RMACAUH Chapter 76

Wei Xiaofeng hugged him even tighter, “Then don’t go back on your word, let’s go together.”

“Okay.” Feng Yue’s voice was muffled. He wanted to fulfill all his promises to Xiaofeng too much, but sometimes he couldn’t help himself.

As the end of the year approached, news came from outside the palace that the [Xian Wang] had returned to the capital.

That night, the [Xian Wang] brought his *fu lang* into the palace, bringing back many rare objects from various places. Feng Yue was very happy and extremely envious.

“You guys are still living freely, the world is vast, and you can roam as you please.”

Feng Chao sat in the grand master’s chair, his body heavier, his abdomen slightly bulging. This return to the capital was for prenatal care, to live a stable life for a while. In addition, Ying’er was going to school, and they planned to set up a private school at home, inviting some noble girls from the capital to study with Ying’er.

“What are you saying, Your Majesty? You are now above all people, no need to envy others.” Feng Chao took a winter jujube and bit into it with a crisp, sweet sound.

Seeing that it was getting dark, and thinking of letting Feng Chao return to the mansion to rest for a few more hours since they had just returned to the capital today, Chu Lingqiao stood up and bowed.

“Your Majesty, may this commoner take your pulse?”

“Trouble you, Doctor Chu.”

Chu Lingqiao stepped forward to take Feng Yue’s pulse carefully. After a while, he cupped his hands and stepped back a few steps, saying straightforwardly, “Your Majesty has a deficiency of *yin*. Just take good care of it. May I see the previous prescription?”

“Eunuch Yuan, go and get the previous prescription.”

“Yes.”

Eunuch Yuan quickly brought the prescription and handed it solemnly to Chu Lingqiao.

After reading it, Chu Lingqiao made some minor modifications and returned it to Eunuch Yuan, seemingly not preparing to say anything else.

Seeing that the prescription had been opened, Feng Chao took the lead to get up and said, “It’s getting late, Your Majesty. This subject and Lingqiao will return to the mansion first and come into the palace to see Your Majesty when we have time in the future.”

“Eunuch Yuan, see off the [Xian Wang].”

Eunuch Yuan escorted the two out of the sleeping quarters all the way, and only after they had gone far away did he ask directly, “Doctor Chu, is there any way to help His Majesty’s health…”

Chu Lingqiao thought seriously for a long time and said, “His Majesty’s physical condition, I believe Eunuch Yuan and His Majesty themselves are already aware of it. I have only slightly modified the prescription. With some conditioning on weekdays, perhaps I can extend his lifespan by three years.”

“Is there not a single other way?” Eunuch Yuan asked unwillingly.

Chu Lingqiao looked solemn, with a hesitant expression.

Seeing his expression, Eunuch Yuan knew that there must be another way. “Doctor Chu, please tell me everything. This humble servant will definitely use all means to obtain whatever is needed.”

Chu Lingqiao sighed softly, “In a book of secret recipes left by my master, there was a record of the medicinal *gu* of the ancient Miao region. They cultivated a special kind of *gu* worm, feeding it all kinds of medicinal herbs from a young age, soaking it in medicinal water, allowing it to live and die on its own. Out of tens of thousands of *gu* worms that constantly breed over sixty years, only one pair of male and female medicinal *gu* survive in the end. These medicinal *gu* are named the Life and Death *Gu*, governing life and death, one black and one white, the two poles of *yin* and *yang*, endlessly reproducing. Taking the medicinal *gu* and planting them into the bodies of the living and the dying respectively will have the effect of bringing the dead back to life.”

“Life and Death *Gu*?” It sounded really mysterious and mystical.

“Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to cultivate a pair of Life and Death *Gu* in sixty years, and it is also extremely difficult for them to survive. This is only a legend. As for whether this kind of Life and Death *Gu* really exists in this world, I cannot make a definitive conclusion.”

Eunuch Yuan nodded thoughtfully, but took it to heart.

*

On the eve of Feng Xiao’s exile to Beichuan, Eunuch Yuan came to the prison. In just one year, Feng Xiao no longer had his former glory, and his will had been worn down in this damp and cold prison.

When he looked up at Eunuch Yuan, his expression was gray and there was not a trace of emotional fluctuation.

Eunuch Yuan asked the jailer to bring good wine and food, and set up a small table and chopsticks, giving him the dignity of a royal nobleman.

Feng Xiao did not appreciate it, but smiled sarcastically, “I am now living like an ant, and I can no longer pose any threat to my third brother. What is the purpose of Eunuch Yuan’s behavior?”

Eunuch Yuan sat down on the stool opposite him with a smile. “Second Highness, please.”

Feng Xiao snorted coldly, sat down in front of the table naturally, and picked up his chopsticks to eat. Since entering the prison, he had been eating leftovers. He had not eaten such exquisite and delicious dishes for a long time.

Eunuch Yuan poured him a glass of wine, “This humble servant came here to ask Second Highness about something.”

Feng Xiao drank a glass of clear wine, raised his head, and sighed comfortably, “For the sake of this glass of clear wine, ask.”

“The whereabouts of the [Nanjiang Wang].”

Feng Xiao’s expression froze for a moment after hearing this, and his movements of eating slowed down, “The [Nanjiang Wang]?”

“If Second Highness knows his whereabouts, I hope you will tell me.”

“Between the Jade Peak and the Blue Lake Water Pavilion, go and look. Whether he sees you or not depends on your ability.”

“The Celestial Water Pavilion?”

Feng Xiao ignored him and ate his wine.

Eunuch Yuan got up and bowed to him, then turned and left the prison.

Without delay, Eunuch Yuan went to visit the Celestial Water Pavilion alone that night.

Just after Hai hour, the Miao servant girl guarding the Celestial Water Pavilion was turning off the lights and going back to her room to sleep. When she turned around and looked up, she saw a man in a jujube-red python robe with silver hair in mid-air, coming with the wind.

The two maids had been following the [Nanjiang Wang] to the north and south for many years and could be considered knowledgeable, but they were still shocked on the spot and did not know how to react for a while.

Until Eunuch Yuan stepped forward lightly and bowed to them, “May I ask if the [Nanjiang Wang] is staying here? I am Yuan Zhong, the chief eunuch of the inner palace, and I am here to visit.”

The [Nanjiang Wang], who was meditating and resting in the room, said after hearing the sound, “Please invite him in.”

Before the two maids could open the door, an invisible inner force turned into a gust of wind and pushed the wind open. Eunuch Yuan walked into the room with a Bodhisattva smile.

“Yuan Zhong, I have heard of your name.”

“Not as famous as the [Nanjiang Wang].”

“Please sit down, I wonder what brings Chief Eunuch Yuan here?”

Eunuch Yuan sat down to the side and went straight to the point: “This humble servant wants to ask the [Nanjiang Wang] for something. I heard that [Nanjiang] has a treasure called the Life and Death *Gu*, which governs life and death, *yin* and *yang*, and can bring people back to life.”

After hearing this, the [Nanjiang Wang] smiled meaningfully, “Then does Chief Eunuch Yuan know that it takes sixty years to refine a pair of Life and Death *Gu*, and only one in ten survive? Over thousands of years, my clan has only refined two pairs of Life and Death *Gu*. That is the treasure of my clan. The Chief Eunuch is too demanding.”

“Whatever requirements the [Nanjiang Wang] has, just mention them. This humble servant will do everything possible to do it for the [Nanjiang Wang].”

The [Nanjiang Wang] yawned, lazily propping his face on one hand, and stopped talking.

Eunuch Yuan suddenly said, “This humble servant knows that you have been looking for someone, but there has been no news for many years.”

The [Nanjiang Wang]’s expression froze, he sat up straight, and immediately became interested: “If you are lying to this seat, do you know what the consequences will be?”

“Ah ha ha ha…” Yuan Zhong laughed up to the sky, “The [Nanjiang Wang] also underestimated this humble servant too much. Although your *gu* is fatal, you can’t escape my sharp weapon either. Why bother fighting to the death for a good ‘deal’?”

The [Nanjiang Wang] took the boiling water from the charcoal and made two cups of tea, “Chief Eunuch Yuan, please.”

“Thank you.” Eunuch Yuan took the tea and lightly tapped the table three times with his finger.

“You know the person I’m looking for?” The [Nanjiang Wang] asked tentatively.

“In fact, you have been looking for a runaway medicine slave all these years. It is not a secret in our [Han Ya Shi Si Lou], but this humble servant knows something that is not known on the streets.”

“Oh?”

“That medicine slave is a woman named Sang.”

The [Nanjiang Wang]’s breathing stagnated, and he did not hold the teacup in his hand. It fell on the padauk wooden table with a ‘dong’ sound, and he did not notice the hot tea that was still steaming running down the edge of the table.

“Where is she?”

Eunuch Yuan chuckled twice, but did not answer, but got up and bowed: “It’s getting late, and this humble servant should also return to the palace. The [Nanjiang Wang] should keep this token. If you change your mind, you can bring this token to the palace to find me. Farewell!”

As soon as he finished speaking, only a remnant of the shadow remained in front of him, and the person had already walked ten meters away.

The [Nanjiang Wang] clenched the token in his hand, and his deep eyes were dyed with a bit of sorrow. For a long time, he carefully murmured the name of his beloved from between his lips.

“Sang Li…”

*

These days the temperature has warmed up, and the tutor has taken two days off, so [Yiner] pestered Wei Xiaofeng to go out of the palace to play.

Wei Xiaofeng was having a headache looking at the memorials in front of him, and [Yiner] was making so much noise that his eyes were sparkling. He couldn’t wait to grab him and give him a good beating.

“Father, I study in the palace every day, and I have written all the homework that the tutor gave me. Can you take [Yiner] out to play? Let’s go back to the palace at night!”

“Stop arguing, you’re giving me a headache!” Wei Xiaofeng rubbed the side of his head with the penholder. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go out to play. He also wanted to go out to play. He could completely understand [Yiner]’s mood now. He had also experienced it!

Now that [A Yue]’s body was not well, he could only take on more responsibilities. As the main lord of the inner court, he had to look like a main lord.

Seeing [Yiner]’s crying appearance, Wei Xiaofeng couldn’t help but feel soft-hearted.

“[Yiner], be good, or let the palace maid sister get you a small *pu tuan*, and practice calligraphy with Father?”

[Yiner] sobbed, feeling wronged: “I don’t like it here at all, I want to go back to Guangling! I don’t want to be the crown prince. Since moving to the palace, you and Father don’t care about [Yiner] anymore! Wuwuwu…”

Wei Xiaofeng put down the memorials in his hand and hugged him into his arms with heartache. It had been more than a year since he entered the palace, and he had indeed neglected [Yiner] a lot. He could understand that he was not used to the life in the palace and the alienation of his two fathers.

“I’m sorry [Yiner], it’s all Father’s fault, don’t cry [Yiner].”

[Yiner] wiped away his tears himself, and his small heart felt a little guilty and self-reproachful. It would be nothing if Father beat him, he was prepared to be beaten, but Father hugged him and coaxed him, and he was a little ignorant.

It would be great if Father was not sick. He prayed to the moon every day, hoping that Father would get better soon, so that Father would not be so tired, and he would not have to be so obedient and good.

“I heard you howling from far away. Who bullied you, crying so sadly?” The voice arrived before the person.

The father and son stretched their necks and looked outside the hall. They saw Feng Yue walking in with a good spirit in casual clothes.

Eunuch Yuan and others were waiting outside the palace.

He usually took a nap at this time. Wei Xiaofeng got up to greet him: “Why didn’t you sleep today?”

Feng Yue stretched his back and gently stroked Wei Xiaofeng’s fair cheeks with a gentle smile, “It’s not good to sleep every day, people will lie down and waste away, so I wanted to come and see you.”

“Humph!” The little bun puffed out his cheeks, staring at them with his head propped up, looking like an adult, as if he was redundant as long as the two of them were together!

The hum he made was loud, so Feng Yue had to look at him, “Why are you crying?”

[Yiner] had learned some rules after all, and got up and gave Feng Yue a proper salute: “This son greets Father.”

Feng Yue nodded with satisfaction: “Not bad, the tutor has finally taught you something, knowing how to salute.”

“Father, this son wants to go out of the palace to experience the people’s conditions, and I hope Father will approve!”

His appearance amused Wei Xiaofeng and Feng Yue. It seemed that he was really bored and wanted to go out of the palace to play, and even made up such a serious speech.

“Come over.” Feng Yue extended his hand to [Yiner].

[Yiner] ran to Feng Yue’s side with a smile on his face, looking at his father with a cute little face full of flattery.

Feng Yue took his hand and said to Wei Xiaofeng, “Let’s put today’s affairs aside and go out for a walk?”

Wei Xiaofeng’s eyes lit up: “Can we?”

“Yes, of course we can.” Feng Yue didn’t want him to confine himself to this world because of his heavy responsibilities. If possible, he certainly hoped that Xiaofeng could be himself.