Chapter 340: Chapter 307: Qingye, Marquis Wu’an
"Junior Brother, since this surgery isn’t difficult, why do you want Miss Je to stay for as long as three months?" Sun Youwei asked suspiciously.
"This surgery requires postoperative rehabilitation and recovery, with monthly check-ups to ensure it doesn’t regrow or adhere. Of course, if she recovers well, it could only take a month, but the prerequisite is that she must be married..."
"Married, why is that?"
"Madam..." Xia Zhu quickly pulled Sun Youwei aside and quietly explained.
After listening to the explanation, Sun Youwei’s face instantly turned red with embarrassment, her cheeks flushed, looking very cute. If Xia Zhu weren’t present, Lin Miao wouldn’t be able to resist biting her.
"Mr. Lin, is the check-up complete?" Ji Fei’Er returned.
"Yes, Miss Je can wait for the surgery. We need a few days to prepare, within ten days. I will prescribe some medicine for you to take to adjust your body; this will help with your postoperative recovery," Lin Miao said.
"Alright, I’ll wait."
...
In the Southern Study, Crown Prince Zhao Yuanze knelt on the cold ground.
"Crown Prince, you want to resign from the duty of acting king?" Emperor Zhao Rui was somewhat surprised. Though this son wasn’t as capable as himself, he wasn’t a fool. Resigning from this duty now would leave his supporting ministers with questions.
Is this showing he no longer wishes to fight for the throne, or retreating to advance?
If he no longer wants the throne, a lot of trouble would be saved, allowing the Fifth Prince to win without lifting a finger; but if so, his reputation...
Abolishing the primary heir for a secondary is a royal taboo, and if word spreads, it would seem that he, as a father, forced the eldest to give up for the younger. If not for the eldest, he wouldn’t even have the chance to ascend the throne back then, so this son owed him a great debt.
With such implications, even in a hundred years, his reputation wouldn’t fare well.
"Yes, Father, I’ve caught a cold recently and feel dizzy and unwell, unable to bear the role of acting king. Please allow me to resign from this duty."
"You seem perfectly fine, speaking nonsense. Are you accusing me of favoritism towards your brother? Or have you heard some rumors, lost in your thoughts?" In a father-son relationship, some things can be said directly. Between ruler and subject, much goes unsaid.
"Father, you’ve misunderstood. My resignation isn’t out of dissatisfaction, but because I wish to lay down this burdensome identity and go somewhere."
"Go where?" Zhao Rui, surprised, asked curiously.
"Lanzhou, Dongshan Prefecture."
"What will you do there?"
"Father has always worried about my lack of heirs. Going out would serve to relax and also to seek a cure among the common folk."
"You’re going to find that Lin..." Zhao Rui understood. His son was determined, almost desperate, having tried so hard for years as hope faded repeatedly. Anyone else would’ve given up long ago, yet he persisted.
The Crown Prince is the designated heir, leaving the capital is no small matter, openly doing so would create disturbances.
Only by secretly leaving the capital can one avoid drawing attention and quietly carry out plans, without local interference.
"I would also like Father to assign two royal guards to accompany me."
"Granted." Zhao Rui nodded, after all, twenty years as Crown Prince entitles one to proper treatment.
"Thank you, Father."
"Do you have any other requests?"
"I will use the excuse of this cold to step away from duties and court, yet this secret won’t hold indefinitely. Please, help conceal this for a time for me, Father."
"Rest assured, I have it all planned. How long will you be gone?"
"Dongshan is far from the capital; a round trip alone takes a month. Adding treatment time, I promise to return before year’s end," Zhao Yuanze said.
"Returning in time for New Year would be ideal. If treatment demands it, you can remain where you are, and I’ll cover for you,"
"Thank you, Father."
"Have you seen your mother yet?"
"I haven’t gone to Mother yet, but I’m departing soon. Visiting her now might let news slip..."
"I see. I’ll speak to your mother myself. The harem is where news leaks easiest. The Empress might not reveal your whereabouts, but others might."
"I also wish to take two concubines with me."
"That’s acceptable." For other ailments, one person can go alone, but for this, both husband and wife must be involved. One person alone cannot bear heirs.
"Then I’ll depart in a few days."
"Wait, Marquis An can also return to Juxu Pass with you in disguise as part of his retinue. This will better hide your departure," Zhao Rui instructed after pondering.
Zhao Yuanze was pleased. Traveling with Marquis An’s retinue made discovery unlikely, and Marquis An was also leading five hundred elite armored cavalry, ensuring safety on the road.
Martial experts, however skilled, are no match for elite troops unless they are top-tier masters.
Marquis An himself is also an expert.
...
At Fu Qingzhu’s residence.
Marquis An, Qingye, lay bare-chested on a couch, receiving treatment from Fu Qingzhu for a back sore. The sore resulted from battles with Beihu experts. The military doctor lacked skill back then, leaving residual toxins. It flares up each summer and improves slightly in cold weather. Fortunately, his inner strength is deep. For anyone else, grass would be growing on their grave by now.
"This ointment can only help alleviate your pain. If you want a full cure, it’s not possible yet," Fu Qingzhu said while applying the ointment.
"Old Fu, I have to trouble you with this every year," Qingye spoke to Fu Qingzhu in a familiar manner, showing their acquaintance.
"Poison Master #4 is in Dongshan. You can consult him about this back sore. Using poison to counter poison is also a method. Why not give it a try?"
"No, I won’t go."
"You and Poison Master #4 don’t have any deep grudges. Why make things difficult for yourself?" Fu Qingzhu sighed.
"Back then, I begged him to save someone, but he refused to help. As a result, my best brother died on the battlefield."
"Ah, I know about this. At the time, he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t save General An Ran, and there were other people who still had a chance to live, so he naturally chose to save those who could survive first. You’ve held a grudge for him all these years, it’s time to let it go," Fu Qingzhu said.
"Even so, why didn’t he just say it?"
"You two both have stubborn tempers. He couldn’t swallow his pride to explain to you, and you refused to see him. How was he supposed to tell you?"
Feeling the cool sensation on his back, Qingye let out a comfortable hum. This ointment was the only thing that could ease his pain.
No other medicine worked.
All these years, he’s relied on this ointment to live.
"Alright, Old Fu, I should be going back. In a couple of days, I’ll be heading back to Juxu Pass. The next time we meet will be next year." Qingye got up, dressing as he spoke.
"I prepared the ointment for you, ten jars in total. It should last you until you return to the capital," Fu Qingzhu said. "By the way, your girl ran away before she was about to be married off to the Fifth Prince. She’s quite bold, takes after you."
"I’ve served the royal family all my life, but I don’t want to sacrifice my daughter too. If she wants to escape, let her. I might as well take this chance to retire and return to the fields, it’s not so bad." Qingye said as he put on the marquis robe.
"The Lien Family’s girl also ran away, and your girl ran too. Of the three chosen by Consort Xue, only Jiang Ya, the daughter of Marquis Nanyang, is left."
"Old Fu, what are you trying to say?"
"I’m not saying anything. We both know what kind of person Consort Xue is. She keeps track of everyone who offends her. Marquis, you should be careful."
"If worse comes to worst, I’ll just resign and not do it anymore. I have just one daughter, do you think I’ll let her suffer?" Qingye said.
"You may step down, but what about the descendants of the Qing Family in the military?"
"Ah, I can’t control what happens with the next generation. Besides, is it certain that the Crown Prince will lose?"
"We both know what His Majesty is thinking. The Crown Prince has no heirs, which is his greatest disadvantage. If the Fifth Prince truly has a grandson of the emperor, the balance will surely tilt toward him."
"How many days does His Majesty have left?"
"If anyone else asked, I wouldn’t say, but for you..." Fu Qingzhu quietly held up three fingers.
"Three months?" Qingye was taken aback.
Fu Qingzhu shook his head.
"Three years?!"
"If he continues with the current regimen, perhaps even longer. It depends on whether His Majesty can resist or at least minimize visits to the concubines in the harem," Fu Qingzhu said.
"No doubt this is your doing, Old Fu!"
"I put in some effort, but it’s not just me—there’s someone else involved," Fu Qingzhu said. "Marquis, I suggest that on your way back, detour to Dongshan. You might have an unexpected harvest."
"Old Fu, are you playing riddles with me?"
"Whether you go or not is up to you. I’ve said all I need to," Fu Qingzhu chuckled and served tea to signal the end of the conversation.
...
"Marquis, His Majesty summons you to the palace!" Just as Qingye left Fu Qingzhu’s house, a personal soldier rushed over, kneeling on one knee to report.
"This late at night, what does His Majesty want with me?"
"I don’t know, my lord. The message was delivered by Eunuch Xiaobao by His Majesty’s side," the soldier whispered.
"Let’s go, accompany me to the palace."
...
Once again, soft and languid, Yue Mei’er lay in Lin Miao’s arms, her eyes tightly closed, the corners of her mouth slightly turned up—a smile of ultimate satisfaction.
The lord is too powerful. If it weren’t for the help of sisters Lianxin and Liansuo, she wouldn’t have been able to handle it alone.
Even if there were more sisters in the future, it wouldn’t be a problem.
"Ji Fei’er has arrived. She’s staying in the courtyard behind our consultation point," Lin Miao had summoned Yue Mei’er back from the manor outside the city mainly to talk about Ji Fei’er.
At the mention of "Ji Fei’er," Yue Mei’er’s eyes widened instantly, and she sat up: "Lord, are you sure?"
"Her disguise skill is exceptional, it must be some Cultivation Technique that changes her facial muscles completely unnoticeable," Lin Miao said. "However, I can sense that her cultivated Heart Method is from the same source as the Moon Attraction Chapter!"
"Ah, the Heart Method cultivated by Sister Fei’er should be the Ji Family’s hereditary Heart Method ’Chasing Moon Skill’. Could it be that the Chasing Moon Skill has something to do with the Moon God Record?" Yue Mei’er exclaimed in surprise.
"I don’t know. I can feel it, which is how I can be sure she is Ji Fei’er!"
