Chapter 172 Delicate Flower

Words : 1303 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Prince NanAn Mansion, main hall. Princess NanAn paced back and forth, her face showing agitation, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. The servant stood aside, not knowing what to do. The Commandery Prince asked him to get clothes and go to Marquis Dongxiang Mansion, but the Princess wouldn’t let him. Outside, a pretty maid ran in and said, "Princess, the Prince has returned!" Princess NanAn urgently clasped her hands, greeted him, and saw Prince NanAn’s livid face. She, with reddened eyes, asked, "Is there still a way to remedy the trouble Fengfeng caused?" "How can it be remedied?!" Prince NanAn said angrily. "Initially I could have sealed the shop to show my stance to Duke Chong, but he just announced publicly that the shop belonged to the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion!" Prince NanAn was so angry his face turned green. Who in the entire court doesn’t know the fierce reputation of the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion? Whoever crosses her is terribly unlucky! Duke Chong suffered consecutive setbacks at the hands of Marquis Dongxiang, having nowhere to vent his anger, and yet here he was, inconveniencing me by putting me in front of Duke Chong for him to act against. Prince NanAn sat down, veins bulging stormily on his forehead. Princess NanAn poured him tea, saying, "Have a cup of tea first, calm down." Prince NanAn looked at the servant and asked, "Where did the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion get the ice to crush Duke Chong’s Mansion’s ice shop?!" The servant shook his head like a rattle drum. Seeing this made Prince NanAn angrier, "Dare to speak publicly without knowing?!" Princess NanAn had a headache and said, "It’s not that there’s nothing, but Fengfeng placed a confidentiality order on him, not allowing the leakage of a single word outside. After much questioning, he revealed a little, confirming that the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion indeed has a way to crush Duke Chong’s Mansion’s ice shop." Prince NanAn looked at Princess NanAn, "Do you believe it?" Princess NanAn, "..." Doesn’t believe it. But at this point, not believing isn’t an option. "If there was ice, would Fengfeng need to send someone to buy it from Duke Chong’s Mansion’s ice shop, causing so much trouble in the end?!" Prince NanAn didn’t believe from the start. "Previously needing to buy ice, and now selling ice, can the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion produce ice out of thin air?!" "..." "The Prince is wise, the ice is indeed produced out of nowhere." The servant was very excited. The Commandery Prince didn’t allow him to say, but didn’t say they couldn’t let the Prince and Princess Consort guess. Prince NanAn, "..." Princess NanAn, "..." "Produced, produced out of nowhere?" The voice of Princess NanAn wavered, her soft face showing disbelief. The servant nodded emphatically, "It’s produced out of nowhere, I saw it with my own eyes. Though the ice sells for one tael of silver per piece, it earns more than others selling for two taels." Prince NanAn, "..." Princess NanAn, "..." "The Commandery Prince said even selling for five qian of silver per piece makes him feel like a profiteer," replied the servant. "..." "The Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo said one shouldn’t oppose anyone, especially not the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion, she’s not to be trifled with." "..." Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, training ground. Chu Shun, Prince NanAn, the Heir of Marquis Beining, and the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo were lying side by side on the ground. A pitiful sight. Su Chong’s cheeks hurt from holding back laughter. Touching his sore arm, he asked, "How long do you plan to stay lying down?" Chu Shun turned his head with difficulty, "Where are the stretchers you prepared for us?" Before they thought Su Chong was just joking. Only now do they know it was real! Don’t they understand the etiquette of being a host? Su Chong coughed lightly and said, "Didn’t you say you’d come after the ice shop opened? Why are you here today, I haven’t prepared the stretchers yet." Chu Shun’s mouth twitched. "I am too sore to move, do as you see fit," Prince NanAn said. "..." Su Chong rubbed his forehead. Being weak like this and still playing victim, it’s lucky I have a good temperament; if it were my father, turning away directly would already be kind. Su Chong raised his hand to signal people over, saying, "Take them to my courtyard." The four were carried to Su Chong’s Qingfeng Pavilion residence. The servant laughed and said, "Young Master, the medicinal bath is ready." "I know," Su Chong nodded. Entering the room, he stripped and soaked in the bath, the bruises from beatings all over his body were shocking. Of course, seeing Chu Shun and the others’ injuries, he knew he had it lighter. Prince NanAn hesitated a bit and said, "Although my father is angry with me, seeing me carried back like this, his anger should subside." Dongxiang Marquis Mansion is simply not a place for people. The means are too harsh. Filled with fear inside, he still found Prince NanAn Mansion better. The Heir of Marquis Beining looked at him, saying, "Are you sure? Afraid of Prince NanAn beating you, you ran to Dongxiang Marquis for refuge, but ended up beaten even worse. If it were my father, he would add insult to injury." "You’re right," Prince NanAn decisively said. He stripped and soaked in the bath. After all, being pampered since childhood, how could the Commandery Prince endure today’s beating; after all these years of having his way in the Capital, even being beaten with a feather duster at home didn’t match today’s injuries. If Princess NanAn saw, she’d cry her eyes swollen for sure. When bruised wounds met medicine, it felt like needle pricks. It made Prince NanAn inhale sharply from the pain. Chu Shun looked at Su Chong, seeing him enjoying it, beads of sweat fell, "Can you really enjoy this? Are you a masochist?" Su Chong squinted at them and said, "Be content, you’re lucky, with the medicinal bath to soak in, after soaking, applying some bruise ointment, you’ll be full of vigor again tomorrow." "In the past after a beating, I’d just use some medicine, wake up still sore, and have to continue training." "..." "Do you have to be that harsh?" the Heir of Marquis Beining swallowed and said. "On Qingyun Mountain, as long as you’re a man, in my father’s eyes, you’re made of iron, the more you are hammered, the more refined," Su Chong said nostalgically. "..." "What about women?" Prince NanAn asked. "Delicate flowers." "..." The difference is vast. Chu Shun and the others didn’t know what to say. Prince NanAn was more concerned about the beatings, he asked Su Chong, "We’re just here to hide out a few days, we don’t have to train every day, right?" Su Chong looked at him and said, "Even my younger brother trains in the morning, do you have the face not to train?" Inside the room, there was a momentary silence. "Why feel shame?" Prince NanAn broke the silence. "..." "To prevent you from being a bad influence, you’ll be thrown out," Su Chong laughed. "..." Bad influence? Prince NanAn was choked by these two words and couldn’t speak for a while. Who is really influencing whom? Chu Shun was soaking in the medicinal bath, feeling sore at first, but now it felt comfortable, he said, "Originally, we planned to train for a month, might as well start early, a month should be enough for my father’s anger to subside." Su Chong laughed, "A month can transform you completely." Prince NanAn sighed, "I’m not sure about being completely transformed, but shedding a few skins is certain."

Chapter 172 Delicate Flower

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