Shao Yunan took out a crystal bottle from his pocket and Jiang Kangning was flabbergasted. He walked up to his older brother and handed it over, but Jiang Kangning didn’t take it. His expression was full of inquiry. Shao Yunan said, “Big brother, this is an immortal fruit.”

“Gasp… Immortal fruit?!”

“Yes, it’s an immortal fruit. It was Brother Tiger who led us to find it. After we picked this immortal fruit, there were unusual movements in the forest. We followed Brother Tiger and found a safe place to hide from the flood, so that’s why we’ve been gone for so many days.”

Jiang Kangning was dumbfounded. “Is this really an immortal fruit?” Shao Yunan nodded confidently. “This fruit grows on a luminous heavenly plant that glows. This heavenly plant illuminates the surroundings. Just to find this immortal plant, Brother Tiger led us for two whole days and nights. This plant grew in the deepest part of a deep cave. If it wasn’t for Brother Tiger leading the way, we would not have known that there was this kind of thing deep in the mountains of Xiushui Village.” 

“It seems like Brother Tiger and us are destined to be together. He likes to eat the things I make and his sons (Shao Yunan’s heart… [God knows what kind of relationship Big and Little Gold have with Brother Tiger]) also likes to play with Moxi and the others. This is Brother Tiger’s gift to us.” 

“Originally, I wanted to pick it and keep it, but after we came out, we learned that Xiushui Village also had a big disturbance. Shijing was also worried that someone might use this against you, so I discussed it with Shijing and decided you should present this immortal fruit to the Emperor.”

Jiang Kangning was so shocked that he couldn’t even react. Wang Shijing spoke out, “Big brother, such a large disturbance in Xiushui Village definitely cannot be hidden from the public. You have to seize the opportunity.”

Jiang Kangning licked his lips. “If this is really an immortal fruit, you guys… you’re really just going to hand it over?” Shao Yunan blinked. “Then big brother, do you dare to eat this?” Jiang Kangning immediately shook his head vigorously.

“Shijing and I wouldn’t dare either.” Jiang Kangning, “…”

“I’m afraid that if Shijing and I ate it, we might become something else entirely. This thing, I’m afraid only the Emperor would dare to eat.” Jiang Kangning’s voice softened. “Can this really be eaten?”

“Brother Tiger said it’s edible. I think Brother Tiger is like a tiger spirit that understands everything, except for not being able to talk.”

“Gasp…”

Shao Yunan said, “You can make up the origin of this immortal fruit, big brother. I have only one request. Give me the entire forest on the back of my family’s house, or declare it a restricted area where no one is allowed to enter. I discovered a large area of very valuable ancient tea trees there and they are all mine. Shijing and I endured the pain of parting with them for your sake. Otherwise, if our whole family shared this immortal fruit, we would definitely live for thousands of years.”

“Cough, cough, cough…” Jiang Kangning was choked by his own saliva. When he recovered, his first words were, “Living for thousands of years? Isn’t that becoming spirits?”

“It’s hard to say if eating it will make us spirits.”

“Get out of here. If eating it could really make us spirits, I wouldn’t dare to offer it to the Emperor.” He said this firmly, but Jiang Kangning was uncertain. What kind of fruit could cause such earth-shaking movements, floods, and strange beasts? If it wasn’t an immortal fruit, then what else could it be?

Jiang Kangning calmed down a bit and asked cautiously, “Is this really something you picked in the mountains?” Shao Yunan replied, “I’ll give birth tomorrow if I am lying to you!” Well, that was the most severe curse Shao Yunan could come up with.

Jiang Kangning was quiet for a while and asked, “Such a precious treasure, do you really want me to go and offer it to the Emperor? Even if someone takes this opportunity to denounce me, I can still think of a well thought out plan.”

Shao Yunan sighed and leaned on the desk table next to his big brother’s hand and said, “I can’t give it up, but I have to now. First, Big Brother, you only need to offer this, there are only benefits, and definitely in one fell swoop, you will become a great big red man in front of the Emperor.” Jiang Kangning nodded, certain of it.

“Secondly, Wei Hongzheng said some very unpleasant things when he kidnapped me, but there is one thing I have been worried about. The meaning of his words, the Empress’ health seems to be in bad shape. We are now on the same boat as the Emperor and the Empress. Our current power is too weak, so the Empress must never have any accidents. I guarantee that this, even if it’s not an Immortal Fruit, it’s definitely something good, or else Brother Tiger wouldn’t have taken us so far to such a dangerous place to pick it. Besides, in case this thing will turn you into a spirit after eating it, it’s better for the Emperor and Empress to become spirits than for us to become spirits.”

This way, if the immortal fruit still grows in the future and he takes it out again, these people at home will be able to accept it. Jiang Kangning wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He had never been so nervous and restless, even when his family encountered disasters. Seeing Jiang Kangning’s expression, Shao Yunan suggested, “How about I take a bite first and try?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Jiang Kangning immediately snatched the crystal bottle from Shao Yunan’s hand, his hands trembling a bit. After taking several deep breaths, Jiang Kangning held the crystal bottle tightly and said, “This matter must not be made public. Can you guarantee that no one else will know about it?”

“Absolutely no one!”

“That’s good.” Jiang Kangning pondered for a moment and said, “Now is a critical time for making tea and I cannot leave. However, I must personally escort this celestial fruit to the capital. It just so happens that after the tea is processed, my senior brother and I are going to the capital to report to the authorities. If someone wants to accuse me, by that time, it must have already been reported. At that time, I will reveal this celestial fruit and those who want to harm me or you will have to think twice.”

Shao Yunan was curious, “Brother, are you planning to make it public? Let everyone know?” Jiang Kangning replied, “If I only give it to the Emperor privately, this celestial fruit will have no significance. It’s better if we eat it ourselves. Only by letting everyone know can we explain the abnormality in Xiushui Village to the world, and then I, your elder brother, can completely free myself from this. You don’t understand these matters, so leave it to me to handle.”

“Good.” After thinking about it, Jiang Kangning handed the crystal bottle to Shao Yunan again. “You keep it first. I’m crowded here, so you can bring it back to me before I go to the capital.”

“Sure.” Shao Yunan took the bottle back and admired his brother’s integrity. At this point, Jiang Kangning suddenly remembered something. “Yunan, your stone is still with me.” Shao Yunan replied nonchalantly, “Oh, I gave it to you. I have many stones.”

“…” After a moment, Jiang Kangning asked, “Didn’t you say it was the only one you had?” Shao Yunan smirked, “Brother, you actually believed that.” Jiang Kangning raised his hand to hit him. Wang Shijing stood aside, smiling but not speaking, thinking to himself, ‘If Brother knew that Moxi had already eaten one, I wonder if he would faint.’

In the evening, Shao Yunan prepared a table full of dishes and specially cooked a soup of wolfberry leaves to help Jiang Kangning cool down. He also brought some red fruits (tomatoes) and long green melons (cucumbers) that he claimed to have found in the mountains. He cut the tomatoes into pieces and sprinkled them with some sugar powder. He washed the cucumbers and cut them into pieces to eat raw. He really missed the tomato and scrambled egg dish, but making it would reveal their secrets.

Jiang Kangning’s mood improved, and after finishing the meal, the blisters in his mouth had disappeared. He simply thought it was because he drank the wolfberry leaf soup, so he wasn’t in a hurry. In fact, all the water used for this meal was from the spiritual spring and the tomatoes and cucumbers were grown in the space, so naturally, they were good to eat. Jiang Kangning praised the red fruits and long green melons and even asked Wang Shijing to try growing some and send them to the capital. He had never tasted such sweet and refreshing fruits and melons. Wang Shijing immediately agreed, saying that with Brother Tiger around, eating feathered phoenix was no different from eating chicken. There were plenty of them deep in the woods.

The three children remained tight-lipped and focused on reading and practicing calligraphy in the study after dinner. Jiang Moxi was still holding the book “Record of Crafts.” Just as Shao Yunan arrived, Jiang Kangning took him and Wang Shijing to the tea-making room to see if there was anything that needed improvement.

While Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing were still in the forest, Emperor Yongming was in the Eastern Hall, raging with anger and smashing the jade cup he was drinking from. His trusted eunuch, Eunuch Guo, hurriedly sent a young eunuch out of the palace to urgently invite the imperial tutor since the Empress was ill, he didn’t dare to disturb him.

Eunuch Guo and Dai Jiang, who had returned from Xiushui Village, had been trying to persuade Emperor Yongming to calm down, stressing the importance of his well-being. However, the more they advised, the more enraged the Emperor became.

The tea and alcohol from Yongxiu County were obviously his, Emperor Yongming and his Empress, Dai Qiyu’s, business! The actions of the Marquis of Hengyuan were all a direct insult to him as the Emperor. There was also undeniable evidence on the desk in front of Emperor Yongming… a recipe for making tea found on one of Wei Hongzheng’s subordinates.

“Your Majesty, please calm down. Your well-being is of utmost importance.” Eunuch Guo tried to console Emperor Yongming, following him as the furious Emperor paced around.

Dai Jiang added, “Your Majesty, Shao Yunan was cunning. The recipe he revealed was fake while Wang Shijing avenged his wife and disabled Wei Hongzheng’s limbs, which helped to vent Your Majesty’s anger.”

Emperor Yongming was filled with rage. “Wei Hongzheng deserves to die! He and Wei Chunlin deserve to die! I won’t spare those who dare to defy me as the Emperor!”

Dai Jiang said, “Your Majesty, before I left, Shao Yunan asked me to tell you that he requests that Your Majesty personally interrogate Wei Hongzheng and his subordinates. He said Wei Hongzheng uttered some treasonous words that others are unbearable to hear and he couldn’t bring himself to repeat them. He didn’t tell me and didn’t want me to ask.”

Edited by: Jaisland

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