Chapter 55: The Medical Sage Asks Ye Xun for Help, Your Highness, This Maid Shall Serve You

Shangjing City.
The Prince Qin's Mansion.
The front hall.

Ye Xun and Wu Shouzhi sat across from each other at the desk. Originally, Ye Xun had planned to take Wu Shouzhi to visit the Shangguan residence. But now, neither of them was in the mood; Wu Shouzhi was even more disheartened. Failing to wake Ye Lantian left Wu Shouzhi feeling deeply distressed.

Wu Shouzhi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and murmured thoughtfully, "Third Brother, the Emperor of Xia's condition has stabilized, and this older brother must continue his travels across the world."

Ye Xun could tell that this incident had dealt a heavy blow to him. Originally, Ye Xun had hoped to have him stay in Shangjing City for a while longer. Judging by the current situation, however, Wu Shouzhi no longer had any intention of lingering.

Ye Xun nodded slightly and said, "Eldest Brother, I won't stop you from leaving. But please don't take this matter to heart. Without you, His Majesty's life would likely have been in grave danger; at the very least, his life has been saved now."

"Sigh..." Wu Shouzhi let out a long sigh. "That may be true, but throughout my life as a physician, I have never failed before. When I return to Shangjing City next time, if the Emperor of Xia is still asleep, I will surely be able to wake him. Rest assured, Third Brother, I will be back by the end of the year at the latest."

Hearing this, Ye Xun stood up and bowed deeply with cupped hands. "My brother will keep your deep affection engraved in my heart. Should you ever need anything in the future, your brother will not hesitate."

Though their time together had not been long, a profound bond had already formed between them. Especially with Wu Shouzhi, who felt that Ye Xun's personality was immensely compatible with his own.

"Ah..." Wu Shouzhi waved his hand dismissively. "Let's not talk about that between brothers. However, there is indeed one matter I must trouble you with."

Ye Xun replied, "Please go ahead, Eldest Brother."

Wu Shouzhi glanced to the side. "As I travel the world this time, having Wuyue accompany me would be extremely inconvenient. Therefore, I would like to have him stay by your side for the time being. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Xun was startled and hurriedly tried to decline. "Eldest Brother, what do you mean by this? Wuyue possesses formidable martial arts skills; having him travel the world with you will ensure your safety. It's not that your brother is unwilling to help, but this favor..."

Have Wuyue stay with him? This wasn't just a simple favor; it was practically a generous gift. Although Ye Xun did not know whether Wuyue possessed any medical skills, his martial prowess was undoubtedly of the highest caliber. He could tell as much just from the look in Wealthy's eyes.

Wu Shouzhi, however, remained entirely unperturbed. "You don't understand. When I travel the world, I always go alone, and no one can harm me. Wuyue is merely someone I picked up during my previous travels in Dayu. If you refuse to help with this favor, I will simply send Wuyue back to Mount Bulao by himself."

At this point, Ye Xun no longer had any reason to refuse. "Since Eldest Brother has put it this way, how could I refuse? Rest assured, I will treat Wuyue like a member of our own family. As long as I am here, no one will be able to harm him."

"Good." Wu Shouzhi stood up. "Since that is settled, this older brother must set off."

Wuyue stood blankly to the side, looking bewildered and honest. "Old Wu, are you abandoning me?"

Hearing this, Wu Shouzhi turned to look at him, his gaze filled with tenderness. "You silly fellow, Master is going out for a while and cannot take you with you. You will stay right here in Prince Qin's Mansion and behave yourself. Master will come back to pick you up at the end of the year."

Wuyue replied with utmost earnestness, "Alright, Old Wu. Take care on your way."

Ye Xun: "..."
Wu Shouzhi: "..."

He truly was a simple-minded fellow. This remark caught both of them completely off guard, instantly shattering the sentimental atmosphere of parting they had just built up.

The tenderness vanished from Wu Shouzhi's eyes as he snapped angrily, "You blockhead, I must owe it to you in my past life."

With that, Wu Shouzhi strapped two gourds filled with distilled liquor onto his back and walked out of the Prince Qin's Mansion.

Ye Xun and Wuyue followed him all the way, watching as Wu Shouzhi stepped out of the estate and disappeared into the end of the street. For some reason, Wu Shouzhi's departure left Ye Xun with a hollow feeling in his heart. He had truly come to regard Wu Shouzhi as an elder brother.

After Wu Shouzhi left, the Prince Qin's Mansion returned to tranquility.

Although Wu Shouzhi had failed to wake the Emperor of Xia, nor had he been able to awaken the Empress—originally, Ye Xun had thought that since Wu Shouzhi was already here, he might as well have him examine the Empress; if she woke up, it would have been a tremendous asset to him, but alas, she could not be cured... Even now, the culprit behind the assassination of the Emperor of Xia remained unidentified.

Everything in the household continued in an orderly fashion. Under the joint management of Cao An, Zheng Qian, and Liu Jie, the soap business was well on track, requiring little of Ye Xun's personal attention. By now, soap had become a sensational craze both inside and outside Shangjing City. The workshops had expanded from three to six, and at the current rate of momentum, further expansion would be necessary before long. Protected by the Duke of Zhenguo, no one dared to cause trouble for Prince Qin's Mansion anymore.

...

At night, the moonlight was bright and clear.

After Wu Shouzhi's departure, Wuyue continued to eat and drink without a care in the world, currently chasing and playing with Wealthy in the courtyard. Ever since his arrival, Wealthy had not known a moment of peace.

Ye Xun sat upright at the desk in the main hall, mapping out his low-profile future. Wealth and manpower were the directions in which he needed to accumulate strength moving forward. His short-term goal was to thoroughly eliminate that scum Ye Tao. If Ye Xun wished to re-enter the struggle for the succession, he needed to establish his prestige, and Ye Tao was the best stepping stone. Ye Tao had repeatedly plotted against him time and time again. For public reasons as well as private ones, this grudge was one Ye Xun intended to repay. He preferred an eye for an eye and blood for blood.

"Your Highness, please have some tea," Ling'er said softly as she placed a teacup on the desk.

Nourished over the past few days, Ling'er looked even more delicate and tender, making one want to take a bite out of her. Fortunately, Ye Xun had inherited a rich memory of various intimate techniques—The Goddess Guanyin Offering the Lotus, The Arhat Embracing the Moon, The Ancient Tree Winding Its Roots, The Kitchen Stove Back... Every time, they drove people to distraction.

Ye Xun couldn't help marveling that the Crown Prince truly hadn't lived in vain; he certainly knew how to play. Occasionally, as he sorted through those memories, he would sink deep into them—a vast majority of which resembled little adult films.

"Ling'er, you've worked hard." Ye Xun picked up his teacup and took a light sip, his gaze resting on her tender face as a pleasant mood washed over him.

Ling'er replied gently, "Your Highness, serving you is this servant's blessing. You are too polite."

Having lived in Prince Qin's Mansion for these past few days, Ling'er had long since grown accustomed to life in the estate, and even more accustomed to the days of serving Ye Xun. In her heart, she had already surrendered herself entirely to Ye Xun, and aside from serving him devotedly for the rest of her life, she harbored no other thoughts.

"Your Highness, you have been toiling day and night these past few days. Let Ling'er massage your shoulders," she said, kneeling behind Ye Xun and extending her jade-white hands to knead his shoulders.

Ye Xun felt a wave of electric current wash over him, involuntarily closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation.

Ah, wonderful... Truly wonderful.

He really hadn't spared any effort trying to find solutions regarding Wu Shouzhi these past few days. Still, the outcome was good after all.

At that moment, Wei Feng hurried in from outside the hall.

Currently, Ye Xun's greatest disadvantage was his inability to enter the imperial palace or participate in court politics. Inviting Wu Shouzhi down the mountain at most allowed him to shut other people's mouths, preventing them from pinning the assassination of Ye Lantian entirely on him. However, if he wished to re-engage in court politics, he still needed an opportunity.

Seeing Wei Feng arrive, Ling'er hastily stood up and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Lord Marquis's Heir."

Wei Feng nodded in acknowledgment and then turned to say, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Ye Xun replied, "Cousin, please take a seat. Coming here so late at night, is there an urgent matter?"