Chapter 65: with translation of chapter title

After Gu Jiu Ling woke up, the gloom over Peach Blossom Pavilion lifted entirely, and the atmosphere grew lively again.

Having just recovered from a serious illness, she needed substantial replenishment, so Jiu Yue instructed the rear kitchen to prepare more restorative soups such as chicken and mushroom broth.

She brought a bowl over to Gu Jiu Ling; Gu Jiu Ling's fever had broken, but her body was still weak, and the maids helped her lean against the pillow.

She had no strength at all; Jiu Yue sat beside her and fed her spoonful by spoonful.

While feeding her the soup, Jiu Yue quietly praised Xiao Yin.

"Master, you didn't see it—at that moment the prince's face darkened, and he told the attendants in the warm chamber, 'If you can't cure her, you'll be buried with her!'"

"Several maids were frightened to tears!"

"The prince went without sleep night after night, taking turns with the servants to attend to you, even personally handing you a handkerchief to wipe your sweat, and when feeding you medicine…"

Jiu Yue's cheeks suddenly flushed and she fell silent. Gu Jiu Ling laughed, 'How did you feed me? Did you pinch my throat to pour it down? That's why my neck hurts so much.'

Jiu Yue pressed her lips together, smiled, pointed at her own lips, then gestured toward Gu Jiu Ling's lips.

Gu Jiu Ling froze in place, then a strange feeling rose in her chest—she felt a slight irritation but couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.

"Hmph! Dare make me drink his saliva? See if I don't kill him? Heh! He's truly a living King of Hell—even the plague fears him and dare not approach him!" Gu Jiu Ling snapped, though a faint smile lingered in her eyes.

Jiu Yue lowered her head, pressed her lips together in a smile, and dared not say anything.

Xiao Yin left Peach Blossom Pavilion, returned to the Eastern Garden, bathed and changed into a clean brocade robe, then took Ling Feng out of the prince's residence.

Not long after, they arrived at a villa in the suburbs, walking along the covered corridor into an elegant courtyard in the rear garden.

The servant guarding the door saw Xiao Yin coming and hurried out to greet him.

"How is Your Highness?"

"Much better—he can sit up and eat, and he's been insisting on seeing you!"

Xiao Yin nodded and entered; the warm chamber was filled with a strong medicinal scent, and on the bed lay a gaunt young man, his complexion sallow from recent illness, yet his refined, handsome bearing could not be concealed.

This was the Sixth Prince of Southern Qi, Xiao Zheng; seeing Xiao Yin enter, he hurriedly stumbled out of bed and bowed properly to him.

"Ninth Imperial Uncle! This time I owe my life to your rescue; this great kindness I will never forget!"

"Zheng'er, no need for so much ceremony," Xiao Yin said, bending to help Xiao Zheng up, letting him remain leaning against the bed to speak.

He sat opposite Xiao Zheng, and Ling Feng brought up a tea cup.

Xiao Yin held the tea cup, looked at the haggard Xiao Zheng, and said slowly, "These past days I've been attending to your consort, who is pregnant with twins and also fell ill, so she couldn't come see you; Zheng'er, bear with it."

"I dare not, I dare not; Imperial Uncle, you ought to prioritize the consort, after all she's carrying your nephew!"

Xiao Zheng hastily bowed again.

He knew clearly that nothing compared to the importance of one's wife and children; to be plucked from the mire was already a great kindness.

Xiao Yin took a sip of tea and said slowly, "It's not that I, as your uncle, won't send you back to the palace; it's that you've been gravely ill these past days, continuously unconscious, and I wanted to wait until you awoke to discuss a secure plan together."

"What about the Pavilion of Spring Cherish—how do you intend to handle it?"

Xiao Yin asked lightly.

Xiao Zheng's face instantly turned ashen, and his body shuddered.

He had also run into terrible luck this time; the capital had never seen such flooding before, and countless houses collapsed.

Moreover, the Pavilion of Spring Cherish collapsed as well; a few days later he had the overseer killed to vent his anger, even though he had given that man plenty of silver to build this small pavilion, never expecting him to cut corners, which nearly had the pavilion's owner crushed to death.

He still couldn't fathom how the Pavilion of Spring Cherish, built only a year ago, could be so fragile.

These details don't matter; what matters is that the Pavilion of Spring Cherish is a private club he erected himself in Liu Lane, where he kept handsome youths gathered from all over Southern Qi for his amusement.

Outwardly, Xiao Zheng is the graceful, elegant Sixth Prince, but in truth he is a 'cut sleeve'—a condition he dare not admit to anyone, not even his birth mother.

Before, Imperial Concubine Cao kept sending women to his side, yet he never touched any of them; she found it odd, and Xiao Zheng said he was now devoting himself to scholarly pursuits.

Imperial Concubine Cao remained proud, yet she never imagined her son was suffering a serious illness.

A heir apparent with the cut‑sleeve inclination is not something Southern Qi's upper and lower ranks wish to see; if Emperor Longqing learned of it, Xiao Zheng would surely have no chance at the crown prince position.

Xiao Zheng's fair cheeks flushed slightly.

Xiao Yin gestured to Ling Feng, who respectfully handed Xiao Zheng a document; Xiao Zheng took it, lowered his eyes to examine it closely, and his complexion instantly shifted, followed by a surge of furious anger.

"This… this old beast!! How… how dare he?" Xiao Zheng clenched the correspondence in his hands, his face turning white with rage and his body trembling slightly.

Xiao Yin smiled faintly: "You needn't be angry; it's only human nature."

"Your close aides know about your… cut‑sleeve tendency, so they naturally see that following you brings high risk and little gain, and thus turning to the Third Prince, Xiao Wei, is understandable."

"Even without this flood, your Pavilion of Spring Cherish would still have collapsed."

Xiao Yin lightly turned the black‑jade thumb ring on his finger, the corner of his mouth twitching in a barely perceptible sneer: "Ordinary construction requires four to six load‑bearing pillars, but the Pavilion of Spring Cherish has only three."

Had Xiao Yin not spoken, it would have been better; the more he said, the more Xiao Zheng gritted his teeth in anger.

"Xiao Wei! I will certainly not spare him!"

Xiao Yin's lips curled slightly: "You ought to be grateful for this flood, for your confidant was actually crushed to death himself; had he lived, when the palace needed someone he would surely have entered to report and have people come to undermine you, and then… the rest, you'd likely be unable to contain it."

Xiao Zheng looked at Xiao Yin: "Imperial Uncle, please give me some advice; these days I haven't returned home, and my birth mother must be worried."

Xiao Yin pondered: "Just say you left the capital to help your father find a cure for his insomnia; I've already prepared the herbs for you, so you can bring them straight into the palace."

"No matter who mentions your presence in Liu Lane, deny it outright, firmly deny it."

"The Third Prince will certainly try to make capital out of this; you must get your own people to keep their stories straight—figure it out yourself."

"There are still some survivors from the Pavilion of Spring Cherish; I'll send them all to your Sixth Prince's residence—when you go back, handle them yourself! As for the rest, I can't help you."

Xiao Zheng could not help but feel immense gratitude; he struggled out of bed and knelt before Xiao Yin to express his thanks.

Xiao Yin helped him up, saying, "You needn't feel guilty; after all we are uncle and nephew. In the future act with caution, and if you truly wish to keep a pretty boy, the flowery districts of Jiangnan are quite suitable."

Xiao Zheng's cheeks flushed slightly, and he nodded.

He lifted his gaze, fixed on Xiao Yin: "Imperial Uncle, this time you rescued me from fire and water; I don't know how to repay your great kindness."

Xiao Yin waved a hand and smiled: "No need to dwell on this; I only hope to see you brothers live in harmony, and then I too can rest easy."

Xiao Zheng's eyes flickered slightly; he didn't know what to say, and simply bowed again.

Xiao Yin gave a few more orders, sending men to escort Xiao Zheng out.

Ling Feng, after the person walked away, whispered low, "Lord, why not seize the chance to mention the Imperial Guard matter to the Sixth Prince?"

Xiao Yin smiled faintly, "No rush! A prey must be surrounded a bit to be interesting; the seed of hatred, once buried, will later take root and sprout."