MCSCPM -Chapter 29 I’ll Give You Everything

Nangong Xiao didn’t understand what Yin Qingyue wanted to convey. He said, “Miss, any ingredient you want, I can provide. Anything you can name, I, Nangong Xiao, can give you!”

From Nangong Xiao’s eyes, Yin Qingyue could tell he wasn’t lying. So where had she gone wrong?

She tried the previous method on all the ingredients again, but still couldn’t find the special one she was seeking.

At that moment, a chef outside looked noticeably nervous.

Yin Qingyue glanced at him and felt that something was off. She looked at Nangong Xiao and then slowly walked toward the chefs.

“Master, are you usually the one who handles these ingredients?” Yin Qingyue raised her voice slightly to assert her authority.

The chef was already anxious, knowing Nangong Xiao rarely brought people here—especially women. Clearly, this woman’s identity wasn’t ordinary, which only made him more nervous.

He didn’t answer immediately but wiped the sweat from his brow, keeping his head down, avoiding her gaze.

“Are you the one who usually prepares these?” Yin Qingyue, certain there was a clue in today’s recipe, raised her voice again to question him.

“Yes… yes, I usually do it!” the chef stammered.

“Then… did you leave out an ingredient today?” Though Yin Qingyue didn’t know which ingredient was missing, this was her only way to test it. According to her analysis, the recipe was indeed missing something—and that was exactly what she was looking for.

The chef wiped his sweat, feeling today had been particularly unlucky. He had lost several rounds of cards and now was being interrogated by an ugly woman about a recipe.

But only he knew the ingredients. Indeed, today’s recipe was missing one.

“The ingredients aren’t missing anything!” he said, feigning calm.

“Hmph. You might fool others, but you won’t fool me!” Yin Qingyue stared at him, noticing sweat rolling down his neck.

“Tell me… what’s really going on?” Nangong Xiao’s eyes flashed with anger. If it weren’t for a problem with the ingredients, he wouldn’t have fainted today.

“Your Highness, spare me… spare me!” The chef dropped to his knees, begging desperately.

What Yin Qingyue wanted to know most was which ingredient was missing.

“Spare you? How bold of you!” Nangong Xiao’s anger flared. Missing an ingredient in the recipe was directly related to his fainting—one missing ingredient almost cost him his life!

“Drag him out! Execute him!” Nangong Xiao’s eyes flashed cold, like a specter rising from hell.

“Your Highness, wait! Though your illness has been controlled, your body still needs this ingredient to recover. Besides, he’s the only one who knows the recipe. If you kill him, you cut off your own path!” Yin Qingyue stepped forward, looking at Nangong Xiao.

Nangong Xiao frowned at her words. She spoke the truth. Though he now felt full of energy and no longer weak, he knew she was right.

The others around noticed Nangong Xiao’s recovery, and from her words, they understood why the Crown Prince valued this plain-looking woman so highly.

“Fine. Since the lady pleads for him, I will spare him!” Nangong Xiao waved his hand, and the guards behind him stepped back.

The chef wiped his sweat and felt grateful to Yin Qingyue. “Thank you… thank you, Miss!”

Yin Qingyue had no intention of saving him—she didn’t have time for that. But if she didn’t intervene, she would never get the recipe, nor know which ingredient was missing.

“No need to thank me. I want to ask the master—which ingredient is missing?” she asked, her eyes shining with anticipation. After all her trips here, she had come for this very ingredient.

The chef glanced at Crown Prince Nangong Xiao, seemingly asking for permission to reveal the secret. After all, revealing Jiupin Ju’s recipes without the prince’s permission was a capital offense.

Nangong Xiao looked at him and said, “Bring out the ingredient, and let Miss Yin identify it herself. If she recognizes it, that is her skill.”

Yin Qingyue pursed her lips. Nangong Xiao said he’d show her the recipe, yet now she had to test each ingredient one by one.

The chef gathered all the ingredients and mixed them together.

Yin Qingyue took out her previous set of tools and a small dagger, carefully dissecting the ingredients.

Immediately, her eyes lit up with joy. Among the ingredients in Jiupin Ju’s recipes, the one that could restore health was none other than Lingzhi mushrooms!

But these were not ordinary Lingzhi.

Realizing this, Yin Qingyue looked at Nangong Xiao with delight. If she could get these Lingzhi, it would be perfect—her repeated trips here were not in vain.

Nangong Xiao saw the emotion in her eyes and understood her keen interest in the Lingzhi. He also knew these were no ordinary mushrooms.

“Miss, if you’re interested in these Lingzhi, I can give you some,” he said.

Yin Qingyue hadn’t even spoken yet, and the Crown Prince had already offered them—he seemed to see right into her heart.

“Thank you, Your Highness!” she said without hesitation. Now that she had the recipe, it was time to leave.

“Someone, prepare some Lingzhi for the lady and escort her back!” the prince ordered.

Yin Qingyue was shocked. If the prince had his men send her home with the Lingzhi, it would cause problems. She quickly said, “Your Highness, I’ll just take a small amount—no need for too much!”

Surprised, Nangong Xiao looked at her and said, “Very well, I’ll reward you with some silver as well. Please accept it.” He wanted to see if she would take it.

Though not greedy, Yin Qingyue knew silver was necessary for survival in this world. She smiled, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“And where do you live? I can have someone escort you home,” he added, his tone slightly changed when he saw she accepted the silver.

“I can go myself. Just an ordinary residence. If you send someone, it might disturb the neighbors,” she said with a faint smile, secretly thinking that if she rode in the prince’s carriage, who knew what trouble might happen in her courtyard?

After politely refusing several times, she took the silver and some Lingzhi and left Jiupin Ju.

Outside, a figure flashed past. Yin Qingyue didn’t see the face, but her heart skipped a beat. Could it be someone from Nanny Zhao? Had her movements been discovered?

But she still needed a few more herbs to combine with angelica—this was a rare opportunity.

It was already late, the moon slowly fading. Yin Qingyue hurried to the herb shop. With silver in hand, she could buy herbs that complemented angelica.

She walked with excitement toward the herb shop.

Nangong Xiao watched her leave, curiosity growing. Who was this woman? Why was she so interested in medicinal herbs? If he guessed correctly, she was heading straight for the herb shop.

Thinking it through, he decided to follow her—he was genuinely curious about Yin Qingyue’s identity.

His chronic illness had never been cured, not even by the palace doctors. He had been maintaining his strength for years with medicines and therapeutic meals. Yet, this woman had temporarily relieved it within minutes—truly incredible.

“Someone, keep watch on the lady. Find out who she really is!” Nangong Xiao’s cold voice rang out.

“Yes, Your Highness!” The guards saluted and trailed behind Yin Qingyue to the herb shop.

At that moment, Yin Qingyue was inside the bustling herb shop.

“Shopkeeper, please give me some of the best herbs,” she said cheerfully, handing over her list. She pulled out a silver ingot from her sleeve and placed her hands on the counter, eyes sparkling.

Seeing the silver, the shopkeeper smiled and began weighing the herbs according to her list, packaging them carefully.

Outside, the guards’ eyes glinted coldly as they tracked her movements.

After the shopkeeper finished, Yin Qingyue tucked the herbs inside her sleeves and headed toward the back alley, thrilled at the thought of ingredients that could restore her body quickly.

The prince’s guards followed closely, noticing her heading toward the place used for offerings to the emperor. They frowned, puzzled.

They had heard the women chosen for offerings were all beautiful—how could such an unattractive woman be here? One of the guards stumbled slightly.

Hearing the noise behind her, Yin Qingyue ignored it and kept walking. She knew someone was following her—it was the prince’s man. She understood completely; if she were the prince, she would do the same.

After all, all the best doctors were inside the palace, yet a woman had temporarily relieved the Crown Prince’s decades-long illness in just minutes.

Such a woman—how could he not be curious about her origin?