Chapter 105 |
The conflict between the First Prince and the Third Prince gradually began to affect innocent bystanders.
Such as Qu Dubian.
He was utterly weary of dealing with his two elder brothers and feigned illness to hide away in Pinggui Court.
For a full month, he didn't step outside, isolating himself to grind through practice problems, experiencing various simulated scenarios, writing papers on simulators, all while constantly refreshing his list of ailments.
There was another benefit to staying at Pinggui Court.
Shunningning Palace was far away, so there were fewer people around to supervise him. Ye Banban was easy to coax with a little spoiled behavior, and Liuliu was relatively obedient; usually, a stern order to keep his distance was enough.
This way, under the pretext of doing homework, he could hole up in his room and grind for lifespan points.
Ye Xiaoyuan developed a direct dislike for Grand Tutor Fang, convinced it was Grand Tutor Fang who was secretly assigning excessive coursework. He quietly sought out Eunuch Yu, asking him to whisper a few words into Emperor Chongzhao's ear.
The next day, Emperor Chongzhao summoned Grand Tutor Fang.
Grand Tutor Fang, who hadn't assigned a single piece of homework: "..."
Why did he feel like he was being used as a shield? What exactly is the Seventh Prince secretly doing in his room?
Emperor Chongzhao spoke earnestly: "Different carrots belong in different holes. Since Little Seven isn't cut out for scholarly pursuits and loves martial arts instead, just let him practice. Don't keep hounding him."
Grand Tutor Fang listened with a wooden expression, enduring Emperor Chongzhao for half an hour.
Only after repeatedly assuring he wouldn't pressure the child did Emperor Chongzhao let him leave. Before departing, Grand Tutor Fang hesitated and glanced at the Emperor.
The dark circles under the latter's eyes were strikingly pronounced.
The Emperor held absolute authority, personally reviewing all affairs of state, big and small. However, a person's energy is finite, and it inevitably declines with age.
Continuing like this would cause immeasurable damage to his health.
Thinking of the faint murmurs about establishing a crown prince beginning to appear in court, Grand Tutor Fang ultimately said nothing more, only offering: "Your Majesty, please take care of your health."
Emperor Chongzhao: "If you ease the pressure on Little Seven, once he's better, We might have slightly fewer worries."
Grand Tutor Fang: "..."
The old man's beard twitched. Hands clasped behind his back, he headed for the Princes' Quarters.
He was determined to see for himself what the Seventh Prince was really doing in his room! And whether he was truly ill.
-
Pinggui Court.
The small courtyard was permeated with the smell of medicine.
The vegetable garden in the front yard seemed wilted and listless, as if weighed down by the fumes.
Yi Shier sat there, spacing out on a small stool by the vegetable garden, while Ye Xiaoyuan was in the kitchen brewing medicine.
Physician Yang had just left, carrying his medicine chest, his face worried and pained—Heavens, why did the Seventh Prince's condition change so rapidly, taking on a new form every five or six days? Treating him was driving him mad.
In his next life, he would never study medicine again.
And if he did, he prayed never to encounter the Seventh Prince.
This was the scene that greeted Grand Tutor Fang as he entered the courtyard. He coughed twice, "Is the Seventh Prince in?"
Ye Xiaoyuan emerged from the kitchen, mentally stabbing a voodoo doll of this annoying old man, and said with a smile, "Yes, he's in his study doing his homework."
Grand Tutor Fang: "..."
He chuckled, "Ah, I just came to see the Seventh Prince, to check if he perhaps misunderstood my intentions. The coursework I left wasn't actually that much."
Only then did Ye Xiaoyuan knock on Qu Dubian's door, "Your Highness, Grand Tutor Fang is here."
Qu Dubian: "Oh, come in!"
Grand Tutor Fang pushed the door open. Qu Dubian was in the small study area partitioned off from his bedroom. "Grand Tutor, I'm here."
He sat at his small desk, his complexion pale and sickly, having grown thinner. After a month apart, he even seemed taller. At first sight, Grand Tutor Fang’s pent‑up resentment at being used as a shield eased somewhat, replaced by a slight frown. “What has been going on this past month—why have you been falling ill repeatedly?”
"If you're sick, you should rest properly. What have you been tinkering with?"
Qu Dubian spread the papers out on his desk. His fingers were well-proportioned, but because he was going through a growth spurt, the tips were sharply thin. That wasn't the main point. The key point was the red spots visible on his wrist and the back of his hand.
There were also some scratch marks, looking somewhat alarming.
Grand Tutor Fang grasped his wrist, "What is this?"
Qu Dubian glanced at it: "Oh, this is either urticaria or hives? The red spots just appeared. It was so itchy I couldn't help scratching."
The one hundred percent secondary simulation was truly unbearable. If not for finding the smell of blood unpleasant, he might have scratched until he bled.
Fortunately, his face was spared, or he wouldn't be able to see anyone now.
Qu Dubian smiled, "Grand Tutor, you'd better not touch it either. I can't help it—it's so itchy."
Grand Tutor Fang gently released his hand, "Ai, this health of yours is truly..."
He was aware of the Seventh Prince's true aptitude and capability. Apart from his poor penmanship, he was exceptionally bright and quick to understand, yet he just happened to have such a fragile constitution.
Qu Dubian shook his sleeve down to cover the scratch marks before asking, "Grand Tutor, did you need something from me?"
Only then did Grand Tutor Fang remember. He snorted, looked around to ensure no one else was present, and said, "This old man didn't assign you any homework. What have you been holed up in here doing?"
"Face powder formulas."
"Face powder?"
Qu Dubian nodded.
The face powder production formulas provided by the simulator corresponded to later-era loose powder, setting powder, blush, and so on.
He hadn't been interested in researching them before. The last time at Shunningning Palace, Zhiyi remarked on how pretty Yuan Jie'er looked on her wedding day with rouge applied, and Concubine Xuan and Concubine Guo had also helped dress her up.
Then they teased each other, saying they had fine lines at the corners of their eyes, while a young girl was naturally beautiful even without rouge.
To avoid the First and Third Princes, Qu Dubian hadn't attended Yuan Jie'er's wedding, but he had sent a chest of jewelry as an additional dowry gift for her.
It didn't matter much, though. His elder sister and Xizi Xing had attended. He heard Xizi Xing had put Yuan Jie'er's groom, the young master of the Tong family, through such a grilling that he was sweating profusely.
That esteemed Second Young Master Tong, a dignified juren (provincial graduate), was nearly barred at the door.
Hearing this, Qu Dubian was quite satisfied with Xizi Xing's overachievement in completing the task. Although that fellow wasn't particularly eager about exams and passing the provincial level, his scholarship was excellent.
After that day, he began researching face powder in his spare time.
The yanzhi (rouge) and other cosmetics currently sold in the Great Zhou all contained powdered lead. Prolonged use was harmful to the skin.
His elder sister had reached the age for adornment, and Concubine Xuan and Concubine Guo had reached the age for skin care. By making this face powder, he could please the three ladies in his household.
As a bonus, he could also sell it for money. Two birds with one stone.
Only then did Grand Tutor Fang notice that the Seventh Prince's messy desk held not just various formulas for face powder, but also tools for grinding medicinal herbs.
He remarked, "His Majesty enjoys making incense. Now you're making face powder. Your hobbies, father and son, are different paths leading to the same destination."
Qu Dubian: "That's not the same at all. Mine is for my own family."
"Wait a moment," Grand Tutor Fang said, "Those red spots all over you... could they be from medicinal powders, pollen, or flower petals?"
He looked ready to cart all these things away. Qu Dubian hurriedly said, "No, the physician checked. It has nothing to do with them."
They were all treasures; they couldn't be thrown out.
Only then did Grand Tutor Fang relent.
"It's good that you're staying in Pinggui Courtyard. During this time, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are fiercely competing, and they will likely try to win over their other brothers to take sides and support them."
Qu Dubian nodded.
Grand Tutor Fang stayed a while longer, studying scented powders with him, and only left Pinggui Courtyard when it was time for Qu Dubian to apply his medicine.
It was now four in the afternoon.
The time prescribed by Physician Yang for applying the medicine.
Ye Xiaoyuan moved the lounge chair into the courtyard. Qu Dubian took off his upper garment and lay face down on it, revealing his back, which was covered with even more scratch marks.
Although he was thin, his muscles were firm and tight, usually hidden under his clothes. His fair skin made the scratches look severe.
Ye Xiaoyuan sighed, mixing wine into the medicinal liquid.
"I'll have Sir Sixty-Six help with the application, Your Highness. I need to watch the fire in the kitchen."
Qu Dubian: "Alright."
Yi Shier nodded, took the bowl, dipped a cotton pad into the medicinal liquid, and pressed it against Qu Dubian's back.
After the heat of the medicine seeped in, came the coolness from the evaporating alcohol. Qu Dubian buried his head in the crook of his arm, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Yi Shier hesitated: "Does it hurt?"
Qu Dubian laughed out loud: "It tickles! Sixty-Six, you're being too gentle."
But honestly, after that initial ticklish sensation passed and the potency of the medicine seeped in, the itching and soreness really did ease up a bit. One had to know that for illnesses simulated by the system, ordinary prescriptions he used would have reduced effects and quickly lead to relapse.
However, Physician Yang—perhaps from practicing on him—had really nailed the prescription. The efficacy would last for a period of time.
So, to stop the itching, he obediently applied the medicine.
Yidianbai came over, trying to lick the scratches on his back. Qu Dubian pushed it away: "Be good, don't cause trouble. Go chew on your bone over there."
Yi Shier: "Then I'll apply more pressure."
Qu Dubian: "Good. You can blow on it too, that makes the alcohol evaporate faster."
"Alcohol?"
"Oh... I mean the wine."
Yi Shier did as instructed.
Qu Dubian secretly turned his head, "Sixty-Six, can I learn your 'Flying Flowers and Plucking Leaves' technique? The kind with hidden weapons, whoosh whoosh whoosh."
Yi Shier: "'Flying Flowers and Plucking Leaves' requires stronger internal energy support. The rest is about accuracy."
Qu Dubian: "My internal energy is pretty decent now. I want to learn from you."
"What I know are all lethal moves."
"Learning one or two might come in handy someday."
Yi Shier paused in his movements.
Qu Dubian: "Just kidding. I just want to learn more things."
"Alright."
Yi Shier agreed, "But don't do anything that involves bloodshed. Leave that to me."
Ye Xiaoyuan peeked out: "What are you two talking about? Learning what?"
Qu Dubian raised his voice: "Just discussing whether to learn new martial arts techniques."
Seeing Ye Xiaoyuan go back inside, he quietly let out a sigh of relief.
"Good, I understand! Teach me in a few days."
"Mhm."
-
Evening.
Ye Xiaoyuan opened the gate of Pinggui Courtyard.
Standing at the entrance was Wen Xiaochun, dressed in crimson robes. He frowned, and upon hearing the gate open, immediately stepped forward, "How is His Highness? It hasn't improved in a month."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Isn't it usually difficult for those from the Eastern Depot to get out? Will there be any consequences for you coming out?"
Wen Xiaochun suppressed his anxiety: "It's fine. I used an excuse about handling official business, just passing by to take a look."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "He's been better these past few days. It's just that some red spots appeared on his body. His Highness can't help but scratch them constantly, like a little child. We've told him not to, but he still does. It must be unbearably itchy. His body is covered in deep and shallow marks, it's truly heartbreaking to see. Physician Yang prescribed a medicinal formula to brew and apply. It seems to have helped quite a bit."
Wen Xiaochun had just assumed the position of one of the Six Chief Supervisors. He really shouldn't have come, because the current Director of the Eastern Depot valued him precisely because he had no other backing, didn't take sides, and was a good blade.
But he simply couldn't hold back, so he took over someone else's task and made a detour to check.
His Highness rarely fell ill for such a long time.
He had asked around and learned that Physician Yang from the Imperial Hospital, who often attended to His Highness, had recently lost a lot of hair. This made him even more restless.
Now, seeing that Ye Xiaoyuan's spirits were fairly good, he gradually felt relieved.
If something serious had really happened to His Highness, Xiaoyuan's state of mind wouldn't be as calm as it was now.
Confirming that His Highness was alright, Wen Xiaochun said, "Then I'll take my leave. Have the physician find some scar-removing ointment for His Highness. It's not good to have marks left behind."
Ye Xiaoyuan nodded.
Wen Xiaochun hurriedly left a few more words before quickly departing the Princes' Quarters and catching up with his Eastern Depot team.
Qu Dubian only learned that Wen Xiaochun had visited the next day and regretted not being able to see him.
He had been planning to 'recover' for a bit, but soon received news from the Fifth Prince that their cheap father had flown into a rage in court and punished two officials who had urged the establishment of a Crown Prince.
He immediately pulled his head back in, deciding to observe a while longer.
However, the very next day after Emperor Chongzhao dealt with the ministers' request to appoint an heir, the accumulated strain from the recent flurry of complicated state affairs and his long-standing lack of rest pushed his body to its limit.
Amidst the emotional turmoil, the taut string suddenly snapped.
He fell seriously ill, running a high fever that wouldn't subside.