say that His Highness's temper has become increasingly unpredictable these days. During the morning court session, he almost made several senior officials faint. The other eunuchs and palace maids are even more afraid of doing their jobs in the Qing Palace than before. Do you know what's going on with him?"

Zhao Liangxu was completely unaware of this.

“He hasn’t left the palace these past few days, and no one has informed me.”

Zhao Liangxu was even more puzzled. Was Anhe avoiding her and hiding something from her? She hadn't told her anything.

Zhao Liangxu then asked, "You said he's feeling unwell, what illness is it?"

Qiu Cheng thought for a moment and said, "The imperial physician said in casual conversation that he was so angry that he suffered a sudden attack of anger. I wonder what he has encountered in the past few days that has made him so angry. Moreover, it is said that he does not want to eat the nourishing medicinal food, which has made Eunuch Zhang run to the Imperial Hospital several times."

Zhao Liangxu frowned upon hearing this. After not seeing her for a few days, she heard that Anhe had made a mess of things in the palace.

"Qiu Cheng, do you have any convenient medicinal diet recipes or powders that people can easily ingest without noticing?" She could give them a try when An He returned.

Qiu Cheng raised an eyebrow and said, "You make it sound so easy. Given your relationship with the Ninth Prince, if you asked him to eat, he would at least offer some. If that's not possible..."

Qiu Cheng paused for a moment, then remembered something: "Have you finished the tonic medicine I gave you before?"

"There are some left."

Qiu Cheng nodded: "The last medicine I prescribed for you was originally for nourishing your body. People who take medicine are usually weak. What you needed to replenish was not much different from what Qian Sui needed. Some of the herbs in the packaged medicine were ground into powder together. The medicinal properties of that powder are the mildest. If you mix it with water, it will have some effect. If Qian Sui really doesn't want to eat medicinal food, you can take two or three qian of this mild nourishing powder and put it into his daily meals."

"How can we know that his health is improving?"

Zhao Liangxu nodded.

Don't let Anhe fall ill and weaken before the two have even spent a few days together.

After all, in ancient times, people with weak constitutions were more susceptible to illness, and getting sick was considered a serious matter.

Zhao Liangxu thought to herself, "I'm so on your side, Eunuch An, you should be secretly happy."

Just as Zhao Liangxu was waiting for two more days, and was about to get restless and prepare to go to the palace to find Anhe, Anhe happened to return from the palace.

Upon hearing the news, Zhao Liangxu went to find Anhe. She passed through the archway and met Zhang Sheng before seeing Anhe.

Zhao Liangxu overheard Zhang Sheng saying to the servants of the An family, "Take the medicinal food away. His Highness is annoyed by it and hasn't eaten a single bite."

Zhang Sheng sighed: "It's fine if you don't want the medicinal food, but go and bring over the prepared meals. Remember, they should be light and bland. His Highness needs to eat something."

After giving his instructions, Zhang Sheng, still looking worried, turned around and saw Zhao Liangxu.

His expression was somewhat strange. He paused for a moment before regaining his composure and saying to Zhao Liangxu, "Godmother, you've arrived."

Zhao Liangxu asked, "What's wrong with Eunuch An? He hasn't come out of the palace for several days."

Zhang Sheng kept his head down, making it impossible to see his expression: "It's just some matters of the court. Godmother... are you going in to find Godfather?"

Zhang Sheng's words were vague, and he avoided Zhao Liangxu's gaze.

"It's not a good idea for you to go in now. Your godfather is in a bad mood. You should wait outside for a while."

After saying that, Zhang Sheng pushed open the door and entered the study.

He knew that Anhe hadn't seen Zhao Liangxu for many days and seemed much better, but he couldn't be sure if Anhe would be so angry that he would vomit blood again if he saw Zhao Liangxu.

At least let him in to let them know.

Zhang Sheng entered the study without knocking. An He did not punish him for such trivial matters today. An He rested on the soft couch in the inner room and said, "If you make those mediocre medicinal dishes again, be careful that I throw you into the Imperial Stables."

Anhe still has a headache today, and the smell of medicinal food makes her feel even more nauseous.

He hadn't had an appetite for the past few days, and the strong smell of medicine only made him more irritable.

"Yes, Godfather, I've taken away the medicinal food, but you can't not eat. I've had someone prepare some congee and side dishes for you, please eat a little bit." Zhang Sheng had no choice. The imperial physician said that Anhe needed to rest well these days, and that he should have been given medicine to drink. The medicinal food was already a big concession, but Anhe still didn't want to eat.

Or rather, he's only been eating tiny, shrimp-sized portions of food these past two days, which is completely ineffective.

As for why he didn't eat, and why he wasn't in the mood to eat, Zhang Sheng knew perfectly well.

He said cautiously, "Godfather...Godmother is waiting outside the door, would you like to see them?"

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Zhang Sheng wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking that An He would not reply, but the next moment he heard...

"Yes, of course I see her. Tell her to come in."

Before Zhang Sheng could go out to call Zhao Liangxu, she pushed the door open and came in herself.

What a joke! Anhe said before that she could enter the study at will. Did you think she would obediently wait in the courtyard and have someone notify her before she went in?

She didn't go inside just now; she was only planning to bring the food in along with her.

Zhao Liangxu is currently unaware of what has happened to Anhe, nor does she know that Anhe has made a tremendous decision to return to the mansion.

However, she has always been somewhat domineering towards Anhe.

But upon hearing that Anhe was currently unwell, she would be more patient.

But... Anhe is angry, does that mean he won't see her?

The study door creaked open, and Zhang Sheng looked somewhat flustered.

Zhao Liangxu looked at Zhang Sheng's strange expression with suspicion, and called out into the inner room, "Eunuch An?"

Anhe then said from behind the screen, "Zhang Sheng, you can go out first."

After receiving the order, Zhang Sheng left, but before leaving, he kept glancing at Zhao Liangxu.

She was puzzled and confused.

Why are you looking at her like that? Do you think I'm going to eat Anhe?

Zhao Liangxu placed the food on the table, glanced at the direction of the screen, and did not go in for the time being.

She took out a small packet of powder. The three-qian packet of powder took up very little space; wrapped in paper, it was no bigger than a fingernail.

After a moment of careful consideration, Zhao Liangxu decided that it would be more appropriate to put the medicine powder into the porridge.

After all, if Anhe had a poor appetite, he wouldn't be able to eat more than a few bites even if the medicine powder was put in his side dishes.

This porridge is considered a staple food, so at least we can eat a little more.

Zhao Liangxu unfolded the paper packet she had prepared earlier. She had divided the remaining powder into several small paper packets, each containing exactly three qian (a unit of weight), no more and no less.

She hadn't expected that An He hadn't eaten a single bite of the medicinal food, but hearing Zhang Sheng's particularly worried tone outside the door, she knew that An He's body still needed some nourishment.

So she could only put the medicine powder that she had originally planned to keep in there.

However, out of caution, Zhao Liangxu chose two qian (a unit of weight) of the "two or three qian" that Qiu Cheng mentioned, leaving some of the powder behind instead of pouring it all in.

Even with tonics, you should use small doses and be cautious.

Anhe knew that Zhao Liangxu was on the other side of the screen, but she didn't know what she was doing.

Upon hearing Zhao Liangxu's voice, he unconsciously recalled what he had heard at the post station...

Anhe tried his best to calm himself down. Compared to the first day when he was furious, he had calmed down in the past few days and was no longer as dizzy.

He thought that since he hadn't been completely honest with Zhao Liangxu, he should at least try to get along with her normally for now.

See if she truly hates herself.

The sound of Zhao Liangxu unfolding the paper package was very clear, and the "crunch" sound was crisp and obvious.

Zhao Liangxu remained silent and did not come in. What was she doing?

An He stood up and sat down at the table. From this vantage point, he could see right through the screen and clearly see what Zhao Liangxu was doing.

Anhe saw it.

Zhao Liangxu was gently pouring the pale yellow powder into the congee.

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Author's Note: [Please][Please][Please]