Chương 13: Chapter 13: Having Fun
Lin Suqing left the study and paced back and forth. He had never been to this garden before, and now he was wandering around, continuously unable to find a way out. Having not eaten all day, he was already incredibly hungry.
Just as he was at his wit's end, he suddenly saw a moth fly into the darkness under the eaves of the corridor, circling around the hanging red lantern. After it circled two or three times, a light flamed up inside the lantern, illuminating that spot. Then, the moth continued flying towards the next lantern, lighting countless lights along its path.
Seeing this, Lin Suqing hurriedly rushed to call out to it.
"Lamp Lighter?"
The moth paused, then landed and transformed into a delicate maiden dressed in a pink gauze robe embroidered with blue, bowing respectfully, "What instructions does the Elder have for me?"
Elder? Lin Suqing was taken aback and quickly explained, "Ah no no no, I just wanted to ask for your help."
The moth bowed to him again, saying, "As a trusted aide to the Crown Prince, I am not worthy to be addressed by such an esteemed person. Whatever you need, please instruct me directly."
The news had spread so quickly? It was just an afternoon, and the news that the Second Crown Prince had formally made him a servant had already spread?
"Ahem…" Times had changed since yesterday. Lin Suqing cleared his throat with a cough and put on an air, saying, "I wish to go to the kitchen, could you please lead the way?"
"Kitchen?"
Could it be that this place did not call the place where food is cooked a kitchen? Thinking that the Lamp Lighter might not understand, Lin Suqing quickly explained, "Yes, right, it is the place specifically used for cooking food."
"To answer the Elder, there is no such place in the Crown Prince's estate," replied the Lamp Lighter.
No? Lin Suqing was stunned, then understood. Celestials do not consume worldly food, so it made sense that there was no kitchen. At that moment, the Lamp Lighter added, "However… in the outer estate of the Crown Prince, there is a Tea Office usually used for making tea, and I am willing to lead the Elder there to see if it meets your needs."
A tea-making place? Lin Suqing suddenly remembered the black nightshade he had collected and had not used yet, thinking it might be good to make a black nightshade medicinal soup for the Second Crown Prince.
"Alright, wait for me to fetch something." He turned around and went back to the study, took a bamboo tube from the Crown Prince's desk, and then followed the Lamp Lighter to the Tea Office.
...
The moon shone faintly, and the night deepened like still water.
The dog returned from a stroll outside and smelled a strange scent from afar. It hurriedly followed the scent and soon found the Tea Office, also picking up Lin Suqing's scent, and was utterly surprised: "What is this fool doing in the Tea Office? This scent…"
Startled, the dog barked loudly as it burst through the door, "What audacity of a rogue ghost to wreak havoc in the Crown Prince's estate!"
Lin Suqing was standing by the stove, pouring the cooked black nightshade soup into a bowl when he saw the dog charge in. Both man and dog stared at each other in surprise for a moment...
The dog asked dumbfoundedly, "What... what are you doing?"
Lin Suqing was also startled, "I, I'm making black nightshade ah…"
"Black nightshade?" The dog stood up and sniffed, sneezing several times consecutively. The weird scent indeed came from his hands, incomprehensibly asking, "Why are you cooking it?"
Lin Suqing, holding a bowl of black nightshade soup, approached and said, "Black nightshade can treat heart ailments. Didn't you say this morning that our lord likes the dew on black nightshade? I thought making a soup out of black nightshade herbs would be most effective in treating heart ailments."
"Heart ailments…" The dog was baffled, then suddenly realized. It had previously only tricked him into going to the mountains, never did it mean the Crown Prince had any heart ailment. Immediately, anger surged, "How dare you spread such nonsense, slandering our lord with a heart ailment! I'll tear your mouth apart! Owoooo!"
Instantly, man and dog, one after another, chased each other around the courtyard, up and down.
Lin Suqing had no idea the dog was only tricking him, he was simply acting out of kindness!
As he fled, he complained bitterly and, finding himself cornered, grabbed a large tree in the courtyard and clumsily climbed up, only to have his pant leg caught by the dog's teeth.
It was this snag that made him suddenly realize his legs were no longer weak, as if they had been restored in an instant! He wanted to feel more specifically what had happened, but the dog fiercely refused to let go.
"Can we talk this out? Why are you biting me! Let go! Let go!" He desperately shook his leg, but the dog forcefully tugged at it and didn't release his bite.
The dog yanked hard, pulling him down from the tree, and Lin Suqing had no choice but to continue fleeing, rolling and crawling, while nursing his bruised behind. At this point, his body was as light as a swallow, and a casual leap could take him as high as three feet.
...
Their noise disturbed the various minor deities around the mansion.
Night pigeons landed on the top of the wall and transformed into several young men in brocade, who lined up sitting on the wall to enjoy the commotion; the night owl, patrolling the area, stepped out from the dense foliage and turned into a chivalrous figure in a straw raincoat and hat, hidden in the shadows, watching Lin Suqing and the dog fuss below; several soft, fluffy hedgehogs peeked out of the bushes, transformed into young girls in brown tunics, who looked at each other and giggled behind their hands.
The noise from the tea house echoed far into the night, attracting the attention of egret soldiers resting by shallow waters lined with reeds, who simultaneously lifted their heads to follow the sounds.
On this bright moonlit night, the usually peaceful and quiet Crown Prince's mansion was unusually lively due to the chase and scuffle between the dog and Lin Suqing.
At this moment, no one paid mind to speculate whether this rashly intruding mortal from another world would turn out to be an ally or a bane.
Perhaps, as the Crown Prince had said, an unprecedented event had arrived—whether it would be a disaster or a blessing, who could really determine beforehand?
A gentle breeze twined through, carrying the unique scent of crushed beggar-ticks afar, dispersing some of the thick clouds gathered in the dark heavens.
As the dew grew heavier, Lin Suqing, following the Lamp Lighter, returned to the guest room. Passing by the lamps and aided by the cold moonlight, he faintly saw the Crown Prince returning to his study, his expression grave, seemingly displeased.
It seemed that his discussions with the Elders had not gone smoothly, looking at his somber demeanor, one could guess that this council meeting was filled with many obstructions...
...
Lin Suqing, free from worries and troubles, only realized upon waking up that he had slept until the sun was high in the sky.
Lin Suqing, rubbing his bleary eyes, sat up, when a warm breeze pushed open the window.
A Mystic Phoenix Bird led the way flying in, followed closely by six larks, each carrying a piece of dark green velvet, upon which lay a stack of clothes.
Four of them each grasped a corner of the velvet, while the other two carried the middle to support the weight.
They laid the velvet bearing the clothes flat on the table, then turned and flew out, neatly lining up on the windowsill as a courtesy.
Inside the room, only the Mystic Phoenix Bird remained.
The Mystic Phoenix Bird's eyes were rabbit-red, its body as white as snow, with only its head feathers and throat a light goose yellow. Its cheeks each had a circle of red, like a young lady's overdone blush.
With a shake, it transformed into a handsome young man dressed in a robe whiter than snow, bordered with light yellow, his head crowned with a yellow jade coronet.
The young man stepped forward, gathered his sleeves and bowed to Lin Suqing, saying, "The Crown Prince has specially instructed us to bring the Crescent Moon Robe, and I am here to assist you in changing."
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