Chapter 202 Presenting a Thousand-Year-Old Ginseng, the Emperor is Overjoyed!
"Your subject, Shen Lanxi..."
"Your subject, Zhou Ruyuan..."
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Renxiao smiled, his face full of love and concern for his junior.
"Lanxi, come closer to your uncle, let your uncle take a good look at you!"
Shen Lanxi took a few steps forward.
"You've lost weight and gotten darker!" Emperor Renxiao said with a pained expression.
Shen Lanxi presented the gift with both hands.
"My uncle is still the same as before, even younger and more handsome than when I left."
Emperor Renxiao was amused by this witty remark.
"You silly child, you really know how to amuse me. I'm so old, yet I'm still handsome. I bet you've been hanging out with those uncouth people outside, your words are all nonsense!" Although he was scolding him, Emperor Renxiao had a smile on his face.
Everyone likes to be complimented on their youth.
Shen Lanxi opened the box and presented the treasure.
"Uncle, after I arrived in Dongchuan, I learned that ginseng was abundant there. After settling in, I asked around to find out where to find good ginseng. Finally, my efforts paid off, and I found a thousand-year-old ginseng!"
Inside the box was a red silk handkerchief. Shen Lanxi carefully opened it and revealed an old ginseng ancestor that was bound tightly with red rope, as long as a forearm and as thick as a rolling pin, with a head and tail, and limbs with lotus root segments, already in human form!
"This..." Emperor Renxiao was so excited that he immediately stood up from the dragon throne, his hands trembling as he held the box in his arms.
Compared to this ginseng, what he had eaten before were just ginseng rootlets, descendants of this ginseng ancestor.
Shen Lanxi: "I asked the local ginseng master, and this ginseng is practically a spirit; it must have lived for at least a thousand years. It can't bring the dead back to life, but it can at least revive a person while they still have a breath left. If a healthy person takes a little every few days, it can even prolong their life! By the time His Majesty finishes this whole ginseng, he'll be a hundred years old. If another such old ginseng is given to him then, perhaps he can even be rejuvenated!"
At this moment, Emperor Renxiao had long forgotten what he had been thinking, and even forgot that Zhou Ruyuan was present.
All my attention was focused on this thousand-year-old ginseng.
Since ancient times, emperors have possessed supreme power, and they have nothing left to desire. Their only wish is to live a long life and extend their reign. Throughout history, countless emperors have pursued the path to immortality. Perhaps when they were princes, they also ridiculed such absurd behavior.
It just means they haven't reached that position yet. Once they do, they'll all eventually end up on that path.
Even Emperor Renxiao could not escape it.
He looked at the treasure in the box with delight, his heart pounding with excitement.
He's been feeling stressed lately and always feels a bit overwhelmed, but now that he has this old ginseng, he no longer has to worry about his health.
"Lanxi, you are such a filial and good child!" Emperor Renxiao exclaimed.
Shen Lanxi: "Uncle is good to me, so I will be good to you. You have watched me grow up since I was a child, and in my heart, you are closer than my father. You have to manage the Great Zhou and the people of the world, which must take a lot of effort that is beyond the reach of ordinary people. I feel sorry for you, but I can't share your burden. I can only try my best to collect some rare treasures to offer to you, hoping that you can live a long and healthy life so that you can protect us younger generations!"
Emperor Renxiao laughed heartily as Shen Lanxi addressed him as "uncle" repeatedly. He also sensed the deep concern in her words, and his loving smile towards her now seemed more genuine than before.
"Lanxi still cares about her uncle!"
What she meant was that it was possible to find a thousand-year-old ginseng?
“Uncle, I have already hired the local ginseng expert in Dongchuan at a high price. Since we can find one thousand-year-old ginseng, we can definitely find another. I told them to take it to the local county government as soon as we find it and present it to you, Uncle!”
Emperor Renxiao was even more pleased to hear her say that. He glanced at the thousand-year-old ginseng every now and then. If it weren't for the two juniors present, he would have already taken the ginseng out of the treasure box and examined it carefully.
Zhou Ruyuan stared blankly at the scene of fatherly love and filial piety before him. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Shen Lanxi was the emperor's daughter.
It's only been a little over two years since I last saw her, why has she changed so much?
Emperor Renxiao reluctantly withdrew his gaze, giving his son a condescending glance. Seeing his son's empty hands, a flash of displeasure crossed his eyes.
Even when Shen Lanxi, who had been exiled, returned to the capital, he would think of bringing him something. His own son had spent two years in the Northwest, which was very close to Persia. Persia was rich in gems and spices, and he would feel gratified if he could bring him back even a single peppercorn.
After comparing them, Emperor Renxiao disliked his son even more!
"Ruyuan, go see your mother. She has been talking about you many times before. Now that you are finally back, go see her before you go back to the manor!"
Emperor Renxiao began to expel people.
Zhou Ruyuan looked embarrassed. His father told him to leave, but not Shen Lanxi. What did that mean?
Has the Emperor's dislike for him increased again?
"Father, your son..." He didn't want to leave; he wanted to stay and hear what his father had to say to Shen Lanxi.
When Emperor Renxiao saw his son's behavior, his face fell.
Why aren't you leaving yet?
This is blatantly kicking people out.
Zhou Ruyuan blushed, suddenly thinking of Bai Qingling and his son who were waiting for him to bring the imperial physician back to the Prince's mansion. He lowered his head and said with a forced smile, "Your subject would like to borrow the imperial physician!"
He didn't want to say it in front of Shen Lanxi, but he was afraid that if he was too late, his father wouldn't give him the chance to speak.
Emperor Renxiao was not truly cold-blooded and heartless. Upon hearing his son's words, he immediately asked with concern, "Where are you injured? Quickly, let the imperial physician take a look."
Zhou Ruyuan lowered his head even further, and his voice became even less confident.
"Your Majesty, I am fine. It was my concubines and children in the backyard who accompanied me on this long journey..."
Before Zhou Ruyuan could finish speaking, he was angrily interrupted by Emperor Renxiao.
"Shut up! A woman of no rank dares to expect my imperial physician to treat her? I think you haven't had enough of the Northwest yet."
Zhou Ruyuan quickly knelt on the ground.
“Father, I am only concerned about the child’s health. Lady Bai is already carrying my second child. She has been with me since the southwest and suffered with me in the northwest for more than two years. I cannot bear to see her suffer like this!”
"Shut your mouth, you foolish woman with a soft heart. Get back to your palace and reflect on your mistakes. Without my decree, you are not to come to the palace again!" The more proud this son used to be of him, the more disappointed he is now!
They were all harmed by women. Born into an imperial family, they shouldn't have had any romantic feelings for their children.
This son is outstanding in every way, but unfortunately he stumbled when it came to women.
That woman is a menace if she stays!
Emperor Renxiao's gaze fell on Shen Lanxi. The third prince was still without a principal wife. She had been forced by circumstances to divorce him. Otherwise, she and the third prince would not have divorced.
Looking at it now, Shen Lanxi does have some tricks up her sleeve. If the two of them can reconcile...
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