Chapter 2

Ling Xia was still in the middle of his breakfast when Mo Shou came knocking outside the door carrying a container that has a steaming hot medicine drink inside. The other maidservants recognized that it was the child tasked to deliver the medicine, so they promptly invited him in.

“Your highness, I’ve come to deliver the medicine!” Mo Shou carefully placed the container in front of Zi Li’s table and bowed while talking.

Zi Li could hardly swallow his food as he frowned and said: “Set it aside for now, I’ll drink it later.”

Ming Yue can’t refrain from dissuading Zi Li upon hearing him backing out on his promise: “It’s not that bad your highness. If you don’t drink it on time, the medicine won’t be completely effective! And besides, it’ll taste much bitter if it got cold!”

Zi Li knew that Ming Yue is someone who is strictly loyal and true to her duties, so he can’t back out on his word even if he wanted to! He could only helplessly sigh and tell Mo Shou: “Then pass it to me now!”

Mo Shou heeds, and quickly opened the container. He slowly and carefully took out the cup of warm medicine with dark and murky colored liquid, then puts it in front of Zi Li.

Zi Li pursed his lips and resigned himself in taking it. He took a few deep breaths and pour the medicine soup in his mouth in one shot, until one fourth of the amount was remaining where he couldn’t bear to drink anymore. He put the cup on top of the table and droop his head, about to start vomiting.

This had happened many times before that Ming Yue and Chun Lan could understand him clearly by heart. Therefore, they had prepared rock candy and tea in advance whenever Zi Li is about to drink his medicine. When they saw Zi Li beginning to vomit, they quickly passes over a retch bucket and tea to rinse with, then gave him a piece of rock candy to chew on.

He felt much better now that he’s done with it. He paused for a moment and said: “It’s finally over! Sigh, this stuff is really horrible! Not only its so bitter! It stinks that someone could vomit with one sniff! I can’t understand why other people would always say its a fragrant medicine when its really not!”

Ming Yu and Chun Lan couldn’t held in their soft chuckles from their pursed lips as they listened.

Chun Lan mockingly said: “Maybe those people drinks medicine soup concocted from root of Dahurian Angelica, grass of tonka beans, false pear(birchleaf pear), wild ginger plant, and root of celery wormwood so they can’t tell that the medicine was terrible!”

“Haha!” Zi Li didn’t understand anything so he just gave a hollow laugh.

“Your highness, since you have taken your medicine, Mo Shou is asking to be excuse first!”

“Hey! Wait a sec Mo Shou, can’t you stay here for a while? I have something I wanted to talk with you alone!” He waited for Ming Yue and Chun Lan to leave first, then Zi Li continued to say, “Are you upset with me, Mo Shou?”

“Mo Shou is not upset!”

Zi Li walked closely in front of Mo Shou, “Really? You aren’t angry with me for concealing my identity to you?”

“En. Mo Shou is not upset, I’m just caught off-guard!” Mo Shou raises his head and looked back at Zi Li while he was talking. Mo Shou was constantly worried at that time Zi Li suddenly disappear.

He didn’t know if big brother Su was sentenced by his majesty or someone else had kicked him out. He was very regretful not asking why big brother Su mistakenly ventured into the palace. If he had known earlier, he would have ask about it.

Mo Shou would frequently go to that small courtyard(where Zi Li got lost in vol 1 while wandering around) and waited for him, hoping that one day he could meet Zi Li again! But every single time would end up in disappointment, until he was ordered by Official Li to come along for a house visit to his majesty’s sleeping quarters only to encounter Zi Li!

But to meet him in this way by chance is beyond his expectations! He could still remember the face of that young man lying on that bed. His complexion was pale like paper, blood was spilling down to his jaw, and his small frame was sinking into the enormous dragon bed. That fragile look can make someone feel overwhelming pity!

Zi Li knew that Mo Shou is not speaking sarcastic in any way so he took a breath of relief and said: “It’s great that your not angry! Will you still call me big brother Su just like before?”

“Eh? But big brother Su can’t be big brother Su anymore. His highness and Mo Shou’s status is far apart, Mo Shou wouldn’t be as audacious as to overstep my boundaries!”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m royalty or not, if there’s disparity in our statuses!” Zi Li held onto Mo Shou’s shoulder and said, “Lil’ bro Mo! You ought to know that my title is nothing but in name only. My status is only one step above the rank of a prisoner. Are you saying that you do not want to have anything to do with me since you don’t want to be looked down?”

“N-no!” Mo Shou shook his head in a frenzy and said honestly said, “Mo Shou never had that thought in my mind!”

“Since that’s not the case, then how about calling me big brother Su like always?”

“Ok.” Mo Shou nodded while blushing in shame.

“We’re close enough to be brothers!” Zi Li bumped shoulders with him and valiantly declared, “In the future, your big brother Su has your back! If someone bullies you, find me at once and I’ll help you beat him up!”

“En! ok! But Mo Shou have something to ask. Why is his highness’s family name is Su? Isn’t his highness family name, An?”

“Tha-that is a bit complicated to answer, so let’s just forget about it! But since you know me by the name Su Zi Li, I will be your big brother Su!”

“Oh!”

Zi Li was planning something so he tried to act casual while asking: “*Cough *cough, hey Mo Shou. Do you remember that time when I’m helping you with grinding medicine, I accidentally touched some kind of powder then afterwards, my skin was painful and stinging a lot?”

“I do! I’ve forgotten to warn you that it shouldn’t be touched beforehand!” Mo Shou was a bit baffled on why Zi Li suddenly raised that matter.

“Do you still have some of those powder?”

“I do. There’s a lot of those in the medicine storage room!”

“Can you get me some?”

“Of course, I’m in charge of the storage room!”

“That’s great! Can you fetch some and give it to your big brother Su?”

“Sure, I’ll go and ask Official Li when I get back. He’ll definitely allow me!”

“No, no, no. When I said to get me some, I meant secretly. No one must know about it!”
“Eh? You’re asking me to steal it?” Mo Shou asked without batting an eyelid.

“Tha-that’s not what I meant. I’m only asking you to take it secretly, understand? You’re in charge of the medicine storage area right? Then you have some authority to pocket some of those stuff, or am I wrong?”

Mo Shou blankly shakes his head.

“Ok, ok, let’s me put it this way, there’s someone else taking care of the medicine storage room with you right? For sure those people are entirely different from you who are upright in doing your duties, yes? They definitely pilfered their share of medicine herbs without anyone knowing ok? If they’re taking them but you aren’t, they will think that you are acting too virtuous and you don’t want to be a part of their group. As a result, they will definitely gang up on you and slander you! Therefore, in order for you to be able to work in a harmonious environment with good connections, it’s necessary to smear a bit of dirt to yourself with this novel experience! That way, they won’t think that you are different. They will accept you rather then ousting you!” Zi Li sincerely patted his shoulder and continued, “That’s why Mo Shou, you must go and steal the medicine, uh no, secretly take the medicine! Go, and get me that medicine as I told you. It shall be your proof for them to see, that you and them are not different at all!”
Mo Shou stared blankly at Zi Li, then suddenly, his eyes opened widely and was shining as if everything had become clear. Zi Li can’t help but pull his head back out of guilt.

“Now I finally understand why they were always making things hard for me in everything. Thanks big brother Su for the tips! I will definitely live up to your expectation in secretly taking the medicine! I’ll take my leave big brother Su. Once I got the medicine, I’ll shall come back at once and give it to you!”

Zi Li watches Mo Shou’s back as he leaves. All of a sudden, he felt a bit of regret on influencing him! ——

Bonbon wanted to say:

Did Zi Li just blackened the heart of his pure younger brother? I guess he’s already in character as the older sibling x’D

I wonder what his plan with it though? I only know who is he gonna use it to, taken in account the effect of the medicine ;-D

This chapter is longer than the usual short chapters of HMH~ Though it still just half of what the normal length of TMCRVP heheh…

The next release will be TMCRVP so stay tuned for some steamy actions to come~

Thank you everyone for showing support and for this sleepy lil bunny ^.^