Eunuch Fude quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness is too kind. The Crown Prince's Palace never prepares tea, so it's troublesome that Your Highness has come without any good tea to serve you. It is only right that Sister Suyue go back to the Duke's Mansion to get some."
Su Youran asked again, "We used pre-Qingming silver tea, which has a very mild flavor. It should be fine, right?"
Fu De paused noticeably before respectfully replying, "Your Highness is now a physician, so I dare not lie to you. The Eastern Palace does indeed forbid the presence of any food with a strong odor. But since this Silver Needle tea is Your Highness's favorite, you may drink it without worry. However... please do not bring it into the main hall so that His Highness may smell it. Physician Gu has instructed that His Highness's illness is most averse to any fragrance."
Su Youran vaguely felt that the illness sounded familiar, but then she thought that she could not possibly dine at the same table as His Highness the Crown Prince, so how could she possibly drink tea in front of him? So she nodded and said, "Of course."
She then stepped into the main hall and asked, seemingly casually, "Eunuch, why is there no threshold in this Zichen Hall?"
Fude stiffened again, and said awkwardly, "Hehe... I'm just afraid... I'll fall."
Su Youran was full of question marks.
Did you fall?
Upon entering the hall, they indeed discovered that all the candlesticks along the walls were hidden in cages...
Stepping into the inner chamber, one finds the bedroom completely empty except for a bed and a large table...
She suddenly understood and looked at Ford with some sympathy.
Perhaps this is the standard feature of a home for the unlucky?
She had just reached the bedside and was suppressing her gossipy urge to ask Fude about the unfortunate crown prince's misfortunes when she heard Fude rush to the bedside and anxiously call out, "Your Highness!"
Su Youran turned her head and saw Chu Heng sitting half-on the bed, his face covered in blood.
She was startled, then saw Chu Heng cover his nose and lips with one hand and reach out to Fude with the other.
Fude hurriedly took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to him.
Chu Heng quickly wiped the blood from his lips.
Seeing that the Crown Prince was unharmed, Fu De breathed a sigh of relief and asked with concern, "Your Highness, did you bump into something again?"
Chu Heng stuffed the handkerchief back to Fu De, then gave a wry smile, "Don't panic, it's just bumping into the door."
He got up to go to the bathroom, but then he bumped into the door again, causing his nose to bleed.
He thought that wiping it off would be fine, but when he sat back on the bed, the blood started dripping again, which is when Su Youran saw it clearly.
Upon hearing this, Su Youran could only keep her eyes down and not dare to show any sympathy or schadenfreude.
Seeing that Chu Heng had finished tidying up, she bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Chu Heng nodded his chin to the side, "Fude, please take a seat."
As if by magic, Fu De pulled out a small stool from the foot of the bed. "Princess, please have a seat."
Su Youran sat down. "Is Your Highness feeling any better?"
Chu Heng smiled, "As long as you're here, I'll be fine."
Su Youran's initial sympathy vanished instantly, and she said coldly, "Your Highness, please have some self-respect."
Is this something you can just say to any young woman?
Besides, she had just politely declined his marriage proposal, and now he's trying to seduce her again? Has he no shame?
Chu Heng was taken aback. He waved to Fu De to let him leave, then said with a wry smile, "These words were the Imperial Preceptor's assertion. I was merely reciting them verbatim and had no intention of offending anyone."
"Master?" Su Youran asked in surprise, "Why would Master say that?"
Chu Heng sighed, glanced around the empty room, and said, "As you probably know, I'm a person plagued by bad luck. This hall is arranged like this because I'm afraid I'll bump into things and fall. After the Imperial Advisor entered the palace, I specifically asked him to analyze my fate. He said that my fortune is meager, and to change my luck, I need to find someone with abundant fortune to accompany me. On the day of the Imperial Advisor's wedding, I thought I had everything arranged, but I still didn't expect that I would be poisoned that day and almost miss the opportunity. Fortunately, the county princess and the princess sneaked into the Imperial Advisor's mansion at night, which cleared the way for those seven gourd... seven senior brothers and turned the tide. That's why I grabbed you so desperately after I woke up."
He paused for a moment and continued, "The Imperial Advisor came to see me yesterday and said that as long as you are here, I can turn danger into safety even if I die ten times."
Su Youran stared in astonishment for a long while, her mouth slightly agape, before asking incredulously, "Did Master really say that?"
Chu Heng nodded, "Whether the Imperial Preceptor is the County Princess's teacher or not, we can find out with a simple question."
Su Youran thought so too. Her master was closer to her, and Chu Heng wouldn't tell such an easily exposed lie. So she asked, "So, the day you proposed at the state banquet, it was just to get rid of your bad luck?"
Chu Heng hesitated, "This is a difficult question for me to answer, Princess."
If the answer is yes, then he is not genuinely seeking marriage.
If the answer is no, how can he explain expressing his desire to marry her after only meeting her a few times?
Su Youran thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "I know Your Highness is using me as a shield!"
This is a good stepping stone.
Chu Heng breathed a sigh of relief and sincerely apologized, "I apologize for my recklessness on these two occasions. I had absolutely no intention of offending you."
One time he rashly proposed to her, and the other time he wouldn't let her go.
She felt that her dislike for the Crown Prince had lessened somewhat.
After all, when life and death are at stake, everyone will grasp at any straw.
Since there was a reason for it, he couldn't be said that he coveted her for no reason.
After being told so frankly, she felt relieved.
She generously replied, "In that case, I forgive you!"
Chu Heng smiled, "I'm on good terms with Yuan Bai, may I call you Youran like he would?"
Su Youran frowned. "He usually calls me junior sister."
"Well, I am not your senior brother, so it is really inappropriate for me to call you junior sister."
Su Youran thought for a moment, "Alright then. If there are no outsiders present, Your Highness may call me Youran."
“Alright, Youran.” Chu Hengxin’s brows were full of smiles. “There are no outsiders here, so let’s be casual with each other. You can call me Chu Heng.”
Su Youran remained noncommittal, then asked, "Do you completely believe what Master says?"
Chu Heng nodded, "The Imperial Preceptor is incredibly powerful, so of course I believe in him."
Su Youran was both amused and exasperated. "So, Your Highness is going to keep me from letting go?"
Chu Heng shook his head, "Once Doctor Gu returns and I feel better, I can go back home."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "No, if You Ran does not wish to stay in the East Palace, she can return at any time."
However, his expression darkened as he finished speaking.
Su Youran thought for a moment and asked, "Does the poison in your body relapse regularly every month? When?"
Chu Heng said, "It doesn't matter when, sometimes it takes three to five days, sometimes three to five hours, and sometimes it may take one or two months."
She hesitated for a moment before revealing her guess: "I just drew your blood for testing. Although I am not skilled in poisons, I can tell that this residual poison... did not recur in your body on its own."
Chu Heng sensed something amiss and sat up straight. "You mean... the residual poison in my body only multiplied and even relapsed because of a trigger?"
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