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Jiang Suizhou chatted with Huo Wujiu and gradually fell asleep.
His seat was soft, but the carriage wall was nothing but hard. He leaned against the carriage somewhat uncomfortably as the carriage jolted.
But perhaps he was sound asleep, so little by little, this discomfort disappeared. He seemed to be leaning on a hard but tough thing, warm and smooth, holding him in place. It felt like gradually sinking into an embrace.
He slept until Meng Qianshan awakened him.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, wake up. We are here,” Meng Qianshan called in front of him.
When Jiang Suizhou opened his eyes in a daze, he discovered that the outside the carriage window was ablaze with lights. They had entered a courtyard. The servants were already waiting outside the carriage. Huo Wujiu was also sitting beside the carriage, with Wei Kai pushing him from the back.
When Li Changning decocted medicine for him that day, he said it was inconvenient for him to accompany him, but Jiang Suizhou and Huo Wujiu needed someone to decoct medicine every day, so he asked Jiang Suizhou to bring his apprentice with them.
Jiang Suizhou didn’t want to speak out, and was afraid of making mistakes, so he simply let Wei Kai take Sun Yuan’s position and left Sun Yuan in the manor.
He felt drowsy with a hazy patch before his eyes. After a while, he gradually recovered his divine consciousness.
“I slept so soundly, I didn’t even realize that we had arrived,” he said somewhat hoarsely.
He got off the carriage with Meng Qianshan’s help and saw that they finally reached the palace park on the mountain. Although the altitude of Tianping Mountain wasn’t high, the mountain peaks stretched. This was one of them, and the former site of the Daoist temple that was demolished two years ago.
It was true that the scenery in the place was spectacular. In the evening, they could vaguely make out the verdant mountains, the dense forests at the foot of the mountain and the gurgling river. Pang Shao had put a lot of work into it. Although the palatial garden area on the mountain wasn’t that large, every corner was exquisite and unique. From a distance, it resembled the dwelling place of immortals in the mountains.
The main room in the courtyard was a five room house with two rows of wing rooms on both sides. Meng Qianshan settled the people down quickly, and invited Jiang Suizhou and Huo Wujiu into the main room.
There were two beds in the east and west rooms, so it saved a lot of trouble.
Although Jiang Suizhou had slept throughout the journey, the carriage was bumpy, so he felt sore and fatigued. When he got into the room, Meng Qianshan served him to clean up, and then he laid down on the bed.
“This Prince feels like my body is much better.” Jiang Suizhou said.
Meng Qianshan smiled and pulled the blanket for him while asking, “What do you mean, Your Highness?”
Jiang Suizhou replied, “This morning, this Prince sat in the carriage and felt sore all over. I initially thought I couldn’t stick it through all the way, but surprisingly, I’m not as tired as I imagined until now.”
Meng Qianshan sniggered at his words.
“What’s the matter?” Jiang Suizhou was puzzled.
Then he saw Meng Qianshan shake his head repeatedly.
“Nothing, nothing,” he laughed, “This servant is happy for Your Highness.”
Jiang Suizhou looked puzzled and couldn’t help but observe him a bit more, but didn’t question him any further.
As Meng Qianshan spoke, he let down the bed curtains for Jiang Suizhou and retreated with a grin.
He was naturally happy for the Prince, but he couldn’t speak frankly as to why.
After Meng Qianshan exited Jiang Suizhou’s bedroom, he chortled.
He couldn’t possibly tell the Prince that he wasn’t fatigued by the long journey today because his body was hale and hearty, right?
He replayed what he saw during the day today once more.
He opened the curtains of the carriage today in an attempt to answer the Prince, but he found him sleeping. He was not leaning against the carriage, but Madam Huo, who was sitting in a wheelchair beside him and was letting Jiang Suizhou lean on his shoulder.
When he opened the curtain, Madam Huo was gazing down at the Prince. Meng Qianshan had never seen that look in his eyes before.
From what the Prince said just now, it must be because Madam Huo let him sleep against him the entire time.
Meng Qianshan couldn’t hold back his laughter again.
There was no question he was happy for the Prince. He was glad he wasn’t harboring wishful thoughts, and that it was a mutual affection.
——
The palatial garden on the mountain wasn’t extensive, and there were few rooms in the wing rooms on both sides. Due to the large number of servants they brought, they had to live in a crowd. Even Meng Qianshan had to live in the same room with others.
The next day, they might have to follow the Emperor into the mountain. There were a bunch of things to do, so Meng Qianshan sent others to watch the night outside Jiang Suizhou’s room, while he returned to his room to rest first.
He lived in a quieter room, with only two beds. When he entered the room, the other bed was already occupied.
Seeing him enter, the man stood up routinely and bowed: “Meng-gonggong.”
The man was precisely Dr. Li Changning’s apprentice, who tagged along with them pretending to be a servant.
Meng Qianshan waved his hands repeatedly and said, “Don’t be so polite. You can just rest.”
He specifically arranged the kid in the room. He attended to Madam Huo and decocted medicine for the two masters. The room next to them was crowded with people with varying intentions. It was not as clean as Meng Qianshan’s.
Meng Qianshan noticed that the kid was dull but well-behaved. He obeyed him and sat back on the bed. Meng Qianshan sat on his bed while taking off his boots and chatting with him.
“Your master has also been serving at the Prince’s side for a while now. Have Madam Huo’s legs improved?”
When Wei Kai, who was sitting next to him and pretending to be dumb, heard his question, his nerves immediately tensed.
Here we go, he muttered deep inside.
He weighed his words carefully and said, “Meng-gonggong, we can only alleviate Madam’s pain to a degree for now. This way, Madam doesn’t have to suffer painfully during rainy days. However, my master also said that the meridians on Madam’s legs have been completely damaged, I’m afraid… we can only treat him to this extent.”
Hearing these words, Meng Qianshan could not help but sigh.
“It’s also good to reduce his pain to some extent,” he remarked.
Wei Kai surveyed his expression and agreed repeatedly.
Seeing the kid’s honesty, Meng Qianshan couldn’t resist giving him a couple of instructions, “You and your master just serve him well. As long as Madam Huo’s legs recover for one or two points, the two of you won’t be without the glory and wealth in the latter half of your lives. ”
The moment Wei Kai heard his instruction, he pretended to be dumbfounded, but his expression also bore a tinge of truth.
Don’t tell me he discovered my identity? Otherwise, how could he say such a thing?
He watched Meng Qianshan put his boots on the ground. He then raised his eyes, glanced at him, and chuckled, “Madam Huo is quite important.”
Wei Kai paused and hesitantly asked, “What… for?”
Meng Qianshan laughed a couple more times at his question.
What a truly naive boy. One was the Prince and the other was his wife. Why else would the Prince spoil his wife?
He laughed some more and glanced away.
“You don’t understand,” he said slowly, “After a few years, you will naturally know.”