Chapter 241: Pills? No, it's candy beans!

Gongsun Yue was sitting at the table with Tuan Tuan, playing with a Luban lock, their two little heads close together.

"It should be taken apart like this."

"No! It only comes apart if you reverse it."

Hearing footsteps, Tuan Tuan lifted her head: "Daddy!"

She happily lunged over, and Xiao Yuanhang bent down to pick her up: "Good!" He walked to the table, sat down, and placed the porcelain bottle on it.

Gongsun Yue hurriedly rose and bowed: "Prince Ning, I hope you are well."

He lifted his head and instantly saw the porcelain bottle on the table, his face drastically changing.

Xiao Yuanhang recounted how the old steward and the people of Da Xia had all been captured.

Gongsun Yue looked at Tuan Tuan, wondering if the Prince Ning had told her everything—would she still pay attention to me afterward?

Xiao Yuanhang stared at him, silently nodding; this little hostage truly valued his bond with Tuan Tuan, and upon seeing such a deadly thing, his first concern was not for himself.

He asked, "This is the Bone-eroding Pill you have to take each month, right?"

Gongsun Yue nodded gloomily: "Yes."

Tuan Tuan looked puzzled: "Xiao Yueyue, are you sick? Why do you have to take medicine every month?"

Gongsun Yue pressed his lips, lowered his head, not knowing how to answer.

Xiao Yuanhang explained for him: "This is Wu Luo's doing—he used Gongsun Yue as a test subject for his poison, which left him poisoned; now he must take this pill every month, or his life is not guaranteed."

Gongsun Yue suddenly lifted his head, looking at him, his face full of gratitude and delight, his eyes sparkling.

Prince Ning! He actually helped me settle this in front of Tuan Tuan!

Tuan Tuan flared up upon hearing: "That evil National Preceptor again! Xiao Yueyue is so little, yet he would do this to him!"

"Xiao Yueyue, don't be afraid—I'll invite the Divine Doctor Grandfather back to treat you. The Divine Doctor Grandfather is incredibly skilled; he will surely cure you."

She grabbed the porcelain bottle on the table, opened the stopper, poured the Bone-eroding Pill into her hand, brought it close to her nose to sniff, and examined it carefully for a moment.

"Why does this thing feel so familiar to me?"

Gongsun Yue exclaimed in surprise: "Tuan Tuan, you know this? This is Wu Luo's secret concoction—how could you recognize it?"

Tuan Tuan also didn't understand: "I don't know either; I just feel it's especially familiar when I look at it."

Xiao Yuanhang's heart stirred: "Tuan Tuan, you absorbed Wu Luo's cultivation while in Da Xia—could that be the reason?"

"Take a good look—if you can make this medicine, from now on Gongsun Yue will no longer be under Wu Luo's control."

Tuan Tuan nodded: "Xiao Yueyue, rest assured, I will definitely be able to make these candy beans!"

Gongsun Yue stared, stunned: "Sugar, candy beans?"

The next morning, Tuan Tuan rushed into Lin Feng Ju, grabbed Gongsun Yue's hand and headed out: "Xiao Yueyue, I've remembered!"

She was very excited, her eyes shining brightly: "Let's go to Li Xiang Yuan!"

"Li Xiang Yuan? Where is that?" Gongsun Yue staggered as she pulled him, hurriedly following.

"I'm making candy beans for you! That's exactly the Bone-eroding Pill—I've figured out a method!"

Gongsun Yue's heart jumped.

Wu Luo's secret concoction is no child's play—could it really be made?

The two jogged all the way to Li Xiang Yuan.

In the courtyard, various medicinal herbs grew lush and green, the air filled with a fresh, bitter herbal fragrance.

"Miss, why have you come?" the herbal boy tending the spirit herbs greeted her.

"Looking for something!" Tuan Tuan shouted and ran into the herb field.

"Miss!" the herbal boy exclaimed in alarm, "Please watch your step—if you damage them, Divine Doctor Mo will surely lose his temper!"

"I know!" Tuan Tuan darted through the herb field like a little butterfly.

She examined each one closely, leaning in to smell each.

Occasionally she would pinch a leaf to taste, her face alternating between frowns and delight.

Finally, Tuan Tuan pinched a stalk of herb bearing small pale purple flowers, placed it on her tongue and tasted—her little brows instantly relaxed.

"This flavor is right! It's this flavor! The same as that pill's taste!"

Gongsun Yue watched, heart pounding: "Tuan Tuan, is this really going to work? Won't you be poisoned?"

"No," Tuan Tuan said, plucking another leaf and handing it to him: "Try it, it's sweet."

Gongsun Yue took it half-believing, placed it in his mouth, and indeed tasted a strange sweetness.

Delighted, Tuan Tuan uprooted two stalks by the roots and hopped toward the kitchen.

"Xiao Yueyue, hurry! Let's go to the kitchen to make candy beans!"

The herbal boy stared at the two holes left in the ground, dumbfounded.

"Miss! If Divine Doctor Mo sees this, he will surely fly into a rage!"

In the Prince's Mansion kitchen, it was now the tranquil afternoon.

The cook saw the Little Princess storming in energetically and hurriedly rose to greet her.

Tuan Tuan held up the two stalks of purple spirit herbs: "Grandma! I want to make candy beans—could you help me crush these?"

The cook was stunned: "Candy beans? Using this to make candy beans?"

"Exactly!" Tuan Tuan placed the spirit herbs on the cutting board: "Xiao Yueyue, quickly go get honey—the sweetest kind!"

Gongsun Yue stood there, at a loss what to do.

"How would I know where the honey is? Honey? Tuan Tuan, are you really going to make candy beans?"

In the end, Xiao Er, who had followed in, silently took honey from the cabinet and helped the cook crush the herbs into a bluish-green liquid.

Tuan Tuan looked and said: "Grandma, your fried dough balls are so delicious—just follow that method to turn these into candy beans, okay?"

The cook hesitated a moment: "Oh, okay, Grandma will give it a try."

After saying that, she rolled up her sleeves, took out a pottery bowl for kneading dough, mixed in the juice of spiritual herbs, and began to knead.

Tuan Tuan tiptoed and poured some honey in: "This is for Xiao Yueyue to eat, okay? It can't be bitter; it has to be sweet!"

Gongsun Yue felt warm inside; no one had ever placed him in their heart so selflessly before. Tuan Tuan, how can you be so good!

The pale green medicinal juice and golden honey mixed into the flour, and under Tuan Tuan's 'help,' Grandma kneaded them into uniform small dough balls.

The cook asked, "And then, Miss?"

Tuan Tuan gave her a puzzled look: "How do you make sesame balls? This is the same! Grandma, you make them all the time!"

"Oh." The cook quickly took out a steamer tray and neatly placed the dough balls from the cutting board inside, one by one.

Is this a snack the Miss invented?

"Miss, just wait a moment; it'll be ready in the time it takes to burn an incense stick!"

Gongsun Yue stood by the stove, watching Tuan Tuan with flour on her nose, eyes sparkling, his heart feeling both sour and warm.

Although he held no hope for the medicinal concoction made in this kitchen, Tuan Tuan's wholehearted intention was priceless.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, the cook called out, "All done, Miss!"

As the steamer lid was lifted, a mingling of bitter medicinal fragrance and sweet honeyed richness rushed forth.

The cook placed the small dough balls onto a little dish and set it on the table.

Tuan Tuan eagerly picked one up, gently blew on it, and handed it to Gongsun Yue's lips.

"Xiao Yueyue, try it quickly!"

Gongsun Yue took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and swallowed the 'sugar bean'.