Ch. 93 - Zhong Yansheng: Don't cry, Second Young Master Xiao

Two days ago, the rebels fought against the Fifth Army Camp. The already weak Fifth Army Camp could not hold on at all. Rebellions were prone to occur in winter. The rebels bewitched many civilians along the way and pushed them to the front, causing the Fifth Army Camp to retreat step by step.

Mobei could not move, and the reinforcements from Taiyuan had not arrived yet. Zhong Yansheng appeared calm on the surface, but in fact he was so anxious that he paced around the house every day.

Therefore, Pei Hong’s sudden arrival was truly a timely relief, like a divine soldier descending from the sky.

Last time at the farewell banquet in the restaurant, Zhong Yansheng thought he would never see Pei Hong again. He jumped off the carriage with bright eyes, "Your Highness Prince Jing!"

Pei Hong's hair crown was slightly crooked, and he had a sword on his waist. He looked exhausted while riding on his horse, which was different from his usual appearance of eating, drinking and having fun. However, he still looked quite cool. He rolled off the horse and sighed to Zhong Yansheng, "Should I call myself Uncle King Jing?"

Zhong Yansheng thought about it and obediently called him, "Uncle King Jing."

"..." Pei Hong seemed helpless, "I still prefer to hear you call me brother King Jing."

Zhong Yansheng silently refused in his heart.

Because he has a brother, Prince Ding, who is really jealous.

Pei Hong took out a fan from nowhere and waved it, saying jokingly, "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let the reinforcements enter the city first. If Prince Ding leaves, the capital will be as fragile as a piece of paper and will break with just one poke."

The last sentence was spoken in a leisurely manner, as if he was really laughing.

Manpower has been short these days, and Zhong Yansheng was about to order the city guards to release Pei Hong when he saw him happy. But when he heard this, his mind suddenly flashed back to the words that Wei Ling reminded him a few minutes ago when she came to deliver the message.

Wei Ling frowned and said, "My young master, is it too coincidental that King Jing came?"

King Jing's fiefdom was not close to the capital, so he must have set out early to arrive just when the capital was in trouble.

This means that King Jing either knew that there would be rebels besieging the city early on, or King Jing was really not afraid of losing his head and brought his troops here as soon as he heard the news of the rebellion.

Zhong Yansheng had been worried for several days because of the lack of reinforcements. When he heard that Pei Hong had arrived, he was happy and did not doubt it.

He believed more in the latter.

He had never sensed any ill will towards Pei Hong. His Royal Highness Prince Jing was so generous that he took him out to play, came to burn incense for Concubine Zhuang, covered up his relationship with Xiao Nong in front of the old emperor, and didn't get angry even when he tripped... He was a good man!

As Zhong Yansheng thought about it, the slight awkwardness in his heart quickly disappeared. He looked at Pei Hong with eyes as clear as water, extremely bright, and full of natural trust: "So, Your Highness Prince Jing, you came just in time! The rebels are coming aggressively, and the capital is in great need of capable people. Fortunately, they haven't started the attack yet..."

He kept muttering to himself, and although he did not call Prince Jing brother as Pei Hong wished, he really regarded Prince Jing as a brother in his heart.

Pei Hong met those eyes, and after a moment, he slowly smiled: "It's okay, brother King Jing is here."

What Zhong Yansheng said was not an exaggeration at all. There was indeed a shortage of people in the capital city right now.

There had been a palace riot not long ago, and the guards in the palace were either killed or injured. There were very few people who could be used, and most of these guards were the old emperor's men.

Now is a time of turmoil. What if there are a few Prince De or supporters of the old emperor among them, intending to assassinate him in the chaos?

When Xiao Nong left the capital, he left a small group of black-armored guards for Zhong Yansheng. The number of people was not large, after all, Xiao Nong only brought a few people when he came to the capital at the beginning of the year.

Zhong Yansheng let these black-armored guards be responsible for guarding the palace. He did not dare to use the rest by his side, so he let Huo Shuang take the position of commander of the Jinyiwei and lead the Jinyiwei and the guards to guard the city gates strictly.

But even so, there were still not enough people to guard the city gate.

Not long after the palace turmoil, there was a war in Mobei, and the mobs followed the rebels to the outside of the capital, which really made the situation worse.

He was extremely worried these days, counting on his fingers the number of people to hire, and only kept a few secret guards such as Wei Ling by his side.

Pei Hong brought a lot of reinforcements, more than 10,000 people, far exceeding the size of a prince's personal guard in this dynasty.

Zhong Yansheng suppressed his doubts and ordered Wei Ling to arrange the positions of the men, half of whom stayed in the city to guard, and the other half were sent to the Fifth Army Camp for reinforcement. After working for a while, he realized that Pei Hong seemed to be silent. Turning his head, he saw Pei Hong looking around with his hands folded in boredom. It was snowing outside again, covering his body, but he didn't seem to notice it and stood in the wind and snow indifferently.

Zhong Yansheng thought for a moment, then ran over and stuffed the small hand warmer in his arms into his hands: "Don't be in a daze, Your Highness Prince Jing. You don't even know how to get in the carriage to avoid the snow."

Pei Hong felt an unexpected warmth in his palm and was stunned for a moment.

Zhong Yansheng stepped on a small stool and got into the carriage. Seeing that he still didn't move, he turned around and asked curiously, "Your Highness Prince Jing, what's wrong?"

It was too cold outside. Pei Hong looked at him with a pale face. He blinked and shook off the snowflakes on his eyelashes. His eyes turned and he whispered, "Nothing. I used to hate winter the most. But just now... I remembered my childhood."

Zhong Yansheng tilted his head: "What's the matter?"

"I remember that year when I ran away secretly and fell in the snow. I was almost frozen to death in the snowstorm. You had someone take me back to the carriage and cover me with a fox fur coat." Pei Hong smiled as he looked at the snow-white fox fur coat on him. His voice was filled with nostalgia. "It was warmer than ever before."

Zhong Yansheng thought for a moment and reached out to take off the fox fur coat he was wearing.

Pei Hong didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and quickly held his hand: "Xiao Sheng, I didn't ask you to take it off and put it on. Go in quickly, or you'll catch a cold."

Zhong Yansheng said "Oh" and got into the carriage obediently.

Pei Hong shook off the snow on his sleeves, bent down and got into the carriage.

The spacious carriage was very similar to what he remembered, exuding a sweet warmth. The young man from the source sat in the innermost part and waved at him: "Your Highness Prince Jing, how come you are here so quickly?"

He asked very frankly, but his expression was well-behaved, without any suspicion of offense. Pei Hong sat opposite him, carefully holding the small hand warmer he gave him in his arms: "I heard that there was an ice disaster in the Herun area, and there were mobs rioting and gathering in groups, heading for the capital. The war in Mobei was stalemate, and I felt something was wrong. I guessed that the capital would be in trouble, so I rushed here."

His Royal Highness Prince Jing has always been sincere and enthusiastic. When Zhong Sidu just returned to Huai'an Marquis' Mansion and rumors were spreading in the capital, and the noble sons all looked down on Zhong Yansheng, the "fake prince", only Pei Hong and Xiao Wenlan maintained their usual attitude.

Zhong Yansheng nodded, and then asked the question that he couldn't ask outside: "Where did you get so many soldiers?"

Taizu was worried about the separatist power of the princes, so he restricted the military strength of the princes, allowing them to have a maximum of 6,000 personal soldiers. But King Jing managed to get another 4,000 soldiers from somewhere, almost doubling the number.

Pei Hong touched his nose and said frankly, "Xiao Sheng, you don't know that bandits have been rampant in my territory in recent years. If I don't raise more soldiers, it will be difficult to suppress the rebellion. The princes of various places also raise soldiers secretly. I raise relatively few soldiers."

Zhong Yansheng felt complicated immediately. It was fine for the princes to secretly raise troops, and no one would seriously investigate since the number of soldiers did not exceed the bottom line. But if they left their fiefdoms without an imperial edict and brought the extra soldiers to the capital, every action would be punishable by death.

Even so, Pei Hong still came with his men.

The carriage was silent for a moment, and Zhong Yansheng said softly: "Your Highness Prince Jing has come a long way, please go back to the palace and have a good rest first."

Hearing this, Pei Hong closed his fan and smiled: "No hurry, since the national mourning hasn't been announced yet, it seems that the old man hasn't left yet? After all, he is my biological father, I should take a look at him. I want to go to the palace to see him, what do you think?"

King Jing was sent away as soon as he was born, and was raised to adulthood before returning to the palace. After only a few years, he was granted the throne of a country outside the capital.

He had a very difficult childhood, otherwise he would not have escaped from the villa and been picked up by Zhong Yansheng. It is normal for him to resent the old emperor.

But no matter what, the old emperor is still his father.

This request was very reasonable, and Zhong Yansheng could not find any fault with it: "Of course it's OK."

The carriage turned and headed towards the palace.

The New Year is just a few days away, and it should have been a prosperous time. However, because the rebels have reached the outskirts of Beijing, the news has reached the city, and now everyone is in danger and stays at home. The streets that used to be bustling with traffic are now deserted with only patrolling guards coming and going.

When he arrived at the palace gate, Pei Hong looked at the imperial city, which was as magnificent as ever. "Huh? Why are there so few guards protecting the imperial city? Can they guarantee your safety? Xiao Sheng, you are the backbone of the capital now. You must not get into trouble. The troops at the left and right gates are enough. Send some people back."

Zhong Yansheng thought what he said made sense, and nodded.

The carriage rocked into the palace gate. Pei Hong's hands gradually warmed up and he looked at Zhong Yansheng carefully.

A few months passed, and the boy with black hair and fair skin seemed to have grown up a little. His childish look faded, and his complexion became more beautiful and charming. His pointed chin was sunken in the tip of his furry winter collar. He looked gentle and quiet, just like when he was a child, and as beautiful as a little Bodhisattva.

It’s just that his face has become a little thinner these days, and he looks so pitiful, which makes people feel distressed.

Pei Hong unfolded his fan, and his dark eyes, which were filled with a faint smile, met Zhong Yansheng's. He spoke softly, as if with pity: "Xiao Sheng is so pitiful. I should have come earlier."

Zhong Yansheng smiled at him: "You've arrived just in time, Your Highness Prince Jing."

When the carriage reached the Yangxin Palace, Zhong Yansheng said, "Because there are not enough people, there is no one guarding the Yangxin Palace. You can go in. Eunuch Tian Xi is inside. I have something else to do, so I will go to the study first."

A few days ago, Tian Xi came back. The old emperor, who had finally woken up from a coma, was so angry when he saw Tian Xi that he vomited blood and fainted again. A few days later, he woke up and saw Tian Xi again, and vomited blood and fainted again.

Because of the hemiplegia, his speech was already very unclear, and in the past two days, he has become even more unclear.

Pei Hong nodded with a smile and said with emotion: "Xiao Sheng has indeed grown up a lot and is different from before."

Zhong Yansheng was a little embarrassed: "I am just learning from others."

After learning from Xiao Nong, he found that Xiao Nong's way of doing things was really effective. He was ruthless in his gangsterism and decisive in his ruthlessness.

When he thought of Xiao Nong, the corners of his lips curled up unconsciously. Pei Hong's eyes moved, and he stared at him for a long time. Without saying anything more, he used his fan to open the curtain of the carriage and got off the carriage.

The carriage continued to move forward and arrived at Lanqing Palace where Zhong Yansheng and Xiao Nong lived in the palace.

Feng Ji and Yun Cheng were sweeping the snow. When they saw Zhong Yansheng coming back, they greeted him, "Your Highness, someone just delivered a secret letter and it's on your desk."

There was no reinforcement from Taiyuan, but the ten thousand men brought by King Jing were enough. Zhong Yansheng walked briskly, nodded kindly, and went into the study.

There were already many letters on the desk, one of which was marked as urgent.

None of the express letters in the past few days were good news. Zhong Yansheng hadn't slept well for several days, and he sat down tiredly to open the letters.

He had always been carefully protected by someone in the past. When he was a child, it was by the Huai'an Marquis and his wife, and when he grew up, it was by Xiao Nong. This was the first time that Xiao Nong was not by his side and he needed to protect others.

Thinking about Xiao Nong, Zhong Yansheng took a deep breath and calmed down.

Now that the reinforcements have arrived, as long as they can hold the city gates, the rebels will not be able to hold out for long in the cold winter and without food and fodder.

The rebels couldn't delay for too long, and once the war in Mobei was over, he had no more worries and directly sent a letter to his brother, who would wipe them out as soon as he came back.

But the people behind the rebels are not simple. They have bewitched many people along the way. Even if those people wake up halfway through the journey, they cannot escape. Now that they are on the battlefield, they push the people to the front, making it really difficult to deal with them.

The person behind the scenes should be very clear that the rebels do not have much time, so they will definitely launch a fierce attack on the capital before Xiao comes back.

This is what Zhong Yansheng guessed - but he didn't know what happened to the rebels. They had a battle with the Fifth Army Camp a few days ago, but suddenly they became quiet in the past two days and have been stationed in the suburbs of Beijing without any movement.

Logically speaking, they are the ones who can't afford to delay the most. Zhong Yansheng is ready to defend the city gate to the death, but they haven't made any move even after the reinforcements have arrived.

But it’s always a good idea to be prepared.

Zhong Yansheng was puzzled and unfolded the express letter in his hand to take a look.

It was sent by the spy who was keeping an eye on Prince An.

The letter said that ten days ago, Prince An was enjoying the snow and entertaining guests as usual, but he caught a cold and kept coughing, so he stayed indoors and refused to go out.

After returning to his fiefdom from the capital, Prince An had been quite honest and dutiful. Apart from whipping Prince De's corpse at night, he had never even had the intention of sneaking out of his fiefdom.

Seeing that Prince An was ill, the spy couldn't help but relax for a moment, but after two days, when Prince An didn't come out, the spy became suspicious and took the risk of pretending to be a doctor and entered Prince An's bedroom. He took the opportunity to push aside the curtain and took a look. He found that the person who had been coughing on the bed was not Prince An, but a guest at Prince An's banquet who had a similar figure to him. The real Prince An had escaped long ago!

Now that Prince An's whereabouts are unknown, the spies hurriedly wrote an urgent letter and sent it. However, even express mail in winter is three points slower, and after all the hassles, it finally arrived at Zhong Yansheng's desk today.

Zhong Yansheng clenched the letter in his hand, and his first reaction was actually relief.

On the night of the palace riot, Prince An was captured by Xiao Nong for questioning. Although every word he said made sense, he always felt something strange in his heart.

It's not surprising now.

The man behind the scenes who integrated the remnants of Prince De and called on the mob to gather together is most likely Prince An!

Prince An had been bullied by Prince De since he was a child. He had been dormant for many years without revealing a single flaw. How could he be someone without any ambitions if he could endure that? He was indeed the heir in the old emperor's mind!

Prince An used to be very low-key, with a low presence. He rarely appeared in public, and not many people knew him.

Zhong Yansheng thought for a while, then immediately took out a pen and paper and drew a small portrait of Prince An. He prepared to have someone send it to Huo Shuang, asking all of Huo Shuang's men to keep an eye out for anyone who looked like this among the rebels.

Halfway through the painting, Yun Cheng knocked on the door outside: "Your Highness, the Second Young Master Xiao is here."

Zhong Yansheng was busy finishing the last two strokes: "Let him come in."

Xiao Wenlan is Xiao Nong's only relative. Although Xiao Nong dislikes this cousin who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun, he also values ​​him very much.

There were no guards guarding Prince Ding's mansion and Xiao Wenlan's residence, and the capital was in chaos. Zhong Yansheng was worried that Xiao Wenlan and Wang Bo would be targeted, so he asked someone to bring them into the palace.

Even though the capital was in a state of panic, Xiao Wenlan was still in high spirits. He didn't worry about anything and shouted before he even entered the door: "Young prince, what are you busy with? I seemed to see His Royal Highness Prince Jing when I came here just now. Could it be that I am still drunk?"

Xiao Wenlan couldn't sit still. It was too difficult for him to stay in the palace obediently, but he knew that the capital was not peaceful now, so he stayed there obediently. He would drink when he was bored and chat with Zhong Yansheng when he was free. He lived a more leisurely life than anyone else.

Zhong Yansheng now understood why Xiao Nong was troubled by Xiao Wenlan: "You are not mistaken, Prince Jing has come to help the capital."

Xiao Wenlan clapped his hands: "Your Highness Prince Jing has always been loyal, and he is worthy of being my good brother!"

Zhong Yansheng finished the last two strokes, and Xiao Wenlan came over to take a look: "Who is this? He looks familiar."

Zhong Yansheng introduced casually: "The leader of the rebels."

As he spoke, he saw that the ink had dried, so he called the secret guards outside to send the portrait to the front line, and softly ordered: "Once you spot this person, if you can't capture him alive, just shoot him."

Although he couldn't figure out how Prince An, who was an old enemy of Prince De, quietly gathered the remnants of Prince De, Zhong Yansheng understood a very simple truth after his trip to Mobei: To catch a thief, you must first catch the leader.

Just like Xiao Nong, as the commander of the central army, had been missing for some time, the morale of the army became a little unstable, and the barbarians were also ready to launch a general attack.

As long as Prince An is captured or killed, the rebels will be demoralized and will disperse without them having to do anything.

When Xiao Wenlan saw the way he gave orders and the tone he spoke, he felt a chill on the back of his neck, as if he had seen his brother.

His brother is very scary, but the little prince has a cute and gentle face and speaks in a soft tone, which makes him even more creepy.

After Zhong Yansheng finished giving his instructions, he finally had time to talk to Xiao Wenlan. His eyebrows were still gentle and soft, and he blinked and looked at Xiao Wenlan: "Second Young Master Xiao, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"..." Xiao Wenlan's hands trembled violently, and he stepped back silently, "No, nothing! I'm going to go find His Royal Highness Prince Jing to reminisce about the past."

Seeing Xiao Wenlan running away in a hurry, Zhong Yansheng withdrew his gaze in confusion and touched his face.

Why is Xiao Wenlan so weird? Is his expression scary? No?

Zhong Yansheng touched the mirror and looked at his face. He felt relieved because it was not his problem.

My brother likes it best when he smiles like this.

It was not known whether it was because of the arrival of King Jing’s reinforcements, but for the next several days, the rebels outside the city, which had suddenly become silent, tried to fight with the Five Army Camps a few more times before becoming quiet again.

The court was arguing fiercely about King Jing's aid, but they calmed down when they saw that the reinforcements seemed to have intimidated the rebels. However, there will definitely be a settlement afterwards.

Pei Hong didn't seem to care much about being held accountable later, nor did he care much about how Zhong Yansheng arranged the people he brought with him. He and Xiao Wenlan hit it off immediately, and every few days they would bring out the palace's precious wines for a drink. When Xiao Wenlan got drunk, he pulled Pei Hong to the outside of Zhong Yansheng's study, and they lay on the windowsill and laughed together, which scared Zhong Yansheng.

Wei Ling had been on guard against Pei Hong, and seeing him like this, he became a little confused.

During the New Year, battle reports from Mobei were sent by carrier pigeon.

Xiao Nong pretended to disappear, concealed all traces, and ambushed for many days. Finally, he captured the leader of the Khoshut tribe and the most famous warrior of Aluko in one fell swoop. The barbarian army was immediately defeated.

At present, Xiao Nong has led his men deep into the snowfield and joined hands with the Aohan tribe to wipe out the two large clans. The handwriting was a little sloppy, and it was obvious that the march was extremely hasty. However, he did not forget to tease Zhong Yansheng in the last sentence, saying that they would probably not be able to make it back by the 15th day of the first lunar month.

Tangyuan is eaten during Yuanxiao Festival, so when he comes back, Zhong Yansheng will compensate him with black sesame tangyuan.

The letter was delivered to Zhong Yansheng during the imperial court. A bunch of ministers were looking at it eagerly. Zhong Yansheng's ears were burning so much that he tried his best to keep a straight face, cut off the beginning and the end, and read out the serious content.

The hopes of the courtiers suddenly burned brightly.

Although Xiao Nong has a terrible reputation... he doesn't seem to have really killed people indiscriminately. But if the rebels enter the city, that may not be the case.

After returning to Lanqing Palace, Zhong Yansheng wanted to deal with some more memorials, but was pulled into a side hall by Pei Hong and Xiao Wenlan, where a table full of Jiangnan dishes was served.

"Xiao Sheng, don't tire yourself out." Pei Hong said with a smile, "Today is New Year's Eve, at least sit down and have a good meal."

Xiao Wenlan followed up, "That's right, little prince, your face has become much thinner. My brother would definitely feel distressed if he saw it."

Pei Hong glanced at him and his smile faded a little.

After hearing what Xiao Wenlan said, Zhong Yansheng sat down hesitantly and ate with the two of them. He ate little and was very quiet. While eating, he thought about Xiao Nong and his aunt. He didn't know how they were doing, and whether they were also marching on New Year's Eve and couldn't stop to eat.

Pei Hong looked at him and drank a few more glasses of wine. Xiao Wenlan also drank foolishly.

When Zhong Yansheng was full, Pei Hong, who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, was actually drunk. Xiao Wenlan was even more drunk and said with a big tongue: "I have long seen who my brother treats well. It is obvious that the young prince is very capable. He knows so many things and can, can take charge of the overall situation like my brother."

"My brother, hiccup, treats me well, I know, but I'm a useless piece of shit... I let my brother down."

As he was talking, he actually laid down on the table, hugged Pei Hong and started crying.

Pei Hong, who usually loves to laugh and is so free and easy, was very quiet when he was drunk. His features even looked a little cold, completely different from his usual self. When Xiao Wenlan hugged him, he pushed him hard and coldly.

Xiao Wenlan fell back and cried even more sadly.

Back then, Xiao Nong made Xiao Wenlan drink poisoned wine, and later left Beijing to fight. Xiao Wenlan was left in Beijing and was raised by the old emperor to only know how to eat and drink, but he could only know how to eat and drink.

Xiao Wenlan is not that stupid. Xiao Nong's brilliance has already burned the old emperor's eyes. If he also shows something, will he and his brother still be alive?

Under the old emperor's nose, he could only be a waste, both for Xiao Nong and for himself.

After living a life of idleness and waiting to die for so many years, Xiao Wenlan has indeed successfully turned himself into a trustworthy piece of trash.

Seeing him crying so sadly, Zhong Yansheng reached out and touched Xiao Wenlan's head, trying to comfort him: "Don't cry, Second Young Master Xiao, your cousin actually hopes that you can live a stable life. He doesn't have so many expectations of you."

Xiao Wenlan: “…”

Xiao Wenlan cried even louder.

Then, Pei Hong from the opposite side hit his head with a fan, with a thump sound.

Pei Hong said coldly: "Noisy."

Xiao Wenlan cried loudly.

Zhong Yansheng's ears were about to explode. Seeing that Pei Hong wanted to hit Xiao Wenlan again, he hurriedly stopped him: "Don't, don't bully him, Your Highness Prince Jing."

Xiao Wenlan is fine, but King Jing is so scary when he is drunk.

It was unknown whether Pei Hong had listened to Zhong Yansheng's words. He looked down at his hands, put down his fan and stopped hitting him, but he said coldly, "Shut up."

After being scolded by Pei Hong, Xiao Wenlan not only refused to shut up, but cried even harder.

These two people are not done. Zhong Yansheng’s head was buzzing. He weakly covered his ears and shouted outside: "Wei Ling! Wei Ling, quickly, quickly send someone to send these two back!"

Xiao Wenlan was easy to deal with. Although he cried and screamed, he would walk away once he was helped and was very obedient.

King Jing said nothing but stood there and refused to leave. His drunken eyes had lost their usual smile and he stared at Zhong Yansheng, as if he had a lot to say.

Zhong Yansheng waited patiently for a while, thinking that he was going to say something, but Pei Hong lowered his head again, and while Zhong Yansheng was not paying attention, he knocked on Xiao Wenlan next to him.

Xiao Wenlan was stunned for a moment.

Zhong Yansheng: “…”

Zhong Yansheng was helpless with these two drunkards, but fortunately after Pei Hong knocked Xiao Wenlan, he seemed satisfied and cooperated as he followed him out.

Zhong Yansheng escorted the two out of Lanqing Palace, watched them being helped onto the sedan chair, listened to Xiao Wenlan whimpering as he went away, rubbed his ears, and was about to go back to his room to be alone when Wei Ling came back and said, "Young Master, there is someone outside the palace who wants to see you."

Zhong Yansheng didn't want to see anyone right now, but he still asked patiently, "It's so late, who is it?"

“The young master of Huai'an Marquis's Mansion."

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