“Chapter 171”

"Chapter 171"

"Indulging in debauchery in broad daylight, entangled and embraced... such lewdness was rare for Rong Tang."

"Knowing Su Huaijing must be exhausted, he thought that once home, the man might finally sleep well and recuperate."

"But until dawn turned to dusk and night to day again, with the windows covered by paper, faint light filtered through the windowpanes, blocked by the bed curtains. Rong Tang lost track of time in bed, eating meals and dozing off, unaware of how long he had slept. It was only when the person beside him, on top of him, or behind him finally left the room that he belatedly felt sore all over."

"—This time, the arch-villain truly forgot everything, only remembering that people need to eat and drink. Aside from that, all his usual gentleness and consideration were abandoned amidst the turmoil, leaving only a terrifying surge of desire, showcasing his unrelievable emotions."

"Over and over, he took what he wanted, invaded time and again, pressing against Rong Tang’s neck, leaving kisses, pecks, and bites, marking him repeatedly."

"Rong Tang sat dazedly on the bed for a long time, feeling no hunger, but his eyes stung painfully."

"Too many times, he had cried and pleaded…"

"When he finally managed to dress and step outside, the sight of the autumn sun high in the sky almost brought tears to his eyes."

"Rong Tang took a while to come to his senses, closing his eyes to adapt to his surroundings. Only when he could barely see did he open them again."

"He was in a mansion many times larger than the Tangjing residence. After leaving Qiantian Tower that day, Su Huaijing had taken him all the way to the outskirts of the capital."

"It was probably a property Su Xiaoqi had acquired himself. He had never mentioned it to Rong Tang, so naturally, Rong Tang didn’t know there was a hot spring here."

"Su Huaijing was really relentless. Even when changing his clothes and washing them, he pulled the clean Rong Tang into the water with him, toying in the warm spring, his energy seemingly having no outlet."

"Rong Tang bit his lip, looking at every corner of the courtyard, feeling the burn of the marks the arch-villain had left on his body."

"Shuangfu timidly appeared at the entrance, his eyes reddening and voice hoarse with emotion upon seeing Rong Tang: 'Young Master…'"

"Rong Tang’s gaze shifted towards him, suppressing the mix of embarrassment and annoyance welling up inside."

"He forced a smile, speaking lightly, 'See, I’ve returned alive, haven’t I?'"

"He should have kept quiet, for as soon as he spoke, Shuangfu’s tears fell rapidly, rolling down his somewhat naive, bun-like face, pitiful yet amusing."

"Rong Tang chuckled, 'Okay, I misspoke.' He changed the subject: 'What about the rabbit? Didn’t you say you’d make spicy rabbit head for me when I returned?'"

"At this, Shuangfu paused, then finally dared to approach, his gaze unsure where to rest."

"He hadn’t read much and knew few characters, only having glanced at some popular romance novels when buying storybooks for Rong Tang. Back then, he found nothing particularly captivating in those books, nor did he understand how mere lines of black text on white paper could so deeply immerse the reader."

"But now, seeing his young master languidly walk out of the house, moving slowly under the shadows of the sunlight, wearing a thin autumn shirt that couldn’t conceal the red marks on his neck, the light lifting of his fingers revealing the clear bite and kiss marks on his wrists, he couldn’t help but conjure up blush-inducing scenes in his mind."

"Under the red curtains of the bed canopy, amidst the chaos, even Su Huaijing, always so calm and controlled, couldn’t help but leave numerous bite marks at Rong Tang's fingertips."

"It was a way of thoroughly marking and possessing someone he loved deeply, ensuring everyone who saw Rong Tang knew that Tangtang was his, and he belonged to Tangtang."

"After walking in darkness for over a decade, it was the clamorous declaration of his pent-up emotions, finally relieved, unruly and stubbornly possessive."

"Shuangfu once read a line of poetry: 'One only realizes the existence of a rainbow upon encountering it.'"

"Now he understood that, for Su Huaijing, Rong Tang was probably the rainbow in the sky, the moonlight in the clouds."

"And now the moonlight stood under the eaves, completely unaware of the fully ripened aura soaked into him, his eyes slightly reddened, every smile, glance, and turn exuding charm."

"Shuangfu's throat tightened, unable to bring himself to look at his young master."

"He mumbled something under his breath."

"Rong Tang didn’t hear clearly: 'What?'"

"Shuangfu, gathering his courage, spoke loudly: 'The master has instructed that you are not to eat spicy food for a while. The kitchen has prepared pigeon and bird's nest porridge, I’ll bring it to nourish you!'"

"After speaking, he hurriedly turned to run but paused after two steps, conflicted for half a second, then whirled around, dashed into the room, and snatched a piece of clothing from the wardrobe. Throwing it over Rong Tang’s shoulders, he blurted out, 'It’s windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold. Put on the clothes!'"

"Rong Tang was slightly stunned, then turned his head, seeing the overlapping new and old marks on his shoulders and neck, finally understanding where Shuangfu’s earlier comment about not eating spicy food came from."

"Rong Tang: '…'"

"He couldn’t stay in this house anymore."

-

"As the old saying goes, it is a time of turmoil."

"With the palace affairs concluded, Sheng Chengli was imprisoned for treason, and officially, Sheng Xuyan was declared dead at the hands of Sheng Chengli. In truth, only a few knew that Su Huaijing had turned him into a human pig and confined him in the Late Empress Dowager's Shoukang Palace."

"Rong Tang had no intention of visiting, and Su Huaijing naturally wouldn’t let the disgraceful state of Emperor Renshou sully Tangtang’s eyes."

"Now the Emperor was dead, and the only two heirs in the capital were a traitor and one likely not of royal blood."

"The Sixth Prince, Sheng Chengyun, originally quietly guarding the tomb in the capital, was immediately brought back by Xia Jingyi’s supporters to claim the throne."

"However, it was evident that Prince Rui, Sheng Chengming, played a significant role in this loyalty campaign. Not only did he temporarily manage state affairs in an emergency, but he was also urged by the officials to inherit the throne on the grounds of being the most worthy and eldest."

"Before he could respond, the Sixth Prince’s faction slandered that Prince Rui's mother, Consort Yi, was unchaste, disrupting the imperial bloodline. They argued that having such a mother, Sheng Chengming as the eldest son of Consort Yi, would be a disgrace as an emperor. How could he lead the people?"

"This topic sparked a heated debate. The Prince Rui faction immediately refuted it eloquently, first pointing out that Sheng Chengli, capable of plotting against his own father, might have fabricated the scandal about the Eighth Prince."

"Moreover, the Sixth Prince’s brother, mother, and maternal grandfather were all implicated in treason. Had the late Emperor not been merciful, even the Sixth Prince would have been punished, let alone having the chance to argue in this hall!"

"Furthermore, in the chaos of the palace, the late Emperor had personally sent a secret letter to Prince Rui through the Censor-in-chief, likely already intending to pass the throne to him. It was only due to sudden circumstances that an official edict was not issued."

"At last, the old scholar concluded with a heavy sigh, 'When Prince Rui entered the palace to protect the Emperor, the Sixth Prince was still kneeling and crying in front of our ancestors’ memorial tablets!'"

"His sharp and contemptuous words were heard by everyone in the hall."

"In a place where national affairs were discussed, the quarrel between the two factions sounded like children bickering."

"In the end, Prince Rui's side, mostly comprised of skilled debaters trained in the Inner Court under Elder Zhang, narrowly defeated the Sixth Prince’s faction."

"Just when everyone thought the succession was settled and preparations for the coronation could begin, Sheng Chengming, who had been silent, stood up and casually dropped a bombshell: 'I am not fit to inherit the throne.'"

"Amidst the shocked ministers, he added, 'Nor is my younger brother.'"

"The ministers in the Qinzhen Hall, who had just quieted down, were stunned for a few moments, then were about to resume arguing, but Sheng Chengming asked, 'Among the present ministers, are there any who served during the late Emperor’s reign?'"

"He paused, then added, 'The previous Emperor, my uncle.'"

"The ministers' expressions changed, looking at each other, you at me and I at you, silent for a moment."

"Sheng Chengming smiled wanly, 'You are all loyal ministers of Dayu, having served in the court for many years. Even if you didn’t serve the late Emperor, you must know how my father ascended to the throne, right?'"

"Someone's face darkened, perhaps a veiled threat, saying sternly, 'Prince Rui, please watch your words.'"

"Sheng Chengming turned his head, instructing an eunuch to pass down a blood-stained letter: 'Before his death, my father was deeply remorseful and wrote a confession letter. It not only detailed how he came to power but also enumerated the loyal ministers he executed, the people he wronged, the poor decisions made, and…'"

"He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, seemingly reluctant, his fingers clenched into fists, his voice hoarse, 'The truth about poisoning my grandmother.'"

"These words silenced the hall; previously clamoring ministers fell quiet."

"Sheng Chengming continued, 'You were all close to my father. You should recognize his handwriting, shouldn’t you?'"

"Everyone lowered their heads, unsure how to react to the letter, their hearts shocked despite expecting such revelations."

"Sheng Xuyan's words were earnest, as if confessing his sins could move heaven and grant him peace of mind."

"Fratricide, matricide, filicide…"

"Killing loyal ministers, harming the people, incompetence…"

"Colluding with enemies, plotting rebellion, ceding territory…"

"Each one a heinous crime against natural law, and when all happened under one emperor, it was chilling."

"A hot-tempered general was so angered he stared fiercely at the line about collusion with the enemy to harass the northern borders, his chest heaving, 'That’s the border my brothers defended with their lives!'"

"Yet, it was just a pawn casually discarded by Sheng Xuyan in his quest for power."

"After the failed northern border campaign that year, Dayu compensated the enemy with untold gold, jewels, and waived three years of tariffs."

"It turned out to be just a transaction."

"While the previous deeds might be attributed to family and throne struggles, collusion with the enemy alone was enough to crush Sheng Xuyan to ashes."

"Sheng Chengming’s face was pale, having anticipated the ministers' reactions to the letter."

"He tugged weakly at the corner of his mouth and asked, 'Do the ministers still think I am qualified to be the Emperor?'"

"He said, 'My father, he is a criminal of Dayu.'"

"They are the sons of a criminal, their veins carrying the blood of a traitor. How can they be worthy of sitting on the imperial throne, receiving the worship of the people, and the love of the ministers?"

"The hall fell as silent as death, no one daring to answer Sheng Chengming's question. After a long, long time, a faint voice emerged from a corner, 'Then who else is suitable?'"

"Sheng Chengming looked up and saw the young boy who had followed him at the Flower-Picking Festival years ago, now dressed in official robes, wearing a black gauze cap, standing at the end of the line. His youthful naivety was gone, replaced by deeply furrowed brows and evident concern."

"Seeing an old acquaintance in that moment, inexplicably, much of the anxiety and conflict that had lingered in his heart dissipated. Sheng Chengming showed the first faint smile since entering the hall, 'During the turmoil in Yujing that year, Lady Duan Yi saved a prince.'"

"Everyone gasped, quickly asking, 'Who is it? Are they still alive?'"

"The Crown Prince had died on the frontier, the Third Prince beheaded; they had given up hope that these two brilliant young men were still alive. But with their fathers and brothers as precedents, they figured the princes and princesses of that time wouldn’t be too bad either."

"Had this been revealed before the dispute, they might not have realized that neither the Second nor the Sixth Prince was really suitable; before the confession letter came out, they might still stubbornly believe that even if unsuitable, the imperial lineage should not pass to outsiders."

"But Sheng Chengming's sudden revelation ignited a spark of hope in everyone, their eyes filled with expectation."

"Sheng Chengming softly said, 'The Seventh Prince, Sheng Fuya.'"

"As he spoke, his gaze shifted towards Su Huaijing, who had been silent since entering the hall, standing by a window watching a persimmon tree outside. The ministers followed his gaze, their minds uncontrollably conjuring the most unlikely yet most logical guess."

"Feeling the eyes on him, Su Huaijing came back to his senses, calmly meeting the gazes of everyone."

"After a moment, he chuckled softly, speaking leisurely, 'Ah... it's been so long since I've heard my real name, I almost forgot it. Please forgive me, everyone.'"

"In an instant, the fog cleared, revealing the truth. They finally understood what had been the cause of the complex and explosive political situations in the capital over the years."

"Or rather, for whom."

"Su Huaijing smiled lightly, without any sense of oppression, casually proposing as if discussing the weather, 'Since my cousins are unsuitable, how about giving the throne to me? What do you all think?'"

"Everyone lowered their heads, looking at the tiger tally casually hanging at his waist, and then at the great general behind him, commanding the city’s Jinwu Guards and the palace guards."

"Turning to their own sides, the officials who were gradually becoming pillars of the court, almost without exception, were all cultivated, promoted, and unearthed by this very Censor-in-chief. His influence had silently permeated, immense and formidable."

"Su Huaijing's smile was warm and gentle, yet it only made people feel that he didn't really need or care for their agreement."

"Agreement was ideal, bloodless and harmonious; disagreement didn’t matter either, he could simply seize the throne and change the dynasty’s name if necessary."

"This world had long been within his grasp."