"Old Master Gu was indeed a wise man, it’s just a pity..." Crown Prince Qi Jingchen said with a laugh and a sigh, "he’s grown old..." Having put so much effort into pushing his son to the position of Chief of Staff, what he originally wanted was for the Gu Family to flourish continuously. However, sadly, Gu Sheng inherited only his father’s charm and not his intelligence, mistaking fish eyes for pearls and successfully igniting a fire in his own backyard.
Eunuch Lan didn’t say anything more. Being a servant, he could not get involved with state affairs, so the fact that His Highness was willing to discuss such matters with him was already a sign of extreme trust.
To be selfish, they were all on the same line as the Crown Prince, and only if the Crown Prince fared well would they too. Once... So should anything happen, everyone associated with the Crown Prince would perish. Therefore, his main task was to take good care of the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, it’s getting late, it’s time to rest," Eunuch Lan changed the topic, "You have early court tomorrow."
"A few more memorials to go through, and then I’ll retire," Crown Prince Qi Jingchen waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
Eunuch Lan had no choice but to wait outside the door.
Soon, footsteps approached, and then a woman dressed quite glamorously came into view, followed by a palace maid carrying a tray.
"Greetings to Lady Feng," Eunuch Lan said as he hurriedly bowed upon seeing her.
"Eunuch Lan, the Crown Prince has been working hard assisting the Emperor with official duties. This concubine has brought some bird’s nest porridge for His Highness..." Lady Feng Rong, the Crown Prince’s concubine, began with a charming smile, "Would you please announce my arrival?"
"Lady Feng is thoughtful," Eunuch Lan replied with his trademark simple smile, "However, the Crown Prince has ordered that state affairs are paramount and no interruption is permitted..." He paused for a moment, "How about this, Lady? If you give the bird’s nest porridge to this old servant, I can deliver it to the Crown Prince."
"This..." Lady Feng’s expression immediately darkened, but she dared not make a scene. After all, this was the Crown Prince’s study, a place strictly forbidden to anyone from the Harem. In the past, a favored beauty had lost her life over violating this rule, so she wouldn’t make such a foolish mistake. But she couldn’t bear not seeing the Crown Prince herself.
Eunuch Lan was in no hurry, just waiting there calmly for her to make a decision.
"Then I’ll trouble you with this task," Lady Feng decided after a moment, personally took the tray from the palace maid’s hands, and handed it to Eunuch Lan, "The bird’s nest porridge should be eaten while it’s hot to be nourishing; it won’t taste good once it’s cold..." She then slipped a purse into Eunuch Lan’s hand in passing.
"This old servant understands," Eunuch Lan took the tray, and also the purse, with a smile that brightened even more. He then turned and entered the study.
"Dog." Lady Feng glanced at Eunuch Lan’s retreating figure, cursing in her heart, before she turned to leave.
Inside the study, Crown Prince Qi Jingchen looked at the bird’s nest porridge in front of him and the corners of his mouth curled up in a faint smile. He looked at Eunuch Lan.
Understanding the signal, Eunuch Lan straightaway went to the corner and brought forth a cage covered with black cloth and placed it on the table. When opened, it revealed a small black mouse inside.
Crown Prince Qi Jingchen personally picked up the bird’s nest porridge and poured some into the small bowl inside the cage.
The mouse, having been hungry for two days, quickly began to eat.
Soon after it finished, the mouse suddenly fell down and started convulsing. However, after convulsing for a while, it returned to normal.
Eunuch Lan’s face was very ugly. Although he was just a eunuch, he considered the Crown Prince more important than his own life and would fight to the death against anyone trying to harm the Crown Prince.