Chapter 17

This touch was not a big deal. Wherever it reached, it was smooth and soft, comparable to the sheep’s milk curd he had in the morning. The fingers sank in as if being absorbed…

Jiang Xiurun was also startled by the Crown Prince’s unexpected move. She never thought that the usually strict Crown Prince would casually touch her face.

But before she could evade, Feng Liwu had already withdrawn his hand. His brows were furrowed, looking as if he were the one offended.

And to make matters worse, he actually expressed his disdain, saying, “As a man, one must experience wind and frost, ride horses, and shoot arrows to build strength and stamina. Only then will the skin become rough, giving off a masculine aura!”

Jiang Xiurun slightly opened her mouth, unable to determine who had taken advantage of whom.

However, since she was under the Crown Prince’s roof, she couldn’t react and had to sincerely express her gratitude for the guidance. She bowed to thank the Crown Prince.

Her inner thoughts were full of complaints, but she maintained a respectful demeanor as she stepped back.

Yet, as she turned away, she failed to notice that the Crown Prince’s fingers, which had touched her cheek, lingered for a while, as if savoring something…

Jiang Xiurun didn’t lie when she told Qin Zhao that she was busy. In these days, she rarely left the residence, especially with the mansion murder case and rumors circulating that Young Master Jiang might be dead or imprisoned, having offended someone he shouldn’t have.

So when she appeared almost half a month later, nearing the winter hunt, she nearly scared countless timid individuals. Some even blurted out, “You’re still alive!”

How was Jiang Xiurun supposed to respond? She could only glare sideways, feigning displeasure and avoiding inquiries about the details.

Speaking of the winter hunt, it was a rare joy in the long winter of Luo’an City.

Although the Emperor was “indisposed,” the winter hunt was one of the few leisure activities he still took seriously after neglecting state affairs. Young officials from the city, as well as the sons and daughters of the vassal states residing in Luo’an, could enjoy this activity with the Emperor.

Therefore, in these days, every mansion was preparing hunting equipment and other items for the winter hunt.

The vassals gathered at the archery range in the capital, selecting bows and arrows and reviving long-neglected archery skills. Among the gossip circulating in the city, the miraculous recovery of the vassal from Bo State was particularly heated.

Originally, due to the mansion murder case involving the vassals, many thought the Bo State vassals were doomed. Unexpectedly, this Young Master Jiang, for reasons unknown, underwent a transformation and became the Crown Prince’s tutor.

Although Jiang Xiurun remained silent, curious people secretly inquired about the Bo State vassal’s talents, which made her capable of teaching and advising the Crown Prince.

The information gathered indirectly revealed that the main task of this tutor was to create a diverse menu, creatively teaching the Crown Prince about food and drink.

Hearing this, the young nobles currently selecting bows and arrows at the archery range burst into laughter.

Wei State’s vassal, Lian Xiu, smiled at his companion Liu Pei and said, “As a vassal, he runs to the Crown Prince and indulges in extravagance. Is this Young Master Jiang tired of living?”

Others, upon hearing Lian Xiu’s words, joined in with mocking remarks, claiming that this Young Master Jiang was indeed arrogant.

It’s worth noting that being a vassal in Luo’an City is a delicate position. Without the backing of one’s homeland, it’s best to act cautiously. Otherwise, a slight misstep could lead to charges of colluding with external forces, endangering the stability of Great Qi.

But Jiang Herun didn’t care! He dared to teach the Crown Prince about the pleasures of eating, drinking, and having fun!

This extraordinary courage and astonishing foolishness truly earn the admiration of the vassals in Luo’an City, who tread on thin ice!

However, it remains unknown how long those remonstrating officials can tolerate this foreign Crown Prince’s tutor before accusing him of having malicious intentions and causing harm to the country and the people!

Nevertheless, Liu Pei, the young prince from Liang State, did not join the others in mocking.

In fact, he seemed somewhat absent-minded. With an extensive network in the capital and hidden connections, he knew far more than these discarded individuals wasting their days in Luo’an City.

Is this young master Jiang, “foolish”? If only he were truly foolish! Single-handedly, in just a few days, he verified the official accounts of the State of Liang for several years.

Moreover, the young man’s sense of smell was surprisingly keen, discovering numerous long-standing errors and omissions, all meticulously compiled into records.

Yesterday, the detained Liang merchant in the capital underwent a clear and thorough trial. Because the amounts were meticulously examined, there was no room for denial.

Crown Prince Feng Liwu used this as a pretext to write to his father, stating that in business, losses cannot be ignored, and to punish the corrupt officials and merchants of Liang State, Liang must compensate Great Qi with a staggering fifty thousand taels of gold.

This amount was equivalent to the entire state treasury of a small state in a prosperous year!

Feng Liwu’s audacious demand caught Liu Pei by surprise. He wondered how Liang, who had always kept a low profile, attracted the attention of this stern Crown Prince. To take such aggressive measures, demanding a large sum of money and causing trouble everywhere, was unexpected.

Now, Liang has invested the state’s resources in constructing water channels, and there is no money to compensate Great Qi. However, if they refuse to pay, given Feng Liwu’s hostile stance, it is highly likely to tear up the alliance agreement and plunge the Liang and Great Qi into conflict.

At that time, his situation would be quite precarious. Although his father, the emperor, valued him, there were plenty of potential successors who could inherit the throne in his place.

Thinking about this, Liu Pei couldn’t help but plan for himself. He wanted to meet the Crown Prince and extract some information from him.

However, the Crown Prince had been avoiding visitors to the mansion these past few days. Liu Pei, having received information from his spies, learned that the Crown Prince would be inspecting custom-made weapons at the archery range today. Thus, he waited here early in the morning.

Before long, the Crown Prince’s carriage indeed arrived.

Among the Crown Prince’s entourage was the recently “resurrected” Young Master Jiang.

However, the originally spirited young master seemed inexplicably downcast, with a slightly unsteady step as he got off the carriage.

Speaking of which, Jiang Xiurun has been sleep-deprived these past few days. Although the Crown Prince later assigned several experienced accountants to assist her in auditing the accounts, the complex details still required her meticulous verification.

After enduring these days, even a sixteen-year-old girl felt her vitality drained.

Originally, a few days ago, she went out to relax. Unfortunately, wherever she went, people were so startled that their eyes widened, which was quite disappointing. So, she decided not to leave the mansion, focusing on resting and recuperating.

Today, with nothing particular to do, Jiang Xiurun had Bai Qian lay out the bedding, place several plates of dried fruits and pastries by the pillow, and intend to take a good nap by the window while it was snowing outside. If hungry, she could reach for the snacks by her pillow and vowed not to get out of bed unless necessary.

However, this comfortable plan was disrupted by the Crown Prince.

First, the Crown Prince sent someone to invite her, but she declined, citing physical discomfort and a desire to stay in bed.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince strolled leisurely all the way to her courtyard. When he stopped at the door and raised his eyebrows, his bodyguards immediately pushed open the door, allowing the cold wind from outside to enter.

Although Crown Prince Feng Liwu stood in the courtyard, he could clearly see a fair wrist extending from under the soft quilt, haphazardly grabbing at the bowls and plates on the bedside.

Upon hearing someone pushing the door, the hand froze, and a slightly disheveled head emerged from the covers.

Originally, Feng Liwu had impulsively decided to visit and inquire about Young Master Jiang’s health. However, seeing Young Master Jiang in such a dejected state, his brows furrowed, and he spoke coldly, “The winter hunt is approaching. I asked you before if you had prepared arrows. A man who does not joyfully shoot arrows on horseback is no different from a woman.”

Jiang Xiurun tightly wrapped herself in the quilt and whispered, “What Your Highness says is true, but I truly cannot endure the cold. So, regarding the winter hunt… let’s just forget about it.”

In her previous life, although she worked at the Laundering Bureau, she vividly remembered the upcoming winter hunt. Feng Liwu encountered an assassin during that winter hunt, narrowly avoiding a fatal arrow to his heart. At that time, panic spread both inside and outside the palace, and efforts were made to find the assassin or spy who infiltrated the winter hunt.

Although the Crown Prince was promptly treated and recovered, it left behind a lingering illness, and his health never fully recovered.

As for his cousin Cao Xi, she went from being a caregiver for Crown Prince Feng Liwu to suddenly becoming the Crown Prince’s consort…

Since this winter hunt was going to be so lively, why bother joining the fun? If arrows were to be carelessly shot and end up involving her, it would be far from ideal.

She decided to stay home and avoid all the fuss, taking advantage of her exhaustion from auditing the accounts.

Little did she expect that the Crown Prince had been pondering about her overly feminine aura lately, finding it displeasing. He was determined to bring the tutor along for this winter hunt to refine her demeanor.

Ignoring Jiang Xiurun’s protestations, the Crown Prince turned and said, “Bows and arrows of various sizes have already been reserved at the archery range. If you feel cold, just wear more layers. I’ll be waiting for you at the mansion gate, in the carriage.”

Once the Crown Prince left, Jiang Xiurun cursed under her breath while reluctantly getting up. Staying in the Crown Prince’s residence, she couldn’t even sleep comfortably, as she dared not loosen the chest binder she wore to sleep.

Not to mention, she had to discreetly use a hot towel for washing up. Originally, she hoped that the Crown Prince’s participation in the winter hunt would give her an opportunity to relax for a few days at her brother’s residence.

However, the Crown Prince seemed insistent on her attending, causing her quite a headache.

With no other choice, she got out of bed, tidied her hair, changed into outer clothing, and followed the Crown Prince.

However, when she alighted from the carriage, her lack of sleep caused her to wobble. Just as she was about to fall, someone grabbed her arm, steadying her.

Jiang Xiurun looked up and saw that it was the Crown Prince. He held her wrist tightly with one hand, his furrowed brows not relaxing. Surprisingly, her wrist was also quite soft, making him wonder if the young man was entirely like this from head to toe.

It was said that the ancestors of the Bo State enjoyed drinking sheep’s milk and eating lamb, resulting in fair and smooth skin for both men and women. Observing Young Master Jiang, it seemed that the rumors were not unfounded.

No wonder he attracted the infatuation of Qin Zhao, who couldn’t help but be captivated by him.

It wasn’t originally his concern, but he couldn’t stand seeing a man being so effeminate. He decided to deliberately toughen him up. If he could become more robust, it might prevent Qin Zhao from going down the wrong path.

As Jiang Xiurun was held by the Crown Prince, she dared not evade, and Bai Qian, by her side, knew the man’s noble identity and refrained from kicking him away. She could only watch as her young master was lifted like a little chick.

When the Crown Prince released her wrist and entered the archery range, Jiang Xiurun lowered her head to look at her wrist, finding it red from being pinched!