Chapter 41: Shangguan Yunqing Renders Assistance, Ye Xun Hatches a Plan

Shangguan Yunqing?

Hearing this name, Ye Xun was slightly stunned.

He truly had not expected to cross paths with Shangguan Yunqing again so soon.

However, even if Ye Xun wanted to dwell on romance now, he was in no mood for it.

Ye Xun responded calmly, "Let her in."

A moment later.

Shangguan Yunqing walked into the room dressed in a light blue gauze dress, performing a slight curtsy. "Yunqing pays her respects to Your Highness, the Prince of Qin."

Ye Xun nodded slightly and asked, "Rise, Lady Yunqing. I wonder what brings you here today?"

Hearing his tone and meeting his gaze, Shangguan Yunqing felt a momentary sense of unreality, as if she were meeting Ye Xun for the very first time.

Then, Shangguan Yunqing replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, His Majesty has been assassinated and is in critical condition. I heard that Your Highness wishes to go to Mount Bufulao to seek an audience with the Medical Sage?"

"That is correct." Ye Xun said softly, "Come, sit and talk. I wonder if Lady Yunqing has any brilliant insights?"

Shangguan Yunqing sat down by the table and said, "Your Highness, my grandfather once rendered a great favor to the Medical Sage, and the Medical Sage promised to grant the Shangguan family one favor, though it is limited strictly to members of the Shangguan family. However, I can use this opportunity to secure Your Highness an audience with the Medical Sage."

"As for whether Your Highness can persuade the Medical Sage to come down the mountain, that will depend entirely on Your Highness's own methods."

Hearing this, Ye Xun put down his teacup, looked at Shangguan Yunqing, and asked doubtfully, "Lady Yunqing, why would you use such a precious opportunity to help me with a task that seems almost hopeless?"

That Shangguan Yunqing had taken the initiative to offer help was something Ye Xun had not anticipated.

In his mind, it was already a best-case scenario if Shangguan Yunqing wasn't cursing him in her heart.

There shouldn't be such a heavy debt of gratitude between them.

Shangguan Yunqing replied, "Your Highness, that day before the Qujiang Tower, you composed four poems that saved me from the calamity of a forced marriage. To me, that was already an immense kindness."

Ye Xun: .......

To be honest, he found this favor a bit far-fetched.

At the time, he had indeed approached her with certain intentions, only he hadn't succeeded.

Ye Xun pondered and said, "Lady Yunqing, I didn't deliberately help you that day, nor can it be counted as you owing me a favor. But I truly need to see the Medical Sage right now, and this matter is of the utmost importance to me."

"If Lady Yunqing is willing to serve as a guide, I, Ye Xun, shall owe Lady Yunqing a favor."

As he spoke, he stood up and offered a slight bow to Shangguan Yunqing.

This gesture from Ye Xun caught Shangguan Yunqing by surprise.

She knew Ye Xun hadn't deliberately helped her back then, but intentional or not, regardless of what Ye Xun's motives had been—

Ultimately, he had saved her.

She had come today purely to repay a kindness.

Yet she had not expected that the present Ye Xun would have changed to such a staggering degree.

Upright, decisive, steady...

These were traits the Crown Prince had never possessed in the past.

Yet now, they converged in Ye Xun, making it truly hard to believe.

It seemed the rumors were true.

The current Ye Xun had long since turned over a new leaf and mended his ways.

Shangguan Yunqing hurriedly stood up, her cheeks flushing with color. "Y-Your Highness is too polite. This is only what Yunqing ought to do."

After a brief pause, Ye Xun cut straight to the point and continued, "Lady Yunqing, if we simply head to Mount Bufulao, the chances of persuading the Medical Sage to come down are likely very slim. After all, while your family's favor might grant us an audience with him—"

"What right do I, Ye Xun, have to make the Medical Sage leave the mountain? It would be sheer fantasy."

Shangguan Yunqing said anxiously, "Your Highness, no matter how remote the hope, we must at least try to know for sure. You must not give up."

Ye Xun nodded, pondering, "Try we certainly will, but I need to make some preparations. I wonder if Lady Yunqing knows anything about the Medical Sage's preferences?"

"Preferences?" Shangguan Yunqing muttered, then her eyes lit up. "Your Highness, do you mean to say we should cater to his tastes?"

Ye Xun replied, "Exactly. Only then will we have a chance to invite the Medical Sage down the mountain. Otherwise, how could we possibly move him? With some illusory, intangible sentiment?"

Hearing this, Shangguan Yunqing looked at Ye Xun with newfound respect.

The current Ye Xun was like a completely different person compared to before.

That rusted, dull brain of his had finally cleared up.

Shangguan Yunqing recalled and mused, "My grandfather once spoke of his brief encounter with the Medical Sage in the Jiangnan region. Grandfather said..."

As she muttered, she searched her memory.

A moment later, a spark of cleverness danced in her eyes, and she said excitedly, "That's right! Grandfather once told me that the Medical Sage is an absolute wine lover, fiercely obsessed with fine liquor. He told Grandfather that while others said he traveled the world to practice medicine and save lives, he himself smiled and told Grandfather that he only did it to make cadging drinks across various lands easier in the future."

"That day, he drank an entire bottle of Grandfather's prized iced red grape wine."

"If we can bring along a few jars of fine wine when we go, there just might be a chance!"

Shangguan Yunqing looked at Ye Xun with eyes as limpid as autumn water, her gaze bright and captivating.

That single look made Ye Xun's heart skip a beat.

At that moment, he finally understood what it meant to be a femme fatale.

Why emperors neglected their court affairs, forsaking mountains and rivers for beauties.

Who could possibly resist such a stunning, soul-stirring visage that could topple nations?

Seeing Ye Xun in a daze, Shangguan Yunqing softly called out, "Your Highness?"

"Ah?" Ye Xun snapped back to his senses and feigned seriousness. "Good, then let us procure some fine wine before paying a visit to the Medical Sage."

A surge of joy welled up in Ye Xun's heart.

Not because of Shangguan Yunqing, however.

It was because of the Medical Sage's preference.

Fine wine?

Wasn't this right up his alley?

While Ye Xun didn't know how to brew wine, he was thoroughly familiar with the process of distillation.

He could turn ordinary Great Xia wine into potent spirits in a matter of minutes.

If the Medical Sage was truly a heavy drinker as Shangguan Yunqing claimed, there was no way he could resist the temptation of high-proof liquor.

In Ye Xun's view, wine had to be potent; wine without a fiery kick lacked a soul.

"Good." Shangguan Yunqing nodded eagerly, her voice gentle. "Your Highness, since that is the case, I shall return to my estate and bring back some fine brews from the imperial palace. My father happens to have quite a few imperial wines bestowed by His Majesty."

Knowing that the Prince of Qin's estate was strapped for cash and that Ye Xun could not casually enter the palace, she voluntarily took on the task of sourcing the wine.

Ye Xun sighed with emotion, "Then I must trouble Lady Yunqing. Win or lose, I owe you a favor for this."

Shangguan Yunqing offered a slight curtsy. "Your Highness, being able to invite the Medical Sage to cure His Majesty is more important than anything else. Yunqing takes her leave."

With that, she turned and stepped out of the study.

Watching Shangguan Yunqing's departing figure, Ye Xun felt a rush of delight.

If this endeavor succeeded, not only would it save the Emperor of Xia, but he might even win the heart of the beauty.

Immediately afterward, Ye Xun had Ling'er summon Cao An to start preparing a list of raw materials.

A moment later.

Lean-bodied and leaning on a cane, Cao An hurried over. "Your Highness, did you call for this servant?"

Ye Xun nodded, handing the newly written list to Cao An. "Have someone purchase these items, and make it as fast as possible."

"Understood, Your Highness." Cao An hurriedly acknowledged the order.

Although he had no idea what Ye Xun was up to.

Having something to do was still far better than letting his mind wander in anxiety.