Chapter 801: Falling Ill

The Crown Prince’s illness came suddenly and passed just as quickly. With Siniang caring for him so attentively, unless Heaven itself had decided the Ji Clan’s line must end and insisted on taking little Chuanye’s life, it would have been difficult for anything truly serious to happen.

But from Siniang’s observations, the child’s constitution really was poor.

What she meant was his mind and spirit.

She even gave an analogy: this was a younger version of “Daiyu sickness.” Even if the child was not brooding over endless household trivialities, his thoughts were too heavy and his mind too unsettled. At an age when his body should have been growing, consolidating its foundation, and nourishing its vitality, his essence was instead being continuously drained away.

The Sword Saint personally examined the child as well.

His conclusion was blunt.

Not much material for martial arts.

Mediocre aptitude.

Perhaps feeling that was a little too harsh, the Sword Saint softened it by adding that the boy had probably put all his talent points into his brain.

Which still left one unavoidable problem.

Top-heavy.

A large part of why the child had become like this came from the pressure of imperial inheritance brought upon him by his father and grandfather.

Ji Chengjue himself was an impossible cockroach that refused to die. An anomaly.

That did not mean his son could perfectly inherit that particular gift.

And before the late Emperor died... when he looked at Ji Chuanye lying on the bed... and said those words:

“What a fine imperial grandson.”

That sentence had become a thousand-jun weight.

It fell directly onto a child’s immature shoulders.

The Emperor judged his son by his own standards.

The late Emperor saw in his grandson another version of the son he had kneaded, pressured, and yet somehow watched continue growing in the opposite direction.

And so... the Crown Prince of Great Yan had been forced into this state far too early.

In this age, parents did not speak quite as often of wishing their daughters to become phoenixes.

But wishing their sons to become dragons?

That was everywhere.

Within the imperial family, it had become distorted enough to be called pathological.

More pathological still... they considered it normal.

Empress He’s grief when she learned her son would be sent to eastern Jin probably did not come only from being separated from him.

She knew his physical condition.

From a mother’s perspective, what she feared was simple.

Would this journey to eastern Jin become the final farewell between mother and son?

That was not melodrama.

Not in the slightest.

In this age, childhood mortality was genuinely high.

Raise eight children, and having four survive to adulthood already counted as fortunate.

After the delay... the procession finally entered Fengxin.

...

“Here.”

Zheng Fan set the Crown Prince down.

The Crown Prince did not look particularly restrained.

A child who had truly seen the world did not become shy around strangers.

And whatever happened, he was already accustomed to turning things over quietly inside his own heart.

Showing neither joy nor anger on one’s face was a standard skill of the imperial family.

He had entered that school early.

The one who actually looked a little flustered... was Tian Tian, who had been standing there waiting to welcome him.

He looked at his little Crown Prince brother and smiled.

Then looked up at his godfather and smiled.

Tian Tian still had red lips and white teeth, with a soft, delicate face like a finely made porcelain doll.

The Crown Prince was younger and much thinner.

Standing before Tian Tian, the difference in size was obvious.

An extra bed had already been placed in Tian Tian’s room.

Tian Tian knew that from now on, a little brother would be staying with him.

He was very happy.

But from childhood until now, aside from occasionally playing with Liu Dahu and Sword Maid since last year, he had spent most of his time alone.

Originally, he had been waiting for Second Mother’s baby to be born so there would be someone to play with him.

Unexpectedly... one had arrived early.

Tian Tian was delighted.

Precisely because he was so delighted... he suddenly had no idea how to express it.

So he dug into his pocket, pulled out a handful of sugar-roasted chestnuts, and held them out to the Crown Prince.

“Little brother. Eat.”

The Crown Prince reached out and accepted them.

Zheng Fan walked over, picked Tian Tian up, and planted a loud kiss on his cheek.

Unlike the Crown Prince, whom Ji Chengjue had forcibly stuffed into his hands...

Tian Tian was the true soft spot in Prince Pingxi’s heart.

He had watched the child grow since infancy.

Every time he returned from campaign, he could immediately see that Tian Tian had grown a little taller.

To say Zheng Fan had lavished meticulous fatherly care on him would be an exaggeration.

But the child genuinely occupied most of the softness inside Zheng Fan’s heart.

“Hee-hee-hee... Dad, your beard hurts.”

After returning from campaign, Zheng Fan naturally had not yet found time to deal with his beard.

Yan people did not care much for the saying that “the body, hair, and skin are received from one’s parents.”

And Zheng Fan had long since reached a status where he no longer needed to grow facial hair simply to maintain an authoritative appearance.

Normally he shaved often, leaving only a small tuft beneath his chin.

“Tian Tian, from now on, you’ll be responsible for looking after your little brother.”

“All right, Dad.”

Tian Tian accepted the duty.

Zheng Fan set him back down.

Then he said to Ji Chuanye:

“Chuanye, call him Elder Brother.”

Tian Tian smiled a little shyly, obvious expectation written all over his face.

Ji Chuanye stepped back half a pace, brought both hands together, and bowed properly.

“Chuanye greets Elder Brother Tian Tian.”

Mm...

Tian Tian also stepped back half a pace and returned an equally proper bow.

“Tian Tian greets Little Brother Chuanye.”

The whole scene looked extraordinarily ridiculous.

Fortunately... children were still children.

They had not gone so far as to produce some stiff exchange like, “This Crown Prince greets the Heir of Prince Jingnan.”

“Tian Tian, take good care of your little brother.”

Tian Tian nodded.

“Okay.”

“You two go play. Dad still has business outside.”

“Your son takes his leave.”

Ji Chuanye was about to bow and take leave of Uncle Zheng as well, but Tian Tian reached over and grabbed his wrist.

“Little brother, Elder Brother will take you to see...”

The Crown Prince stumbled.

Lost his balance.

And fell straight to the ground.

His forehead struck the floor and scraped open.

“...” Tian Tian.

The only explanation was that everyone Tian Tian normally played with was far too beastly.

Even Liu Dahu and Sword Maid were older children who practiced martial arts.

Tian Tian himself was sturdy as anything.

He genuinely was not accustomed to someone as “delicate” as the Crown Prince.

At the side, Little Eunuch Zhang nearly opened his mouth and screamed.

Then Zheng Fan’s gaze swept over him.

His mouth snapped shut again.

When Little Eunuch Zhang first entered the Residence, he had seen the two stone lions at the gate.

“Children bump and scrape themselves all the time. It’s normal, Eunuch Zhang.”

“Your Highness, this slave is here.”

“I permit you to live in the Residence. Normally, you may still come greet the Crown Prince and attend him. But don’t interfere too much.”

This was no longer a veiled threat.

It was an explicit warning.

“Your Highness may rest assured. This slave understands.”

Zheng Fan left first.

There was still work waiting for him in the administrative office up front.

“Little brother, sorry.”

Tian Tian looked at the scrape on Ji Chuanye’s forehead and blew gently on it.

Ji Chuanye was not angry.

“It was Chuanye’s own carelessness. It has nothing to do with Elder Brother.”

Little Eunuch Zhang carefully said:

“Your Highness, this slave should apply some medicine for you. Let this slave ask where the Residence pharmacy and physician are...”

Originally... the Crown Prince’s traveling establishment had come with guards, servants, teachers, food, clothing, and everything else he could need.

But when Zheng Fan went to receive the child, he simply picked him up and took him away.

In the end, aside from Little Eunuch Zhang, who served personally at his side and was allowed to follow, everyone else in the Crown Prince’s entourage had been forced to turn back.

Little Eunuch Zhang had only just arrived and had no idea where the Residence physician might be.

By ordinary reasoning, a residence this large should naturally maintain physicians of its own.

Little Eunuch Zhang was wrong.

There was no dedicated physician in the Residence.

First, there were not many people living there.

And among the few who did live there, even fewer actually got sick.

Besides, Siniang, the Blind Man, Xue San, and several others all knew “medicine.”

For ordinary headaches and fevers, one of them could simply take a look.

Even the two ladies of the “inner palace” had Siniang prescribing medicine to regulate their health.

Tian Tian looked at the scrape on the Crown Prince’s forehead.

Then he said to Little Eunuch Zhang:

“I know.”

Little Eunuch Zhang knew exactly who this young lord was.

From the scene earlier, he could also tell how much Prince Pingxi treasured this Heir.

It might sound absurd to outsiders, but inside this Residence... the Heir before him was clearly more favored than the Crown Prince of Great Yan.

“Then I’ll trouble Your Highness the Heir.”

Tian Tian looked down at the Crown Prince.

“Little brother, can you walk?”

“I can.”

“Then come with me.”

Tian Tian took Ji Chuanye by the hand.

One big child leading one little child.

Together they entered the rear residence.

Worried about the Crown Prince’s injury, Little Eunuch Zhang followed.

Soon... the three reached a small courtyard.

Birdsong and floral fragrance filled the air.

It looked like a conservatory.

Tian Tian led the Crown Prince inside.

Little Eunuch Zhang followed and immediately froze.

The pavilions.

The calligraphy plaques.

The arrangement.

This was obviously the courtyard of one of the ladies of the household.

Charging in like this was truly...

Then...

Little Eunuch Zhang lowered his head.

Afterward, he straightened his chest again.

What the hell was he worrying about?

He was a eunuch.

Tian Tian called softly:

“Snake-Snake? Snake-Snake?”

Little Eunuch Zhang nodded to himself.

There was probably some female attendant in this lady’s courtyard surnamed She who knew medicine.

Then... a chill suddenly ran down Little Eunuch Zhang’s back.

He had cultivated a little Qi Refining, but his attainments were shallow.

When he turned around, an enormous snake head was standing directly behind him.

“Protect His Highness!”

Little Eunuch Zhang shrieked and leapt backward, placing himself in front of the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince froze as well.

Uncle Zheng had taken him riding a Pixiu before.

And at the palace’s grand sacrificial ceremonies, all kinds of Pixiu-like beasts appeared frequently.

Once you had seen enough of them, you simply started treating Pixiu and exotic beasts as another kind of horse.

But having an enormous green python suddenly appear right in front of you... was genuinely terrifying.

Tian Tian walked forward of his own accord.

The green python lowered its head and rubbed it against Tian Tian.

“Whew...”

“Whew...”

The Crown Prince and Little Eunuch Zhang released almost identical breaths of relief.

The green python was frightening.

But fortunately... it was domesticated.

Though neither of them understood why a demon beast was being kept inside a private residence instead of the Imperial Beast-Taming Directorate.

Tian Tian patted the python.

A scale immediately dropped from its body.

Tian Tian picked up the scale, returned to the Crown Prince, and laid it over the scrape on his forehead.

A cool sensation immediately spread through the wound.

Very comfortable.

“Doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

“Mm.”

Tian Tian smiled in relief.

Back when Tian Tian was learning to walk, he had fallen plenty of times too.

Children did that.

Whenever he did, the green python would voluntarily shed a scale for him to place over the injury.

The scales could be used in medicine.

They invigorated the blood, dispersed bruising, cleared heat, and neutralized toxins.

“Little brother, are you hungry?” Tian Tian asked.

The Crown Prince shook his head.

“Then I’ll take you to play with that.”

Tian Tian led him to his own little courtyard.

There were many toys inside.

Master doted on this godson and had ordered Xue San to build several merry-go-rounds, seesaws, and other things there.

It was practically a miniature amusement park.

The Crown Prince sat down on one end of a seesaw.

Then...

Tian Tian sat on the other.

Tian Tian went down.

The Crown Prince went up.

And then... nothing moved.

“Mm...”

Tian Tian had never encountered this problem before.

Because the one sitting opposite him in the past had been the Demon Child.

Little Eunuch Zhang at the side understood immediately.

He walked over, grabbed the Crown Prince’s side, slowly pushed it down, then slowly let it rise.

Up.

Down.

At last, the two children could play properly.

Afterward, they tried many of the other toys.

It nearly broke Little Eunuch Zhang’s waist.

By the time the children moved on to the slide...

Little Eunuch Zhang had to brace himself against a post and rest.

Then... he noticed a black cat and a fox lying in the grass not far away.

The two animals seemed very leisurely.

Basking in the sun.

When the fox noticed Little Eunuch Zhang looking over... no one knew where it dug up an apple.

It pushed.

The apple rolled directly to Little Eunuch Zhang’s feet.

Then... the fox lay back down again.

Little Eunuch Zhang frowned.

Still, he bent down, picked up the apple, wiped it on his clothes, and took a bite.

Mm.

Very sweet.

After seeing a giant green python being raised in the household, Little Eunuch Zhang felt he was now beyond being surprised by anything inside this Residence.

At that moment, someone appeared at the courtyard gate.

Little Eunuch Zhang turned.

The man was not dressed in eunuch robes.

But one glance was enough.

A colleague!

Zhao Cheng saw the Yan eunuch uniform on Little Eunuch Zhang and looked surprised too.

Then he glanced at the two children playing inside and understood immediately.

Zhao Cheng was the young man Zheng Fan had once brought back from Chu after the boy castrated himself.

He no longer served directly inside the Residence.

Instead, he now worked below as a steward and held fairly high status.

Nominally, however, he still belonged to the Princess’s household.

Today, the Princess and Third Madam had gone to the orchard and picked quite a lot of fruit.

Zhao Cheng had accompanied them.

At the Princess’s instruction, he had brought over some washed fruit for the children.

Little Eunuch Zhang walked forward and accepted the tray.

Zhao Cheng carefully looked Little Eunuch Zhang up and down.

Then he smiled.

“I still miss what it felt like wearing that outfit sometimes.”

So after taking the cut... you could actually change careers?

Little Eunuch Zhang had absolutely no idea how to answer.

Zhao Cheng saluted and took his leave.

He did not greet the Heir.

Nor did he greet the Crown Prince.

That was one of the rules in the rear residence.

Around Tian Tian, everyone was instructed to keep formalities to a minimum and behave as naturally as possible.

Little Eunuch Zhang carried the tray toward the children.

Unexpectedly, the fox and black cat suddenly sprang onto him.

He hesitated.

Then chose not to resist.

The black cat and fox sniffed over the fruit on the tray.

After confirming there was nothing wrong... the two animals turned together and looked at Little Eunuch Zhang.

Then... both nodded to him.

Little Eunuch Zhang blinked.

Then nodded back.

Satisfied, the black cat and fox jumped down.

The two fellows returned to their patch of sunlight.

Little Eunuch Zhang carried the fruit to the children.

The Crown Prince had sweated all over.

Tian Tian was not even breathing hard.

Each child took one piece of fruit and began biting into it.

“Elder Brother Tian Tian.”

“Mm?”

If one counted from the late Emperor’s side...

Tian Tian and Ji Chengjue belonged to the same generation.

Which meant Tian Tian should technically be Ji Chuanye’s uncle.

But if one counted from Zheng Fan’s side, Zheng Fan and Ji Chengjue addressed each other as brothers.

Then the two children became brothers.

Having the pair address each other as uncle and nephew would have been far too strange.

So from the beginning, they simply used elder brother and younger brother.

“Do you play by yourself every day?”

Ji Chuanye had noticed that there did not seem to be a single servant in Tian Tian’s courtyard.

“No. There’s Elder Sister.”

“Elder Sister?”

“Mm. Elder Sister is really good to me. When I’m home, Elder Sister plays with me.”

“Chuanye would like to greet Elder Sister too.”

“Okay.”

Tian Tian agreed.

“Is Elder Sister not home?” Ji Chuanye asked.

“She’s home.”

Hearing that, Little Eunuch Zhang asked:

“May this slave ask where the young lady is, Your Highness the Heir? This slave can invite her over.”

Since the Crown Prince wished to meet her, naturally she should be summoned.

Little Eunuch Zhang knew Prince Jingnan had only one son.

Prince Pingxi’s own children were still inside his ladies’ bellies.

So this “Elder Sister” the Heir mentioned was probably some maidservant who normally looked after him.

Tian Tian raised his head and smiled.

“Elder Sister is here.”

“She’s here?”

Little Eunuch Zhang looked around too.

Then... huh?

Where?

Ji Chuanye looked puzzled as well.

“Elder Brother Tian Tian, where is Elder Sister?”

“Yes, Your Highness the Heir. Where is she?”

“Elder Sister is right here. She’s standing beside Eunuch Zhang.”

Little Eunuch Zhang lowered his head and looked around his own feet.

Nothing.

“Your Highness the Heir, are you joking with this slave?”

At that moment...

Little Eunuch Zhang suddenly felt an icy chill rise from beneath him.

He looked down again.

A Resentful Infant was staring up at him.

Grinning darkly.

“...” Little Eunuch Zhang.

“Demon Child, Master gave instructions. The Crown Prince is physically weak. Don’t get too close.”

A’Ming walked into the courtyard carrying a wineskin.

The Demon Child returned to the red stone and dropped back onto Tian Tian’s lap.

Little Eunuch Zhang stood there with his mouth open, taking several deep breaths.

Right now, he badly wanted to scream, “Ghost!”

But he forcibly swallowed it.

He was a servant from the imperial palace.

He had seen plenty of strange stories and strange things.

The palace itself contained no shortage of oddities.

Still... he had never imagined that on his very first day inside Prince Pingxi Residence, he would experience something this “rich.”

Little Eunuch Zhang kept rubbing his chest.

His mind had gone blank.

“Tian Tian, Master is about to practice saber.”

“Yes, Uncle A’Ming.”

Tian Tian looked at the Crown Prince, who still seemed somewhat lost.

“Little brother, want to watch Dad practice saber?”

“Sure.”

Tian Tian took the Crown Prince by the hand and led him toward the front courtyard.

“Scared badly, weren’t you?”

A’Ming looked at Little Eunuch Zhang.

Little Eunuch Zhang laughed awkwardly, still rubbing his chest.

“I’m fine. I’m fine.”

“Take a drink. Calm your nerves.”

Little Eunuch Zhang nodded.

“Thank you. Thank you.”

He accepted the wineskin.

Took two large swallows.

Hm?

Little Eunuch Zhang wiped his lips with one hand.

Then looked at his palm.

It was...

It was blood!!!

...

The next morning...

Zheng Fan came over as usual to eat breakfast with his son.

The Crown Prince sat beside them.

“Hm? Where’s Eunuch Zhang?”

The Crown Prince answered:

“Reporting to Uncle Zheng, Companion Zhang failed to acclimate to the local climate and fell ill.”

[End of Chapter 801]