Meng Huan then watched from the side, eyeing the fine needles anxiously, and asked after each one was inserted. “Does it hurt?”
“Does it hurt?”
“It hurts, right?”
“Aiya……”
Meng Huan clasped at his heart, grieving and lamenting.
Imperial Physician Zhou’s needle was almost unstable, and he wanted to say: “Can idle people back off while this divine doctor is treating the patient?”
He controlled the force, resisted the urge to expel others, and finally finished using all silver needles.
Each treatment was about an hour. After the treatment, Imperial Physician Zhou was ready to leave and asked before leaving: “Can Your Highness see shadows in front of his eyes?”
Lin Bozhou: “Can’t see.”
Imperial Physician Zhou fiddled with his beard. “This servant understands. Your Highness will take the usual medicine.” After saying that, he left.
There was no reason to say anything, so Meng Huan asked, “How many more days do you need?”
Lin Bozhou washed his hands, fingertips dripping with water drops, and calmly said, “Occasionally one or two days, three to five days, and sometimes ten days. It is uncertain.”
Meng Huan sighed. “Ai.”
He always felt that this kept on delaying things.
“There is no use to hurry,” Lin Bozhou had a smile on his lips. “Huan Huan wants to study words in the afternoon? This husband will accompany you.”
Meng Huan’s mood was suddenly raised. Lin Bozhou accompanying him to the writing class was like having someone behind him. Shan Shu did not dare to be mean to him or knock on the ruler. Previously, Shan Shu would doze off occasionally in his old age, but in front of Lin Bozhou, he paid attention to etiquette and dignity and did not dare to sleep.
In the past, when Lin Bozhou’s old illness recurred, the atmosphere in the prince’s residence was deadly. Everyone feared an inattentive action would make Lin Bozhou unhappy, fed up, or lash out. But now, they heard Lin Bozhou say, “Let all the free people come out and walk around.”
This meant that all the people in the residence should rest and take a break, which was usually heard only during the Chinese New Year or other festivities.
By the lotus pond, the breeze blew gently. Meng Huan lowered his head, dipped the brush into the ink, and finished writing the words to be memorized today. Shanshu also withdrew the brush and ink.
A voice as warm as fire rang out by his ear, “Greetings, Prince and Princess.”
Meng Huan looked up; the visitor had a handsome appearance, a pair of elegant and affectionate eyes, smiling down at the words he was writing. “Until what point have you learned today, Princess?”
Meng Huan was momentarily confused and recognized that this was the son of the Minister of Revenue, Shen Qingyu, whom he had met before.
He felt pretty familiar, and before Meng Huan could say yes, he said, “Thousand Character Classic? Haven’t you finished learning this? Hahaha. The prince was incomparably intelligent then. I remembered that he could recite this by heart when he was three or four years old, hahaha. How come the prince wants to learn it now too? Really good. I have to say that the prince should also experience the difficulties of ordinary people. It is hard for our princess.”
Meng Huan: “……”
In the original book, this person had a good relationship with Lin Bozhou, and his personality was witty and affable. He was not distant from people, so he was also very popular.
Meng Huan covered the page and turned his head to look at Lin Bozhou. “He said I was stupid, huh?”
Lin Bozhou paused and laughed. “Shen Er couldn’t solve the questions given by the teacher at Qinglu Academy and drew pictures of beautiful women on paper. The word has spread, so don’t make fun of Neizi.”
Neizi, which meant housewife.
Meng Huan glanced at him: his ears reddened.
Shen Qingyu had a pitiful face. “Your Highness attacked me. I was scolded by my wife at home and scolded by the prince when I went out. I’m not a human inside and out*.”
*A common saying that describes a person in an awkward situation and is blamed for everything he does.
Lin Bozhou ignored his miserable ramble. “Did your father send you here?”
“Yes,” Shen Qingyu swept his eyes around, speaking in a flippant manner. “Your Highness truly gets right to the point, no foreplay at all, really uninteresting. I wonder if the princess has scolded you for being boring—”
Chen An coughed, his old face slightly blushing.
Meng Huan understood and slightly widened his eyes; his expression was very complicated.
Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes. “You can speak less obscene words.”
“……” Shen Qingyu smiled and nodded, “My father asked me to come and ask about the money allocation.”
Lin Bozhou remained seated, but his spine leaned against the seat, apparently sitting straight. “What do you mean?”
“My father is in a hurry,” Shen Qingyu drank a mouthful of tea. “The salt tax from the patrol went into the silver treasury, and I heard there was a surplus. Every department caught the scent and came up, all applying for money. One moment, there is a drought in the Yu Province, asking for money. The next moment, there is a flood in Wan Province, asking for money. Another moment, His Majesty’s mausoleum needs money, military pay needs money, the operation of the navy needs money, and members of the imperial clan also came to ask for money. The civil and military officials’ salaries in arrears also need money. To avoid questions, my father intends to hurry up and spend this money at the right time.”
Meng Huan wanted to leave, but Lin Bozhou did not intend to hide from him. He saw these people chatting lively and could not help but prick up his ears to try to understand.
