Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Luo An wasn't in a hurry; he just felt that Nian Yao's ideas were too far-fetched.

Tiger, however, was so anxious that he pounded the ground: "I didn't eat her leg, I ate her chicken leg! Chicken leg! It was a chicken leg!"

The little princess's chicken leg? Something still doesn't sound right.

Nianyao squatted down: "Tell me slowly, what happened to the little princess's chicken leg?"

Tiger said, "This really can't be blamed on me. When I went to Dongyang with you before, we could eat whatever we wanted. I thought that was how it was in the palace."

But there was no food at the Southern Yue Royal Palace, so I went to the imperial kitchen and grabbed two chicken drumsticks. Little did I know they were limited-edition drumsticks exclusively for the little princess.

It's a real chicken leg, that's good, that's good, Nianyao was almost scared to death.

Nianyao plopped down, looked up at Luo An and was about to speak when she sneezed, then sneezed again.

I didn't realize it when I was in a hurry, but now that I'm sitting down, I feel the lake breeze and my whole body is soaked; it's really a bit cold.

Luo An said, "Go change your clothes."

Nianyao turned around and looked in the direction of the clothes: "I don't have the strength anymore, go and get my clothes for me."

Nianyao swam around Mingsheng Lake for a long time, and was startled by Huzi. She was exhausted both physically and mentally, and didn't even have the strength to stand up.

Just as Luo An was about to go and get the clothes, Hu Zi started howling again: "Young master, forget about the clothes, go back and see the little princess. Please, please spare me, I didn't mean to hurt her..."

Nianyao slapped Huzi on the back: "You're spineless. Two chicken legs aren't worth your wailing and howling..."

Tiger retorted, "It's not that I'm spineless, it's that the little princess is spineless. After eating two chicken legs, she started crying and wailing and no one could console her..."

Luo An took off his coat and handed it to Nian Yao: "Wear this for now."

Tiger grabbed the clothes and tossed them back to Luo An: "Young Master, you don't need to worry about her. She used to cross the Jingjiang River every day, without fail, all year round. This little lake is no problem for her. You should go back and check on the young princess."

Don't you understand that times change? Nianyao gritted her teeth, got up, and went to pick up her clothes.

Luo An then realized something was wrong and, clutching the clothes, asked, "What's wrong with the little princess?"

Tiger said, "She kept crying and crying, and no one could comfort her. Suddenly she went silent."

I thought she was just tired from crying and needed to rest, but the wet nurse said she had a heart attack from crying and told us to quickly call the imperial physician…

A grown man snatching a chicken leg from a three-year-old child, making her cry until she was breathless, and then pretending she was just tired.

Nianyao couldn't take it anymore. She didn't even want to take the clothes anymore. She ran back and kicked Huzi twice.

Luo An asked, "How is it now?"

Tiger said, "I don't know, I heard the wet nurse call for the imperial physician..."

Nianyao said with a long face, "He fled to avoid punishment."

Tiger jumped up and said, "We've been brothers, and you miss me like this? I came here to find you so you could take me back to the princess."

What if that imperial physician is incompetent and can't cure me? Maybe I should go back to Chongming Island now, pack my things, and take Eighth Sister and the children to escape."

Nianyao rolled her eyes: Isn't this just fleeing from justice?

Luo An was also convinced. With such a long delay, if something had really happened, the body would be cold by now.

Tiger grew increasingly frightened. If the only princess of Southern Yue died because of him, she would be subjected to the Ten Great Tortures in turn, making it difficult for her to die even if she wanted to.

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, running away is the best.

Luo An and Nian Yao felt a figure flash in front of them, and Hu Zi was gone.

Tiger took off running, shouting as he ran, "Young Master, Madam, I'm going back to Chongming Island first..."

Nianyao took the clothes from Luo An's hands and helped him put them on: "I'm perfectly fine, you don't need to worry. Go back to the palace first and make sure nothing really happens."

Luo An didn't say anything and walked forward to get Nian Yao's clothes.

Nianyao followed beside him: "I don't think things are as simple as Hu Zi said. What kind of limited edition exclusive chicken leg could make a princess cry so hard she fainted? Could it be a divine chicken leg raised by the Queen Mother of the West?"

If it were just a regular chicken leg, she could have eaten it and then given the princess two more; it wouldn't have made her cry so much.

Nianyao became more and more curious: "If it really is a divine chicken leg, bring me two later so I can try them. By the way, Xu Sheng said that Mother has something important for you, what is it?"

Luo An paused, realizing he had forgotten. He had clearly come to the palace specifically for this matter, yet he had completely forgotten it. Luo An felt like slapping himself twice.

Luo An returned to the palace in the afternoon, and he saw Cheng Yao holding Xu Chengyou sitting at the entrance of the hall at the entrance of Ciming Palace.

This scene is so familiar. His eldest sister once held him like this, sitting at the doorway, watching the wind and rain, waiting for their father. Is Xu Chengyao waiting for him now?

Eunuch Wei and the officials were chatting in the courtyard when they looked up and saw Luo An. Overjoyed, they ran over and said, "Your Highness, you're back! Lord Fan Tong of the Memorial Office has been waiting for you."

"Glutton?" What kind of names are these? They're so unbecoming of the person!

Fan Tong looked to be only in his thirties, but he exuded the air of an old scholar: "Your Highness, the Imperial Study is full of memorials. Should we send the new memorials to Ciming Palace?"

Do they all really think he's the crown prince? Reporting everything to him?

Luo An handed the small wooden box to Eunuch Wei and looked at Xu Chengyao.

Confused, Eunuch Wei asked, "Your Highness, what is this?"

Xu Chengyou buried her head in Xu Chengyao's arms, half asleep and half awake, when she smelled the aroma. She jumped off Xu Chengyao's arms, rubbing her eyes, and said, "Chicken leg, my chicken leg..."

Chicken legs in a small rosewood box? Is that so extravagant?

With a hint of disbelief, Eunuch Wei opened the small silver clasp and his eyes widened instantly: four enormous chicken legs were neatly arranged on the oiled paper, emitting a wonderful aroma.

Xu Chengyou pulled on Eunuch Wei's arm and eagerly picked up the chicken leg, not forgetting to be polite: "Thank you, Crown Prince Brother."

Seeing his sister enjoying her meal, Xu Chengyao suddenly remembered what Xu Sheng had said about being cold on the outside but warm on the inside: Luo An wasn't actually that heartless.

Xu Chengyou took a few bites, then grabbed a chicken leg and handed it to Xu Chengyao: "Big brother, you eat this."

Xu Chengyao swallowed hard: "Big brother ate a big lunch and can't eat anymore."

Luo An beckoned to Xu Chengyao, and Xu Chengyao obediently walked over.

Luo An said, "Go and take a look."

What are you looking at? Memorials to the emperor? If you can't let go, you can't let go. What's there to see?

Xu Chengyao pondered Luo An's meaning: "Father had to leave the palace on business, so Mother approved the memorials. Mother was already unwell after becoming pregnant, and when the news of Father's accident came, she fell ill."

The memorials are piling up unreviewed, and the Imperial Study is overflowing. Perhaps we should move them to a side hall of the Taiji Hall.

Luo An frowned: "Your mother is pregnant? How many months along?"

Xu Chengyao nodded: "About two months. Before she left, she entrusted my sister and me to General Xue, saying that if she and Father did not return, she would ask General Xue to assist in governing."

What incredible courage! Carrying one child in her belly and holding another's hand, she went to the most dangerous place when the pregnancy was at its most unstable.

An unnamed fire raged within him, burning so intensely that Luo An couldn't control himself: "Then go find General Xue, why are you looking for me?"

The atmosphere instantly turned cold. Xu Chengyao frowned. Was this how an adult should talk? Even a three-year-old like Xu Chengyou wouldn't speak like that.