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Chapter 17 - Xiao Nong: Who?
"...We have searched along the coast for more than ten miles, but have not found any traces so far."
"Dozens of fishing boats have been searched, but have not found it in the water."
"I have asked all the vendors along the street, and no one has seen any particularly beautiful children. How about you ask His Highness for detailed characteristics..."
"Master! Found something!"
Zhan Rong hurriedly passed the others and walked quickly to Xiao Nong, presenting a finely polished bamboo painting tube with both hands: "Just now, I found the carriage that the young master rides every day in the alley near Shangyou Hua Street, and found this inside. There is a painting inside."
Xiao Nong's expression was indistinguishable from joy or anger: "Open it."
Zhan Rong responded, swiftly took out the scroll inside and slowly unfolded it.
It was a picture of birds perching on winter plum trees.
The cold plum blossoms and the falling snow add a lively touch. There are a few chubby little birds perched on the branches. The one on the left flaps the snow on its wings, the one in the middle has the snow on its head and is perched on the branch with its head tilted. The one on the far right bends the branch, as if it is about to fall and will break it at any time due to the accumulated snow.
The brushstrokes of the whole painting are very clear, delicate, interesting and distinctive.
Judging from the color, it was painted in the past two days.
Two days ago, Zhong Yansheng was mysterious and said that he had prepared a small gift for him personally.
Is it the painting?
Xiao Nong raised his eyebrows and stroked the wings of the bird in the painting with his fingertips. The chubby little bird was painted very vividly, as if one could touch the warmth of the fine feathers.
The surging anger in my heart caused by worry and disbelief was suddenly extinguished.
Even though he was running, he still remembered to draw a picture for him with all his heart.
His fingers fell on the bite mark on the side of his neck and rubbed it slightly.
The little bird was so angry that it bit him with tears in its eyes. He rubbed him hard several times, but he didn't hurt Xiao Nong at all.
He ran away early in the morning, not daring to see him. Was he shy?
The child was indeed shy and would stutter with shame if he accidentally read a vulgar novel.
Last night, we coaxed him into saying some embarrassing words. With every word he said, the boy's whole body became more red, especially his earlobes, which looked like red coral, a thin layer of red.
Xiao Nong's mood inexplicably improved. He raised his hand to take the painting and put it away. Without even raising his head, he said, "Let's go back to the villa."
Not looking for anyone anymore?
Zhan Rong was about to ask whether he should go to Lord Anping's mansion to ask for someone, but he was stunned when he heard this, and did not dare to question Xiao Nong's decision: "Yes."
Xiao Nong was sitting in the carriage, leaning back and forth, and couldn't help but unfold the painting and look at it carefully.
I hope the kid doesn't feel embarrassed for too long.
It's better to come back in the afternoon.
Thanks to frequent trips out of the city these days, he became familiar with some of the capital's small roads, and the journey back to the Marquis' Mansion was shortened a lot.
Zhong Yansheng was hanging on by a thread. When he returned to the Marquis' Mansion, he didn't even have the energy to think about whether the Marquis of Huai’an and his wife had noticed that he had not returned all night, and what their reactions would be.
As soon as he entered the house, he only told Yun Cheng not to let anyone enter the house. Then he had no strength left, so he took off his wet clothes, fell into the quilt, and fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.
Zhong Yansheng slept until 3:15 pm when he woke up with a strong feeling of hunger.
The room was quiet. Yun Cheng was very obedient and didn't let anyone in.
His eyelids were still too heavy and sore to open. Zhong Yansheng felt groggy and touched his forehead. He felt a little hot, but not serious, like he had caught a slight cold.
Last night, he was first given a strong drug, then floated in the icy river for a long time, and was kept there until late at night... Zhong Yansheng originally thought that when he woke up, he would be too sick to get up.
Fortunately it wasn't too serious.
Zhong Yansheng breathed a sigh of relief and tried hard to open his eyes. Finally, he had some time to feel the discomfort in his body. He reached out to pull the robe beside the bed and put it on himself, then climbed out of bed carefully.
As a result, the moment his feet touched the ground, his calves felt limp as if they had no bones, and indescribable pain spread from his waist and hips. Zhong Yansheng fell to his knees on the blanket with a thud. His breathing paused for a few moments, and he sniffed in grievance.
It hurts so much now. I don't know how much more painful it will be if Prince Ding comes looking for me.
It is said that anyone who offended King Ding would be hung up, skinned and have their tendons removed, their skin hung to dry on the wall, and their bodies cut into pieces.
And he raped Prince Ding.
If Prince Ding caught him, he would hang him up and cut him into pieces.
The more Zhong Yansheng thought about it, the more frightened he became. He lay on the ground for a while, then came to his senses and noticed that his hand was pressing on a thin white gauze.
It was the white gauze that Xiao Nong had covered his eyes to block the light and that he had taken out to tie his belt.
He didn't notice it before, but now he realized that this white gauze was not ordinary gauze. It felt extremely soft and silky, like clouds and mist. It must be a very precious material.
Zhong Yansheng's fingertips shrank as he felt them extremely hot. He stared at the gauze as if facing a great enemy, panicking and unable to find a suitable way to deal with it.
This is Prince Ding's stuff.
He didn't dare throw it away, let alone burn it, and he didn't know where to put it.
After struggling for a while, Zhong Yansheng grabbed the white gauze, climbed up on the bed, and tried hard to stuff it into the inner layer of the gauze curtains at the head of the bed.
It's all yarn, mixed in, and if someone don't notice it carefully, they wouldn't know its existence at all.
Zhong Yansheng kept thinking to himself, if His Royal Highness Prince Ding really found him, what if he asked him for it? Maybe he could go back and have a chance of survival.
After all the trouble, the sticky discomfort on his body became more and more severe. Zhong Yansheng liked cleanliness and had never been so dirty before. He couldn't stand it anymore, so he moved to the door step by step, opened a crack and stuck his head out.
Yun Cheng was sitting by the porch guarding the door, talking to a few familiar little girls, when he heard a faint hoarse voice coming from behind: "Yun Cheng, ask the kitchen to prepare some hot water, I want to take a bath."
Yun Cheng had been worried for a long time, but after hearing what Zhong Yansheng said, he didn't dare to enter the house. He turned around in surprise when he heard the voice, and was stunned when he saw Zhong Yansheng.
The young master had a head of black hair like clouds, draped loosely, making his face look particularly white. The dark spots under his eyes were very obvious, clearly showing his fatigue that could not be concealed. However, because of his overly wet and red lips, he exuded a decadent and lewd look that was very eye-catching.
It looked like soft petals that had just been picked, still covered with dew, and were almost broken by being rubbed.
Yun Cheng and the little girl beside him didn't dare to look at him anymore, and hurriedly responded: "Master, you haven't eaten for a day, and the lunch is still warm in the kitchen. Can you have some before taking a bath?"
Zhong Yansheng pressed his empty stomach. Although he was starving, he didn’t have an appetite. But he nodded listlessly: "Just leave it outside. Don't come in."
By the time he had lunch, the hot water was ready.
Zhong Yansheng soaked in the tub and almost fell asleep again. Thinking of Prince Ding, he sadly perked up and barely finished bathing. He asked someone to change all the bedding, touched his slightly hot forehead, and said, "I want to sleep a little longer. Don't disturb me before I wake up."
Yun Cheng really wanted to know what happened yesterday. He hesitated and swallowed his words: "Yes, Master, you can rest assured."
Zhong Yansheng was about to close the door when he remembered something and said in a hoarse voice, "No matter who comes to see me these days, please help me reject them."
He slapped Meng Qiping yesterday, and Meng Qiping might come to trouble him again.
He didn't find the right brother, was inexplicably entangled by Meng Qiping, and now he has accidentally provoked His Royal Highness Prince Ding.
The future was bleak, but Zhong Yansheng was exhausted and couldn't muster the energy to think about it for the time being. He returned to the bed exhausted and closed his eyes sleepily again.
There seemed to be a cold fragrance mixed with the smell of medicine lingering in my dreams.
The sleep became deeper and deeper. During the sleep, he heard voices twice outside. The first time, Zhong Yansheng woke up in a daze and heard a familiar and gentle female voice outside. Unfortunately, his eyelids were sore and heavy. He struggled for a while, but fell asleep again as soon as he closed his eyes.
The second time he was woken up, it was a strange and gentle voice. Zhong Yansheng turned it over in his mind, made sure he had not heard it before, and went back to sleep with peace of mind.
He thought he had just slept for a while, but he actually slept for almost two days.
It was not until the next night that Zhong Yansheng was awakened by the noise again.
This time the sound was much louder than the previous two times. Someone pushed open the door and entered the room, and there were also low voices.
Zhong Yansheng's consciousness had become clearer, but his body had not yet woken up. He clearly felt someone sitting next to him, lifting the quilt, and trying to grab his wrist.
In an instant, Zhong Yansheng remembered that there were traces of being tied on his wrists. He was so scared that his fingertips trembled, and he shrank back into the quilt.
The other party had no choice but to stretch out his hand to feel his forehead temperature, and after a while of rustling, he replied in a serious tone: "Madam Hou, I see that the young master looks pale, has hot flashes and night sweats, and it doesn't seem like he has caught a cold. It seems that his kidney qi is deficient and his yang qi is weak. Ask the kitchen to prepare some ginseng qi-invigorating soup."
Madam Hou's voice rang out immediately, furious: "Nonsense! You quack, my child is very well-behaved and never goes out to fool around, how could he have kidney damage!"
Zhong Yansheng: “…………”
There were a few more conversations afterward. When Zhong Yansheng heard the words "kidney deficiency", he felt so guilty that he broke out in a cold sweat and didn't pay attention.
Kidney Qi deficiency...
Kidney Qi deficiency...
He is unworthy of his mother's trust.
Not only did he go out to fool around, he also raped Prince Ding.
We stayed together for the whole night.
Even now, there is still some feeling below the lower back. Zhong Yansheng's toes are curled up, feeling ashamed.
I don't know if His Royal Highness Prince Ding has calmed down... He is the one who is in pain, and he is also the one who is working hard.
He thought with some uncertainty that His Royal Highness Prince Ding had not suffered much of a loss.
After a while, Zhong Yansheng woke up completely, but he didn't dare to open his eyes to face the Marquis's wife. He had a lot of random thoughts. They seemed to have finished talking, the footsteps gradually faded away, and they closed the door quietly.
Zhong Yansheng was no longer sleepy at all. He breathed a sigh of relief and opened his eyes hazily.
Perhaps to prevent him from being blinded by the glare when he woke up, the lamp was moved to the outer room, leaving the area around the bed in darkness.
And beside his bed, there was a person sitting quietly.
The candlelight outside "popped" slightly, and the candlelight danced, faintly illuminating the man's upright sitting posture. His eyes seemed to be falling on his face, cool and faint.
Zhong Yansheng never expected that there was someone else in the room. His scalp exploded, and he sat up and stepped back. His voice was soft and hoarse due to long sleep: "Who?!"
The person on the chair did not move, his voice was gentle and elegant, and he spoke with a smile: "Mother is not here, so you don't have to pretend to be asleep?"
Hearing the word "mother", Zhong Yansheng was stunned.
He seemed to have heard this voice in his sleep.
The Marquis' wife had said before... that she was planning to bring the real prince back.
The dark clouds on the sky were blown away by the wind, and the moonlight entered through the window, gradually pouring down on the person beside the bed like flowing water, outlining a face that was five points similar to the Marquis of Huai'an, but with three points of the gentle charm of the Marquis's wife.
The moment his face was revealed, the man's expression looked very gentle. He clasped his fingers together and looked at him with a slight smile: "I've heard a lot about you."
"I am Zhong Sidu."
It was past the hour of You and the lights in Changliu Villa were brightly lit.
[Hour of you = 5 to 7 pm]
After swimming in the river for a while, Lou Qingtang held a teacup in his hand and burst into laughter: "Ah? So that little beauty ran away after you slept with him? He hasn't appeared since? Hahahaha my good lord!"
Xiao Nong said expressionlessly: "Shut up."
It was rare to see Xiao Nong being humiliated, especially by a little beauty whose origins were unknown. Lou Qingtang not only did not shut up, but became even more excited, laughing non-stop: "If you ask me, are you not good enough or are you being despised, Xiao Xianwei? Don't be afraid to see a doctor, just tell me, and I'll prescribe two doses of medicine for you. I said that day that I would do it..."
Before he could finish his words, a teacup flew towards him with murderous intent. Lou Qingtang narrowly avoided it, then looked down and felt very sorry: "Oh, it's a rare Jian teacup, a rare treasure from the kiln."
Xiao Nong: "Get lost."
As soon as Lou Qingtang saw his expression, he realized that Xiao Nong was not joking.
This scene was even more terrifying than a headache. He didn't dare to stay any longer and slipped away in confusion.
Lou Qingtang added fuel to the fire and ran away. Zhan Rong couldn't escape. He stepped into the study room with his head held high and said, "Master, we have sent people to guard the roads inside and outside the city... but no one is coming."
There was silence for a while.
After not hearing Xiao Nong's reply for a long time, Zhan Rong quietly raised his eyes and took a look.
Xiao Nong was leaning against the desk, slowly and leisurely wrapping a thin red headband around his left wrist. His movements were gentle and slow, but Zhan Rong's eyelids twitched wildly, and he quickly lowered his head again.
"Give the order." After a while, he finally heard Xiao Nong speak, "Return to Beijing tomorrow."
After returning from outside the Great Wall, Xiao Nong used the excuse of recuperating from illness to stay in the villa and watch the situation in the capital city with a cold eye. He had been avoiding it for some time. If he returns to the capital now, it will definitely cause an uproar.
Zhan Rong was shocked: "Master, do you want to make any arrangements? Why do you want to go back, now?"
Xiao Nong raised his thin lips and uttered two words: "Catch the little bird."
At noon the next day, Zhong Yansheng sat at the dinner table somewhat stiffly.
The court has been busy with affairs recently, and Marquis Huai'an, who finally had some free time on his day off, was still dressed neatly and sat diagonally in front of him.
The Marquis's wife, with her usual gentle smile, sat in the front left and introduced him, "Yuan'er, this is your brother."
The boy sitting opposite, who looked 50% similar to the two of them, spoke politely: "I was sick a few days ago, and my parents were afraid that I would infect others, so they let me recuperate outside for a while. Now we can meet, please don't blame me."
Zhong Sidu has a handsome and quiet appearance, and speaks in a gentle and soft voice.
He is completely different from the "villain" in Zhong Yansheng's dream who caused unrest in the Marquis' mansion and destroyed his family.
It seemed like the person who was sitting beside the bed and looking at him indifferently when Zhong Yansheng opened his eyes last night was not the same person.
Zhong Yansheng looked at him and instinctively felt a little uncomfortable, but he could sense that the Marquis of Huai’an and his wife were staring at him vaguely and were very worried about the relationship between him and Zhong Sidu.
On one side is the child who was raised since childhood, and on the other side is the biological child who has been lost for many years.
Zhong Yansheng sincerely felt that after finding their biological child, Marquis Huai'an and his wife did not have to worry so much and did not have to be so cautious in their attitude towards him. After all, Zhong Sidu was their blood-related child.
In order to reassure the Marquis of Huai'an and his wife, Zhong Yansheng ignored the slight incongruity, looked at Zhong Sidu, and called out very obediently: "Hello, brother."
After sleeping for two full days, he seemed to have become thinner and his complexion was slightly pale, but his lips were still rosy, which made his whole face look even brighter and more beautiful. When he looked at people, his eyes were sparkling with water, as if containing some affection.
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but Zhong Yansheng felt that there was a hint of disgust in Zhong Sidu's eyes when he looked at him.
But in just a moment, he regained his calm and peaceful state. With a faint smile, he responded, "Brother."
The two men called out to each other in a friendly and respectful manner, and the tense shoulders of Marquis Huai'an and his wife relaxed a little.
Lunch happened to be served. The Marquis of Huai'an always adhered to the principle of not talking while eating or sleeping. Usually when they ate together, Zhong Yansheng always had endless little things to say to the Marquis's wife, and was scolded by the Marquis of Huai'an for being like a talkative lark. But today, he breathed a sigh of relief and kept silent.
There was only the slight sound of dishes and chopsticks on the dining table, and the atmosphere was very quiet.
Zhong Yansheng had no appetite for the food and could not help but raise his eyes and secretly glance at Zhong Sidu.
Zhong Sidu lowered his head and slowly chewed a piece of fish. He looked very elegant, and his words, actions, and even the way he ate showed no trace of having grown up in the countryside for the past decade.
He was watching secretly when Zhong Sidu suddenly looked up and their eyes met unexpectedly.
Zhong Yansheng felt very guilty, but the latter smiled at him.
Zhong Yansheng had to smile back hastily, not daring to look around anymore, and lowered his head to eat his meal seriously.
Obviously compared to the fickle-tempered one he had mistakenly found, this genuine young master looked much kinder, but he always felt... this genuine brother didn't seem as easy to get along with as he looked.
But if he had not chosen the wrong person in the beginning, he and Zhong Sidu should have been able to get along much better, and might have reversed the fate of the Marquis' Mansion.
When he thought of this, Zhong Yansheng felt very upset.
It would have been bad enough if he had found the wrong person, but he actually ended up offending His Royal Highness Prince Ding.
He can't blame Yun Cheng for reporting to the wrong place, it's just that the conditions he gave were too vague.
After waking up last night, Zhong Yansheng asked Yun Cheng who had come to visit him in the past two days. Sure enough, the second time he was woken up from his sleep, the person who came was Zhong Sidu.
That day, Zhong Sidu was secretly brought back to the Marquis' Mansion and lived in the small courtyard next to Zhong Yansheng.
For some unknown reason, Zhong Sidu came to Chunwu courtyard. However, because he was a stranger and came alone, Yun Cheng thought he was someone bribed by Meng Qiping again and drove him away rudely.
Zhong Sidu might have thought he was deliberately humiliating him.
If it were him, he would probably feel that this was a show of power.
Zhong Yansheng bit his chopsticks and was in a daze for a while. All the delicious food on the table tasted like chewing wax.
After finally finishing lunch and returning to the room, Marquis Huai’an put down his bamboo chopsticks and suddenly said, "Before returning to the capital, Sidu won the first place in the college examination and will take the autumn examination this fall."
The first place in the college examination, Zhong Yansheng looked at Zhong Sidu in shock and blurted out: "Brother is so amazing!"
He praised sincerely, his eyes were sparkling and full of twinkling lights, it could almost be said to be admiration.
Facing his expression, Zhong Sidu didn't know what expression to make. He paused, maintained a humble smile, lowered his head, closed his eyes, and remained silent.
The Marquis of Huai'an turned to Zhong Yansheng with a dignified look and said, "You have been running out all the time these days. How long has it been since you last reviewed your lessons? I have asked people to put away all the idle books in your study. From now on, follow your brother to study. If you don't understand something, ask him more often. Don't play around anymore."
Zhong Sidu: “…”
Zhong Yansheng: “…”
Without waiting for the two people who were stunned to react, Huai'an Marquis made the final decision: "It's settled."
Zhong Sidu was silent for a moment, and his smile became a little reluctant: "Yes, father."
Zhong Yansheng looked at Zhong Sidu in panic, then at Huai'an Marquis, and then at Zhong Sidu again: "Dad, I..."
After the Marquis of Huai'an finished speaking, he pulled his wife up, making it clear that no rebuttal would be allowed, and even less so any coquettish behavior.
Zhong Yansheng's scalp was tingling.
Let Zhong Sidu teach him his lessons?
Although he knew that Marquis Huai’an wanted them to get familiar with each other and build a good relationship, this would be too difficult for Zhong Sidu.
He was sure that Zhong Sidu hated him.
Who would like a person who takes over someone else's nest?
As expected, as soon as the two elders left, the expression on Zhong Sidu's face gradually faded. He walked out without even looking at Zhong Yansheng.
Zhong Yansheng wanted to explain what happened the day before yesterday, but when he stood up, his legs went weak, and he staggered, and his attention was diverted.
There is still a strange feeling below the lower back.
It has been two or three days, and His Royal Highness Prince Ding has not appeared in the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion. I don't know whether he was not found or he has calmed down.
I hope he has calmed down, he didn't do it on purpose... If you get to the bottom of it, it was Meng Qiping's fault who drugged him.
Zhong Yansheng felt heavy-hearted when he thought that if he was found by Xiao Nong, he would most likely be hung on the wall to dry. He followed Zhong Sidu silently, thinking about how to start the conversation.
Zhong Sidu lived in Mingxueyuan next to Chunwuyuan, and the two courtyards were very close.
He agreed to what Huai'an Marquis said, but he had no interest in teaching Zhong Yansheng. He thought that Zhong Yansheng should be sensible.
Unexpectedly, even when they were almost at Mingxueyuan, the person following him still didn't stop and continued walking with him.
Zhong Sidu paused as his back bumped into a head, and he heard a low "hiss" from behind.
Idiot.
Zhong Sidu finally couldn't help but frowned, turned around, and glanced at Zhong Yansheng's wrist, which he had always covered very carefully and avoided showing when eating.
Last night, Zhong Yansheng opened his eyes and found someone beside the bed. He was startled and stepped back in fear, not noticing that his wrist was exposed.
There were two clear and intersecting marks of binding on the two thin and white wrists.
In addition, there are many other scattered traces, faintly spreading behind the wide sleeves, which show how vigorously someone has caressed him. It is not difficult to imagine what the scene is like under the body covered by clothes.
There was a hint of disgust in Zhong Sidu's eyes.
The person who replaced him and stayed in the Marquis' Mansion for so many years was such an idiot who indulged in sensual pleasures, had no knowledge or skills, and was good for nothing except acting like a spoiled child.
After his eyes moved around Zhong Yansheng's face, Zhong Sidu added mockingly in his heart, 'What a pretty idiot.'
But his father and mother loved him very much. During the time when he was recuperating outside Beijing, his mother came to see him every day and would always carefully talk about how well-behaved and sensible Zhong Yansheng was, hoping that he would not have any grudge against Zhong Yansheng.
They should obviously compensate him, their biological son, who had been separated from them for many years, but they were reluctant to let Zhong Yansheng suffer any more injustice.
Such a fool actually dares to stay in the Marquis' Mansion and compete with him.
The smile on Zhong Sidu's face had completely disappeared, and he looked at Zhong Yansheng indifferently: "Don't follow me."
Zhong Yansheng had been sleeping for two days, but his bones were still in a state of almost falling apart. He was hit, and it hurt so much that tears welled up in his eyes. He rubbed his forehead and looked at him with tearful eyes.
Furthermore, he sensitively sensed a hint of disgust and malice from the person in front of him.
Zhong Yansheng pursed his lips slightly. He could no longer shout out "brother" which he had just called out with great difficulty. After thinking for a while, he spoke softly, "Don't get me wrong. I just want to explain. When you came to my courtyard the day before yesterday, I didn't mean to have you driven away. It was..."
"No need to explain." Zhong Sidu's voice was still very gentle, but his words were not so kind. "You don't have to act like this in front of me. I'm not your father or mother. I won't be fooled by your pitiful and innocent expression."
Zhong Yansheng was stunned for a moment, his lips unconsciously parted: "What?"
That look was so beautiful and innocent that it made Zhong Sidu even more annoyed.
Are you pretending to be stupid?
A servant passed by nearby. Zhong Sidu leaned closer to Zhong Yansheng, and a gentle smile appeared on his face again, as if he was talking to Zhong Yansheng about something interesting. He whispered, "Don't act so disgusting in front of me. I hate dirt."
Apart from Meng Qiping, this was the second time that Zhong Yansheng had been spoken to in such a bad way in person. His eyes widened slightly, and he looked at him in shock, his eye sockets turning red uncontrollably.
But he didn't say anything, just lowered his head, hummed in a muffled voice, and turned away.
Seeing the unexpected reaction, Zhong Sidu raised his eyebrows slightly, but he didn't care. He maintained a decent smile and turned to enter Mingxue Courtyard.
Zhong Yansheng felt uncomfortable getting along with Zhong Sidu, but he was not resentful or angry.
He had no right or qualifications to be angry, and it was good enough that Zhong Sidu didn't point his finger at him and scold him.
After learning the truth, he was already sitting on pins and needles about the position of the real young master. Now that Zhong Sidu has been brought back, it is time to return the position to him.
The most important thing is to let Zhong Sidu return to his ancestral home and restore his identity as soon as possible, to avoid the fate of the Marquis' Mansion in the storybook.
Thinking of this, Zhong Yansheng hesitated for a moment, and instead of returning to Chunwu Courtyard, he turned around and planned to go find Marquis Huai'an to have a heart-to-heart talk.
As usual, Zhong Yansheng did not need to inform the Marquis of Huai'an and his wife when he went to see them. As soon as he entered the courtyard, a familiar maid came to greet him.
The maid looked at him with a complicated expression, but soon she smiled: "Is young master here to see the lady? The Marquis and the lady are in the pavilion in the garden. I will lead the way for you."
Tomorrow he will no longer be the young master of Marquis of Huai'an.
Zhong Yansheng felt relieved for no reason and smiled at her: "No need, sister, go ahead and do your work. I can go by myself."
Zhong Yansheng was very familiar with the road in the main courtyard. He walked around the front yard and headed towards the pavilion in the back garden.
In addition to worshiping Buddha, the Marquis's wife's other hobby is growing flowers. The backyard is filled with all kinds of flowers and plants. When he left the capital, the Marquis of Huai'an asked someone to take good care of it. The old servant took good care of it, and when he came back, the flowers were still lush and flourishing. Now is the time when flowers are in full bloom. When the couple occasionally have free time, they like to sit in the pavilion surrounded by flowers and talk.
Zhong Yansheng felt nervous when he thought of the bag of flower seeds that he had not given away.
I have to hide it well when I get back, because those are things I brought out from Prince Ding's private residence!
As he approached the pavilion, he could vaguely hear the voices of Marquis Huai'an and his wife.
Maybe they have already discussed him and Zhong Sidu, and now they are talking about other topics.
"What is the current situation in the court?"
After a while, Zhong Yansheng heard Huai'an Marquis comment with four words: "Everything has turned upside down."
Madam Hou was surprised: "What happened again?"
"We received news early this morning," Marquis Huai'an said in a deep voice, "Prince Ding has returned to the capital."
As soon as Zhong Yansheng stopped calling, his heart seemed to stop beating as well. He opened his eyes wide, crouched down beside the pavilion, and like a small mushroom that only grows in the shade, he hugged his knees and eavesdropped silently.
Madam Hou was obviously also shocked: "Back to Beijing? Why did you come back to Beijing all of a sudden? Didn't you say you were recuperating outside Beijing?"
"I don't know what the situation is." Huai'an Marquis said, "Old Zhou asked someone to tell me that Prince Ding took people to the Anping Marquis' mansion as soon as he returned to the capital this morning."
Anping Marquis' Mansion?
Zhong Yansheng pricked up his ears and wondered what Prince Ding was doing there.
The Marquis's wife had the same doubts: "Anping Marquis's Mansion?"
"Yes, no one knows what happened in the Anping Marquis's mansion, but Prince Ding looked unhappy when he left." Huai'an Marquis' voice was also full of doubt, and he pondered for a moment, "It is said that Prince Ding returned to the capital this time to find someone who offended him. I guess he went to the wrong place."
Zhong Yansheng's hand trembled, and he unconsciously pinched off a hibiscus in front of him.
The last glimmer of hope in my heart is gone.
It's over, Xiao Nong is really looking for him!
He recalled the rumors about Prince Ding that other people had described in vivid detail in the restaurant a few days ago.
They said that Xiao Nong was vindictive, and that no matter what others did to him, he would return it in the same amount and ten times more.
It is said that not only would he hang anyone who offended him on the wall to dry, but he would also eat the flesh and blood of his enemies alive.
Zhong Yansheng vaguely remembered that night, he bit the side of Xiao Nong's neck, leaving a bloody mark.
After spending some time together, he felt that Xiao Nong was indeed a little moody, but not to the point of being cannibalistic.
But His Royal Highness Prince Ding, who is vindictive, will probably really take a bite out of him.
Zhong Yansheng stretched out his fingers and gestured on his thin neck.
He felt that if Prince Ding bit him, his neck would be broken.
But how did Xiao Nong find his way to Anping Marquis' Mansion?
Just as he was at a loss, he suddenly heard the surprised voice of Mrs. Marquis from above: "Yuan'er, what are you doing squatting here?"
Zhong Yansheng was thinking about something when he suddenly heard someone talking above his head. He was startled and picked another flower. Holding two flowers in his hands, he looked up, at a loss: "Mom..."
That beautiful face was set off by the delicate hibiscus, and it was bright and dazzling. The look in his eyes was so clear that Mrs. Marquis' heart softened. She bent down and pulled him up: "Why aren't you studying in the study with your brother?"
Zhong Yansheng didn't want to say anything bad about Zhong Sidu, so he thought for a moment and said, "I don't want to read."
Huai'an Marquis followed behind with his hands behind his back, and was displeased when he heard the voice: "You just know how to play, why don't you want to read?"
"I don't like reading." Zhong Yansheng said in a low voice, lowered his head, and waited to be scolded.
After waiting for a long while, he was surprisingly not scolded.
Marquis Huai'an just sighed deeply.
Zhong Yansheng followed them back to the pavilion and sat down. He took a sip of tea and heard the Marquis' wife ask carefully, "Yuan'er, how do you feel about meeting your brother today?"
Zhong Yansheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Brother is fine."
Mrs. Marquis' tense state obviously relaxed again, and she talked to Zhong Yansheng about Zhong Sidu's experience.
Zhong Yansheng then learned some details. When Zhong Sidu was ten years old, the farmer who adopted him died. Soon after, he was adopted by a private school teacher and was able to start school.
It was not until after the college entrance examination that an academician who had some connection with the Huai'an Marquis Mansion and admired his talent came to talk to Zhong Sidu. He recognized the token of the Huai'an Marquis Mansion on Zhong Sidu and thought he looked familiar. After many unexpected events, Zhong Sidu learned about his life experience and came all the way to find him.
After listening to this, Zhong Yansheng felt that it was indeed not easy to find Zhong Sidu.
And after talking for a while, the Marquis' wife suddenly remembered something, opened her mouth, and swallowed it again.
Zhong Yansheng noticed it and blinked: "Mom, if you have something to say, just say it. There is no need to hide it."
The Marquis' wife hesitated for a long time, but before she could speak, the Marquis of Huai'an coughed and said, "Yesterday, the Dewang Mansion sent an invitation. In seven days, the Dewang Consort will host a flower-fighting banquet at Jinghua Garden and invite you to go. Dad wants you to take Sidu with you if you go. Are you willing?"
The high-class families in Beijing lived a luxurious life, and flower-fighting banquets were one of their practices.
Every year at the Flower Competition Banquet, the young men of the major aristocratic families in the capital would try their best to stand out, searching for rare and precious flowers everywhere in an effort to amaze everyone at the banquet.
Zhong Yansheng certainly didn't mind going with Zhong Sidu, but… Xiao Nong had already returned to Beijing.
The capital is so big that the possibility of encountering him is very low, but he still feels uneasy.
But the Marquis of Huai'an asked Zhong Sidu to go because he wanted Zhong Sidu to start appearing in front of the noble families in the capital.
If he didn't go to the flower-fighting banquet, Zhong Sidu wouldn't be able to go either. After all, on the surface, he was still the legitimate son of the Marquis of Huai'an, and the invitation sent by Princess De was also to 'Zhong Yansheng, the son of the Marquis' Mansion.'
However, if Zhong Yansheng went, he would inevitably face the attention brought by the rumors such as 'the fake prince of the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion'.
Zhong Yansheng struggled to understand what the Marquis of Huai'an meant. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the Marquis's wife interrupt him quickly: "What are you talking about? That kind of place is very noisy. Yuan'er likes quietness."
When Marquis Huai'an was glanced at by her, he realized that he had said the wrong thing and took back what he had just said: "Forget it."
They are in a difficult situation.
They wanted to make up for their long-lost biological child, but they couldn't bear to see him {Zhong Yansheng} suffer any injustice.
He had been in the Marquis' Mansion for so many years and had received so much favoritism, so he didn't want to make things difficult for them.
Moreover, no one in the world knew better than him how the Marquis of Huai'an and his wife treated him. As long as he knew his father and mother's attitude, what outsiders said would not matter.
Zhong Yansheng is very open-minded in this regard.
"Dad, Mom, I want to go to the Flower Fighting Banquet." Zhong Yansheng smiled. Seeing that they were stunned for a moment and wanted to speak, he interrupted them directly and said firmly, "I want to go with my brother."
Anyway, His Royal Highness Prince Ding would not be interested in the Flower Fighting Banquet.
Uncle Wang also complained to him that the eldest young master seldom set foot in the garden of the villa, which made him feel very lonely.
Zhong Yansheng responded firmly, but out of extreme guilt and fear towards Prince Ding, he stayed quietly in Chunwu Courtyard before the Flower Fighting Banquet and hardly stepped out.
The closer the flower-fighting banquet got, the more nervous he became, and the less he wanted to show up, but he had already made the promise, so of course he had to keep it.
In contrast to Zhong Yansheng's turtle-like appearance, Zhong Sidu would pay his respects to the wife of the Marquis of Huai'an every day.
He was gentle, graceful, and friendly, and soon won the love of everyone in the mansion.
In addition, his appearance was extremely similar to that of the Marquis of Huai'an and his wife, which was almost equivalent to telling everyone directly that the rumors outside were true, that he was the real young master of the Marquis Mansion, and that Zhong Yansheng was just an impostor.
Except for Yun Cheng and a few old servants brought from Gusu, all the others in Chunwuyuan were new recruits who arrived in the capital.
Although Zhong Yansheng treated them very well in the past, after the truth about the "real and fake young master" was gradually revealed, some of them began to look hesitantly towards Mingxueyuan next door, which made Yun Cheng so angry that he kept cursing and calling them ungrateful people.
The situation in the mansion is like this, and it is even worse outside. Before, it was just a rumor, half of the people believed it and half of the people didn't. But when a young man who looks similar to the Huai'an Marquis and his wife and is the same age as the original young master was brought into the mansion, certain facts could be determined.
Almost everyone knew that Zhong Yansheng was a fake young master.
Yun Cheng occasionally went out with them to buy things, and couldn't help but ask about the news. When he came back he was so angry that he couldn't sleep, but he didn't dare to tell Zhong Yansheng.
Ever since the young master returned from his night of disappearance, he has been in a strange state. Before he has recovered, the Marquis's wife brought back a man who was said to be the real young master. He was afraid that the young master would be sad.
Until the day of the flower-fighting banquet, when he had to go out.
Zhong Yansheng thought for a few days about how to hide his appearance so that Xiao Nong would find it difficult to recognize him even if they met face to face, and then he came up with a clever idea.
He asked Yun Cheng to pass on a message, saying that he was not fully awake yet and asked him to get in the carriage first. He then busied himself with his clever plan and sat in the carriage to wait for Zhong Sidu.
After waiting for a long time, Zhong Yansheng heard some noise and quietly lifted a corner of the curtain. He saw at the gate of the Marquis' Mansion, the Marquis's wife raised her hand to brush the loose hair on Zhong Sidu's temples, as if gently reminding him of the details to pay attention to when attending the banquet.
Zhong Sidu listened with his head lowered and a smile on his lips. The scene was one of loving mother and filial son.
Zhong Yansheng lowered the curtain again.
In the past, he was the one who stood there and accepted Mrs. Marquis' gentle care, but from now on... it will no longer be like that.
But he was very happy to see that the atmosphere between Madam Hou and Zhong Sidu was so harmonious.
"There are many people and lots of gossip at the banquet, so you have to look after each other." As the two of them approached the carriage, Zhong Yansheng heard the Marquis's wife patiently give another reminder.
Zhong Sidu's voice was gentle: "Don't worry, mother."
As soon as he got on the carriage, Zhong Sidu's smile faded. He looked up at Zhong Yansheng and stopped moving.
The carriage was filled with a sweet scent of perfumed powder. Zhong Yansheng, who got on the carriage first, was covered in vulgar floral fragrance. He took out a veil hat from somewhere and put it on.
Two layers of gauze hung around the veil, and the face that could easily attract peach blossoms was blocked inside, becoming blurry and unclear.
Zhong Sidu didn't expect that his taste was so vulgar. He coughed and frowned: "What do you mean by all this?"
"...I have a rash on my face." Zhong Yansheng spoke softly, afraid that the veil would be blown away by accident, "That's why wear a veil to block it."
He thought about it over and over for several days and finally came up with this idea.
He used perfumed powder to make himself choke, wore a veil to cover his face, and wore several extra layers of clothes underneath, stuffing his waist to make it look much thicker, so that his figure could definitely not be seen.
Red rash?
Unable to see his face through the veil, Zhong Sidu had no interest in caring about Zhong Yansheng. He just thought that he was playing some tricks, so he took out a book and read it indifferently.
The atmosphere in the carriage was too quiet, and Zhong Yansheng was not used to it. He found it difficult to apply the same attitude to Zhong Sidu that he used to get along with Xiao Nong when he didn't know Xiao Nong's identity.
Fortunately, Zhong Yansheng didn't really need Zhong Sidu's care. He shrank into the corner, wishing he could lose his sense of existence.
The carriage swayed slowly as it headed towards Jinghua Garden.
The journey was safe and sound, and His Royal Highness Prince Ding did not suddenly jump out and try to skin him alive.
These days, Zhong Yansheng even asked Yun Cheng to inquire about the name list for the Flower Fighting Banquet, and it was said that it was not sent to Prince Ding's Palace.
May Buddha bless me!
Zhong Yansheng was about to let out the breath he had been holding in his throat. Just as he was about to smile with relief, a cold voice suddenly came from outside.
"Who is in front of you? Why don't you get out of the way when you see Prince Ding's carriage?"
Where is Buddha?
Zhong Yansheng looked up in amazement. Some time ago, when he misunderstood that Huai'an Marquis was corrupt, the Dayong laws that he had studied hard came into play.
According to the laws of Dayong, when seeing the prince's carriage, one must get off the carriage and give way, otherwise one will be whipped forty times.
Zhong Sidu had naturally heard of the title of Prince Ding, and had decisively gotten off the carriage first.
Zhong Yansheng hesitated for a moment, then followed reluctantly. When he got off the carriage, he glanced sideways secretly and saw that the carriage at the fork in the road ahead was indeed the symbol of Prince Ding's Palace.
Behind the car curtain was the person he tried every means to hide from.
Zhong Yansheng shrugged carefully, followed the others and knelt down, lowering his voice: "Greetings, His Royal Highness Prince Ding."
The people in the carriage probably had no interest in wasting time with them. They just said "hmm" coldly, and the carriage prepared to move forward.
Just at this moment, a gust of wind blew by and lifted the carriage curtain.
Xiao Nong glanced outside casually, and his gaze paused on the man wearing a veil who was kneeling outside. He could clearly not see his face, and his figure did not resemble him at all, but for some reason, he suddenly raised his hand.
The driver immediately stopped driving the horse.
"Who?"
A familiar voice came from above and struck his ears. The two short words instantly made Zhong Yansheng's heartbeat unbalanced.
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