The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 533: Chapter 533: A Feng’s Letter

This time, Ye Chutang didn’t refuse. She gave a slight nod and stepped forward to take his pulse.

After a moment, she withdrew her hand and said,

”Your Majesty’s pulse is stable, but you’re deficient in qi and blood. You must rest well and, above all, avoid becoming agitated.”

Her words were simple and direct: if he wanted to recover, he couldn’t get angry.

’But how could it be that easy?’

Chu Qiyuan stroked his beard and sighed. ”I think so as well. If Your Majesty can recuperate peacefully, he might recover seventy to eighty percent of his former strength. But if...”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Emperor Muwu understood his meaning.

Ye Chutang offered some comfort. ”Your Majesty woke sooner than I anticipated. It seems fortune favors the fortunate. Chu Hospital Director, you needn’t worry so much.”

’How could Chu Qiyuan not worry?’

He gave Ye Chutang a complicated look.

’He knew exactly what she had just been doing.’

Ye Chutang should have arrived much earlier, but after a long wait with no sign of her, he learned that the Eldest Princess had summoned her to a side hall.

Several ministers from the Cabinet were also present.

At first, he didn’t think much of it. But then Chu Qiyuan received one report after another stating that both Xiao Chengxuan and Xiao Lansi had been taken there as well.

Furthermore, it seemed to involve matters of the Shuntian Prefecture.

’One could only imagine how ”lively” the scene over there must have been.’

Emperor Muwu was silent for a long moment before waving his hand dismissively.

”There’s no need to be so cautious. I remember everything that happened before I lost consciousness.”

He asked, ”Where is the Second Prince now?”

Chu Qiyuan opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated and couldn’t help but look toward Ye Chutang.

Ye Chutang said, ”He was in a side hall of Qiyuan Hall. By now, he should be on his way back to Anhua Palace.”

Emperor Muwu’s brows drew together. ”What?”

Chu Qiyuan reminded him, ”Your Majesty, you previously ordered the Second Prince’s exile but didn’t set a specific date. So... he has been allowed to remain there for the time being.”

Emperor Muwu only needed a moment’s thought to understand their reasoning.

What he didn’t understand was—

”A side hall of Qiyuan Hall? What was he doing there?”

Ye Chutang paused.

A familiar voice came from outside. ”I was the one who summoned him.”

Chu Qiyuan turned and immediately bowed. ”Eldest Princess.”

Just as Ye Chutang was about to rise, the Eldest Princess stopped her.

”There are no outsiders here. Dispense with the formalities. Tending to His Majesty is what’s most important.”

She said this as she approached the bed, her expression having already returned to one of calm composure.

”A great deal has happened in the last two days. I will explain it all in detail to Your Majesty later.”

She had resolved the troubles in the side hall as quickly as possible and come straight here.

Considering Emperor Muwu’s health, she didn’t speak of it directly.

”But there is one piece of wonderful news that I must share with Your Majesty first.” A smile appeared on the Eldest Princess’s face. ”Cheng Qi woke up yesterday!”

As expected, Emperor Muwu’s spirits lifted. ”Is that true?”

”Of course it is. Both the Chu Hospital Director and Chutang have seen him and say he is out of danger. The boy even said he would come to the Imperial Palace to see Consort Rong in the next day or two. With Your Majesty awake now, it’s a double blessing.”

This was indeed something to be happy about.

Emperor Muwu felt a great weight lift from his heart.

He only had a few sons, and of them, only the Second Prince, Xiao Chengxuan, and the third, Xiao Chengqi, had ever met his standards.

He never expected Xiao Chengxuan to be so reckless as to commit such a grave error, leaving only Xiao Chengqi to place his hopes in.

He was naturally pleased to hear that Xiao Chengqi was unharmed.

The Eldest Princess turned her head. ”Chutang, you’ve been exhausted these past few days. Now that His Majesty is awake, you should go home early and get some rest.”

For one thing, Ye Chutang had been working hard, coming to the Imperial Palace every day for consultations. For another, she had just survived an assassination attempt the day before and hadn’t had a moment’s peace.

The Eldest Princess’s heart truly ached for her.

Ye Chutang knew she wanted to speak with Emperor Muwu privately, so she smiled slightly. ”Thank you, Eldest Princess. Chutang will take her leave.”

...

Ye Chutang left the Imperial Palace directly.

Xiao Wu curiously lifted the carriage curtain, peering back at the Imperial Palace gates, which were growing smaller in the distance.

Ye Chutang ruffled her hair. ”Xiao Wu, what are you looking at?”

Only then did Xiao Wu turn back, her hands beginning to move.

Big Sister, did a lot happen in the palace today?

She had entered the Imperial Palace with Ye Chutang but hadn’t accompanied her to the side hall of Qiyuan Hall. Instead, a palace attendant had taken her to a nearby room.

Though young, she was very well-behaved and obedient. And being as adorable as a porcelain doll, the palace attendants were quite fond of looking after her.

They had all grown accustomed to Ye Chutang bringing this Little Bun with her every day.

Today, however, while Xiao Wu didn’t know what had happened with Ye Chutang, she was sensitive enough to notice the peculiar expressions on the faces of the palace attendants.

The moment they left the Imperial Palace, Xiao Wu couldn’t hold back her questions.

Ye Chutang thought for a moment and nodded. ”You could say it was quite lively.”

Several cases had been tied together because of Xiao Lansi, even implicating the Nanhu.

’Everyone involved is going to be busy for a while,’ she thought.

Xiao Wu’s eyes sparkled. So, were the people who tried to kill you locked up?

Ye Chutang smiled and gently tapped her on the forehead with a bent finger.

”More or less. Also...”

Several images flashed through her mind.

”I owe someone a huge favor this time.”

’If Shen Yanchuan hadn’t intervened, this case wouldn’t have been solved so quickly.’

Xiao Wu blinked, immediately guessing who she meant.

Was it the Princely Heir?

Ye Chutang nodded.

Xiao Wu covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Then I’m not worried! It’s not like you haven’t owed him before. A few more times won’t matter. Besides, the Princely Heir doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to get repaid anyway.

Seeing her looking so delighted, Ye Chutang couldn’t help but smile as well.

”Why are you so happy?”

Xiao Wu sat up straight, her dark eyes wide and round, and nodded emphatically.

Of course! After all, tomorrow is your birthday!

Now that the real culprit had been caught and the whole truth was out, wasn’t this the best possible outcome?

Ye Chutang froze.

’I’d almost forgotten. Tomorrow really is my eighteenth birthday.’

For some reason, a memory surfaced in her mind.

”When the time comes, I want to give you a grand gift.”

’Could it be... this was the ”grand gift” Shen Yanchuan had promised her?’

’Going to such lengths, even openly deploying the Black Cavalry Guard... it was certainly a gift of significant weight.’

’But...’

’Speaking of which, so much had happened today, yet Shen Yanchuan hadn’t appeared once.’

’She couldn’t even thank him in person.’

Ye Chutang pondered for a while before dismissing the thought.

’It won’t be too late to thank him the next time we meet.’

Unaware of what she was thinking, Xiao Wu pulled a plate of pastries and a hand warmer from a small drawer.

She pressed the hand warmer into Ye Chutang’s grasp, her chubby little hands carefully cupped around it as if to help warm Ye Chutang’s hands herself.

Her big sister couldn’t tolerate the cold. Her hands and feet were constantly icy, especially in winter. Even a short walk along the palace paths was enough to make her hands as cold as blocks of ice.

It was a pity she was still so small; she could only warm her big sister up a tiny bit.

Ye Chutang couldn’t help but laugh.

”It looks like you’ve made yourself right at home in the palace. Did you even get someone to help you refill this with hot water ahead of time?”

Xiao Wu puffed up with pride at the praise.

Ye Chutang patted her head, feeling very gratified.

”It’s all right. If your big sister couldn’t handle a little cold, she never would have returned to the capital. Besides, having a little furnace like you around is my good fortune.”

Xiao Wu tilted her head, a look of blank confusion on her face.

’A furnace?’

’Big Sister is praising me, right? She must be, right?’

With that thought, Xiao Wu brightened up again.

A cold gust of wind blew in, lifting a corner of the curtain.

Xiao Wu quickly turned and pulled the curtain shut, blocking out the chill.

But Ye Chutang froze.

’Xiao Wu seems...’

”Second Miss! Second Miss!”

A joyful voice suddenly called out from outside.

Ye Chutang lifted the curtain to see a servant from their estate running toward them, his face alight with excitement.

He was holding something in his hand, raising it high.

”It’s the Fourth Young Master! The Fourth Young Master has written back!”