Ch. 82 - Zhong Yansheng: Your Highness Prince Jing, you are a good person
Reborn: I Found The Wrong BrotherThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Xiao Nong didn't hold back much power when he punched the old emperor, and his face was twisted and bruised. He passed out with a swollen nose and face, and he didn't look like an emperor at all.
Zhong Yansheng was still a little dazed by the old emperor's words. He was extremely panicked and was shocked by his sudden move. Before he could come to his senses, his hand was grabbed again.
After wiping his hands, Xiao Nong threw away Tian Xi's whisk and pulled him out.
Xiao Nong's hands were bigger than his, so he could easily hold his hands. His steps were also big and fast, but when he took Zhong Yansheng away, he deliberately slowed down and took him out of the dark and stuffy dormitory.
The lingering sweet smell mixed with a strong medicinal smell finally dissipated. The cool breeze outside the house blew towards him. Zhong Yansheng shuddered and came to his senses. He realized that Xiao Nong was not in a good state**: "Brother?"**
Xiao Nong seemed to be in a very bad mood. His brows were gloomy and the corners of his mouth were straight, without the usual curve, and looked cold.
When he heard his voice, he turned around, his stern brows softened a little, and he pinched his, signaling him to be at ease.
Looking at him like this, Zhong Yansheng seriously suspected that Xiao Nong pulled him out to avoid him staying in there and accidentally killing the old emperor.
After comforting Zhong Yansheng, Xiao Nong spoke calmly: "Zhan Rong."
Zhan Rong lowered his head: "Master."
"Send someone to watch him." Xiao Nong said in a cold voice, "Just make sure he doesn't die."
This old guy suffered multiple blows tonight and was tortured by Wuxiang Pills, but he still didn't behave himself.
Hemiplegia, addiction to Wuxiang Pills, old illness of cough and asthma, and an emperor that no one cares about anymore.
Of course the old emperor could imagine that if he didn't die tonight, his life in the future would be worse than death.
He deliberately said those words just now, and he must have had two ideas in his mind. First, if he could see Zhong Yansheng and Xiao Nong become enemies because of the phrase "one of them must survive", the old emperor would naturally be happy to see it happen.
Secondly, even if these words had no effect on their relationship, by angering Xiao Nong and killing him directly, he could avoid further torture.
However, he achieved half of his goal. Over the past six months, Zhong Yansheng had gone through many changes and experienced a lot, and had grown a lot compared to before, but he was just a boy of eighteen or nineteen years old, like a fledgling that was still a little confused and could easily be influenced and think too much.
Xiao Nong almost killed him.
Zhan Rong understood what Xiao Nong meant, and nodded in agreement.
There was still a light drizzle outside the house. Zhong Yansheng felt the cool breeze and his panic-stricken mood subsided a little. He frowned and looked at Wei Ling: "Wei Ling, have someone bring Prince An here. I have some questions to ask him."
Xiao Nong, who was standing behind him, looked over. His tall and slender figure cast a shadow over the young man, like a ferocious beast lurking behind him. His deep blue eyes were like an icy lake in winter, deep and unfathomable.
Wei Ling tightened his grip on the knife and felt a little worried.
The reason for cooperating with Prince Ding's Mansion previously was because the old emperor was still putting pressure on us.
Now the old emperor is doomed, his personal guards either died or fled, and because of the civil strife in the Five Military Camps caused by Prince De and his mother's family, the three major camps are now in chaos and have lost their vitality.
Xiao Nong took it upon himself to take the black-armored soldiers to guard the palace under the pretext of protecting the emperor. No one could stop him.
If in the past, everyone just suspected and worried that Xiao Nong would become the regent, now he is almost a true regent.
With the help of Wei Ling, the prince's former subordinates secretly gathered in the capital, all wanting to reverse the case for the prince and support the young master to ascend the throne.
Prince Ding is so powerful, he really won't let the country change hands...will he plot to usurp the throne?
Wei Ling was worried and ordered the people behind him to bring Prince An over. He continued to vigilantly observe Xiao Nong's every word and action.
The wind outside was cold, and Xiao Nong was afraid that the wind would blow on the delicate little beauty, so he looked away and raised his hand to cover Zhong Yansheng's hood.
The hood was too big, and it covered his head, blocking his vision. Zhong Yansheng didn't like it and lifted the hood down.
Xiao Nong raised his fingertips again and pushed it back.
Zhong Yansheng lifted it down again.
Xiao Nong lifted it back again.
Zhong Yansheng's hair was messed up by the tossing and turning, but Xiao Nong was still enjoying it. Zhong Yansheng looked angry and gently hit his chest.
Xiao Nong started laughing.
Wei Ling said solemnly: “…………”
The deep blue eyes that were like an icy lake just now melted away. Xiao Nong grabbed Zhong Yansheng's hand again and said in a low and soft voice, "Go sit in the study and wait."
Zhong Yansheng nodded reluctantly.
Then, as if remembering something, he cautiously poked his head towards the old emperor's bedroom and said, "Move the charcoal basin to the study."
Don't burn charcoal to keep this old thing warm!
While waiting for Prince An to be brought up, Zhong Yansheng sat on a chair, swung his calves, and looked up at Xiao Nong who was leaning against the bookshelf with his hands folded. The warm yellow candlelight half reflected on him, outlining the slender lines of his body, neat and clean, and his profile looked particularly handsome.
Zhong Yansheng was still secretly worrying about the poison in his heart. After taking two glances, he was attracted unconsciously. He glanced at it furtively, and then a few more times. After several times, he met a pair of blue eyes that seemed to be smiling.
Zhong Yansheng's ears felt hot, and he pretended to be serious: "Brother, the Mr. Qiulan who was silenced was someone you sent someone to do it, the real Mr. Qiulan is still not..."
Xiao Nong took two steps and walked to the chair. The light armor on his body made a slight clash sound as he walked.
When he came closer, Zhong Yansheng first smelled a cold scent of iron armor.
He didn't notice that Xiao Nong was wearing light armor in front of the old emperor before. It was the first time he saw Xiao Nong wearing armor... It was as if he could see the commander-in-chief commanding thousands of troops on the battlefield, with a free and easy and fierce look.
He tilted his head back, looking a little dazed, his lips slightly parted, his red tongue and white teeth faintly visible, bright and tempting.
Xiao Nong stared at him for a moment with a burning gaze, then casually placed his hands on the armrests on both sides of the chair, trapping him within the confines of the chair, and leaned over and called, "Yuan yuan."
Zhong Yansheng unconsciously opened his mouth a little wider: "Brother..."
Xiao Nong lowered her head and kissed his lips successfully.
...This is in the study where court officials are summoned on weekdays!
Zhong Yansheng's eyelashes trembled, and he closed his eyes with rapid breathing. He sat upright in the chair, feeling the familiar cold breath enveloping him. His hands were nervously placed on his knees, clutching the fabric tightly.
The soft lips were pried open easily, the tip of the tongue was tasted wantonly, the breath was hot, Xiao Nong kissed him deeply, forcing him to open his mouth, his cheeks were sore, and he had no time to swallow or breathe.
When footsteps were heard outside, Xiao Nong turned aside and let go of the little beauty who was kissed so hard that he should have no energy to think too much. He laughed softly, his voice somewhat lazily and satisfied**: "The words of that old man are not worthy of trust. If you dare to think too much again, I will find another way to help you stabilize the morale of the army."**
Zhong Yansheng's lips turned red from the kiss, and he sat on the chair with red ears.
I really don't have the energy to think about those messy things anymore.
His face turned red, and he uttered a small "oh".
It's not like he was overthinking it.
He touched the mark on the back of his neck and sighed inwardly.
When will Dr. Lou give us a response?
Even if there is no progress on the poison, there should be a prescription for strengthening the sexual function.
Outside the study, Wei Ling's voice came: "Young Master, Prince An is here."
Zhong Yansheng responded: "Yes, bring him in."
He felt guilty and wiped his rosy lips, which made him look even more beautiful.
Xiao Nong sat next to him, put his hand on his jaw and leaned forward to bite his lower lip.
The footsteps were at the door. Zhong Yansheng was scared to death. He slapped his head away and glared at him.
Xiao Nong leaned back slowly, not feeling at all that his behavior was a hooligan. He rested his elbow on his chin and looked lazily at the person who appeared at the door.
Strictly speaking, this was the first meeting between Zhong Yansheng and Prince An. In the past, Prince An always followed Prince De like a nobody, never spoke, just drank tea silently. Even when Prince De ordered him around like a servant, he never changed his expression.
Even in this situation, Prince An looked unusually calm, without any sign of panic.
Seeing that he didn't want to speak, Zhong Yansheng took the initiative to speak: "Do you know who I am?"
Prince An is four years older than Prince De. When his father forced the emperor to abdicate, Prince An was almost an adult, not much different in age from his father, and should have had more contacts and interactions with him than Prince De.
As expected, as soon as these words came out, Prince An's eyes fell on Zhong Yansheng's face, and he slowly said: "Old Five only thought that you were a fake sent by His Majesty, but I knew who you were the first time I saw you."
Zhong Yansheng nodded: "So, when I went south with His Royal Highness Prince Ding, you sent assassins to get rid of me?"
When he went up the mountain to find Xiao Nong, a total of four groups of assassins appeared.
The first batch of assassins were the most murderous and were the first to assassinate Xiao Nong. They were most likely the barbarian warriors that General (Governor) Gui Guang had secretly communicated with. The last batch was led by Zhan Rong, who deliberately came to muddy the situation in order to get him out.
There are also two groups of people whose origins are unknown. It can be inferred that one of them is King De's men. After all, with King De's temperament, he will definitely hate Zhong Yansheng if he loses the opportunity to go south to grab the credit, not to mention that he has an old grudge with Xiao Nong.
As for the last group of assassins left, Zhong Yansheng could only think that they were Prince An's men.
Unexpectedly, when these words came out, Prince An shook his head: "It's not me."
Zhong Yansheng was stunned.
There is no need for Prince An to lie at this time.
If it wasn't Prince An, who else could it be? Which other family in the capital could reach so far?
Prince An's expression remained calm, and he took the initiative to continue speaking: "You two asked me to come here because you wanted to ask about Mr. Qiulan. Yes, he was indeed arranged by me to be with Prince De."
Zhong Yansheng looked at his face and felt something was strange, but he couldn't tell what it was. "So you admitted that you sent someone to Prince De and instigated him to poison the old... His Majesty?"
Prince An did not answer immediately. Instead, he smiled, and his ordinary face looked strangely creepy. "Prince De started a rebellion outside the palace gate. I heard that he has been executed?"
Zhong Yansheng couldn't help but shrink closer to Xiao Nong: "Yes."
Prince An's smile deepened: "I want to make a deal with you two."
Zhong Yansheng felt that this person was increasingly strange: "...What?"
"Give me Pei Yong's body." Prince An put his hands behind his back and trembled slightly as he spoke. "I will tell you everything I can tell you."
Zhong Yansheng tilted his head, becoming even more confused.
What did Prince An want with Prince De's body? Prince De had beaten and scolded him and insulted him wantonly. Prince An would not repay kindness with evil and want to collect Prince De's body for him, would he?
Xiao Nong tapped his knuckles lightly on the tabletop, and said in a cold tone: "You don't seem to understand the situation. I want to know something from you. You don't have the power to ask for Pei Yong's body."
Prince An paused, then suddenly raised his sleeves without saying a word, and Wei Ling next to him immediately pressed down the knife.
Unexpectedly, Prince An did not do anything. He just rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arms.
Seeing what was under his sleeves, everyone around him frowned. Zhong Yansheng's eyes went dark and were covered by Xiao Nong's hand.
Even though Xiao Nong reacted very quickly, Zhong Yansheng still caught a glimpse of it.
Even though Prince An had never been favored since he was a child, he was still the biological son of the old emperor and an honorable prince of Dayong. However, both of his arms were covered with dense burns and cuts, like twisted earthworms, which was simply horrible to look at.
No wonder even when they met in midsummer, Prince An was dressed warmly, even covering his neck.
Xiao Nong said in a bad tone: "Put it down."
"After my mother passed away, His Majesty placed me in the care of the Imperial Concubine," Prince An put down his sleeves and spoke calmly, "The Imperial Concubine and Pei Yong both have violent tempers, especially Pei Yong, who is cruel by nature. In his eyes, people who are inferior to him are like ants. In addition to these on my hands, I have many similar injuries on my body."
"I know that Prince Ding is very capable, but I have endured for so many years. I am afraid you will have to spend some effort to pry open my mouth. Why do you have to do this?"
Given Prince De's temper of setting fire to the mountains, Zhong Yansheng could fully imagine what Prince An's body looked like under his gorgeous clothes. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him, and taking advantage of the cover of his wide sleeves, he pulled Xiao Nong's hand.
Xiao Nong glanced at him and said, "It's no use being a spoiled brat."
Zhong Yansheng gently hooked his little finger and whispered in his ear: "Really?"
Xiao Nong: “…”
Xiao Nong said indifferently: "Tell me, when and how did you know about Wu Xiang's existence? Who is Mr. Qiu Lan?"
In addition to misleading the Jinyiwei to investigate in the wrong direction, Xiao Nong's men have also been looking for Mr. Qiu Lan these days, but there has been no news and his whereabouts are still unknown.
Xiao Nong's tone made it seem like he agreed to King An's deal.
Prince Ding is a man of his word and would not bother to lie to anyone.
Prince An thought for a moment and then spoke: "It is true that I arranged for Qiulan to be with Prince De, but Qiulan is not my man. He was the son of a doctor in Prince De's fiefdom. Before Prince De came to Beijing, a lady in Prince De's backyard had a difficult delivery, and his father was invited by the palace to assist in the birth. After the child was born, his father was beheaded for the crime of blaspheming the lady."
This explanation sounds very reasonable and is exactly what Prince De would do.
Zhong Yansheng frowned and said, "So he came to you to recommend himself, disguised himself and worked for Prince De, in order to frame Prince De?"
King An nodded and said, "When small foreign countries like Siam pay tribute to the capital, they always pass by my territory. An envoy once took out black incense and presented it to me, so I know the smell of this thing."
This means that Prince An had seen Wuxiang at the Siamese envoy's place. After returning to Beijing, when the old emperor took Wuxiang Pills, there were always times when he failed to conceal it. The scent of Wuxiang was too strong, and it was difficult to cover it up even with the bitter smell of medicine. So Prince An smelled something different, and cooperated with Qiulan, who wanted to avenge his father, to severely deceive Prince De.
But it's just a trap for himself. If the matter is investigated carefully, Prince An will be exposed.
But without Mr. Qiulan as a witness, Prince An insisted that he was just sending an aide to Prince De and everything else had nothing to do with him, so the old emperor simply demoted him back to his fiefdom and forbade him to enter Beijing again.
It all makes sense, but Zhong Yansheng still feels that it’s a bit weird.
After hearing what Prince An said, Xiao Nong's expression was unpredictable. It was hard to tell how much he believed it. After a while, he raised his fingertips slightly and said, "As you wish."
Prince An's always calm brows suddenly relaxed a bit: "I was summoned back to the capital only to settle the old grudge with Pei Yong. What happened in the palace has nothing to do with me. I will set off for my fiefdom at dawn."
Xiao Nong held his chin in his hand and said nothing. Zhong Yansheng looked at him, then at Prince An, blinked, and realized that it was his turn to speak. He hesitantly responded, "Oh, then you go down and take Prince De's body."
Xiao Nong felt like laughing again.
Prince An couldn't help but glance at the young man sitting on the chair again. He had a handsome face and a delicate figure, and his black eyes were extremely bright, clear and clean.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Your Majesty always suspected that the Crown Prince was not his own son. He was suspicious for many years and secretly asked the imperial physician to investigate. When my eighth brother was born, there were rumors in the palace that my eighth brother's blood was impure. He was sent out of the palace for this reason. I have always felt that the Crown Prince and my eighth brother are not really your Majesty's children. Now that I see you, I feel even more."
Eighth brother is talking about King Jing.
Zhong Yansheng only knew that Pei Hong was sent out of the palace because of the nonsense that the stinking Taoist priest said, but he didn't know there was such a past. He was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding what Prince An suddenly said: "What?"
Prince An just bowed, said no more, turned around and left the study.
Zhong Yansheng was puzzled for a while, then turned to Xiao Nong and said seriously**: "I think Prince An is still very suspicious."**
He has been abused by the Imperial Concubine and bullied by Prince De since he was a child. He has endured it in silence for so many years and has become more like the old emperor when he was young.
It may seem unremarkable, but it suddenly becomes a big deal and puts Prince De into a dead end. It is not surprising if he does something else.
Xiao Nong nodded: "I'll have someone keep an eye on him."
As soon as Prince An left, Zhong Yansheng couldn't help but started yawning.
It was already very late at night, and after tossing and turning all night, it was almost the Yin hour.
Seeing him staggering with sleepiness, still trying to keep his eyelids open, Xiao Nong couldn't help but smile, leaned over and sniffed the warm fragrance on his body, and said gently: "Go to sleep, leave the rest to me."
There was chaos in the palace tonight, Prince De died, and there are many troublesome things that need to be dealt with later.
Although he really wanted to keep Zhong Yansheng by his side, he couldn't bear to let the little beauty suffer.
Zhong Yansheng was already barely holding on any longer, and after hearing what he said, he simply fell into his arms and fell asleep while sitting.
He was extremely tired and slept very soundly without having any dreams. When he woke up, it was already daybreak.
He was lying in the bedroom of Minghui Palace. The charcoal basin in the room was very warm. He got up in a daze. Before he could come to his senses, he heard some noise outside. Feng Ji walked in quietly around the screen. Seeing that Zhong Yansheng was awake, he put away his thief-like attitude and said, "Your Highness, are you awake? Oh, you slept until almost noon. Do you want lunch?"
It took Zhong Yansheng a while to remember what happened last night, and he grumbled slowly, "Where's His Royal Highness Prince Ding?"
"A lot of things happened last night, and His Royal Highness Prince Ding is still dealing with them." Feng Ji was very evasive about what happened, "The prince asked you to rest well, and he will come to see you later."
Zhong Yansheng climbed out of bed and washed his face, then listened to Feng Ji say, "Early this morning, His Royal Highness Prince An left the capital, but when he left the capital, there was something dragging behind his carriage. No one knew what it was, but it was said that it left a trail of blood, and wild dogs followed him all the way out of the city."
Zhong Yansheng was upset: "...Change the subject."
Talking about this so early in the morning, I feel a little uncomfortable in my stomach.
Feng Ji changed the subject: "His Royal Highness Prince Jing also took the initiative to leave the capital this morning, but he can't enter the palace now. He asked someone to tell you that he wants to see you. He is waiting outside the palace. Do you want to go out of the palace to see him?"
Zhong Yansheng quickly spit out the salt water he used to rinse his mouth: "No need to prepare lunch, I'm leaving the palace to see His Royal Highness Prince Jing now!"
Xiao Nong seemed to have anticipated that Zhong Yansheng would run around when he woke up, so he had someone prepare a carriage in advance.
In the past, when the old emperor was in power, Zhong Yansheng could only walk obediently. At most, he would be granted a sedan chair when the old emperor was in a good mood.
Now that the old emperor has ‘passed’ away, life has become better, and we can ride in a carriage.
Zhong Yansheng climbed onto the carriage, very satisfied.
Bad old man, my brother is still better!
There was a heavy rain last night, which washed away all the blood in the night. When he arrived in front of the palace gate, there was only a faint smell of blood in the air.
The guards in front of the palace gate had also been replaced. When they saw Zhong Yansheng, they bowed respectfully and opened the palace gate.
Pei Hong was waiting outside the palace gate. When he saw this situation, his eyebrows raised slightly.
Zhong Yansheng didn't wait for anyone to help him. He jumped off the carriage and ran towards Pei Hong: "Your Highness Prince Jing! Why are you leaving so suddenly?"
He was wearing thick clothes, and when he ran over, his steps were light, like a chubby and beautiful bird. Pei Hong was stunned for a moment, and smiled helplessly: "Xiao Sheng, I am not suitable to stay in the capital anymore."
Zhong Yansheng exclaimed "ah", paused, pursed his lips and frowned.
Prince De rebelled, Prince An left the capital, and Prince Ding entered the palace.
Under such circumstances... His Royal Highness Prince Jing really cannot stay in the capital any longer, the sooner he leaves the better.
Although people in the capital mocked King Jing for only knowing how to eat and have fun and having no ambition, Zhong Yansheng knew that King Jing was actually very smart, but he was just carefree and knew what to do and what not to do.
If it weren't for the fact that Prince Jing only knew how to have fun and Prince An was a humble person, Prince De would have made fun of them during the two years when he was the most arrogant.
Seeing Zhong Yansheng frowning, King Jing smiled and waved his fan, "Tsk tsk, you look so pitiful. Don't look at me like that. It makes me soft-hearted. I have to leave soon. I guess you haven't had lunch yet. How about having a meal with Brother Jing as a farewell?"
Zhong Yansheng felt a little sad for no reason. He hummed softly and followed him into the carriage of Prince Jing's mansion.
The carriage was shaking, and when they arrived at the restaurant, Zhong Yansheng found that Pei Hong brought him to the same restaurant as last time, and the Suzhou cuisine they served was very much to his taste.
Pei Hong booked the entire restaurant today and took Zhong Yansheng upstairs to sit down. He said with emotion, "I always thought that Xiaosheng would be my brother, but I didn't expect that Xiaosheng would really become my brother. Unfortunately, we don't have much brotherhood, and it's time to separate again."
Zhong Yansheng just felt sad when he heard Pei Hong continue, "What's even more regrettable is that I'm about to leave the capital, and I haven't heard Xiaosheng call me Brother King Jing."
Zhong Yansheng: “…”
Zhong Yansheng said with a numb face: "Your Highness Prince Jing, please eat some food."
Pei Hong seemed to not care about anything. After drinking a few glasses of wine, he asked with interest: "Looking at the movement today, is the old man still alive?"
Zhong Yansheng's first reaction was that he was too bold, but then he remembered that it was him and Xiao Nong who made the old emperor like this, and he felt embarrassed: "Well, not died yet."
Seeing his expression, Pei Hong couldn't help but chuckle: "Xiao Sheng, don't show such an expression in the future."
Zhong Yansheng was puzzled: "Why?"
“Too easy to bully.”
Zhong Yansheng: “…”
Pei Hong closed his fan and sighed softly: "Xiao Sheng, I'm leaving soon. There are some things I have to say."
Zhong Yansheng looked at him blankly: "What?"
"Be careful of Xiao Nong."
Pei Hong's eyes were dim, and he continued without waiting for Zhong Yansheng to open his mouth, "Back then, Taizu and the Xiao family were as close as family, and promised to share the world together, but within a few generations, they killed each other. Do you know why?"
He actually spoke out these dark secrets directly. Zhong Yansheng pursed his lips.
Pei Hong smiled and took a sip of wine: "Xiao Nong will not be driven by others. As a subject, he will bite his master sooner or later."
"Xiao Sheng, no emperor can tolerate the Xiao family."
Before Pei Hong finished speaking, he suddenly saw the beautiful young man opposite him raise his eyes, his eyes were clear, and he was slightly stubborn: "I can tolerate it."
Pei Hong met his gaze.
Zhong Yansheng repeated stubbornly: "I can accommodate it."
He didn't like the fact that the emperor had to get up early and read piles of memorials every day.
But he wanted to clear the names of his father, mother, the late queen and Crown Prince Kangwen.
To give my brother a place to stay.
Hearing Zhong Yansheng's stubborn answer, Pei Hong's expression froze for a moment, and his emotion could not be seen.
After a moment, he said nothing more, but smiled again and raised his wine cup: "Since you don't want to call King Jing brother, are you willing to have a drink with me?"
Pei Hong was about to leave. Zhong Yansheng thought for a moment and poured himself a small glass of wine. After clinking glasses with him, he drank it.
The slightly spicy wine rolled into his throat, and Zhong Yansheng felt his stomach burning and his voice hoarse: "Your Highness Prince Jing, you are a good person."
King Jing did not answer this time. Seeing his face flushed like a peach blossom, he smiled slightly and said, "Meeting and parting are so hasty. I won't be able to see the spring flowers in Jinghua Garden next year. Xiaosheng, goodbye now."