coobybook Chapter 102 Rewards
Chapter 102 Rewards
Chapter 102, Reward 102
When Prime Minister Gongsun returned to Lanxin Courtyard with Gongsun Yuan and Ye Pianran, Chen Mama happened to be carrying Ye Yankang, who had just woken up, out of the house. Upon seeing Prime Minister Gongsun, Chen Mama's face showed obvious surprise and joy. She hurriedly put Ye Yankang down and gave Prime Minister Gongsun a deep bow.
"This servant, Chen, greets Your Excellency!"
"Rise, this is not the Prime Minister's residence, there's no need for such formalities," said Prime Minister Gongsun, then smiled and looked at Ye Yankang, extending his hands towards him.
"Little Kang'er, look who's here! Do you still remember your grandfather?"
Ye Yankang stared at Prime Minister Gongsun with his bright, clear eyes for a long while, then suddenly opened his small mouth and made random "ah, ah" noises at Prime Minister Gongsun.
Prime Minister Gongsun turned around and asked, "What does he mean by this? Does he remember me, or does he not like me?"
Ye Pianran struggled to suppress her laughter, clearing her throat twice before saying, "Grandfather, Kang'er wants you to see his teeth. He recently lost a baby tooth." As soon as she finished speaking, a thought stirred within her. She remembered the Prince of Beiwu who had inadvertently followed them back to the Marquis's residence that day, and she also remembered Chunyu Yang who had quietly left that morning.
The reason why my maternal grandfather and Prefect Feng brought that assassin to the Marquis's mansion to question him was probably because the Third Prince had helped them a lot behind the scenes.
What to do? The score between her and the Third Prince seems to be getting more and more unresolved.
"Kang'er has lost his baby teeth?" Prime Minister Gongsun was overjoyed. He bent down and picked Ye Yankang up, teasing him, "Come here, let your grandfather see how your little teeth are growing?"
Although Ye Yankang did not know Prime Minister Gongsun, he could sense a natural sense of familiarity from him. In addition, he had never been teased by an elder before, so he was not afraid at all. Instead, he laughed happily.
Seeing that the grandfather and grandson were getting along well, Gongsun Yuan felt very relieved. She asked Chen Mama to prepare tea set, set up a table in the middle of the courtyard, and sat under the flowering tree to brew tea for Prime Minister Gongsun.
Ever since Ye Pianran acquired that strange space, Gongsun Yuan has been using spiritual spring water that Ye Pianran brought out from that space to brew tea. That spring water is exceptionally clear and sweet, and it will not change its flavor no matter how long it is boiled. When the tea leaves unfurl and swirl in it, the tea flavor that is brought out is incomparable to ordinary water. The mellowness and sweetness after the bitterness do not fade from the lips and teeth even after three days.
As wisps of smoke rose, a rich, orchid-like aroma of tea filled the air. Prime Minister Gongsun's eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned close to Ye Yankang, asking, "What kind of tea did you brew? It smells so good!"
Gongsun Yuan said, "Of course, it's Lushan Yunwu, which is Father's favorite drink."
Prime Minister Gongsun exclaimed in surprise, "This is Lushan Yunwu tea? How come it smells completely different from what I usually smell? Is this tea some kind of variety I've never seen before?"
Gongsun Yuan covered her lips and smiled, her eyes crinkling: "No, this tea is the same as the tea in the Prime Minister's residence. It is a tribute tea bestowed by His Majesty."
"That's strange! Quick, pour your father a cup. I want to taste how your tea is different from the tea at the Prime Minister's residence!" Prime Minister Gongsun said impatiently.
Gongsun Yuan picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Prime Minister Gongsun. The pale green tea soup poured down from the spout, its color clear and bright, its aroma refreshing and invigorating. Occasionally, the tea leaves that flowed out with the tea were white and green, truly the top-grade tribute tea, Lushan Yunwu.
Gongsun Yuan knelt before Prime Minister Gongsun, respectfully offering him a teacup, and said, "Father, please have some tea."
Taking the teacup, Prime Minister Gongsun first inhaled the aroma, closed his eyes to savor it for a moment, and then lowered his head to sip the tea. Upon entering his mouth, he first felt a mellow, slightly astringent taste, which then gradually became sweeter from the tip of his tongue. After swallowing, the unique sweetness and rich aroma of Lushan Yunwu tea lingered on his lips and teeth, as if transporting him to the ethereal and picturesque landscape of Lushan.
"Excellent tea!" Prime Minister Gongsun exclaimed. "Lanzhi, your tea-brewing skills have improved once again!"
"It's been a long time since Father has drunk tea brewed by his daughter," Gongsun Yuan said.
"You're right. After drinking this cup of tea you brewed, I really didn't want to leave," Prime Minister Gongsun sighed, his eyes filled with reluctance as he looked at Gongsun Yuan. "It's just a pity that I can't come often. I can only drink to my heart's content with you today."
"Actually, the tea in the Marquis's residence and the tea in the Prime Minister's residence are the same; the only difference is the water used to brew the tea," Ye Pianran said with a smile.
"Oh? How so?" Prime Minister Gongsun asked with great interest.
"This tea isn't made with ordinary water, but with this mountain spring water. It's sweet and refreshing, which brings out the essence of the tea leaves to the maximum extent, making it exceptionally fragrant. If Grandfather likes it, Ran'er will send him some of this spring water every now and then, so that Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle, and Aunt can also enjoy such good tea," Ye Pianran said earnestly.
The spiritual spring water within her was rare and precious, worthy of being called a treasure of the world, but she would not be stingy with it for those she truly cherished. And the numerous perilous situations she had faced in recent days had taught her that only by possessing unknown backup plans could she truly place herself in a position where no one could shake her.
Just like this time, she transformed from a chess piece into the one wielding the pieces, reversing what should have been a hopeless situation, because no one knew that she and her mother's bodies had long since become immune to all poisons due to the transformation by the spiritual spring water.
In her previous life, she failed to protect the Prime Minister's residence. In this life, she does not want everything to repeat itself. If the Prime Minister's residence can also benefit from the spiritual spring water, she will be able to think more at ease about how to avoid this disaster before the chaos in Chenzhou arrives.
"Good, good, good, as expected of my good granddaughter, your grandfather has not spoiled you for nothing." Prime Minister Gongsun was very happy, his eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.
The three of them sat under the tree, leisurely drinking tea and chatting about recent events, while Ye Yankang was having a great time chasing after Ye Pianran's rabbit.
Looking at his foolish yet innocent appearance, Prime Minister Gongsun couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion and sighed, "I'm afraid Kang'er will be like this for the rest of his life?"
"It's alright. Even if he never gets better, he can stay by my side for the rest of his life. I will always protect him," Gongsun Yuan said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned.
“It won’t always be like this,” Ye Pianran suddenly said, her gaze exceptionally resolute. “I will definitely find a way to cure Kang’er, even if it takes five, ten, or twenty years, I will keep searching!”
When Prime Minister Gongsun left, Ye Pianran indeed gave him two full jars of spiritual spring water. He had come to the Marquis's residence, witnessed Consort Song being driven out of the residence, and then received such a good thing. He was beaming with joy, and his steps were lighter on the way back.
Meanwhile, Chunyu Yang, who had disappeared from the capital for quite some time, finally returned to his Northern Martial Prince's Mansion.
When soldiers needed to be trained, Chunyu Yang would stay in the military camp for a period of time. The Prince's Mansion had long been accustomed to his frequent disappearances. Therefore, he expected his return this time to be as peaceful as usual.
Before he could even reach the front hall, a small figure shot towards him from inside the house like an arrow.
Chunyu Jingxuan ran very fast, as if he had been waiting in the front hall for a long time. His little face was flushed with excitement, so cute that it was hard to criticize his impolite behavior.
Upon suddenly seeing that familiar, delicate, and beautiful face, Chunyu Yang felt no joy. Instead, it was as if a bucket of ice water had just thawed, completely extinguishing any romantic feelings he had developed for Ye Pianran.
"Young Master, slow down, don't fall!" A pretty woman ran out from the front hall; it was Mu Qiu, one of his concubines.
Mu Qiu's voice reminded Chunyu Jingxuan of his identity. Just as he was about to pounce on Chunyu Yang, he stopped abruptly, stood properly, and looked up at Chunyu Yang, calling out:
"Father, King, you've returned."
Chunyu Yang gave a low "hmm," looked up at Mu Qiu, and asked, "Why did you bring the young master to the front hall? Have you finished your homework for today?"
"I'm done!" Chunyu Jingxuan answered loudly before Mu Qiu could, his eyes shining brightly. "Father, I have now memorized the entire 'Civil' and 'Military' volumes of the 'Six Secret Teachings,' and I can even perform a set of long fist techniques. You... you can test me!"
"Your Highness, it's been quite some time since you've returned. The young master has been diligently studying military strategy and practicing martial arts with Steward Zhong every day; he has indeed made some progress." Mu Qiu spoke with a smile, trying to get closer to Chunyu Yang, but Chunyu Yang had already seen through her intentions. He strode towards the study, distancing himself from her, and said:
“The front hall is not a place for you. Go back to the backyard. Xuan’er, come with me to the study.”
Chunyu Jingxuan was feeling disappointed, but upon hearing the last sentence, his eyes lit up again, and he chased after Chunyu Yang, saying, "Yes, Father!"
Watching the father and son walk away, Mu Qiu stomped his foot in frustration and gritted his teeth.
After entering the study, Chunyu Yang sat down and looked at his son, who was standing awkwardly in front of him, and said:
"I wish to achieve merit, but I have three doubts: I fear I lack the strength to attack the powerful, I am separated from my family, and I am scattered among my followers. What should I do?"
His question was about the "Three Doubts" chapter in the "Martial Arts" section of the "Six Secret Teachings," and he began to investigate Chunyu Jingxuan without any warning.
Chunyu Jingxuan paused for a moment, then nervously clenched her small hand and replied in a crisp voice, "Therefore, plan carefully and use resources wisely. To attack the strong, one must first nurture them to make them stronger, and then increase their strength to make them expand..."
He was initially too nervous and answered somewhat haltingly, but he gradually got into the flow and his sentences became more fluent. Although he didn't understand the meaning of what was written in the book, he had indeed put in a lot of hard work.
After testing him on the "Three Doubts," Chunyu Yang selected several passages from *Wen Tao* and *Wu Tao* to ask him further questions. Confirming that Chunyu Jingxuan had indeed memorized them all, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and he said:
"very good."
Upon receiving Chunyu Yang's praise, Chunyu Jingxuan's breathing became rapid with excitement: "Father, would you like to see Xuan'er perform a set of boxing techniques next?"
"it is good."
Then, Chunyu Jingxuan demonstrated boxing to Chunyu Yang in a rather professional manner. Being young, he didn't execute many of the movements perfectly, and Chunyu Yang occasionally offered pointers. For a moment, the two of them seemed even more like father and son than before.
Two hours later, Chunyu Jingxuan was finally able to perform a set of long fist punches correctly, and Chunyu Yang's instruction ended. Although his body was soaked with sweat and his hands and feet were extremely sore, this was a rare opportunity for Chunyu Jingxuan to spend time together, and he felt increasingly close to Chunyu Yang.
However, despite this, he did not forget his true purpose.
"Father..." He looked up, his bright, star-like eyes filled with expectation, "May I ask you for a reward?"
Chunyu Yang did not deny it, and said in a deep voice, "Speak."
"Xuan'er is too lonely studying alone. He wants someone to keep him company. Is that alright?" Chunyu Jingxuan asked cautiously. "I... I want the little fool from the Marquis's mansion to be my study companion."