Chapter 12 The Fox's Randomly Mixed Potions "The Thirteenth Prince was hidden on his table..."
Ever since the fox learned that food was free, it began to eat and drink excessively and indulge in a wild and unrestrained lifestyle.
"Qiuyuan, do you still have any of this braised tendon? I'd like to have some more," the fox asked, looking up from the empty plate.
Qiu Yuan held a tray in her hands, hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, I shouldn't have said anything, but you've already eaten three plates. Eating so much at once, you might hurt yourself."
She hadn't actually finished speaking when the Thirteenth Prince ate a bowl of meatball soup, three cups of grape syrup, some roasted mutton, chicken legs and wings, and three pieces of chestnut cake.
I'm going to burst if I eat any more...
The fox looked down at its belly, then touched it with its hand. It seemed a bit round, so it obediently nodded, "Then I won't eat it."
Qiu Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. She never knew that one person could eat so much.
With nothing to do after a good meal, the fox packed up a delicious portion of tendon and a pot of grape juice, intending to visit Zhou Yiqing, who hadn't been seen for a long time.
I have no idea what this guy is busy with. I haven't seen him at all, and when I do see him, he does it in a secretive and sneaky way.
The fox, carrying vegetables, took a shortcut to Zhou Yiqing's alchemy room. After easily bypassing the guards, he pushed the door open a crack and peeked inside.
Zhou Yiqing was standing in the courtyard, covered in dust and dirt, bending over to scoop water from the water vat to wash his face, as if he had just been hit by a cannonball.
Seeing someone coming, he cleared his throat, about to put on an act, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was the fox. He hastily wiped his face with his sleeve, pulled over a chair, and said, "Sit down. I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't been able to go out and haven't had time to think about you."
The fox handed over the food box, sat down in the chair, and watched Zhou Yiqing wolf down his food with gusto, praising it enthusiastically. The fox couldn't help but wonder, why was Zhou Yiqing so hungry? Couldn't he make a living based on his looks?
It seems that not everyone can use their looks to please someone.
Sigh, it's not easy to get a free meal.
I, the little fox, am still the best.
Zhou Yiqing had no idea what shocking things the fox was thinking. She wiped her mouth, put down her chopsticks, and winked at him, "How's your... Ninth Prince doing?"
"Tinglan is doing well."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yiqing silently looked away.
He recently met with Tinglan a few times and was surprised to find that the "Nine Thousand Years Old" that Xiao Jiqing mentioned was not exactly the same as the real Nine Thousand Years Old, but they were definitely not the same person... completely different.
Although there were no major problems in our interactions, I always felt a chill from time to time. Whether this person is good or evil, it's best to stay away from him; you can't afford to mess with him.
But little Ji Qing still likes to get close to him. For a top-notch smart man like Ting Lan, coaxing a silly fox would be a piece of cake.
Zhou Yiqing pondered for a moment, then lowered her voice and asked, "Is he good to you?"
"Great!" The fox's eyes sparkled. "Tinglan plays with me every day, and because of him, I don't have to pay for meals!"
"Spend every day with you, play with you?" Zhou Yiqing simply couldn't reconcile these words with the face of the Ninth Prince.
What is this? The power of love? Is this what happens when an old house catches fire and things spiral out of control?
He pondered for a while, resting his chin on his hand, but couldn't come up with anything. So he simply got up and said to the fox, "Come on, I'll take you to the alchemy room. You've never seen alchemy before, have you?"
The fox tugged at Zhou Yiqing's long sleeve.
"You want to try alchemy? That's a bit much. I just blew up the furnace, and the new one hasn't arrived yet. Why don't you try mixing the medicine?"
*
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince was meeting with the Grand Tutor.
A wisp of white smoke rose from the Boshan incense burner. The Crown Prince picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Father has recently taken a keen interest in seeking immortality and medicine, and has been consuming elixirs. I wonder what the Emperor thinks of this?"
"Your Majesty is no longer as vigorous as before, and is busy with state affairs, so there are many things that are beyond your control. Therefore, you are seeking the effects of the elixir."
"Oh? Is this Taoist's elixir really that miraculous? Then I'm curious." The Crown Prince put his teacup on the table, folded his hands, and sat down with a forced smile on his face.
"If Your Highness is curious, you may summon that Taoist priest and ask him for the answer."
"No need. I have some free time today, so I might as well go and see for myself if Your Highness would like to accompany me." The Crown Prince flicked his sleeve and stood up.
"Yes, sir." Tinglan lowered his head.
The carriage stopped outside the alchemy room, and the Crown Prince and Tinglan got out one after the other.
A servant from the Eastern Palace quietly stepped forward, grabbed the shoulder of the guard in the alchemy room, and asked in a low voice, "Has any outsider come by in the past few days?"
The guard replied in a low voice, "Sir, apart from those who bring food and those His Majesty sent to collect the elixirs, no one has come in."
The subordinate nodded and turned to retreat behind the crown prince.
The Crown Prince and Tinglan walked in silence as they pushed open the door.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yiqing was still fiddling around with the fox, accompanied by some crackling sounds, like various pots and pans.
"Oh dear, you can't add too much of this stuff, otherwise it'll foam up and look terrible."
"Can we add a little more?" the fox asked hastily.
"You can add more of this, and make it sweeter, it'll taste better."
The fox dipped its finger in the mixture, tasted it, and tilted its head warily towards the door. "It looks like someone's here. Is it to see you?"
Zhou Yiqing, as if facing a formidable enemy, gripped the fox's shoulder and said, "Good Ji Qing, you didn't let anyone see you come in, did you?"
The fox shook its head. "Nobody knows I came here."
Zhou Yiqing breathed a sigh of relief, "Then it's alright."
He grabbed the fox's arm and swiftly shoved it under the table. The thick cloth on the table hung down, completely covering the fox.
Lowering his voice, he whispered to the fox, "Great job! Who says we're not smart? We're always right when it counts."
Zhou Yiqing stood up and straightened her clothes, but still worried, she bent down and added, "Don't make a sound, or the consequences will be severe."
The fox was so frightened that it nodded frantically, covered its mouth, and moved behind the table.
Zhou Yiqing wiped his face in front of the mirror again, picked up the whisk beside him, flicked the sleeves of his Taoist robe, and sat down on the futon, adopting the demeanor of a hermit.
As soon as the door opened, he smiled and looked towards the entrance, then stood up and bowed, saying, "Amitabha, this humble Taoist greets you."
The Crown Prince stood at the very front of the gate, with the Ninth Prince half a step behind him, followed by the guards of the Eastern Palace.
Seeing this scene, even though Zhou Yiqing had been mentally prepared, he still gasped in shock and thought thankfully that no one had seen the fox, otherwise things would have been really complicated.
He glanced furtively at the table, hoping nothing went wrong, or the Taoist priest would really knock everyone out and feed them some mysterious little pills...
"The Daoist has been working hard these past few days refining elixirs for my father. As his son, I naturally want to do my part as well." The Crown Prince stepped forward, looked around the alchemy room, and focused his gaze on the mysterious liquid that the fox had just concocted.
Its color is bizarre, its smell is bitter, and it even has a layer of black foam floating on top...
What is this?
Zhou Yiqing replied with barely managing to remain calm, "It's a newly prepared prescription."
Nobody knows what this thing is. It's probably a hodgepodge, a mix of tonics with lots of honey and maltose. The taste should be alright, but the appearance is rather appalling.
The prince's gaze lingered between the golden elixir on the table and the bowl of strangely colored medicine for a moment before he finally picked up the bowl and said, "I wonder if my subordinate is fortunate enough to try the Daoist's new prescription."
Zhou Yiqing nodded, thinking that although this thing was a bit ugly, it shouldn't kill anyone. It was just a bowl of sugary, highly nourishing soup. If you overdid it, you might get a nosebleed...
The prince chuckled and handed the bowl behind his back.
The subordinate took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp, even smacking his lips.
The crown prince didn't even glance at his subordinates, seemingly somewhat disappointed. He turned and sat down to discuss the Tao Te Ching with Zhou Yiqing.
Tinglan remained silent throughout, chose a table leaning against the wall, picked up a book from the table, and casually flipped through it.
This is the table where Ji Qing was hiding.
The fox crouched against the corner of the wall, afraid of being discovered. Suddenly, someone sat down at the table, and his heart started racing. He was so frightened that he closed his eyes.
His eyes were closed, but he smelled a familiar scent.
A floral scent with a hint of sandalwood.
Only one person here has this smell.
It's Tinglan!
The fox immediately opened its eyes in surprise and cautiously approached.
Tinglan, sitting at the table, had a deep gaze and was rubbing his temples with his thumb. Although he was reading a book, his mind was not on it at all.
That bowl of herbal soup was really...
But since Zhou Yiqing didn't stop it, nothing should go wrong.
Just as he was thinking this, something suddenly brushed gently against his calf. Through the soft fabric of his robe, he could barely feel that it was a human finger.
A murderous glint instantly flashed in Tinglan's eyes.
Where did they come from? Does Zhou Yiqing know?
That hand was still brazenly stroking his calf.
It looks like he's writing?
Tinglan suppressed his emotions, examined the strokes of the writing, then deliberately dropped the prayer beads on the ground. He pretended to bend down to pick them up, and subtly kicked the tablecloth away with his foot.
He saw a pair of familiar eyes.
A fair-skinned, black-haired boy squatted under the table and winked at him.
The Thirteenth Prince was hiding under his table.
For a moment, Tinglan seemed to stop breathing. After a while, he stiffly stood up, his earlobes slightly red.
He first curled the corners of his mouth, but then frowned.
It was to be expected that the young prince would become friends with Zhou Yiqing. Zhou Yiqing was an old friend of Pei Yue, and the young prince had saved Pei Yue. It was perfectly normal for the two of them to be friends, and it was not surprising at all.
But why meet in private? How did they become so close?
Now, upon closer reflection, Zhou Yiqing's act of helping the young prince conceal the truth upon their first meeting, while commendable, was perhaps a little...
Too close!
Tinglan counted the prayer beads in her hand faster and faster.
A note from the author:
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