GTB Chapter 38

Chapter 38: First Letter Arrives, Tears But No Crying

Chapter 38: First Letter Arrives, Tears But No Crying

Shí Yan chuckled, having a pretty good idea of what had happened. “What? Your pride hurt by being played by a little girl?”

“No, she didn’t play me.” Shí Yuánchén, who had never been rebuffed by a woman before, asked uncertainly:

“Seventh Brother, do you think I’m not handsome enough? Not imposing enough, not dashing enough?”

Shí Yan was speechless at his questions, clearly his pride was hurt.

He sighed. “Maybe it has nothing to do with whether you’re handsome or not. Perhaps she’s already engaged, or married, or maybe she already has someone in her heart?”

“That’s impossible, she’s so young. Besides, I even asked her name. If she were already married or something, she would definitely have said so. She wouldn’t have sneaked away like that. She probably just didn’t fancy me.”

“Looks like my face isn’t handsome enough,”

He said, staring at Shí Yan. “Seventh Brother knows how to grow, he has a face that can charm thousands of young ladies. Just give them a look, and they all want to pounce.”

Shí Yan picked up the painting on the table and stuffed it into the drawer, too lazy to discuss such boring topics with him.

Seeing this, Shí Yuánchén’s eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately said, “Seventh Brother, give me a painting! I don’t have much silver left.”

Shí Yan ignored him, reached for a book on the side, leaned back in his chair, and looked at it lazily.

Seeing that he was unmoved, Shí Yuánchén continued, “Seventh Brother, don’t be so stingy! I’m the one who made your reputation as Yun You Gong Zi! Just give me another one, okay?”

Shí Yan raised his eyes, shifted his gaze from the book to him. “Looks like you really have a short memory. You took my paintings out to sell without permission and you still have the nerve to say that? Do I need this title?”

Shí Yuánchén said hesitantly, “Well, you were just throwing them in the trash anyway, I was just recycling. Forget it, forget it, if you don’t want to give it to me, then don’t.”

He thought about stealing two when Seventh Brother wasn’t paying attention later. That would be enough for his expenses for the whole year.

The next day.

Inside the East Palace of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Yue An watched a group of imperial physicians finish taking the pulse, all of them shaking their heads and pleading guilty. They were powerless to heal the Crown Prince’s legs.

“All of you, step down.”

Emperor Yue An looked at the Crown Prince lying on the bed, his face pale and his eyes hollow. “Take good care of your injuries, don’t think too much. Father will have skilled craftsmen make you a rolling chair.”

After he finished speaking, he lifted his foot and walked out. Even if he had more sons, he would still feel pain and heartache looking at his son lying in bed, lifeless and with ruined legs, especially since it was his Crown Prince.

Although he had sent people to investigate yesterday, he knew that the ones who could attack the Crown Prince were none other than his other sons. He had been through this himself, and he understood the pros and cons.

But he really couldn’t bear to see his sons killing each other. Now that the Crown Prince’s legs were crippled, he was no longer suitable for the position of Crown Prince.

He took heavy steps, and from now on, his sons would probably couldn’t help but show off their abilities.

The several princes of the East Palace, watching Emperor Yue An leave, also bid farewell and left one by one.

On the long palace road, Shí Yuánchén looked around to make sure no one was around and asked Shí Yan, “Seventh Brother, the Crown Prince was…”

“What’s the point of asking these things? Just do your own thing.”

“Okay, then I’ll go drink and have fun with courtesans more often these days.”

Cining Palace

After seeing the Crown Prince early in the morning, the Empress Dowager had been sitting in the courtyard, basking in the sun. Her old eyes seemed to gleam in the sunlight.

She said to Governess Xiu beside her, “Send someone to find Painter Lin and have him paint the daughters of officials of the fourth rank and send them here.”

“Yes.” Governess Xiu responded and walked to the side, instructing a small maid.

After giving the instructions, she returned to the Empress Dowager’s side and said, “Empress Dowager, wouldn’t the daughters of fourth-rank officials be a bit too low in rank to be worthy of our Seventh Highness?”

The Empress Dowager adjusted her sleeves. “We can’t be too fixated on appearances. Besides, as long as they are talented, beautiful, and of good character, even if they are from fourth-rank families, there’s not much difference. Anyway, have them all painted so he can choose for himself.”

“Among the many princes, only Yan’er and Yuánchén haven’t married princesses yet. Even the Emperor is planning to help them choose consorts next month.”

After she finished speaking, she felt that with Yan’er’s personality, he probably wouldn’t want the people chosen by the Emperor. Instead of incurring a charge of disobeying the imperial order, it would be better for her to help him settle it early, so there wouldn’t be any trouble.

Third floor of Mo Feng Pavilion, Song Fuge looked at the purse in his hand with a focused expression, his eyes filled with joy and amazement.

The ink-blue purse had a round sun embroidered on it, with delicate golden rays radiating around it, and a mountain range was lightly outlined with fine thread below. Two wild geese flew side by side above the mountains.

He immediately tore off the purse from his waist and replaced it with the one in his hand, saying with fond admiration, “Chu’er embroidered it very well, Brother Fu likes it very much.”

“Well, it’s good that you like it. Does Brother Fu know the meaning of the pattern I embroidered?” Jiang Jiuchu wanted to know if Song Fuge could understand what she wanted to express.

Song Fuge lowered his head and looked at the purse on his waist, smiling warmly. “Chu’er wants me to travel through the mountains and rivers, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Jiang Jiuchu added, “And that sun is my favorite, because everything on earth is nourished by sunlight. I hope to live towards the sun with Brother Fu.”

“Okay, let’s live towards the sun together.” Song Fuge looked at the little girl beside him and felt that she was his sun. With her, his heart would unconsciously want to lean towards her, absorbing this nourishment that he greedily craved.

He took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it over. “Take a look.”

“What is it?” Jiang Jiuchu asked curiously as she took it.

As a result, she was stunned when she opened it. She saw two rings, two hairpins, and a bracelet drawn on it.

She asked in disbelief, “These are all… hidden weapons?”

“Yes, it’s just that it will take some time to make them, Chu’er has to wait.”

“Okay, I’m not in a hurry.” Jiang Jiuchu certainly knew that these exquisite hidden weapons took time and effort to make, but there was something she was very curious about. “Brother Fu, what kind of hidden weapon is this bracelet? Can you tell me about it now?”

“To be precise, this bracelet is a container.” Song Fuge pointed to the small button on the drawing. “Pushing this open will reveal holes. It is divided into two halves, one half can hold poison, and the other half can hold an antidote.”

Jiang Jiuchu’s eyes widened as she listened to Song Fuge, and she exclaimed in surprise, “Brother Fu, this is too amazing! If I wear this set, wouldn’t no one dare to approach me within a hundred miles?”

Song Fuge smiled. “These are all used secretly. Anyone who understands a little bit of martial arts and comes at you openly will subdue you in one move.”

“Alright, then secretly, no one dares to approach me within a hundred miles.” Jiang Jiuchu had just finished speaking with a smile when her expression suddenly changed, and then her whole body froze.

Could it be… such a coincidence? She was a little pale with fear, but the feeling under her was exactly the same as what her mother had told her.

Her mother had been telling her to pay attention since last year, but it hadn’t come all along. How could it come during the day today? Jiang Jiuchu was on the verge of tears.

“What’s wrong?” Song Fuge looked at Jiang Jiuchu, whose face was not very good, and his expression immediately changed, his voice a little anxious.