Jade Without Fragrance

   Chapter 202 Dragon Boat Festival

  Sun Xiuhua hadn't slept well for several days in a row, and she couldn't cover the cyan at the moment with powder. As soon as she heard that the prince was coming, her heart twitched.

   She smeared her eyes outside the East Palace, and she couldn't get any news at all. The prince came here at this time, it must be the cousin's accident, right?

   "I have seen Your Highness."

  The prince walked past her, sat down on the chair, and then said, "Come and talk."

  Sun Xiuhua lowered his eyes and couldn't see the prince's face, but his intuition was not good.

   She walked over with small steps, looked up at the prince, and saw a gloomy face.

   "Did you really put the medicine in the tea that day?"

  Sun Xiuhua's heart sank, and nodded hurriedly: "Really!"

   "You watched Qi Shuo drink it with your own eyes?"

   "Well, the concubine didn't blink, watching my cousin drink most of the tea."

   "Then why Qi Shuo has nothing to do?" The prince stretched out his hand and dragged Sun Xiuhua in front of him, his eyes reddened, "Not only is he fine, but he has the energy to play with women everywhere!"

   He was looking forward to the news of Qi Shuo's death all the time, but all he was waiting for was news that Qi Shuo and the second girl Lin were fooling around.

   Really **** him off!

  Sun Xiuhua was grabbed by the crown prince, and it was difficult to breathe: "Your Highness, Your Highness, didn't you say that the medicine didn't take effect immediately, maybe it will take another day or two—"

   "What about the medicine, I know better than you!" The prince squeezed Sun Xiuhua's neck with one hand and increased his strength, "Tell the truth, is it because you were afraid that you didn't give Qi Shuo the medicine at all?"

  Sun Xiuhua's face suddenly flushed red, and tears flowed: "Concubine, concubine really put the medicine in the tea... Concubine dare not go against His Highness's wishes..."

  The prince let go, Sun Xiuhua slumped on the ground, clutching his neck and coughing.

   "You better not lie to me." The prince gave her a cold look and strode away.

  The bead curtains collided, and in a blink of an eye, the prince was nowhere to be seen. Sun Xiuhua sat on the cold floor, crying silently.

   For the first time, she regretted it.

   She is not afraid of the high walls of the deep palace, and fights openly and secretly, but she did not expect that the prince is a lunatic.

  The crown prince endured for two more days. When he heard that Prince Jing had taken his concubine to ride on horseback, he couldn't bear it any longer.

   "Bitch, did you give Qi Shuo medicine or did you give Dabu soup?"

   Qi Shuo, that sick child, can actually ride a horse!

   "You've been coaxing me, right?" The crown prince skillfully wrapped around Sun Xiuhua's neck, his eyes scarlet.

  Sun Xiuhua was quickly out of breath, and subconsciously grabbed the prince's hand: "Your Highness... Your Highness... Concubine didn't lie to you... Concubine can't breathe anymore..."

   Seeing her eyes turn white, the prince let go of his hand, kicked her out all the way, and rushed away in anger.

  Sun Xiuhua was in so much pain that she couldn't relieve herself for a long time. She leaned on the legs of the chair and panted heavily.

   The palace maid approached cautiously: "Choose a servant—"

  Sun Xiuhua shuddered and shrank subconsciously.

   "Choose a servant, the servant will help you up."

  Sun Xiuhua was helped by the maid to the bed, her eyes empty as if she had been drained of vitality.

  The prince went back and ate five colors to relieve his mood, and found an opportunity to leave the palace.

   He wanted to see with his own eyes what happened to Prince Jing!

  The prince deliberately waited on the only road, and sure enough, he waited for Qi Shuo and Lin Hao, who were leading the horse here.

   "Brother Wang, what a coincidence."

   "Where is Your Highness going?" Qi Shuo asked politely.

   "I just came back from Xiyuan, but I didn't expect to meet Brother Wang. Are you going out?"

  Qi Shuo smiled and nodded: "I caught a cold a few days ago and I have been bored at home. Now that I feel better, I will take Ah Hao out to play."

   "Brother Wang is really interested." The prince glanced at Lin Hao, almost unable to control his expression.

  Damn it, even if Qi Shuo wasn't poisoned, how come he looks better than a few days ago?

   "Do you want to come to the palace to sit down, Your Highness?"

   "No, it's not early, I should also go back to the palace, let's meet again another day." The prince said, and he seemed to suddenly remember, "Dragon Boat Boat Festival, will my brother go?"

   Qi Shuo smiled slightly: "Recently, my health is quite good, I should go."

  The prince's eyelids trembled and he smiled: "See you then."

   When the prince was left surrounded by a group of guards, Lin Hao chuckled: "Ashuo, did you see that the prince is going to be mad at you."

  Qi Shuo glanced at the group of people who were far away, and said in a low voice, "Prince is about to lose control of his emotions."

   Such a prince is like a powder keg, if a spark is thrown in, it will explode.

   "Ashuo, on the Dragon Boat Festival, the crown prince is likely to attack you again."

   "Don't worry, the prince may be too busy to take care of himself."

  The prince returned to the East Palace to vent after beating and venting, and instructed Wang Fu: "Prepare another portion of that medicine, this time I will come in person."

   It's the Dragon Boat Festival in a blink of an eye.

   Every year on the Dragon Boat Festival, not only folks will have various celebrations, but the royal family will also hold dragon boat tours on the lake.

   This morning, a hundred officials and nobles gathered in the hall and accompanied Emperor Tai'an to Xiyuan.

   There were also brothers and sisters, Prince Yuliu and Princess Lingque, in the mighty crowd.

  The Queen Mother did not participate because she was tired, so Princess Yian naturally wanted to stay with the Queen Mother to relieve her boredom. The only people in the harem who accompanied Emperor Tai'an on the dragon boat were Zhuang, the second concubine Jing and the little princess.

   "Your country's dragon boats are really magnificent." Prince Yuliu admired the sight of dozens of huge dragon boats parked in the boundless lake.

  Yu Liu is not bad, but the place is small, and some aspects are lacking after all.

   Emperor Tai'an was in a good mood when he heard this, and said with a smile, "It's rare for the prince to come here, just to experience the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in the Great Zhou Dynasty."

  People boarded different dragon boats according to their official positions. Those who could board the same dragon boat as Emperor Tai'an were either important ministers from various ministries, or top honors, and then the royal family members such as King Jing.

   "Sit down." After Tai'an sat down, he raised his hand.

   The drums and the piano sounded, and the beautiful palace maids in palace costumes came in a row, placing the delicacies and wines in front of the crowd.

  The dragon boat is rowing, and the cool breeze blows in, which is refreshing.

   With the sound of "Giving Zongzi", a string of Zongzi came up.

   Emperor Tai'an smiled and said, "It is essential to eat rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival. The prince will taste whether it suits his taste."

  The rice dumplings, which are not much bigger than lychees, are wrapped with various colored threads, and the strings are small and exquisite, which is really pleasing.

  Prince Yuliu peeled off the zongzi leaf and ate it in one bite, saying, "It's delicious."

   Honey bean and red jujube dumplings are delicious. He praised them so much because Wang Mei robbed Da Zhou's concubine not long ago, and his attitude should always be softer.

   After eating the zongzi, he took a sip of wine and savored it carefully: "This is... Pu wine? We drink more realgar wine in Yuliu."

  The prince couldn't help but interject: "The realgar wine tastes a little strange."

   Emperor Tai'an flew over with a knife, and the prince closed his mouth.

   "Come on, all the ministers drink this cup together, safe and sound."

   Everyone raised their glasses together: "I wish Your Majesty good health and prosperity."

   After that, everyone toasted each other, and the scene became more and more lively. When the prince saw it was almost time, he went to Qi Shuo's place without a trace.

   (end of this chapter)