Ch. 58 - Zhong Yansheng: They are useless... then what am I?
Reborn: I Found The Wrong BrotherThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Notes
[T/L NOTE:- Welcome]
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
[T/L NOTE:- Welcome]
When Xiao Nong kissed him, Zhong Yansheng felt a strange taste in his mouth.
If he hadn't discovered that Xiao was injured, he would have wanted to kick him again.
He covered his mouth and kept silent. The cave became quiet, and only then did he notice the subtle noises coming from outside the cave.
It seemed like someone was passing by the cave hidden behind the lush branches and leaves. A bright fire light also flashed outside the cave, probably someone was holding a torch or a hurricane lantern.
Zhong Yansheng was blocked by Xiao Nong behind him. His eyes moved to Xiao Nong's handsome profile as he stared at the cave entrance. His ears started burning when he thought about what this head was doing between his legs just now. He quickly lowered his head to look at the piece of cloth around his waist.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but the dark color seems to have spread to a larger area... The wound on Xiao Nong’s waist must be quite large, and it has not been treated yet, so it’s probably getting worse.
No wonder he smelled such a strong smell of blood.
If the people outside were from Xiao Nong, they would probably give a secret signal or something. Zhong Yansheng noticed that every time someone from Xiao Nong appeared, there would be a bird-like sound to convey the signal.
If it were Xiao Nong's personal guards or the Black Armor Army, they would have discovered the cave...
Zhong Yansheng's heart skipped a beat.
Several groups of people showed up tonight, all wanting to kill him and Xiao Nong.
Even among the Black Armor Army, there might be people who would betray Xiao Nong.
However, the cave is so hidden that no one would necessarily discover it even if they passed by during the day. Now it is so dark that it is difficult to notice the cave even with a torch.
Xiao Nong was so out of control before, probably because he got separated from Zhan Rong and the others. Now Xiao Nong has regained some of his consciousness. After the people outside leave, they can go find Lou Qingtang first.
Tonight, the thoughts in Zhong Yansheng's mind always seemed to be good but not good.
He had just arranged his next plan in his mind when the fire outside the cave suddenly approached.
There was still some confusion in Xiao Nong's eyes. Rather than being alert, he looked more like a ferocious beast, staring coldly at the enemy who was trying to invade his territory.
Zhong Yansheng was nervous and didn't notice Xiao Nong's unusual expression. He clenched his sleeves.
The young man next to him leaned over, his body filled with the faint and fragrant orchid scent, which made Xiao Nong regain a little consciousness.
He reached out and pulled Zhong Yansheng into his arms. His hand, which was wider and longer than Zhong Yansheng's, held his hand. His thumb gently stroked the back of his hand a few times with a hint of comfort: "Don't be afraid."
Zhong Yansheng's heart calmed down immediately.
At the same time, a rustling sound came from the cave entrance, and firelight suddenly came in.
Then a familiar voice sounded: "It's easy for me to find you. You're hiding here, Your Highness, and... Your Highness Prince Ding."
When he found out who the visitor was, Zhong Yansheng's expression changed.
It would have been fine if it was Huo Shuang who came, but unfortunately, it was Wan Zhou!
This Wanzhou, from the very beginning when he was transferred by the old emperor's side, acted very contemptuous towards Zhong Yansheng. He had no respect for him in his heart and crossed the line many times.
Zhong Yansheng had a soft temper, but he was not the type to allow himself to be bullied. After teaching him a lesson a few times, he could clearly notice that sometimes Wanzhou's eyes became increasingly gloomy when he looked at him.
And Xiao Nong was a thorn in the old emperor's side. When in the capital and the posthouse, Xiao Nong was always surrounded by secret guards and personal guards, who never let strangers get close to him. Now that Xiao Nong was injured, what would he do if Wanzhou found out?
The wind lantern in Wanzhou's hand was much brighter than a fire starter. The cave was not big, and it instantly illuminated the surroundings, including the dark color on Xiao Nong's waist.
Almost at the same time, Wanzhou, like a hyena smelling blood, cast a sharp gaze on Xiao Nong: "Ha, Your Highness Prince Ding, are you injured?"
The ambiguous atmosphere that had lingered in the cave just now had completely disappeared, and Zhong Yansheng's fingers couldn't help but tremble.
Like Huo Shuang, Wanzhou was specially selected from the Jinyiwei by the old emperor, so his skills must be quite good.
If Xiao Nong was fine, he would definitely not be afraid of this man, but the problem was that Xiao Nong was injured.
Xiao Nong was injured, he... he had to protect Xiao Nong!
Zhong Yansheng suddenly felt a surge of courage in his heart. He took two steps forward and blocked Xiao Nong behind him.
Seeing his reaction, Xiao Nong was stunned for a moment, then pulled him back with a mixture of laughter and tears.
Seeing the two of them arguing in front of him, Wan Zhou's gloomy face suddenly became a little weird: "I didn't expect that the two of you have such a good relationship. I was wondering why the little prince risked going up the mountain to look for someone even though he was sick. It must be hard to act so secretly in front of His Majesty and everyone else."
He held the hurricane lantern in one hand and slowly placed his other hand on the knife at his waist, staring at Xiao Nong with a sinister and cold look in his eyes.
Since he had already been exposed, Zhong Yansheng did not make any more excuses and secretly clenched his fists: "Then you are wrong."
His voice was hoarse, revealing an undisguised softness. In the dim firelight, his face was too beautiful to be real. Wanzhou couldn't help but divert some of his attention to him: "What?"
Facing the enemy, especially Prince Ding, Wanzhou should not have made this mistake.
But Xiao Nong didn't say a word. There was a large patch of blood on his body, and he seemed to be seriously injured. Moreover, if Xiao Nong was still able to move freely, he would have joined up with the Black Armored Army long ago. Why would he be with this useless pretty waste alone in this cave and let him be seen?
The reason why Zhong Yansheng was able to sneak attack him last time was only because he did not expect Zhong Yansheng to carry a knife, and he did not expect him to attack suddenly.
Xiao Nong looked like a wounded lion, not as strong as usual, and Zhong Yansheng looked weak and fragile. These several factors combined made Wanzhou unconsciously relax his vigilance.
Zhong Yansheng looked straight at him and said slowly, "Your Highness Prince Ding and I have never been secretive."
Xiao Nong just likes to say some ambiguous words in front of others that only they know, and he even dares to rub his fingertips in public!
The moment Zhong Yansheng finished speaking, the hurricane lantern suddenly snapped and was extinguished by something. The cave suddenly fell into darkness. Zhong Yansheng felt someone brushing past his ear, and then a cry of pain and anger came from the front.
Wanzhou realized something was wrong the moment his vision fell into darkness, and then he felt a terrible pain on the wrist holding the knife. He knew how powerful Xiao Nong was. If the knife fell into Xiao Nong's hands, he would be killed the next moment!
Wanzhou didn't think twice, endured the severe pain and threw the knife out of the cave, fighting with Xiao Nong with bare hands, relying on his memory to attack Xiao Nong's injured waist.
An ordinary person would be weak and powerless after losing so much blood, not to mention the wounds that were caused by the attack.
However, Xiao Nong's strength was much more terrifying than he had imagined. Wanzhou was so shocked and confused that his back was chilled. If he had not been sure that the person in front of him was Xiao Nong, he would have thought that he was fighting with some mindless beast.
Hearing the bang bang sounds not far away, Zhong Yansheng grabbed the tinderbox tightly and squatted beside the straw pile in fear. He didn't know who had the upper hand, and he didn't dare to go over and cause trouble.
Finally, after another angry shout, something heavy fell in front of him with a bang, and the cave suddenly fell silent.
Sweat broke out on Zhong Yansheng's back. He steadied his breathing and blew up the tinderbox to light it.
The faint firelight illuminated a small area around him. The person lying not far in front of him was Wanzhou.
Xiao Nong put one foot on Wanzhou's back, his face was out of the range of the firelight and his expression was blurry.
Zhong Yansheng's eyes lit up: "Brother!"
Xiao Nong responded: "Yeah."
Wan Zhou coughed up a mouthful of blood foam, and after hearing the conversation between the two, he cursed with difficulty: "You... are indeed having an affair!"
What he said seemed... quite right.
Zhong Yansheng was a little embarrassed.
Xiao Nong rubbed Wanzhou's back. His voice was not as gentle as when he was talking to Zhong Yansheng. It was cold and said, "Why did the old man send you to monitor him?"
He kicked it and the bones on Wanzhou's back seemed to "crack" with a sound. The pain made his facial features twisted and distorted, and he refused to open his mouth even if he tried to hold on.
Xiao Nong rolled over inch by inch at a leisurely pace. Every time he stepped on a place, there was a crisp sound of "crack". Even if Wanzhou could endure it, he couldn't resist the instinctive pain. When he stepped on the seventh bone, veins bulged on his forehead and he let out a hoarse roar of pain that was not human: "I'll tell you...I'll tell you!"
The last time I saw this kind of situation, and Xiao Nong in this state, was when he was teaching Meng Qiping a lesson.
Zhong Yansheng felt frightened by what he saw and crawled back unconsciously.
Seeing Zhong Yansheng's reaction, Xiao Nong paused and said calmly, "Speak."
Wan Zhou buried his face in the ground and finally caught his breath. After taking a few breaths, he suddenly looked up and glared at Zhong Yansheng, sneering: "Do you really think you are some noble prince?"
Zhong Yansheng was startled: "...What?"
Xiao Nong also narrowed his eyes and stepped on his neck: "Explain clearly."
After the cold palace where Concubine Zhuang lived caught fire, Xiao Nong sent people to investigate all the imperial doctors and palace maids who might have had contact with Concubine Zhuang. However, the old emperor seemed to have noticed that someone was investigating this, so he had to act quickly. Every time the spies sent out found the person, he found that the person was already dead.
The more this happened, the more suspicious Xiao Nong became.
I just didn't expect that Wanzhou would know such a secret matter.
Xiao Nong's methods of interrogating confessions were even more brutal than those of Zhan Rong and his men. He knew exactly where the pain was the most painful and the most unbearable. Wan Zhou was stepped on by him and let out an indistinct scream in his throat, his voice trembling: "I, I was in the Northern Pacification Office, and there was a fellow doctor from my hometown... who examined Concubine Zhuang's pulse."
He said intermittently**: "Concubine Zhuang's child... was born three months after the chaos. The time, the time doesn't match at all. The eleventh prince died of illness not long after he was born. There was no eleventh prince at all!"**
Zhong Yansheng grasped the key point: "What chaos?"
Wan Zhou shuddered: "...The crown prince forced the emperor to abdicate first."
Zhong Yansheng's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if he had been stabbed by something. He stared at him and asked anxiously, "Why would the former crown prince force the emperor to abdicate?"
"Who knows?" Wanzhou's forehead was covered with beads of sweat. "I was a nobody at that time, and I had never even met the late crown prince... I only knew that his mother's family was uprooted by His Majesty, hum... It wasn't as glorious as it seemed."
Xiao Nong narrowed his eyes and found the written memory sent by his subordinates from his disordered thoughts.
The late crown prince's mother came from a famous and prominent family in Langya. Her father was the crown prince's tutor. The queen grew up with the old emperor as childhood sweethearts, but she was weak and unlucky, and died of illness when the late crown prince was two years old.
After that, no matter how many officials in the court petitioned the emperor, the old emperor did not appoint a successor. He was deeply in love with his childhood sweetheart, which attracted praise from many literati, who wrote poems and essays praising her.
——The old emperor was not succeeded by the eldest son, and the former prince's maternal grandfather, the grand tutor, did not teach him. It was only because the prince died suddenly that year that the old emperor was able to succeed to the throne. At that time, some literati secretly scolded the new emperor for his illegitimate access to the throne and his unclear character. After this incident, those voices disappeared.
It was also because the former crown prince had lost his mother that the old emperor kept him by his side, brought him up personally, and named him crown prince at an early age. The good reputation between father and son spread far and wide.
When people mention the late crown prince cautiously, they always forget that after the late crown prince married the crown princess, his grandfather was thrown into jail for crimes such as embezzlement, bribery, and counterfeiting of silver bills.
The matter regarding the former crown prince was always covered up and unclear. Zhong Yansheng was not aware of this past and continued to ask anxiously: "Is this why he forced the emperor to abdicate? Also, why did Your Majesty treat me as the eleventh prince?"
After Wanzhou recovered from the severe pain, he realized that he probably wouldn't be able to get out of the cave tonight. He glanced at Zhong Yansheng, who was speaking in an anxious voice, and suddenly a malicious look appeared in his eyes.
Prince Ding was indeed more powerful than he thought, but the seemingly invulnerable Prince Ding's weak spot was actually right in front of him.
He suddenly spat and said viciously: "I only know that you are not only a fake young master of the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion, but also a fake prince! You were born to be a fake! I don't know why His Majesty...ah!"
Before he could finish his curse, Xiao Nong suddenly stepped on his head, and Wanzhou's head hit the ground with a bang and he fainted.
Zhong Yansheng sat in a pile of straw, his eyes wide open in shock.
Just as he had found out that night, Concubine Zhuang's child died very early, and he was indeed not the eleventh prince. Wanzhou knew some inside information because they were from the same hometown, so it was no wonder that he always looked down on him.
The old emperor knew clearly in his heart that he was not the eleventh prince, so why did he deceive everyone and give him this identity?
He is neither the eldest son of the Huai'an Marquisate nor the eleventh prince, so who is he?
There is also the former crown prince, whom no one dares to mention.
...Wanzhou's words were always unpleasant to the ears, but it seemed like he was right, as he was indeed a fake wherever he went.
There were so many things that happened today that Zhong Yansheng's mind was in a mess. It was this and that, and he couldn't make sense of it. Just when he was feeling confused, a hand with a bloody smell reached out to him.
After a pause, he retracted his finger, wiped the blood from his fingertips, and moved to his head, rubbing it lightly.
It was Xiao Nong's hand.
Xiao Nong's face was also stained with blood, his deep blue eyes were like a dark river flowing under the moonlight, he half-knelt down, his tall figure was like a mountain, completely covering him: "Yuan Yuan, you are not a fake."
Zhong Yansheng sat in the straw pile with his legs hugged. He didn't know when a straw was stuck on his head. He looked messy, but his thoughts were not so chaotic. He raised his head and looked at him for a while, hesitated, and said in a low voice: "Brother, if I have nowhere to go in the future, can I live in your palace?"
Small and poor.
Xiao Nong's fingers slid down, lifted his chin tenderly, and kissed the corner of his lips tenderly: "Of course."
Zhong Yansheng shrank back: "...Don't kiss me."
But he was happy in his heart.
Xiao Nong always makes him feel at ease.
He liked the Marquis' Mansion very much, but Zhong Sidu had returned, and he felt uncomfortable there. The palace was eerie and the old emperor's surveillance was everywhere, so Prince Ding's Mansion was still the best.
People outside thought that Prince Ding's Mansion was a den of wolves and dragons, but only he knew that everyone in the mansion was very kind to him. The personal guards would take the trouble to cook his favorite dishes, and the secret guards would secretly pay attention to his actions and, Taxue always want to lick him.
The most important thing is... Xiao Nong is also here.
Although Xiao Nong likes to bully him, Xiao Nong will also protect him well.
He likes to stay with Xiao Nong.
It's a different kind of liking from the one I have for Yuncheng, Zhanrong, and the Marquis of Huai’an and his wife.
Looking at Zhong Yansheng's sparkling eyes, Xiao Nong was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but kiss him again.
Zhong Yansheng shrank back unhappily.
Xiao Nong saw him dodging and evading, and the corners of his lips curled up: "I don't dislike you, so why do you dislike me?"
Zhong Yansheng pursed his lips and shrank back.
How are they the same!
If Xiao Nong didn't rinse his mouth, he didn't want Xiao Nong to kiss him tonight.
Xiao Nong stopped teasing him and lowered his eyes to look at Wanzhou on the ground.
When he lost his mind, he probably injured Zhan Rong and others, and lost the signal fireworks and sword. Now, in addition to the Black Armored Army, there are more soldiers and guards sent by the old emperor on the mountain. It is not safe to run into them.
Just now, this person revealed a little secret that he knew, although in a way that made Xiao Nong furious.
If we take him back, we should be able to interrogate him to find out something else, but given the current situation, it is not safe to keep him here... Yuan Yuan is still by his side.
This man must be dealt with while he is still unconscious.
Yuan Yuan is timid and may have never even seen a dead person. He is kind-hearted and soft-hearted, so when he sees him taking action, he always trembles slightly with fear.
Xiao Nong said calmly: "I want to kill this man."
Zhong Yansheng was stunned and turned back to look at him.
The light from the tinderbox was already very weak and would soon go out. Xiao Nong was a little far away, so even his voice sounded a little fuzzy: "Are you scared?"
Zhong Yansheng thought for a while.
Xiao Nong lowered his eyes.
Even though Zhong Yansheng was very scared and might hate him for killing someone, he still had to kill Wanzhou to ensure that everything was foolproof.
His rationality seemed to be slipping away again. Xiao Nong was distracted for a moment. When he looked up again, he saw that Zhong Yansheng had actually stood up and walked to the nearby cliff.
The black-necked snake that was nailed by Xiao Nong struggled for a long time and seemed to have died.
Although it is a non-venomous snake, it is still creepy to look at.
Zhong Yansheng swallowed his saliva, endured the goose bumps, reached out to grasp the handle of the knife, and pulled it hard.
...It didn't move.
Zhong Yansheng continued pulling with all his strength.
Xiao Nong watched his movements and was silent for a moment: "What are you doing?"
The dagger was stuck too deep into the wall. Zhong Yansheng tried to pull it out several times but still couldn't get it out. He had no choice but to give up. He bent over and picked up a big rock at his feet. He struggled to carry it to Xiao Nong and said, "Brother, use this!"
Xiao Nong: “…………”
It turned out that he was looking for the weapon.
Zhong Yansheng was holding a heavy stone. Seeing that Xiao Nong didn't take it, he hesitated and gestured to the back of Wanzhou's head. He was about to smash it down with all his might, but his wrist was held by Xiao Nong with one hand.
Xiao Nong stared at him for a moment with an unclear expression, and suddenly let out a low laugh, which soon turned into a loud laugh, as if he was very happy.
Zhong Yansheng was inexplicably amused by his smile. He blinked, and then his face was rubbed. The man was not reasonable at all and forced to part his lips before being kissed.
His lips and tongue were captured forcefully, entangled in licking and kissing, and the hidden sound of water was amplified countless times in the cave. Zhong Yansheng was angry and at a loss, his open mouth was invaded unscrupulously, but he was too soft-hearted to bite his tongue and let him withdraw, he couldn't even tell what that bitter breath tasted like.
When Xiao Nong finally loosened his grip, Zhong Yansheng's legs were already softened by his kisses.
"Don't do it." Xiao Nong's voice was hoarse, and he smiled, "Don't get yourself dirty, I'll do it."
After he finished speaking, he covered Zhong Yansheng's eyes with his hands, not wasting the stones that Zhong Yansheng had worked so hard to move. In the darkness, Zhong Yansheng heard a muffled bang, and the smell of blood around him became stronger.
When Xiao Nong put his hand down again, the fire starter had gone out and he could not see anything. He only heard a "swish" sound, and Xiao Nong seemed to pull out the dagger nailed to the cliff. After wiping the blood on the straw, he put it back into the sheath and put it back in Zhong Yansheng's hand. Then he took his hand and walked out in the darkness.
This cave is no longer safe. We have to go to another place, bypassing the people all over the mountain, to find Zhan Rong or Lou Qingtang.
Xiao Nong's hands were not very warm, because he had calluses from holding knives and swords for many years, but they were slender and powerful, and could completely wrap around Zhong Yansheng's palms, giving him a sense of security.
Zhong Yansheng was led by him obediently, walked around the corpse on the ground, staggered a little and followed his footsteps, his heart pounding.
Although he did not do it himself, he had just conspired with Xiao Nong to kill the people who blatantly interfered with the old emperor.
They are accomplices.
The moment he walked out of the cave, Zhong Yansheng heard Xiao Nong say, "Yuan Yuan, if I treat you like before again, pull out the dagger I gave you."
Zhong Yansheng held the dagger tightly and refused in a muffled voice: "No."
Xiao Nong's steps faltered, and he seemed a little helpless: "I might hurt you."
Zhong Yansheng had his own ideas and didn't pay attention to him.
The view outside the cave was much better than inside the cave. The shadows of the trees were vaguely visible. Zhong Yansheng was usually afraid of walking at night, especially in such a dark forest with so many ghosts, which was even more terrifying. But now that he was being led by Xiao Nong, he was not so scared anymore.
Even when he was surrounded by a group of soldiers, Zhong Yansheng was not so calm. He pursed his lips and said firmly: "Even if you are crazy... I will not let go of you."
He came here just to bring Xiao back safely.
He hadn't shown Xiao Nong the booklet he had worked so hard to draw yet.
Xiao Nong seemed to laugh again**: "Okay."**
There were rustling sounds all around. The movement in the cave just now seemed to have attracted other people, and a cold light flashed in the darkness.
The Spring Breeze Valley was particularly lively tonight, as could be seen from the several groups of people Zhong Yansheng met when he went up the mountain.
Xiao Nong glanced around, protected him and slowly retreated into the forest: "It seems that there are many people who want to kill me."
At this time, Zhong Yansheng no longer cared about being nervous and afraid. Hearing what he said, he couldn't help but said, "You finally know."
Let him offend people everywhere.
Whose side is this kid helping?
Xiao Nong grabbed his hand tightly, and before those people surrounded him, he almost hugged Zhong Yansheng in his arms and quickly hid in the woods.
The people in the woods followed closely.
Zhong Yansheng still remembered that Xiao Nong was injured, and his breathing became rapid: "Brother, where are Zhan Rong and the others?"
"What a bunch of useless people," His Royal Highness Prince Ding said calmly even though he was running for his life, "Don't count on them."
Zhong Yansheng didn't run fast, nor did he have much strength. He felt that being carried by him made him look even more useless, so he asked sadly, "They are useless... then what am I?"
Although they were on the run, Xiao Nong still managed to coax him: "You are a little snack."
“…”
The person behind me is catching up.
Zhong Yansheng gripped the dagger tightly and gritted his teeth. Just when he thought he was about to engage in a fight with this group of people, Xiao Nong suddenly stopped.
A gust of wind blew towards them, and Zhong Yansheng turned around and saw that they were following the water flow, not running down the mountain, but running to the edge of a cliff, with a waterfall below.
Xiao Nong was injured and brought him with him, so he would definitely not be able to defeat these people.
But Zhan Rong said that Xiao Nong can't swim.
Zhong Yansheng's mind went blank. He opened his mouth, but Xiao Nong covered his mouth and nose. A deep voice sounded in his ear: "Yuan Yuan, we are going to jump."
Zhong Yansheng subconsciously hugged his neck tightly.
The next moment, he felt a lightness on his body, and Xiao Nong jumped down with him without hesitation.