Ch. 46 - Old Emperor: Xiao Shiyi, you go

Big secret?

Zhong Yansheng's ears stood up. Seeing Feng Ji opening his mouth to speak, he quickly covered his mouth. He glanced at Huo Shuang who was standing beside him and was very annoyed. Worried that he might hear it, he looked up and asked, "Can you move further away?"

He quickly turned against me.

Although he was a bit ungrateful, his tone was always soft and polite, making it hard for people to refuse.

Huo Shuang nodded his head and retreated another ten feet away.

Zhong Yansheng nodded with satisfaction: "Go ahead."

Feng Ji then realized that the young prince did not trust the person behind him.

The little prince is so pitiful. He was suddenly brought back to the palace. He is unfamiliar with the place, and I am afraid he dare not trust anyone.

Feng Ji felt even more guilty, and his voice became even softer, almost grinding out from between his teeth: "I just heard His Royal Highness Prince De say that the reason why the former crown prince forced the emperor to abdicate was because of being driven crazy by Your Majesty."

Zhong Yansheng's eyes widened slightly.

Driven crazy?

Zhong Yansheng had never heard much about the former Crown Prince before. After all, it was a taboo topic for the old emperor. Anyone who had experienced that bloody storm and survived would be terrified.

Marquis Huai'an and Mr. Zhou never mentioned it. As far as he can remember, the only time Marquis Huai'an mentioned the late crown prince was when he was a child and curiously asked, "Why doesn't Dayong have a crown prince? What is a crown prince like?"

Zhong Yansheng could no longer remember the expression and tone of Huai'an Marquis' voice, but he remembered that Huai'an Marquis touched his head and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is a very kind person, a gentleman like an orchid... He is a very good person."

Zhong Yansheng knew very little about what happened eighteen years ago, and was also very curious as to why the Crown Prince, who was said to be so bright and noble, would force abdication.

Now, after hearing Feng Ji's words, he realized that there might be another hidden story behind what happened back then.

"Did you...hear anything else?"

When thinking about all this, Zhong Yansheng didn't know why his chest felt so heavy and his throat felt so dry. He grabbed Feng Ji's shoulders and asked hurriedly, "Why did he get driven crazy?"

Feng Ji was startled, shook his head, and hummed softly: "His Royal Highness Prince De did not elaborate, I only vaguely heard a sentence like 'Could it be that you want to raise another Pei Xi', and then this slave was discovered."

Pei Xi... seems to be the name of the late crown prince?

What does it mean to raise another prince?

There is no one else in the world who can "raise a prince" except the emperor, right?

Zhong Yansheng frowned in thought, full of confusion, and thought in a very rebellious way, "Your Majesty seems to have not much time left, how can he still have the energy to do these things?"

After Feng Ji finished speaking, he continued to wipe the water off his face silently.

He secretly glanced at the beautiful face of the little prince, recalling the feeling of being dragged to the edge of the pool by the hair and pushed down, and the cold water choking his mouth and nose. His face turned pale, and he became more grateful to Zhong Yansheng. He couldn't help but say: "No matter what happens in the future, the little prince can find me! I will go through fire and water to repay your kindness!"

Zhong Yansheng came back to his senses. Hearing Feng Ji's sincere words, his mind moved, his eyes lit up, and he looked at him expectantly: "Then can you take me to see Concubine Zhuang?"

After nightfall, the palace was as quiet as a stagnant pool of water.

Feng Ji and other palace servants helped the Eleventh Prince, whom His Majesty loved very much recently, to bed, and then they all withdrew. The palace servants in charge of the night watch were waiting outside the door. Outside the palace, Huo Shuang and his men were patrolling closely and guarding closely.

Feng Ji ordered with a stern face: "We are not on duty tonight, so we will go back first. The young prince is a light sleeper and can be easily awakened. Don't go in casually and disturb the prince."

The people in the Palace knew that Feng Ji's godfather was Tian Xi, and they all bowed their heads respectfully in response.

As usual, after giving his instructions, Feng Ji swaggered out of Minghui Palace with the young eunuch beside him. When he passed by Huo Shuang and others who were on patrol, he did not even look at them and looked calm.

Huo Shuang and his men were selected from the Jinyiwei. They looked down on eunuchs and didn't pay any attention to them. They went around to the back of the palace to inspect.

Going further out, there are the Jinyiwei who are responsible for patrolling the area around the Yangxin Palace. After passing several layers of defense, there are fewer people around.

This was the first time Feng Ji had done such a thing, and his palms were full of sweat. After passing another palace road, he heaved a sigh of relief, wiped his sweat, and turned around and said, "After passing this place, there won't be many people. It will be fine if you come back before dawn. Little prince, follow me."

Zhong Yansheng was wearing the clothes of an ordinary eunuch. He raised his head and smiled at him: "Well! Thank you for your help."

Guanhua Palace sounds like a nice name, but it is actually the 'cold palace'. People in the palace are the most adept at currying favor with the powerful. No one would come to a place like the cold palace on purpose. The palace servants in charge of meals are very conscientious if they remember to send food here.

After nightfall, Guanhua Palace became even more desolate. The palace gate was dilapidated and not locked, and could be opened with a slight push.

Zhong Yansheng looked at the dark and cold inside, shrank his head, and felt a little scared.

This kind of place seems haunted...

He couldn't help but touch his left wrist, which still had a faint red mark on it, retaining the feeling of being caressed by a strong hand with thin calluses, as if Xiao Nong was holding his hand.

Somehow, Zhong Yansheng felt a surge of courage in his heart, encouraging himself to step over the threshold.

He had the courage, but Feng Ji couldn't help swallowing his saliva: "You should be careful. I heard from my godfather that Concubine Zhuang's condition is not very stable. Sometimes she will go crazy and bite the palace servants. The last two palace servants serving in Guanhua Palace were so scared that they ran away, so there is no one here."

Zhong Yansheng's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

Today he asked Feng Ji a lot about Concubine Zhuang, and Feng Ji told him everything he knew.

It is said that this Concubine Zhuang was a close friend of the third princess who was married to Mobei. She was extremely beautiful when she was young and had a spoiled and hot temper, but she had a good heart. She was not harsh to the palace maids, but was quite generous.

If he is really the eleventh prince, Concubine Zhuang is his biological mother, his other mother.

Mother...

Thinking of the gentle Marquis' wife, Zhong Yansheng's fear was alleviated a lot. He slowly walked to the front of the house and knocked twice.

There was no response from inside.

He had no choice but to push the door, but to his surprise, it was not locked from the inside and opened as soon as he pushed it.

Zhong Yansheng was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly stepped into the room and called softly, "Concubine Zhuang..."

The room in the cold palace was extremely simple. In the narrow little room, there was nothing except a very simple wooden bed and a table and chairs. There was no one on the bed.

Just as Zhong Yansheng was feeling strange, someone patted him and Feng Ji on the shoulder.

Zhong Yansheng instantly felt his hair stand on end and screamed in fear. Feng Ji was even more terrified and screamed, "Ahhhhhhh!"

The woman who had deliberately hidden by the door suddenly burst into laughter, clapping her hands loudly like a child and also shouted “Ahhhhhh”.

The cold palace suddenly became lively. Zhong Yansheng was frightened to the point of crying, but seeing this scene, he felt it was weird, and he didn't want to cry anymore. He sobbed, rubbed his eyes, and asked cautiously, "Are you Concubine Zhuang?"

The woman who was still chanting “Ahhh” heard his voice, flicked her hair, and raised her head proudly: “Oh? You've heard of my name too?”

Apart from the fact that his words and actions seem a bit strange, he is not that scary.

Zhong Yansheng felt relieved and turned to comfort the frightened Feng Ji: "Go outside and help me keep an eye on them. I just need to say a few words to Concubine Zhuang."

Feng Ji had been frightened during the day and almost drowned. He patted his chest repeatedly and didn't dare to stay in this room anymore. He nodded quickly: "Then, then you should be careful."

Seeing that Zhong Yansheng didn't respond to her words, the woman on the other end impatiently lectured him, "Which palace are you from? You are so rude. Why don't you come and greet me?"

Zhong Yansheng was very good-tempered: "Meetings, Madam Zhuang."

Concubine Zhuang was satisfied. She sat down on a chair with a stone on its lame leg and said, "Is there anything you want to report to me? I have to take care of Xiaoyi, so I'm very busy."

Her hair was disheveled, and her face could not be seen clearly. Her voice was not as sweet as that of a young girl. She still spoke in an arrogant tone, as if she was still living more than a decade ago and was still the Empress Zhuang who was surrounded by people.

Zhong Yansheng felt a little bitter, so he went along with her without waking her up: "My lady, who is Xiaoyi?"

"You don't know my little Yi?" Concubine Zhuang seemed very surprised. She immediately jumped up and dragged Zhong Yansheng to the bed. "Look! Your Majesty's and my little Eleven is already one month old. Isn't my baby adorable?"

The so-called "Xiao Yi" was wrapped in a ball of rags, and inside was a wooden Mohelo, which was probably more than ten years old. The originally cute doll had become unrecognizable.

Concubine Zhuang cried out, "Why is Xiaoyi crying again?"

She ignored Zhong Yansheng and quickly picked up the baby.

Zhong Yansheng stared at the wooden doll for a while, then slowly raised his head. Because the light in the room was dim and Concubine Zhuang had disheveled hair, she was only concerned with stroking the face of the Mohelo statue, muttering to herself incomprehensible words, and did not pay attention to her face.

She held the doll wrapped in rags and hummed a strange tune: "Don't cry, Xiaoyi, don't cry, mother is here..."

Zhong Yansheng felt a little sad and reluctant. He opened his mouth, but finally did not remind Concubine Zhuang that it was just a doll. He turned around and looked at the empty wooden table.

When he came out, he guessed that there would be no candles in the cold palace, so he secretly brought out a candle and a fire starter.

After a moment, the candlelight lit up, illuminating the area around the bed.

Seeing the light, Concubine Zhuang finally shifted her gaze from the wooden doll in her arms and looked at Zhong Yansheng in confusion: "Why is it suddenly light? You..."

She suddenly stopped talking and stared blankly at Zhong Yansheng's face.

Zhong Yansheng began to feel uneasy.

Could it be that he was really Concubine Zhuang's child, so Concubine Zhuang was stunned when she saw his face?

Concubine Zhuang, who had been mumbling just now, stopped talking. Zhong Yansheng had no choice but to take a few steps closer and whispered, "My lady, I'm sorry."

As he spoke, he carefully brushed away the messy hair that was blocking Concubine Zhuang's face, revealing her face.

The face has become a little old and no longer has the radiance it once had, but one can still see how beautiful she once was, and her features still have a bit of heroic spirit.

Not at all similar to Zhong Yansheng.

Zhong Yansheng blinked, and somehow he felt relieved.

Before he could finish his breath, he suddenly heard Concubine Zhuang say in a deep voice, "You are not dead yet?"

Zhong Yansheng was stunned: "What?"

Concubine Zhuang stared at him, as if she didn't hear what he said: "No, you are obviously dead..."

She suddenly became excited and grabbed Zhong Yansheng's shoulders. The madness on her face became more intense as she screamed, "You're alive? You're back! Why did you come back?... If you're back, can my Xiaoyi come back too?!"

Her hand looked skinny, but it burst out with a terrifying force. Zhong Yansheng was grabbed in pain and hissed. He subconsciously struggled to retreat: "Concubine Zhuang, who are you talking about? Who's back?"

Concubine Zhuang didn't pay any attention to what he was saying. She was so excited that her voice became unclear. She was crying and laughing at the same time. It was unknown what she was mumbling. Zhong Yansheng hissed in pain, but was afraid that struggling too hard would hurt her. He quickly asked her what he wanted to ask before she completely lost control: "Madam Zhuang...where is your Xiaoyi?"

Concubine Zhuang burst into tears: "I don't know, I don't know, he is so cold... Useless imperial physician! Dead dog emperor! He killed so many people... I want to strangle him to death!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, her words were incoherent, and her language was extremely confusing. Zhong Yansheng was about to ask her more about this when Feng Ji suddenly knocked on the door and said anxiously, "Your Highness! We have to leave quickly. Concubine Zhuang is making too much noise. It seems someone is coming to check!"

Zhong Yansheng quickly patted Concubine Zhuang's shoulder, struggled to free her hand, picked up the wooden doll on the ground and handed it to her, comforting her: "Madam, your Xiaoyi, you hurt him when you dropped him."

Concubine Zhuang, who was about to lose control and go crazy, held the wooden doll for a few moments, and her emotions gradually calmed down. She hummed the song again: "Xiaoyi, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt, don't blame mother."

Zhong Yansheng felt very uncomfortable and didn't have the heart to ask any more questions. He quickly blew out the candle and put it away, whispering, "Madam Zhuang, you should have a good rest. I will come to see you next time."

Concubine Zhuang didn't pay any attention to him, and Zhong Yansheng didn't want to get her response. He walked out of the house quickly and ran out through the side door along with the anxious Feng Ji.

Feng Ji was very familiar with the various paths in the palace. He led Zhong Yansheng in and comforted him, "Your Highness, Concubine Zhuang was just not in good condition, so she didn't recognize you. Don't be sad. After all, mother and son are connected by heart. Maybe the Concubine will wake up tomorrow..."

He also thought that Zhong Yansheng missed his mother so much that he wanted to sneak into the cold palace to see his mother.

Zhong Yansheng forced a smile at him and said nothing.

Concubine Zhuang's thoughts were confused, but her words revealed some information.

After the chaos in the capital that year, court officials worried every day that they would be dragged away and beheaded, and they probably had no energy to care whether another prince had died or was missing in the palace.

But Concubine Zhuang was definitely the one who knew her child's condition best.

From what she said, her child was not abducted by the rebels at all...it was most likely that he died of illness.

Zhong Yansheng felt a chill in his heart and couldn't help but clutch his collar tightly, feeling dazed.

Just as he had anticipated, he was not the Eleventh Prince at all.

The old emperor should be the one who knows this best, so why did he say he was the eleventh prince and bring him into the palace?

The royal family cares most about the purity of blood. Isn't it strange to recognize a child from nowhere as the prince? Why did Tian Xi make up such a story to deceive him and everyone else?

Zhong Yansheng felt that he could vaguely grasp some of the truth. As long as he asked Concubine Zhuang slowly next time he came, he would definitely know more.

Perhaps his true life story is related to the person who "came back" she mentioned.

According to Feng Ji's original plan, they would rest in Feng Ji's room tonight. Before dawn, Zhong Yansheng would put on the eunuch's clothes and go back with him to "wash and dress the little prince". After entering the room, he would just change his clothes back.

But when walking towards Feng Ji's residence, Zhong Yansheng felt inexplicably uneasy. He suddenly stopped, pulled Feng Ji, and said solemnly: "Feng Ji, I have a premonition. I have to go back."

Feng Ji scratched his head, feeling a little puzzled, but he followed his master's instructions: "Yes, I will take you back now."

The journey back to Minghui Palace was smoother than expected. The patrolling guards knew that Feng Ji was Tian Xi's godson, and after seeing Feng Ji's tooth brand, they asked him a few questions and then let him pass.

The journey was smooth and peaceful, and Zhong Yansheng's previous uneasiness seemed to be just an illusion.

But when they were almost at Minghui Palace, Zhong Yansheng noticed with his sharp eyes that a sedan chair was coming from the direction of Yangxin Palace, and it was obviously heading towards Minghui Palace!

Feng Ji's expression changed drastically: "That is... His Majesty's sedan chair!"

Your Majesty has been bedridden in recent years and often falls asleep. How could he suddenly come to Minghui Palace in the middle of the night?

Zhong Yansheng hurriedly pulled Feng Ji up and hid, then glanced at Huo Shuang who was standing at the door of Minghui Palace. With His Majesty coming, Huo Shuang would never let anyone in.

Finished.

What would happen if the old emperor really wanted to enter Minghui Palace and found that he was not sleeping in the room?

Zhong Yansheng was feeling nervous when suddenly someone patted him on the shoulder and someone behind him said "hush".

Zhong Yansheng was so frightened that his whole body was covered with hair. He turned his head stiffly, his eyes suddenly widened, and he quickly stuffed the handkerchief into Feng Ji's mouth.

Why is Zhan Rong here!

Zhan Rong made a shushing gesture, looked coldly at Feng Ji who was so frightened that he almost cried out, and knocked him unconscious with a knife, then threw him into the bushes, lowering his voice and saying, "It took a lot of hard work to sneak in, young master, please don't make a sound, I'll take you in."

Zhong Yansheng was about to ask him why he hit someone, but his eyes sparkled when he heard this, and he was attracted: "Did my brother ask you to come?"

Xiao Nong's headache attacks were becoming more and more frequent. As soon as Zhong Yansheng entered the palace, he ran out of painkillers and had signs of attacks again in the past two days. After having a nightmare tonight, his face was gloomy, and he called Zhan Rong into the house and asked him to sneak into the palace.

The original words were, "Although he is a member of the Pei family, considering his infatuation with me, I will go and see if he sleeps well tonight."

Zhan Rong picked up Zhong Yansheng, looked around, and quickly flew up the wall. The corners of his mouth twitched, and he nodded and said simply: "The master is worried about you."

Hearing that Xiao Nong was worried about him, Zhong Yansheng became happy, and obediently let himself be held still, looking around: "Brother didn't come?"

"The master is busy, and cannot enter the palace at will."

Zhan Rong thought to himself, these assassins, come if you want, if they are discovered, the worst that can happen is that they will just bite the poison between their teeth and put the blame on someone else to death.

If the master were to take the risk and enter the palace himself, Wang Boxian would be the first to be hanged at the door of the study.

Zhong Yansheng uttered a sound of disappointment.

The old emperor hasn't called Xiao Nong into the palace recently, and he hasn't seen Xiao Nong for several days.

Zhan Rong was very skilled. He silently carried Zhong Yansheng over the wall, jumped into the Minghui Palace, pried open the window next to it, and brought Zhong Yansheng into the house.

Zhan Rong hid himself. When Zhong Yansheng quickly spread his hair and climbed onto the bed, footsteps were already approaching outside the house, and several palace maids could be heard speaking nervously, "Your Majesty."

The old emperor coughed, pushed open the door and walked in.

Zhong Yansheng closed his eyes and tried to suppress his breathing, slow his heartbeat, and pretend to be asleep using the method Zhan Rong had taught him in a few words.

A moment later, the low-hanging bed curtains were drawn aside, and a person stood at the head of the bed, with a majestic and silent gaze falling on his face.

The young man on the bed was sleeping peacefully, his raven-black eyelashes calmly closed and his breathing slow and long.

Tian Xi seemed to be following behind, and when he saw Zhong Yansheng sleeping obediently on the bed, he smiled and said softly: "Your Majesty is indeed overthinking, the little prince is very well-behaved and obedient."

The old emperor's eyes were sharp, unlike the usual cloudy ones. He put his hands behind his back and said calmly after a while: "Xi'er used to listen to me very much."

Tian Xi felt a chill on his back and dared not speak.

As if to confirm that Zhong Yansheng did not run around and stayed in Minghui Palace obediently, the old emperor finally let down the bed curtain and coughed a few times: "Go back."

Tian Xi responded respectfully.

The footsteps all retreated, and Zhong Yansheng finally loosened his tightly clenched hands in the quilt. After a while, he dared to open his eyes. Seeing that there was indeed no one in the room, he climbed up and called softly: "Zhan Rong? Zhan Rong?"

He almost forgot about Feng Ji who was knocked unconscious by Zhan Rong's knife strike!

After calling several times, Zhan Rong didn't show up. Zhong Yansheng got up and turned around, only to find that Zhan Rong had left him a note by the window.

Zhong Yansheng opened it and saw Zhan Rong's handwriting was sloppy. The gist of it was that he couldn't stay in the palace all the time as he would be easily discovered, so he had to leave quickly. If Zhong Yansheng needed anyone in the future, he could find a way to call for them.

After reading it, Zhong Yansheng secretly lit a candle and burned the note.

He was originally uneasy after meeting Concubine Zhuang, but when he learned that Xiao Nong was still thinking about him, his heart gradually calmed down.

It seemed that no matter whether he was a stranger who suddenly appeared in Changliu Villa, the prince of Huai'an Marquis' Mansion, the fake young master of the Marquis' Mansion, or the eleventh prince in the palace, Xiao Nong didn't care much about his identity.

This made Zhong Yansheng very happy.

Although Xiao Nong likes to bully him, there is no better brother in the world than Xiao Nong.

After tossing and turning for half the night, Zhong Yansheng felt sleepy. He hugged the sachet brought by Xiao Nong, smelled the faint medicinal fragrance, and gradually fell asleep.

The next day, Zhong Yansheng was awakened by Feng Ji.

Feng Ji was suddenly knocked unconscious and slept in the bushes for the whole night. Fortunately, it was summer, and he didn't catch a cold, but he was very scared. He rushed in and saw Zhong Yansheng staying in the room. He felt relieved and said with a green face: "Young prince, something happened."

Zhong Yansheng rubbed his eyes in confusion: "Well, what's wrong?"

"His Royal Highness Prince Jing came to Your Majesty this morning to complain! Oh, it's really..."

When he heard the name of Prince Jing, Zhong Yansheng sobered up a little and jumped up: "Your Highness Prince Jing? What's wrong? Please explain clearly."

"The daughter of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites heard that His Royal Highness Prince Jing was going to Yannan Mountain for hunting, but she went to the wrong place and ran into Prince De who was hunting on the mountain after the rain. His Royal Highness Prince De is a bit, uh, romantic, and somehow, the two of them got together secretly... Yesterday, His Royal Highness Prince Jing discovered their affair, and he came to Your Majesty crying early in the morning!"

Zhong Yansheng was stunned when he heard this: "Ah? Ah?"

During the last hunting trip, he seemed to have heard Xiao Wenlan say that the daughter of the Minister of Taichang Temple went to Yannan Mountain for fun, and she even joked that King Jing might have gone to the wrong place.

"Your Majesty just got mad and called Prince De to the study and threw a square ink stone at his forehead. It was quite a scene."

Feng Ji almost died at the hands of Prince De yesterday, and his tone was gloating: "Your Highness, do you want to go and take a look?"

It would be fine if the daughter of the Minister of Taichang Temple was someone else's fiancée, but she was the wife arranged for King Jing who had not yet married into the family. In a month or two, she would marry into the family and become King Jing's Consort. She was the sister-in-law of King De's brother... It concerned the reputation of the royal family, and this was a complete scandal.

Since this matter concerns King Jing, a friend, Zhong Yansheng hesitated for a moment, but still nodded: "Okay! Let's go over and take a look."

He quickly washed and changed his clothes, then followed Feng Ji to the Yangxin Palace.

The study was even more lively than Zhong Yansheng had imagined, with chaos and turmoil everywhere.

In addition to Prince Jing, Prince De and Prince An, even Xiao Nong came to watch the fun, watching the farce with interest, his hands folded.

The old emperor was usually lifeless, but now he was angered by Prince De and became somewhat lively. Prince De was kneeling on the ground, with blood on his head and half of his face covered with ink, and he was shouting that he admitted his mistakes.

Pei Hong on the side was adding fuel to the fire, with a look of anger on his face.

Tian Xi kept patting the old emperor's back: "Your Majesty, calm down, calm down!"

When Zhong Yansheng stepped into the room, no one noticed him for a moment. He took the opportunity to secretly exchange a glance with Xiao Nong.

Xiao Nong folded his hands, narrowed his deep blue eyes, looked him up and down, and raised his eyebrows at him.

He was so bold that he dared to run around in the palace late at night.

The old emperor was so furious that he picked up a paperweight and threw it at Prince De: "Useless! Go back to confinement for three months, and you don't need to go to bandit suppression anymore!"

The matter was originally set in stone, but now it was suddenly changed because of something like this. Prince De was anxious: "Father, I really know I was wrong..."

The old emperor ignored him with a gloomy face, and slowly glanced at Prince Jing and Prince An.

Xiao Nong didn't care much about whom the old emperor would choose.

Anyway, he has already ambushed people and will kill whoever he chooses.

The old emperor's eyes suddenly raised and fell on Zhong Yansheng who had just entered the room: "Xiao Shiyi, you go."

The whole room was suddenly silent, and Pei Hong and Prince An looked over at the same time.

Zhong Yansheng, who came here just to watch the fun, blinked in confusion: "..."

What???

Xiao Nong, who was full of murderous intent: "..."

Ha?

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