Ch. 83 - Xiao Nong: Good boy, you are a little bamboo shoot

Zhong Yansheng had a very low alcohol tolerance. After drinking half a glass of light wine, his head felt dizzy and he felt a little sad.

When he was a child, he brought Pei Hong back to Huai'an Marquis Mansion in the snow and ice. He was very happy that he finally had a playmate, and he took out all the snacks that he had hidden and was reluctant to eat and gave them to Pei Hong.

Pei Hong at that time was different from the unfocused person he is now. He didn't talk much and seemed very cautious.

They were playmates for three days, and then people from the palace followed the trail and forcibly took Pei Hong away. He didn't even have time to say goodbye, and soon he followed the Marquis of Huai'an to Gusu.

At that time, Zhong Yansheng thought that he would be able to see Pei Hong again soon. When he first arrived in Gusu, he secretly hid some small gifts for his first friend. He did not expect that they would meet again more than ten years later.

The journey was long and difficult, and after King Jing returned to his fiefdom, it would be difficult to see him again.

Pei Hong used to be very ostentatious, and was always accompanied by a group of people wherever he went. Today he was leaving Beijing, and the simple farewell banquet was quiet. He drank the rest of the pot of wine by himself, and then it was time to leave.

Zhong Yansheng stood up and wanted to escort him to the city gate, but Pei Hong refused: "No need, Xiaosheng, sit down and sober up and then go back to the palace. A big change happened last night, and the capital has not been peaceful these past two days."

Zhong Yansheng opened his mouth, hesitated, but still didn't explain.

In fact, Wei Ling was following him secretly with his men, and Xiao Nong also sent secret guards to protect him.

He looks like one person, but in fact he is a group of people.

I’m afraid that it will scare His Royal Highness Prince Jing if I say it out loud.

But he was indeed drunk, and when he stood up, his head became even more dizzy. He had no choice but to hold on to the chair and nodded obediently: "Yeah!"

Pei Hong closed his fan, tapped his head lightly, then turned and went downstairs.

Zhong Yansheng leaned against the window and watched Pei Hong walk out of the restaurant. The carriage was waiting there.

The guards of Prince Jing's mansion were helping Pei Hong get into the carriage. Pei Hong seemed to have noticed Zhong Yansheng's gaze. He looked up and saw a furry head lying by the window upstairs. After smiling, he opened his fan and waved it, then bent down and got into the carriage.

His Royal Highness Prince Jing has also left.

Zhong Yansheng watched the carriage leave, then sat back in a chair to sober up for a while. He guessed that King Jing should have left the city by now. He rubbed his face and felt his legs and feet were not so weak anymore, so he stood up and went downstairs.

Just as he walked out of the restaurant, still in a daze, he heard a voice behind me: "Zhong Yansheng?"

Zhong Yansheng blinked slowly, turned his head and looked back, his eyes slightly widened.

The person behind him turned out to be Zhong Sidu.

The last time he followed Pei Hong out of the palace, he also came to this restaurant. When he left, he seemed to see Zhong Sidu and thought it was an illusion.

This time he really saw someone, and Zhong Yansheng felt that he must have been right last time.

Since entering the palace, or rather, since being carried away directly from Prince Jing's Mansion by Xiao Nong, Zhong Yansheng has not met Zhong Sidu. He only heard from Pei Hong that he had performed brilliantly in the autumn examination.

After not seeing each other for a long time, Zhong Sidu's features became more gentle and elegant, with the bearing of a noble young man.

Zhong Yansheng drank a lot of wine, and his thinking was sluggish. After a while, he said, "Zhong Sidu, it's you."

Half a year had passed, and Zhong Yansheng seemed to have grown taller, and his appearance had become more handsome. When he looked at people, his pupils were still black and clear, as if they were treasured by someone, carefully held in the palm of someone's hand and maintained. Even though many things had happened during these days, their pupils were still clean.

Zhong Sidu was silent for a while, then smiled gently: "I almost forgot that you are the eleventh prince now."

When Zhong Yansheng heard this, his face turned serious: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm not."

Seeing his face flushed with drunkenness and his eyes filled with tears, Zhong Sidu thought he was drunk and hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether he should lend a hand to help him: "Are you alone? Should I take you back to the palace?"

Zhong Yansheng looked at him and suddenly felt relieved.

Yes, the old emperor is now paralyzed in bed and can’t do anything. Previously, because of the old emperor, the Huai’an Marquis Mansion had to distance itself from him. Now he can go to the Marquis Mansion!

Zhong Yansheng's eyes sparkled: "I want to go to the Marquis' Mansion. Can you take me back?"

How could anyone refuse him when he looked at people like that? Zhong Sidu was slightly startled, and sensitively noticed that he said "go" instead of "return". He felt an indescribable feeling in his heart, and nodded gently: "Of course."

The palace riot last night happened suddenly, but Xiao Nong had anticipated that Prince De’s side fraction would counterattack, and sent people to prepare, so it was resolved quickly.

The incident happened quietly and silently. Apart from the fact that the patrols in the capital were tighter than before, it did not affect the lives of the people in the capital.

Zhong Yansheng got on the carriage of the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion, leaned on the window and looked outside. He felt a little tipsy and dizzy, and was very satisfied when he saw the usual peaceful atmosphere on the long street.

Zhong Sidu sat opposite and looked at Zhong Yansheng. Many words came to his mind, but he didn't know where to start.

When he first returned to the Marquis' Mansion, he wanted to drive Zhong Yansheng away and take back his identity. Unexpectedly, Zhong Yansheng didn't want to occupy his identity. When he regained his status as the young master, he turned around and found that Zhong Yansheng had already gone far away.

It’s hard to describe the feeling in my heart.

After drinking, Zhong Yansheng felt hot on his forehead. After enjoying several gusts of cool breeze, he sneezed. He immediately stopped trying to enjoy the cool breeze and lowered the car curtain.

After a while of wind, his mind became clearer. He turned around and said to Zhong Sidu seriously, "There is something I should have said to you a long time ago, but I never had the chance."

Zhong Sidu's heart skipped a beat: "What?"

Zhong Yansheng said seriously: "I'm sorry."

Although it was not his fault, it was indeed because of him that Zhong Sidu had been stranded outside for so many years. It was reasonable for him to apologize to Zhong Sidu.

Unexpectedly, Zhong Yansheng apologized out of the blue. Zhong Sidu was silent for a while, probably guessing what he meant. After a long while, he shook his head**: "...It's all in the past."**

Zhong Yansheng pursed his lips and smiled at him.

Because Zhong Yansheng spoke first, the atmosphere in the carriage was no longer tense. Zhong Sidu didn't want to talk about that anymore. Seeing Zhong Yansheng, who looked as if even his hair was being carefully treated, he asked awkwardly, "How did Prince Ding treat you?"

Zhong Yansheng shook his calves. Because he was still drunk, he said what was in his heart: "Brother treats me very well."

Brother?

Zhong Sidu's expression was hard to describe at that moment.

Zhong Yansheng didn't notice anything wrong. When he noticed the carriage had stopped, he lifted the curtain and looked out. He saw the long-lost plaque of Huai'an Marquis Mansion, and jumped out of the carriage with shining eyes.

After the incident last night, the black-armored soldiers sent by Xiao Nong to guard the Huai'an Marquis Mansion took the first step and arrested all the people who the old emperor had planted in the Huai'an Marquis Mansion. The dark clouds hanging over the Huai'an Marquis Mansion seemed to dissipate.

However, Zhong Yansheng's sudden arrival still surprised the servants of the Marquis' Mansion more than making them happy, and they hurried to inform the Marquis' wife.

When the Marquis’ wife hurried to the courtyard, she saw Zhong Yansheng walking in wearing a fox fur coat. The handsome boy looked particularly soft in the fur coat. Her eyes immediately turned red. She covered her mouth to suppress her emotions for a while, but she couldn’t help but stroke his head with her hand. Her expression was as if in a dream: “Yuan’er?”

Zhong Yansheng lowered his head and let her touch him: "Mother."

His mother is his mother, and the marquis' wife is also his mother.

He had never seen his biological mother, but he knew that his mother loved him very much. Although the Marquis's wife did not give him flesh and blood, she treated him as her own child.

What's more, he was born prematurely and must have been very weak. If the Marquis's wife had not replaced him, he might not have survived.

Zhong Yansheng felt that his mother would not mind him calling Madam Hou "mother".

The Marquis's wife guessed that Zhong Yansheng already knew his identity. When she heard Zhong Yansheng calling her like that, she was about to cry. She was supported by Zhong Yansheng and Zhong Sidu and entered the house. Only then did she calm down and looked at Zhong Yansheng while wiping her tears.

Mrs. Hou knew about all the changes in the capital during these days, which made her worried and surprised. She was worried that something would happen to Zhong Yansheng, and she was also surprised that Zhong Yansheng, who was always well-behaved and not in good health, would do those things with Xiao Nong. In less than a year, her weak little son had become much calmer.

But it doesn't seem so strange. This child has the blood of the prince flowing in his body, and he has the advantages of the prince and the princess. He is originally an excellent child.

Madam Hou touched Zhong Yansheng's cheek, her voice choked with sobs, and finally said, "You've lost weight."

Zhong Yansheng whispered: "The food in the palace was not delicious...but it is delicious now."

Hearing his words, the Marquis's wife couldn't help laughing again. She wiped away the last bit of tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and asked carefully, "When will Yuan'er go back? Do you want to stay for dinner?"

Zhong Yansheng curled his eyes at her: "Okay."

The Marquis's wife had many questions she wanted to ask, but most of them were related to Xiao Nong.

His Royal Highness Prince Ding already had a large number of troops under his command, and now he is even more powerful. I heard that his temperament is unpredictable, and he does things casually without any rules. I think it would be very difficult for him to get along with him.

At the beginning, Yuan Yuan had to be sent to Prince Ding's palace. Although Prince Ding and Yuan Yuan were engaged, Yuan Yuan was a boy and Prince Ding didn't know whether to accept it.

However, since Prince Ding is willing to lend a helping hand to Zhong Yansheng, he should at least be willing to stand in the same camp.

Even in the current situation, all the officials in the court felt that Prince Ding was trying to usurp the throne or was intending to support Zhong Yansheng to sit on the throne and truly become the regent.

What is the relationship between Prince Ding and Yuan Yuan now?

The Marquis' wife was extremely worried: "Yuan Yuan, did Prince Ding know that you came out of the palace?"

Early this morning, the court officials who had been terrified all night had no idea who would sit on the dragon throne in the end, so they went to court with heavy hearts. Marquis Huai’an also went, and has not returned yet.

Zhong Yansheng drank the hot tea handed to him by Madam Hou, completely unaware of how horrible Xiao Nong's image was in Madam Hou's mind: "He knows."

Xiao Nong's secret guard was squatting outside the window.

The Marquis’ wife heaved a sigh of relief.

He didn't sneak out. It seems that Prince Ding has no intention of keeping Yuan'er under house arrest in the palace as a puppet, at least for now.

Zhong Sidu sat beside them, quietly watching the two of them reminiscing about the past. He wanted to speak several times, but swallowed his words back in the end.

The slight unfamiliarity caused by not seeing each other for such a long time was soon washed away. The marquis' wife took Zhong Yansheng's hand and spoke softly for a long time, asking him about his days in the palace and whether it was dangerous to go south to suppress the bandits. Time passed quickly.

When it was getting dark, someone knocked on the door and reported that the Marquis and His Royal Highness Prince Ding had arrived together.

Upon hearing that Prince Ding was coming, the expressions of the Marquis' wife and Zhong Sidu froze slightly, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

Zhong Yansheng looked outside in a hurry and saw Xiao Nong's figure.

It seemed that he had finished his work. Seeing that he had not returned to the palace, he knew where he was, so he simply came to pick him up.

No one knew what they talked about. Huai'an Hou's expression was hard to understand. When he saw Zhong Yansheng, he relaxed a little, as if he was somewhat pleased.

Xiao Nong always does things according to his own temperament. Even though he was suppressed by the old emperor in the past, he never had a good face towards the old emperor. But Huai’an Marquis Mansion is different. It is considered half of Zhong Yansheng's home.

After thinking for a while, before the Marquis and Zhong Sidu greeted each other, Xiao Nong nodded to the Marquis’ wife very naturally, and forced himself to adjust his expression to be kind: "Little King greets Auntie."

Madam Hou: “…”

This Prince Ding really behaves in a very strange way!

Zhong Yansheng also joined in: "Mother, there's no need to be polite to His Royal Highness Prince Ding."

Xiao Nong's expression became gentler: "Well, no need to be polite."

He is not kind at all. Instead, he looks like a big-tailed wolf, even scarier than when he doesn't smile.

Marquis Huai’an's expression was even more difficult to describe: "It's getting dark. Since His Royal Highness Prince Ding is here, would you like to have dinner with us?"

He asked with his mouth, but the implicit meaning was: We are about to eat, could you please move aside?

Having not seen him for a whole day, Xiao Nong missed Zhong Yansheng very much. Not only did he not move, but he quietly moved closer to Zhong Yansheng. When he smelled the familiar warm and soft fragrance, his ears, which had been disturbed by the noise of the court officials all day, became quiet. He casually said, "Oh? Really? Then I'll also stop by the Marquis' Mansion to have dinner."

Huai'an Marquis: "..."

Zhong Sidu's smile faded: "It's not appropriate. The Marquis's Mansion is shabby, and I'm afraid we can't entertain His Royal Highness Prince Ding well enough."

Zhong Yansheng spoke up this time, trying to redeem Xiao Nong's unapproachable image: "It's okay! His Royal Highness Prince Ding eats everything!"

Xiao Nong: “…”

Xiao Nong lowered his head to look at him, and the smile in his eyes became more genuine: "Well, this king eats everything."

In the strange atmosphere, everyone still sat down at a table to have dinner, and Xiao Nong sat opposite Zhong Yansheng.

Knowing that this was the legendary His Royal Highness Prince Ding, the servants in the Marquis's Mansion trembled with fear. They served the dinner and then hurriedly left without daring to breathe.

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Xiao Nong raised his eyebrows: "Don't worry about me, everyone, relax."

In the eyes of people who don’t know Xiao Nong, he still looks extremely scary, but Zhong Yansheng knows that Xiao Nong is used to being arrogant and is already cooperating and giving him face.

The way Xiao Nong lowered his head and tried hard to restrain himself was very much like Taxue who liked to lie on his belly in front of him and pretend to be a harmless kitten.

It was rare to see Xiao Nong like this. Zhong Yansheng smiled secretly in his heart. While no one was paying attention at the dinner table, he raised his foot and quietly rubbed Xiao Nong's leg.

Xiao Nong was eating absentmindedly when he noticed Zhong Yansheng's foot sneaking towards him, like a feather tickling him. He paused for a moment, half-narrowed his dark blue eyes, and looked at him darkly.

Zhong Yansheng tried to retract his calf as if nothing had happened, but the next moment he could no longer laugh.

His feet were clamped between Xiao Nong's legs, and he couldn't pull them back.

Zhong Yansheng was a little panicked. He lowered his head and tried to pull it back, but still couldn't.

Compared with Xiao Nong, his strength was already very small, not to mention that there were three other people at the dinner table, so he didn't dare to use too much force for fear of being discovered.

Seeing that Zhong Yansheng suddenly stopped moving, Madam Hou picked up a dish for him with concern and said, "Why don't you eat, Yuan'er? Mother asked the kitchen to cook what you like."

Zhong Yansheng's ears were slightly red, and he stammered, "...Thank you, mother."

Xiao Nong clamped his feet between his legs and very naturally raised his hand to pick up a dish for him: "The newly picked rouge vegetables are good, try it."

I don’t know if it was intentional, but he deliberately emphasized the word “pick”. Zhong Yansheng recalled some memories, his ears felt hot, and he felt that he was not far from fainting. He bit his lip and tried to pull his feet.

Instead of pulling it back, he accidentally rubbed something in his panicked struggle, and his whole body froze in an instant.

Xiao Nong stared at him with eyes that became even darker.

Seeing that Zhong Yansheng hadn't moved his chopsticks for a long time, the Marquis of Huai'an sternly taught him, "Yuan Yuan, don't be picky about food."

Xiao Nong seemed to smile, but stopped eating. He just stared at him as if he was staring at a bone, and slowly repeated the words of the Marquis of Huai’an: "Yuan Yuan, don't be picky about food."

“…”

Zhong Yansheng was being stared at and felt so ashamed that he almost wanted to cry. His eyes were a little moist and he felt extremely regretful.

Xiao Nong is a bad dog.

But he is more like a meat bun that gets close to him.

Neither the Marquis of Huai’an nor his wife noticed anything. Only Zhong Sidu sensed something was wrong. He looked at Xiao Nong, whose expression was subtle, then at Zhong Yansheng, whose eyelashes were wet, and frowned.

Fortunately, Marquis Huai’an and his wife were also at the dinner table, so Xiao Nong did not dare to be too presumptuous. He let go of Zhong Yansheng's feet before anyone noticed something was wrong.

Zhong Yansheng's shoes almost fell off, but he didn't dare to lower his head to put them on, so he could only concentrate on eating.

Seeing Zhong Yansheng eating obediently, Xiao Nong stopped eating. As the host, Marquis Huai’an had to ask, "The food is not to the taste of His Royal Highness Prince Ding?"

Xiao Nong curled his lips: "Well, I like to eat spring bamboo shoots."

((Slag))

Marquis Huai’an frowned secretly.

Didn't you say you can eat anything? You're so picky. It's almost winter, and you want to eat spring bamboo shoots?

After dinner, Marquis Huai'an wanted to talk to Zhong Yansheng alone. Zhong Yansheng sat there, blushing and holding back for a while. In the surprised look of Marquis Huai'an, he pulled back his half-lost short boots and put them on, and secretly glared at Xiao Nong.

Arriving at the study, Marquis Huai'an put his hands behind his back and spoke after a while: "Yuan Yuan, do you know everything already?"

Zhong Yansheng quickly came back to his senses and nodded.

Huai'an Hou sighed silently: "Will you blame me for not telling you the truth?"

Zhong Yansheng shook his head: "How could that be? I know everything. If you and mother hadn't taken the risk to protect me back then... I wouldn't be standing here now."

Marquis Huai'an looked into his clear eyes and felt a little dazed.

Zhong Yansheng was too weak when he was a child, so he kept him in the Marquis' Mansion, hoping that he could live a peaceful life. But this child is not a weak little bird that needs to be protected under someone's wings all the time, he can also fly with the wind.

Huai'an Hou said in a serious tone: "I won't say any more nonsense. But there is one thing I need to tell you."

Zhong Yansheng's heart tightened: "What?"

"More than ten years ago, I was the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple and was fluent in Mongolian. At that time, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince brought a few Mongolian sentences with me and helped me translate them." Huai'an Marquis lowered his voice, "Although it is a fragment, I can vaguely understand it. It is a foreign witchcraft method."

Zhong Yansheng didn't expect to hear this from Huai'an Marquis. He held his breath and listened to Huai'an Marquis continue: "The fragment describes the effect of Gu. The child Gu makes trouble and makes people have splitting headaches, while the mother Gu has a soothing effect. If the person carrying the mother Gu dies, the person carrying the child Gu will also die... It is a way for the foreign race to control people."

Zhong Yansheng subconsciously raised his hand and touched the mark on the back of his neck.

Marquis Huai'an looked at Zhong Yansheng deeply and said, "I vaguely heard that Prince Ding had a headache. Seeing his special attitude towards you, I remembered this. There was a commotion in the palace last night, Your Majesty... No matter what happened, you can't trust everything he said."

Zhong Yansheng then recalled what the old emperor said last night.

What the old emperor said was "Only by eliminating the mother Gu can the child Gu disappear, and one of them must survive"... It turned out to be a lie!

This old pervert was still thinking about deceiving them despite being tortured like that!

Just imagine, if it wasn't Xiao Nong, but someone else, who had been tortured by the poison for many years, and heard the old emperor say that he had been poisoned, he could only live for three more years at most.

It is very likely that he will really turn against Zhong Yansheng and attack him.

If Zhong Yansheng died, the person carrying the child Gu would also die.

Even if the old emperor could not regain power, he could die with a smile on his face.

Zhong Yansheng nodded with a stern face, regretting that he didn't punch the old emperor hard enough last night.

Marquis Huai'an was not good at speaking, and after a while, he blurted out, "Your Highness the Crown Prince still has prestige, and I will help with the affairs of the court together with my old friend."

Zhong Yansheng lowered his head, his eyes slightly warm: "Thank you."

"The Crown Prince saved the Zhong family, which is a favor to the whole clan. It's just a trivial matter, so why bother about it?" Marquis Huai'an patted his shoulder and smiled faintly, "Don't worry, do what you want to do."

After leaving the study, Zhong Yansheng wanted to go to Chunwu Courtyard where he used to live to get some things.

He still had a lot of things hidden in the bed curtains that he hadn't had time to take out.

Those things inside...must be taken away without Xiao Nong's permission.

Zhong Yansheng secretly walked around the hall and arrived at Chunwu Courtyard with familiarity. Marquis Huai'an had always sent people to take care of the courtyard, so it did not look desolate.

He pushed open the door and took a step inside when he felt a familiar force on his waist. He was wrapped up and walked into the house. The door closed with a creak. A slightly cool, tall nose rubbed against his neck, like a wild beast that could bite off a person's neck at any time, sniffing him with aggression. His wrists were also pressed behind his back.

Zhong Yansheng never expected that Xiao Nong was following behind him, and he was completely stunned.

"Yuan Yuan." Xiao Nong's voice was filled with laughter, "You are so good."

He became more and more daring and even dared to step on him with his foot at the dinner table.

Zhong Yansheng hadn't been close to Xiao Nong for many days, and his ears were numb. His waist went limp before anything was done to him. He pushed him weakly, but the finger he pushed over was held in his mouth, feeling wet. Then he felt a slight pain, and Xiao Nong bit him.

Zhong Yansheng was so scared that he twitched his fingers. When he was picked up by him, he couldn't help but struggle: "This is the Marquis' Mansion..."

"Hmm? No wonder it smells like you. This is where Yuan Yuan lived, right?"

Xiao Nong put him on the bed, pressed him down, sniffed and kissed him, like a big dog that finally got a bone, and couldn't let go: "Then you have to be quiet, don't let anyone hear you."

His body fell into Xiao Nong's control again. Zhong Yansheng was trembling all over as he was licked by him. The drunkenness from the glass of wine he had drunk at noon seemed to come back. He felt so hot that his earlobe was being bitten and rubbed. Xiao Nong's voice was filled with an intimate smile: "You flirted with me like that at the dinner table just now, why don't you dare to look at me now?"

Zhong Yansheng felt very aggrieved: "I just wanted to kick you..."

Xiao Nong deliberately frowned, stretched out his hand to pry his legs apart, and said angrily and amusedly: "You have a reason to kick me."

The lantern that was brought over fell alone at the door, blocked by the screen, and the light that filtered through was not too bright. However, Zhong Yansheng could clearly see the deep lust in Xiao Nong's eyes with that faint light.

He had been hungry for several days, and it looked like they were going to eat him till not a bone was left.

Zhong Yansheng shrank back in fear, but was pulled back by his ankle. His whole body was enveloped in Xiao Nong's aura, with nowhere to escape.

Xiao Nong extended his fingers and rubbed his lips badly. Zhong Yansheng felt uncomfortable with the rubbing. After hesitating for a moment, he obediently stretched out his red tongue and licked his fingers.

It was wet, and Xiao Nong's breathing seemed to become heavier. Then Zhong Yansheng noticed a familiar feeling.

He was dazed and thought dizzily, this shouldn't be the case.

Is Xiao Nong okay again?

Haven’t you taken the drug yet?

((Drug means medicine))

With his mind still in a mess, his belt suddenly loosened.

In autumn, Zhong Yansheng wears thicker clothes, layer after layer.

Xiao Nong fiddled with the tip of his tongue, making him almost breathless. After peeling off several layers, he finally couldn't help but come up to kiss him, sucking and biting on the tip of his tongue, and smiled at him softly: "Good boy, you are a little bamboo shoot."

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