Chapter 82
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On the way back to the capital, Xue Yao immersed himself in the joy of shopping spree.
After finishing the Pingrong County side quest, the system surprisingly rewarded him nearly 28,000 Whitewashing Points, sufficient for a leisurely retirement, allowing him to relax indefinitely like a seasoned salted fish!
Several quest-related malls could now activate Level 2 refresh option. Lying in the mall all day, browsing products until late, was a happiness that brought tears to one’s eyes.
Xue Yao wanted to buy everything he saw, but the Interstice Mall was filled with books. There was no space to put the newly bought things, only free storage for three days.
So, for now, he endured, only window-shopping — lying on the couch, eyes closed, watching the continuously refreshing delicious food happily.
The Crown Prince had intended to have a serious talk with Xue Yao about how he overcame difficulties in Pingrong County these days. However, since boarding the ship, every time he came knocking, he found Xue Yao sleeping, with a foolish smile on his face.
Truly an open-minded carefree boy.
Honestly, having been in contact with those ghastly-faced patients for several months, the Crown Prince felt that even he, himself, would probably take a month or two to recover. Right now, surely his sleep was uneasy, but he couldn’t understand how Xue Yao could laugh so carefreely.
Just as he was pondering, suddenly he saw Xue Yao on the couch, smiling foolishly, reaching out to scratch at nothing in the air, and cheerfully exclaiming, “Spicy Sichuan-style crayfish! Spicy Sichuan-style crayfish!”
What on earth was he dreaming about?
The Crown Prince, with a face full of exasperation, walked out of the cabin. Looking at the fertile fields along the canal with a world-weary expression, he solemnly instructed the accompanying eunuch, “After returning to the capital, summon the most authentic Sichuan chef from the capital into the palace.”
The eunuch nodded in acknowledgment.
Unable to find a solution since Xue Yao never seemed to get enough sleep, the Crown Prince had to seek information from the imperial physicians and eunuchs who came with Xue Yao.
The younger imperial physicians, feeling guilty for their initial disdain towards Xue Yao, praised him relentlessly for being clever and fearless. He covered up situations where they and the common people did not cooperate.
Only the senior imperial physician didn’t want the Crown Prince to think Xue Yao effortlessly saved a county. So, he vividly described all the difficulties and obstacles Xue Yao faced during the epidemic control process, leaving the Crown Prince amazed.
The Crown Prince was not only astonished by Xue Yao’s adaptability but also by his ability to create the “plague-removing holy stones and holy water.”
This eighteen-year-old youth, during the grain procurement, displayed a remarkable ability to handle matters efficiently and make quick decisions. Facing sudden dangers, not only did he possess strong adaptability, but he also dared to take risks.
Unfortunately, this talented individual’s thoughts were all on spicy crayfish. It was unclear whether it was due to the influence of spending too much time with Seventh Brother, but he seemed to be obsessed with eating…
After understanding the situation, the Crown Prince dispersed the crowd.
The imperial physicians walked ahead, exiting the granary first. Several eunuchs bowed and followed behind. Suddenly, the Crown Prince coldly shouted—
“Wait, there’s something I want to ask you.”
All the eunuchs turned back, except for Fourth Zhang, who tried to slip away with the imperial physicians.
“Stay.” The Crown Prince stood up, leisurely turned to look at Fourth Zhang’s figure, his eyebrows forming a sharp curve. “This expert.”
Fourth Zhang’s heart sank, knowing he couldn’t escape. He reluctantly turned around and bowed to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince nodded. “The rest of you, leave.”
On that day, Fourth Zhang had knocked out hundreds of patients in front of the Crown Prince. There was no way the Crown Prince wouldn’t notice his skill.
Anticipating the questioning, Fourth Zhang had already thought of some excuses.
Even if he couldn’t fool the Crown Prince, he was prepared: First, distance himself from Consort Hui. Second, claim he deceived Xue Yao’s trust.
As long as these two were safe, Fourth Zhang felt that even if the Crown Prince dealt with him on the spot, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
However, the Crown Prince didn’t directly ask about his background. Instead, he revealed his cards first, “I’ve heard about your situation. Working in the palace for so long, you’ve truly been overlooked.”
Fourth Zhang couldn’t discern whether it was praise or sarcasm. He kept his head down, not daring to show a reaction.
The Crown Prince took a step closer, assessing Fourth Zhang from head to toe. “Heard you defeated a second-grade Imperial Guard. You used to be a menial servant in Consort Hui’s family. I originally thought of observing you for a while, let you go if you didn’t cause trouble. But I didn’t expect your skills to be this impressive. Do all the servants in General Qin’s residence have the same level of skill as you?”
Fourth Zhang understood that the Crown Prince wanted him to voluntarily confess his background.
With his skills, no matter the reason, infiltrating Consort Hui’s side would raise suspicions.
•••
The air in the capital was so sweet!
No need to wear masks!
Breathing deeply without fear of contracting bubonic plague!
Xue Yao danced a waltz, twirling and leaping through the city gates.
After bidding farewell to the Crown Prince, he went back home for a bath, bought eight flavors of seasoned milk from the mall, and then entered the palace to apologize to the chubby cub!
Before leaving, he assured the chubby cub that he would be back within two months.
Now, he was two months late. Rounding up, that meant being away for almost half a year.
The chubby cub’s remaining sense of security reached an all-time low of 57.
Xue Yao could no longer imagine the thunderous wrath he would face from the little tyrant.
After preparing himself mentally.
Xue Yao stepped into the school.
Under normal circumstances, the seating arrangement for the three young princes was like this—
【Fifth Prince】【Sixth Prince】【Seventh Prince】
However, when Xue Yao entered the school this time, the scene he saw was very weird.
The seating arrangement for the three little princes was—
【Seventh Prince】
【Fifth Prince】【Sixth Prince】
His poor chubby cub was actually sitting alone in the front row!
Isolated by his two brothers!!!
The Seventh Prince’s hair was dripping wet, his chubby face smudged with dirt. He looked up at the lecturer with an expressionless face. He looked like a wealthy young heir abducted by traffickers for two years, full of numbness and despair.
Since the class hadn’t ended yet, Xue Yao couldn’t barge in directly. He could only grab a young eunuch in the courtyard for inquiries. “What happened to the Seventh Prince? Where are the palace maids and nurses? Why isn’t His Highness being washed!”
“Aiya, Young Master Xue! You’ve finally returned!” The eunuch burst into tears at the sight of Xue Yao.
Xue Yao was alarmed, thinking that with a sense of security below 60, it could increase the chubby cub’s corruption value. Seeing the eunuch’s distressed appearance, could it be that the chubby cub had picked up some bad habits?
“What exactly happened?” Xue Yao anxiously asked. “Is His Highness angry with me?”
The eunuch wiped away tears, recalling the recent dreadful events, and lamented to Xue Yao, “You agreed with His Highness to come back in two months. He waited left and right but couldn’t wait. He got so mad half a month ago, saying, ‘If Yaoyao doesn’t return for a day, your grandpa won’t drink milk for a day!'”
Xue Yao was shocked. “His Highness hasn’t drunk milk for half a month?”
He turned to look through the window at His Highness. Why was he still so chubby then?
The eunuch hurriedly explained, “His Highness couldn’t hold out the next day. He did end up drinking milk.”
Xue Yao: “……”
As Long Aotian, he should at least persist for a solid five days after making such a threat!
The eunuch continued to complain, “His Highness was extremely restless. That night, he made another threat, ‘If Yaoyao doesn’t come back for a day, your grandpa won’t eat meat for a day!'”
Xue Yao: “Probably couldn’t hold out either, right?”
The eunuch nodded. “This time, His Highness held out for five days. He really didn’t eat a bite of meat!”
Xue Yao: “……”
So, he ate after five days!
The eunuch sighed. “No choice. After five days with no news from you, His Highness threatened again, ‘If Yaoyao doesn’t come back for a day, your grandpa won’t bathe for a day!'”
Xue Yao: “How long did he endure this time?”
The eunuch turned, tearfully looking at the Seventh Prince inside the window, then turned back to Xue Yao with a solemn expression. “He’s been holding out until now!”
Xue Yao: “……”
Damn, no bath for half a month.
His Long Aotian cub might be starting to ferment.
No wonder the Fifth and Sixth Princes kept their distance. They probably could’t stand the smell from their youngest brother!
The eunuch wiped away tears with his sleeves and whined to Xue Yao, “Consort Xi scolds us every day, ordering us to force the young prince to bathe. But His Highness is quite the agile one. Even with over twenty eunuchs, we can’t hold him down. He’s slipperier than an eel, faster than a tiger!”
Xue Yao: “……”
Only in situations like this could his chubby cub show Long Aotian’s talent.
A group of eunuchs in the distance, upon seeing Xue Yao, looked at him as if he were a savior, tears streaming down their faces…
His Highness could finally bathe!
“Master Xue! Please go and greet His Highness! We can’t delay any longer!” The eunuch cried while covering his face.
Xue Yao turned to glance at the chubby cub, whose expression was cold. He felt a bit uneasy.
What kind of son would a Long Aotian cub with a corruption value of 3 be?
He hesitated for a moment, unable to face it.
After some thought, Xue Yao decided to proceed gradually, starting by calming Long Aotian’s emotions with milk.
So, when the class ended, Xue Yao didn’t immediately enter the school. Instead, he asked other attendants to deliver the freshly prepared pure milk to His Highness, attempting to evoke the past “father-son bond.”
The attendant entrusted with this task timidly handed the milk to the Seventh Prince, trembling as he said, “Your Highness, it’s time to drink milk.”
The Seventh Prince looked ahead with an indifferent expression, reaching out to take the water bag and drinking a sip.
His numb gaze suddenly sharpened. The Seventh Prince lowered his eyes to the water bag, his voice low as he spoke, “Xue Yao is back.”
Xue Yao, hiding at the door, felt a jolt in his heart.
The chubby cub had never addressed him by his full name!
This was bad!
He must have turned into a naughty cub!
The attendant nervously smiled and nodded, not daring to deny it. “Your Highness is truly perceptive. Just by drinking milk, you could tell that Master Xue is back!”
Hearing this, Xue Yao hiding at the door instantly felt warm inside.
Yes, the chubby cub still cared about him. Just by taking a sip of milk, he could tell it was the one he personally prepared.
The Seventh Prince narrowed his eyes dangerously with a coldly snort. “Besides him, who dares to give your grandpa milk with two fewer spoonfuls of honey? Get acacia honey.”
Xue Yao: “……”
So, the chubby cub had been holding a grudge because the milk he prepared wasn’t sweet enough!
The attendant hurriedly had a palace maid fetch honey.
As the palace maid carried a whole bowl of honey to the door, Xue Yao, unable to bear it any longer, jumped out and stood in front of her. “His Highness can’t drink milk that’s too sweet!”
The palace maid was about to speak but, upon lifting her eyes and seeing the person standing behind Xue Yao, immediately nodded and bowed, “Your Highness, the honey is here.”
Xue Yao shivered all over, sensing a killing intent behind him as if it could pierce through him…
Trembling, he turned around and saw the Seventh Prince with a dirty face, expressionless, locking eyes with him.
“Your… Your Highness, did you grow taller again?” Xue Yao’s mouth twitched, wishing he could curl up into a ball.
The Seventh Prince took a step closer.
Xue Yao hastily pulled back his neck, taking a step backward.
The Seventh Prince advanced again, closing in on Xue Yao.
Xue Yao retreated another step, his back hitting the door frame.
The palace maid, who was blocked, finally appeared beside the Seventh Prince.
Only when Xue Yao saw the Seventh Prince reaching for the honey did he realize he shouldn’t have given way.
Just as he was about to reach out to stop him, he saw the Seventh Prince coldly staring at him, lifting his chin, and taking the honey directly, tilting his head back to swallow it in one gulp.
Xue Yao was shocked!
This was provocation!
It was a protest!
His chubby cub had turned into a rebellious dumpling!!!
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