Chapter 43: "So it was confiscated."
Yun Sheng naturally didn't let Xiao Xu succeed again. She pushed him away and rolled off the bed.
She lit the candle and found herself in a mess, all of which he had made. What more could he possibly want?
But when she looked up again, she saw that Xiao Xu's messy hair was damp with something, whether it was sweat or something else, and it was unclear.
With a flushed face, Yun Sheng asked Xiao Xu to call someone to bring water, and then hid in a place where she wouldn't be seen from the doorway. Only after all the servants had left the house did she reluctantly appear and push Xiao Xu into the bathing room.
This was so embarrassing. Everyone in the courtyard knew that Xiao Xu was injured, yet they had called for water after taking a bath that night. Such recklessness made her almost too ashamed to face anyone.
Xiao Xu's wound was still bleeding slightly.
Yun Sheng frowned, wanting to reprimand him, but didn't know where to begin.
Xiao Xu sat on a low stool and unwrapped the gauze to show her, explaining slowly, "Sheng Sheng, it's just normal bleeding, it hasn't ruptured. Just treat it simply and re-bandage it."
Yun Sheng was still annoyed with him, so she quickly cleaned herself up and said in a muffled voice, "Finish it yourself, I'm not going to bother with you anymore."
After saying that, she left the bathhouse first.
After all that fuss, the two of them went back to bed to rest.
Yun Sheng quickly became sleepy. Before falling asleep, she seemed to hear Xiao Xu say something to her, but her mind was already hazy. She only gave a perfunctory "hmm" and soon fell asleep completely.
The next morning, Yun Sheng woke up to a soft rustling sound.
She didn't open her eyes; she was still drowsy and could only vaguely make out that Xiao Xu seemed to be getting dressed.
She listened to the faint sound and soon drifted off to sleep again.
Until I felt a warm patch pressed against my forehead.
Yun Sheng squinted, then remembered to ask, "Where are you going?"
Xiao Xu looked down and saw Yun Sheng's plump lips moving slightly, and the corner of her clothes that had fallen to her hand was gently twirled by her fingers.
His eyes darkened, and after thinking for a moment, he leaned down and kissed her lips again, also licking her cupid's bow.
"It's still early for the morning court session, you can continue sleeping."
Yun Sheng didn't resist at all, and didn't even realize what was wrong when she heard it. She obediently nodded and mumbled an "Mmm".
The room quieted down, and Yun Sheng, still warm from the other half of the blanket, quickly fell asleep again.
When she woke up again, she sat on the bed for a long time before she could recall what had happened that morning.
Xiao Xu did not ask for leave from the palace; he went to court again before dawn.
Yun Sheng was a little worried. After getting up, she called over a servant to ask him about it. She then noticed that one dose of the medicine prescribed by Doctor Liu was missing, and realized that Xiao Xu had changed the medicine at least once that morning before leaving the mansion.
Yun Sheng herself is delicate. Not to mention the serious injury she suffered from Xiao Xu, even from the slightest bump or bruise, she couldn't bear the pain and wanted to stay in bed to rest without moving at all.
No matter how strong and healthy Xiao Xu was, his body wasn't made of iron, and he just happened to run into trouble at the Prince Zhao's residence.
Knowing that worrying was useless, Yun Sheng composed herself and set off to visit Lan Ge'er at Jinxia Courtyard.
After a day of rest, Lan Ge'er's high fever has subsided, and he looks much better.
Good morning, Auntie!
Yun Sheng gently patted Lan Ge'er's head and gave him two pine nut candies.
"Thank you, Auntie!"
However, Liu Xian looked much more haggard in just two days.
The wet nurse took Lan Ge'er out of the room, and Yun Sheng sat down next to Liu Xian, her gaze falling on the dark circles under her eyes, and said gently, "You've had a hard time these past two days."
Liu Xian shook her head, her voice a little hoarse: "It's my fault for not watching Lan'er properly. If I had been more alert that day, I would have noticed something was wrong sooner..."
Yun Sheng gently pressed down on the back of her hand: "The thief is in the shadows, this is not your fault. The Prince's Mansion will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. Right now, the most important thing is Lan Ge'er's health and your own mental state. If you collapse first, who will Lan Ge'er rely on?"
Liu Xian took a deep breath, pulled out her handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes, and forced herself to cheer up: "You're right, I'm just... very confused."
Yun Sheng chatted with Liu Xian for a while, and then Shen Yuewan also came to Jinxia Courtyard.
Upon hearing the announcement, the two men rose to greet them.
Shen Yuewan brought some tonics for Liu Xian: "I was busy investigating those servants who accompanied you yesterday, and I only had time to come see you now. Look how pale you are. I'll have the kitchen cook the tonics I brought today so you can take good care of yourself."
"Thank you, Mother."
Shen Yuewan said, "I'll have someone send some to the East Courtyard later. Shengsheng, you must take good care of yourself."
Yun Sheng was fine, but thinking of Xiao Xu's injuries, she thanked Shen Yuewan and planned to have Xiao Xu nourish himself during dinner that night.
Liu Xian asked about the Qixi Festival: "I wonder if Mother has found out anything?"
Shen Yuewan sighed and shook her head, saying, "That thief also took advantage of a loophole and seems to know the servants of the Prince's Mansion very well. We didn't find any useful clues among the people who accompanied him."
Yun Sheng pondered for a moment and said, "Mother said this person knows the servants of the Prince's Mansion. Could the culprit be someone closely related to the Prince's Mansion?"
"No matter how close the relationship is with outsiders, how can they know the servants of the Prince's mansion apart from our own people? This afternoon I will be more careful and interrogate all the other servants in the mansion. If the thief bribed the servants of the Prince's mansion to find out information, there will be no way that there will be no trace."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng couldn't help but think that outsiders couldn't understand what was happening inside the Zhao Prince's Mansion, but what about those inside the mansion?
The Zhaowang Mansion had a small population to begin with, so it only took a little thought to figure out everyone's identity.
But after thinking it over and over, with neither clues nor evidence, Yun Sheng was completely clueless.
Shen Yuewan still had a lot of things to do, so she didn't stay at Jinxia Courtyard any longer. Yun Sheng stayed with Liu Xian for a while longer before getting up to say goodbye.
Before leaving, Lan Ge'er was still hugging Yun Sheng's skirt in the yard, saying sweetly that he was reluctant to part with his aunt and wanted Yun Sheng to come and see him more often.
Yun Sheng smiled and asked, "Do you miss your aunt or her pine nut candy?"
As she spoke, Yun Sheng took out another pine nut candy from her pocket.
Children can't hide their feelings; their eyes light up instantly.
But Lan-ge'er was clever and quickly realized what was going on. She smiled and said, "Lan-ge'er likes pine nut candy and also likes Auntie."
So adorable, it melted Yun Sheng's heart and made her even more furious at the thief who dared to lay a hand on Lan Ge'er.
Not far from Jinxia Courtyard, Yun Sheng ran into Yang Qinhuai.
Yang Qinhuai was holding a box wrapped in silk cloth, clearly indicating that he had come to visit.
Yang Qinhuai's presence in the Prince Zhao's residence was not strong. Yun Sheng had been busy with her performance for Qixi Festival some time ago, and this was the first time she had seen him since then.
The little incident from before had faded from her mind over time, but when she saw Yang Qinhuai again, the atmosphere was still somewhat tense.
Yang Qinhuai, however, remained calm and stepped forward to explain, "I heard that Brother Lan has been unwell these past two days. I have received much care from the Second Young Master, so I came today to inquire after him."
Yun Sheng was unaware of the connection between Yang Qinhuai and Xiao Min, but Xiao Min, like Xiao Xu, was Yang Qinhuai's cousin, so such a connection seemed quite reasonable.
Yun Sheng had nothing to say, so she simply hummed in agreement and prepared to take her leave.
Yang Qinhuai said, "Shengsheng, I apologize for what happened last time. I'm sorry, my words were inappropriate, and I hope you can forgive me."
These words left Yun Sheng at a loss for words.
She paused for a moment before speaking slowly, "You shouldn't apologize to me, you should apologize to Changyu."
Yun Sheng thought that Xiao Xu would probably ignore him, and then she saw a slightly bitter smile appear on Yang Qinhuai's lips.
He didn't continue on the matter, but instead said, "I'm leaving in a few days, and since we've met here before I go, I'd like to say goodbye properly."
Yun Sheng was taken aback: "So suddenly, where are you going?"
"The imperial examination has long since ended, and I have been staying at Prince Zhao's residence for quite some time. Since I am a guest, there will always be a day when I must leave. I will not pick and choose the time to leave. When I feel that the time has come, I should take my leave."
Yun Sheng knew that Yang Qinhuai had failed the exam three years ago, which was when his older brother had passed the exam.
My elder brother helped Yang Qinhuai, allowing him to stay in the capital. But now that I think about it, since Yang Qinhuai was a relative of Prince Zhao, why did he need my elder brother's help? Prince Zhao's family should have been able to help him too.
However, Yang Qinhuai later moved into the Prince Zhao's residence. But he failed the exam again this year. If he plans to leave, it means he doesn't intend to take the exam again.
But Yun Sheng didn't quite understand what Yang Qinhuai meant by "the time has come".
Yun Sheng thought for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Have you spoken to the Prince and Princess about it?"
"Not yet. I was planning to tell you after Qixi Festival, but..."
He didn't finish his sentence because something had happened at Prince Zhao's residence in the past two days.
Even though Yang Qinhuai was about to leave, Yun Sheng still had nothing to say. After all, before this, he was just her brother's classmate and friend, and she was just an acquaintance.
Yun Sheng said, "Then, I wish you a safe journey."
Yang Qinhuai nodded slightly: "Thank you, I will."
He then added, "Sheng Sheng, I originally intended to have someone deliver this to you, but since we've met today and I have this opportunity, I still want to give it to you myself."
Yang Qinhuai took out a slender ebony box, opened it with his fingertips, and inside lay a bamboo folding fan.
"This is?"
Without unfolding it, he handed the box and fan to Yun Sheng: "Sheng Sheng, this parting is a long and uncertain journey. I don't know when we will meet again. I apologize for any inappropriate or offensive words I may have used before."
"This fan is a piece of calligraphy left by Mr. Lin Quan. I found it by chance in my hometown when I was young and have treasured it ever since. I would like to give it to you as an apology and a farewell gift. I hope you will accept it."
Yang Qinhuai spoke earnestly and sincerely, and Yun Sheng, who was not a vengeful or tough person, immediately softened her attitude.
She remembered that the incident itself wasn't that serious. He was about to leave and had sincerely apologized, so there was no need for her to keep the atmosphere tense.
Yun Sheng remained silent for a moment, then reached out and took the ebony box: "Brother Yang, you flatter me. This is too precious, and I shouldn't accept it, but since it is your kind gesture, I will not refuse."
Seeing that she accepted it, Yang Qinhuai's lips seemed to curve slightly, and he thanked her again: "Sheng Sheng, thank you."
Yun Sheng nodded to him, and the two parted ways without saying anything more.
Not long after Yun Sheng returned to the East Courtyard, she received tonics sent by Shen Yuewan.
Cuizhu carefully tidied up the food and asked Yunsheng, "Princess Consort, will His Highness return to the manor at noon today? Shall we stew a pot of soup first?"
Yun Sheng: "He probably won't reply..."
Before he could finish speaking, a sound came from the courtyard.
Xiao Xu strode into the courtyard, where a servant announced in a raised voice, "His Highness the Crown Prince has returned."
Yun Sheng was surprised and tilted her head to look at the door. Soon, Xiao Xu's figure appeared in her line of sight.
She stood there, stunned, without moving, while Xiao Xu had already walked into the house.
When his figure blocked the light in front of the door, Yun Sheng finally came to her senses: "Why are you back?"
Xiao Xu walked straight toward her without stopping, and answered naturally, "I was afraid you would worry and I wanted to see you, so I came back."
"..."
What's wrong with him?
Previously, he would only say it was because he wasn't busy today.
Yun Sheng clenched her fists tightly under her sleeves, feigning composure as she asked, "Did you take care of your injuries while you were out today? Are your wounds hurting?"
"It doesn't hurt, just be more careful."
Yun Sheng felt Xiao Xu staring intently at her, making her unsure where to look.
"Is there anything else this afternoon?"
Xiao Xu said, "Yes, but I'll be in the study this afternoon and won't be leaving the mansion."
He had probably seen enough, and finally looked away from Yun Sheng's face.
His gaze shifted, and he saw the ebony box on the table.
"What is this?" he asked casually.
Yun Sheng paused for a moment before realizing what he was asking.
Although she felt a vague sense of guilt that she didn't know where it came from, she didn't intend to hide it from Xiao Xu.
"I just went to Jinxia Courtyard and ran into my cousin on my way back."
Xiao Xu frowned the moment Yang Qinhuai was mentioned.
Yun Sheng didn't notice; her gaze also fell on the ebony box. She reached out and opened the box, revealing the folding fan inside.
"He just gave this to me."
"Why did he give you that?" Xiao Xu's voice was deep, and he answered quickly, before Yun Sheng could even explain.
After he finished speaking, Yun Sheng continued, "He told me that he was leaving the Prince Zhao's residence. This is to say goodbye and also to apologize for what happened before."
She wasn't sure if Xiao Xu remembered this, so she added quietly, "It's about the time he said bad things about you."
Xiao Xu remained silent upon hearing this, and reached into the box to take out a folding fan.
He opened his folding fan, which featured a landscape painting. It wasn't particularly special, but one side of the fan bore the seal of a deceased famous painter.
"yes……"
Xiao Xu said, "It is a work by Mr. Lin Quan."
"Um."
Yun Sheng tilted her head to observe Xiao Xu's seemingly calm and indifferent expression.
Xiao Xu suddenly turned his head, and Yun Sheng's gaze was caught.
She felt her face flush instantly; she couldn't see it herself, but she knew she must be blushing.
How many times has this happened?
She's not any less beautiful than she was when they first got married. It's just that their eyes met; what's there to be ashamed of?
Yun Sheng thought this to herself, but she still looked away before Xiao Xu could.
Xiao Xu asked, "Is this all he told you?"
Yun Sheng thought back for a moment and realized that she and Yang Qinhuai hadn't really said much; it was mostly just polite talk. She still told Xiao Xu almost the same thing.
"You can't be jealous of this, can you?" Yun Sheng said, then suddenly thought of something and looked at Xiao Xu in surprise.
Xiao Xu's tense expression suddenly relaxed. He smiled and said calmly, "A little."
Yun Sheng's eyes widened, unable to tell whether he was serious or not, and once again she couldn't understand what was so jealous about this.
Xiao Xu put the folding fan into the ebony box, and the box closed with a muffled sound.
He said, "So it was confiscated."
"..."
Yun Sheng didn't know before, but now that she thought about why Xiao Xu was jealous, she felt that she was about to become even more famous.
She turned away from him and said curtly, "You're so stingy."
Xiao Xu snorted softly, picked up the wooden box, and walked out of the house.
Outside, Xiao Xu summoned Mu Shan from the side hall.
As soon as Mu Shan finished bowing, a long wooden box was thrown in front of him.
He was impressed by Xiao Xu's quick reflexes as he caught the fan. Xiao Xu then instructed, "Go and check if this folding fan is an authentic work by Mr. Lin Quan, and where it came from."
After giving his instructions, Xiao Xu left the side hall.
He summoned someone to bring him food, and when he returned to the room, he saw Yun Sheng still sitting in the same spot.
"Why are you spacing out?" Xiao Xu walked over to her.
Yun Sheng looked up at him and tentatively asked, "Where did you put that thing?"
Xiao Xu's gaze darkened slightly as he stared intently at her.
Upon seeing his expression, Yun Sheng felt a little deflated.
She wasn't reluctant to part with the folding fan, but since Xiao Xu had confiscated her storybooks earlier, she couldn't help but wonder if he had put the confiscated items together with his other belongings or simply thrown them away.
He only went out for a short while and came back, so he probably had nowhere to throw it away.
But judging from his expression, he probably won't tell her.
Yun Sheng said in a muffled voice, "Fine, don't tell me then."
Xiao Xu approached and sat down beside her: "If you like Mr. Lin Quan's works, I'll give you even better ones."
"I don't like that," Yun Sheng muttered in dissatisfaction.
She didn't even know much about the deceased famous painter.
"So what do you like?"
Xiao Xu asked, glancing down at the scene.
In the days leading up to Qixi Festival, Yun Sheng wore the white jade peace buckle he had given her on her waist every day.
But she hasn't worn it for the past two days; instead, she's changed to a different set of jade pendants.
When Yun Sheng caught sight of his gaze, she naturally thought of the jade ring she had deliberately put away in the drawer and no longer wore.
It wasn't that she didn't like it, nor that she was tired of wearing it so quickly. It was just that when she thought about what Xiao Xu was feeling when he carved those intertwined red beans, she felt embarrassed to wear it openly again.
Yun Sheng, not being good at hiding her movements, clearly covered her side.
Unable to bear his gaze, she could only reveal her true intentions and whispered, "Don't compare yourself to others. I didn't care about that folding fan."
This topic was not pursued further.
Soon, food was brought into the room, and the two sat down at the table.
Before Yun Sheng could give any instructions, Cui Zhu saw that Xiao Xu had already returned to the mansion, so she quickly sent a message to the small kitchen to have the tonics sent by the princess stewed.
After the two finished their meal, a nourishing soup that had been simmering for some time was served.
Xiao Xu had a keen sense of smell and noticed a slightly unpleasant odor, causing him to frown slightly.
The jar was still covered, and Yun Sheng, not being very perceptive, hadn't smelled anything yet.
She didn't notice Xiao Xu's expression and told him loudly, "These are the tonics that Mother sent to Jinxia Courtyard today, and she also sent some to us."
Yun Sheng didn't know what the soup was for, but since it was prepared by her mother, it must be something good.
She curiously peered into the jar, and continued, "I was thinking that you're injured and have been so busy, it would be good for you to nourish yourself."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Sheng couldn't wait to reach out and lift the lid of the jar.
As soon as the lid was lifted, a strange smell, a mixture of strong medicinal herbs, earthy odor, and animal stench, rushed out.
Xiao Xu's brows immediately furrowed in disgust, and he leaned back slightly: "What is this thing?"
Yun Sheng frowned, choked by the smell: "It smells... rather peculiar."
Seeing the rich color of the soup and the high-quality ingredients, she thought of the bitter taste of good medicine, and that a tonic soup must be the same.
So Yun Sheng suppressed her discomfort and gently persuaded, "What Mother sent is naturally an excellent tonic. You were already injured, with such a long wound, and lost too much blood. You need nourishment right now."
Xiao Xu's expression grew increasingly grim.
Since turning forty, Shen Yuewan has become particular about health preservation and likes to research strange and unusual tonic soups. She sent some to his room several times, but he either refused them or threw them away.
Seeing that Shen Yuewan was no longer fixated on this matter, and now that he was married, she turned to sending it to her daughter-in-law instead.
Xiao Xu's face was cold as he said in a deep voice, "Take it out."
The maid waiting to the side was already used to it; this wasn't the first time she had received such an order. She stepped forward and reached out to take it away.
Yun Sheng was startled and quickly stopped him, saying, "Don't take it away! What are you doing?"
"Sheng Sheng, I don't need to drink this." Xiao Xu's jawline was tense; the unpleasant smell was already making it hard for him to bear.
"Why are you taking medicine like a child? Even Lan-ge'er is stronger than you."
Xiao Xu laughed in exasperation; she actually compared him to Lan Ge'er.
He didn't speak, but Yun Sheng softened her tone: "The important thing is to drink it and nourish your body. If you hold your nose and drink it, you won't be able to taste the strange flavor."
As she spoke, Yun Sheng dragged the plate under the jar towards Xiao Xu, then picked up the spoon from the side for him, watching him expectantly as he took it.
Xiao Xu kept his lips pressed together and did not accept it, still looking resistant.
Yun Sheng's hand, holding the spoon, froze in mid-air for a long time, unable to respond. She gradually became annoyed and somewhat aggrieved by his attitude.
Ever since we discovered he was injured two days ago, he's acted completely nonchalant.
But Yun Sheng saw the injury clearly; the wound was so long and deep that when Doctor Liu applied the medicine, the entire basin of water was stained bright red with blood.
But he was different. Even with his injuries, he would still cause trouble at night, and during the day he was as busy with official duties as ever, without knowing how to rest at all.
This made her seem like she was making a mountain out of a molehill. Her concern for him and her worry for him were seen as wrong and unappreciated.
Silence spread.
Yun Sheng lowered her gaze, her fingers holding the spoon began to loosen, and her eyes were faintly red.
Just as the spoon was about to fall, the bottom of the spoon hit the porcelain plate with a crisp sound.
Xiao Xu frowned, reached out and took the spoon, and also grasped Yun Sheng's hand.
Yun Sheng's entire hand was enveloped in dry heat. She suddenly raised her head, stuffed the spoon tightly into Xiao Xu's palm, and then pulled her hand away to push the jar to him.
"You need to take good care of your body so you can recover sooner."
Finally, she lowered her voice: "Otherwise, I'll keep worrying."
Xiao Xu took the spoon, scooped up a spoonful with a look of grim determination, stared at the dark, unidentified object in the spoon, held his breath, put it in his mouth, and then quickly swallowed it, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Seeing this, Yun Sheng also picked up a small bowl, filled it halfway, and endured the strange taste to show that she was sharing his suffering by drinking a sip. She then almost gagged.
She quickly pushed the small half-bowl away, then stared expectantly at Xiao Xu: "There's more, you have to finish it for it to be effective."
Under her gaze, Xiao Xu's face turned ashen as he drank the entire bowl of foul-smelling tonic soup, gulping it down to the last drop.
He let out a long breath as he put down the spoon, as if he had just fought a tough battle.
Seeing that he had finished drinking, Yun Sheng felt relieved and satisfied.
Xiao Xu suddenly looked at her, his gaze unreadable, whether intentional or sincere, and uttered his first words since then: "Sheng Sheng, have you asked your mother about the effects of this soup, whether it's for replenishing blood or for enhancing male potency?"
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[Shrug] Was the previous chapter really that obscure? Did nobody really understand it? Xiao Xu finished it instantly, and nobody laughed at him?
I'm out of ideas. I'll continue to figure out how to outsmart the reviewers later.
I'm giving out red envelopes today too.
Leave a comment below this chapter and one of 30 red envelopes will be randomly given away!
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