Chapter 183 Concubines
Qi Jun's gaze swept across the little girl's fair face before he looked up at the azure sky and said:
"The Qilin Guard has already investigated the Xiao family, Gu Linyan, and even Ren Ze... If you are colluding with foreign races and harboring treacherous intentions, the Qilin Guard has the right to arrest you first and report later."
"I have always believed in trusting those I employ and not employing those I don't trust. I won't force you to say what you don't want to say."
The Crown Prince's voice was calm and clear, and Qi Yuxuan tightened her grip on the reins.
The crown prince didn't ask, and she didn't speak of it herself.
This means that as long as the goal is achieved, the crown prince will not investigate the process.
Or rather, even if she truly harbored some unspeakable secret, if she were to threaten the foundation of the Qi state, the crown prince was absolutely certain that he could immediately capture and eliminate her.
This wasn't the Crown Prince's trust in her; it was the Crown Prince's trust in himself.
Such arrogance and unruliness, yet somehow impossible to refute.
"Your Highness is truly farsighted and insightful. I admire you greatly."
The little girl's expression was indifferent, but for some reason, Qi Jun could detect a hint of gritted teeth in her praise.
"Why don't you call me cousin? You have no respect for elders."
He raised his arm and flicked Qi Yuxuan's forehead with his finger, leaving a red mark immediately.
Qi Yuxuan covered her forehead and looked at the Crown Prince in disbelief.
"cousin!"
Qi Jun was taken aback. The girl had fair skin, and he had only used less than 10% of his strength, yet the red mark was still quite noticeable.
He awkwardly touched the tallow tree beneath him, his gaze avoiding Qi Yuxuan's eyes.
"Yes, continue learning about horses..."
The next day.
Having spent too much time learning to ride horses the day before, Qi Yuxuan had chafed her side of her leg, and today she had to be helped out of bed by two maids.
"hiss--"
A sharp pain shot through her inner thigh, and Qi Yuxuan's composure, no matter how good, completely crumbled, causing her to gasp in shock.
"Princess, why are you in such a hurry to learn to ride a horse? Noble ladies always travel by carriage. You can learn at your own pace."
Bihui applied the medicine to her with a pained expression. The ointment was cool and had a minty fragrance. It melted in the warmth of her fingertips and palms before slowly falling onto the little girl's already swollen skin.
Qi Yuxuan couldn't help but wince in pain.
Pei Xing'er prepared the ointment overnight. When she learned that Qi Yuxuan had ridden a horse for half a day, she smiled gloatingly and then rushed to find medicinal herbs to make the ointment for her.
Qi Yuxuan was still somewhat puzzled when she heard her say that:
"Why do I need medication? I'm not injured and don't need any."
She learned a lot from riding a horse today, and she and Xueyun are becoming more and more in sync and perfectly in sync.
Pei Xing'er nodded seriously:
"Your Highness is right. You are not injured. Please do not ask me for medicine first thing tomorrow morning."
Qi Yuxuan went to sleep with doubts, but the next morning, the inside of her thighs were so sore that she could hardly lift her legs and even getting out of bed was extremely difficult.
When the eldest princess learned of this, she did not laugh at her, but instead reprimanded several of the maids around her.
"The princess is young and doesn't know when to stop when learning to ride. Why didn't you all try to persuade her? How could a child like her have to ride for half a day as a beginner? Now look what's happened, she'll suffer for at least ten days to half a month!"
The maids nodded repeatedly after being scolded, lowered their heads in shame, and dared not speak.
Even Qi Jun, who was far away in the Eastern Palace, was lightly reprimanded by Aunt Meng, who was by the side of the Eldest Princess.
Behind the long table, the man, somewhere between a boy and a young man, slowly furrowed his brow, lowered his arrogant eyes that shone like stars, and suddenly revealed a pure blankness.
Qi Jun glanced at Aunt Meng, then looked at his own thigh.
"Aunt Meng, it was my oversight."
Aunt Meng noticed his confusion, hesitated for a moment, then moved her lips and said:
"Your Highness has been learning riding and archery since childhood and is already used to it, so naturally you don't feel anything about it. But the Princess has never learned to ride a horse before, let alone stay on a horse for such a long time. Wouldn't she get injured?"
"The eldest princess said that from now on, the princess should learn to ride a horse for no more than half an hour each day. Any more than that is absolutely not allowed. Only by proceeding step by step can one make progress gradually. I would appreciate it if His Highness the Crown Prince could take this into consideration."
Qi Jun nodded earnestly: "Thank you for your guidance, Aunt Meng. I understand now."
"I dare not. Then I will return to the Princess's residence first."
"Take care, Aunt Meng."
Qi Yuxuan had finally finished applying the medicine Pei Xing'er had brought when suddenly a voice came from outside.
She tried to stand up and go outside to see what was going on, but she had barely stood up a couple of breaths before she was forced to sit back down in pain.
Who's outside?
Just then, Lanxin lifted the curtain and came in, followed by a maid carrying a jade bottle.
"Princess, His Highness the Crown Prince, upon hearing of your injuries, specially sent someone to deliver this item—"
Qi Yuxuan's ears turned red, and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed when she heard the words "heartbreak".
It's not about injury; it's that she was too eager for quick success, which is why she trained too hard and injured herself.
After the Crown Prince left yesterday, she still felt unsatisfied and ran around with Xueyun for a long time. That's probably why she's in so much pain today.
"This is a medicinal oil prepared by the imperial physicians. It's incredibly effective for sprains and bruises. Many soldiers in the army also use it after training, but..."
Lanxin felt a little apprehensive when she recalled how the little eunuch who had just delivered the items had explained the method of using the medicinal oil with a troubled expression.
"Just what?"
Qi Yuxuan took the medicated oil, looked it over, and tried to open the lid to take a look.
"However, to achieve the full effect of the medicine, the wound needs to be massaged with the medicated oil every morning and evening to speed up the healing process. What would normally take ten days to half a month to heal can be shortened by half!"
As soon as Lan Xin finished speaking, she saw Qi Yuxuan's eyes widen, with tears welling up in her beautiful eyes, as if she had already felt the pain she had to endure.
She looked at the jade bottle in her hand, unsure whether to open it again or throw it back.
"Princess, it's better to end the pain quickly than to prolong it. Let us help you apply the medicated oil!"
"..."
The Xiao family.
Xiao Jue has been demoted again and will soon be leaving the capital to serve as a prefectural judge in Xiangyin County. Lin Hui is directing the people in the mansion to prepare his travel luggage.
"Are these clothes enough for all four seasons? Xiangyin is damp, so we should bring thick clothes and herbs to ward off the cold, just in case."
She indifferently touched Xiao Jue's clothes in the trunk and gave him a businesslike instruction.
The head nurses lined up, bowing and scraping as they smiled:
"Don't worry, Madam. All of these are prepared. It's not like the young master will never return to the capital. Xiangyin is prosperous and rich in resources, so Madam doesn't need to worry."
"Hmm, it's good that everything is prepared. Have you taught those two girls proper manners?"
Speaking of this, one of the steward mothers beamed with joy, because one of the girls was her own daughter!
Being chosen by the eldest young master to be his concubine and to accompany him to his post is an immense honor. If, after the eldest young mistress enters the mansion, she is fortunate enough to give birth to a son or daughter, then the whole family will benefit from her success!
"They've been trained long ago, just waiting for Madam's approval!"
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