“Ah—”
Shen Shangling shrieked until his voice cracked. Following that, he abruptly dropped down with a thud, his entire body crashing once again into Lu Xiao’s arms. Shen Shangling was so dizzy he couldn’t gather his wits. When he finally regained his senses, he discovered that he was clinging tightly to Lu Xiao like an octopus.
As for Lu Xiao, one hand was supporting his back while the other was supporting… his buttocks. Before Shen Shangling could let out another cry of shock, Lu Xiao very casually hoisted him upward by his buttocks and slung him back over his shoulder.
“Urgh. cough, cough.”
Lu Xiao’s solid shoulder dug right into his chest and abdomen, making him so uncomfortably sore that he couldn’t help letting out a hoarse cough.
“Wah,” Jiang Sanwen, sitting on Jiang Yuanlin’s shoulder, cheered happily, “Old Shen flies higher than me.”
Jiang Yuanlin: “…” He was somewhat astonished, as it had been many years since Lu Xiao had shown such a bizarrely mischievous act.
Shen Shangling couldn’t speak. In his wildest dreams, he would never have expected Lu Xiao’s strength to be this great. He was an adult man after all; although slim, he wasn’t short… Yet in Lu Xiao’s hands, he was simply like a cloth doll, easily tossed back and forth. No wonder that dog-blood book said Lu Xiao possessed innate divine strength.
The overwhelming sense of suppression Lu Xiao gave him in terms of physical power was once again deeply impressed upon Shen Shangling when they reached the study and Lu Xiao placed him onto a chair: At this moment, with Lu Xiao’s hands braced against the armrests of the chair and leaning slightly forward to tower over him, the shadow of his tall frame almost completely enveloped him within it.
“Y-Your Highness?”
Shen Shangling pressed both hands against his aching chest and abdomen, subconsciously leaning back against the chair’s backrest and expressing his thanks with cautious wariness, “Th-Thank you, Your Highness.”
This sudden posture made him feel as anxious and uneasy as a small beast being stared at by a fierce predator, carrying a strong sense of crisis.
“The hibiscus soap was made well,” Lu Xiao stared at him with a light scoff before straightening up, speaking in a calm tone, “It deserves a reward. Speak, what do you want this Prince to reward you with?”
Shen Shangling’s eyes lit up: “Really?”
Lu Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile playing on his lips without any warmth: “However, the snow demon must remember his identity. You are this Prince’s concubine, and this Prince will not grant rewards unbefitting a concubine.”
As he spoke, a trace of imperceptible vigilance flashed through the depths of his eyes. He wanted to see what on earth this person was plotting.
“Then can Your Highness pay me a monthly salary?”
Shen Shangling didn’t pay attention to that, saying with some anticipation, “I, this lowly person.”
“In front of this Prince,” Lu Xiao interrupted impatiently, “You are permitted to use ‘I’ and ‘you’ plainly.”
“Oh, I mean,”
Shen Shangling didn’t expect this unexpected gain, finally free from having to call himself a lowly person at every turn, “I want some pocket money. I wonder… is this reasonable?”
“You want money?” Lu Xiao seemed somewhat surprised, “You must know that no matter how much money you have, you are still this Prince’s concubine.” He had originally thought Shen Shangling would seek to rid himself of his status as a criminal slave, or seek an opportunity to leave the mansion and socialize. After all, no matter who this Shen Shangling actually was, he surely wouldn’t be willing to be trapped within the prince’s mansion day after day without seeing the light of day. Who would have thought he wanted money instead.
“I want money to buy food, Your Highness,” Shen Shangling’s anger was stirred up by the wicked prince calling him “concubine” over and over again, “The food in your noble mansion is truly unmentionable. With some money to buy ingredients, I can cook some food for myself!”
The ingredients in this Great Yin dynasty were actually quite plentiful, but the seasonings were truly subpar. Ordinary food was mostly steamed, stewed, or boiled, at most with some thick bean paste added for braising… Anyway, it really didn’t suit his palate at all, and he was actually extremely picky about his food. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taught himself how to cook.
Just at that moment, Wen Qintan and Jiang Yuanlin walked in. Hearing their conversation, Wen Qintan also raised an eyebrow, casting a teasing look at Lu Xiao.
Lu Xiao: “…” He was simply picky about food.
“Granted then,” After a brief pause, Lu Xiao chuckled softly, “This Prince is rather curious, what kind of food can the snow demon make?”
Although his Prince of Dingbei’s mansion was not as extravagant as those aristocratic clans, the chefs were not bad. Aside from rare delicacies of land and sea that were rarely used, didn’t general meat roasts and vegetable dishes all taste like this?
“Your Highness, the medicine has been brought,” Jiang Yuanlin spoke up at this point, “Shall I come take a look at him?”
Lu Xiao stepped aside. Jiang Yuanlin walked over carrying the medicine box. Shen Shangling cooperated by rolling up his clothes and trouser legs in pain, removing his shoes and socks as well to reveal his sprained ankle. In this short span of time, the ankle had already swollen slightly.
“I will use medicinal oil to massage it for you,” Jiang Yuanlin pinched and checked it a few times first before taking out a porcelain bottle, “It might hurt a bit, just bear with it.”
Shen Shangling: “…”
Jiang Yuanlin unsealed the medicinal oil and rubbed it on with a bit of force.
“Ouch~” Shen Shangling couldn’t help crying out, “It hurts, hurts, hurts.”
Jiang Yuanlin: “…”
Wen Qintan: “…”
They had never seen such a delicate person; even Wen Geer could endure it when he twisted something!
“Sorry to trouble Doctor Jiang,” Shen Shangling endured the pain and hastily said, “Otherwise, let me do it myself?”
The physical strength of these ancient people was so great one by one; it really wasn’t scientific.
“You two go to the west pavilion first,” Lu Xiao’s gaze swept across Shen Shangling’s foot before he suddenly gave the order, “Leave this place to me.”
Wen Qintan raised an eyebrow, exchanged a quick glance with Jiang Yuanlin, and both of them retreated outside.
Only Shen Shangling and Lu Xiao were left in the study. Shen Shangling’s heart immediately tightened with tension.
At that moment, Lu Xiao bent down slightly, reached out to slip his hands under Shen Shangling’s armpits, hoisted him up all at once onto the large desk nearby, and sat him directly on the tabletop.
Shen Shangling: “…”
“Since you are this Prince’s concubine,” Lu Xiao’s smile held a hint of swagger, “These jade-like feet naturally must be protected by this Prince.”
Shen Shangling was choked by a mouthful of saliva at this jab, breaking into a fit of violent coughing.
By the time he finally finished coughing, Lu Xiao had already unhurriedly grasped that foot of his. Shen Shangling frantically tried to pull back in terror, but Lu Xiao’s hand was like an iron clamp, and he couldn’t struggle free in the slightest.
Expressionless, Lu Xiao picked up the medicinal oil, poured a bit onto his foot, and his calloused fingertips suddenly landed on his ankle.
“Ah…” Shen Shangling let out another cry of pain, “I-I-I-I, can do it myself.”
Crying out in disorder from the pain, he bent forward and randomly pushed against Lu Xiao’s hand.
Lu Xiao’s gaze sank heavily upon the porcelain-white ankle in his hand, and seeing that the swelling had grown a bit redder and larger, his eyes sharpened. His other hand lifted and struck a spot near Shen Shangling’s waist.
Shen Shangling felt his lower body go numb, and his whole body went limp as he fell backward, lying flat upon the large desk.
Lu Xiao didn’t speak either. With a slight application of force in his fingertips, he swiftly rubbed and massaged the medicinal oil outward.
“Mmh. urgh. Mnh.”
Shen Shangling lay powerlessly on the cool, hard large wooden desk, feeling the pain radiating from his ankle, and couldn’t help letting out unbearable whimpers from his throat. The rims of his eyes grew sour as well, and then cool water droplets slid from the corners of his eyes.
Lowering his eyelids, Lu Xiao rubbed until the skin grew warm and the medicinal properties of the oil soaked in, whereupon he stopped his hand. Raising his eyes, he finally noticed Shen Shangling’s appearance at the moment: Sweat beaded on his forehead, and dark strands of hair clung damply to his temples and face. Set against his water-washed eyes, his looks were so remarkably exquisite, carrying a unique, disheveled, and drifting flavor.
His trouser legs were rolled up high, exposing a section of his calf that looked like white jade, even fairer and more tender than tofu.
He looked entirely as though he had been subjected to severe bullying, just like someone who had just been ruthlessly and unfeelingly despoiled.
“Urgh…” Shen Shangling finally caught his breath, “I-Is it done?”
If it weren’t done soon, he was going to pass out from the pain.
The moment he spoke, Lu Xiao abruptly snapped back to his senses, and an inexplicable, nameless hot fever surged up his spine.
“Are you even a man?” Lu Xiao felt inexplicably irritated, speaking in a gruff tone, “Why are you so squeamish?”
Shen Shangling: “…”
Damn it.
Because the medicinal oil was starting to take effect around his ankle, the previously burning hot area began to feel a trace of coolness, becoming instantly much more comfortable. Shen Shangling gritted his teeth and endured Lu Xiao’s mockery.
Upon second thought, Lu Xiao had personally massaged him with medicinal oil…
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
At this thought, Shen Shangling still expressed his gratitude. He wasn’t an unreasonable person.
Lu Xiao let out a snort, but smiled maliciously: “The snow demon seems to be getting more sensible and knowing of propriety by the day. I wonder when you will finally fulfill your duties as a concubine?”
Shen Shangling: “…”
He lowered his gaze without a word; this wicked prince couldn’t spit out any good words in three sentences.
Following that, Lu Xiao “lifted” him over to the west pavilion.
Shen Shangling kept a blank expression, having already accepted the cruel fact that in front of Lu Xiao’s unscientific strength level, he was no different from a cloth doll.
Upon arriving at the west pavilion, Shen Shangling was somewhat surprised. Aside from Jiang Yuanlin and Wen Qintan, there were two other people: One looked to be just over twenty, looking very sharp and capable. The other appeared to be in his forties or fifties, and at a glance looked like a scholar.
However, since neither Lu Xiao nor Wen Qintan introduced them, Shen Shangling didn’t ask.
According to their prior discussion, he didn’t need to make hibiscus soap today, but instead concentrated on explaining those mathematical formulas and concepts he had mentioned. However, looking at the current setup, people had been specially assigned to come and follow along with the lessons.
Because his ankle was sprained, Shen Shangling sat down to lecture. He started from primary and junior high school mathematics, since things should go from easy to difficult, and he first needed to lead the ancients into getting familiar with these symbols and notations.
“Can we make a blackboard?”
After lecturing for over an hour, Shen Shangling’s throat was dry, and after taking a sip of water, he tentatively asked, “Without a blackboard, it wastes too much paper and isn’t convenient.”
“Blackboard?” Wen Qintan was puzzled.
Shen Shangling briefly explained it to them, feeling that making a blackboard shouldn’t be difficult.
“Also, is there any chalk?”
Then he asked again, “It can be used as chalk.” Natural chalk could barely pass as chalk.
“Chalk, what does it look like?” Wen Qintan frowned and asked.
Shen Shangling described it roughly.
“White earth?”
Jiang Yuanlin was the first to react, “Isn’t what you’re talking about just white earth?”
Shen Shangling gave a hum; names probably differed, but he knew chalk was called white earth powder in some places, so it wasn’t impossible for it to be called white earth here.
“You can erase it after writing, and continue writing after erasing, saving paper.”
Shen Shangling explained the benefits of a blackboard. The moment his words fell, everyone’s expressions turned somewhat subtle.
“This Prince is not lacking that bit of silver,” Lu Xiao raised an eyebrow, “Just go ahead and use paper and brushes as you please.”
Shen Shangling: “…”
What are you acting generous for?
“It’s not just about saving paper,” Shen Shangling explained patiently, “And blackboards can be propped up vertically. I write on it, and everyone sitting there can see it.”
As soon as he put it this way, Wen Qintan immediately understood this clever advantage. Previously, while Shen Shangling lectured and drew on paper at the same time, all of them had to crowd close to see. If there really was a blackboard as he described, it would be extremely convenient for teaching these subjects. Moreover, if they were truly going to implement this method of mathematics among the lower-level officials in Fuzhou later on, using a blackboard would indeed save paper and ink while making matters much easier to handle.
As the day’s lecture proceeded, the expressions of Wen Qintan and the others grew increasingly serious. Originally, when they started learning the multiplication table and Arabic numerals at the very beginning, they still held a skeptical attitude in their eyes. After all, ordinary scholars all understood some mathematics. The terminology might be flashy, but it might not be very deep.
However, as Shen Shangling went deeper step by step, their feelings changed. The things covered by certain “formulas” were probably things that the mathematical clerks in those aristocratic clans had never known. Especially since these “formulas” were so concise and clear!
As a result, even when the sky grew dark that day, Wen Qintan and the others were still unwilling to end the session, each of them having burning gazes.
When Wen Qintan came over to ask him about the transformation of a certain “formula,” Shen Shangling couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit smug deep inside his heart: This fox-like handsome man actually seemed somewhat affectionate toward him as well.
Right now, Wen Qintan was the kind of person who fit his aesthetic preferences in every aspect. Speaking with him, Shen Shangling couldn’t help but smile and chat happily, the corners of his brows and eyes suffused with smiles.