WK Chapter 27.1

Ye Xiaoyuan suddenly understood why the young prince’s reaction to coming here was so calm.

 

It turned out he no longer had expectations for His Majesty as a father.

 

Thus, the prince only cried that one time last night, and though still uncomfortable after waking, he acted as if nothing was wrong, probably to avoid worrying him… Ye Xiaoyuan felt a pang in his heart.

 

Children who are too well-behaved are often subconsciously overlooked, while those who fuss occasionally always get attention.

 

Qu Dubian enjoyed poking at his nominal father’s soft spots this lifetime.

 

“Ye Banban and I will leave after we finish eating.”

 

He knew exactly how to handle an emperor with an imperious personality, who felt guilty towards his child but was also extremely awkward due to the prophecy.

 

Emperor Chongzhao felt particularly stifled by Qu Dubian’s few sentences.

 

The child had been so clingy when asleep, yet now awake he was closer to a eunuch than to him. The contrast was too great, and he felt the child’s avoidant gaze like a thorn in his heart.

 

Head Eunuch Yu also clutched his chest.

 

This young prince really knew how to poke at one’s heartstrings.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan said: “Your Majesty, the young prince just woke up and isn’t feeling well… He’s happy to see you.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao sat opposite Qu Dubian, unconsciously twirling the ring on his hand resting on his leg. One big, one small, left and right, like a grown tiger facing a kitten.

 

“Ju’an Hall isn’t good for your recovery. Stay here until you’re well, no need to move.”

 

Qu Dubian’s ears twitched, like a sensitive little animal. He looked up, seemingly surprised he could stay.

 

“Then where will I go after I’m better? Can I… can I stay in Ju’an Hall?” The child held out his pinky finger, sneaking a glance at him. “I only need a little bit of food to be full.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao softened his tone, “You don’t need to go back to Ju’an Hall in the future, nor to the detached palace. Just stay in the imperial palace, I will personally choose a place for you. And don’t worry about food, I won’t let you go hungry.”

 

Others didn’t know, but Head Eunuch Yu understood. He was secretly surprised – it seemed His Majesty had decided to posthumously confer the title of Empress on Consort Yun?

 

This news would likely cause an uproar in both the court and the inner palace.

 

Qu Dubian had some oil on the corner of his mouth. Emperor Chongzhao hesitantly reached out, gently wiping it with his thumb.

 

A faint smell of blood wafted to Qu Dubian’s nose. His face paled, and he suddenly turned his head and started retching.

 

“Your Highness??”

 

Qu Dubian retched a few more times.

 

Originally, having achieved the plan to stay in the palace, he wanted to give his nominal father some face, but… he really couldn’t help it.

 

The shadow of some things from his past life carried over to this one. His chest felt nauseous. Usually it wasn’t a problem, but he had just eaten half his fill and couldn’t suppress it.

 

Had his father killed someone on his way in? Why didn’t he change his clothes?

 

After retching for a while without vomiting anything, Qu Dubian buried himself in Ye Xiaoyuan’s arms, smelling the soap scent on his clothes, feeling slightly better.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan kept rubbing his back, full of concern.

 

Head Eunuch Yu looked at the frozen Emperor Chongzhao, inwardly thinking this was bad. “He was fine just now, what happened?”

 

Qu Dubian drooped listlessly on Ye Xiaoyuan’s shoulder, covering his nose in disgust, and said in a muffled voice: “So smelly.”

 

Smelly?

 

Emperor Chongzhao immediately thought of something and stood up, saying: “I’ll go out for a moment.”

 

He walked quickly to the outside of the hall and lifted his sleeve to smell it.

 

Head Eunuch Yu followed out: “It must have been accidentally picked up in the side hall earlier, and the young prince smelled it.”

 

“I can’t smell anything,” Emperor Chongzhao said puzzled, “With such a sensitive nose, is he really a little puppy?”

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “…” He couldn’t respond to that.

 

Emperor Chongzhao shook his clothes: “I’ll go to the West Warm Pavilion. Move the memorials there too. I won’t stay here to bother him. Call the physician to check on him. He’s already sick, don’t let this make him worse.”

 

“Also, summon the Vice Minister of Rites and Prince Ming to me. I have something to discuss with them.”

 

The young son couldn’t do without him at night, but his distant attitude during the day left him inexplicably frustrated. Feeling a surge of energy with nowhere to direct it, he decided to go trouble his officials instead.

 

Head Eunuch Yu knew this was to discuss conferring the title on Consort Yun.

 

And likely, this wasn’t a discussion from His Majesty, but a notification.

 

–

 

In the hall.

 

Qu Dubian hugged Emperor Chongzhao’s beloved incense burner, sniffing it repeatedly until the nauseous feeling gradually disappeared.

 

This was ancient times, where the chances of smelling human blood were much higher than in modern times. If it was like this every time, wouldn’t it affect his appetite?

 

If only there was a simulated illness type for losing the sense of smell. Never mind this little bit of blood smell, he could slurp noodles without changing expression even wading through a sea of blood!

 

Ye Xiaoyuan felt his forehead, “Why does it feel like you’re heating up again?”

 

It would be abnormal if he wasn’t hot. The simulator’s time hadn’t run out yet, it had to continue until noon tomorrow.

 

Qu Dubian held Ye Xiaoyuan’s hand: “Help me up.”

 

“Your Highness?”

 

His young master’s face was still pale, but his expression was determined: “I want to practice Tai Chi!”

 

He couldn’t break the fifteen-day streak of signing in!

 

Ye Xiaoyuan: “?”

 

Damn that Wen Xiaochun, how did he teach Tai Chi to make the prince like this?

 

–

 

Imperial Kitchen.

 

The imperial guards were counting the oil in the imperial kitchen, checking against the recorded usage amounts in the ledger.

 

Wen Xiaochun rubbed his inexplicably itchy nose, standing meekly to the side, listening to the guards’ investigation.

 

“You also belong to the imperial kitchen? Your name isn’t on the roster.”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “I serve the Seventh Prince. Because the prince’s meals were mistreated before, I was given a nominal steward position in the imperial kitchen, as a form of supervision. Since it’s just a nominal position without salary, my name isn’t on the list.”

 

“The one by the side of the Seventh Prince?”

 

The steward next to him said: “Yes, I was the one who recruited him. He works as a minor supervisor in the oil management department.”

 

Oil management…

 

The head of the guards frowned.

 

He asked Wen Xiaochun: “Which oil storehouse do you manage?”

 

Wen Xiaochun stammered: “This servant only holds a nominal position, without independently managing any warehouse, just occasionally helping others with management.”

 

“If that’s the case, why are your eyes shifty?” The head of the guards pressed closer, “You’re clearly concealing something, speak up quickly!”

 

Wen Xiaochun’s face turned pale, “This, this servant doesn’t belong to the Imperial Kitchen, I’m the Seventh Prince’s man, but I’m insignificant, how dare I speak about the stewards’ private affairs.”

 

At this moment, the Imperial Kitchen steward had come to his senses, his face instantly turning red: “What nonsense are you spouting!”

 

The head of the guards: “You also know you’re not from the Imperial Kitchen, this matter concerns the Seventh Prince, if you’re thinking of your master, you should quickly tell what’s going on, it surely won’t implicate you.”

 

Wen Xiaochun hesitated and struggled, but actually spoke quickly: “If the lords want to check the oil, just checking the ledgers won’t match the numbers.”

 

He leaned in and whispered in the head of the guards’ ear, “The stewards have secretly withheld quite a bit, it’s become a custom, when I first came they distributed some to me, they felt at ease after I accepted. But I didn’t dare use it secretly, so I put it all in an empty warehouse at the back, not a single barrel is missing, my lord can send someone to check. This connection, counts as a merit, does my lord want it?”

 

A flash of light quickly passed through the eyes of the head of the guards.

 

What Wen Xiaochun said was not wrong.

 

The Imperial Kitchen stewards occasionally being greedy wasn’t usually considered a big deal, those above would turn a blind eye.

 

But at this critical moment of investigating the fire, exposing the embezzling stewards for investigation, even if no results were found in the end, if not merit then at least effort, it would be beneficial for future promotions.

 

He patted Wen Xiaochun’s shoulder: “You wait here.”

 

The head of the guards first sent people to the empty warehouse, dragged out the oil barrels to check against the accounts, confirming that what Wen Xiaochun said was true, not a single barrel of oil given to him was missing.

 

Only then did he dispel the doubts in his heart and fix his gaze on the stewards of the Imperial Kitchen.

 

Wen Xiaochun also went over to take a look.

 

Last night, oil had already been borrowed from elsewhere, and now the few stewards short on oil were all those who had, to varying degrees, looked down on Ju’an Palace before.

 

There were only a few heads of guards who could investigate this far, and this martial head of guards had long been struggling for promotion, he wouldn’t let go of any opportunity to establish merit, after discussing with Ye Xiaoyuan, he realized that the risk of selling out these stewards could be ignored.

 

While clearing himself, he could also vent anger for the young prince again.

 

The martial head of guards patted his shoulder, “You’ve done well, I’ll record a merit for you here.”

 

He said meaningfully: “I won’t let you have a hard time in the palace.”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “This servant only asks to stay by His Highness’s side to serve, I dare not trouble my lord with anything, as for the Imperial Kitchen, it’s just a nominal position, I can resign.”

 

“That’s right, staying by a prince’s side has more prospects.”

 

The martial head of guards pressed the oil department stewards and took them elsewhere for questioning.

 

Wen Xiaochun smiled slightly.

 

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