Zhong Yansheng knew nothing about Xiao Nong's situation. He held Xiao Nong's waist and lay in his arms, happily thinking about making a doll for a while. When Xiao Nong didn't respond for a long time, he called out in surprise, "Brother?"
Xiao Nong lowered his eyes. The little beauty in his arms tilted his face up, his black hair scattered softly, framing his fair face. his hair was black, his skin was white, his lips were bright red, and from his fingertips to his hair, there was a moist and hazy orchid fragrance, like a sweet and delicate snack, tempting him to take a bite.
Zhong Yansheng and Xiao Nong looked into each other's dark eyes for a moment, then suddenly realized something and stood on tiptoe to kiss the corner of his lips.
It turns out he wanted to act like a hooligan again.
Soft lips came up and rubbed the corners of his lips softly. Xiao Nong resisted the urge to lick and kiss him back. After he rubbed his lips for a while without knowing how to do it, he slightly turned his head and patted Zhong Yansheng's lower back, saying in a serious tone, "Don't flirt with me."
"Be good."
Zhong Yansheng: “?”
Wasn't it the time when Xiao Nong hooked the tip of his tongue and kissed him until his cheeks were so sore that he couldn't close them?
he even deliberately grabbed his waist and made him crawl on the bed crying for a long time.
Zhong Yansheng was puzzled and suspected that Xiao Nong was making trouble again. After thinking for a while, he lowered his head to brush his hair away, took Xiao Nong's big hand and put it on the back of his neck, and said generously: "I'll let you lick it for a while."
“…”
In broad daylight, the handsome boy lowered his head, revealing his neck as white as a washed lotus root, and looked like he was waiting obediently to be licked.
Xiao Nong's Adam's apple rolled heavily several times, and the veins on his forehead were slightly exposed. He took a deep breath and suppressed the aggressive desire in his bones. He was a little embarrassed. He raised his fingers to push back Zhong Yansheng's hair, lifted his chin, and licked the corner of his lips: "I won't kiss you or lick you today."
Zhong Yansheng asked blankly: "What's wrong with you?"
“…”
Zhong Yansheng asked with concern: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Xiao Nong's blood boiled because of him, and seeing his worried look, he felt both angry and amused.
This heartless guy, in his eyes, is he a big gangster?
Although he is.
Why is Xiao Nong acting weird today?
Zhong Yansheng thought about it again and felt like he understood: "Do you want to sleep with me?"
It's terrible.
Xiao Nong covered his mouth and said in a friendly tone: "Be good, let's not talk about this."
Zhong Yansheng blinked his eyes, his black and white eyes were full of doubt. He tilted his head, and after a while, he nodded and hummed.
If it weren't for the wrong timing and location, Xiao Nong would have wanted to take the person back to the palace and bite him hard.
After much difficulty, he finally suppressed the desire boiling in his bones. Seeing that Zhong Yansheng had behaved himself, Xiao Nong let go of his hand, feeling both amused and annoyed.
If he hadn't known who had lived in Minghui Palace before, and if the beautiful boy had thrown himself into his arms, how could he have let go of the meat in his mouth and endured such an embarrassing situation.
It's all Zhan Rong's fault. Why report all this to him?
In the past, when the two of them were alone, Xiao Nong wanted to hold Zhong Yansheng in his arms, hug him, kiss him, sniff him, and cling to him like a big dog.
Today, the gentleman is not used to having Zhong Yansheng.
He was let go and took two steps back, looking Xiao Nong up and down, and finally his gaze fell between Xiao Nong's legs.
broken?
Xiao Nong was sensitive to his gaze and said**, "...what are you imagining?"**
Zhong Yansheng looked timid, innocent and harmless, but Xiao Nong knew very well that some extremely bold ideas often emerged from this little head.
Otherwise, the kid wouldn't have drawn a fire-avoiding picture for him as a birthday present, and even dared to ask him to cancel the engagement in bed.
Zhong Yansheng didn't say anything, but just said "Oh" as if he had realized something.
It's probably broken, otherwise, with Xiao Nong's usual temper, he would have pushed him to the bed long ago.
Since this concerns a man's dignity, Xiao Nong would definitely be embarrassed to tell him.
Brother is so pitiful.
The last time Lou Qingtang left, he said that if you have any problems, you can ask him for a prescription.
Zhong Yansheng thought considerately, next time he would help Xiao get a prescription for aphrodisiac, secretly without telling him.
Zhong Yansheng lowered his long eyelashes, which fluttered a few times like butterfly wings. He seemed to be thinking about something seriously and looked particularly well-behaved.
Xiao Nong couldn't help but rub his hair.
It's not appropriate to act rudely towards Zhong Yansheng on his father-in-law's territory, but at least he can pat his head.
Zhong Yansheng really liked being touched on the head by Xiao Nong, so he secretly rubbed his head in his palm twice. He made up his mind to write a letter to Lou Qingtang as soon as possible to help Xiao Nong regain his gangster confidence.
Otherwise, he would feel uncomfortable.
Xiao Nong was unaware of it, and his heart softened. After a while, he remembered that he had something else to say: "The spies have been secretly watching Prince An these days, but they haven't noticed any unusual movements, but they have gained something from Prince De."
Zhong Yansheng was curious: "What?"
"Two months ago, a mysterious aide joined the throne of King De."
"Staff?"
In fact, it would be better to let Huo Shuang directly pass these letters to Zhong Yansheng, but Xiao Nong chose to tell Zhong Yansheng in person, with extra patience: "I only saw the letters, but not the person. Under his guidance, Pei Yong has done a good job in several matters in the court in the past two months. After the success, he has listened to this aide more and more. He has been much more obedient recently, and this is also the reason."
Zhong Yansheng's heart skipped a beat: "Could this so-called staff member be Prince An's man?"
After all, spies have been watching, and even letters have to be delivered by someone. It is impossible for him to appear out of nowhere without being discovered. The so-called mysterious staff member is most likely a familiar face and has not been discovered.
Xiao Nong nodded: "It's possible."
In the past few days, all the past information of Prince An that could be dug up has been turned upside down by the spies. This taciturn prince who is almost invisible in the court is very similar to the old emperor. He also has a humble mother's family, is also bullied, and is also low-key.
The spies went to Prince An's fiefdom, and the carrier pigeon brought back a message that His Highness Prince An was very organized in governing his fiefdom, and his abilities were not as weak as they seemed.
Zhong Yansheng nodded deeply.
It is most likely Prince An.
The old emperor summoned the prince to the capital, and allowed Xiao Nong to return to the capital. He treated Xiao Nong as a whetstone, and was evasive and vague in his attitude towards the heir he favored. He probably also regarded Prince De as a stepping stone for Prince An.
Prince De's mother's family is also very prominent. His mother is a noble concubine. His maternal grandfather once supervised the military affairs of the Five Military Camps and served as the commander-in-chief. He is also a dangerous guy. Xiao Nong's existence has already made the old man very unhappy. How could he be satisfied with Prince De?
He used to flatter Prince De so much and supported everything Prince De did. He was probably just waiting for Prince De to make another huge mistake so that he could hand it over to Prince An to deal with.
By that time... it would probably be the time when the old emperor would take action against him and Xiao Nong.
Thinking of this, Zhong Yansheng couldn't help but tighten Xiao Nong's sleeves: "Brother, do you still have a headache recently?"
Xiao Nong paused and smiled slightly: "No."
Zhong Yansheng felt that he didn't seem to be telling the truth, so he reached out and grabbed his slightly cold hand, and said seriously: "If you feel uncomfortable, tell me."
Although he was afraid of pain, he didn't mind feeding blood to Xiao Nong to drink.
Xiao Nong saw his intention and smiled, pinching his fingers nonchalantly: "You are so young, yet you worry so much."
Zhong Yansheng quietly kicked him and looked in the direction of Yangxin Palace: "When I came here, the old man's coughing and wheezing problem recurred. He should have taken the Wuxiang Pills by now."
When the old emperor discovered that Wuxiang Pills were not so effective, I wonder if he would choose to take a few more pills risking his life, or just wait and see?
Zhong Yansheng didn’t like autumn in the past because it was cold and rainy. If he wasn’t careful, he would easily get sick and have to stay in bed for several days.
But this autumn is really nice.
He was not sick, but the old emperor's old cough and asthma flared up.
It’s really Buddha’s blessing.
Just as Zhong Yansheng had guessed, after the old emperor took the Wuxiang Pills, the effect did not take place as quickly as usual.
The old emperor was naturally aware of the harm of Wuxiang Pills, so he never took more. After taking it for a year, the efficacy of the medicine was indeed weakening, but his addiction was getting worse.
Seeing the old emperor staring at the medicine bottle, Tian Xi groaned and whispered, "Your Majesty, Wuxiang Pills are very potent. If you use too much, your body may not be able to bear it. Your body is precious, so you must not damage it like this. Shall I call the imperial physician for you?"
It felt like ants were crawling in his bones, his muscles and bones were aching, and the coughing and asthma were not getting much relief. Every time he coughed, it felt like his body was falling apart. It was not only physical torture, but also mentally tormenting.
The old emperor was sweating and extremely irritable. He barely endured the urge to succumb. After a long while, he spoke in a hoarse old voice: "Summon one for me again in the evening."
The imperial physician is different from the death squad and palace maids in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. They are not trained under one's nose with a clear knowledge of their background.
When the imperial doctors saw a patient, there were always seven or eight of them working together, and they would leave pulse records. If someone found out that the patient had taken Wuxiang Pills, and wrote it down and spread the news, and the imperial censors in the Censorate knew about it, they would probably go crazy.
The censors’ mouths are like knives. They dare to stab anyone and even take pride in making suggestions even when they die.
Rumors are scary and can shake people's hearts - just like Xiao Nong was clearly a person stationed at the border to resist foreign enemies, but if the news was slightly distorted, wouldn't those censors be eager to impeach him every day?
It is difficult for ordinary people to get through this, but Xiao Nong is an exception. He doesn't care what others think of him. After years of quarreling with the censor, he has become more and more thick-skinned.
But the old emperor was different.
When he ascended the throne that year, that group of censors wrote a letter to the emperor on behalf of Crown Prince Kangwen, demanding a thorough investigation of his medical records. They were very noisy and dared to say anything. In their words, they just pointed at his nose and scolded him for coming to the throne illegitimately and for killing the crown prince.
They killed batch after batch, and the more they killed, the more they couldn't control the situation.
The old emperor frowned, and his face twitched violently.
If you want to make those people shut up, the matter of Wuxiang Pills must not be leaked.
The next morning, when Zhong Yansheng woke up, he heard Feng Ji say, "Last night, His Majesty summoned the Imperial Physician. It seems that his condition has worsened. This morning, Prince De came to show his filial piety again."
Zhong Yansheng was still feeling sleepy and uttered "oh" slowly.
Sure enough, the old emperor was afraid of eating too much to death, so he didn't dare to eat too much.
After being helped by Feng Ji to wash his face and brush his teeth, Zhong Yansheng sat down at the dining table, feeling a sour feeling in his stomach.
The food in the palace was really not to his taste.
"Your Highness, please try it. The food in Guanglu Temple today seems to be a little different from the past."
There are four unreliable things in the capital that are inconsistent with their names, namely "Hanlin Academy articles, Wukusi swords and guns, Guanglu Temple tea and soup, and Imperial Medical Bureau prescriptions". Guanglu Temple is especially famous for its unpalatable food.
Zhong Yansheng didn't have much hope. He closed his eyes, thinking that as long as he could fill his stomach and not starve to death, he would be fine. He took a bite, paused, and looked down. Only then did he realize that the breakfast delivered today was very much to his liking and completely different from the previous ones.
Very similar... very similar to what he had eaten in the Ding palace.
Zhong Yansheng suddenly remembered that he had complained to Xiao Nong a few days ago about the bad food in the palace. Xiao Nong just nodded and told him to just bear with it for a few more days.
He thought that Xiao Nong meant to wait for some time, kill the old emperor, and then take him back to the palace to eat delicious food.
So Xiao Nong had quietly arranged for someone to go to the Guanglu Temple to get him food?
Zhong Yansheng felt warm in his heart. He ate a little more, which was a rare occasion. It was his first full meal after returning to the palace. He was in a good mood after eating. He sat in front of the window with his hands on his cheeks, observing the further situation in the Yangxin Palace.
The old emperor summoned the imperial physician three times in one day, and the emperor fed four or five bowls of bitter medicine before he could barely suppress his cough and asthma.
The old ailment of cough and asthma was suppressed, but the addiction to Wuxiang Pills became more severe than ever. The old emperor's condition got worse instead of better. He felt listless and weak, and was often in a trance.
After hearing about the old emperor's condition, Prince De, Prince An and Prince Jing would often go to the palace to act as filial sons by the old emperor's bedside.
Zhong Yansheng also followed suit, wearing the plain colors that Prince Kangwen liked, and ran to the Yangxin Palace to join in the fun and hang out.
I don’t know if it’s because of taking Wuxiang Pills for a long time, but the old emperor is a little afraid of light. Even in the daytime, the curtains in the room are mostly drawn, and the bedroom is dim. Zhong Yansheng’s face is especially white, and when he appears silently, he is like a lingering ghost.
The old emperor's pupils suddenly shrank, he shuddered, sweated profusely, and his mind was extremely tense. The moment he saw Zhong Yansheng's face clearly, he became extremely furious: "Get out!"
This was the first time that the old emperor took off his hypocritical face and burst into emotion towards Zhong Yansheng.
If you take Wuxiang Pills for a long time and become addicted, you will become like this, irritable, shivering and having chills... all of them are true.
It seems that the old emperor is in really bad condition.
Zhong Yansheng was overjoyed in his heart, but he looked panic-stricken and aggrieved as he retreated again.
Prince De was also very happy. A few days ago, the old emperor asked him to pick a gentle and polite girl from an aristocratic family for Zhong Yansheng. He was almost mad. Now seeing Zhong Yansheng being scolded and left, he felt that Zhong Yansheng had probably fallen out of favor. He was very happy: "Father, I have found a new prescription for you. I will send it to you tomorrow. By the way, the prince's marriage..."
Seeing how brainless he was, Pei Hong couldn't help but look at him.
Even Prince An, who was usually low-key and silent, tilted his head in surprise.
As expected, the next moment, the old emperor's face darkened, and he threw the scalding medicinal tea that Tian Xi handed over onto Prince De's face, "Get lost!"
Pei Hong couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The old emperor looked at him coldly: "You go away too."
Before Zhong Yansheng walked out of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, he saw Prince De walking out of the room with a gloomy face and wet hair, followed by Pei Hong, who was fanning himself with a dashing look.
After trying to please the old emperor in a humble manner for so many days, he never had a good face. He was also splashed with scalding hot tea in his face in front of his two brothers on whom he looked down upon, and that damn eunuch Tian Xi. Prince De felt greatly humiliated, and his face was extremely ugly. He did not even stop to provoke Zhong Yansheng, but just left with a flick of his sleeves.
Zhong Yansheng asked curiously: "What happened?"
Pei Hong shrugged nonchalantly: "He was courting death, I laughed along and was kicked out together."
Zhong Yansheng thought to himself that you are really asking for death, but he still felt a little guilty about tripping Pei Hong last time, so he didn't say anything and glanced in the direction of the bedroom: "How is His Majesty?"
He was kicked out before he even had time to take a closer look. The old man was quite sensitive when he was sick.
Pei Hong looked around, lowered his head in front of the guards who were staring at them, and whispered to Zhong Yansheng, "I think he's almost got one foot in the coffin."
Zhong Yansheng: “…”
His Royal Highness Prince Jing really dares to say anything, even more daring than him.
But it seems that the old emperor is in a very bad condition. He, Prince De and Prince Jing were all driven out. Who knows what he is going to say to Prince An.
This old guy really seems to attach great importance to Prince An.
Zhong Yansheng continued to observe the situation. The next day, he changed into whiter clothes and strolled towards the Yangxin Palace.
Unexpectedly, he met Prince De who came to offer medicine.
Prince De has a bad temper and is easily angered. People like him are very concerned about their reputation. Yesterday, the old emperor scolded him and threw tea at him, telling him to get out. But today, he can still be so shameless as to come back to the palace...
Zhong Yansheng felt extremely strange. He could not think of any other reason except that it was instructed by that mysterious staff member.
When Prince De saw Zhong Yansheng, he paused, then gave him a cold smile: "Your good days will not last long."
In the past, Zhong Yansheng might have been a little timid, but now he just felt puzzled: "Oh."
Then he nonchalantly passed by Prince De and stepped into the palace gate first.
Prince De was so angry that his face turned half black in an instant, and his breath got stuck in his chest and he almost couldn't swallow it.
The old emperor's condition is worse today, but it has only been two days since he last took Wuxiang Pills. Neither the old emperor nor Tian Xi dared to take the risk of using it.
His mind became more and more dazed. Zhong Yansheng walked in, dressed in snow-white. His every move and gesture was exactly the same as the figure in his memory for a moment.
As expected, Zhong Yansheng was kicked out as soon as he stepped into the door.
Zhong Yansheng returned to Minghui Palace very satisfied.
On the third day, Zhong Yansheng got up actively and went to the Yangxin Palace to visit the old emperor.
He is more active than when he was studying. He would never get up so early even when he was studying.
There was a strong smell of medicine in the Yangxin Palace. The imperial physician had written many prescriptions and the old emperor was about to take them.
These days, Prince De has been looking for famous doctors everywhere and has presented a bunch of prescriptions to the old emperor, but the old emperor has hardly paid any attention to them.
Prince De was rejected many times, but he still brought his own prescriptions and medicines tirelessly, saying: "Father, I am really worried about your condition. The doctors in the palace are conservative. I have tried this medicine before. Why don't you try the medicine prescribed by the miracle doctor I invited?"
He was scolded in front of others for his poor medical skills. Several imperial doctors waiting nearby dared not say anything.
When Zhong Yansheng stepped in, the old emperor no longer had the strength to raise his head. Coughing, asthma, pain, and addiction to Wuxiang Pills made the old man look increasingly emaciated. He had lost all his former dignity and lay lifeless on the bed, like a dried corpse.
After being nagged by Prince De for so long, the old emperor finally got annoyed and said hoarsely, "Test the medicine."
Prince De's eyes lit up, and he immediately signaled the attendant behind him to open the medicine cup: "I will test the medicine on myself!"
The old emperor glanced at him with his deeply drooped eyelids.
The moment the medicine cup was opened, perhaps because he had been hanging out with Xiao Nong for too long, Zhong Yansheng also became familiar with his dog nose and sensitively smelled a familiar sweet smell.
He hesitated and looked at the medicine cup brought by Prince De.
The smoke curled up and seemed to be coming from the bowl of medicine.
……No way?
There is black incense in the medicine cup? !
The old emperor also smelled it, and his cloudy eyes suddenly became clear. Prince De was completely unaware of it. He took a sip of the medicine and happily handed the medicine cup to the old emperor: "Father, please try it. This medicine has the effect of relieving pain and cough..."
The old emperor suddenly slashed his hand, knocking over the cup of medicine, his eyes filled with extreme horror.
Tian Xi understood instantly, his face darkened: "The medicine is poisonous! Come here - Prince De is plotting something bad, arrest him!"
Prince De was stunned for a moment. He only reacted when the guards rushed up and grabbed him. He struggled desperately, and his voice was hoarse: "Poison? How could it be poisonous? I have tried the medicine myself... Father, father, I am innocent. How dare I poison you? The imperial doctors are here, let them check it out! Father, father, I am innocent!"
The old emperor coughed violently, his chest rising and falling violently. He did not even glance at Prince De, and said gloomily, "Take him away."
Zhong Yansheng watched in shock as Prince De was dragged away with his mouth covered, and slowly looked towards the cup of medicine spilled beside the bed.
Prince De should not be so stupid as to poison the old emperor in public. What touched the old emperor's nerves must be the black incense in the pharmacy.
The old emperor was allergic to black incense, and Prince De added black incense to the medicine, which was simply a deliberate provocation to his majesty - regardless of whether Prince De did it intentionally or unintentionally, whether he was truly unaware or aware of it.
There is black incense in the medicine, so it is even more impossible for the old emperor to let the imperial physician check it.
However, Zhong Yansheng felt that even if there was no poison in the medicine, Prince De had ill intentions in giving this medicine.
That day, Prince De was splashed with tea in public. He was furious and most likely wanted to force the old emperor to abdicate. However, with his impulsive character, he was able to endure it and came to see the old emperor as usual the next day. He must have been calmed down by the staff in the palace.
Otherwise, he had been publicly disrespected by the old emperor, so why would he come over and be snubbed every day?
Zhong Yansheng thought about it, and it was not difficult to guess how the aides managed to calm Prince De down - the old man won't live for many days, so just be patient.
King De would definitely not be able to endure that with his patience.
The staff should take the opportunity to offer a suggestion - let the old man be put into the coffin faster.
This prescription was most likely presented to Prince De by the so-called aide. The fact that Prince De dared to drink it proved that it was not poisonous. At most, it was in conflict with the medicine the old emperor was taking now.
It is not clear whether the so-called aide knew that the old emperor took Wuxiang Pills.
The specific situation is impossible to guess, but in short, Prince De was badly cheated by him.
Zhong Yansheng watched Prince De being taken away and didn't want to stay in the Yangxin Palace any longer. Taking advantage of the momentary chaos, several imperial doctors rushed to feel the old emperor's pulse. Then he quietly withdrew and returned to Minghui Palace, preparing to write a letter to inform Xiao Nong of the good news.
Even if Prince De did not poison the person, he would be proven to have done so. Considering what he had done in the past, he has almost no chance of turning the situation around.
The old emperor took great pains to pave the way for Prince An.
Although Xiao Nong had his own people and might have already received the news about Prince De, Zhong Yansheng still couldn't wait to share the good news with him in person. He hurriedly wrote down what he saw and heard in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, but suddenly remembered that he had been staring at the Palace of Tranquil Longevity these days and had forgotten about Xiao Nong's hidden illness.
Feeling ashamed, he also wrote a letter to Lou Qingtang. He first greeted Lou Qingtang politely and asked about the progress of investigating the poison. Finally, he very subtly mentioned Xiao Nong's suspected impotence and asked Lou Qingtang for a prescription for an aphrodisiac.
The meals sent by Guanglu Temple these days are very much to his taste.
His brother loves him, and he also loves his brother!
After writing the letters, Zhong Yansheng waited for the ink to dry, carefully sealed the two letters, called Huo Shuang over, and handed him the two letters.
Huo Shuang had grown numb from sending messages to Zhong Yansheng and Xiao Nong these days, so he took the letter as if it was normal: "I understand."
When Huo Shuang was about to step out of the door, Zhong Yansheng remembered to call him back: "The first letter is sent to the Ding palace, and the second letter is sent to Doctor Lou. Don't make a mistake."
Xiao Nong was so concerned about his reputation that he couldn't let him find out that he was secretly asking Lou Qingtang about this. If he found out, he would definitely be in trouble.
My brother...learns very quickly, and his fingers are very long, so I can torture him to death with just my fingers.
Huo Shuang looked down at the two letters in his hand: "Yes."
Zhong Yansheng sat back with peace of mind.
Huo Shuang is still very reliable, more reliable than Yun Cheng in delivering letters, and can be trusted.