Yuwen Hao swept the floor vigorously. Sweeping the floor seems simple, but there is actually much to learn. For example, it is best to sweep the fallen leaves into one big pile. A large pile is not easily blown away by the wind. If there are too many small piles, a gust of wind will blow them away all at once.
As he swept, it wasn't actually too difficult, and his mood lightened considerably.
"Your Highness, be careful around the Warm Pavilion. There is a wasp nest in the tree that we plan to burn tonight after it gets dark. Don't disturb it, or there will be trouble," Eunuch Chang warned.
"A wasp nest?" Yuwen Hao's eyes narrowed, and the place on his chest where he had been stung still ached. He should really make Yuan Qingling come sweep here.
"That's right. These wasps are fierce. We don't dare burn it during the day because His Retired Majesty doesn't want to close the windows and doors. We have to wait until night to burn it," Eunuch Chang explained.
"Okay, I understand," said Yuwen Hao.
Eunuch Chang didn't say anything more and went inside the palace to serve the Retired Emperor.
A plan formed in Yuwen Hao's mind. He said to Tang Yang, "Go ask the Imperial Concubine to come. Tell her I'm willing to switch jobs with her."
Tang Yang said, "Your Highness, there are many people going in and out of the Imperial Study. It may not be appropriate for you to sweep there."
Yuwen Hao smiled slyly. "No problem. Gu Si is over there. I'll just have him keep an eye out for me and hide if someone comes."
So Tang Yang left.
When Yuan Qingling heard that Yuwen Hao was willing to switch jobs with her, she thought, this man isn't totally bad after all, sparing her the embarrassment. Alright, she would accept his kind offer.
Taking the broom, she returned to Qian Kun Palace and saw that he had already swept the front courtyard quite quickly.
Yuwen Hao came over and said, "Don't say I don't consider you. This broom is very heavy and you don't have the strength to clean well, so I helped you sweep the courtyard first. You just need to sweep the Warm Pavilion and side garden."
Yuan Qingling gratefully said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Yuwen Hao pointed to the Warm Pavilion. "Go on, sweep over there."
Yuan Qingling pointed to the messy leaves on the ground. "What about these..."
"It's fine. I'll come back and help you clear them up later."
"Much appreciated!" Yuan Qingling smiled with cupped fists and took the broom to the Warm Pavilion.
Yuwen Hao picked up a small pebble and stealthily circled around the outer wall. Hearing the sounds of Yuan Qingling sweeping inside, a sinister smile spread across his face.
He had said, a gentleman bides his time for ten years to avenge an injustice.
The pebble flew from his hand, tracing a beautiful arc through the air and precisely striking the locust tree's wasp nest.
The huge wasp nest suddenly burst like a boiling kettle, buzzing for a moment before releasing a muffled drone.
Yuan Qingling looked up in surprise as the light before her was obscured. Focusing, she saw a swarm of wasps.
"Ah..." she let out a scream. "Go away!"
Hearing her scream, Yuwen Hao felt his heart fill with glee, as if a fountain were about to burst forth. Picking up the broom victoriously, he was about to head to the Imperial Study when he heard a buzzing sound behind him. Looking back, everything went dark as the wasps flew toward him.
Descending on his head and around his face, ears, and neck, by the time he felt the pain and lifted the broom, he had already been stung several times. Still recovering from his injuries, he couldn't swing the broom with much force and could only turn and run.
"Your Highness, crouch down and cover your head, you can't outrun them!" Tang Yang saw what was happening and yelled at Yuwen Hao.
Yuwen Hao crouched down holding his head while Tang Yang rushed over. Removing his outer robe, he covered Yuwen Hao's head and waved the broom with one hand at the wasps in the air. Other palace attendants brought torches and drove the wasps away after a chaotic flurry.
Hearing the commotion, Yuan Qingling ran out and saw Tang Yang supporting Yuwen Hao as he walked over, swollen and misshapen. The wasp stings had caused his left eyelid to swell until his eye was half-closed.
"You were stung by wasps?" Looking at his bloated face, Yuan Qingling held back a smile and put on a look of concern.
Eunuch Chang also came out of the palace after hearing the disturbance. Seeing Yuwen Hao's state, he shook his head. "Your Highness, I already warned you not to disturb the wasp nest. How did you still get stung?"
"How was I supposed to know there was a wasp nest?" Yuwen Hao's pain made his mouth twist to the side. He had been stung on the lips too, which smarted sharply.
"Didn't I already tell you?" Eunuch Chang walked over. "My, stung real badly. We need to call the imperial doctor."
Watching coldly, Yuan Qingling's look of concern disappeared. He had known about the wasps and deliberately sent Tang Yang to ask her to switch places, planning to provoke the wasps to sting her.
What a petty, wicked man.
Yuan Qingling calmly said, "You do need to call the doctor, but Your Highness should hurry to the Imperial Study first. You can't delay your sweeping duties."
"You malicious woman, the wasps clearly went for you first. Why did they turn and attack me instead?" He could hardly speak clearly, his lips twisted in anger.
"He who rocks the boat gets wet," Yuan Qingling lifted her broom triumphantly and went back inside.
She also found it strange. The wasps had clearly flown at her, but flew away after she screamed.
Yuwen Hao ground his teeth in fury, but with Yuan Qingling seeing through his motives, he couldn't make things difficult for her again. He could only lift his broom and limp to the Imperial Study, groaning with every step.
Tang Yang watched Yuwen Hao in bewilderment, having had no idea that His Highness intended for the wasps to sting the Imperial Concubine. Why would His Highness do something so childish?
It was completely out of character.
Had His Highness been possessed?
He looked meaningfully at Yuan Qingling. The Imperial Concubine seemed like two different people now. She must be possessed too!
Arriving at the Imperial Study, Gu Si saw him looking like a swollen pig head and barely held back his laughter. "What happened to you? Did you poke a wasp nest?"
"Don't mention it!" He lifted his broom and started sweeping vigorously, extremely irritated that Yuan Qingling hadn't seemed to sweep much at all, with all these fallen leaves still here.
"Go let the imperial doctor apply some medicine first, and take an antidote pill," Gu Si said.
"No need. They're just ordinary wasps, nothing toxic. It will just hurt for a while," he said, then winced and sucked in a breath again from the pain.
Gu Si grabbed his arm. "In that case, leave the floor for now and come dust the shelves inside."
Yuwen Hao was puzzled. "Weren't we supposed to sweep? Why dust as well?"
"His Majesty said the study has become very dusty and needs cleaning."
"The study is cleaned every day..." Yuwen Hao stopped speaking, realizing this was deliberate on his father's part.
He felt very confused. His father had previously refused to acknowledge him at all, yet now was having him come to the Prince's Manor and allowing him access to the Imperial Study, as if nothing had changed in the past year.
He understood his father's intentions less and less.
The position of Prefect of Chang'an was critically important. He had never dreamed his father would appoint him to it.
In fact, after hearing from Second Brother, he had assumed the position would ultimately go to Eldest Brother, the King of Ji, who surely had his sights set on becoming Prefect of Chang'an.
Laying down the broom, he took the water and cloth over his shoulder and entered the Imperial Study under Eunuch Mu Ru's watchful gaze.
He kept his head low, not wanting his father to see his swollen and distorted face.
