Chapter 53
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“Don’t go with Sixth Brother,” the Seventh Prince gasped, sweat trickling down his nose and dampening his hair. He appeared to be in great discomfort but his gaze remained unwavering. His eyes were fixed on Xue Yao as he offered a generous exchange, “Your grandpa will dig you two rabbit burrows.”
Xue Yao set aside the fan, withdrew his hand from the Seventh Prince’s grasp, and turned to squeeze a piece of cloth from a copper basin to wipe away the sweat from the Seventh Prince’s face.
“Rest assured, Your Highness. I’ll wait for you to recover before I go with the grain ship. Grain procurement is a significant task, and my presence might be of help. This journey out of the capital is following the Crown Prince and the court’s orders, not the Sixth Prince. As long as I assist the Crown Prince in completing his tasks, I will return promptly to be with Your Highness.”
The Seventh Prince closed his eyes in a huff, breathing heavily, with sweat soaking his back.
Seeing the chubby cub’s clothes and blankets soaked with sweat, he worried that he might catch a cold.
Xue Yao rummaged in the wooden chest and pulled out fresh bedding and dry clothes. He began by helping the chubby cub remove his inner garments and wiped away the sweat on his body.
Suddenly, a notification sound echoed in his mind: 【Completion progress for unblocking the Du and Ren meridians: 4%.】
Xue Yao calculated the time interval and estimated that the Du and Ren meridians would be fully unblocked within a day.
The process of unblocking it turned out to be quite painful.
Judging by the expression on the chubby cub’s face, it was clear that he was in significant discomfort.
Should he get the imperial physician to help?
Xue Yao felt uncertain in his heart.
At this critical moment, involving others might interrupt the progress of unblocking the Du and Ren meridians. He thought it would be safer to take care of it himself.
While wiping away sweat, he carefully avoided the injured area in the lower abdomen.
Upon closer inspection, Xue Yao noticed that the color of the injury didn’t seem right. He quickly lit all the lamps with an oil lamp in hand.
The tent brightened up, and as he approached the cot, Xue Yao furrowed his brow.
During the day, His Highness’ lower abdomen injury appeared bluish, but now it showed a dark reddish hue, radiating outward like a diffuse pattern. The blood vessels from the center to the periphery also exhibited a faint purplish-red color.
Xue Yao felt a rising sense of panic but didn’t dare to seek the imperial physician. He could only console himself that it was a sign of recovery. Otherwise, the system wouldn’t have reminded him of the Du and Ren meridians’s status.
The Du and Ren meridians weren’t instantly unblocked. He speculated that a certain acupoint below the dantian had been stimulated, causing the qi and blood to surge chaotically and collide with the meridians.
He forcefully broke through the meridians like this.
The process of unblocking it was undoubtedly excruciating. The chubby cub, from childhood to adolescence, had never displayed such a painful expression.
This cub not only had a somewhat dulled emotional perception but also seemed less sensitive to pain.
In his short twelve years of life, the chubby cub had relied on food, milk and Silly Yaoyao to perceive the world. The expression he wore now indicated unimaginable discomfort.
Xue Yao’s heart ached, and tears threatened to well up in his eyes. His chest felt as though a heavy stone had settled in, making it hard to catch his breath.
Nurturing a child was truly a perilous endeavor. Time became a thief, stealthily pouring all his affection and tenderness into the chubby cub’s body.
“Your Highness, does it hurt in your belly?” Xue Yao asked softly.
“Hot…” The Seventh Prince’s expression grew increasingly restless. He turned his head, panting, and pointed toward the tent’s door curtain. “Open it! Open it for your grandpa!”
Xue Yao quickly grasped his hand and softly urged, “It’s quite windy outside, and Your Highness has sweated a lot. Opening it might make you catch a cold. How about I fan you instead?”
“Not enough… It’s so hot…”
“Your Highness, please endure a bit longer. You’ll feel better when morning comes.”
The Seventh Prince clearly couldn’t bear it any longer. With great effort, he slightly propped up his body, his tear-filled eyes gripping Xue Yao’s wrist. “Open it for your grandpa!”
Xue Yao couldn’t bear the pitiful look from the cub and broke down instantly, his eyes reddening.
When the Seventh Prince saw that Xue Yao was about to cry, he despondently lay back down. “He’s so hot. Want to… Want to…”
Xue Yao quickly leaned closer and asked in a hushed tone, “Your Highness, what would you like to do?”
“Want to drink iced snow pear and white fungus soup…” the Seventh Prince said in pain.
Xue Yao chuckled through his tears, “But we’re not in the palace. Where can I find iced snow pear soup for Your Highness?”
“You’re smiling,” the Seventh Prince softly said with closed eyes.
Xue Yao blinked, realizing his tears had been held back by the cub’s comment. “Your Highness, are you intentionally teasing me?”
The Seventh Prince didn’t respond. It seemed like he might be drifting off to sleep. Perhaps he was afraid of causing his little reader-in-waiting to cry with just a word, so he diverted his attention to ease the pain.
However, with Xue Yao’s growing understanding of the chubby cub, it made him even more distressed.
Afraid that speaking might make him shed more tears, Xue Yao fell silent, repeatedly wringing out a cloth and wiping away the sweat while fanning the chubby cub.
Finally steadying his emotions, he asked in a trembling voice, “Your Highness, does the injury hurt?”
The Seventh Prince still had his eyes closed, his lips an ashen hue. He gently shook his head.
Xue Yao was worried. “Don’t force yourself. Is it really not hurting?”
“Doesn’t hurt if it’s not touch.”
“So, where does Your Highness feel uncomfortable now?”
“Hot.”
“Anything else?”
“It’s sore, drilling into the head.”
Xue Yao couldn’t quite grasp this description. “Where does it ache? Shall I massage that area for Your Highness?”
“Whole body feels sore.” The Seventh Prince grabbed Xue Yao’s hand, placing it on the bluish area on his lower abdomen, and gasped, “It’s burning here and radiating toward the top of the head.”
Xue Yao was startled by the heat when his palm touched the injured area.
How could it be so scorching!
He gently explored the other parts. From the injury site to his chest, everything felt hot. In contrast, His Highness’ hand was cool, as if all the blood in his body had gathered and, after passing through the dantian acupoint, was surging toward his head, repeating the process.
It appeared that the injury wasn’t a serious concern. All this discomfort was due to the reaction of qi and blood during the meridian unblocking process.
The Seventh Prince, still with his eyes closed, struggled to catch his breath. Unable to endure any longer, proactively spoke, “Summon the imperial physician.”
The chubby cub had always been fearful of taking medicine, dreading the bitterness, and would avoid the physician at all times. However, this time, he surprisingly requested the presence of the imperial physician.
It seemed he was truly in unbearable agony.
If this had been a regular ailment, Xue Yao would have rushed to fetch the imperial physician. However, he had just received a notification that prohibited any interference.
The fear was that an unexpected incident might lead to further suffering for the chubby cub.
“The imperial physician mentioned that Your Highness’ injury is not severe.” Xue Yao was concerned that medical treatments such as acupuncture, cupping, or medication might suppress the boiling circulation of His Highness’ blood. He had to steel himself to reassure him, “Your Highness, endure until morning. Rest for a while now.”
The Seventh Prince remained silent and obediently closed his eyes, attempting to drift off to sleep.
This was an absolute trust in his personal reader-in-waiting. If anyone else witnessed Xue Yao’s reactions, they would surely suspect him of harming the young prince.
All of this heat, and yet he wanted the child to take a nap…
Nevertheless, the chubby cub was a unique one – frail, plump, and capable of sleeping.
With determination and closed eyes, it didn’t take long before the Seventh Prince truly drifted off to sleep.
It could also be that he endured the discomfort and fell asleep from exhaustion.
Xue Yao spent the entire night on edge, carrying a copper basin to the stream, changing the water dozens of times, and tirelessly wiping away sweat while fanning. Not a single moment of rest.
The night swiftly turned into day.
With practiced ease, Xue Yao picked up the copper basin and prepared to fetch more water.
Just as he stood up, the world suddenly spun before his eyes, and he stumbled. With a loud crash, he fell to the ground, basin and all.
The swirling scene before his eyes took a while to settle. Xue Yao refrained from picking up the basin, afraid it might wake the young prince. He turned to look, and the Seventh Prince was still sound asleep, which put him at ease.
When he managed to rise to his feet, he realized his back was sore, and his legs felt numb.
This quest of unblocking the Du and Ren meridians had almost cost him half his life, but the reward was only a few hundred Whitewashing Points.
Once the meridians were unblocked, the chubby cub was supposed to transform like a butterfly, becoming a martial arts prodigy, while he was left with a back so tired it might as well be broken.
Xue Yao, with a heavy heart, picked up the copper basin and, with renewed determination, went out to fetch water.
Upon returning to the tent, he was surprised to find the imperial physician already there, examining the young prince’s pulse.
Upon hearing Xue Yao’s footsteps, the senior imperial physician hastily turned his head. With a stern expression, he exclaimed, “You were taking care of His Highness last night? How did he change so drastically overnight? If something was amiss with His Highness, why didn’t you promptly call me for an evaluation?!”
“Master,” Xue Yao set down the copper basin and respectfully explained, “I inquired, and it seems that His Highness’ injury is no longer causing pain. It’s possible that the blood was invigorated by the Master’s acupuncture, which is why…”
“Nonsense! Acupuncture to invigorate blood circulation doesn’t have such miraculous effects!” The senior imperial physician gazed at Xue Yao in disbelief. “This is utterly incomprehensible. The young prince has fallen so ill, and you didn’t report it to anyone! Do you think you can bear this responsibility, or should I? Even the accompanying physicians will lose their heads because of you!”
Xue Yao couldn’t argue back. This matter was challenging to explain. The senior imperial physician’s anger wasn’t entirely unfounded, so he could only lower his head and listen to the reprimand.
Early in the morning, the senior imperial physician had come outside the tent to request a pulse examination. He bent his body and stood there for a while, receiving no response from anyone.
Worried that something might have happened to the young prince, he slightly lifted the door curtain and peered inside, only to find that not even a palace maid who should be attending was in sight.
Since the young prince was still asleep, the physician had no choice but to dispense with formalities and enter the tent to examine the pulse.
As soon as he touched the pulse, he was stunned!
The young prince, who had appeared perfectly normal the day before, now had an erratic pulse. There were no signs of fever on his forehead, but his body was uncharacteristically warm and sweating profusely.
After decades of medical practice, he had never encountered such a situation. If the prince’s condition suddenly deteriorated, it would be his head on the line!
Seeing the nonchalant attitude of the attendant who knew about this but failed to report it, the imperial physician became livid. He pointed at Xue Yao and scolded him furiously. However, the commotion woke up the young prince, who was sleeping soundly behind.
The Seventh Prince groggily opened his eyes, only to witness a white-haired old man pointing at Silly Yaoyao, with spittle flying as he raged on.
Before he could make out what was being said, the Seventh Prince spoke in a hoarse tone, “That’s enough.”
The senior imperial physician hastily stopped his complaints, turned, and paid his respects to the prince. He explained that due to this attendant’s failure to report the situation, he had delayed the diagnosis and deserved severe punishment.
The Seventh Prince furrowed his brows and propped himself up, with both Xue Yao and the physician quickly coming to his aid.
Once he was sitting up, the Seventh Prince took the fan by the bedside and began fanning himself. He cleared his throat and asked, “Are there ice blocks on this trip out of the palace? Your grandpa is sweltering.”
Xue Yao, upon seeing the chubby cub’s improved appearance, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He did seem in much better spirits compared to last night.
The system notification displayed that the completion progress for unblocking the Du and Ren meridians had reached seventy-six percent.
It seemed that the higher the completion percentage, the milder the pain.
However, the senior imperial physician, unaware of these details, couldn’t shake the feeling that the young prince’s pulse and body temperature didn’t seem right.
Fearing to disturb the Emperor, he summoned two Associate Physicians to come and examine the pulse.
After all three physicians checked the pulse, their faces turned ashen.
It was indeed a pulse pattern they had never encountered before, resembling the legendary phenomenon of “deviating from the right path into demonic practices” and “meridians flowing in the opposite direction”.
But upon glancing at the young prince, it seemed there were no signs of distress.
The physicians exchanged glances and decided to inform the Crown Prince about the young prince’s peculiar condition.
Consequently, throughout the entire morning, the princes and the physicians gathered together. They watched as the Seventh Prince finished eating mountain fruits, sugar cakes, and then the roasted rabbit prepared by Silly Yaoyao.
The physicians advised His Highness to take good care of his health, have a light diet, and consume more vegetables.
However, the Seventh Prince paid no heed and insisted on eating meat.
He was ready to endure anything, but he wasn’t going to eat vegetables. Silly Yaoyao’s roasted rabbit was the most delicious.
Seeing the Seventh Prince’s hearty appetite, the Crown Prince concluded that his youngest brother was still behaving like his usual self. Perplexed by the physicians’ diagnosis, he reported the situation to Father Emperor.
Upon hearing the news, the Emperor personally observed his chubby son throughout the afternoon, but he, too, was puzzled.
The young prince’s complexion and appetite remained as they had always been, but his pulse and body temperature were abnormal.
No one had any certainty and worried that this might be an ominous sign of a serious illness. To ensure proper care, they decided to end the autumn hunt prematurely and return to the palace.
On the way back to the palace, Xue Yao finally received the notification that the side quest to unblock the Du and Ren meridians was completed.
After several days of anxious anticipation, he could finally put his worries to rest.
Inside the carriage, during a moment of respite for the chubby cub, Xue Yao eagerly entered the mental space and unlocked the Level 2 Foodmart.
The refresh count had increased to three hundred times, raising the chances of getting the Seventh Prince’s favorite Want Want milk.
Glancing at the balance of Whitewashing Points, along with the rewards from the side quest, Xue Yao had a total of over four thousand.
Over the years, except for snacks for himself and the chubby cub, most of his Whitewashing Points had been spent on a pile of technical books.
Knowledge was of paramount importance. The books Xue Yao bought had practically filled the Interstice Mall, leaving no space for snacks.
These books were all modern publications, with covers and text different from ancient ones. If anyone discovered them, it would be hard to explain.
Xue Yao urgently needed to expand the space. Otherwise, any exchanged food items would have to be consumed immediately.
However, the opening conditions for the Level 2 Interstice Mall, like the Apothecary, required completing a side quest named【Control the Epidemic in Pingrong County】.
On the palace map, Pingrong County was located within the boundaries of Shanxi Province in the modern world. Over the years, there had been no mention of any epidemic outbreaks, which left him puzzled.
Nevertheless, Xue Yao had quietly made preparations by purchasing numerous medical books.
A few years back, he had refreshed to find a book titled “The Beginnings and Endings of the Sixth Century AD Plague Massacre,” but he hadn’t read it yet.
Upon their return to the palace, Consort Tong was infuriated to learn of the trouble her son had caused. She nearly tore the Third Prince to pieces in anger.
Considering the bruises on her son’s buttocks were still healing, Consort Tong had no choice but to personally apologize to the Emperor.
The Seventh Prince had originally intended to keep his injury a secret from Consort Xi.
But a birth mother could see through her child’s secrets. She immediately noticed that her chubby son had lost weight and didn’t look well.
Despite explanations from his older brothers that the fatigue was due to the hunting expedition, Consort Xi didn’t believe them. She persisted in her questioning until the truth came out.
Upon inspecting her son’s injuries, Consort Xi was overcome with heartache, crying with anger as she refused to see the Emperor.
The Emperor, instead of getting angry, felt remorse and anxiety, causing him to further favor Consort Xi.
The eunuchs of the Qingqiong Hall believed that Consort Xi had a way of scratching the itchy spot in a man’s heart, playing a game of desire and chase.
Xue Yao formally requested leave from Consort Xi.
News of him accompanying the Crown Prince out of the palace spread, which infuriated the Seventh Prince to the point of refusing to eat.
The young eunuchs all thought that Xue Yao was intentionally imitating Consort Xi’s methods, taking advantage of the Seventh Prince’s favoritism to play with the young prince’s emotions.
This left a group of servants quite amused, thinking that Xue Yao fancied himself as Consort Xi.
In reality, the Seventh Prince relied on Xue Yao as an older brother figure. Such bonds could withstand this kind of testing, right?
With a change in caretakers, the Seventh Prince would soon forget about this young attendant.
A group of attendants eagerly awaited Xue Yao to step aside, each one crafting flavored milk to delight the young prince. But the Seventh Prince refused to acknowledge any of them.
Seeing her son’s injuries not yet healed and his reluctance to eat, Consort Xi decided to reason with the Seventh Prince herself. “The Crown Prince has been kind to us, and we can’t assist him in his matters. Thankfully, Xue Yao is a thoughtful child. Letting him accompany the Crown Prince is our way of repaying his kindness. It’s a significant matter, you understand, Lu Qian? No throwing tantrums, you must act mature.”
“What mature ways are there to make Yaoyao stay?” the Seventh Prince earnestly inquired of his Mother Consort.
Consort Xi cast a fierce glance at her uncooperative son but didn’t say a word.
The Seventh Prince suddenly came up with a mature idea and suggested it to Mother Consort with sincerity. “On the day of the journey, I’ll sneak away with Yaoyao’s luggage.”
Consort Xi was so infuriated that she couldn’t act like a mature mother anymore. “Dare to misbehave, and I’ll pull your ears off.”
Unable to reach an agreement, the Seventh Prince ignored Mother Consort. He lay in bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. Once Consort Xi left, he ordered the palace maids, “Bring Yaoyao here. Your son wants to see him one last time before passing away.”
The phrase “one last time before passing away” took Xue Yao by surprise. He went to meet the Seventh Prince, determined to correct the young prince’s inappropriate words.
He needed to teach this young parrot not to mimic such phrases!
However, upon entering the bedroom and seeing the Seventh Prince’s despondent chubby face as he gazed at the ceiling, Xue Yao couldn’t help but feel sympathetic.
Quietly approaching, he tucked in the covers for the prince.
The Seventh Prince stared at the ceiling. “Yaoyao, tomorrow, you won’t be here with Your Highness.”
Xue Yao sighed. “Didn’t I tell Your Highness? I’ll be back in three months at most. I’m going to accompany the Crown Prince to manage the grain supply. I won’t abandon Your Highness.”
The Seventh Prince continued to stare at the ceiling. “Are you sure Your Highness won’t be uncomfortable?”
Xue Yao was puzzled. “Where’s uncomfortable? Is Your Highness still in pain?”
Finally, the Seventh Prince turned his head, the gentle brown eyes reflecting Xue Yao’s worried face. “It still hurts.”
Xue Yao nervously lifted the covers slightly to examine the injury. “Did Your Highness forget to have the palace maids change the ointment in time?”
“Yaoyao.” The Seventh Prince locked his eyes onto him, emotionless as he repeated Xue Yao’s promise from the tent, “Rest assured, Your Highness. I’ll wait for you to recover before I go with the grain ship.”
Since His Highness hadn’t fully recovered yet, Yaoyao couldn’t leave.
It dawned on Xue Yao that this cub was pretending to be ill and throwing a tantrum.
“Your Highness is already better! I asked the imperial physician yesterday. Your pulse is back to normal, and you’re even healthier than before.”
The Seventh Prince pouted, then turned around, facing away from Xue Yao.
His Highness was furious!
Xue Yao, helpless, had exhausted all logical arguments, using both gentle and firm persuasion over the past few days.
However, this chubby cub just couldn’t accept his sudden prolonged absence.
Neither the Emperor nor the Crown Prince allowed the Seventh Prince to accompany him.
With no other options, His Highness could only hope for Yaoyao’s conscience.
However…
After tucking in the chubby cub, Xue Yao rose to take his leave. “Your Highness, please rest for a while. I promise to complete my duties as soon as possible. The sooner I finish, the earlier I’ll return to the capital with an official ship.”
The Seventh Prince, still turned away, didn’t respond or move.
“Your Highness, I will take my leave now.”
The Seventh Prince remained unresponsive.
Xue Yao took two steps back, preparing to leave.
Just as he turned around, he heard a system alert in his mind:【Warning: Lu Qian’s sense of security has decreased by 1. If the security level falls below the normal value of 60, the coefficient of darkening will increase proportionally.】
“? ? ?” Xue Yao turned back, puzzled, only to find the Seventh Prince still facing away from him. Perhaps His Highness was unaware that he had turned around?
However, just as he shifted his gaze to the chubby cub, the system began to alert again:【Congratulations, Lu Qian’s sense of security has been restored to 100.】
Xue Yao: “? ? ?”
Worried about alarming the chubby cub and decreasing his sense of security, Xue Yao turned around once more, quietly.
【Warning: Lu Qian’s sense of security -1.】
Xue Yao, astonished, turned back again, and his sense of security increased by one.
“……”
Did this chubby cub grow eyes on his back?
How could he possibly know Xue Yao’s every move while facing away?
Was this the enhanced perception power after the Seventh Prince’s Du and Ren meridians were unblocked?
Xue Yao contemplated that as long as his sense of security didn’t drop below sixty, it would be alright, and it would recover upon his return. But he couldn’t afford any delays in the matter of reform.
With determination, he turned and left.
On the way, the chubby cub’s sense of security continued to drop. Every few dozen steps Xue Yao took, the system would prompt a decrease of 1 point in the sense of security.
It kept decreasing and reached a total of 15 points before finally stabilizing.
Fortunately, there were still 85 points left, which wouldn’t risk turning the Seventh Prince into a dark chubby cub.
Xue Yao turned to look back. Qingqiong Hall was already a considerable distance away.
He had moved out of the chubby cub’s range of perception.
This formidable Long Aotian cub, having unblocked the Du and Ren meridians, was even harder to deal with now. If he ever encountered a master who imparted supreme skills in the future, it would be even more difficult to handle!
The next day, as planned, Xue Yao set off with Crown Prince’s caravan.
While on the grain ship headed for Zhejiang, Xue Yao heard the system prompt once again, indicating a decrease of 1 in the chubby cub’s sense of security.
Why was the sense of security still decreasing even from this distance?
Xue Yao frowned with concern and closed his eyes.
This little rascal was truly making it hard for him to relax!
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