MCUS Chapter 60

After attending the morning court and having breakfast, Deng Mande reported, “Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived. She says there is an important matter to discuss.”

“Send her in,” Huangfu Yuchen replied, engrossed in the stack of memorials before him, not even lifting his head.

The Empress entered the study and greeted, “I pay my respects to Your Majesty.”

“What is the matter?” Huangfu Yuchen asked.

The Empress said, “Your Majesty, the eunuch from Internal Affairs informed me that you have been frequently flipping the signboard of Yan Changzai in recent days…”

“So?” Huangfu Yuchen closed the reviewed memorials and picked up another volume.

The Empress wore a troubled expression. “Your Majesty, Yan Changzai is a man after all. He cannot bear you more children…”

Huangfu Yuchen gave a cold smile, still not looking up. “Do you truly think I should have more children? Aren’t you afraid they might hinder the Crown Prince in the future?”

The Empress’s face stiffened. “This concubine…Yan Changzai’s exclusive favor is ultimately detrimental. If Your Majesty prefers male consorts, there is Song Guiren and Du Changzai in the Chunfeng Palace…”

“Enough!” Huangfu Yuchen stared at her. “Empress, your duty is to take care of the Crown Prince and be a mother to the nation. I believed I made that clear from the beginning.”

The Empress’s face turned pale, and she almost tore the silk handkerchief in her hand. She forced a smile. “Yes. I take my leave.” She hated Yan Changzai lying beside her beloved person every night, the hatred running deep in her bones.

Huangfu Yuchen suddenly called out to her, “By the way, Empress, do you remember my second child?”

“The… the Second Prince… he passed away shortly after birth… it was truly… lamentable,” the Empress whispered.

Huangfu Yuchen chuckled softly. “Yan Changzai is the person I care for the most. If you truly empathize with me, you should take care of him for me. What do you think, Empress?”

The Empress took a deep breath. “Yes…”

After the Empress left, Huangfu Yuchen said in a solemn voice, “Guards.”

Shadow guards appeared. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“Keep a close watch on the movements within the palace. Ensure Yan Changzai’s safety is the top priority in all actions.”

“Yes!”

Yan Ge remained oblivious to the hidden currents within the palace. He only noticed some unfriendly glances falling on him when he stayed out late and encountered other consorts in the Imperial Garden. He faintly felt that Huangfu Yuchen had done something to ensure he had no worries within the palace.

The next day, before leaving, he gave Huangfu Yuchen a passionate kiss. The dazed expression on Huangfu Yuchen’s face made him smile for half the day even after he left the palace.

“Mastee Qin seems to be in a good mood today,” Ye Ziyang teased. Zhang Mo was also present, both of them accompanied by their children. Ye Ziyang’s son was five years old, and Zhang Mo’s nephew, also five.

“Yes, I am,” Yan Ge snapped back to reality. His decision to be with Huangfu Yuchen was driven more by rational considerations, like a worldly courtship with marriage as a premise. Now that he spent more time with Huangfu Yuchen and their relationship grew more harmonious, he gradually began to taste the sweetness deep within his heart, and occasionally felt a connection of souls with Huangfu Yuchen.

Ye Ziyang asked, “Young Master Qin still hasn’t told us why you wanted us to bring our children here.”

Yan Ge took out two identical small silk boxes and handed them to Ye Ziyang and Zhang Mo. “These are introductory gifts for the two young masters. They are mere trinkets, so you need not worry about them.”

Zhang Mo opened the box and shook his head inwardly. It was a jade pendant from the Linlang Pavilion, depicting an auspicious sheep. Its value was at least over a hundred taels, which couldn’t be considered a trivial gift for a child. However, both Zhang Mo and Ye Ziyang understood that since their collaboration with the First Company, they would often have dealings with Yan Ge, so they graciously accepted the gift without refusal.

Yan Ge made a gesture of “please” to the two and said, “Follow me. There must be something good for me to call you here, so you won’t say I’m not thoughtful.”

“How mysterious,” Zhang Mo and Ye Ziyang both held their children and followed Yan Ge to a brightly decorated shop. At the entrance of the shop, there were two wooden dolls, around five or six years old, standing on the left and right. They were cute and finely dressed. Several mischievous boys occasionally played with the dolls, shaking them back and forth, but the dolls remained stable. They were actually tumbler dolls. The smile on their faces made people feel fond of them, as if they would never cry no matter how they were mistreated. It was truly interesting.

Zhang Mo looked up at the plaque of the shop, the red cloth still covering it.

Yan Ge smiled and said, “This is a toy shop. It will officially open tomorrow.”

“Young Master Qin is really considerate.” Ye Ziyang quickly grabbed his nephew’s hand and walked into the shop, looking curious.

Zhang Mo held his son’s hand and followed behind.

Inside the shop, the first thing that caught their eyes was the counter selling snacks and drinks. There were colorful candies, pumpkin cakes, candied peanuts, twisted dough sticks, green bean soup, fruit tea, and fruit juices, all made in vibrant colors to attract children. In the center, there was a play area surrounded by colorful ropes. The floor was covered with soft carpet, and several six-year-old children were playing with toys they had never seen before. Around the area, there were ice buckets placed to prevent children from overheating, showing great thoughtfulness. Three young men with smiles stood outside the roped area, closely watching the children to prevent any mischief or harm. Several rows of neatly packaged and eye-catching toys were placed on shelves, while against the wall, there was a wooden bench for adults to rest.

“Uncle, I want to play too!” Ye Ziyang’s nephew looked at the children in the play area eagerly, unable to wait.

Zhang Mo’s son was also eager to join.

“Go ahead, but take off your shoes.” Ye Ziyang noticed several familiar faces in the resting area, all prominent figures in the capital. It would be beneficial for the younger generation to interact with their children, as it could establish connections for the future.

Zhang Mo patted Yan Ge’s shoulder and said, “Brother Qin, I don’t know what language to use to express my admiration for you.”

Ye Ziyang agreed, “Indeed. Ever since Jingcheng Fashion House collaborated with Yiyi Tailoring Workshop, business has been thriving. I have to hold onto this money tree tightly.”

Yan Ge lightly chuckled, “You don’t need to be polite. It’s also your own effort.”

Zhang Mo and Ye Ziyang understood the underlying meaning of his words. Despite their friendship, if they were involved in anything contrary to Yan Ge’s principles, no matter how deep their friendship was, it would be off the table. The two reminded themselves to be cautious and not make mistakes.

Yan Ge noticed Bai Jushen standing not far away, with an unfamiliar man behind him.

He felt somewhat puzzled and walked over after excusing himself here.

“Manager Bai.”

“Boss.”

“Who is this?” Yan Ge looked at the unfamiliar man. The man was dressed in fine silk garments, probably a wealthy young master from a certain family. He had four or five gemstone rings on both hands, giving off a somewhat ostentatious appearance that couldn’t be considered high-profile.

Bai Jushen warned the man with a glance and walked a bit further with Yan Ge. A look of helplessness and exhaustion appeared on his face. “He is someone my father arranged for me… He wants me to marry him.”

Yan Ge was surprised. “You are a flower-bodied man?”

Bai Jushen replied, “Yes, I never found a chance to tell Boss. Please forgive me.”

Yan Ge didn’t mind and waved his hand. “It’s alright. Marriage is a lifelong matter. If you really don’t want it, it’s best to find a way to refuse. I don’t want to meddle in your private affairs, but I hope your personal matters won’t affect your work.”

“I understand. Boss, rest assured, I will handle it.”

“Ah!”

A cry of alarm came from a distance. Several employees crouched down, anxiously surrounding an unconscious child.

Yan Ge was startled and swiftly displayed his lightness skills, flying over. “What happened?”

Before anyone could answer, he saw the pale face of the unconscious child.

Poisoned!

His expression remained unchanged as he immediately took the child’s pulse. He was surprised to find that the child was Zhang Mo’s son.

Zhang Mo shook the child in panic and his face went pale, “Zongwei, wake up!”

“Don’t worry, Brother Zhang.” Yan Ge took out a silver needle packet from his sleeve and quickly inserted the needles into different acupoints on Zongwei’s body.

Zhang Mo looked at him bewilderedly. “ Young Master Qin, what are you doing?”

“Rest assured.” Yan Ge briefly said two words and focused on treating the child. The silver needles continued to shoot out from his hand.

Gradually, Zongwei’s complexion returned to a healthy rosy color, and his purple lips regained their natural hue. He opened his eyes and looked at everyone in confusion. Only then did Zhang Mo let out a sigh of relief and tightly embrace Zongwei.

Little Zongwei clung to his neck and called out in confusion, “Father?”

Zhang Mo stood up, holding Zongwei in his arms, and nervously rubbed his head. He looked at Yan Ge and said, “Thank you, Brother Qin. I didn’t expect you to have medical skills. Is there any harm to my child?”

Yan Ge’s expression turned solemn. “Luckily, we discovered it in time, and there shouldn’t be any major issues for now. He was poisoned with ‘Purple Mist.’”

The onlookers were shocked.

“Purple Mist? That’s a highly toxic substance!” Ye Ziyang said solemnly. “It is said that anyone who is poisoned by Purple Mist will die within a quarter of an hour.”

“What?!” Zhang Mo was even more shocked.

Yan Ge reassured him, saying, “Brother Zhang, there’s no need to panic. I have temporarily suppressed the toxicity. As long as the antidote is taken within half an hour, there shouldn’t be any major problems. The young master is currently unable to move, so if Brother Zhang trusts me, you can leave him here for me to take care of. You can personally go to the pharmacy to get the medicine and rest assured.”

“Alright, thank you.” Zhang Mo entrusted his son to Yan Ge and quickly rushed out.

The customers in the shop were almost all scared and hurriedly left with their children.

Yan Ge remained silent with a solemn expression.

Ye Ziyang held his nephew tightly and sighed, “Thank goodness for Young Master Qin’s astonishing medical skills. Due to the immense toxicity of the Purple Mist, ordinary people would never carry the antidote with them at all times. Once someone is poisoned by Purple Mist, they are usually doomed to die. I just can’t understand who Young Master Zhang offended to be subjected to such a ruthless act against a child!”

Yan Ge spoke softly, “I’m afraid the other party was targeting me.”