<>

  "Damn it! I lost my voice…… lost my voice, not **!" *Cough cough cough* Yan Ran being excessively indignant, endured the burning of his throat to hoarsely holler out.

  The hoarse damaged throat travelled to everyone’s ear causing everyone to simultaneously take a step back.

  Xia Yuqing had a stunned face when she fixed her attention to Yan Rna’s unsightly complexion due to him forcing sounds out of his damaged throat. "Lost your voice? It’s because of some injuries to the throat and not what I am thinking of, that …… **?

  Seeing Xia Yuqing finally starting to understand, Yan Ran could care less about the pain in his throat. His head throbbing a few times, looked towards the expressionless Leng Ruofeng in a plea for help.

  Leng Ruofeng coughed lightly, then rushed forward to explain. "Niang Niang, it’s really all a misunderstanding. The Grand Tutor did injure his throat last night, but not the way that Niang Niang is implying……"

  Xia Yuqing contemplated for a moment, but unwilling to give up she stared at Yan Ran. "If there was nothing, why was the Grand Tutor shouting the entire night for no reason, and hurt his throat?"

  *Cough Cough* "Regarding that, this Lao nu can explain." After recovering from that bolt from out of the blue and back in high spirits, the housekeeper after hearing Xia Yuqing’s question answered.

  After aging, people were always unwilling to be left out. Yan Ran’s family housekeeper’s favourite form of ’not willing to be left out’ was to gather all of Gong zi’s various awkward incidents then announcing it to everyone. Why be entertained alone when you could be entertained together.

  Ignoring Yan Ran’s threatening gazes, the housekeeper threw his small beard to the side and diligently spoke. "Yesterday night, a bandit had entered our residence. Besides failing in stealing the object, he was on the contrary discovered by our house’s Gong zi. Our young Gong zi single handedly confronted that bandit for a total of three hundred rounds of fighting and with great difficulty finally defeated the bandit. But who would have thought that the bandit besides having excellent martial arts, was proficient in hidden weapons as well. Right when he launched his secret weapons, he caught our young Gong zi unaware, thus he unfortunately fell into the bandit’s plot. Laughing the entire night to then finally calm down, that is how he came to this state……"

  "……" Finally learning about the real circumstances, everyone once again became silent. Could this be the legendary…… Don’t celebrate too soon, thing could still go wrong?!

  After hearing the whole story, Xia Yuqing’s small lips shriveled a bit, appearing to be disappointed. From time to time, she would face Yan Ran and cast him a resentful glance.

  Seeing her face, Yan Ran’s corner of the mouth was drawn out. He somehow felt that without knowing, he was strongly repressed. That Ya tou has a disappointed expression? So her earlier dignified heap of consolement was all bullshit? This is really…… enough!

  "But, the rumours outside obviously said that the Grand Tutor encountered the bandit, suffered ** and all was lost! From beginning to end, I confirmed with loads of bystanders, it doesn’t make sense for me to have misheard!" Xia Yuqing confusedly mumbled to herself.

  Yan Ran’s pair of eyes suddenly contracted, and in a short while arrived on Feng Tingye who has been standing behind Xia Yuqing the entire time.

  Feng Tingye had his eyebrows lifted and smiled slightly while looking at Yan Ran with mercy. "Ai Fei, who could these bystanders you were mentioning be? Where are they?"

  Hearing this voice, Xia Yuqing’s cute lovable Ya Tou stepped forward with fear and trepidation. "Jian Guo Huang Shang. This Nu bi is the bystander, but this Nu bi did not do this on purpose. This morning, Nu bi just coincidentally overhead Xiao Lizi Gong Gong mentioning that the Grand Tutor is not coming to court because he was sick. A bit curious, I asked him a few questions. Also Lu Rui Jie jie was bringing up that the capital wasn’t safe lately, so Nu bi only then raised the subject of the Grand Tutor. Merely those ** words came from Your Majesty’s side. Nu Bi just transmitted some of this information, Your Majesty, please be merciful! Even if Nu Bi had a ginormous courage, I would not personally start a rumour!"

  With the implication that the rumour was originally like that and she had only served as the megaphone to spread it for all to hear, in the end it is not her business. Even if something goes wrong, they shouldn’t be looking for her.

  "Xiao Lizi?" Feng Tingye’s gaze sweeped behind himself, then finally fell on a dazed eunuch’s body who was standing on the left side.

  Having his name called out, Xiao Lizi was baffled and looking all around. By the time he was pushed forward by another eunuch behind him, then did he realize that the person all these big characters in the room were discussing was…… himself.

  "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! Nu Cai did not do this on purpose. Nu Cai really did not spread these rumours. Nu Cai also does not know for what reason it became like this. Nu Cai……" The young eunuch trembling from head to toes like he had a cold, suddenly with a plop, fell to the ground with a yell.

  "Your Majesty?" Xia Yuqing looked distracted. Turning her head she saw Feng Tingye’s dark gloomy appearance which was hard to read. "Your Majesty, that eunuch was calling you?"

  Feng Tingye, eyes chilly, coldly spoke. "Lift your head."

  The eunuch’s body completely rigid, slowly lifted his head. A delicate and pretty face still possessing the innocence of a child and a big grin revealing white teeth, no matter how you looked at it, it looked a bit foolish! Wait……

  "Xiao Lizi Gong gong, what’s the story behind the two grooves?" Xia Yuqing pointed at the eunuch’s mouth which originally housed two incisors but now were empty holes, and curiously questioned.

  "To answer Niang Niang, that was from yesterday when Nu Cai was in the reeds last night, not being careful I stumbled off the steps."

  "You said you got up at night, where did you go?" Xia Yuqing leaned in, once more asking another question.

  "The reeds."

  "Where?"

  "The reeds."

  Xia Yuqing’s complexion in order, suddenly changed the topic. "What did you say was the reason why the Grand Tutor wasn’t able to attend the court this morning?"

  "He fell ill." The eunuch foolishly answered.

  "What kind of illness?"

  "***."

  "***"

  The eunuch’s tapered voice consented and spread the room with his uninterrupted response. After the room once again fell into a deep silence.

  Xia Yuqing swallowed her saliva, smiling, she turned to face Yan Ran’s dark expression. "Gorgeous Tutor, don’t be too angry. Would damaging your body be worth it? Ben Gong can see that this little eunuch did not do it on purpose. Could you be the magnanimous person and forgive him."

  Yan Ran’s calm and collected face looked like it was able to squeeze out some black ink from his dark face. Tearing the handkerchief of one of the Ya Tou’s on the side and using tea to replace ink, he wrote the following words: "If you ever let other people hear the two words ’selling yourself’ from your mouth, this Grand Tutor will remove your tongue! Also, go to everyone that you have spoken this matter to and give them a proper explanation. "

  Writing to this point, Yan Ran’s hand was faintly trembling. He nearly punctured the thin handkerchief with his writing. This Grand Tutor’s reputation couldn’t be ruined like this due to the rumours of a mere eunuch. That would be preposterous!

  "Ah? There still needs to be an explanation?" The eunuch’s foolish expression became somewhat awkward.

  "What? Is it too difficult?" Feng Tingye raised his eyebrows.

  "Pu……" Finally someone couldn’t hold back their laughter. In a flash, everyone’s eyes rested on the bystander who let out the sound.

  The bystander seeing everyone look over quickly smiled and respectfully spoke. "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor probably doesn’t know this but this Xiao Lizi Gong Gong is famous in the palace for being a gossip queen. Every day besides loving to gossip with the palace maids, he also loves speaking to the old ladies who washes clothes about the daily happenings in the palace. And everyone in the palace knows that those old ladies gossip incessantly. After half a day’s of labour, I’m afraid Grand Tutor’s rumours have already been……"

  The news already spreading throughout the palace, it has even went as far to being transmitted outside the palace! The bystander’s words had already noted this point, how could everyone there not understand his meaning. In that moment everybody stared at Yan Ran with sympathy.

  This is all because of that leak of the tragedy! Xia Yuqing sighed with sorrow, then felt a black shadow swooshing by her body at lightning speed.

  In the next second, a cry came out. That reckless eunuch who still hadn’t clearly understood the situation had been knocked unconscious by a lethal weapon.

  Xia Yuqing solemnly looked at the shoe print on the eunuch’s fair face. In her heart she gave him a silent tribute, then turned around to see a pair of eyes as cold as a tenacious ghost. Staring at Yan Ran, she gave a forced laugh. "Gorgeous Tutor, you don’t have to get angry. Getting angry would just damage your body and cause a certain someone’s heart to ache. Ben Gong knowing that Gorgeous Tutor was ill specially called the imperial kitchen to make some tonic to help supplement Grand Tutor’s body. Lu Rui, why are you not bringing the tonic forward. Quickly, quickly."

  Receiving Xia Yuqing’s signal with her eyes, she rushed forward and respectfully said. "Grand Tutor, this red date ginseng stew with pig trotters is what Niang Niang told Nu bi to specially get the imperial kitchen to prepare for you."

  "Red date ginseng stew with pig trotters." Feng Tingye’s pair of eyes looked a bit dangerous. Looking at Xia Yuqing with a few complaints on his mind. Since his woman had entered the palace, she had barely given him any attention. Yet now here she is, preparing meals for another man. Really…… it looks like he will have to teach this family rabbit, who truly is her owner!

  Feeling sour, Feng Tingye’s thoughts on this hadn’t even began for long when he was disrupted by the Grand Tutor’s house keeper.

  *Cough Cough* "Consort Qing, according to what this old servant knows, Red Date Ginseng Pig Trotters is customarily given to woman who has just recently given birth and are currently breastfeeding."

  "……" Yan Ran was extending his rigid hand when it paused in mid-air. Still haven’t fully recovered, his heart yet again was shot by another arrow.

  He Wenzhong noticing that it has become deathly silent again, suspiciously turned his head flabbergasted. "Wow, so even men can breastfeed?! Xiao Ran you are really incredible!"

  Yan Ran: "……"

  <>