Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Cousin, I’m Afraid I Can’t Make It
Jun Yuyan’s heart trembled as he gazed deeper into Murong Jiu’s eyes.
He told himself that he didn’t want and didn’t wish to miss out on the woman who was carefully applying dicine to him.
“Ah Jiu…”
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? It will be over soon.”
Jun Yuyan shook his head, the words he wanted to say ultimately remaining unspoken.
He didn’t want to pierce through that layer of paper window.
...
He feared that whatever he might say would irrevocably alter their relationship.
Facing matters of the heart, he hesitated and vacillated, no longer as decisive as he was on the battlefield. The enemy’s thoughts were not as hard to fathom as those of a woman; to this day, he still didn’t understand what Murong Jiu truly intended to do.
He also didn’t know if she was aware that he was the man from that evening.
She kept the child, but was it because she rely liked children, or was it for the child’s father?
These questions were not sothing a few Hidden Guards could clarify.
If he truly spoke now, he feared he might interfere with her plans and thus alter the current situation.
Murong Jiu quickly finished bandaging him and advised him not to eat anything inflammatory or touch water, prattling on, sounding partly like a physician and partly like a wife.
Jun Yuyan, worried that the bloody sll from his clothes would upset her, went to change. He wanted to find another excuse to move back to Qiyun Courtyard, so that if she suffered morning sickness again, he could offer her water.
Zhou Chen appeared like a ghost and knelt on the ground.
“Master, as soon as you left, the Princess Consort vomited imdiately; not sure if it was the sight of the blood, I replicated the sa thod and knocked out Zhen Zhu and the others.”
Jun Yuyan’s brows furrowed deeply, and he took a few steps, then turned back.
Although he had changed and rebandaged, his keen sense of sll could still detect a faint scent of blood; if his presence worsened her vomiting…
“Go, have Steward Lin send so pickled plum fruit paste over there, and instruct the kitchen to prepare so light, appetizing dishes, absolutely no strong or aty slls.”
Zhou Chen left.
Jun Yuyan couldn’t sit still. Walking back and forth, he eventually found himself outside Qiyun Courtyard, listening to Chun Tao’s anxious words and Murong Jiu’s weak response. His heart raced, yet he dared not step inside.
Fortunately, Steward Lin arrived soon after, delivering the fruit paste that alleviated the nausea.
Jun Yuyan didn’t leave imdiately but stayed until Murong Jiu turned off the lights and went to bed. Only then did he return.
He didn’t enter the palace that day, but the next day before dawn, Jun Yuyan entered the palace to report on the bandit suppression.
At the morning court, the Emperor lavishly praised him and granted him many rewards.
Rationally speaking, a Prince like Prince Ling, with both a disfigured face and a wounded leg, should beco less favored day by day, but recently, from remnants of the previous dynasty to flood control and then Minghua Mountain bandit suppression, one after another, his prominence only increased.
On the other hand, the perfectly intact Legitimate Son and Second Prince from the Central Palace seed even more diocre and useless.
The court officials had mixed feelings, and lately, no one was rushing to align with the Second Prince.
The Second Prince, gentle and amiable in the palace, reverted to a grim and stern deanor upon returning to the Prince’s Mansion, as if he were not the sa person.
The maids and eunuchs in the mansion were unlucky; bloody corpses were periodically carried out from the back door.
“Your Highness, the rchant convoy from Tianzhu has already arrived in the North Market. They brought a vast quantity of spices and are seeking suitable rchants to barter with.”
A subordinate approached nervously to report.
The Second Prince put down the blood-stained whip, waved his hand, and imdiately, a guard ca in to carry away a mutilated corpse.
He slowly wiped the few drops of fresh blood that splattered on his face with a handkerchief, his eyes dark and chilling, he spoke:
“What’s the rush, which rchant guild in Capital City can compare to mine?”
Spices had beco the most prevalent commodity throughout Great Yan, used by everyone from the emperor and ministers to the common folk, in every household.
Firstly, spices were used to worship gods and pay tribute to ancestors, seeking to purify the body and soul and to open spiritual enlightennt. Secondly, most rouges and powders were made from spices, which were beloved by all won of Great Yan.
Thirdly, scholars and gentlen particularly cherished burning incense and using aromatic sachets, which were considered elegant and highly sought after.
They cultivated the mind and nurtured the sentint.
Finally, many spices were also used to eliminate odors and enhance fragrance, such as spicy Cornus officinalis, which were commonly used daily.
As soon as a foreign spice rchant Convoy entered Capital City, they would imdiately be sold out.
However, this convoy from Tianzhu was different; they were not a typical convoy but one under the Tianzhu Imperial Family. Having traveled through many countries by sea, they brought the most expensive spices, such as ambergris, agarwood, sandalwood, and castoreum.
When they would return to Tianzhu from Great Yan, naturally, they would take back the most valuable treasures.
The Second Prince was confident that whatever the Tianzhu rchant Convoy wanted, he had it here.
After processing the spices and reselling them, he would amass another fortune.
This indeed was good news, clearing the gloom from the Second Prince’s heart.
With money, he could continue secretly cultivating Dead Soldiers and Hidden Guards, recruiting troops and horses.
“No rush, let’s keep them hanging, and go to the New Moon Pavilion first.”
New Moon Pavilion was his cousin Yun Weiwei’s residence.
The Second Prince was not in a hurry because he believed those expensive spices were already in his bag. However, he did not know that at this very mont, Murong Jiu was already eting with Tianzhu rchant Convoy’s steward, along with Manager Chai, at the outskirts in the Colored Glaze Workshop.
Upon seeing the various types of Colored Glaze, the steward couldn’t take his eyes off them.
In just a short Shichen Chinese hour, they had struck a deal.
By evening, several Tianzhu ships’ worth of spices had been brought into the storage house purchased by Manager Chai, ordered by Murong Jiu, packed to the brim.
The next day when the Second Prince ordered a eting with the Tianzhu rchant Convoy, they had already left the Capital City by two li.
“How could this be! How could this be!”
The Second Prince was furious and incredulous at the outco.
This was completely different from what he had anticipated.
“Your Highness, calm your anger. I went out of the city to inquire and found out that Colored Glaze is extrely popular overseas. Overseas, they do not have our Great Yan’s technology, and the various Colored Glazes produced by Princess Consort Ling’s workshop are both luxurious and practical. The steward of the rchant was so delighted that they set up a barter transaction on the spot and exchanged with Princess Consort Ling!”
Jun Haoze frowned, his eyes filled with suspicion, “How did she know that Colored Glaze is so sought after overseas?”
“This… perhaps it is just good fortune, a coincidence maybe. How could she, a woman, know about these?”
“Impossible. One instance might be a coincidence. Could two also be a coincidence? It must be Yu Yan helping her behind the scenes!”
Jun Haoze narrowed his eyes fiercely.
He absolutely could not allow Murong Jiu and Yu Yan to have linked interests, for that would make Murong Jiu even more difficult to control.
“Your Highness, Miss Cousin has vomited blood again!”
At that mont, a maid shouted from outside.
Jun Haoze clenched his fist and stood up, walking swiftly outside as he urgently commanded, “Quick, summon the Imperial Physician!”
New Moon Pavilion.
Servants were carrying out bowls stained with blood. Jun Haoze, with a deeply furrowed brow, quickly entered the room and took the hands of a pale-faced girl lying on the sickbed.
“Weiwei, how are you feeling?”
The girl wept, “Cousin, I’m afraid it might be the end for .”
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