Grandson Gets Angry

Do you know what it feels like to be flown like a kite? Ning Chen does. And it wasn't just once. He'd be snatched away in a daze, and by the time he came to, he was already inside the palace.

Ning Chen was filled with regret. He hadn't even had a chance to state his demands. He should have made conditions with Yue Hanyi beforehand. Now, everything was ruined, completely gone.

Seeing Ning Chen still spaced out, Qing Ling wanted nothing more than to kick him. She warned, "Her Majesty is furious right now. Watch what you say later."

"Huh? Oh?" Ning Chen replied, then suddenly realized and became a bit nervous. Surely Grandson isn't actually going to punish him, is she?

"Sister Qing Ling, please put in a good word for me!" Ning Chen shamelessly begged.

"Now you're scared? Why didn't you think about the consequences when you were running away?" Qing Ling retorted, annoyed.

"Hehe," Ning Chen chuckled awkwardly. How was he supposed to know he'd be caught so easily?

"Sister Qing Ling, how did you find me?" Ning Chen asked curiously.

Qing Ling didn't hide anything and spoke truthfully, "Today on the street, I saw you before you hid from me. The reason I didn't immediately go up and grab you was simply because I wanted to see where you'd been hiding these past few days."

"..." Ning Chen regretted it so much he wanted to slap himself. He'd delivered himself right to their doorstep. Why buy shoes? Couldn't he have just endured for two more days?

"Let's go, Her Majesty is still waiting," Qing Ling urged, her heart heavy with worry, quickening her pace.

Though unwilling, Ning Chen could only follow. This time, there was no escaping. No matter how Grandson punished him, he just had to grit his teeth and bear it.

Weiyang Palace was as calm as ever. Grandson sat elegantly on the main seat in the hall, a hint of weariness on her beautiful face. She looked considerably more haggard than a few days prior. Two days of sleeplessness were slowly eroding the last vestiges of her radiance.

Beside Grandson, a stunning figure stood quietly. She was about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a light purple gown, her skin as fair as snow, her features picturesque, and her eyes like autumn waters. She was truly breathtakingly beautiful.

After Ning Chen followed Qing Ling in, he was immediately struck by the girl beside Grandson. No wonder they say the Ninth Princess is a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, more captivating than any flower. It's truly not an exaggeration.

"A femme fatale!"

Ning Chen muttered to himself, his thoughts drifting far away. He'd inadvertently zoned out again.

Beside him, Qing Ling was so exasperated she was speechless. She wanted to remind Ning Chen but was conscious of the Ninth Princess's presence and didn't want to overstep.

Bang!

Grandson suddenly slammed the table, and with a clatter, tea spilled everywhere.

"So you did remember to come back!" Grandson's face was etched with fury as she stood up and shouted.

Ning Chen shuddered, startled. He finally came back to his senses and looked up at Grandson, but as soon as his eyes met her angry gaze, he instinctively lowered his head again, feeling guilty.

"This humble one knows he was wrong," Ning Chen admitted, genuinely and remorsefully.

Beside Grandson, Xia Xinyu was also startled. This was the first time she had seen her mother so angry in all her life. Out of curiosity, she couldn't help but glance at Ning Chen again.

Seeing Ning Chen's remorseful expression, Grandson suppressed her anger and said, "Tell me, where did you go wrong!"

Ning Chen thought for a moment, then whispered, "I shouldn't have tied up Sister Qing Ling, nor should I have taken palace items without permission. And I certainly shouldn't have falsely conveyed Her Majesty's decree and secretly run out of the palace."

After speaking, Ning Chen thought carefully, fearing he might forget something else that would anger Grandson. "I... I also shouldn't have bargained with Her Majesty and refused to return to the palace."

After saying this, Ning Chen looked at Qing Ling, afraid of missing any unknown charges, and silently mouthed, "Anything else?"

"..." Qing Ling turned her face away, pretending not to see.

"Good, very good. If you didn't say it, this empress wouldn't have known you committed so many wrongs."

Hearing Ning Chen admit his crimes, Grandson's chest heaved with anger, her face as unsightly as could be. Even Xia Xinyu beside her was stunned by Ning Chen's long list of grave offenses. Any one of those crimes was enough to warrant death, and with so many compounded, it was practically equivalent to being dismembered.

"Tell me, how should this empress punish you!" Grandson said in a deep voice.

Ning Chen was in a difficult spot. The truth? Absolutely not. He didn't want to be sliced into pieces. He shot a pleading look at Qing Ling, "Big Sister, please put in a good word for me."

Qing Ling's heart softened. She glared at Ning Chen, but still stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, Ning Chen knows he was wrong. The matter of the Zhenji Kingdom envoy is of utmost importance right now. Perhaps we can give him a chance to atone for his crimes."

Grandson pretended to hesitate for a moment, then nodded slightly. She had no intention of beheading Ning Chen, but this fellow was too troublesome. If she didn't reprimand him, she wouldn't be able to vent her frustration.

She never imagined that despite her refusal to let him leave the palace, he would dare to sneak out on his own, and actually succeed.

Grandson looked at Ning Chen, her tone softening slightly. "Since even Qing Ling is pleading for you, this empress will spare you this once. However, while capital punishment can be forgiven, living punishment cannot be escaped. Since you so desperately wanted to leave the palace, this empress will punish you with half a year of confinement. You are not to step out of Weiyang Palace for half a year!"

Half a year? Ning Chen clicked his tongue in frustration, but dared not voice any objection. He still had to express his gratitude, "Thank you for Your Majesty's grace."

The punishment, though announced with much fanfare, turned out to be light. The Ninth Princess was so surprised she didn't know how to express herself. Compared to the eunuch's mistakes, half a year of confinement was hardly a punishment at all.

With the minor matter dealt with, Grandson composed herself and turned her attention back to the Zhenji Kingdom envoy.

"This is the Ninth Princess. You haven't met her yet," Grandson introduced seriously.

"Greetings, Ninth Princess," Ning Chen bowed respectfully.

"..." Xia Xinyu had never seen such a way of greeting and bowing before and was momentarily unsure how to respond.

On the main seat, Grandson's anger, which had just subsided, almost flared up again. "Qing Ling, teach him proper etiquette during his confinement. What a mess."

"Yes," Qing Ling replied softly, feeling helpless.

Grandson motioned with a slight downward gesture, then looked at Ning Chen, saying gravely, "Ning Chen, what you said earlier about being able to solve the Zhenji Kingdom envoy's problem, is it true?"

Hearing this, Xia Xinyu's delicate body trembled slightly. Her eyes turned to the young eunuch who had surprised her several times. It was difficult to believe that he could solve a problem that had left everyone helpless.

"Absolutely true," Ning Chen, feeling a bit overwhelmed by Grandson and the Ninth Princess's gazes, answered honestly.

"What do you need?"

A glimmer of hope rose in Grandson's heart. She knew that although this boy had a multitude of flaws, he was indeed exceptionally intelligent and always managed to impress at critical moments.

"A wok, vinegar, and a used kettle," Ning Chen stated seriously.

"Qing Ling, send someone to fetch them," Grandson immediately ordered.

"Yes," Qing Ling acknowledged, then quickly walked away.

Taking advantage of the lull, Grandson voiced her doubts, reminding him, "The method of adding vinegar to oil has been tried before, and it was proven ineffective."

"Indeed, it's not effective," Ning Chen nodded.

Later generations spread rumors that objects could be retrieved from oil because vinegar was added to it, and that when the vinegar boiled, the oil temperature was only forty or fifty degrees. Every time Ning Chen heard such nonsense, he wished he could slap those who spread it.

In these rumors, many people confidently claimed that vinegar would boil at sixty or even thirty degrees. This couldn't even be described as ridiculous. In fact, a little thought would reveal that temperatures reaching forty degrees in summer are completely normal, but has anyone ever seen the vinegar at home boil on its own?

In reality, vinegar mostly consists of acetic acid and water. The boiling point of acetic acid is over one hundred and ten degrees, and water's boiling point is slightly lower at one hundred degrees. A mixture of the two would need to be at least over one hundred degrees to boil. At that temperature, let alone a person's hand, even a piece of beef would be cooked.

Thankfully, he hadn't believed that absurd rumor, or if he had angered Grandson again, he would truly be in for it.

After a short wait, the eunuchs and palace maids from Weiyang Palace set up the wok in the courtyard. Qing Ling came into the room to invite them out, then dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs.

Grandson and Xia Xinyu walked into the courtyard to see what method Ning Chen had.

With a fire still burning under the wok, Ning Chen didn't waste any time. He fiddled with the kettle for a bit, scraping off the limescale, then breaking it into small pieces. He threw a handful of them into the wok.

Finally, he poured the vinegar into the pot, then Ning Chen stepped back two paces and waited idly.

"That's all there is to it?" Grandson asked in surprise.

"That's all there is to it," Ning Chen nodded honestly. It wasn't a complicated matter to begin with.

Sure enough, after only a short wait, bubbles began to form in the pot, growing more numerous and larger.

"Would Your Ladyship like to try?" Ning Chen suggested.

Grandson approached, half-believing, half-doubting. She placed her hand above the wok, and feeling that it wasn't hot, she extended her hand into it.

The oil was only slightly warm. Grandson finally believed him, her heart filled with complex emotions. The problem that had troubled them for two days had been solved so easily. This contrast made it difficult for her to describe her feelings at that moment.

"Alright, you can go back to your room and be grounded. Her Highness and I have something to discuss with the Ninth Princess," Grandson said calmly a moment later, regaining her composure and gently wiping the oil from her hands with a handkerchief.

"As you wish," Ning Chen nodded glumly. This was truly ungrateful, burning bridges, bullying others, and being heartless!

Watching Ning Chen leave dejectedly, a faint smile finally appeared on Grandson's beautiful face. She glanced at Xia Xinyu and said softly, "Are you relieved now?"

"Yes, thank you, Mother," Xia Xinyu's burden in her heart was temporarily lifted, and her mood improved significantly. She smiled sweetly and said softly.

"Qing Ling, keep an eye on this boy. Don't let him run off again."

Despite her relief, Grandson was still uneasy. She reiterated her instructions, "This little fellow is too cunning." She was very sure that given any chance, he would sneak away again. Finding him this time was already lucky. If he managed to escape again, with his personality, he would undoubtedly hide in a place where they could never find him again.

"Understood," Qing Ling replied softly.

After instructing Qing Ling, Grandson looked at her daughter beside her and carefully cautioned, "Xinyu, don't mention today's events to anyone else, understand?"

"Xinyu understands," Xia Xinyu nodded gently, her expression serious.

"Alright, I'm tired too. You should go back first. Qing Ling, please escort the princess," After giving all her instructions, the exhaustion in Grandson's eyes could no longer be hidden. She waved her hand.

"Then your daughter takes her leave," Xia Xinyu bowed and then departed. Qing Ling dutifully followed Grandson's orders and withdrew with the Ninth Princess.

Outside Weiyang Palace, Xia Xinyu looked at Qing Ling and finally couldn't resist asking curiously, "Sister Qing Ling, what exactly is Ning Chen's background? Why would Mother be so lenient with him?"

Qing Ling was silent for a moment, then began, "This servant can only say that the last time Her Ladyship was ambushed outside the palace, if it weren't for Ning Chen, Her Ladyship might not have returned. As for other reasons, only the princess can ask Her Ladyship herself."

At this point, Qing Ling hesitated, then continued, "Princess, Ning Chen has only recently entered the palace and is not yet familiar with the palace rules. If he inadvertently offends the princess in the future, I hope the princess can be magnanimous and not hold it against him."

"Mm."

Xia Xinyu nodded, but grew even more curious. She knew Qing Ling's personality well—though kind, she was quite difficult to get close to. Besides her mother, this was the first time she had seen Qing Ling care so much about someone.

It seemed she needed to inform her imperial brother about this person who had given her several surprises…

(P.S.: My home internet is out, so I had no choice but to go to an internet cafe nearby to type out a chapter. The new book's collection count has been rising quickly these past two days. Yanyu thanks everyone for their support. There's still one more chapter to write today. I hope friends can give more red tickets and collections. For those who can, please consider tipping!!!)

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