Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Four

Zhong Yansheng was truly a little angry.

Xiao Nong had secretly passed him something in front of so many people, and he had thought the note contained some important instructions.

Last night, his stomach had been upset, and he barely slept all night, worrying about whether Xiao Nong would dislike him, if he would have to stay in the palace forever, and the old emperor's strange attitude...

And just now, when he was led by the old emperor to say something bad about Xiao Nong, he was really panicked when Xiao Nong came in.

But it turned out that Xiao Nong wrote on the note, calling him stupid!

He remained angry for a while, but outside, Feng Ji, who had been waiting for a long time and heard no sound from inside, worried something might have happened, knocked gently on the door and asked carefully, "Young Prince?"

Zhong Yansheng replied unhappily, "I have yangjie."

"…Oh! Oh!"

Feng Ji seemed to understand.

Zhong Yansheng didn't care what Feng Ji understood; he opened the bulging brocade pouch with a sullen face, thinking that if it contained something mocking him, he would really be angry.

A hard, round object rolled into his palm, and Zhong Yansheng recognized what it was.

It was the clay xun he had hidden behind the bed curtains in Xiao Nong's room.

Zhong Yansheng was stunned.

His habit of hiding things dated back to his childhood, when he was often sick and spent most of his time in bed. Sometimes, his mother would bring snacks that he wasn't allowed to eat much of, or Marquis Huai'an would come to check if he was staying up late reading novels, so he would hide his favorite things behind the bed curtains.

No one usually searched there, so over time, he got used to hiding cherished items there.

The clay xun had been hidden in Xiao Nong's bed curtains, and he almost forgot about it when he left. How did Xiao Nong find it?

Zhong Yansheng thought for a moment and felt a chill run down his spine.

Could it be that the clay xun fell and hit Xiao Nong during the night?

Zhong Yansheng wilted.

…Xiao Nong must be scolding him for hiding it in such a silly place.

But he really thought it was a very hidden spot, and no one would think to look there.

Besides the clay xun, the sachet also contained herbs such as white芷 (bai zhi), orchid grass, and mint, which emitted a subtle medicinal fragrance, akin to the bitter and cool scent on Xiao Nong's body, bringing him a sense of ease.

Zhong Yansheng leaned closer, sniffing a few times, and his beautiful, gloomy brows gradually relaxed.

The heavy heart and restless mind that had weighed on him since yesterday suddenly calmed down.

After carefully hiding the sachet and the clay xun in his sleeve, Zhong Yansheng glanced at the note again, feeling conflicted.

The large word "stupid" was very glaring.

No, he was still very angry.

Zhong Yansheng folded the note and put it in the brocade pouch, straightened his clothes, and walked out.

Feng Ji had been waiting outside for a while and saw Zhong Yansheng come out looking much more relaxed than when he went in, believing that Zhong Yansheng had indeed changed his clothes. He brought a basin of hot water and whispered, "Young Prince, there are many people with yangjie in the palace. The divine protection pills from the Imperial Medical Institute are very effective. Would you like me to get some for you?"

Zhong Yansheng sincerely declined, "…No, no, thank you."

"Then, Young Prince, let's go back," Feng Ji, sensing that the young prince was shy, wisely avoided mentioning it, "The emperor has asked you to return to the study."

Zhong Yansheng followed, pinched the item in his sleeve, blinked, and asked, "Is His Highness King Ding still here?"

Before Feng Ji could respond with confusion, Zhong Yansheng suddenly remembered the old emperor's sunken, murky eyes staring at him and shivered silently, quickly adding, "I—I'm afraid of him."

Feng Ji nodded in complete agreement, recalling Xiao Nong’s deep, ice-blue eyes and shuddering, "Everyone in the Imperial City fears His Highness King Ding… Your time at the Ding Wang Fu must have been very challenging. Now that you’re back in the palace and staying near the Nourishing Heart Palace, you don’t need to be afraid anymore. No matter how arrogant and domineering King Ding is, he wouldn’t dare to set foot in the vicinity of the emperor’s chambers."

Hearing Feng Ji's words, Zhong Yansheng's heart sank even further.

…That's right, the area around the emperor's chambers is patrolled by palace guards and the Brocade Guard. The imperial family and the Xiao family have a poor relationship, and given Tian Xi's reluctance to speak, there might be more to the Northern Desert incident. The old emperor must be extremely wary of Xiao Nong, guarding against him tightly. Xiao Nong wouldn't dare come here casually.

Zhong Yansheng felt increasingly dejected, sighed, and as he entered the Nourishing Heart Palace, he noticed several people kneeling outside the threshold, their backs straight and faces full of righteous determination.

He glanced over and couldn't help but poke Feng Ji, "Feng Ji, who are those people?"

Feng Ji looked and answered in a low voice, "Young Prince, these are censors from the Censorate."

Yesterday, when Tian Xi led people to welcome Zhong Yansheng back to the palace, Xiao Nong, without an imperial decree, forcefully entered the palace, which greatly provoked the Censorate, who called it treasonous and openly rebellious.

Today, memorials impeaching Xiao Nong flew in like snowflakes, and those censors were kneeling outside the Nourishing Heart Palace, pleading for the emperor to severely punish Xiao Nong.

Xiao Nong likely passed by them when he came in just now.

As the saying goes, words can be fearsome, and these censors' tongues are sharper than anyone else's. When scholars scold, they do so in layers, even emperors would give way three times, prioritizing appeasement.

Zhong Yansheng immediately abandoned the idea of asking Xiao Nong to take him back to the Ding Wang Fu or to visit him more frequently in the palace.

Entering the study, Zhong Yansheng found that several more people had joined, all of whom he had seen by the old emperor's bedside yesterday: King De Pei Yong, King An Pei Shen, and the familiar King Jing, Pei Hong.

The three sat in lower positions, each with subtle differences in their expressions upon seeing him.

However, Zhong Yansheng wasn't in the mood to observe them; his gaze, like a nimble little fish, lightly darted and landed on Xiao Nong.

Then he glared at him.

The old emperor saw Zhong Yansheng return and smiled, beckoning him over: "Come here, Little Eleventh, sit beside Me."

At these words, King De's eyebrows twitched, almost jumping up, but he seemed to think of something and forcibly held back, though he still let out a cold laugh, saying in a sarcastic tone: "Little Brother Eleventh is truly favored by Father Emperor. Even I have never sat there."

This statement was utterly foolish, especially the latter part.

King An's forehead twitched, quickly trying to salvage the situation: "Fifth Brother, how old are you? Little Brother Eleventh is already a few years older than you. Why are you still jealous and seeking Father Emperor’s favor?"

The other court officials who had been granted seats in the study all laughed, regardless of what they were thinking, they all congratulated His Majesty on the harmony in his family, the amicable relations among the princes, and the good fortune of Great Yong for finding the missing Eleventh Prince, blessed by heaven.

Zhong Yansheng had intended to quietly slip into a corner where no one would notice him, but being called out by the old emperor, he stiffened and had no choice but to sit beside the old emperor's desk.

Xiao Nong stood in front of the old emperor, seemingly reporting on the border defenses. His handsome face remained indifferent, showing no interest in the congratulations from the room, nor did he spare Zhong Yansheng a glance.

With the old emperor nearby, Zhong Yansheng dared not stare at Xiao Nong for long, only stealing quick glances.

When the old emperor coughed and lowered his head, Tian Xi hurriedly came forward with tea, giving Zhong Yansheng a chance to look at Xiao Nong again. He then noticed that Xiao Nong's gaze had also fallen upon him.

Their eyes met for a moment in the presence of the entire court, including the old emperor.

Xiao Nong had long noticed Zhong Yansheng's furtive glances.

The old emperor guarded him closely, with the Brocade Guards and palace attendants changing shifts twice a day, making it difficult for spies within the palace to approach the Nourishing Heart Palace.

Only this morning, when Zhong Yansheng came out, did he manage to catch a distant glimpse of him and pass a message. Zhong Yansheng hadn't slept well.

He could only take advantage of the brief moments to carefully examine Zhong Yansheng's appearance.

He looked listless, pale-faced, with red-rimmed eyes and dark circles underneath, indicating that he hadn't slept well last night and probably hadn't eaten well either.

In just one night, he seemed to have lost weight.

Xiao Nong was extremely displeased.

The royal family, as expected, was a bunch of useless people, unable to take care of someone properly.

But Zhong Yansheng was the legitimate Eleventh Prince found by the old emperor, and the old man still had control over the unnamed poison in his brain. He couldn't act rashly.

Moreover, Zhong Yansheng was a member of the Pei family.

After a while, Xiao Nong remembered this and turned his gaze away indifferently.

Last night, Xiao Nong didn't bring Zhong Yansheng back. Tread Snow, not waiting for the fragrant little sparrow to return, caused a commotion in the mansion, rummaging everywhere to find Zhong Yansheng, and finally ran back to the room, tearing off the bed curtains with a loud growl.

Xiao Nong, intending to pick up Tread Snow by the scruff of its neck and lock it in a cage, discovered the clay xun hidden by Zhong Yansheng in the messy bed.

He cherished the gift Xiao Nong had given him, hiding it carefully. Under the bed, there were also the pigments he had bought, a few sheets of rice paper and purple-hair brushes he had secretly taken from the study.

Xiao Nong knew he shouldn't be soft-hearted towards the Pei family.

But... Zhong Yansheng was different.

He caressed the clay xun, recalling the bright, clear eyes that had looked at him from the city wall during the spectacular display of iron flowers, feeling an indescribable taste.

Zhong Yansheng didn't think much about it; he simply wanted to glare at Xiao Nong and look at him a bit more to feel reassured. It felt like a long time, but their gazes only met for a few moments. When the old emperor lifted his head, others looked over, and the two of them turned their gazes away.

Zhong Yansheng's fingers, hidden under the table, intertwined and squeezed, feeling uneasy.

He had been so focused on glaring at Xiao Nong that he forgot to check his expression or whether he was still angry.

He remembered very clearly that Xiao Nong despised members of the royal family.

The old emperor, after being attended to by Tian Xi, recovered somewhat, his voice hoarse: "Xianwei, continue."

Xiao Nong often smiled in front of Zhong Yansheng, his smile softening the sharpness of his features.

But in front of the old emperor, he rarely smiled. Without a smile, his face was expressionless and intimidating. Zhong Yansheng understood why so many people were afraid of Xiao Nong.

He did look a bit scary.

Perhaps noticing Zhong Yansheng's somewhat timid expression, when Xiao Nong called out a minister's name, he suddenly smiled: "Minister Zhang, what do you think?"

Although he smiled kindly, the Minister of Revenue still felt his hair stand on end, remembering the tragic events at Duke Pei's mansion that spread throughout the Imperial City overnight. He vaguely saw the hand of Yama beckoning.

Hastily standing up, Minister Zhang quickly thought, was it because he had reduced the military budget?

Should he, perhaps, approve more next time?

Under Xiao Nong's half-smiling gaze, Minister Zhang wiped his cold sweat and respectfully answered: "Your Majesty, the border cities are the most important defense against foreign enemies. The heavy military expenses are understandable. A stable border ensures a stable populace, which is essential for long-term peace..."

Though the old emperor was dissatisfied, he nodded calmly.

The entire study was quiet, enveloped in an invisible high pressure. Apart from Xiao Nong and the old emperor speaking, no one else had much opportunity to interject unless called upon.

Zhong Yansheng didn't feel particularly affected, but sitting beside the old emperor was rather boring. After Xiao Nong finished his report on the border situation, others came forward to report. Unlike Xiao Nong's concise and forceful language, these people spoke slowly and at great length, making it difficult to extract useful information from their rambling.

These lengthy speeches were incredibly tedious. Zhong Yansheng felt as if he were back in class, listening without much interest, and began to doze off when he suddenly felt someone staring at him.

He thought it was Xiao Nong looking at him, but when he raised his head and followed the gaze, he met King De's eyes.

Seeing Zhong Yansheng's face again, King De immediately sneered.

At the flower competition last time, Zhong Yansheng had already disliked King De. Now, seeing him sneer continuously, he found him strange, as if his face was twitching.

Feeling puzzled, he glanced around and saw Pei Hong winking at him.

In the entire room, only Xiao Nong and Pei Hong were familiar faces. Seeing Pei Hong, Zhong Yansheng was happy and secretly winked back.

Sitting in the first chair on the left, Xiao Nong watched the two of them exchange glances with no expression. When the Minister of Revenue finished his trembling, lengthy speech, Xiao Nong suddenly interjected: "The marriage of King Jing is approaching, isn't it?"

King Jing's smile vanished instantly from the corner of his mouth.

King De's expression turned strange once again.

It seemed as if the old emperor had just remembered this matter and slowly nodded: "Eighth Prince is no longer young, spending his days idly. After he gets married, he should learn more from his uncles."

Pei Hong responded reluctantly: "Yes, Father Emperor."

King De averted his gaze and no longer gave Zhong Yansheng a sarcastic look.

The ministers who came to the study spoke one by one. When it was the turn of the Minister of War, a middle-aged man who looked extremely valiant, he did not beat around the bush. Kneeling down, he said solemnly: "Your Majesty, at the beginning of the year, the severe cold in Baoqing Prefecture caused countless deaths from freezing. With no grain, rebels have risen. These rebels hide in the mountains, often plundering passing merchants, making them very difficult to capture. The local troops are helpless against them. I request Your Majesty to send someone to suppress these rebels to prevent them from growing stronger and becoming a major threat."

Upon hearing this, not only King De, King An, and King Jing sat up straight, but other ministers also became interested.

Last year, the emperor summoned the princes to the capital, hinting at selecting a suitable heir from among them. Since the death of the previous crown prince, the position had been vacant for eighteen years.

Now that the old emperor's health was failing and unable to handle state affairs, if he were to pass away suddenly without naming an heir, wouldn't the Imperial City fall into chaos?

Not only the princes but also the ministers were eager for the emperor to quickly name an heir.

Especially after Xiao Nong arrived in the capital, the officials were so anxious that they were constantly losing their hair.

Compared to Xiao Nong, the princes naturally had nothing impressive to show in terms of political achievements. But suppressing bandits would be a great achievement!

If any prince could subdue these bandits, his prestige would rise significantly, and he would gain more support in the court.

Who would the emperor send?

Whoever the emperor appoints now would likely reveal his choice for the heir.

Everyone held their breath, tense.

Xiao Nong leaned back in his chair, his elbow on the armrest, his hand supporting his head, in a very unseemly posture. He lazily and coldly glanced at the three princes who were now in the spotlight.

Xiao Nong was not in the capital out of boredom. He did not come to watch this boring succession drama. If he didn't stir up trouble, making the royal family from top to bottom suffer and fear, and then eliminate them one by one, how could he repay what the Pei family had done to the Xiao family?

Choose.

Xiao Nong's lips curled indifferently, a flash of intense killing intent in his eyes.

Whoever is chosen will die.

Whoever takes the order to suppress the bandits will not return.

Everyone looked at the old emperor, but he did not immediately appoint anyone. Instead, he coughed a few times, then looked at Zhong Yansheng with a gentle expression: "Eleventh Prince, who do you think should be sent to suppress the bandits?"

Zhong Yansheng, who was enjoying the spectacle, was taken aback by the sudden attention from the old emperor.

The same thing happened at the flower competition last time; while he was watching, King De suddenly directed the attention to him, giving him a question that would offend no matter how he answered.

Zhong Yansheng thought to himself, whether he was the eleventh prince might still be questionable, but the old emperor and King De were definitely father and son.

Feeling everyone's gaze on him, Zhong Yansheng felt his scalp tighten. His feet, which had been gently swinging, stopped. Staring at his toes, he opened his mouth.

How would he know who to send?

Why didn't these princes try to volunteer themselves?

The old emperor's tone was particularly kind: "Hmm? Don't be nervous, Father just wants your opinion."

The gazes fixed on Zhong Yansheng were almost tangible, especially King De's eyes, which were practically spitting fire.

If Zhong Yansheng were just an outsider, it would be fine, but he had just been recognized as the eleventh prince by the old emperor and brought into the palace, even given the Minghui Hall where only the previous crown prince had lived!

Thinking of Zhong Yansheng's face and eyes, King De felt both shocked and angry, finding it extremely odd.

Zhong Yansheng now had the qualifications to compete for the throne.

What was the old man thinking?

Finding some unknown person with unclear identity and resemblance, did he really intend to treat him as a son and cultivate him like before?

Zhong Yansheng steeled himself and spoke: "Your son believes that since these bandits are hiding in the mountains and even the local military officers are at a loss, it shows that these bandits are very familiar with the terrain. If we underestimate them and rush to suppress them, we will surely suffer a great loss. Therefore, whoever is sent to suppress the bandits should at least understand military tactics. Hmm, having experience would be best. Perhaps we should first ask who has a strategy to deal with mountain bandits before deciding on a person..."

He spoke softly, feeling uneasy inside, but the old emperor clapped his hands in delight and smiled: "My son is indeed thoughtful, not hasty, and considers things thoroughly. What do you think, do you have any suggestions?"

The word "my son" made King De's face even darker, and he immediately spoke up: "This is no problem. Set a fire, and these monkeys hiding in the mountains will surely come out. I have suppressed rebels in my fiefdom at least three times. Hmph, Eleventh Brother is too young and inexperienced, overestimating them."

Zhong Yansheng had no objection to being called young and inexperienced, but he couldn't help but counter: "It is now mid-summer. If we set the mountains on fire, how can we control the forest fire? It would devastate the mountains, which would be against the will of heaven."

King De was indifferent: "Isn't human disaster more important than the will of heaven? Burn it if you must."

"But the people nearby rely on the mountains for their livelihood. If the mountains are destroyed by fire, what will they do?"

King De was momentarily speechless and said unhappily: "The government will naturally compensate them."

"The mountains in Baoqing Prefecture are continuous. If they catch fire, several peaks will be burned." Zhong Yansheng looked at King De seriously and slowly said, "There are ten thousand people in that area. Can the government support ten thousand people indefinitely? Moreover, if the mountain fire spreads to the lowlands, innocent people will be harmed."

King De was furious: "You... You're quite something! Then tell me, what is your plan?!"

Zhong Yansheng retreated and honestly replied: "I don't have one."

King De began to sneer: "Since you have no plan, why do you keep talking? Setting the mountains on fire, Duke Wen of Jin also set a fire to invite Jie Zitui! Who dares to say anything about it?"

Zhong Yansheng, hearing this, couldn't help but lift his head and say softly: "But setting the mountains on fire is not actually recorded in the 'Records of the Grand Historian' or the 'Zuo Zhuan'..."

"You!"

Seeing Zhong Yansheng stump King De, Xiao Nong's lips twitched, almost laughing out loud.

This little thing, after spending some time with him, seems to have improved.

He used to be very tongue-tied in front of me; even a teasing word would make his face flush red. Now he can speak quite well in front of others, and even speaks logically.

"Fifth Son."

The old emperor watched them argue for a while without a word, then smiled and interrupted the aggressive King De, sighing, "Your temper is always so impulsive and hasty. You’re not as calm and steady as Eleventh Son. How can I entrust important matters to you?"

King De was taken aback at first, but then realized that the old emperor’s tone clearly indicated he had initially intended to give him the important task. However, his words just now made the emperor hesitant.

King De immediately dared not say more, his face turning red and green for a moment before he lowered his head and admitted, "Yes, this son was only eager to relieve Father Emperor’s worries. In the future, I will certainly think more and act more carefully, learning from Brother Eleven to think thrice before acting."

The last sentence was said through gritted teeth, filled with reluctance.

Zhong Yansheng felt a strange sensation.

Did the old emperor deliberately provoke a conflict between him and King De by leading him to say those things in front of Xiao Nong...?

Why?

Zhong Yansheng was puzzled.

The selection for the anti-bandit mission had not yet been finalized, but from the old emperor’s words just now, it seemed he still favored King De. With various thoughts in everyone’s minds, they saw the emperor looking tired and gradually dispersed.

Xiao Nong glanced at Zhong Yansheng, who was sitting obediently beside the old emperor, quickly met his eyes, then turned away and left the emperor’s study.

Zhong Yansheng felt a sense of melancholy and loss.

When would they meet again?

He didn’t even get the chance to ask if Xiao Nong was angry with him or if he would still want to talk to him in the future.

And how was the situation in the Prince’s Mansion? How were Uncle Wang, Treading Snow, Zhan Rong, and those bodyguards who liked to secretly watch him...

His troubled expression was easy to see. Just as these thoughts surfaced, the old emperor’s voice came, very gentle, as if pleased with what he had said earlier: "Eleventh Son, what are you thinking about?"

Zhong Yansheng realized that only he and the old emperor were left in the study, and a sense of discomfort crept over him again. But remembering what Tian Xi told him yesterday, he lifted his clear, black-and-white eyes to meet the old emperor’s deep gaze: "Your Majesty, this son wants..."

To visit Concubine Zhuang.

The words didn’t slip out. Zhong Yansheng suddenly realized something.

When Tian Xi told him where Concubine Zhuang lived, he also mentioned, “It’s desolate there, usually no one around, suitable for the Lady to recuperate.” Was that said unintentionally, or on purpose?

The old emperor never mentioned Concubine Zhuang, clearly not wanting him to bring her up. If he asked, it might make the old emperor tighten the guard around her.

If he wanted to see the supposedly mad Concubine Zhuang, it might be better to go secretly.

Zhong Yansheng’s heart beat fast, unsure if his thoughts were correct, but he felt he had become quite clever recently.

If Xiao Nong knew how smart he was now, he probably wouldn’t call him stupid anymore.

Facing the old emperor’s deep, almost somber eyes, Zhong Yansheng said softly, "This son wants... to rest for a while."

His beautiful, delicate features looked somewhat weary, his complexion pale, dark circles under his eyes, making him appear truly exhausted.

In fact, Zhong Yansheng was indeed very sleepy. The long speeches of those ministers were tedious, and if it weren’t for the rhythmic tapping of Xiao Nong’s fingers on the armrest nearby, he might have fallen asleep sitting down.

The old emperor stared at him for a while, seemingly trying to discern if he was telling the truth, but Zhong Yansheng’s eyes were clear and showed no signs of lying.

These eyes...

So much like them.

The old emperor gave a kind smile, reaching out to touch Zhong Yansheng’s head, his thin fingers rubbing through the soft hair, which did not provide the same sense of comfort as Xiao Nong’s touch, instead giving Zhong Yansheng a chill.

"Go ahead."

Author's Note:

Clever Zhong Yansheng! (Fist pump)

*Yangjie means constipation.