Chapter 48 Pine Nuts

After a while, Jun Jingxing sat cross-legged on the ground and continued to make medicine.

"I thought you were such a smart person, but I didn't expect you to have such a problem. Now I am wondering if you were also suffering from depression when you drank the poisoned wine for the prince. Otherwise, why would you seek death like this?" Jun Jingxing scolded without even looking up, "Have you ever been in this situation before? Tell me carefully - hey, what are you doing? Don't try to be lazy, keep picking up the pieces!"

Sui Yan, who wanted to sneakily climb onto the soft chair and sit down, shivered suddenly, turned back pitifully, and continued to squat on the ground, picking up the scattered herbs bit by bit.

The two baskets he overturned happened to contain herbs as tender as tea buds, which were scattered all over the ground. He couldn't sweep them up, so he could only pick them up one by one.

Sui Yan squatted on the ground, his outer robe spread all over the floor. He hugged his knees and complained as he picked up the medicine: "All these medicines fell on the ground. You can just throw them away. Why do you have to pick them up? They are all dirty."

Sui Yan had been pampered since childhood and had never done such delicate work. What's more, Jun Jingxing didn't allow the servants to help. His fingers became sore after pinching the herbs for a while.

Jun Jingxing scolded, "Is there anyone as wasteful as you? Keep picking up the groceries. Don't even think about going back until you've finished picking them up."

Sui Yan had no choice but to lower his head and pick them up one by one.

Jun Jingxing said: "Go on."

Sui Yan thought for a moment and said, "At the palace banquet on New Year's Eve, I was frightened by the emperor and wanted to jump into the lake, but Ming Chong stopped me."

Jun Jingxing: “…”

Jun Jingxing's face twisted for a moment, he was annoyed by his intimate address, and said with a pale face: "It's rude to call me Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Sui Yan deliberately hated him: "My prince saved me."

Jun Jingxing: “…”

Jun Jingxing took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, "Do you want to be stabbed with a few more needles?"

Sui Yan had just been stabbed by Jun Jingxing and was howling like a ghost. Upon hearing this, he immediately lowered his head and quickly picked up herbs, not daring to say anything else.

After working like this for more than half an hour, Sui Yan finally picked up all the herbs on the ground.

The two of them had lunch at the marquis's mansion. Jun Jingxing went to prepare the medicine himself, boiled a bowl of medicine for him, and forced him to drink it.

After Sui Yan drank the medicine, he became listless. He leaned on the soft chair, basking in the sun, and didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

Jun Jingxing took out a small blanket from the room and covered him with it, and said unhappily, "Why do you become more and more irritable after going to the East Palace?"

Sui Yan raised his foot: "If you say I'm spoiled again, I'll kick you."

Jun Jingxing sneered: "You kick, and if you knock over the medicine, you still have to pick it up for me. If you don't pick up all the medicine, don't even think about going back."

Sui Yan immediately withdrew his foot, swallowing his anger.

Jun Jingxing continued to look through the medicine. Sui Yan closed his eyes and rested for a while. He seemed to have thought of something and said, "I've always wanted to know what medicine you gave Duan Xichen?"

Jun Jingxing paused and said, "It's a rare poison."

Sui Yan asked, "Then why did he go berserk when I got close to him? Was it because of the scent of medicine on me?"

Jun Jingxing sighed and said, "Yes."

"Can the addictive medicinal fragrance cure his poison?"

"right."

Sui Yan said “Oh”. Since he had said that he would not get involved in Jun Jingxing’s affairs, he stopped there and did not ask any more questions. It was enough for him to have some idea in his mind so that he would not be completely in the dark later.

Jun Jingxing continued to make medicine on the side.

Sui Yan closed his eyes and slept for a while, then suddenly threw off the blanket and sat up, saying, "No, I can't sleep here, I'd better go back to find my little prince."

Jun Jingxing: “…”

Jun Jingxing was once again annoyed by this "little prince".

"Hurry up and get out of here, don't come back."

Sui Yan asked Haitang to tie his cape for him and chuckled, "Thank you for your kind words. When I marry into the East Palace, I will definitely not come back to suffer your anger."

Jun Jingxing made a needle gesture to him, and Sui Yan was so scared that he ran away in a hurry.

When Sui Yan was escorted out of the mansion by Hai Tang, he saw the peach buds at the door. After thinking for a moment, he said to Hai Tang, "This flower looks good. Pick one for me to take to the East Palace."

The servant guarding the door turned green in the face, wondering who wanted to cut down trees just now?

Haitang knew her young master's temper, so she ran over without saying a word and broke off a branch full of flower buds for him.

Sui Yan looked around and thought it was a good idea, so he took the flowers and got on the carriage.

Soon, the carriage rocked into the palace.

Sui Yan was in a good mood after he had resolved the knot in his heart. Even the deep hatred that Duan Mingchong had for not wanting to touch his waist was easily forgotten. He returned to the East Palace with the flowers and asked someone to find a vase for him to put them in and placed them on the table next to the charcoal basin in the side hall.

He struggled for a while, but didn't see Duan Mingchong coming to see him, so he asked the palace servant beside him, "Where is His Highness?"

The palace maid said, "It seems to be in the Fifth Prince's palace."

Sui Yan let out a “wow” and murmured, “What a man says in bed really doesn’t count.”

Yesterday, Duan Mingchong gently comforted him and told him not to go to Duan Xichen so often. But after he had been away for a long time, he actually went there again.

The palace maid beside him turned pale with fright at his words.

This man dared to openly say obscene words and flirt with the Emperor's woman. Now he suddenly said such words. Could it be that he still has some kind of romantic thoughts about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?

The palace maids trembled, looking at Sui Yan with eyes full of jealousy and fear.

This young marquis looks harmless and lovable, but he is actually a ruthless person at heart. Don't dare to provoke him.

Sui Yan had lost all his dignity ever since he spread rumors that Duan Xichen had molested him in his previous life, and now he spoke without any restraint.

He didn't notice what he said, and ordered the palace servants, "Watch the branches for me, and tell me when the flowers bloom."

The palace maid quickly agreed and did not dare to refuse.

Although Jun Jingxing and Duan Mingchong had warned him not to go out and run around, Sui Yan was the kind of person who would go against your will even though you kept telling me not to do it. He threw their warnings behind his back and leisurely took his men to Duan Xichen's bedroom.

Sui Yan went there to avoid Duan Mingchong. He quietly went to Duan Xichen's bedroom. People inside were busy coming and going, bringing with them a strong smell of medicine.

Sui Yan didn't smell anything at first, until he walked into the inner room of the bedroom, then he seemed to realize that the medicinal fragrance was a little special, and seemed to be of the same origin as the one he had used before.

Sui Yan's thoughts were very active, and he probably understood why Jun Jingxing told him not to run around.

He had no intention of letting himself get addicted to drugs again, so he quietly left without waiting for anyone to report to him.

Knowing that Duan Xichen would suffer later, Sui Yan felt better. He walked out of the hall for a while and was thinking about going to the Yu Garden to prune crabapples to put in a vase when he ran into Jiang Enhe in court robes.

Sui Yan turned around and was about to run.

Jiang Enhe took a few quick steps and greeted him warmly: "Wang Gui!"

Sui Yan turned around and said with a fake smile: "Young Master Jiang."

Jiang Enhe glared and said, "I am now admitted to the Imperial Academy. You have to call me Lord Jiang!"

Sui Yan looked at him speechlessly, slapped his claws off his shoulders, and said calmly: "If that's the case, Lord Jiang, when you meet the young marquis of the dynasty, do you also have to show respect?"

Sui Yan never puts on airs in front of others and always greets people with a smile. Jiang Enhe almost forgot his identity.

Jiang Enhe: "Uh..."

Sui Yan glared at him and said, "Bow down! If you don't, I will tell the emperor that you are defying his authority."

After Jiang Enhe entered the Imperial Academy, he became much more sensible. If it were any other time, he would have quarreled with Sui Yan a long time ago. But now, he smiled flatteringly, came over, and quietly stuffed a small sachet in his hand into his hand, saying, "Take this, and please forgive me this time, young marquis."

This was the first time that Sui Yan had been bribed by using his identity. He was very curious and said as he opened the sachet, "I didn't expect that you, Jiang Enhe, have only been in the Imperial Academy for less than half a month, and you are already so..."

When the sachet was opened, it contained a bag full of peeled pine nuts.

Sui Yan had a blank expression on his face: "...Say."

Jiang Enhe was not one to sit idle. He stroked his hair and said, "It's too boring to listen to the elders discussing matters, so I secretly brought some snacks here. Now I give them all to you. Don't tell my dad about me."

Song Xian had offended Sui Yan with a few words before, and was punished by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Now he is frightened when he hears the name Sui Wanggui. Jiang Enhe does not want to offend this little ancestor because of a small matter.

Sui Yan shook the sachet and said coldly, "Let's not talk about the fact that you bribed me to keep my mouth shut, which is against the law. Have you ever seen a master bribed by you with a bag of pine nuts?"

Jiang Enhe: "If you don't want to eat it, give it back to me."

Sui Yan stuffed the sachet directly into his arms and changed the subject: "Hey, I can do it."

Jiang Enhe: "..."

Sui Yan said: "I'll spare you this time."

Jiang Enhe looked at him with a pale face: "I heard that you are living in the East Palace now. Don't you even have pine nuts to eat? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince won't be so harsh on you. I heard that he dotes on you."

Sui Yan hid the pine nuts carefully and said casually, "He doesn't allow me to eat anything from outside, saying it's not clean."

Jiang Enhe felt that Sui Yan's words were full of intimacy, which sounded a little unnatural. He coughed and said, "You go on playing. I have things to do."

Sui Yan said “hmm” and the two went their separate ways.

Sui Yan had Songzi and had no interest in going to Yu Garden. He took his people back to the East Palace and threatened the palace maids who followed him: "Don't tell His Highness where I went today."

The palace ladies had their grievances but could not express them, and could not afford to offend him, so they could only nod in humiliation.

The flower buds on the peach branches he picked were warmed by the charcoal brazier for half a day, and they slowly bloomed one by one. Sui Yan liked them more and more, and sat in a chair, eating pine nuts while watching the flowers bloom.

After a while, the sound of palace maids paying respects could be faintly heard outside the side hall, and it seemed that Duan Mingchong had returned.

Sui Yan was startled at once, and quickly jumped up to tie up the sachet in his hand and stuffed it into his sleeve.

As soon as Duan Mingchong entered the room, he saw Sui Yan's hand coming out from his sleeve. He hid it so hastily that half of the purple tassel was faintly visible from the cuffs.

Duan Mingchong walked in calmly and said softly, "I'm back."

Sui Yan nodded.

Duan Mingchong thought for a moment, took off his cloak and handed it to the palace servant, saying, "Take it and wash it."

It was all filled with the scent of medicine that was lingering in Duan Xichen's bedroom.

The palace maid took it, bowed and left.

When the scent of medicine on his body had almost dissipated, Duan Mingchong walked to Sui Yan's side and asked with a smile, "What are you hiding?"

Sui Yan hurriedly shook his head and changed the subject: "How is the Fifth Prince now?"

Duan Mingchong sat beside him, staring at the tassels on his sleeves, and said calmly, "It is said that the medicine is very effective. He can move now and will be able to get out of bed in a few days. The miracle doctor in Jiangnan really has a miraculous hand that can bring people back to health."

Sui Yan nodded, and their fingers entangled with each other and moved around in a mess.

Duan Mingchong asked: "So, what did you hide just now?"

Sui Yan wailed in his heart, why are you still holding on to this matter?

He shook his head desperately, and Duan Mingchong laughed and said, "Your sleeves are showing."

Sui Yan quickly put his hands behind his waist.

Duan Mingchong was even more certain that he was hiding something that was not to be seen by others. Actually, Duan Mingchong did not intend to interfere in Sui Yan's private affairs, but the way Sui Yan was addicted to drugs and looking for incense everywhere was too shocking. He was afraid that Sui Yan would bring drugs and incense from the Marquis' Mansion and use them secretly again, so this time he made up his mind to get to the bottom of it.

Seeing Sui Yan looking like he had seen a ghost, Duan Mingchong became more certain of his guess.

Duan Mingchong stretched out his hand and said calmly, "Take it out and let me see it."

Sui Yan: “I don’t.”

Duan Mingchong just laughed. He stood up and walked to Sui Yan's side. He put one hand on the armrest and leaned over slightly, trapping Sui Yan in the chair and cutting off his chance of escaping. His other hand steadily reached behind his waist to grab the sleeve.

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan saw his intention and quickly dodged his hand to the side. Duan Mingchong missed his chance and directly touched Sui Yan's waist.

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan's ears suddenly turned red.

He had been agonizing over why Duan Mingchong didn't touch his waist since yesterday. Now that Duan Mingchong touched it accidentally, his face turned red and he tried to avoid it timidly.

Duan Mingchong chuckled and whispered softly in his ear, "You have gained some weight."

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan's waist went limp and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Duan Mingchong took advantage of his distraction, grabbed his hand, pulled the tassel, and pulled the sachet out of his sleeve.

Sui Yan was misled by the beauty and watched the sachet fall into Duan Mingchong's hands.

However, he tied the string of the sachet tightly and ate most of the pine nuts. Duan Mingchong only felt that the sachet was filled with something lightly, but he did not open it to take a look.

Sui Yan looked at him cautiously.

Duan Mingchong himself was stunned. He looked at the embroidery on the sachet for a long time before returning the sachet awkwardly.

Sui Yan grabbed it immediately and stuffed it into his collar this time.

Duan Mingchong said hesitantly: "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was this..."

Sui Yan nodded vaguely.

Duan Mingchong saw how precious he was and couldn't help asking, "Which girl gave this to you?"

Sui Yan was stunned for a moment before he nodded hurriedly: "Yeah, yeah!"

Duan Ming Chong immediately understood. No wonder he looked so afraid of being seen. It turned out that he was shy.

Duan Mingchong smiled and said, "Then you have to keep it well."

Sui Yan nodded randomly.

Duan Mingchong said nothing more. He looked at the sky outside and said, "It's time to eat. I'll go see if the medicine is ready."

As he spoke, he nodded politely to Sui Yan, then stood up and left the side hall.

I don't know why, but as soon as the door closed, the gentle smile on his face quickly disappeared.

Duan Mingchong stood there, touched his chest with his hand, frowned slightly, and left after a while.