Ch. 9 - Xiao Nong: What are you doing?

Zhan Rong moved his lips, and countless words came to his mind in an instant. He moved his lips hesitantly, but the guards outside suddenly rushed out of the courtyard in a sudden gust of wind to relieve the urgent need: "Your Majesty, the young master is here, outside the villa!"

He's finally here!

Zhan Rong breathed a sigh of relief. Based on my understanding of the prince, he was in a bad mood. Even if he had no direct contact with the young master, there was still some connection between them.

Xiao Nong's eyebrows twitched slightly.

His bad mood was indeed not directly related to Zhong Yansheng, but his already unhappy mood became even more irritating when Zhong Yansheng missed the appointment.

The headache continues to cause chaos, like a stretched line, and pain come and go, making him want to kill himself.

The smell on the child should be able to relieve it.

But if Zhong Yansheng is allowed to come in like this, wouldn't it be a loss of face?

His Highness Prince Ding remained motionless, still sitting peacefully in the wheelchair. Not only was he not in a hurry to bring in the analgesic baby, he crossed his legs, leisurely picked up the book and turned another page, speaking in an understated tone: "Let him wait."

The consequences for being late.

Leave him alone for an hour. Anyway, the little bird is very obedient.

After hearing these words, the bodyguard who was already burying his head lowered his head, hesitated, and did not leave immediately to pass on the order.

Xiao Nong raised his eyebrows: "What are you doing, you want to plead for him?"

"Go back to your lord, I don't dare." The guard swallowed, foreboding that if his words were to be spoken out, there would be big problems, but he had to say it, so he bit the bullet and lowered his voice, "Well, actually, that person..... the young master just arrived at the other courtyard, handed over a few things, and then left..."

Xiao Nong: "..."

The rustling sounds in the yard stopped and fell into dead silence again.

Zhanrong lowered his head, suffocating, he couldn't live this life any longer.

God wants to kill him.

Xiao Nong slowly repeated: "He handed over a few things and then left?"

The personal guard took out an opened bag from behind and spread it out on the ground. It contained some things used by gardeners, such as flower picks and shovels. At first glance, it was not for Xiao Nong.

Realizing that the sight above his head was getting colder and colder, the guard shook his hands and quickly took out the remaining two boxes.

The larger one is a food box, and the smaller one is quite delicate. He held it up with both hands, his head almost buried in the ground: "My lord, do you want to see it in person? They have been inspected and there is nothing unusual."

Xiao Nong didn't even look at it, and uttered two words coldly: "Throw it away."

Guard: "Yes!"

As soon as he turned around, he heard again: "Bring it here."

The guard had already guessed that there would be such a sound. He wanted to laugh, but didn't dare. He turned around and handed over the two boxes, then opened the food box first: "Your Majesty, it has been tested for poison."

Xiao Nong hummed and glanced at the food box casually.

It is an extremely delicately made pine nut and lily cake. Probably because it has been made for a long time, the quality is not as beautiful as when it was freshly baked, but it is more exquisite and small, with delicate petals, and it is still cute.

Xiao Nong was not very interested in sweets, so he twisted it and tasted it. The taste of the already cold Lily Crisp was not greatly affected, but it was a bit too sweet and very greasy. He took the handkerchief handed over by Zhan Rong and wiped his fingers, commenting neither salty nor blandly: "A taste that only children like."

A set of utensils was carefully prepared for Uncle Wang. Is this all you give him?

Xiao Nong looked at another small sandalwood box: "Open it."

The guard opened the small sandalwood box as instructed, revealing a Tian Huang stone seal of excellent color inside, which was as clear and moist as honey.

This thing is regarded as a treasure outside, but it is not strange here in Xiao Nong. Not to mention how exaggerated the royal family's rewards were in the past, countless dignitaries in Shanjing offered countless rare things just to meet His Highness Prince Ding. Rare and rare treasures - although they were all sent back unceremoniously by the prince.

Zhan Rong felt sad in his heart. In the eyes of the prince, this was no different from the broken stones on the roadside. How could the prince look at it twice?

As soon as he came up with this idea, he saw Xiao Nong taking out the seal and looking at it very naturally. His eyebrows suddenly raised: "What words are engraved on it?"

Zhan Rong was stunned for a moment, then he immediately turned around and went into the house to get some paper and ink pad.

Xiao Nong's posture was leisurely, and he covered the paper with one hand. The evening breeze came slowly, blowing the snow-white rice paper. In the afterglow of twilight, the words on it moved with the paper, but they were clearly visible.

——"Peaceful and Clear Night".

Xiao Nong didn't realize that the corner of his mouth was raised.

Looking at those four words, my irritable mind seemed to be caressed by the wind, and gradually calmed down.

Zhong Yansheng hurriedly put down a few return gifts and ran away.

When I pushed the box over, I repeated it in my mind, the red ones were without words, and the yellow ones were with engraved words.

Well, that's right.

Meng Qiping and the others couldn't stay calm for long. After playing in Jiuxiang Tower for a while, they wanted to hang out in the street across the street. Zhong Yansheng took the opportunity to tell them his strict upbringing - If he came home too late, he would be scolded. After all, the Marquis of Huai'an, in the army, spoke harshly. The reason is out there, and no one doubts it.

When he met up with Yuncheng who had been waiting outside, it was indeed getting late. Zhong Yansheng hesitated, but still felt that he should keep his promise, so he and Yuncheng went to give the return gift for Uncle Wang, and drove the carriage to the Changliu Villa and hurriedly gave away the gifts.

In the capital, the dusk drum is beaten at nine o'clock in the evening, and entry and exit are strictly prohibited at the city gates. Next day, the morning bell will sound at five o'clock in the morning and the city gates will be opened. If you miss the hour, you will be locked out all night.

Being locked up outside the gate is not scary, but what is scary is the consequences of being discovered by the Marquis of Huai'an and Mrs. Marquis.

Yun Cheng's heart was in his throat, and he hurriedly rushed back to the city gate at the last moment and was let into the city.

The carriage slowly passed through the city gate, Yuncheng's heart was still beating wildly, and he wiped his sweat vigorously: "It's so dangerous, so dangerous. If I can't enter the city today, my head will be hanging on it tomorrow."

Zhong Yansheng was holding the carriage, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He handed a handkerchief to Yuncheng: "Good Yuncheng, thanks to you, I caught up!"

Yuncheng grimaced: "Master, I'm not good at all. Can we not do such unfortunate things next time? What if Mrs. Zhong finds out..."

"It's okay," Zhong Yansheng assured him with a pat on his chest, "I'll bear it with all my strength. The most I can do is to kneel in the ancestral hall and copy the ancestral teachings all night. If they dare to touch you, I will write to my grandmother to cry."

Outsiders don't know that the Marquis of Huai'an, who has a serious and upright personality, is most afraid of his mother and his wife.

Yuncheng: "..."

It's a bad idea, but it seems to be quite reliable if the situation goes bad.

It was already dark, and Zhong Yansheng had never returned home so late before. He said it was easy, and he would cry to his grandmother when something happened, but he was still a little worried in his heart.

After depositing the carriage at an inn, the two rushed back to the mansion.

The closer he got to his yard, the faster Zhong Yansheng's eyelids jumped, and the uneasy premonition became stronger and stronger.

Sure enough, when he stepped into the yard, he saw a man standing by the pond with his hands behind his back.

It was the Marquis of Huai'an.

Zhong Yansheng stepped lightly and retreated silently, preparing to seek Mrs. Marquis's blessing.

He took two steps back when a majestic voice sounded in front of me: "Come here."

Zhong Yansheng's heart trembled three times.

Faced with danger, he still remembered what he had promised, and gave Yuncheng a look that said "you run away first", before he reluctantly moved towards the yard.

The servants in the courtyard had been cleared out long ago, and when he faced the Marquis of Huai'an alone, Zhong Yansheng was so nervous that his toes tightened, and he smiled dryly: "Dad, you came back very early today."

"It's not that I came back early." The Marquis of Huai'an turned around with a stern face, "It's that you came back late."

Zhong Yansheng was shocked. Without saying anything, he pulled the sleeve of Huai'an Marquis and acted like a spoiled child: "Dad, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong. I won't do it again next time... Please don't punish me by making me kneel down and copy the family motto, okay?"

The coquettish and coquettish look was exactly the same as when he was a kid and didn't want to drink medicine. The Marquis of Huai'an saw it and still kept a straight face: "I heard that you went drinking with the third young master of Meng household, today?"

A group of people were chatting on the busy street. Those people were always eye-catching in the capital, so it was normal for them to fall into the ears of the Marquis of Huai'an.

Zhong Yansheng raised his hand and swore: "Dad, I didn't drink. If you don't believe me, I don't smell of alcohol on my body."

He did not smell of alcohol, but that was obviously not what the Marquis of Huai'an cared about. The frown between his eyebrows was very deep: "Dad knows that you are bored staying alone in the Marquis' Mansion and want to make friends, but you have to distinguish between good and bad friends. The third young master Meng of the palace..."

The Marquis of Huai'an did not continue.

Unexpectedly, his tone was serious, but he didn't criticize Zhong Yansheng for coming home late.

Zhong Yansheng's nervousness about being caught faded a lot. After hearing what he meant, she thought about it and nodded obediently: "Do you want me to stay away from Meng Qiping? Don't worry, Dad, I don't like him and I won't follow him. He's not a friend.”

Zhong Yansheng has always been very well-behaved. After hearing this, the Marquis of Huai'an's face softened, and he said, "Forget it for today, don't go back home so late next time."

Zhong Yansheng nodded happily: "Daddy is the best!"

The Marquis of Huai'an's face remained serious, as if he was not prepared to say anything more, he raised his feet to leave.

Seeing that he was leaving, Zhong Yansheng hurriedly took out the small sandalwood box from his sleeve and handed it over like a treasure: "Dad, this is a gift for you!"

The Marquis of Huai'an was startled. Seeing his bright eyes, he reached out to take it, opened the box and looked at the seal inside. It was too dark to see the details clearly, but in the dim light, one could see that the foundation was delicate and moist.

Zhong Yansheng was looking forward to receiving feedback and looked at him eagerly: "Dad, do you like it?"

The Marquis of Huai'an was famous for being cold, solemn and unsmiling. Now he was holding the sudden gift from his little son in both hands. He couldn't help but smile, and then quickly returned to his normal expression. He coughed with his mouth tightened: "It's okay. "

Knowing that the Marquis of Huai'an had an awkward personality, he said that he liked it very much. Zhong Yansheng smiled so hard that he rolled his eyes and felt proud, feeling that he had done a good job in this matter.

The elder brother from Changliu Villa must have seen it too, and I don't know what words he will engrave.

The night passed without incident.

Zhong Yansheng learned from yesterday and decided to go early and come back early, and go to the Changliu Courtyard early to apologize to brother. The next day he got up extra early, feeling sleepy, and forcefully pulled Yuncheng out.

Seeing that the young master was swaying when walking, staggering when he got into the carriage, almost falling off, and insisting on leaving the city to go to Changliu Courtyard, Yuncheng hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn't help it anymore: "Master, are you sure? Are the people we met in the other courtyard really relatives of the Zhong family?”

Zhong Yansheng was leaning on the carriage and was feeling sleepy. When he heard this sentence, he suddenly raised his head and his head was hit with a bang. He hissed in pain, but did not dare to cry out. He secretly rubbed his forehead, and his face was painful: "Of course it is."

Why is the true young master not considered a member of the family?

His voice was trembling a little because of the pain, which made Yuncheng feel guilty, and Yuncheng became even more suspicious.

In the past, the young master didn't like to move much, and he did things slowly. His favorite thing was to lie lazily on the swing in the yard, dozing in the sun, and he would never hide anything from his family.

This is so abnormal.

Yuncheng thought about it, his heart skipping a beat.

Could it be that the other courtyard is not a relative of the family at all, but some kind of female seductress whom the young master runs out to have trysts with every day?

The more I think about it, the more I think this guess is correct.

The young master gets up early every day and go out of the city, preparing gifts diligently. Yesterday, it was so late, and the young master risked not being able to enter the city gate to deliver gifts to people...

The most important thing is that he is not allowed to tell the Marquis and his wife.

Could it be that there is something wrong with the woman's identity?

The young master has been raised in a deep house since he was a child. He has a pure temperament and is not familiar with worldly affairs. Maybe he was deceived?

Yuncheng struggled for a long time. He couldn't say anything because of his position, so he could only persuade him tactfully: "Master, you must keep your eyes open and recognize people clearly."

Who could he recognize with his eyes wide open? How could he find the wrong true young master?

Zhong Yansheng said in confusion: "I know, Yuncheng, why are you so verbose today?"

The two of them set off early today and arrived at Changliu Courtyard much earlier than usual. Yuncheng was pulled up early in the morning and his eyes were so sleepy that he planned to catch up on his sleep in the carriage and wait for the young master.

Today, I will squat down and wait for the young master to come out, and see which little vixen would see him off.

Zhong Yansheng was oblivious to Yuncheng's worried expression, always worrying that he would be eaten by wild beasts. He walked briskly to the gate of Changliu Courtyard, and before he raised his hand to knock, the door opened.

Opening very hastily, as if impatient.

Zhong Yansheng's hand stopped in mid-air and hesitantly said hello: "Guard Zhan...?"

After seeing the seal last night, the master seemed to be in a better mood. In the end, Zhan Rong managed to escape the beating, and his respect for Zhong Yansheng deepened by three points: "Please."

For some reason, Zhong Yansheng always felt that Zhanrong was quite kind to him today.

Although Zhan Rong's face was still expressionless.

Changliu Villa is extremely large, and the place we went to today is different from the two places we went to a few days ago. Along the way, there are deep pavilions, lush spring flowers, rockeries and ponds, which are picturesque.

Zhong Yansheng's heart skipped a beat, and finally couldn't help but start to worry.

Is my father corrupt? Otherwise, how could there be a private house of this size? What if the censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate find out and a paper of impeachment is sent to the Zhong family, will the Marquis Mansion be ransacked again?

...No, I have to advise daddy to be a good official, be diligent and love the people, and be honest when I get back.

Thinking erratically, Zhong Yansheng followed Zhanrong into the moon cave door and walked into the room, only to realize that this was a study.

Zhan Rong stopped outside the door as always. Zhong Yansheng thought about his last experience, his scalp felt slightly numb, and he walked cautiously into the house to avoid being frightened again.

Xiao Nong rested his chin on his elbow while sitting at the desk in front of the window, flipping through the documents that were sent to him, completely ignoring Zhong Yansheng who came in in a somewhat secretive manner.

The contours of his facial features are profound, and the lines are actually cold. As soon as the friendly arc at the corner of his mouth disappears, the light from the window falls on his face, and the gauze blocks his eyes. In the half-light and darkness, he looks... Incomparable and indifferent beauty.

Zhong Yansheng took a sneak peek and quietly noticed that his brother seemed a little angry.

Anyway, this true young master always fell out of love for no apparent reason and had an unstable temperament. Zhong Yansheng adapted well. Seeing that Xiao Nong seemed to be looking at things seriously and didn't realize that he was coming, he didn't go up to disturb him and looked at the furnishings in the room.

At first glance, he was shocked.

Famous paintings from several dynasties, everyone's calligraphy, precious Ru kiln pink and blue brush washers, priceless jade landscape, jade carvings, red coral bonsai from the East China Sea and jade pendants from the Western Regions, the one randomly placed on the bookshelf is the one his father said he wanted in the past. But it is said that this is the only copy that has been lost for a long time!

Dad, how greedy you are!

Zhong Yansheng suddenly felt dizzy, barely holding on to the bookshelf to steady his mind, and looked over one by one.

Xiao Nong's original intention was to let Zhong Yansheng hang out for a while. When Zhong Yansheng couldn't bear it anymore, he would definitely come over to act like a baby like he did before, and explain and apologize for not coming on time yesterday.

Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, Xiao Nong didn't wait for Zhong Yansheng to speak. Xiao Nong glanced over and saw Zhong Yansheng's eyes widened in the corner of his eye. He was looking around in the study, looking very shocked.

He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, put down his pen, and leaned back leisurely.

The little thing is quite knowledgeable.

Most of the things in this room are from the Xiao family's treasury. In the past, the royal family supported the Xiao family, and rewards were always given out in batches. Naturally, the things were not ordinary. Xiao Wenlan had been to Changliu Villa several times, and he was always greedy. His eyes were shining, and he asked Xiao Nong with a shy face to give him one or two things.

He habitually waited for Zhong Yansheng to ask for rewards. Unexpectedly, after a long time, Zhong Yansheng still didn't say a word.

Xiao Nong was impatient and said in annoyance: "What are you doing?"

Zhong Yansheng looked at Xiao Nong desperately.

He was sentencing the Marquis of Huai'an.

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