Chapter 1743 - 1729
Chu Ge knew that Luo Qi wasn’t really trying to get him to say thank you, but rather giving the Prince a way to save face since he was a prince, a noble being.
Now, in front of so many people, it wouldn’t make sense to put him in a difficult position.
Chu Ge sighed slightly in his heart; ancient times really were troublesome, when meeting someone higher in rank, one had to bow and scrape. Just how many years of evolution did it take to arrive at an era of equality for everyone as it was in their time?
"Mr. Chu, your Miracle Recovery healed my Princess Consort, but the housekeeper of the residence only gave you fifty taels of silver, which is really too unfair to you."
Prince He Shuo looked at Chu Ge, speaking with an air of sovereign authority, as if assessing Chu Ge in a timely manner.
This gaze made Chu Ge feel quite uncomfortable.
"Saving a life surpasses building a seven-level pagoda; being able to heal the Princess Consort is my honor."
Chu Ge replied.
"It seems Mr. Chu is very proficient in the medical arts."
"Proficient? I wouldn’t say that; I only know a little."
The two conversed back and forth, aloof yet courteous, with a faint smell of gunpowder in the air.
Luo Jiu glanced at Luo Qi; he did not understand why the Prince suddenly came to see Chu Ge, but if they kept talking to Chu Ge, they would end up cringing!
Even Ru Xue, standing nearby, felt speechless. She raised her eyes to look at Prince He Shuo, her slender fingers gently touching his shoulder, saying, "Prince, don’t be so serious. Look, the commoners around us are almost frightened by your cold face; if they’re scared, who would be brave enough to enlist?"
Ru Xue’s body gently leaned against Prince He Shuo, looking as if she had no bones, and a light breeze could blow her away.
Not far away, Ye Liang saw all of this, deeply admiring Ru Xue’s use of the Beauty Trap; she could make Prince He Shuo grow fond of her, a woman he once disliked, in such a short time—playing the fox seduction game was beyond Ye Liang’s capabilities.
Sometimes, Ye Liang highly respected the Palace Master’s arrangements; he seemed able to handle everyone’s quirks and temperaments precisely, knowing who could complete the task, and even predicting who might easily fail at what time.
Take herself as an example; if the Palace Master believed she could accomplish the task, he wouldn’t have sent Ru Xue, even though the task assigned to Ru Xue was to kill the Vermilion Bird Star, her identity was still that of the Princess Consort, how could an influential woman like her leave the residence to kill Vermilion Bird Star?
Ye Liang had thought it through; the whole business of killing Vermilion Bird Star was just a smokescreen, the real reason the Palace Master sent her was to monitor her, to see if she could complete the task, and if she failed, she would then intervene and resolve it.
When that time came, it wouldn’t be just Chu Ge to resolve, but her as well.
Ye Liang took a deep breath; these thoughts weren’t something she had just realized; she had speculated this a long time ago. But it was only a conjecture without concrete evidence; furthermore, since Ru Xue had claimed her task was different from hers, Ye Liang naturally wouldn’t ask much more.
As she contemplated, the quiet surrounding atmosphere became lively again. She raised her eyes to look in the distance, where Ru Xue and the Prince were still engaging in conversation with Chu Ge and the others; the distance was too far for her to hear clearly.
After a while, Little Shunzi returned.
"Lady Ye."
Little Shunzi looked at her with a dejected expression, "You have to remember your words from before."
Ye Liang looked at his timid appearance, shook her head silently, "Don’t worry, I will definitely do what I promised."
Little Shunzi was still somewhat uneasy, but he knew he couldn’t ask more questions; he hesitantly looked at Ye Liang, wanting to say more but hesitating.
"If you have anything to say, just say it; no need to feel embarrassed."
Ye Liang saw he was still preoccupied, so she casually asked.
"I want to go home and take a look."
Such a journey would last three years; he had angrily left the house back then, wanting to make a mark, but ended up walking the path of a soldier instead.
The enlistment process needed three days, with results announced afterward. He wanted to take these three days to return home for a visit.
Ye Liang thought it over. Although three years wasn’t a long time, it felt quite extended for someone who hadn’t returned home for years. She couldn’t comprehend the intensity of homesickness, but she knew it must be hard.
"Go back and say a proper goodbye to your family," Ye Liang remarked.
Little Shunzi was delighted; he nodded, saying to Ye Liang, "Rest assured; since I’ve chosen to enroll, I will definitely honor my promise."
Truthfully, every man harbors a heart of serving the country. Little Shunzi had it too but was blinded by the immediate world.
Everyone fears death; some conceal their feelings, while others reveal them.
...
After returning to her room, Feng Luo took out the clothes stored in the bottom of her chest and changed into them. Though they had a bit of an odor, she couldn’t worry about that now.
After changing, as she stepped out the door, she was blocked by the little beggar.
"Miss Feng Luo, you can’t go out."
The little beggar said, barely daring himself.
Feng Luo was puzzled, "What do you mean? Why can’t I go out?"
"It’s Elder Jiu’s instructions." The little beggar said with evident lack of confidence; though it was Elder Jiu’s order, he was scared to meet Feng Luo’s eyes.
"Dan, am I good to you?" Feng Luo relied on the door frame, asking.
Dan hesitated, bowing his head and staring at his toes, "Miss Feng Luo has been good to Dan with nothing to reproach."
"If there’s nothing to reproach, why are you still stopping me?" Feng Luo raised her voice a few decibels.
"But Elder Jiu is also kind to Dan, and Elder Jiu once saved Dan’s life."
If she were to argue with Dan like that, she naturally couldn’t compare to the favor shown to him by Luo Jiu and Luo Qi. She had spoken in a rush because of her impatience.
Feng Luo heard Dan’s seemingly aggrieved tone and lightly pursed her lips, "Forget it, I won’t go out."
Dan was a bit surprised. Feng Luo usually acted as she pleased; once she decided on something, no one could stop her or change her mind.
Seeing Dan’s astonished expression, Feng Luo slightly raised her brows, "What, don’t you like it when I stay here in peace?"
Dan shook his head vigorously, then felt shaking his head wasn’t right and nodded, but nodding didn’t seem correct either.
He became puzzled; should he nod or shake his head?
"Miss Feng Luo, don’t you use any ghost tricks; Dan knows you’re full of tricks."
"Look at what you’re saying. I’m in my own room. How could I use any tricks?"
Seeing Dan had directly exposed her, Feng Luo pursed her lips, glared at him, and slammed the door closed!