Ch. 75 - Xiao Nong: I'm not here to do this

Before, Zhong Yansheng deliberately tripped Pei Hong. While helping Pei Hong, who had fallen heavily, to get up, he glanced at the secret compartment where the Wuxiang Pills were stored.

It is right at the old emperor's fingertips, the most dangerous yet the safest place, presumably for easy access at any time.

Prince De obviously didn't know the inside story of the old emperor taking Wuxiang Pills. When he saw the old emperor, he signaled the people behind him to bring the medicine up, tears welling up in his eyes: "Father, how are you? Are you feeling better? I have visited famous doctors from all over the country and tried the medicine on myself. I asked someone to boil and drink this medicine. Father, why don't you try it? Your body is precious, there must be no mistakes!"

The old emperor was in much better spirits. Seeing that the two had brought medicine, he raised his hand to signal Tian Xi to put the medicine aside, patted Prince De's hand, and his face looked particularly kind: "I am much better. Old Five and Little Eleven are so thoughtful."

It had been a long time since he had seen the old emperor so kind and cheerful, and Prince De felt much better.

Before Zhong Yansheng entered the palace, the old emperor was so good to him. After Zhong Yansheng entered the palace, he seemed to always be unlucky, as if the ghost of the dead prince was still lingering around.

He seized the opportunity and approached the old emperor to ask about his well-being.

The old emperor initially answered a few questions patiently, but as he saw that he was repeating the same thing over and over again, he gradually became impatient and answered a few more times perfunctorily.

Prince De hadn't noticed the old emperor's tone was wrong. After greeting the old emperor, he eagerly talked about his family's affairs: "Father, do you want to see the little grandson? The little prince heard that you have been in poor health recently and has been asking to come and see you."

He was referring to the eldest son of Prince De, one of the old emperor's grandchildren.

When mentioning Prince De, the old emperor's eyes dimmed, and he suddenly looked at Zhong Yansheng, not knowing what he was thinking of.

Prince De was still nagging, and unknowingly revealed his purpose: "The Little Prince has reached the age of engagement, and I dare to ask the Emperor to arrange a marriage for him. I think the granddaughter of the Prime Minister is not bad..."

"The granddaughter of the Prime Minister is only seven years old!"

The old emperor interrupted Prince De impatiently and turned around and called, "Little Eleven."

Zhong Yansheng didn't dare to look at the secret compartment at the head of the bed. His thick eyelashes covered his eyes, hiding the emotions in his eyes: "Your Majesty."

The bedroom was always dim, so it was easy to mistake people. But now the curtains were drawn everywhere, and even candles were lit during the day, making the room exceptionally bright. The light outlined Zhong Yansheng's quiet profile, handsome and gentle.

Looking at that innocent face, the old emperor breathed a sigh of relief and said to him, "Come here, let me take a closer look. I was not in good spirits the past two days and I haven't had a good look at you."

Zhong Yansheng obediently walked to the bedside. In order to avoid the old emperor holding his hand and talking to him again, he lowered his brows, as if he was very afraid of Prince De. He deliberately put his hands into his sleeves, looking timid.

No pull.

Seeing that Zhong Yansheng was afraid of him, Prince De's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction and pride.

A few days ago, Prince De was very angry in his mansion when he learned that Zhong Yansheng came back alive. Finally, after being comforted by his staff, he came to a conclusion: How could this impostor, who looks so weak and stupid, really risk his life to enter the bandits' lair?

he must have relied on his pretty face to beg Prince Ding for help in suppressing the bandits.

When his elder brother, the crown prince who died early, was still alive, he was like a god descending from heaven, so brilliant that no one could match him. If he had not been driven crazy and had not forced the emperor to abdicate, the throne would not have been his.

To be honest, Prince De was still quite in awe of his brother the Crown Prince, with whom he had little contact.

But it’s been almost nineteen years, so it feels so long ago.

No matter who this fake guy looks like, don't you still have to be timid in front of him?

The old emperor originally wanted to hold Zhong Yansheng's hand to talk, but seeing that he didn't stretch out his hand, he couldn't reach into his sleeve to pull it out, which was a bit inappropriate.

The old man regretfully gave up the way of holding hands and talking. He looked at the slender young man beside the bed and said with a smile: "Young people grow up fast. I remember when I first found you, you were still very short, but now you have grown taller. After the New Year, you will be nineteen, right?"

Zhong Yansheng responded obediently: "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Nineteen years old, not too young."

Zhong Yansheng didn't quite understand what he was saying and blinked.

"Look at your fifth brother. When he was nineteen, his child was born."

The old emperor patted Prince De on the shoulder, with a kind and gentle manner, like an old father talking about family matters: "I know you are young, does Little Eleven have a crush on someone?"

Wasn't Prince De secretly asking the old emperor to grant his son a marriage? Why did the topic turn to him?

Zhong Yansheng's scalp felt slightly tingling.

When his father was nineteen years old, he refused to get married and chose his mother. Was the old emperor inspired by Prince De's mention of the crown prince's marriage and wanted to test him?

As expected, the old emperor continued, "If there is, tell me and I will make the decision for you."

When Prince De saw that the old emperor did not care about his son's marriage but instead cared about Zhong Yansheng, he curled his lips in dissatisfaction.

You still have the nerve to pout!

You set fire to me!

Zhong Yansheng felt desperate and wanted to punch him. His fists in his sleeves were stiff, and his throat was slightly choked. "Your son... I don't have the intention to do so for the time being."

"How can this be possible?" The old emperor looked disapproving. "A man should first get married and then start a career. I am old, and I am afraid I will not see the day when you get married and start a career."

Prince De couldn't help but interrupt: "Father, the prince's marriage..."

The old emperor interrupted him with a smile: "Old Fifth, ask Princess De to see if there are any girls of the right age in the capital. Little Eleven should also prepare to choose a partner."

Prince De was extremely depressed, and replied with a frustrated look on his face: "I understand."

They were talking at the same time, and Zhong Yansheng had no chance to interrupt and refuse. Cold sweat broke out on his back.

Choosing partner?

If Xiao Nong heard this news, he would lead his men into the palace in the middle of the night!

The old emperor seemed to speak gently, but his attitude was tough, leaving no room for negotiation. Zhong Yansheng tried to interrupt and refused twice, but was rejected by the old emperor with a light touch. Anxiety gradually rose in his heart.

The things on him and Xiao Nong are all leverage held by the old emperor, so they must not be impulsive.

Zhong Yansheng no longer wanted to stay in this bedroom where the smell of medicine made him dizzy. After failing to refuse, he wanted to go back to Minghui Palace first to give Xiao Nong a message to prevent him from causing trouble.

But the old emperor, after taking Wuxiang Pills, felt light-hearted both physically and mentally. He kept Zhong Yansheng and Prince De chatting with them energetically for the whole afternoon. He even invited them to stay for dinner. During the meal, he continued to instruct Prince De to ask Princess De to help him select a noble lady of the right age.

Prince De forced a smile and agreed. After finishing his meal, he left the Palace of Tranquil Longevity with an awkward look on his face.

Zhong Yansheng wanted to follow him, but the old emperor stopped him and said, "Little Eleven, follow me to the study."

Zhong Yansheng had no choice but to turn around and follow the old emperor to the study.

When the old emperor was in good health, he could read the memorials. When he was not in good health, all matters would be handed over to the cabinet and several princes for consultation and handling, and the processed memorials would be sent to him.

Flipping open a memorial, the old emperor sighed, "My eyes are dim, and I can't see clearly. Little Eleven, read it to me."

Zhong Yansheng pursed his lips, not daring to reveal his inner anxiety. He took the memorial, took a look at it, and his eyelids twitched.

It was a memorial from the Censorate impeaching Xiao Nong.

It is nothing new that the censor impeached Xiao Nong.

Ever since Xiao Nong became famous at a young age, the number of memorials submitted to the Censorate against him began to increase. Especially since last year, Xiao Nong had returned to Beijing frequently. His style of doing things was unruly, domineering and eccentric, so the number of memorials impeaching Xiao Nong immediately increased several times, but they were suppressed by the old emperor every time.

The more the old emperor put pressure on him, the censors felt that the old emperor was shielding Xiao Nong, and they impeached him more vigorously.

Zhong Yansheng glanced at the contents above, feeling a little angry, and read out in a low voice all the contents of the memorial.

The memorial criticized Xiao Nong for refusing to hand over military power and having evil ambitions.

The old emperor closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. After Zhong Yansheng finished reading, he opened his eyes, his eye sockets sunken, staring at Zhong Yansheng: "Read the next one."

Zhong Yansheng opened the next memorial, which was still impeaching Xiao Nong.

His fingers paused, and a strange feeling surged in his heart.

Is it such a coincidence? Or did the old emperor do it on purpose?

He recited in a low voice again: "I have seen that Prince Ding, Xiao Nong, has abused his power and become arrogant and domineering. He has finally become a traitor. He is a great threat to the country and is hated by both humans and gods. I am terrified day and night. I beg Your Majesty to eliminate this traitor as soon as possible..."

so funny.

If his brother hadn't been guarding the border, the barbarians would have already reached the capital city. How could this group of people just sit there and write this kind of stuff, criticizing Xiao Nong?

"Little Eleven." The old emperor smiled slightly and suddenly said, "Do you think these impeachment memorials are right or wrong?"

Zhong Yansheng was shocked and tried his best to hide the anger in his eyes. Even if he was pretending, he didn't want to conform to the words in the memorial, but he couldn't reveal his true thoughts, so he said, "I don't know."

"Oh?" The old emperor found it interesting. "It's written so clearly in the memorial, why didn't you know about it?"

Zhong Yansheng blinked and said slowly, "Whether it is right or wrong is not up to your son, or the censors of the Censorate to decide. It is up to your Majesty to judge. If your Majesty says it is right, then it is right. If your Majesty says it is wrong, then it is wrong."

This sentence greatly pleased the old emperor.

The old emperor laughed out loud suddenly. His voice was old and hoarse, so his laugh didn't sound hearty and heroic. Instead, it sounded like some kind of old crow, which was a bit creepy.

After laughing enough, the old emperor asked, "Little Eleven, what do you think of Prince Ding?"

After returning to the capital, Huo Shuang reported to the old emperor the "bad" relationship between Zhong Yansheng and Xiao Nong over the past two months.

But it is not so easy to dispel the old man's suspicion.

Zhong Yansheng never dared to meet the old emperor's eyes.

Those eyes were not as kind as those of an ordinary old man. Under the gray pupils were shrewd calculations and a gloomy stare, like a cold and poisonous snake.

From the first moment he saw the old emperor, he had the instinct of a small animal, feeling fear and discomfort all over.

But now there were only him and the old emperor in the study, and Zhong Yansheng had to bite the bullet and look into the old emperor's eyes. His dark pupils were clear and distinct, with a natural, undisguised sincerity: "I think he has a bad temper, very bad."

Zhong Yansheng knew that with his rank, it would be very difficult to lie to the old emperor.

So every time he had to look at the old emperor and speak, he spoke with extra sincerity.

Anyway, Xiao Nong is a very mean person and has a bad temper.

No other emotions could be seen in those eyes that were so clear that one could see through them.

The old emperor smiled slowly and said, "I heard that you didn't pay much attention to each other on your way back and forth. Did you quarrel and get bullied?"

Zhong Yansheng nodded.

He ignored Xiao Nong during the day, so Xiao Nong would climb in through the window at night to bully him.

"Prince Ding was young and lonely, and had no knowledge of classics. I took pity on his background and brought him to the palace to discipline him. However, when he was nine years old in Mobei, his temperament became more and more settled. He was wild and difficult to tame, and loved to be violent and aggressive. As he grew up, he became more and more unruly."

The old emperor said leisurely: "Sooner or later, he will hurt himself."

Zhong Yansheng listened to him evaluating Xiao Nong, and his eyelids twitched wildly when he heard the last sentence.

What does the old emperor mean?

Judging from the tone of his voice, could it be that he wants to do something to Xiao Nong?

That's right. During the trip to Baoqing Prefecture, the old emperor sent people to collude with the barbarians and wanted to kill Xiao Nong in the dark mountains. In fact, he almost succeeded. After Xiao Nong's headache broke out, he was injured and left Zhan Rong and others behind. He hid alone in the mountains in a daze. If he had not used medicine for his wound and met an assassin again, his fate would have been really hard to predict.

Perhaps because of his gradually failing health, the old emperor became more and more eager to take power back into his hands.

Combined with the old emperor's suspicion of him, Zhong Yansheng's heart sank again.

The old emperor must have known about Xiao Nong's engagement with him.

Since the old man would test him, he might also test Xiao Nong's attitude. In the afternoon, the old emperor took advantage of Prince De's mention of the prince's marriage to turn the topic to him, and this might be his purpose.

I'm afraid that by now the news that "the eleventh prince wants to propose marriage" has already spread.

Prince De’s mouth!

When we first met, he got him into trouble, and this time he got him into trouble again.

...Xiao Nong must not react too violently.

But Zhong Yansheng was not sure.

Xiao Nong acts casually. If he hadn't been so concerned about what was in his mind, he would have kicked the old emperor off long ago. But if it involved Zhong Yansheng, Xiao Nong might not have such good patience.

He became more and more anxious to go back and tell Xiao Nong the message.

Zhong Yansheng was anxious, but the old emperor was not. After letting Zhong Yansheng read a few memorials impeaching Xiao Nong, he flipped through other memorials and said with a smile, "Come, Little Eleven, I will teach you how to read memorials."

It is a great honor for the emperor to personally teach the prince to read memorials. It is almost equivalent to his favor. Even Prince De does not have this treatment. If Prince De, who was just upset, knew about this, he would probably be so angry that he would throw things again.

Tian Xi served tea silently and glanced at Zhong Yansheng's face imperceptibly.

The last person who received such treatment... was the late Crown Prince Pei Xi.

The old emperor gave him such an "honor" that Zhong Yansheng couldn't even refuse.

If he refused, he would seem ungrateful.

The memorials on the desk were piled up like a small mountain. All of them had been approved by the Cabinet and Xiao Nong, and some of them even had Xiao Nong's comments.

Seeing those familiar handwriting, Zhong Yansheng felt mixed emotions, not knowing whether he felt more at ease or more worried.

As it grew darker, Zhong Yansheng saw that the old emperor was gradually showing signs of fatigue, and thought that the old emperor was finally going to let him go.

Who would have thought that the old emperor put down the memorial and suddenly said, "Little Eleven and I have been separated for many years, and I really can't bear to part. There is a small bed in the room, and someone lived there before. Tonight, Little Eleven will stay in that room and accompany me to rest in the Yangxin Palace."

Zhong Yansheng almost jumped up to object, but he suppressed the impulse and responded reluctantly. His fingers were clenched so hard in his sleeves that they hurt. He turned around and called for someone, "Feng Ji, go back to Minghui Palace and get me some clothes to change into tomorrow."

It would be fine to let Feng Ji go back and pass on the message.

Feng Ji had been waiting outside the study for the whole afternoon. When he heard Zhong Yansheng's voice, he guessed what he meant. He sighed, but before he turned around, the old emperor said, "Don't bother. The palace has prepared everything."

Are they going to lock both him and Feng Ji up in the Yangxin Palace?

Even Feng Ji couldn't leave. Zhong Yansheng forced himself to suppress his uneasiness and took a deep breath: "...Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

After being delayed again and again, he was certain that the old emperor did it on purpose.

Xiao Nong had told him before that he had sent people to investigate his identity, but the old emperor noticed it and erased all clues in advance.

Now it seems that even if all the clues were erased, the old emperor still suspected that Xiao Nong would know Zhong Yansheng's identity and wanted to see Xiao Nong's reaction.

It's already this late, and I don't know if Xiao Nong has heard the news.

Zhong Yansheng was feeling panic-stricken. He and Feng Ji were imprisoned in the Yangxin Palace, and he had no chance to pass on any message. After taking a bath, he went into the room and sat on the small bed inside, staring blankly for a while, his heart in turmoil.

At this time, Tian Xi brought people into the side room and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, this side room has not been occupied for many years. I am afraid that your Majesty will not be used to sleeping in it, so I asked someone to make the bed softer."

Seeing Tian Xi, Zhong Yansheng blinked slowly, stood up without saying a word and had the bed changed. Several palace servants quickly changed the bed, and Tian Xi raised his hand to signal them to leave. He came over and poured a cup of hot tea for Zhong Yansheng: "Your Majesty asked the little prince to stay in the Yangxin Palace because he cared about the little prince. If you are not used to anything in the Yangxin Palace, please let me know."

Zhong Yansheng's eyes moved, and his gaze fell on him: "Eunuch Tian Xi, I have something to ask you."

Tian Xi: "...I have to go back and help His Majesty drink his medicine and go to bed, so I will leave first."

Zhong Yansheng didn't let him go. He took two quick steps and grabbed Tian Xi, who was about to run away, and asked in a low voice: "Who lived in this side room originally?"

"Oh, little prince." Tian Xi was very troubled by his questions. he didn't know why the questions of the innocent little prince were so hot. he was helpless and said, "Please let this old servant go."

Seeing his reaction, Zhong Yansheng guessed it, let go of his hand and said, "Then go ahead."

Seeing that Zhong Yansheng let him go so easily, Tian Xi's expression froze slightly. He glanced at him and stopped smiling: "No matter who lived here before, this is the residence of His Majesty. Your Highness is favored by the Emperor, so don't think too much. Worrying too much will hurt your health."

Zhong Yansheng felt that Tian Xi seemed to be warning him kindly, and he said, "Eunuch Tian Xi, let me ask you another question."

Tian Xi didn't dare to listen to his questions. He had already prepared himself this time. Before Zhong Yansheng could reach out to grab him, he bent down and dodged. It was rare for an old eunuch in his sixties to be so agile. He ran away in a flash.

Zhong Yansheng had no choice but to let Tian Xi go for the time being and sat back on the bed sadly.

It was not time to burn the earth dragon yet, but the night was very cold. Feng Ji went to give Zhong Yansheng two hot water bottles and came back: "Young prince, are you going to rest?"

Zhong Yansheng put those thoughts aside and nodded randomly.

Go to bed early, return to Minghui Palace early tomorrow, and have someone pass the message out.

But the next morning, Zhong Yansheng still failed to return to Minghui Palace. As soon as he got up, the old emperor sent someone to call him over to serve him medicine.

Zhong Yansheng cursed quietly in his heart, feeling extremely disgusted. He resisted the urge to turn the bowl upside down on the old emperor's head and served the old emperor the medicine, thinking that he would be let off. However, he was detained by the old emperor in the Yangxin Palace to read memorials for a whole day.

Yesterday, His Majesty instructed Princess De to carefully select a noble lady of appropriate age in the capital for Zhong Yansheng, and then kept Zhong Yansheng in the Yangxin Palace to teach him and talk with him. Rumors were spreading outside, and everyone was speculating and discussing whether His Majesty had any ideas about appointing the crown prince.

No matter what the rumors outside were, Zhong Yansheng was almost dying of anxiety.

It was not until the third night that the old emperor started coughing again and took Wuxiang Pills to avoid Zhong Yansheng, so he waved his hand and asked Zhong Yansheng to return to Minghui Palace.

After being trapped in the Yangxin Palace for more than two days, Zhong Yansheng and Feng Ji had no contact with the outside world and had no idea what was happening outside during these two days.

Although it might be a little late, Zhong Yansheng was still afraid that Xiao Nong would make trouble, so he hurried back to the room. The room was pitch dark. He fumbled for a tinderbox to light a candle and called out, "Huo Shuang!"

After shouting, Huo Shuang did not appear.

Zhong Yansheng was stunned for a moment, and his hands stopped moving. He shouted outside again: "Huo Shuang?"

Huo Shuang still didn't respond.

Zhong Yansheng only then realized that the surroundings were unusually quiet, and there was a familiar bitter and cold breath blowing around him.

The next moment, a familiar chest came up from behind and pulled him over fiercely. The force was so great that Zhong Yansheng staggered and fell onto his lap. He was so thin, like a little tit caught in the mouth of a vicious dog, and his whole body was overshadowed by the tall figure.

In the dark room, the person holding him was cold all over, and asked slowly, "Who are you calling?"

On the rooftop, Huo Shuang was glaring angrily at Zhan Rong who was trying to stop him from entering the house.

Zhan Rong shrugged: "I'm saving your life."

Inside the house, Zhong Yansheng was stunned for a moment, extremely shocked: "Xiao Xianwei, are you crazy? Didn't Uncle Wang hang himself on the beam in your study?"

Who is Xiao Nong? How dare he sneak into the palace, and into the heart of the old emperor's territory!

Uncle Wang would really be so angry that he would hang himself!

The familiar moist fragrance brushed softly across the tip of his nose. Xiao Nong lowered his head and took a deep breath: "He's afraid that I'll hang myself on the beam first."

Zhong Yansheng choked.

Xiao Nong's face was expressionless. The hand that was pinching his waist tightened a little, and his tone was cold and hot: "I heard that the young prince is discussing marriage?"

Zhong Yansheng turned around in his arms speechlessly and loosened his collar skillfully: "Lick it."

After thinking for a while, he pushed aside his long black hair, revealing a thin neck as thin as ice and snow, tilted his head and asked calmly: "Do you still want to lick here?"

The little beauty was so well-behaved and proactive that Xiao Nong was speechless. After a pause, Xiao Nong said, "I'm not here to do this."

He held Zhong Yansheng's narrow waist, his eyes cold and his face gloomy: "If you want to die, you might as well rebel tonight."

It seemed that he was really mad. Zhong Yansheng sighed, buried Xiao Nong's head in his arms, and encouraged him: "Don't suppress your nature, lick if you want."

“…”

"You don't want to lick it?" Zhong Yansheng's breath was warm, his lips were bright red, and he tilted his head, pretending to move away.

The moment he pulled back, a hand pressed on his neck, pushing him back irresistibly. A moment later, he felt a familiar wetness on the side of his neck.

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