Knowing the good deeds their young master had done, Tian Kangtai prepared a cartload of generous gifts with great haste.
As they were about to depart, the Duke of Qian glanced at the gifts and instructed Tian Kangtai to add two more baskets of sweet potatoes.
Tian Kangtai immediately complied.
Sweet potatoes were never in short supply at their residence; these were not the ones brought back from Ninghe, as Ninghe sweet potatoes were not Xie Jiang's private property.
They owned several plots of land on both the upper and lower slopes of Mount Xian, where sweet potatoes were harvested half a month earlier than those in Ninghe.
The Duke of Qian nodded in satisfaction, looking at the two large baskets of sweet potatoes.
He told Xie Jiang, "Since you are going to apologize, you must show some sincerity."
Regardless of whether sweet potatoes were agricultural products, they were considered a luxury item in the Great Yu Dynasty at this time.
Xie Jiang nodded vigorously. If the Duke of Qian said it showed sincerity, then it showed sincerity.
As the three of them mounted their horses to depart, Marquis Yongxin suddenly remembered something and leaned closer to the Duke of Qian, saying, "Wouldn't it show even more sincerity if we made this young fellow bare his chest and tie a bundle of thorns to his back?"
Xie Jiang glared fiercely at Marquis Yongxin, annoyed that he, who always came to her residence to freeload, would offer such a terrible idea!
The Duke of Qian glanced at Xie Jiang and shook his head, telling Marquis Yongxin it was not appropriate.
"Originally, only those who attended the banquet that evening knew about this matter, and it caused discussion within our small circle. If we were to have this young fellow walk around with thorns on his back, wouldn't it become known to everyone and cause a huge stir? His Highness the Third Prince would likely be even more displeased."
Marquis Yongxin nodded, finding the reasoning sound. "Then let's go quietly and return quietly."
Unable to witness the spectacle of this young fellow carrying thorns as a form of apology, Marquis Yongxin silently lamented. However, given this young fellow's arrogant and ostentatious way of doing things, he would surely see it one day.
Noticing Xie Jiang's glare, he couldn't resist adding a jab, "This young fellow is so frail; after drinking just a couple of cups of wine, he becomes demonically intoxicated. Afterward, he even fell ill. If you make him bare his chest and carry thorns, he'll likely be bedridden for half a month."
The Duke of Qian agreed wholeheartedly. "It's a good thing she has Physician Lou in her residence; otherwise, if she were to visit today, she might not even be able to get out of bed."
He then asked Xie Jiang, "What's wrong with you, young one? Are your bones so weak? Do you have some hidden ailment?"
Xie Jiang couldn't ride her horse at full speed, so she could only follow them at their leisurely pace. "Perhaps I was ambushed years ago. I do have a minor issue."
The Duke of Qian was somewhat surprised. "Physician Lou's medical skills are so exquisite; it's no exaggeration to call them miraculous. Old Lu's long-standing ailment was almost completely cured in such a short time, yet he can't cure your hidden ailment?"
Marquis Yongxin was also greatly astonished upon hearing this, scanning Xie Jiang up and down. "Who is so capable that they could ambush you, young fellow? How badly must they have injured you for Physician Lou to be unable to cure it?"
Xie Jiang replied lazily, "Even with Yi An's excellent medical skills, she's not a celestial being. Besides, who says my hidden ailment cannot be cured? It's just that it's healing slowly. With a few more years of recuperation, it should be fine."
The Duke of Qian said, "You are still so young, my child. Don't let any illness take root. Take good care of yourself."
Xie Jiang smiled and said, "I've noted it, young master. I will take good care of myself."
Before long, the three stopped at the back gate of a mansion.
No wonder the two elders were not in a hurry; their horses moved at the pace of mules. The Marquis of Nanhai's residence was formerly Prince Qing's old dwelling, and it was not far from the Third Prince's mansion.
The Duke of Qian also explained why they were using the back gate.
It was the seating arrangement at the palace banquet the night before that had made the previously neglected Xia Rongyu suddenly become highly sought after overnight.
Previously, due to his health, Xia Rongyu had lived a reclusive life, and the Third Prince's mansion was practically deserted. Seeing the Emperor's inclination to favor Xia Rongyu, many people became anxious and rushed to curry favor.
Xia Rongyu was not an arrogant person; he continued to act as he had before these past two days, refusing to see anyone who came to visit and publicly announcing that he was unwell and needed rest.
Those people were not entirely without discernment; they were not currently blocking the main gate demanding an audience, but there were countless pairs of eyes watching them in secret. It was better for them to apologize discreetly.
Xie Jiang had no objections to which gate they used.
When the two elders brought Xie Jiang to visit, the servants of the Third Prince's mansion dared not delay and quickly invited the three in, serving them tea and refreshments.
Xia Rongyu had already ordered that the gates be closed to visitors. The fact that this servant had invited them in was not due to ignorance but because the visitor was the Duke of Qian.
It was well known that the Duke of Qian did not curry favor with anyone, not even the Emperor, and had even deliberately doused the Emperor's "hot stove" with cold water.
His Highness merely disliked those who sought to advance themselves; he was not truly isolated from the world and uninterested in worldly affairs.
Indeed, when His Highness heard that the Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin, along with the Marquis of Nanhai, had come to visit, he thought for a moment before changing his clothes and going out to meet them.
Seeing Xia Rongyu approaching the flower hall through the open window, the Duke of Qian put down his teacup and, with one hand, lifted Xie Jiang.
Xie Jiang wore a look of utter resignation. She used to grab others like this; now she was like a chick.
"Your Highness the Third Prince."
"Your Grace the Duke, Your Lordship the Marquis, Marquis of Nanhai."
As Xia Rongyu entered the flower hall, both parties exchanged polite greetings.
Xia Rongyu's gaze lingered on Xie Jiang for a moment, intentionally or unintentionally.
In the eyes of Marquis Yongxin and the Duke of Qian, this was automatically interpreted as the Third Prince having excellent self-control and demeanor, remaining unfazed even after being insulted.
Xie Jiang was also somewhat surprised, not expecting Xia Rongyu to be so composed. She found him quite shrewd.
Xia Rongyu smiled faintly and asked, "Why have Your Grace the Duke and Your Lordship the Marquis come to my humble abode with the Marquis of Nanhai today?"
As he spoke, he politely gestured for everyone to be seated.
The Duke of Qian said, "We have come to trouble Your Highness the Third Prince today specifically for one matter."
After saying this, he waited for Xie Jiang to step forward and offer a sincere apology. However, after a long while, Xie Jiang remained motionless, and instead, Xia Rongyu's expression became somewhat uneasy.
The two elders turned to look and saw Xie Jiang staring intently at Xia Rongyu without blinking.
Xie Jiang swore that it wasn't that exaggerated; she wasn't staring at Xia Rongyu without blinking. She just couldn't help but glance at him repeatedly, her frequency of looking up being slightly higher.
Xia Rongyu, seen in the dim light of the palace banquet the other night, looked somewhat different from how he appeared now in broad daylight.
Now, she could see him more clearly. There were no extraneous people around, and she could smell his scent.
It was clean and crisp, mixed with a not unpleasant medicinal aroma.
His complexion was also fairer than that of ordinary men, lacking some of the redness and vibrancy, not appearing as sickly as someone who had been ill for a long time, but rather giving the impression that his health was perhaps not very good.
His long, slanted eyebrows complemented his fox-like eyes, and the sharp lines were softened by a hint of casualness. His demeanor and appearance were truly captivating and admirable.
She couldn't help but glance at beautiful flowers and plants when she encountered them, let alone a great beauty.
The Duke of Qian, unable to bear it any longer, took a deep breath and slapped Xie Jiang on the back, hitting her so hard that Xie Jiang stumbled forward.
Marquis Yongxin rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. He was truly impressed by this lecherous scoundrel!
Were they here today to apologize or to add fuel to the fire?
The sudden slap from the Duke of Qian almost sent Xie Jiang crashing into Xia Rongyu's arms.
Xia Rongyu quickly took a few steps back and, as if nothing had happened, asked, "Does the Marquis of Nanhai have something to say?"
Xia Rongyu had already realized that both the Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin were waiting for Xie Jiang to speak. A vague thought began to form in his mind, but he felt it couldn't possibly be what he was thinking.