Chapter 67: The Turbulence of Youth

  As soon as the ointment touched his skin, a cool sensation spread throughout his body, and the scorching pain on his back instantly disappeared. Qin Lei glared at Qin Shui with a grin: "Pretty awesome, huh?"

  "In half an hour, all bruises will disappear; otherwise, it's up to Your Highness to decide the punishment."

  "Go ahead for now and come back later in the afternoon. You don't have to send lunch over."

  Qin Shui bowed and paid his respects, then quietly closed the door behind him.

  Since waking up early yesterday morning, Qin Lei hadn't slept a wink. He forced himself to stay awake and sent off Qin Baoshui, then leaned against the pillow and fell fast asleep.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~

  When he woke up, it was already pitch dark outside. He sat up and stretched his body, only to find that there was no pain on his back at all.

  Hearing someone outside, Qin Lei asked who was outside. Then he heard the voice of Qin Huishui: "Your Highness, it's me, Qin Huishui."

  Qin Lei let him in, and after Qin Suishui came in, he fumbled around to find the oil lamp and lit it with a match.

  The lamp light was dim and gloomy like a chrysanthemum. Having been accustomed to the bright lights of the Eastern Palace, Qin Lei felt slightly desolate.

  Qin Shiui placed a food box on the table, took out four dishes and a bowl of white rice from inside. Then he pulled out an oil paper package from his bosom and said to Qin Lei: "Your Highness, it's time for dinner."

  It's indeed the luxurious and corrupt life that can wear down one's will. Waking up to his own weakness, Qin Lei let out a self-deprecating laugh and sat down at the table. He said with a smile: "Let's eat, I'm actually quite hungry."

  Only when he got closer did he see that there was stir-fried tofu, bok choy, soybean sprouts and stir-fried broad beans. The vegetarian dishes were so unappetizing that he couldn't help but laugh at Qin He and say: "Have you moved me to the Temple of the Prime Minister? How come I don't see any meat?"

  Qin Si's eyes narrowed as he smiled and said, "Your Highness, this is the rule of the mansion. The dragon sons and grandsons who temporarily reside in the mansion can only see meat on the first and fifteenth of each month."

  Qin Lei wrinkled his nose and smiled slyly: "Then what's in your hand?"

  Qin Shui opened the layered oil paper package by the water's edge, chuckling: "I knew Your Highness wouldn't be used to such bland and plain food, so I went to Wei Xiang Ju to buy roast goose for you."

  The oil paper package was opened, and a golden-brown roasted goose with crispy skin appeared before Qin Lei's eyes. The enticing aroma made Qin Lei's mouth water. He chuckled at Qin Sui Shui and said, "Sui Shui, good comrade!" Without caring whether Qin Sui Shui understood what 'comrade' meant or not.

  Qin Shiui took out a small wine jug and a small wine cup from his bosom, placed them on the table, and said with a smile: "Eating roast goose and drinking old wine is the best flavor in the world." As he spoke, he poured wine for Qin Lei.

  Qin Lei's eyebrows opened and he smiled, saying: "Si Shui, don't make things too comfortable for the one serving under me. Otherwise, when I go out, be careful or you'll be caught to serve as a soldier."

  Qin Shi's face lit up with joy and laughter, and he kowtowed to Qin Lei, saying: "Thank you for your kindness, thank you for your kindness!"

  Qin Lei lightly kicked him and laughed, scolding: "Look at your little temper, get up and accompany this lord to have a drink."

  "Then does Your Highness agree?" Qin Shui smiled and asked.

  Qin Lei rolled his eyes and said: "It depends on your mood. If you're willing to drink with me, His Highness, everything can be discussed. Sit down."

  Qin Shui got busy, his buttocks only touched a fifth of the round stool, and he smiled: "Today, Your Highness is slightly injured and should not drink too much wine. I'll just sell this small pot for now. Tomorrow, I'll sell more to accompany Your Highness."

  Qin Lei looked at his slightly embarrassed old face and knew he was short of money. Without saying a word, he picked up the wine cup and took a sip, feeling the spicy and lingering flavor, and praised: "Good wine, good wine."

  Qin Shui's old face smiled like a flower, and he accompanied the smile with: "People say that the roast goose at Weixiangju paired with the old roast from Xianren is the ultimate delicacy in the mortal world. I suppose it's not too shabby, and it should still be worthy of your honor's palate."

  Qin Lei heard this, reached out and tore off a piece of crispy roasted skin with golden brown meat, put it in his mouth and chewed slowly. The goose skin was fragrant and delicious, the goose meat was tender and juicy. He took another sip of old wine, the spicy flavor mixed with the duck meat, turning into a fragrant and mellow aroma, which made him feel comfortable and refreshed after eating, sweeping away the gloom in his heart.

  Qin Lei closed his eyes and indulged for half a day before slowly saying: "It's hard to go from luxury to frugality..."

  He no longer allowed Qin He to, reached out and tore the roast goose in half from the middle. Put one half into his own bowl, sipped wine while slowly savoring, only satisfied after a full minute, let out a breath, leaned back against the chair and lightly sighed: "A group of wild geese fly by in the sky, half a roast goose crawls on the ground. Delicious food, good poetry."

  Qin Shui didn't quite catch whether he said it was delicious or a good poem. But undoubtedly, Your Highness is very satisfied.

  Qin Lei finished comfortably, got up and said to Qin Shuishui: "Shuishui, this roasted goose is definitely not cheap. I think you usually can't afford it either. There's still half a goose that I haven't touched, take it back for the kids to try."

  Qin Shui's eyes were also fixed on the roasted goose, but he was thinking of his own children. Seeing the emperor being so considerate to his subordinates, he couldn't help but say in a choked voice: "Your Majesty..." and was unable to continue speaking.

  Qin Lei said calmly: "Tomorrow you go to the first household in Tie Suo Lane, find a man named Shen Qing, he will tell you what to do."

  Qin Shui nodded and said, "A small person will not make a mess of things."

  Qin Lei thought for a moment, then smiled and said to him: "Ask him for some more money, and say to him: 'Your Highness is now in a difficult situation, the monks of the Zongren Temple can't eat, let Qin Xiu Shui buy food for them, give us some living expenses.'"

  Suddenly thought of something, asked Qin Huai Shui: "I should have a car thing, do you know where it is?"

  Qin Shui nodded and said: "It was delivered in the afternoon, I received it and put it in the outer courtyard."

  Qin Lei instructed: "You take down two boxes from the car at will."

  Qin Shi went out for a while and came back with two exquisite food boxes. Qin Lei said to him, "This is the prince's gift to me, fearing that I would be inconvenienced. You take the two boxes back to let the children taste them too."

  Qin Si water was moved and wanted to kneel down again, Qin Lei shook his head and said: "Small favors don't need to be remembered. Go home early, the children must be waiting anxiously."

  Qin Shi nodded and said, "Yes, especially the little one, must have started crying at home." He still gave Qin Lei a bow before hugging the things Qin Lei rewarded him with and leaving with a swagger.

  Qin Lei gazed at his back, suddenly envying Qin Xiushui. He looked up at the moon in the sky and let out a long sigh before turning around to go back inside.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Qin Lei settled down in this small courtyard, and he had Qin Huishui move to his side, where he became a diligent servant. Every day, apart from exercising, was spent idly chatting with Qin Huishui. Before every meal, Qin Huishui would run out, and when he returned, he would be carrying a food box in the style of the Zongren Fu. But when opened, inside were pastries from the Osmanthus Flower Building, roasted chicken from the Drunken Wind Pavilion, fish soup from the Riverside Building, and other such things, never repeating any dishes.

  Days are always slow in monotony, especially when facing an old man. So Qin Lei often spreads a mat under the big locust tree, uses cool water to calm down a western melon, and then lies on the mat for an entire afternoon, staring at the floating clouds in the sky without saying a word.

  At this time, Qin Heishui would take a fan and sit on one side to drive away mosquitoes for Qin Lei. The old man liked to talk, and the young master was also a talker, so the two of them were very lively when they chatted and laughed together. However, every afternoon, Qin Lei would often become silent, making Qin Heishui feel stifled for an entire afternoon, feeling extremely depressed.

  Qin Shui is depressed, Qin Lei is even more depressed.

  He originally had no ideals, just like most thirty-year-olds, the childhood ideals all turned into beautiful memories, only occasionally appearing in dreams, turning into a smile during deep sleep. But he would never ponder how to achieve it when awake.

  However, when he became the prince of Qin State, he suddenly found that there seemed to be an endless fire burning in his chest. This fire was constantly igniting his ambition and stimulating him to try something. Even if he encountered the emperor's cold treatment, even if he was imprisoned in the imperial clan's mansion, this fire still did not go out.

  "Is it just the turmoil of youth?" Qin Lei often asked himself.

  Qin Lei felt that if this ball of fire was not released, he might be burned to ashes. Fortunately, it wasn't long before he finally waited for the day of release.

  After a torrential rainstorm, Jiaqin Wang sent someone to inform Qin Lei that the courtyard where he lived had been neglected for years and was washed away by last night's storm. If it wasn't repaired, there was a possibility of collapse at any time. During the repair, Qin Lei was transferred to the northern mountain royal ranch for seclusion.

  Qin Lei gazed at the three newly tiled houses that had been renovated for his accommodation, trying to find a hint of their long-neglected state.

  Until Qin He came over and said softly: "Your Highness, it's time to get on the carriage."

  He smiled self-deprecatingly and turned to board the carriage of the Zong people's mansion, leaving the small courtyard where he had stayed for nine days.

  ----------------------------------------------------- Divider -----------------------------------------------------

  Today is the third update, and it seems like I've reached 10,000 characters. Everyone please vote and collect! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~