Prince An Manor Official V: Replying to @Emperor V: Successfully forwarded as per the Emperor's original words
Wu Jiang V: 【Striving】
Tang Yan V: 【Striving】
Leng Yue V: 【Striving】
Jing Yi V: This person is dead, burn paper if you need anything 【Burning incense】
Xiao Jin Yu V: Replying to @Jing Yi V: @Chu Chu V
Chu Chu V: Replying to @Xiao Jin Yu V: @Jing Yi V Where did you die? I'll go dissect you right away! If I'm late, you won't be fresh anymore!
Empress V: Replying to @Emperor V: 【Pitiful】Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This humble consort will cook you a steaming bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup~
Emperor V: Replying to @Empress V: Damn your white fungus and lotus seed soup... Meat! Meat! 【Frenzied】
Empress V: Replying to @Emperor V: 【Shy】Didn't we just have meat a moment ago...
Leng Yan V: Replying to @Empress V: 【Snickering】Imperial Concubine, your integrity has fallen again~
Empress V: Replying to @Leng Yan V: 【Shy】I don't want it anymore, I don't want it anymore, you can have it all~ MUA
Leng Yan V: Replying to @Empress V: What would I do with that thing...
Xiao Jue V: Replying to @Leng Yan V: Exactly, exactly~ 【Shy】
Xiao Jin Yu V: Replying to @Xiao Jue V: You should take care of your health too...
☆、87 Braised Pork Hock with Rock Sugar (Part 1)
As soon as they boarded the carriage from the military camp, it started moving rapidly. Chu Chu thought they would be traveling day and night again, but as soon as the sun set, Xiao Jin Yu ordered to stop and rest.
This pattern continued throughout the journey back to the capital - traveling swiftly during the day and stopping to rest as soon as the sun set. Chu Chu could see that Xiao Jin Yu was trying his best to avoid excessive physical exhaustion, but ultimately couldn't withstand the long, bumpy journey, let alone the sudden deluge of official documents that came and went day and night. By the time they approached the capital, he was severely ill and couldn't even lift a brush.
Chu Chu couldn't bear to see him vomiting so miserably and wanted to find an inn to let him rest properly for a couple of days before continuing. Xiao Jin Yu also didn't want to return to the Royal Mansion in such a weak state, so he agreed. However, for some reason, every inn along the way was fully packed - not just no vacant rooms, but not even an empty bed to be found.
Watching Chu Chu return to the carriage once again, anxious and angry, Xiao Jin Yu suddenly remembered something. "Chu Chu, what's the date today..."
"It's the first day of February." Chu Chu reached out to touch Xiao Jin Yu's burning forehead, her brows slightly furrowed. "Wang Ye, don't worry. If we keep going forward, we're bound to find an inn that's not full... I remember the closer we get to the capital, the more expensive the inns become. Those outrageously expensive inns must be empty!"
A slight smile touched Xiao Jin Yu's lips. "No need to look... At this time, even the most expensive inns must be fully occupied..."
"Why?"
"This year has the spring imperial examinations, starting on the ninth... Candidates from all prefectures have arrived. How could they not be full?" Xiao Jin Yu gently grasped Chu Chu's hand. "Let's go directly back to the Royal Mansion. We're almost there anyway..."
Feeling Xiao Jin Yu's weak grip, Chu Chu felt not reassured but even more worried. Stroking his noticeably thinner face, she asked, "Can you endure it?"
"I'll be fine after sleeping for a while. Hold me..."
"Alright."
******The one who wanted to sleep was Xiao Jin Yu, but with his feverish body in her arms, being gently caressed and kissed by him, and rocked by the carriage, Chu Chu drifted into a hazy slumber. When she awoke, the carriage had already stopped. She was still holding Xiao Jin Yu tightly, and he was looking at her with a gentle smile, his face pale but his expression tender.
Chu Chu rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Wang Ye... have we arrived?"
"Yes... for a while now. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you..."
Seeing her weary little face in deep sleep filled Xiao Jin Yu with guilt. Such a long and bumpy journey was exhausting even for those in good health, and she had to expend much of her energy taking care of him, a sick man. It was rare for her to sleep so peacefully—how could he bear to wake her?
Chu Chu hopped off the bed and peered outside through a crack in the window. "Wang Ye, isn’t this the courtyard where we met the Emperor last time?"
"Yes... One Heart Garden. We’ll be staying in this courtyard..."
Chu Chu smiled sweetly. "So this is our home now!"
Xiao Jin Yu’s heart warmed, and he smiled faintly. For the first time, he felt that this large, somewhat desolate courtyard carried the warmth of a home. "Yes..."
Chu Chu immediately moved to help him up, but Xiao Jin Yu gently patted her arm. "Wu Jiang is waiting outside. Let him assist me... You go in first and have someone prepare bathwater for me."
"Alright!"
Xiao Jin Yu was wheeled into the bedroom by Wu Jiang. Wu Jiang wanted to help him onto the bed to rest, but Xiao Jin Yu shook his head. Glancing at the large bed with its fresh bedding, he smiled slightly. "I’m dirty. I’ll rest after bathing... Have the accumulated official documents and case files delivered here. I’m afraid I won’t be able to go to Three Thoughts Pavilion for the next few days..."
"Understood. Wang Ye, aside from the official documents, there are also some Petition Letters. Would you like to review them?"
Xiao Jin Yu frowned slightly. "These people... How many times have I told them? If they have matters to discuss, they should state them directly. Why waste time with these useless things..."
"Please calm your anger, Wang Ye... These weren’t submitted by officials. They were sent by candidates of the current imperial examination."
Xiao Jin Yu was taken aback. "Candidates?"
"Yes." Wu Jiang cautiously observed Xiao Jin Yu’s expression. "They’re likely... trying to curry favor with you in advance."
"Nonsense..." Xiao Jin Yu pressed his fingers to his temples and leaned back in his chair. "If they want to curry favor, they should go to the Ministry of Rites. Why come to me..."
Now it was Wu Jiang’s turn to be surprised. He stared in disbelief at the slightly irritated Xiao Jin Yu. "Wang Ye, haven’t you received the Emperor’s Imperial Decree?"
Xiao Jin Yu was stunned again. Had it only been a little over a month since he left the capital? It felt as if he had been completely cut off from the world. "What Imperial Decree?"
"His Majesty has appointed you and Grand Tutor Xue as the chief examiners for this year’s spring imperial examination. It was decided a month ago... You truly haven’t received the Imperial Decree?"
Xiao Jin Yu felt a throbbing pain in his head and shook his head weakly. "Go to the palace immediately and clarify this for me..."
"Yes."
When Chu Chu entered the bedroom, Xiao Jin Yu was still sitting in the same spot, eyes closed, massaging his temples as if his head were about to split from the pain.
OpenNovel