jdhmnovel Chapter 1892 A casual response
Chapter 1892 A casual response
Hunting is no joke; it's risky, as many people die from it every year! Moreover, this spring hunt involves a large and diverse group of people, and the hunting grounds are sure to be filled with wild beasts and rare treasures. The risks, both visible and invisible, are self-evident.
However, Qiao Rong emphasized that the Crown Prince's words were also meant for Song Qianyuan. This person clearly had no intention of participating in the Spring Hunting Competition, but for some reason, he decided to participate anyway.
To everyone else, Song Qianyuan was a man of both literary and martial talents. But to Qiao Rong, he was just a scholar. As for Song Qianyuan's fighting skills, Qiao Rong thought they were hardly better than fancy footwork. He had reason to say this; when they first met, they had sparred, and Song Qianyuan couldn't withstand three of his moves.
Song Qianyuan was incredibly intelligent and could see through Qiao Rong's thoughts at a glance. In particular, Qiao Rong's disdainful gaze directly aroused his competitive spirit. As if he were secretly competing with Qiao Rong, he firmly declared again, "I'll participate!"
Song Qianyuan was the teacher's favorite student of the Imperial Academy. He had also won first place in the previous year's autumn examination. Such a desirable but unattainable achievement made him somewhat influential in the Imperial Academy. Seeing Song Qianyuan's decisive registration, more and more people followed suit. Many of the people who had hesitated in the advanced class earlier became enthusiastic again, and no one wanted to fall behind.
Song Qianyuan's good friend Wei Wenchen also said he wanted to participate. This man was also very meticulous and never considered any fewer issues than Song Qianyuan. With the imperial examination approaching, he was afraid that something unexpected might happen at the hunting grounds. Besides, his riding and archery skills were not as good as Song Qianyuan's, so he would not be able to get a ranking there. As for the reward mentioned by the Crown Prince, he did not dare to even think about it. He would just be there to join in the fun.
The scene immediately erupted in excitement, with everyone crowding around Cheng Youning, saying they wanted to sign up.
Cheng Youning realized that everyone seemed not to have understood what he had just said, so he explained again, "Don't argue, it's not time to register yet. The Emperor hasn't announced the specific date for the spring hunt. Once the date is announced, someone will come to the Imperial Academy to deliver the message. Just wait."
At this moment, Li Zheng, the son of the Minister of Justice, who was carrying two books, squeezed into the crowd. He had eaten something wrong yesterday and had diarrhea. He was kidnapped by his servant at noon and missed three classes today. He had just arrived at the Imperial Academy and caught up with the registration scene. He was in high spirits, but his face was sallow and he kept rubbing his stomach with one hand. He must not have recovered from his diarrhea.
Li Zheng asked, "Your Highness, when did the Emperor mention holding a spring hunting competition?" Once such a matter is decided, the ministers in the court will know. His father hasn't mentioned it these past two days. Could it be that the Crown Prince has firsthand information? But that doesn't make sense either.
"He said it when he woke up this morning!" That's right, it was when he woke up this morning, before he even opened his eyes, that he heard his great-uncle tell him.
Li Zheng thought to herself: Is it true? But she said aloud: "Your Highness, I heard that the Emperor is unwell and has cancelled the grand court assembly. The Emperor didn't even attend court this morning. My father even went to visit the Emperor and didn't get out of bed at all."
Li Zheng and Su Changjing had a good relationship because their fathers both worked in the Ministry of Justice. Li Zheng's father was Minister Li, the head of the Ministry of Justice, who was Su Changjing's father's superior.
When Su Changjing arrived at the Imperial Academy this morning, the Emperor hadn't returned from the palace yet. Not only was he unaware of this news, but the other students were also unaware. It was the first time they had heard of the Emperor claiming illness and not attending court. How strange! He asked curiously, "What illness does the Emperor have?"
Li Zheng said, "I heard it's a cold, a really bad one. The Emperor's face turned black, like he's been poisoned. The entire Imperial Hospital was in an uproar last night. The imperial physicians are still waiting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation at this time."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up with an unusual light, as if the emperor had contracted an incurable disease.
At this moment, everyone looked at the Crown Prince in unison, trying to discern something from his face to determine whether Li Zheng's words were true or false. If the Emperor's face was dark, could it be just a simple cold? There might be some hidden story behind it.
Cheng Youning had to explain, otherwise people would spread rumors. "His Majesty did catch a cold, but it's not serious. I was attending to His Majesty at his bedside last night, and I'm much better now. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here studying at the Imperial Academy. Don't you all agree?"
Just then, the bell under the eaves rang, and Cheng Youning was the first to walk towards the advanced class classroom. She couldn't let these people keep asking her questions.
Su Changjing followed Cheng Youning, pressing him for an answer: "Your Highness, the weather can't be this cold! How did His Majesty catch a cold? Your Highness, you know the Shi family, right? The Shi family of tea merchants. Their teahouses and shops all sell their family's secret remedy for colds. It's very strong and doesn't taste good. It makes you turn red in the face, but it's very effective. Last time, my grandmother almost died from a cold. We tried everything, and we were even making funeral preparations. Finally, we accidentally learned that the Shi family was selling this medicine. My family was at our wits' end, so we went to the Shi family's teahouse to ask for the medicine, just to try it out. Your Highness, guess what happened?"
As Cheng Youning strode forward, he listened to Su Changjing's rambling on and on, all of which were things he wasn't interested in. Seeing that Su Changjing showed no sign of stopping, he could only casually reply, "How is it?"
"It's just a small bottle of medicine to dispel wind and cold, and you only need to drink half of it at a time. The Shi family only gave us a small bottle, and they only gave us half because they heard my grandmother was seriously ill. After begging for the medicine, they gave half of it to my grandmother. Your Highness, guess what happened!"
Cheng Youning casually replied, "What's wrong?"
"As soon as the medicine was taken, my grandmother's face turned red, and not just her face, her whole body turned red. Later, the fever subsided little by little, and my grandmother recovered. Our whole family thought the Shi family's medicine was miraculous. Later, my father even brought some gifts and went to the Shi family in person to express our gratitude. Your Highness, you know about colds, right? They can be serious or minor, and if not handled properly, they can even damage your health. Your Highness, how about I go to the Shi family's teahouse and ask for some medicine for colds for you?"
Cheng Youning listened absentmindedly, not thinking about the meaning behind Su Changjing's words, nor making any connection to other places. "Why are you asking me for medicine for a cold? I don't have a cold!"
“Your Highness doesn’t have a cold, but His Majesty does! What I mean is, I’ll go and ask for medicine, and then Your Highness can take the medicine for your cold to present to His Majesty!” Su Changjing also gave Cheng Youning a knowing look.
Cheng Youning understood everything; wasn't this just an attempt to curry favor with him? He couldn't help but glance at Su Changjing, "You certainly know how to be opportunistic. I know about the cold medicine you mentioned; His Majesty took it many years ago."