His mournful flute music only stopped abruptly when Qingying announced from outside the door that Lord Li had returned.
Gathering his thoughts, the man's eyes darkened, as if filled with uncertainty and turmoil.
After a moment of silence, he finally couldn't hold back any longer and called Li Chengyan in.
Li Chengyan lifted his robe, preparing to kneel and pay his respects, when Xiao Xuan stopped him, saying, "Between you and me, there is no need for such formalities."
"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Jingyuan, guess what? There really are women who aren't tempted by so much money."
Li Chengyan plopped down on the stool, picked up an apple, and took two bites.
Xiao Xuan's cold eyes concealed his inner urgency, and he simply said, "What makes you say that?"
Upon hearing this, Li Chengyan quickly took out the thousand-tael silver note from his clothes.
“She didn’t accept the money. I tried to persuade her, but it was no use. She was worried that you were working hard to earn money, so she didn’t accept it.”
Li Chengyan held the money in his hand, knowing that Xiao Xuan would definitely say, "In that case, you can keep this money," and was about to stuff the silver notes back into his hand.
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Xuan walked over and snatched it away.
"Chengyan, you've botched the job you took on. Tell me, how should I deal with you?"
The apple that Li Chengyan had been chewing didn't seem very sweet anymore. Goodness, you're serious!
Seeing the thousand taels of silver notes held by Xiao Xuan, Li Chengyan said awkwardly, "If Miss Ning won't accept it, then I will. I'm planning to have a few drinks at Lanqu Garden tonight..."
"Dream on! You want to steal the money I gave Ning Yin? Tell me, what else did she say?"
Li Chengyan shrugged, his peach blossom eyes fixed on the silver note in Xiao Xuan's hand.
He's not only idle, but also greedy for money.
A thousand taels is enough for him to travel and enjoy himself for a while.
Grand Tutor Li repeatedly criticized Li Chengyan for being ignorant and incompetent, and for wasting his life.
If he weren't the only son, Grand Tutor Li would have wanted to strangle him.
But only Xiao Xuan knew that if it weren't for Li Chengyan, he probably wouldn't have had the chance to become the crown prince.
Li Chengyan has done so much for him; he probably can never repay her in this lifetime.
Therefore, the two of them did not observe the proper etiquette between ruler and subject in private.
Moreover, only he himself knew that although Li Chengyan appeared carefree and irresponsible, he was actually clearing obstacles for him.
Some things can only be done in secret.
Seeing Li Chengyan's greedy appearance, Xiao Xuan couldn't help but chuckle.
"Take it, and tell me quickly, did Miss Ning say anything else?"
Xiao Xuan stuffed the money into his sleeve and asked impatiently. If anyone else had been so roundabout, he would have skinned that person alive.
"Hehe, it's all good once you've paid. Oh, is that right? The fairy said you have to drink your medicine obediently, otherwise she won't treat you."
Li Chengyan looked serious, then pulled out three sachets from his clothes and waved them in front of Xiao Xuan.
"What are you holding in your hand? Why does it smell so familiar?"
"The sachet is from Miss Ning. Keep it. I'm so envious of you. Are you trying to torture me, the unwanted one, to death?!"
Li Chengyan angrily placed the three sachets in Xiao Xuan's hands.
"Why didn't you take it out sooner?"
Xiao Xuan's eyes lit up with joy as he carefully arranged the sachet like a precious treasure, then he glared at Li Chengyan with disdain, noting that Li Chengyan had squashed the perfectly good sachet out of shape.
"How did she know that my sachet had stopped working and she needed a new one?"
Xiao Xuan was in a great mood, a slight smile playing on his lips, as he picked out a sky-blue sachet from among them.
"Chengyan, how about I wear this on my waist?"
"Since there's no place for me, I won't choose it."
Li Chengyan was only thinking about how to use the money to go out and have some fun that night, and had no desire to be subjected to this unexpected display of affection.
After all, he is not yet married, and no woman makes him a sachet.
Xiao Xuan, talking to himself, quickly put the sachet on his waist, and the smile on his lips grew wider and wider.
Ning Yin indeed felt that she worked hard to earn money and couldn't bear to spend too much, which is why she didn't accept it.
At this moment, Qingying had already brought over the warm bowl of medicine.
Xiao Xuan didn't notice; he was only thinking about how good Ning Yin was.
The woman kept mentioning her concern for his health, and even made several sachets for him.
Looking at the exquisitely crafted sachet in his hand, Xiao Xuan suddenly thought of the one that Shen Yun had on his waist last time.
It's crudely made, lacks any aesthetic appeal, and is simply not presentable.
The thought that a good girl like Ning Yin was ruined by a scumbag like Shen Yun suddenly made him feel a little unhappy.
He even had a bold idea: if Ning Yin knew the truth, she would probably divorce Shen Yun.
After the divorce, does that mean he can be with Ning Yin...?
The moment this thought crossed Xiao Xuan's mind, his eyes almost overflowed with love.
At this moment, Li Chengyan, who was opposite Xiao Xuan, caught a glimpse of the emotions in Xiao Xuan's eyes and couldn't help but cover his mouth to suppress a laugh.
Turning his head, he tugged at Qingying's sleeve and said in a sly tone, "Hehe, your prince has finally come to his senses. Your spring should be here soon."
Li Chengyan teased her in a low voice, and Qingying grinned happily.
"Don't smile at me like that, it's a little creepy..."
As the two were talking, Xiao Xuan walked over and glanced at them indifferently.
"What are you saying? Speak louder, let me hear you too!"
He composed himself, expressionlessly took the medicine from Qingying's hand, and drank it all in one gulp.
His eyes regained their coldness. He was a crown prince, the future emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty. How could he act like a lovestruck teenager and become a laughingstock?
Seeing Xiao Xuan's affected manner, Li Chengyan sneered, "Your Highness, we are all praising Miss Ning for her skillful hands."
Upon hearing these words, Xiao Xuan nodded subconsciously.
"Yes, that's right. I need to rest early today and prepare water for my bath!"
On that day, Xiao Xuan was deeply troubled by the rampant bandits of Dongshan, who were burning, killing, and looting, causing casualties among the people.
These bandits had no fixed abode, were exceptionally cunning, and appeared and disappeared unpredictably.
Although the imperial court sent troops to suppress them many times, it was never able to completely eliminate them.
Moreover, the size of this band of outlaws has only grown.
The people of Dongshan now live in constant fear and anxiety.
Xiao Xuan rubbed his temples and looked at the ministers with annoyance.
"So, which general is willing to volunteer for this encirclement and suppression operation?"
The Dongshan area is strategically important and has an extremely harsh climate, which is why these bandits would emerge from such remote and impoverished places.
These generals would rather fight on the battlefield than take on this thankless and arduous task.
Even if they were completely wiped out, it would still be insignificant compared to the merits of those who fought on the frontier.
At this moment, none of the generals below the hall spoke up to accept the order.
Xiao Xuan frowned in displeasure and suddenly shifted his gaze to Shen Yun's face.
As the God of War of the Great Qi, Shen Yun had previously fought on the frontier.
Now, the border is stable, and there are younger generals stationed there.
Shen Yun probably didn't want to be a leisurely general either.
"General Shen, I remember that your hometown is a county on the border of Dongshan. With the bandits rampaging this time, I would like to hear the opinion of the God of War."
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