Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Shen Ningning Is Like a Plump White Porcelain Fish Tank

Shen Ningning remained silent, not answering right away.

She just watched him with her lovely, clear eyes.

The Shopkeeper mumbled, "My older brother is the Dean of the Imperial Hospital, and he’s run into a difficult problem."

"A certain noble in the palace has fallen ill, and an essential medicinal herb he requires is in short supply."

"The Emperor has already dispatched people to search the entire land for it, but the ones they find are either of poor quality, or discolored and dried out. I know you’re no ordinary girl, little miss, so I wanted to ask if you have any of the herb called ’Aconite’?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Shen Ningning blinked her long lashes.

She asked first, "How much silver are you planning to give me?"

The Shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "At market price, of course! I would never shortchange you, little miss. After all, this is a direct supply for the Imperial Palace. If the Emperor were to ask, you would be a great contributor."

Shen Ningning shook her head. "Is being a great contributor worth money? I just want real gold and silver."

The Shopkeeper knew the child was clever and said decisively, "The market price is one hundred taels per catty. I’ll personally add another ten taels for you, little miss. How does that sound?"

The little one’s pretty eyes darted around.

She nodded lightly. "Write down the word ’Aconite’ for me. You wait here, I’ll go home and see."

The pharmacy manager was overjoyed.

He quickly grabbed his sweat-wiping handkerchief and wrote the word "Aconite" on it.

Shen Ningning grabbed the handkerchief and rode the Black Wolf King back home.

Once inside her space, the little one searched for the corresponding word.

Finally, she found the matching word and pulled open the drawer.

Inside, laid out in neat rows, was Aconite, still with soil on its roots.

Purple flowers drooped from the tops, while the roots below were caked in mud, with dewdrops still clinging to them.

Shen Ningning quickly took them out.

The drawer stretched out as she pulled, seeming to have no end.

So she wasn’t worried about running out of herbs.

She took out a pile of Aconite. It was light and didn’t feel heavy, but she estimated it was about five or six catties.

The little one slung it onto her back and left her space.

She and the Black Wolf King returned to the foot of Wolf Mountain, where the pharmacy manager was still waiting.

He stood under the scorching sun, his face flushed red.

The moment he saw Shen Ningning, he greeted her with a smile, showing no trace of impatience.

"Here." The little one handed him the bundle.

The Shopkeeper opened it and saw that it was indeed fresh Aconite!

It still had soil on it, as if it had just been dug up.

He couldn’t help but raise his head and look around at Wolf Mountain.

’What a treasure trove of a place!’

The Shopkeeper said happily, "Little miss, I’ll take this back to the pharmacy to weigh it, then I’ll bring the silver to you."

The first of the month was almost here, and Shen Ningning had to go to her lessons.

She probably wouldn’t be here for two days.

She waved her small hand. "No need. Just keep the silver at your shop. I’ll come find you in the city."

"Alright, alright!" the Shopkeeper agreed readily, then cupped his hands in farewell and departed.

He didn’t stop, heading straight for his pharmacy, Huichun Hall.

It weighed in at about six catties.

The pharmacy manager immediately hugged the bundle and got back on his carriage.

This was the first chance he’d ever had in his life to enter the Imperial Palace.

His brother had told him that the Crown Prince’s chronic illness required frequent doses of this particular herb.

The Emperor was currently worried about not being able to find a suitable supply.

If he could get his brother to recommend him, he could make a name for himself before the Emperor!

At this thought, the Shopkeeper left, full of impatience.

Not long after his carriage departed, a low-key but luxurious carriage slowly stopped at the street corner.

Inside the carriage.

Crown Prince Mo Lingwei was dressed in magnificent, ice-blue robes with an open front, his sleeves embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns.

The silver crown he wore further accentuated the cold, harsh look in his eyes beneath his sword-like brows.

Chen Shaobei sat across from him and said, "Huichun Hall is the last pharmacy in the city."

"If we still can’t find that shopkeeper, it means Miss Shen didn’t get her doctor from the city."

"Your Highness, perhaps you could try to recall more details. What were the doctor’s features? Did he have a beard? How old was he?"

He had already spent the entire day accompanying the Crown Prince around the city.

All because Mo Lingwei remembered that Shen Ningning had brought a doctor from the city that day to treat Grandma Qin and him.

He vaguely recalled Shen Ningning calling the man Grandpa Shopkeeper.

Furthermore, as the doctor was leaving, the little one had made a plan with him to have him pick her up another day to buy and sell medicinal herbs in the city.

Therefore, Mo Lingwei was certain that the shopkeeper must know Shen Ningning’s whereabouts.

However, upon hearing Chen Shaobei’s words, Mo Lingwei frowned, his eyes deep and lightless.

"He was about fifty or sixty. As for a beard..." He trailed off.

Because on that day, he had been burning with a high fever, had forced himself up to look for Shen Ningning, and had been exposed to the scorching sun.

He hadn’t paid any attention to the doctor’s specific appearance at all.

Seeing this, Chen Shaobei understood.

He lifted the curtain and gestured to a guard. "Bring the shopkeeper of Huichun Hall here for His Highness to identify."

The guard immediately entered the pharmacy.

A moment later, the guard returned and said, "The shopkeeper of Huichun Hall is not here. The clerks in the shop said he went out on urgent business. As for where he went, none of them know, nor are they sure when he will be back."

A trace of impatience entered Mo Lingwei’s cold, arrogant eyes.

Chen Shaobei asked slowly, "Your Highness, should we issue an order for the government to find the shopkeeper?"

A shadow flickered in Mo Lingwei’s dark, deep eyes.

He said coldly that it wasn’t necessary.

"Order the carriage to Lan Garden," Mo Lingwei commanded.

The guards immediately cleared the way, and the carriage turned around.

Whenever he was in a bad mood, he liked to go to Lan Garden and sit alone for a while.

Along the way, Mo Lingwei’s long, slender hands clenched into fists.

"The Capital City is vast, but I’ve been searching for her for two days. How can there still be no news?" he said, grinding his teeth in displeasure.

Chen Shaobei was silent for a moment, then asked, "Your Highness wishes to find her... to repay her kindness?"

Mo Lingwei froze.

He himself didn’t know why he was going to such great lengths to find Shen Ningning.

Ever since he learned that she had tried to find him and then discovered that her whole family had moved away from the Wolf Cave, Mo Lingwei felt as if he were trapped by his own emotions.

’I just want to see her.’

However, when the words were on the tip of his tongue, Mo Lingwei said nonchalantly instead, "I’m just looking casually. It’d be best if she’s still alive."

Chen Shaobei had been his playmate since childhood. Hearing this, he just gave a perfunctory, disbelieving smile.

However, as the carriage made its way to Lan Garden and rounded a corner, Mo Lingwei glanced over casually and suddenly saw a plump, white figure squatting by the corner of a wall.

He shot upright. "Shen Ningning?"

The carriage screeched to a halt.

Mo Lingwei and Chen Shaobei walked closer to take a look.

It turned out to be a round, plump, white ceramic koi fish tank that a wealthy family had moved outside to air in the sun.

It had just been filled with clean, clear water.

Because the colorful glaze on the outside was so vibrant and was catching the sunlight, it was exceptionally bright, which was why he hadn’t seen it clearly from a distance.

Mo Lingwei’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

Chen Shaobei held back a laugh and said in a calm tone, "Well, at least now I know how tall she is. When we get back, I can describe her better to the guards."

Just then, a youth dressed like a servant boy came out of a back door.

"What are you looking at!" Jiang Zhi saw the two of them furtively gathered around the tank and immediately ran over.

Mo Lingwei couldn’t be bothered with random people. Moreover, because his recent case of mistaken identity had been so ridiculous, he had lost all patience and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Chen Shaobei glanced at Jiang Zhi and saw his eyes were full of vigilance.

He couldn’t help but say coolly, "We saw that the fish tank was beautiful, so we took a longer look. No need to worry, my friend."

Jiang Zhi frowned. "You’d better be telling the truth. Otherwise, I would have thought you were here to steal the water!"

To fill this fish tank, the master spent twenty taels to buy two buckets of clean water.

If someone stole the water, the master would be furious!

Jiang Zhi had finally found an odd job that paid enough to eat his fill, and he didn’t want to lose it just like that.

Chen Shaobei looked at him. "Judging by our clothes, do we look like people who are short on water?"

Jiang Zhi didn’t want to argue with him and just muttered, "Who knows? People from the Capital City are very bad!"

With that, he called out to the family’s servants, and four of them quickly carried the fish tank back inside.

Jiang Zhi then slammed the door shut with a BANG.

Chen Shaobei was a young prodigy, undefeated in military campaigns. When had he ever been treated with such contempt?!

He instantly clenched his fists.

Mo Lingwei’s cold voice came from behind. "Shaobei, let’s go."

Only then did Chen Shaobei let it go.

’I’d better not run into that prickly person again.’