CHAPTER 187: CHAPTER 187: SLOGAN

Agarwood Pavilion, back courtyard.

Chu Shun and the others didn’t leave, waiting for Su Jin to return from the palace.

They didn’t have any urgent matters to tend to and were curious if Su Jin could borrow the ice cellar from the Emperor since they’d never heard of anyone borrowing something from the Emperor, making it quite intriguing, so they decided to wait in the backyard.

Previously, they were frequent visitors to the back courtyard of Agarwood Pavilion, but since Su Jin got married, they had to avoid suspicion, so they visited less often.

They were playing chess under the bamboo house.

The Hidden Guard went to the kitchen to fetch some fruits and pastries, along with the lotus seed soup that Prince NanAn specifically requested.

The last time, Prince NanAn couldn’t forget Su Jin’s iced lotus seed soup.

He was very interested in making ice.

Chu Shun, the Heir of Marquis Beining, and the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo all teamed up against Xie Jingchen.

Prince NanAn was busy with the iced lotus seed soup.

Once the icing was done, he brought it over and said, "One bowl per person."

"I’m not hungry," Xie Jingchen said.

"The Prince himself iced it, can’t ignore that," Chu Shun joked.

He picked up a bowl and ate it with relish.

But after finishing, it was quite a sharp sensation.

Five people raced to the outhouse.

Su Jin and Xingxing returned from the palace and stepped into the back courtyard.

Prince NanAn ran so fast he directly knocked Xingxing over.

Xingxing, "..."

Su Jin, "..."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Su Jin pulled Xingxing up.

"If you run any slower, it’ll be life-threatening!"

Before the words were finished, the person had already disappeared.

Xingxing patted the dust off her skirt.

Su Jin asked her, "Are you hurt?"

"No," Xingxing shook her head.

The master and servant entered the inner courtyard.

No one was seen in the backyard.

But there was the sound of rummaging coming from the bamboo house.

"Is there a thief?" Xingxing worried.

"Probably not," Su Jin replied.

She walked forward and saw the Hidden Guard rummaging through the bottles and jars on the shelf.

Xingxing frowned, "What are you looking for?"

The Hidden Guard turned and said, "Eldest Young Madam is back at the right time, do you have antidiarrheal medicine?"

Su Jin, "..."

Xingxing, "..."

"Prince NanAn was running so fast just to get to the outhouse?" Xingxing asked.

"Not just Prince NanAn, but also the Heir of Marquis Jingguo and the Eldest Young Master, just the same," the Hidden Guard sympathized.

"..."

So many people having diarrhea together?

Were they poisoned?

Su Jin handed the antidiarrheal medicine to the Hidden Guard and asked, "What did they eat?"

"They didn’t eat much, just some pastries, all in the bamboo house. I’ll send the medicine first," the Hidden Guard said.

"..."

The Hidden Guard had a headache.

The Heir of the Marquis Jingguo and the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo, to avoid competing for the outhouse, climbed over the wall and left. Who knows which outhouse they’re in; I still have to find them.

Su Jin hastily went to Xie Jingchen’s bamboo house.

Picked up the pastries to sniff them.

No problem.

The fruits were even less likely to have none.

She saw the leftover lotus seed soup next to the chessboard, picked it up, and sniffed it.

Su Jin had a black line across her face.

She returned to the bamboo house to fetch medicine and personally brewed it.

When Xie Jingchen and the others returned, she poured half a bowl for each.

Prince NanAn almost fainted, "Sister-in-law, have you found out who poisoned us?"

"I have," Su Jin said.

"Who is it? This Prince will definitely take his life," Prince NanAn said with a ferocious expression.

"It’s you," Su Jin said.

"..."

"Me?" Prince NanAn was stunned.

"How could I poison anyone? Even if I were to poison them, I wouldn’t poison myself," Prince NanAn pointed at Chu Shun and the others.

Su Jin held her forehead and said, "You accidentally mixed saltpeter into the lotus seed soup while icing it."

Prince NanAn, "..."

Chu Shun and the others wanted to cry, "We’ve never eaten anything you served, and the first time you did it, it almost cost us our lives."

Prince NanAn quickly apologized.

Heaven knows he really didn’t do it on purpose.

"Made your stomachs empty, I’ll treat you later," Prince NanAn said.

"Where do you get the money to treat?" Chu Shun asked.

"On credit, of course."

"..."

Considering his sincere apology, Chu Shun and the others let it slide.

Su Jin said, "When making ice, remind them to be careful not to mix saltpeter into the ice."

"Sister-in-law’s reminder is valued," Chu Shun said.

Prince NanAn decisively changed the topic and asked Su Jin, "Did you manage to borrow the ice cellar from the Emperor, Sister-in-law?"

Su Jin said nothing.

Xingxing grinned and said, "The Empress wouldn’t let the Emperor lend the ice cellar to my lady."

"How could we forget the Empress?" the Heir of Marquis Beining slapped his forehead.

"Aren’t you happy for not borrowing the ice cellar, little maid?" Chu Shun asked puzzledly.

Xingxing spilled the beans about what happened in the Imperial Study room.

The whole room was dumbstruck.

There were simply no words to describe Sister-in-law.

She went to borrow an ice cellar and returned with the position of Ice Well Supervisor.

Hmm.

And also the Cold Jade gifted by the Emperor.

They felt that the Cold Jade was gifted to the wrong person by the Emperor, it should have been given to the Empress to reduce her inner fire.

Poor Empress, meeting Sister-in-law was her bad luck.

As for all the ice blocks at Duke Chong’s Mansion, they’ll probably have to save them for winter.

Su Jin said, "As for the Ice Well Supervisor position, pick someone suitable."

"You’ll definitely have to pick someone from the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion," Chu Shun said.

"I bet no one would be willing," Xingxing said.

"Really? But it’s an official position, getting paid by the court," Prince NanAn said.

"We used to spend the court’s silver and eat the court’s grain, and we still do now, and even more so in the future," Xingxing said.

"..."

A single sentence can leave a person speechless.

Back then, it was taken by force.

Now it’s regularly issued by the court, how can they be the same?

But in Xingxing’s eyes, they’re the same, as long as it’s all from the Emperor.

Chu Shun and the others didn’t say much else, Xingxing being just a little maid, wouldn’t understand the significance of being an official.

She felt no one would be willing, but the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion might have everyone competing for it.

After resting for half a day, feeling their stomachs weren’t as painful, they bid farewell and left.

Returning to the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, they told Su Chong about what happened.

Su Chong proudly said, "As expected of my sister, bold and wise, intelligent and resourceful, with exceptional courage."

No one could refute these words.

Bravery aside, the entire Capital City knew the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion was exceedingly bold.

But such intelligence, why would she need to grab men on the street, truly puzzling.

"First, let’s find someone to take over the ice well," Prince NanAn urged.

Su Chong called in all the servants of Dongxiang Marquis Mansion and asked, "Who among you is willing to be the Ice Well Supervisor?"

No one spoke.

"No one is willing to go?" Su Chong asked again.

"We are meant to fight on the battlefield and kill enemies, we want to be generals!" the servants shouted their slogan.

Chu Shun, "..."

Prince NanAn, "..."

Heir of Marquis Beining, "..."

Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo, "..."

The slogan was shouted so loudly it was heard by the guards outside the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

Commander Tie’s mouth twitched.

This was a group of ruffians with grand ambitions.

After the slogan was chanted, the atmosphere was too quiet, making the wind sound a bit louder.

"I feel like we should say something now," Prince NanAn glanced around.

"A servant not wanting to be a general is not a good ruffian," said the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo.

"Good job! I’m rooting for you all!" shouted the Heir of Marquis Beining.