Chapter 9: The Crown Prince's Visit

After Jiang Jiang Mingyu entered the Zha Wenhua Hall as a study companion, he quickly gained a deeper understanding of the palace's rules and circumstances.

For the first half-month, Steward Zhang would accompany Jiang Jiang Mingyu into the palace for his duties; after half a month, Steward Zhang no longer accompanied him, leaving Jiang Jiang Mingyu to enter the palace and serve as study companion on his own.

According to the schedule arranged by the Three Grand Tutors for the Crown Prince's lessons, classes were held for five two-hour periods each day, starting at the Chen hour and ending at the Shen hour, with a half-period break at noon; this schedule continued for five consecutive days, with the sixth day off, repeating five cycles per month, totaling exactly thirty days.

After two months of serving as study companions, Jiang Jiang Mingyu and the Crown Prince, sharing identical interests in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to matters of state and family, hit it off immediately and quickly formed a bond of sworn brotherhood.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu had never imagined that there could be someone in this world so perfectly compatible with himself, and that this person would be the Heir Apparent!

However, one matter puzzled him: the Crown Prince constantly missed his previous study companion and frequently recalled him.

The former study companion was Lord Murong Murong Yunhai, the top scholar of the twenty-fourth year of the Xilong era, whom the Crown Prince affectionately nicknamed "Little Xiao Haizi."

When chatting casually with Jiang Jiang Mingyu, the Crown Prince would often inadvertently mention Little Xiao Haizi, speaking of what Little Xiao Haizi did here or there; in the Crown Prince's reminiscences, it seemed as though this Little Xiao Haizi had never left the Zha Wenhua Hall!

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai's ancestors came from beyond the passes, possessing foreign bloodlines, and the Crown Prince had also found him deeply compatible, talking about everything without reservation.

The Crown Prince said that upon learning Lord Murong Murong Yunhai's term as study companion had ended and that, by law, he was to be transferred to an external post, he had once spent his days washed in tears and unable to eat!

The Three Grand Tutors even suspended classes for a month and a half because of this, and the situation only improved after Jiang Jiang Mingyu appeared.

Only then did Jiang Jiang Mingyu understand why Prime Minister He had initially suggested to the Emperor that he take up the position of the Crown Prince's study companion; it was out of concern that the Crown Prince would be lonely attending classes alone, and they wanted to find someone to keep him company.

The curriculum in the Zha Wenhua Hall consisted not entirely of literary subjects but also included martial arts.

The martial arts instructor, General Du Gu Qiubai, courtesy name Wuming, served as the Left Guardian Commander and Infantry Commander, and was also a descendant of the renowned sword school, the General Du Gu clan; not only was his swordsmanship exceptional, but he was also highly skilled with the blade, spear, staff, and bow, mastering all eighteen kinds of martial arts!

This was not the first day Jiang Jiang Mingyu and the Crown Prince had attended General Du Gu Qiubai's martial arts class; over the past two months, they had already learned several sets of sword and blade techniques in succession, and today they were switching to spear arts.

The Crown Prince had practiced martial arts since childhood and possessed a solid foundation, but Jiang Jiang Mingyu was different; he was truly a mere scholar, lacking even the strength to tie up a chicken!

In the literary subjects, Jiang Jiang Mingyu surpassed the Crown Prince, but in the martial arts portion, he lagged far behind!

As soon as class began today, General Du Gu Qiubai first briefly demonstrated the first method of the Eight Imperial Spear Techniques: the Straight Spear Triple Thrust Against Horses.

After the two mimicked the movements a few times, General Du Gu Qiubai, seeing that this introductory spear method was very simple, routinely requested that they attempt sparring!

The Crown Prince was visibly enthusiastic, whereas Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked as lifeless as dried wood, suffering in silence.

Thus, without any protective gear and wielding long staffs without spearheads, the two began their sparring session.

Seeing the Crown Prince gather his momentum and rush straight at Jiang Jiang Mingyu with his staff, Jiang Jiang Mingyu blocked horizontally with his long staff; with a loud "Thump!", their staffs collided, sending wood chips flying. The Crown Prince tapped his left foot, spun his body, and swung his staff toward Jiang Jiang Mingyu from the side.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu hurriedly parried, but the Crown Prince's strike was fast, ruthless, and accurate; the immense force sent a wave of soreness and numbness through Jiang Jiang Mingyu's wrist bones, nearly causing his long staff to slip from his grasp.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression changed; he knew in his heart that this staff strike carried tremendous momentum and would be difficult for him to block.

At this critical moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu acted without thinking, stepping forward to intend taking the blow with his own body.

But the Crown Prince's staff technique was superb; this strike turned out to be a feint, suddenly changing direction to shoot out from Jiang Jiang Mingyu's right side, thrusting straight at his right chest!

"Crack!" The long staff struck Jiang Jiang Mingyu's right chest heavily, emitting a dull thud.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt a heart-piercing pain in his chest; he let out a cry of agony and was immediately knocked to the ground, unable to rise for a long time.

Seeing this, the Crown Prince, terrified, threw down his long staff and ran to Jiang Jiang Mingyu's side to check his injuries.

However, the battle-hardened General Du Gu Qiubai walked over slowly and said very casually, "Let me first see if any ribs are broken..." Upon finishing, he immediately squatted down and began examining Jiang Jiang Mingyu's injuries.

"Should we summon the Imperial Physicians?" the Crown Prince asked anxiously.

"No need... the ribs are not broken, but there may be internal injuries."

After finishing the examination, General Du Gu Qiubai said very calmly, "Such bruises and strains are very common in the military." Having said this, he ordered someone to bring medicinal wine and cotton cloth.

As the saying goes, practicing martial arts requires one-third medical knowledge; General Du Gu Zhou wrapped up Jiang Jiang Mingyu's injuries in a few quick motions, then ordered men to carry Jiang Jiang Mingyu home to rest.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's lessons for the day thus ended early due to his injury.

Early the next morning, the injured Jiang Jiang Mingyu lay in bed with his upper body bare, while his wife, Tang Yuqi, sat by the bedside holding cotton cloth wrapped in herbal mud paste, preparing to change his dressing.

Suddenly, the old steward, Xie, rushed in to report, saying, "Master, Master, the... the Crown Prince has arrived..."

The injured Jiang Jiang Mingyu, disregarding the severe pain in his chest, was so startled that he immediately sat up, instructing Yuqi to quickly prepare his clothes so he could go out to welcome the imperial presence.

"Where is His Highness the Crown Prince currently?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked, enduring the pain.

Old Xie replied, "The Old Master and the Lady, seeing the Crown Prince's arrival and not daring to be negligent, have already welcomed them to sit briefly in the front courtyard."

"'Them'?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu said with a face full of confusion.

Old Xie explained, "I mean the Crown Prince's entourage; there must be at least a hundred people!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said, "Quick... quickly help me up, I must change clothes immediately!" But before his voice had even faded, Jiang Father and Jiang Mother had already led the Crown Prince to the door of the room where Jiang Jiang Mingyu was located, and without so much as a greeting, they walked straight in!

The Jiang family, hailing from Nanping Dongzhou, possessed a simple and honest family tradition and were enthusiastic hosts; whenever high-ranking officials or nobles visited, they would directly welcome them into the home, offering tea and seats, treating them with great care.

Back in their old home in Dongzhou, the highest-ranking official they had ever encountered was a county magistrate, but this time the visitor was the Crown Prince; the Jiang family had never received guests of such high status before, and for a moment, they lost their composure.

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had come to visit Jiang Jiang Mingyu, Jiang Father did not think twice and directly welcomed him into the inner courtyard, entering the very hall and chambers!

After entering the room, the Crown Prince saw Jiang Jiang Mingyu, disheveled and half-dressed, looking at him with a face full of terror!

Disregarding his injuries, Jiang Jiang Mingyu gritted his teeth and hurriedly knelt in obeisance according to ritual!

"Since 'Jiang Xingqiu' is injured, spare him this great ceremony!" The Crown Prince took a long stride, supporting Jiang Jiang Mingyu before his knees could touch the ground.

Disregarding the fact that his upper body was half-naked, Jiang Jiang Mingyu hurriedly apologized, "This humble subject failed to welcome you from afar; I hope Your Highness will forgive my offense..." While speaking, he did not forget to wink at Yuqi, signaling her to quickly offer seats to the Crown Prince, Jiang Father, and Jiang Mother.

"There is no need to speak of offenses... I came here specifically to bring an Imperial Physician from the palace to examine you." After speaking, the Crown Prince immediately turned around and called for the Imperial Physician to enter the room, then continued, "There is no rush to put on clothes; you might have to take them off again shortly..."

The Imperial Physician, Li Li Xuanren, had been acquainted with the Crown Prince for many years.

It happened to be his rotation day off, and just after handing over his shift, he was caught by the Crown Prince, so he accompanied the Crown Prince out of the palace and arrived at Jiangfu.

Li Li Xuanren entered the room carrying his medical box, sat down, and very familiarly began the four diagnostic methods: looking, listening/smelling, asking, and pulse-taking.

First, he carefully observed Jiang Jiang Mingyu's complexion, then extended his right hand to feel Jiang Jiang Mingyu's pulse gate, pressing gently.

Li Li Xuanren frowned slightly, focusing intently on counting Jiang Jiang Mingyu's pulse beats, and only after a long while did he release Jiang Jiang Mingyu's hand.

Li Li Xuanren's expression was solemn, as if he had already determined Jiang Jiang Mingyu's condition through pulse diagnosis.

Li Li Xuanren then asked Jiang Jiang Mingyu to lie on his back and expose his right chest; Jiang Jiang Mingyu's right chest was already swollen and red, radiating intense heat, and under light pressure, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face showed pain. After examining Jiang Jiang Mingyu's injury, Li Li Xuanren frowned tightly; the severity of this internal injury was beyond what an ordinary person could endure.

Li Xren wetted a silver needle with his right index finger and quickly inserted several needles around the Dapo acupoint on Jiang Jiang Mingyu's right chest, then swiftly inserted needles into the Danzhong acupoint on the right chest, the Zusanli acupoint, and other points.

With the silver needles inserted beneath the skin, Li Li Xuanren's fingers pulled and manipulated the needle shafts as if he were operating a string puppet.

Before long, Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt the soreness in his right chest gradually vanish, replaced by a tingling sensation, as if electric current were coursing through his entire body.

He finally managed to open his eyes, breathe slowly, and his complexion regained a slight luster.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu could not help but marvel; Li Li Xuanren's acupuncture skills seemed nothing short of miraculous.

Li Li Xuanren smiled modestly, saying this was a unique technique of acupoint silver needles he had mastered over many years; although its healing effect was swift, he did not easily offer to treat others.

He instructed Jiang Jiang Mingyu to rest in bed for a week, warning him not to overexert himself during this period so as not to hinder the healing of his injury.

Seeing that the Imperial Physician Li Li Xuanren possessed miraculous hands, Jiang's father boldly made a request, kneeling and bowing to beg the Imperial Physician to perform acupuncture on Jiang Mu as well!

He added that she had recently suffered from frequent headaches and diarrhea, with no clear cause, and so on.

"No need to trouble the Imperial Physician; I have already invited a Physician to examine her... it is merely an inability to adapt to the local environment, nothing serious."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked troubled, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

"It is no trouble! Since we are here, let us be at ease."

After speaking, the Crown Prince immediately instructed Li Li Xuanren to examine Jiang Mu and take her pulse.

"The Old Lady is in no serious danger; she is merely suffering from an inability to adapt to the local environment."

After reviewing the prescription the local Physician had written for Jiang Mu, Li Li Xuanren added, "The medicine is fine; one simply needs to take it continuously for a month before seeing results."

Shortly after, Li Li Xuanren performed acupuncture on Jiang Mu again; once the treatment session was complete, Jiang Mu's headache was immediately alleviated!

Seeing Li Li Xuanren's impressive acupuncture skills, Yu Qi stepped forward as well, asking him to perform acupuncture on her to relieve the pain of her monthly cycle.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, looking extremely awkward, repeatedly apologized to the Crown Prince, saying his family came from the countryside and did not understand the rules, begging the Crown Prince to forgive them, and so on.

The Crown Prince waved his hand, smiled, and said, "Your family is indeed just like you!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu: "Your Highness... what do you mean by that?"

The Crown Prince: "Have you forgotten... how you initially responded to His Majesty the Emperor in the court?"

Only then did Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly realize the truth; he had been just as abrupt back then!

After examining Yu Qi, Li Li Xuanren proceeded to treat Jiang's father for his chronic rheumatism; by the time all examinations were finished, it was nearly noon.

To thank the Crown Prince and Li Li Xuanren, Jiang Mu insisted on keeping them for lunch at home; seeing that their hospitality was difficult to refuse, the Crown Prince agreed to stay for the meal before leaving.

On the other hand, the Crown Prince also wished to stay at Jiang Jiang Mingyu's home a little longer; it was rare to meet Jiang Jiang Mingyu outside of the classroom, making it a perfect opportunity to chat about daily trifles.

However, the Crown Prince's entourage of over a hundred people behind him posed a dilemma regarding lunch arrangements, which made Old Xie extremely anxious! After all, the family cooks lacked the ability to handle so many people, and furthermore, the household had not stocked enough ingredients.

Fortunately, at this moment, Steward Zhang appeared, offering timely advice.

He said, "Take people immediately to the street entrance to buy steamed buns. I am very familiar with the female owner of the steamed bun shop; since it has just opened, give my name and buy out the entire stock on hand; perhaps we will make it in time!"

Old Xie: "The steamed buns at the street entrance... do you mean Master Wu's shop?" While speaking, he kept rubbing his sleeve.

"Who else could it be?" After Steward Zhang finished speaking, he handed two silver notes to Old Xie, urging him to go out and make arrangements immediately.