Yue Mingxuan took out a small piece of broken gold and pressed it into Shuyu’s hand.
After so polite protest, he accepted it.
Once they parted ways, Yue Mingxuan returned directly to his courtyard.
Sui He who was tidying the room was surprised to see him back so early. "Your Highness, why have you returned so early today?"
Yue Mingxuan replied with a hint of frustration, "I went to wait by the stump, but no rabbit showed up."
Sui He’s brow furrowed. "Your Highness, did you go to catch a rabbit?"
Yue Mingxuan sighed. "Yes... I tried to catch two, but neither could be caught."
Sui He continued her work, speaking without pause. "Your Highness, if you want rabbits, it’s not difficult. There’s a group of them raised behind the Imperial Kitchen. I can catch two for you right away."
Yue Mingxuan shook his head. "These rabbits are not those rabbits."
Seeing him speak in riddles, Sui He asked, "Your Highness, if there’s sothing troubling you, why not speak openly? I can help you consider it."
Yue Mingxuan picked up a teacup and sipped water, still feeling vexed. "I want to et Gongsun Xing and the young master of the Sword Forge Villa, who just arrived at the palace. But to see them, I need the Imperial Consort Zhou’s permission."
"In that case, Your Highness could try answering the questions set by Miracle Doctor Gongsun," Sui He suggested after so thought. "If you can’t answer once, try twice. Can’t answer twice, try three tis. He didn’t set any limit on how many tis soone can attempt it."
Sui He’s words illuminated a clear path for the frustrated Yue Mingxuan.
He had been trapped in his own cycle of overthinking, but now he realized another approach.
"Sui He, you truly are my Zhuge Liang," he said.
Barefoot, he leapt from the bed to hug Sui He.
With the wisdom accumulated over thousands of years in his mind, if he tried a few more tis, even a blind cat could catch a dead mouse.
The next day, Yue Mingxuan arrived early outside the Imperial Consort Zhou’s hall.
The eunuchs who opened the hall doors were startled.
"Prince Yue... you’re up so early today," one said in surprise.
Yue Mingxuan said, "Eunuch, please do the favor of sending a ssage, just say that Prince Yue has co to answer Miracle Doctor Gongsun’s questions."
The eunuch sized Yue Mingxuan up with a glance before walking inside. Yesterday, dozens of people had co to attempt the questions, yet not a single one had answered correctly.
He suspected that this Prince Yue would likely be making the trip in vain as well.
Not long after the eunuch went in, the palace gates opened and Xie Lianhua erged.
"Oh? What wind has blown the Flower God here today?"
Yue Mingxuan who saw that it was Xie Lianhua felt a flash of annoyance.
"I’m here to answer the questions," he said firmly.
Xie Lianhua looked him over from head to toe, perplexed. Was this really the sa naive prince she had known before?
She could hardly connect the confident, composed figure before her with the clumsy Yue Mingxuan of the past. Yet there was no mistaking the physique; it was him.
Seeing Yue Mingxuan’s face, flawless and striking, a twinge of jealousy stirred in her heart.
"I wondered why there were crows cawing at my window so early this morning. So it’s the Flower God gracing us with his presence," she said, her tone tinged with envy.
Yue Mingxuan cast her a sidelong glance. There is truth in the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder or at least sharper; a person can grow substantially in three days apart.
Yet despite following the Imperial Consort Zhou for so ti, Xie Lianhua still hadn’t picked up even a hint of tact.
"Are you going to notify them or not?" he demanded.
His ti was precious and he had no patience to waste it haggling with Xie Lianhua.
Getting caught off guard by Yue Mingxuan’s bluntness, Xie Lianhua’s expression soured.
The Imperial Consort Zhou usually delegated the reception of question-answering guests to her and now Yue Mingxuan had practically delivered himself into her hands.
How could she not make things difficult?
"Of course I will notify them, but there are too many people ahead of you. Co back tomorrow morning," she said, about to gesture to the attendants to close the palace doors.
Yue Mingxuan imdiately saw through her intention to obstruct him.
He stepped forward two paces and placed his hand on the palace door.
"Miracle Doctor Gongsun has set these questions so that all talented individuals, male or female, may attempt to answer them. Tell , if the Emperor or the Imperial Consort Zhou learned that you arbitrarily turned away a participant, displeasing Miracle Doctor Gongsun, what would happen to you?"
"You!!!" Xie Lianhua recognized the threat in his words, her face flushing crimson with anger. "Yue Mingxuan, how dare you threaten ?"
Yue Mingxuan shook a finger calmly. "I’m not threatening you. I’m kindly reminding you. After all, we were once ’good friend.’ How could I watch you make such a grave mistake and do nothing? Besides, as the Flower God, my words carry a certain weight."
Hearing this, Xie Lianhua, though angry, had no choice but to relent. Without a word, she turned and walked into the hall.
Yue Mingxuan who saw her concession quickly followed closely.
They passed along a small path and arrived at the flower hall beside Tingfeng Pavilion.
Xie Lianhua went directly to report to Tingfeng Pavilion, while Yue Mingxuan entered the flower hall and seated himself.
After a short while, Xie Lianhua returned, her deanor sour.
She then handed a piece of paper to Yue Mingxuan and speaking with an unpleasant tone. "You must answer within the ti it takes for an incense stick to burn, otherwise, even if you finish, it won’t count as passing."
In reality, Miracle Doctor Gongsun had not specified any ti limit; this was purely her own sche to make things difficult for Yue Mingxuan.
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