Чистое сердце в нефритовом сосуде - Глава 21
"It's alright, Master likes it, that's for the best," Jiang Ming said.
Song Zhixuan nodded in agreement.
Jiang Ming said happily, "I'm so proud of myself today. You will definitely be the best in the future."
After helping Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao get ready, Jiang Ming called me outside and whispered, "The Prince and the Young Prince want to see you later. Get ready, I'll come pick you up shortly."
I was taken aback and asked nervously, "What happened? Were we found out again so quickly?"
Jiang Ming shook his head and said, "I don't know. Judging from their expressions, it shouldn't be about this."
Jiang Ming left after he finished speaking, leaving me standing there.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 017
Chapter word count: 3578 Last updated: 09-07-25 14:03
In the afternoon, Jiang Ming really came to see me.
Along the way, I kept my eyes fixed on my toes, feeling a little uneasy as I followed Jiang Ming to Qiufeng Garden, where Shen Haoyu lived. I don't know when Jiang Ming stopped, and I bumped into him.
"Your Highness, the person has been brought here," Jiang Ming said, bowing slightly.
I quickly took a step back and rubbed my nose.
"Bring it up for a look," a rather magnetic voice said.
Jiang Ming said "Yes" and reached out to lift me in front of him. He lightly kicked the back of my knee, and I knelt down. I looked up and saw that Prince Shen Xiuqian and Prince Shen Haoyu were both seated, with Mr. Qi waiting beside them.
"Lynn greets Your Highness, Young Prince." I quickly kowtowed and paid my respects.
"Are you the boy who defeated Zhang Shiguang?" Shen Xiuqian asked elegantly, picking up his teacup.
"Your Highness, Lin En used a clever trick and won by sheer luck," I replied cautiously, not knowing which method he preferred.
"Oh." Shen Xiuqian took a sip of tea but said nothing more.
For a long while, no one spoke. I knelt on the ground, at a loss, not knowing what he was up to. Just as my legs were going numb and I was about to quietly move, Shen Xiuqian spoke again.
"Haoyu, what do you think of this child?"
Shen Haoyu glanced at me a few times, then said with a half-smile, "Not bad."
"Then how about having him serve you personally?" Shen Xiuqian asked with a smile.
Am I not the bodyguard they're training? Why do I need to serve them so closely?
Shen Haoyu seemed to consider for a moment before saying, "He is a newly selected member of the Yuwei Guard."
"It's alright, I can train with you alone." Shen Xiuqian smiled elegantly, but I felt there was something unusual about it.
Shen Haoyu nodded in agreement.
Shen Xiuqian winked at Mr. Qi, who then took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and poured out two red pills, one large and one small. My mind couldn't help but wander to scenes from martial arts novels.
Mr. Qi took the pills and knelt down beside me, intending to feed them to me. I instinctively bit my lip and looked up at Shen Xiuqian with a questioning gaze, but he ignored me.
“It’s not poison,” Mr. Qi said.
"I need to know what it is. You can't just eat anything." I turned my head away. Even though I've already sold myself into slavery, I'll accept whatever they tell me to do. But when it comes to my life, even if they don't want me to die, I still need to find out.
“This is the ‘child pill’ of the ‘Mother-Child Pill,’ and the larger one is the ‘mother pill.’ The young prince will also need to take it later,” Mr. Qi explained patiently. “After taking it, your lives will be intertwined. If the young prince encounters any misfortune, your life will also be in danger.”
What if I die first?
"The young prince is naturally unharmed."
I'm speechless. Why can't I live when he dies, but he's alive and well when I do? Though I think this way, in this wicked society, it's just a thought.
"Does Mr. Qi mean that I will have to risk my life to protect the young prince's life in the future?" I asked.
Mr. Qi nodded.
I laughed and said, "If that's all there is to it, why bother with pills? As the young prince's guards, we are always ready to risk our lives for him."
"Better safe than sorry," Mr. Qi replied succinctly.
"In that case, every guard needs to take it." I understood. Their trust in people was exceptionally low; they needed drugs to maintain it.
“Wrong, it’s just you alone.” Mr. Qi smiled like a fox.
"Can I take it as me being the only one whose loyalty is not guaranteed?" I was embarrassed. Although I really didn't intend to do anything for Shen Haoyu or the Prince's Mansion, was my behavior that obvious?
"Not entirely. You are the only guard who has been with the young prince for almost twelve hours a day. That is an honor," Mr. Qi continued to explain to me.
Glory? I don't think so. But in that case, for me, Shen Haoyu and I are in the same boat, so what?
After thinking about it, I couldn't help but ask, "Why me? Why not a master like Mr. Qi?" They really trust me to put such a huge risk on Shen Haoyu's safety.
"You defeated Zhang Shiguang." This time, it was Shen Xiuqian who answered me, and this answer made me even more heartbroken. Clearly, they weren't going to tell me the real reason; it seemed they had more confidence in me than I did in myself.
Well, at least it's not poison. I resignedly opened my mouth and let Mr. Qi feed me the pill. It melted in my mouth and left a pleasant aftertaste.
"It's delicious," I nodded.
The people inside laughed loudly. Shen Xiuqian said, "Two pills after ten years, that must be quite good." So it's that precious? Isn't it a waste to give it to me?