Chapter 330 Doctor Jiang's Unique Secret?
Xu Mama smiled and nodded, "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will definitely deliver it."
"This morning, Her Highness the Imperial Concubine originally intended to come see you in person, but the little princess insisted that Her Highness accompany her, which caused a delay."
"Mother, please don't come over. It's cold, and your health is important. I should be the one to pay my respects to you, but I'm afraid that my illness might affect you and my younger sister, so I'll wait a few days. Please reassure your mother."
Upon hearing this, Granny Xu paused for a moment, then said with a smile, "Your Highness has truly grown up since you went out this time."
Thinking to herself, the prince's words were so well-intentioned that they were almost impeccable. Xu Mama suppressed her surprise, and then, as if she had just noticed the few eunuchs at the door, asked, "Your Highness, why is it so lively here today? So many jewels and ornaments, this old servant is dazzled. Could it be that Your Highness has found a girl you like?"
Granny Xu chuckled softly, looking at Xuan Ting with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.
“Granny Xu, please be careful with your words. His Highness has just turned eleven after the New Year. The Emperor has said that princes under the age of thirteen are not allowed to be engaged. If the Emperor hears what you have said, he may not be pleased.”
An Dehai couldn't help but roll his eyes. That old man, what a show-off! He's determined to find out, but who is he trying to disgust with? Does he think His Highness is a child?
"Oh dear, Eunuch An, please don't be offended. This old servant was just joking. It's just that Her Highness the Imperial Concubine asked what he was doing, and this servant doesn't know how to answer her when he gets back."
An Dehai gritted his teeth in anger. "You dog slave! You're still so arrogant when you're trying to get information. You've really given her too much face!"
Xuan Ting merely raised an eyebrow, then suddenly smiled and said, "Isn't it my little sister's birthday? I'm just picking out a birthday gift for her. Granny, you must keep this a secret for me. Only tell Mother, and absolutely do not let my little sister know."
Upon hearing this, Granny Xu felt much relieved, and her eyes crinkled with laughter as she repeatedly agreed.
Xuan Ting coughed a few more times and propped his head up.
An Dehai immediately understood: "Is Your Highness feeling unwell? This servant will help you back to rest."
Seeing this, Xu Mama immediately said, "Your Highness, please rest. I have delivered the goods and will go back to report now."
Xuan Ting nodded: "Xiao Luzi, escort Granny Xu."
"yes."
Seeing Xu Mama leave, An Dehai angrily spat. He glanced at his own prince, but ultimately refrained from uttering those harsh words.
However, seeing Xuan Ting ladle soup over with a spoon, An Dehai couldn't help but grab Xuan Ting's wrist: "Your Highness, do you really want to drink it?"
Xuan Ting glanced at it but put it down without comment.
As An Dehai was clearing the table, his anger flared up again: "His Highness has caught a cold and is weak. The Imperial Hospital has said he shouldn't eat such a highly nourishing dish as ginseng soup. But the Consort Gui has sent this stuff. Didn't she say she cooked it herself? It hasn't been that far from here, so why is the oil on top all congealed?"
Seeing his prince's increasingly thin face after falling ill, An Dehai couldn't help but feel sorry for him: "A little inquiry would have revealed that the prince is not her biological son, and she simply doesn't care about him at all!"
Xuan Ting's expression didn't change much upon hearing this, but he stared at the food box and said, "My little sister wasn't born to her either, but she's quite devoted to her."
Xuan Ting used to envy his younger sister. The Imperial Concubine often said that his sister was too young, and she spent most of her time taking care of her, inevitably neglecting him, and he always believed it. Sometimes, when the Imperial Concubine treated him differently from his sister, he would turn a blind eye. Perhaps he was deceiving himself, thinking that the Imperial Concubine still had a motherly heart for him.
However, he unexpectedly met Aunt Nuan.
I just realized that what she said earlier was nonsense.
Aunt Nuan has three children. Baozhu is the same age as her younger sister. Aunt Nuan often takes care of Baozhu more, but she has never neglected her older brother Ping and her younger brother Xiao Er. Perhaps that family lacked food and drink and lived a tight life, but everyone remembered what everyone liked and disliked, and the whole family would never let anyone suffer.
In the past, Xuan Ting didn't know what was good, but now, he was wearing the soft and well-fitting nightgown that Aunt Nuan had bought for him, carrying the self-defense powder that Aunt Nuan had given him in his arms, and wearing the mosquito-repelling and refreshing sachet that Aunt Nuan had made for him on his waist. How could he still crave that bowl of cold chicken soup?
Thinking this, she suddenly said, "I remember, Baozhu's birthday is also the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. What a coincidence, they were born on the same day, month, and year!"
An Dehai was also taken aback: "What a coincidence! But Miss Baozhu seems to be more than half a head taller than the little princess. I thought they were a year apart."
Xuan Ting's expression softened slightly, and his gaze once again fell on the trays carried by the servants.
"Wrap up that pearl and send it to Mother. As for the multi-jeweled necklace, wrap it up and keep it for the little princess's birthday."
After saying that, he pointed to a piece of red jade: "This red jade headdress, and the luminous pearl, and the rest of the items, all keep them and send them to Aunt Nuan."
An Dehai asked in surprise, "Your Highness, are you not planning to give Miss Baozhu a birthday gift?"
Xuan Ting rolled his eyes at him: "What nonsense are you talking about? Look inside, where is there anything left for the little girl?"
After thinking for a moment, his expression turned cold as he said, "Go and bring me all the records from the past few years in my palace, and also summon the head eunuch to give me his report. It's time to take stock of my things."
Xuan Ting had never really grasped the concept of possessions since childhood, but Aunt Nuan kept a monthly budget, remembering exactly what items were added to the household and how much was spent. He suddenly wanted to know just how much he actually owned.
Leaving aside his mother's dowry, just consider the things his father, the emperor, has bestowed upon him over the years, including his share as a prince; these things alone would be considerable.
How can you say, to use An Dehai's words, that you can't even afford to fight over a mountain of gold?
An Dehai was overjoyed that his prince had suddenly become so enlightened. He was so happy that his mouth almost stretched to his ears and teeth. He hurriedly went to give orders, as if afraid that Xuan Ting would change his mind.
Xuan Ting waited listlessly, stroking the medicine bottle for wounds on the table: "Sigh, time is passing too slowly. When will Li Junping finally pass the exam and come to the capital?"
…
The Qianqing Palace.
The young eunuch entered through the snow-covered corridor, quickly brushing the snowflakes off his clothes, and cautiously asked, "Eunuch Li, is the Emperor asleep? A letter has arrived from the Great Wilderness."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li said, "He's awake right now. Wait a moment, I'll go in and tell him."
"Oh, thank you for your trouble."
Inside the bedchamber, the Magpie Physician stood at the front, solemnly practicing his boxing: "Drawing the bow left and right like shooting an eagle, wrists outstretched, bow drawn, steps together."
The emperor behind him, dressed in a moon-white robe, also began to imitate him, but his brows were furrowed deeply.
"Dr. Magpie, are you sure this boxing technique really works?"
"Of course!" Doctor Que patted his chest confidently. "This is something Sanqi learned from Doctor Jiang. It must be Doctor Jiang's secret technique. I also saw Doctor Jiang practice this style of boxing once, but I didn't learn it. Sanqi is clever; she recorded it while she was with Doctor Jiang. I think it must be because of this style of boxing that she, a small woman, is so strong."
(End of this chapter)
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