Chapter 39: Xu Nian’s Gift is Rejected

Lady Rong had nowhere to express her sorrows, but Tian Shi’s troubles, on the other hand, had someone to resolve them.

When Xu Yaozu returned from the yamen and saw his wife looking troubled, he couldn’t help but ask, “Qiao Niang, what’s the matter? Did something unpleasant happen with the magistrate’s wife today?”

Tian Shi stood up, helping Xu Yaozu change his clothes as she replied, “Today, the magistrate’s wife told me she wanted to buy Nian’er’s formula.”

“What formula?”

Only then did Tian Shi realize that she had yet to tell her husband about the lip balm.

She retrieved a porcelain box from her dressing table and showed it to Xu Yaozu, explaining how Xu Nian had gifted the lip balm at the birthday banquet.

Xu Yaozu looked at it in confusion. As a rough man, he had no understanding of women’s cosmetics.

“Is this thing really that valuable?”

Tian Shi sighed and took back the lip balm, saying helplessly, “I’ll ask Nian’er about it when I return home.

But there’s one thing you need to decide first. If Nian’er doesn’t want to sell the formula, will you face any difficulties?”

Xu Yaozu laughed heartily. “Qiao Niang, you’re overthinking it. Officials are strictly forbidden from engaging in business matters. Besides, would the magistrate really risk his career just to pressure a lowly county assistant like me? That would be a losing deal for him.”

Hearing this, Tian Shi finally felt at ease and decided to wait until the next day to return to the village and ask her daughter’s opinion.

Meanwhile, in Wanying Village, Xu Nian was completely unaware that a business proposition was headed her way.

After a good night’s sleep at home, Xu Nian was full of energy again. She was pondering what kind of return gift she should prepare for Luo Jin’an.

Aside from the fresh vegetables from her space, she also had a small bag of rice—rice that she had ground little by little in her space.

She also used the cherries from her space to make three jars of cherry paste. She planned to give two to Luo Jin’an and leave one for her father and uncle.

Even after preparing these items, she still felt the gift was a bit too simple. So, she added a potted persimmon tree and a potted chili plant. Both plants were already bearing a good amount of fruit, their bright red colors looking particularly delightful.

After packing everything onto a cart, Xu Nian asked her second uncle to drive the donkey cart and take her to Ling Mountain Temple.

They followed the same path they had taken during the hunting trip, winding their way up the mountain until they quickly arrived at the temple gate.

Xu Nian curiously looked around and saw the surrounding mountains enclosing Ling Mountain Temple, while the temple itself seemed to sit above the peaks, creating a magnificent and breathtaking scene.

At the mountain gate, two rows of warrior monks stood guard. Upon seeing Xu Nian and her uncle approach, one of the monks stepped forward.

“You’ve taken the wrong path. If you wish to enter the main hall, you must go through the front mountain gate.”

Only then did Xu Nian realize that this was the rear entrance to Ling Mountain Temple.

However, since she was already here, she had no intention of turning back—especially since she had previously met Luo Jin’an on this very path.

“Master, we are here to see Prince Chang. Could you please inform him that a young lady surnamed Xu is looking for him?”

The monk clasped his hands together and said, “My dharma name is Jian Kong. I do not dare accept such an honorific title as ‘Master’ from you.”

Xu Nian was getting anxious. Why was he focusing on forms of address instead of delivering her message? But since she was the one making a request, she had to be patient.

“Little Master Jian Kong, would you be so kind as to pass along my message?”

Jian Kong finally nodded, pressed his hands together in a respectful gesture, and then slowly turned to enter the temple.

At that moment, Luo Jin’an had just finished soaking in a medicinal bath and was playing a game of chess with Master Yunxin in the meditation room.

The young man delicately held a black chess piece between his slender fingers and swiftly placed it on the board.

Opposite him, the chubby Master Yunxin chuckled as he made his move, capturing a cluster of black pieces in the process.

Seeing that the game was decided, Luo Jin’an cupped his hands and smiled.

“I have lost this round.”

“Your Highness, your mind was not on the chessboard to begin with. How could you have expected to win?”

Luo Jin’an’s expression turned slightly unnatural—indeed, he had been distracted.

Master Yunxin pushed the chessboard aside and reached out to check Luo Jin’an’s pulse.

“There is a faint hint of vitality emerging within your body. It seems the poison of the Tianshan Snow Lotus has been suppressed.”

A ripple of emotion finally flickered across Luo Jin’an’s otherwise calm and steady gaze. Did this mean…?

Without further contemplation, Master Yunxin shook his head.

“Your Highness has been poisoned for a long time. This trace of vitality does not change anything. My judgment remains the same.”

Luo Jin’an’s fingers, hidden within his sleeves, trembled slightly. He let out a bitter smile—he had entertained delusions.

At that moment, a monk knocked on the door from outside. “Your Highness, two visitors seek an audience with you at the back mountain gate. A lady among them says her surname is Xu.”

Luo Jin’an’s eyelashes quivered. He stood up, walked to the door, and said in a hoarse voice, “I am unwell today and will not be seeing guests.”

After speaking, he made his way along the corridor toward the back mountain.

Outside the temple gate, Xu Nian was shivering from the cold when she finally saw the monk who had gone to deliver the message.

“Miss, His Highness is feeling unwell today and is not receiving guests.”

Xu Nian didn’t think much of it, assuming Luo Jin’an was still recovering from his illness. She quickly turned back to the donkey cart and retrieved the gifts she had prepared.

“Then, Little Master Jian Kong, could you please deliver these to His Highness for me? And these two jars of cherry paste—tell him to dissolve it in water and drink it daily.”

After saying this, she even gave the young monk a little push, urging him to hurry. Jian Kong had never encountered such a bold and informal female visitor before, but with a resigned sigh, he carried the large bundle—so tall that it nearly exceeded his own height—back to Prince Chang’s residence, the Purple Bamboo Courtyard.

Only when the young monk disappeared from sight did Xu Nian wrap herself tighter in her cloak and climb onto the donkey cart.

Meanwhile, Luo Jin’an stood atop the mountain ridge, silently watching the cart move farther and farther away, remaining motionless even after it had vanished from sight.

Behind him, Mo Yu and Mo Bai exchanged concerned glances. Their master had only just started recovering—why was he standing in the cold mountain breeze again?

Mo Bai nudged Mo Yu’s elbow and whispered, “What happened while I was away? Tell your brother about it.”

Mo Yu took a step aside and scoffed, “Shameless.”

Mo Bai glanced at their motionless master, then leaned in and coaxed, “If you don’t tell me, how will I help relieve His Highness’s worries? Do you not want our lord to recover?”

Just as Mo Yu was struggling internally over whether to spill the details, Luo Jin’an turned around and began walking back.

“I hear there is unrest in Shengdu again. Mo Bai, go keep watch.”

Mo Bai instantly shut his mouth. He wouldn’t dare ask anything further. Shengdu was a wretched place—anyone who wanted to go was welcome to it! The old imperial censors there were all ruthless. Just thinking about his past encounters in Shengdu made him want to shed a few tears of bitterness.

Back at the Purple Bamboo Courtyard, Guan Qingrui approached while holding a ceramic jar.

“Your Highness, the warrior monks delivered this. It should be a gift from Miss Xu. She also instructed that you dissolve it in water and drink it daily.”

Upon hearing the name “Miss Xu,” Mo Bai’s eyes lit up immediately—there was definitely a story here.

Luo Jin’an took the jar and instructed Mo Bai to prepare the drink.

As Mo Bai carried the jar to the room, his heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat—just who was this Miss Xu, that she could make their master obey so easily? He was determined to find Xiao Yuyu and get to the bottom of it.

Meanwhile, in the meditation chamber, Master Yunxin took a sip of tea and narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. With a leisurely sigh, he mused, “Only through love’s entanglement can love be resolved. Marvelous! Simply marvelous!”