Xuan Zhan had no idea what Jian Junyao was thinking. “Push me out.”
“Your Highness, you haven’t relieved yourself yet!” Jian Junyao kindly reminded him.
From childhood to adulthood, this was the first time Xuan Zhan had encountered a woman who spoke so directly. Even as a grown man, he felt his face flush at her words.
Nevertheless, he still threw out a remark: “Vulgar.”
Jian Junyao had deliberately provoked him. Seeing that her goal was achieved, she fell silent and pushed the wheelchair out.
As soon as they reached the courtyard, they saw Song Qing leap nimbly, landing with a carrier pigeon in his hand.
He respectfully presented the pigeon to Xuan Zhan. “Your Highness, this is a personal letter from the Emperor. I wonder if this counts as sincerity?”
Xuan Zhan did not speak. Ling Ye, perceptive as ever, took the pigeon, removed the small note, and handed it to Xuan Zhan.
Xuan Zhan unfolded the note and read it in front of everyone.
He didn’t know whether to be angry or laugh at Xuan Tianqi’s childishness.
Xuan Tianqi had instructed Song Qing to regularly report on the War King’s miserable state along the journey, ensuring he didn’t die too easily. It would be best to report how terrified he was upon reaching the Northwest Ghost City.
Xuan Zhan finished reading the note expressionlessly and handed it back to Song Qing.
After reading it, Song Qing immediately summoned his personal guards and, in front of Xuan Zhan, wrote a reply.
“Your Highness, I informed the Emperor that you have grown so thin you look withered, and you are only conscious for one hour each day.”
Xuan Zhan nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Reply like this for now. It wouldn’t hurt to make it sound even worse next time.”
Seeing Xuan Zhan’s approval, Song Qing tied the note to the pigeon’s leg and released it.
“Your Highness, do you see my sincerity now?”
“It’s not enough. What if you change your minds once you’re well-fed? Wouldn’t that waste my food for nothing?”
“Your Highness, what must I do to earn your trust?”
Xuan Zhan took out the small porcelain vial Jian Junyao had just given him.
“This is a poison. The antidote only needs to be taken once a year. If you are truly loyal to me, take it in front of me.”
Song Qing hesitated. He could do whatever was required of him, but he couldn’t make decisions for his brothers.
Just as he was wavering, a personal guard shouted from outside the courtyard wall, “We are willing to take the Prince’s medicine!”
“Yes, we willingly pledge our loyalty to His Highness the War Prince!”
“I’m willing too. It’s better than serving someone who doesn’t care whether we live or die.”
Hearing these voices, Song Qing hesitated no longer. He took the small vial, poured out a pill, and placed it in his mouth.
In front of Xuan Zhan, he swallowed it directly.
Song Qing was shrewd. Worried that the War King might not trust him, he invited the Ling brothers to accompany him outside to oversee the guards taking the medicine.
Once all the personal guards had taken the pills, Song Qing returned.
“Your Highness, we have been starving for several days. Could you grant us some food?”
Even the one that smells like feces is fine—we aren’t picky.
With these loyal guards willing to die for him, Xuan Zhan was in high spirits.
“Which kind do you plan to eat?”
Jian Junyao, standing behind the wheelchair, pursed her lips.
This man really didn’t treat her as an outsider. He was about to give away her instant noodles and Luosifen without even asking for her opinion.
The answer, of course, was no.
In Xuan Zhan’s mind, he had already formed a perception of Jian Junyao: money makes the ghost turn the millstone.
Jian Junyao had no idea how Xuan Zhan perceived her in his mind. At the moment, she was delightfully pondering how much silver she should ask from him this time.
Just as she was calculating in her heart, Xuan Zhan’s voice rang out coldly, “Then give them something stinky to eat!”
He had thought that after he finished speaking, Jian Junyao would cooperatively go back to prepare the food. Who knew this woman would stand there with a dazed expression.
“Princess Consort?”
“Junyao?”
“Jian Junyao?”
“Huh?” Jian Junyao, who had been daydreaming and blowing bubbles in her mind, suddenly snapped back to reality.
“Prince, is there something you need?”
—Junyao, how sickeningly sweet. You really have the nerve to call her that.
Seeing Jian Junyao’s absent-minded look, Xuan Zhan felt uneasy about letting her handle things alone.
“Push me back inside. I need to relieve myself!”
Jian Junyao…
This man really… Couldn’t he think of a better excuse if he wanted to do something behind others’ backs?
Aren’t you afraid people will suspect you have a frequent urination problem?
While inwardly grumbling, Jian Junyao had already pushed the wheelchair into the room.
Xuan Zhan got straight to the point, “Prepare some of that stinky thing you just ate.”
Jian Junyao knew that Xuan Zhan wanted her to prepare food for his personal guards.
There were quite a few personal guards. Excluding the dozen or so who had fallen during the fight with the men in black, there were still at least over eighty left.
A single pack of Luosifen cost over a dozen Space Coins. Feeding so many people, even though she was already quite wealthy, still made her somewhat reluctant.
“Prince, that’s very expensive.”
Jian Junyao’s expression was exaggerated, and Xuan Zhan noticed something off from her subtle demeanor.
That is, this woman wasn’t being sincere.
On second thought, being able to obtain food now was already quite good. Wasn’t it a bit hypocritical to nitpick about her character?
Once he figured it out, Xuan Zhan took out another five hundred taels in silver notes.
“Is this enough?”
Jian Junyao’s eyes gleamed as she stared at the silver notes, nodding like pounding garlic, “Enough, enough.”
In truth, even if Xuan Zhan hadn’t given her the silver, Jian Junyao could still have provided him with Luosifen. After all, she had just made a hefty profit from a bottle of vitamin C pills.
She had acted that way to let Xuan Zhan know just how precious the things she produced were.
Watching the silver notes disappear before his eyes, Xuan Zhan seemed to have grown accustomed to it.
“That stinky thing for so many people must be a huge pile. Take me to the carriage now.”
Jian Junyao had thought this scapegoat was completely unbothered, casually taking things out in this Abandoned Temple no matter how curious others were. Turns out, he was quite cautious too…
Seeing Jian Junyao pushing Xuan Zhan back and forth, Nanny Song found it strange. Previously, the Prince wouldn’t even spare a glance at the Princess Consort. Why had he been acting differently toward her since she woke up after her suicide attempt?
Could it be that their Prince had finally come to his senses?
In any case, Nanny Song was delighted to see the Prince spending more time with the Princess Consort. When she saw Ling Bei about to go over and help, she pulled him back.
When the young couple is having time alone, what are you, you brat, going over there for?
Arriving in front of the carriage, Xuan Zhan placed his hands on the wheelchair armrests, pushed off with force, and agilely seated himself in the carriage.
The two entered the carriage together and lowered the curtain.
Xuan Zhan shifted the large chest outward a bit.
Jian Junyao had thought he was going to open the chest, but he didn’t.
Once the chest was moved into position, Xuan Zhan said, “Now you can start conjuring the food.”
Jian Junyao now felt absolutely no burden when taking things out from Space in front of Xuan Zhan.
She quickly purchased a hundred packs of Luosifen from Space, and they appeared inside the carriage along with their packaging.
There were quite a few small packets inside the Luosifen, and the two of them worked together for half an hour to get everything sorted.
Outside, Song Qing was completely baffled. He had shown his sincerity and even taken the poison, so why had the Prince gone into the carriage and ignored him?
Could it be that the Prince had run out of food as well?