Troublemaker Prince Chapter 16
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 16
The medicine prescribed by Imperial Physician Cui was quickly prepared. It cleared heat and reduced internal fire while nourishing You Yusui's body, though it was quite bitter and detestable.
The black medicinal soup was placed in a bowl as white as jade. Huo Xiling, holding the medicine, was gently stirring the black liquid with a spoon. In an instant, the bitter smell of the medicine wafted from the bowl in Huo Xiling's hands, making You Yusui want to faint on the spot.
"Your Highness, let me feed you the medicine," Huo Xiling said, looking at the young man sitting on the bed with a listless expression. His face was pale, his lips had no trace of color, only the crimson tear mole at the corner of his eye was bright as blood, carrying a kind of decadent beauty.
Countless feelings of pity arose in Huo Xiling's heart, secretly regretting that he hadn't acted fast enough to break Li Yuan's arm and throw him out in time, which had caused the Crown Prince to be frightened.
You Yusui, who hadn't actually been frightened but had only pretended to faint and had even delighted in Li Yuan’s circumstances in the process, looked at the medicinal soup Huo Xiling scooped from the bowl with a spoon, his eyelids twitching involuntarily. He quickly pressed down Huo Xiling's hand and said, "If you want to murder me, there's no need to go to such lengths."
Being fed spoonful by spoonful like this—who could endure it? Even though You Yusui had drunk medicine like water for several lifetimes, he couldn't handle this.
"Your Highness, I'm not..." Huo Xiling froze in place, looking somewhat pitiful as he tried to explain.
However, You Yusui quickly took the medicine from Huo Xiling's hands and drank it all in one gulp. This medicine had been carefully prepared by Cui Yan—it cleared heat and reduced fire while nourishing the body. As soon as You Yusui drank it, he felt his throat become much more comfortable.
"Finished," You Yusui said, casually placing the medicine bowl in the hands of a young eunuch nearby, looking at Huo Xiling. "Stop staring at me."
After saying this, You Yusui looked at Huo Xiling and gently touched his lips, which had just been moistened by water, with his finger. "Why are you still staring? Do you want to taste what's here?"
You Yusui tilted his head slightly, looking at Huo Xiling with a hint of amusement in his eyes, as if asking: Do you want to kiss?
The Crown Prince's lips were beautifully shaped, though they often revealed an unhealthy pallor, like flower petals that had lost their color, making Huo Xiling want to gently massage them with his fingertips until they became rosy.
The next moment, Huo Xiling's hand fell on You Yusui's cheek. He bent down, staring at You Yusui's lips with an infatuated expression, and asked, "Does Your Highness truly mean what you said?"
His eyes, like cold stars, had turned into flames, containing both the innocence of a young man's first love and an aggressiveness that You Yusui couldn't ignore, making You Yusui realize that obedience was just his disguise—the real Huo Xiling was a wolf capable of tearing him apart.
But this wolf would obediently call him brother and coax him. Under Huo Xiling's gaze, You Yusui's body couldn't help but tremble slightly—not from fear, but with some anticipation. It was just a kiss, after all, not actually doing anything serious.
Just as Huo Xiling was about to lean down for the kiss, Eunuch Fubao's voice rang out from outside. His Majesty had sent someone with supplements and had dispatched the Head Imperial Physician daren of the Imperial Medical Courtyard to check the Crown Prince's pulse.
Upon hearing this news, You Yusui immediately pushed Huo Xiling aside and lay back down on the bed, assuming a weak and powerless appearance.
Huo Xiling, who had been pushed back several steps and nearly lost his balance: ???
This shouldn't be right? Even if he wasn’t on guard, he wouldn't be pushed around like this, would he? Even if his brother-in-law personally pushed him, it wouldn't be to this extent! Could it be that staying comfortably by the Crown Prince's side for too long had caused his martial arts to deteriorate? Should he practice more? Otherwise, how could he be pushed away by the frail Crown Prince?
Just as Huo Xiling began to doubt his abilities, Eunuch Fubao led the people sent by His Majesty with supplements and the Head Imperial Physician of the Imperial Medical Courtyard into the inner chamber.
In the inner chamber, the bitter smell of medicine permeated the air. The person lying behind the bed curtains had disheveled hair—his raven-black long hair contrasted with his pale skin, making You Yusui appear particularly fragile. His brows were slightly furrowed, making people feel he was seriously ill.
The people sent by the Emperor couldn't help but think of Li Yuan, whose ribs had been broken by a kick, upon seeing You Yusui in such a sickly state. How weak must Li Yuan have been to have his ribs broken by the Crown Prince's kick?
"Head Imperial Physician, please examine His Highness quickly," urged the person from the Emperor's side.
The elderly Head Imperial Physician efficiently began taking the Crown Prince's pulse, feeling that the Crown Prince's pulse was like floating silk, extremely unstable—truly indicating extreme physical weakness.
"The Crown Prince's body is weak and must not be angered again. He needs to cultivate his health and character," the Head Imperial Physician said, fearing that You Yusui might anger himself to death.
The palace servant from the Emperor said, "Your Highness, rest assured. His Majesty wants Your Highness to recover well. If you lack anything, just ask Imperial Consort Xian for it."
At that moment, Huo Xiling seemed to see You Yusui instantly become energetic, but upon closer inspection, the person was still lying weakly on the bed.
Seeing this, Huo Xiling fell silent for a moment, hoping that Imperial Noble Consort's Jianjia Palace wouldn't be completely emptied.
"This prince will certainly not waste Father Emperor's good intentions," You Yusui said weakly and pitifully.
"Then this servant will take his leave. Your Highness, please recover well." After saying this, the palace servant from Xuande Hall left together with the Head Imperial Physician.
Once there were no outsiders in the inner chamber, You Yusui immediately got up from the bed and asked, "What good things does Imperial Consort Xian have?"
Although he lacked nothing in terms of fine goods, if he could make Imperial Consort Xian's life difficult, he would definitely rush to the front lines.
Eunuch Fubao, who had just closed the door: ......
Huo Xiling, who was preparing to adjust You Yusui's blanket: ......
Your Highness, perhaps you should lie down a bit longer?
"This prince wants to eat supplements."
Huo Xiling and Fubao: ......
"Eat Imperial Consort Xian's golden silk snow swallow bird's nest," You Yusui said, lying back on the bed with vacant eyes. "If I can't eat it, I'll surely die."
With a crash, Fubao knelt directly on the ground, grasping You Yusui's hand and saying, "Your Highness, we'll eat it—we'll eat a large portion!"
Meanwhile, in Xuande Hall, You Fengyun received the palace servant he had sent to visit the Crown Prince and the Head Imperial Physician of the Imperial Medical Courtyard who had checked the Crown Prince's pulse.
The Emperor in Xuande Hall wore a solemn expression as he inquired about the Crown Prince's condition, appearing extremely concerned about the Crown Prince. However, he was more interested in knowing how the frail Crown Prince had managed to kick and break the ribs of a two-hundred-pound fat man.
The Head Imperial Physician of the Imperial Medical Courtyard earnestly spouted medical theory, discussing everything from pulse diagnosis to past medical cases, and then to health maintenance methods. In summary, the Crown Prince was physically weak and should not be made angry.
After hearing all this, You Fengyun: ......
Recently, the Crown Prince's personality had changed drastically—it would be good if he didn't anger others to death.
"Then do you know how the Crown Prince managed to break someone's ribs with a kick?" You Fengyun directly asked the question he most wanted answered.
The Head Imperial Physician gave the standard answer provided by Imperial Physician Cui—logically perfect and without loopholes. Although it seemed like nonsense, it made people think it wasn't entirely unreasonable. Finally, the Head Imperial Physician sighed that Imperial Physician Cui was a young genius whom he could never match.
After hearing that the Crown Prince's body was indeed extremely weak, You Fengyun relaxed while feeling somewhat regretful, and also... was five-hundred-year-old ginseng really that powerful?
"Anhai," You Fengyun called after sending away the Head Imperial Physician of the Imperial Medical Courtyard.
"Your Majesty, this servant is here," Eunuch Anhai said with a bow.
"Go take Zhen's thousand-year ginseng and stew it with chicken," You Fengyun ordered expressionlessly.
Eunuch Anhai was stunned on the spot upon hearing this. His professional training prevented him from asking You Fengyun why—when the Emperor ordered something done, it should be done without so many questions. Even if thousand-year ginseng was a rare life-saving treasure, if it needed to be stewed with chicken, then it must be stewed with chicken.
"This servant will handle it immediately." After saying this, Anhai quickly instructed Xuande Hall's small kitchen to stew that thousand-year ginseng.
Half an hour later, the thousand-year ginseng old hen soup was brought before the Emperor. The moment the lid was lifted, the aroma was overwhelming.
You Fengyun stared at the ginseng inside and ate it all in one bite. The next moment, he felt his blood and qi surging, and something warm flowed from his nose.
"Your Majesty, you're having a nosebleed!" Eunuch Anhai said in panic.
You Fengyun glared at him—was it necessary to announce Zhen's nosebleed so loudly?
"Imperial physician! Quickly call the imperial physician!" Eunuch Anhai shouted.
You Fengyun: ...... Do you want to make Zhen's nosebleed known to everyone?
Just then, a young eunuch outside reported that Imperial Consort Xian requested an audience with His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, Imperial Consort Xian says the Crown Prince used Your Majesty's name to take away all her golden silk snow swallow bird's nest, and requests Your Majesty to uphold justice for her."
You Fengyun, still bleeding from his nose and having nowhere to vent his anger, cursed, "The Crown Prince is the heir to the nation—the entire realm will be his in the future. Not to mention golden silk snow swallow bird's nest, even if he emptied Jianjia Palace, so what? Tell Imperial Consort Xian to go back and reflect on her mistakes, or Zhen will personally help the Crown Prince empty Jianjia Palace."
This speech was loaded with sarcasm and cutting remarks, harsh to the extreme. Imperial Consort Xian, who had heard everything from outside Xuande Hall, turned pale and wished she could faint on the spot.
Finally, after the Marquis of Nan'an's heir was stripped of his title, the Marquis of Nan'an was fined half a year's salary, and Imperial Consort Xian was severely reprimanded by the current Emperor because of the Crown Prince, everyone looked toward the Eastern Palace—it seemed the Crown Prince was currently the most favored!
The aristocratic families felt they could stand tall again, since the Crown Prince's birth mother came from an aristocratic family.
You Yusui had no idea that in Xuande Hall, the classic nosebleed scene was being replayed again, that the Emperor was furiously berating Imperial Consort Xian who had walked into his wrath to maintain his image, nor did he know he had become the most favored prince in everyone's eyes.
He only knew that today he had made Imperial Consort Xian unhappy again, and when his enemies were unhappy, he was happy. He loved seeing them hate him so much their teeth itched but being unable to eliminate him.
In Xuande Hall, after venting his anger, You Fengyun wiped his nosebleed and said, "Send the remaining ginseng chicken soup to the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince's body was weak and needed nourishment—perhaps it could create another miracle.
In the Eastern Palace, You Yusui stared at the thousand-year-old ginseng hen soup sent from Xuande Hall and was silent for a moment, finally pointing at Huo Xiling and saying, "You drink it."
After one bowl of soup, the hot-blooded Huo Xiling directly spurted a nosebleed.
You Yusui reached out and gently cupped his face, saying, "Young people are truly hot-blooded. Come drink medicine with me."
Upon hearing this, Huo Xiling actually wanted to tell the Crown Prince that even without giving him this bowl of ginseng soup, he would still accompany the Crown Prince in drinking medicine. However, as long as His Highness the Crown Prince was happy, that was enough.