Chapter 127: Qin Qiong’s Martial Arts Contest

"That jade pendant is quite nice; let me borrow it to play with!" Early the next morning, Chai Shao burst into Yun Hao's room.

Yesterday, Luo Cheng had undergone treatment from Yun Hao and was therefore unable to continue drinking. Qin Qiong, along with the Yuchi Nan and Yuchi Bei brothers—two of the Eighteen Riders of Yan and Yun—had kept pressing drinks on everyone. Chai Shao, no match for such burly men, had been reduced to a dizzy, incoherent mess within half an hour, ending up face-down on the table like a dead dog.

Yun Hao was eating his breakfast while fiddling with the pendant. The usual fare: small pickled vegetables, steamed buns, and millet porridge. Last night's banquet had only deepened his resentment toward the cuisine of this era. Everything was either boiled or steamed; the only variation was roasting. He had only been half-full last night, and upon returning home, seeing Xin'er nodding off like a little chick pecking for grain, he hadn't had the heart to make her prepare a late-night snack. He was enjoying his breakfast this morning when this fellow charged in like a wild boar.

"Get lost!" Yun Hao flicked his wrist and tucked the pendant into his robe. This Chai Shao had been developing a penchant for shamelessness; he would "borrow" things to play with and then conveniently forget them. When they met again, he would suffer from selective amnesia, completely forgetting that the pendant had ever been his in the first place.

"It's just a jade pendant, who cares? You didn't realize it, but they were testing you!" Chai Shao sat down opposite Yun Hao without invitation, grabbing a steamed bun and stuffing it into his mouth. He could easily put away six or seven of these small buns in one sitting.

"Nonsense, I knew that. Do you think just anyone can treat the Princess of Beiping? People like them are suspicious of everything by nature. Especially since I was sent by the Duke of Tang, Luo Yi had to be extra cautious." Yun Hao naturally knew that Luo Cheng asking him to treat his ailment was simply a test of his medical skills.

"You knew?" Chai Shao's eyes widened. Could this kid actually be a demon in disguise?

"Of course I knew. If Qin Qiong hadn't spoken well of me, who knows what kind of trouble they would have given me. Since Luo Cheng came himself to test my skills for his mother's sake, I had to have a little fun with him." Yun Hao continued eating his buns and pickles at a leisurely pace, slurping his millet porridge.

"Fun?" Chai Shao nearly sprayed his porridge out through his nose. Where were they? The Beiping Prefecture! Toying with the Prince of Beiping's heir in his own residence—my heavens! Did this kid have a death wish?

"Exactly! Fun! His condition is caused by endocrine issues. I lanced the abscess and drained the pus, which naturally had some effect. But a total cure? That's a pipe dream. The prescription is simple, actually: let him ravage seven or eight young maidens for a month, and I guarantee the bumps on his face will disappear. But... tell me, is that a prescription you can just say out loud?"

"You toyed with Luo Cheng? What if...!" Chai Shao immediately grew anxious; he was on a mission in Beiping, after all.

"What if, my foot! He won't be able to leave his room for at least ten days or half a month. Once I get through the second round of acupuncture, I'll return to Jinyang with you. Luo Cheng isn't going to send the Eighteen Riders of Yan and Yun to Jinyang to hunt me down over this trifling matter. Even if those eighteen are formidable, the moment they step onto my turf, I have ways to turn them into eighteen worms."

"This trip to Beiping is for the Duke's grand purpose. Don't you dare mess it up!"

"I don't know what grand purpose you're talking about; I'm just an eight-year-old medical officer. I only concern myself with the duties of my station; I don't meddle in other things. Hey... you aren't allowed to tell me, and even if you did, I wouldn't listen. My ears—they work when they want to, and I don't know what's wrong with them. Once you get to my age, you just start getting hard of hearing!"

"Pfft...!" Chai Shao sprayed his porridge out through his nose again, this time out of pure frustration.

While the two were eating, a report came in that Zhang Gongjin had arrived for a visit. Zhang Gongjin was a flag-bearer officer at the Prince of Beiping's manor and was close friends with Shan Xiongxin. He was the first person Qin Qiong had sought out upon arriving in Beiping, and yesterday, he had been the most aggressive in trying to make Chai Shao drink.

"Why is Officer Zhang here so early?" Chai Shao was taken aback. Visiting so early was against all protocol.

"Has Master Chai forgotten? We agreed yesterday to go to the drill ground today to watch Brother Qin spar with Wu Kui," Zhang Gongjin replied with a look of confusion.

Chai Shao had been so intoxicated yesterday that he had no memory of any such agreement. He looked toward Yun Hao, who, being young, hadn't been pressured to drink and had enjoyed a hearty meal in peace.

"Although Brother Qin wears the uniform of a lieutenant, he isn't officially one yet. Many people whisper behind his back that the Prince of Beiping is showing favoritism. Especially Wu Kui, who relies on the current Emperor's favor and has always been at odds with the Prince. Among the subordinates, he has the most to say. Today, the Prince specifically arranged this sparring match to make Wu Kui concede. Wu Kui even boasted that if Brother Qin wins, he will yield the position of vanguard commander!"

Yun Hao recounted the events of the previous night's table, and only then did a vague memory surface for Chai Shao: he had indeed promised to go to the drill ground to cheer for Qin Qiong.

"Wait a moment, Officer Zhang. Have you eaten? Join us for some breakfast. I can't say much else, but this kid's food is the best in the world. He even has a dedicated cook just for chopping vegetables; you must try it!" Chai Shao welcomed Zhang Gongjin warmly, as if they were long-lost brothers.

Yun Hao rolled his eyes. He wasn't about to let Chai Shao use his hospitality to curry favor. If he let Zhang Gongjin eat, the man could consume a whole cartload of these small buns on his own. He had watched with his own eyes as this guy devoured at least five lamb legs yesterday, not including the other dishes.

"Haha! Today is just leftovers; it wouldn't be right to host you with this. Let's wait until Brother Qin wins tonight, then we'll have Master Chai host a banquet for everyone to eat to their heart's content." Yun Hao shot a mischievous look at Chai Shao. He wouldn't let this habit of using his things to gain favor continue. Once, maybe, but twice was too much. Where would he get enough supplies to satisfy Chai Shao's generosity? Besides, couldn't he do his own favors?

"Good! In that case, I thank Master Chai for the offer. Tonight, we shall not stop until we are drunk! The wine that the young Master Yun brought yesterday was excellent; we must drink a few more jars tonight. The carriage is ready outside, please!" Zhang Gongjin said with a bold, heroic air. It seemed tonight would be another round of brutal drinking.

At the mention of wine, Chai Shao's stomach began to cramp. Yesterday, those guys started with cups, then shifted to bowls, and finally to jars. Could the Yun family's distilled spirits really be drunk by the jar? Waking up this morning, his stomach felt like it was burning, and his brain felt as if it had detached from his skull. He had an urge to crack his head open just to scramble it back into place.

Flanked by Zhang Gongjin and Yun Hao, he climbed into the carriage. The group whipped their horses and headed straight for the drill ground.