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Chapter 18 - Xiao Nong: Take off your veil
The voice coming from the carriage in Prince Ding's mansion was very familiar, but also very different.
In Changliu Villa, Xiao Nong, who was called "brother" by Zhong Yansheng, always spoke in a lazy and casual tone, and even occasionally smiled. At this moment, this voice was the same as that of His Royal Highness Prince Ding who scolded Xiao Wenlan when he met him on Chang Street last time.
The superiors who hold the power of life and death are condescending and indifferent.
Behind the veil, Zhong Yansheng's eyelashes trembled. He was not familiar with this kind of Xiao Nong.
But this kind of Xiao Nong is the Prince Ding that everyone knows.
If his identity was discovered, he would probably have to face the even more terrifying King Ding.
Feeling a little aggrieved, Zhong Yansheng was distracted for a moment and did not answer immediately.
Zhong Sidu currently had no name or status in the Marquis' Mansion, so naturally it was not his turn to speak. He nudged Zhong Yansheng with his elbow imperceptibly and gave him a look of impatience and confusion.
Zhong Yansheng suddenly came back to his senses, pretending to be frightened by Prince Ding's aura. In fact, he was indeed trembling with fear. He lowered his voice and tried hard to get back his unconscious Gusu accent: "Your Highness, I am Zhong Yansheng of the Marquis of Huai’an."
There was no need to suppress his voice. He hadn't rested well in the past few days and had caught a cold, so his throat sounded rough and hoarse, and his usual clear voice was no longer recognizable.
The voice outside the carriage was hoarse and low, speaking standard Beijing dialect, without the familiar soft tone.
The look of being unable to speak due to fear, and trembling when speaking, was no different from any other person, and was completely different from the little bird in his heart.
The inexplicable interest that had just arisen suddenly disappeared. Xiao Nong let go of a corner of the carriage curtain, closed his eyes and leaned back.
Nothing like him.
Seeing that Prince Ding's carriage started moving again, they went ahead and didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the carriage went far away.
Yun Cheng wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, his calves trembling, and came over to help Zhong Yansheng up.
Zhong Yansheng now felt uncomfortable when anyone touched him, even if it was Yun Cheng. He shook his head, swayed and stood up, and noticed the cold look in Zhong Sidu's eyes.
What happened?
Zhong Yansheng didn't know how he had offended him again. He couldn't handle Zhong Sidu very well, so he climbed onto the carriage silently and shrank into a corner to reduce his presence.
Zhong Sidu also got on the carriage. Seeing him like a little bird curled up on a branch, he became even more furious and suddenly said, "Look at yourself. Do you look like the young master of the Marquis of Huai'an?"
Zhong Yansheng raised his head in confusion: "Hmm?"
Since he was a child, the Marquis's wife told him that as long as he was healthy, peaceful, happy and free, that was enough. Although the Marquis of Huai'an was strict, he did not restrict him too much except for not allowing him to read some idle books.
He didn't quite understand what Zhong Sidu meant by 'what the young master of Huai'an Marquis's Mansion should be like.'
Even though Zhong Yansheng's face was blocked by the veil, Zhong Sidu could still imagine what his expression would be.
He played dumb and was so frightened when he saw Prince Ding that he couldn't speak.
Beautiful waste.
Without that face, he would be nothing.
Zhong Sidu suppressed the anger in his chest, and with a cold face, he opened the book he had not finished reading again and ignored Zhong Yansheng.
Seeing that Zhong Sidu ignored him, Zhong Yansheng breathed a sigh of relief. He gently opened the curtain and looked in the direction where the carriage of Prince Ding was leaving.
He didn't dare to look up just now and didn't see Xiao Nong. Furthermore, he didn't know how angry His Royal Highness Prince Ding was now, and how the investigation about him was going.
When Zhong Yansheng was feeling anxious, Xiao Nong inexplicably lifted the curtain and glanced behind him.
The driver noticed the movement and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, is there something wrong?"
He imagined the figure kneeling and trembling on the ground again in his mind. Xiao Nong leaned back without much interest and asked nonchalantly, "Zhong Yansheng from the Marquis of Huai'an Mansion?"
The driver thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, Zhong Yansheng was originally the young master of Huai'an Marquis's Mansion. A few days ago, news came out in the capital that Zhong Yansheng was the fake young master and the real young master was someone else. Judging from their direction, they should be going to Jinghua Garden to attend the Flower Fighting Banquet, which is not far from where we are going."
Xiao Nong had a vague impression that this matter had been mentioned in a previous report in the letter. He glanced at it casually, being more concerned about the depressed Yuan Yuan, and did not look at it carefully.
Seeing that Xiao Nong did not interrupt, the driver thought he was interested, so he continued carefully: "When the wife of the Marquis of Huai'an was pregnant, she was possessed by evil spirits in her dreams, so she went to the Jinfu Temple in the suburbs of Beijing to pray for blessings. When she was going down the mountain, she accidentally fell down the stairs and had labor pain. The abbot of the Jinfu Temple set aside a courtyard for the wife of the Marquis to give birth. She was supposed to return to the capital after the child was born, but she didn't expect that there would be chaos in the capital."
Xiao Nong rested his elbow on the edge of the car window, holding his chin lazily, nodding his head with his index finger. He had no patience to listen, but when he heard the last sentence, he raised his eyelids and raised his tone: "Great chaos?"
"Yes." The driver looked ahead and lowered his voice by three points, "The former crown prince forced the emperor to abdicate first."
When he heard the words "former crown prince", Xiao Nong's expression changed for the first time.
The former Crown Prince, Pei Xi, was the old emperor's most beloved son. He was raised by his side since childhood and was made the crown prince at the age of twelve.
When the prince was ill, the old emperor went to Foguang Temple in person to pray. The prince liked calligraphy and painting, and the old emperor, despite the pressure from the censors, had a palace built to collect calligraphy and paintings. Even with such pampering, the prince was not spoiled, but instead became a modest gentleman who was praised by his contemporaries for his elegant demeanor.
The old emperor personally taught the former crown prince how to ride and shoot arrows, and then when the former crown prince was 25 years old, he forced the emperor to abdicate. Then the emperor sent people to shoot the former crown prince outside the East Corner Gate of the Forbidden City, and slaughtered everyone in the East Palace.
From then on, no one dared to mention the former crown prince, and the old emperor did not appoint another heir.
The chaos caused by the forced abdication lasted for a long time and the news reached Mobei. The old Prince Ding had a good personal relationship with the former crown prince. Upon hearing the news, his face became dejected and gloomy. He looked towards the direction of the capital and sighed deeply.
That night, young Xiao Nong overheard his parents' conversation. The old Prince Ding said, "The disaster of the Xiao family has come."
Two years later, the Tatars raided the northern desert, and important border towns were lost one after another. Reinforcements did not arrive for a long time. After King Ding and his soldiers held out for a month, the entire city was massacred.
Mobei was in chaos for more than ten years before he personally pacified it.
"It is said that when the remnants of the former crown prince fled to the vicinity of Jinfu Temple, they kidnapped the marquis' wife and her newborn son, causing chaos. This led to the Huai'an Marquisate taking the wrong child and leaving the real young master outside. However, the real young master had a token on him, so he was found again."
Xiao Nong held his chin in his hand, completely losing interest in these past events: "Any news?"
The driver knew what Xiao Nong was asking, and his tone choked. He lowered his head and said, "Your Highness, not yet."
Xiao Nong closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, feeling more and more irritated.
On the day he returned to Beijing, he did not find his Yuan Yuan in the Anping Marquis's Mansion.
At the beginning, Yuan Yuan came with the carriage of the Marquis of Anping's mansion. The Marquis of Anping was so unrepentant that he sent beautiful women and treasures to curry favor with him several times. Everyone had a preconceived idea that he was from the Marquis of Anping's mansion. They also found out that the Marquis of Anping did have an adopted son, and his name sounded similar to "Yuan Yuan", so everyone thought that Yuan Yuan was from the Marquis of Anping's mansion.
But it is not.
Thinking of the surprise and anger at the Anping Marquis' Mansion that day, Xiao Nong's head couldn't help but suddenly hurt, and he pinched his eyebrows again.
Almost ten days had passed, and his little bird seemed to have really flown away, disappearing without a trace.
He also didn't get a good night's sleep.
There are signs that the headache is about to relapse.
Those in the capital who attempted to send people to his backyard have been checked one by one, but no trace of
Yuan Yuan has been found. Now the secret guards are spreading out to inquire about the private residences and farms of those wealthy families and check them one by one.
This commotion was not small. As soon as he returned to the capital, he turned everything upside down. Those aristocratic families were full of complaints, but no one dared to stand up and say anything.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
The carriage stopped, and without waiting for the coachman to lift the curtain, Xiao Nong lifted it by himself, and his wide sleeves slid down. A red headband was tightly wrapped around the black sleeves, which was dazzling and intimidating.
Everyone outside the carriage lowered their eyes and held their breath, not daring to look any further.
Xiao Nong bent over and stepped forward expressionlessly with quick steps. His sleeves dropped again, covering the gorgeous forehead band again.
I originally thought that the little bird was hiding because it was shy, but now it seems that is not the case.
It seemed more like he was deliberately avoiding him and hiding.
Xiao Nong gently rubbed his itchy canine teeth, his dark blue eyes were like ice, with a storm hidden underneath.
Very well.
If you want to hide, you'd better hide well and don't let him catch you.
When the carriage stopped in front of Jinghua Garden, Zhong Yansheng suddenly felt a numbness on his back and he lowered his head and sneezed slightly.
The capital city was gradually getting hotter in May, but Zhong Yansheng was wearing much thicker clothes than others and was even sneezing.
Zhong Sidu sat opposite and frowned again.
Spoiled and fragile.
Most of the noble children in the capital were invited to today's flower-duel banquet. A long line of gorgeous carriages were parked outside, and many people were standing outside the garden chatting.
As the carriage from the Marquis of Huai'an Mansion arrived, the originally polite atmosphere suddenly changed. Everyone looked over, stared at the carriage from the Marquis of Huai'an Mansion, smiled secretly, and whispered to each other.
These days, rumors about the Huai'an Marquis Mansion in the capital are in full swing and everyone knows about it.
It is said that the real young master has been taken back to the Marquis' Mansion. He is of extraordinary appearance and talent. The original fake young master was mediocre and has been rejected by the Marquis' Mansion.
But everyone also heard that the real young master who was living outside came from the countryside.
The son of a noble family was unexpectedly taken away by mistake. Marquis Huai'an raised a son for more than ten years in vain. No one could let go of such an interesting thing.
The nobles in the capital had plenty of free time and loved to watch the fun; a rough count of those waiting outside showed more than twenty people, most of whom were waiting to see the fun.
After waiting for a while, a tall young man in a green lotus-colored robe came out from behind the curtain. He had a jade belt hook with a dragon pattern on his waist. His face was like jade and extremely handsome. His eyes were as light as tea and had a natural and gentle aura. He held an iris in his hand and looked extraordinary.
Everyone couldn't help but be stunned. Before they could carefully identify whether this person was real or fake, they saw a white hand lift the curtain, and a thinner young man came down. He was wearing a light blue round-necked robe and a veil hat with a bunch of bright red pomegranate flowers pinned on the hat. Although his face could not be seen, his figure was light and inexplicably eye-catching.
The children of the powerful and wealthy looked at each other, unable to tell which one was real and which one was fake.
At first glance, how come neither of them looks fake?
Zhong Yansheng guessed that he would be watched by others, but he didn't expect that so many people would have nothing better to do than to watch. When he came down and saw so many people, he couldn't help but shrink back.
After a moment's silence, Zhong Yansheng silently moved behind Zhong Sidu.
He stretched out his slender fingers, gently poked Zhong Sidu's waist, and whispered softly: "You go first."
Anyway, he was here to accompany Zhong Sidu today. It was enough for Zhong Sidu to attract attention. He was equivalent to an invitation card and did not need to have any sense of presence.
Zhong Sidu was poked in the lower back unexpectedly. All of a sudden, a wisp of refreshing fragrance seemed to emerge from the thick perfume powder that the person behind him had applied. Along with a numbing and itchy feeling, it followed the finger on his waist and quickly flowed to every part of his limbs. His body suddenly stiffened.
But the finger was quickly retracted and left as soon as it touched, as if it was just to remind him to walk in front.
So simple?
How could someone who could fool the Marquis of Huai’an and his wife around and go out fooling around with traces all over his body be simple?
Zhong Sidu almost couldn't hold back his smile and quickly suppressed the thought in his mind.
He understood what it meant to come to the Flower Fighting Banquet today. He glared at Zhong Yansheng imperceptibly, suppressed the awkwardness, and walked over first.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Zhong Sidu again. They watched him take out the invitation and hand it to the ceremonial officer outside. He smiled faintly and said, "This is an invitation from the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion."
The people who had been secretly listening suddenly realized what was going on.
This is the unfortunate real young master who was taken away by mistake.
The man in the back wearing a veil and not showing his face should be the fake prince who has been raised in the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion for more than ten years in vain.
Feeling the vague gazes and atmosphere around him, Yun Cheng clenched his fists.
Ever since Young Master Zhong Sidu was brought back, the atmosphere in the Marquis' Mansion has changed. Many people have been bewitched by him and gradually sided with him, but Yun Cheng and several old servants do not like him.
It doesn't matter what's true or false.
Yun Cheng couldn't bear to see the young master being wronged.
Seeing Yun Cheng's expression, Zhong Yansheng quietly pulled him and shook his head at him.
Before coming to the banquet, he had guessed that he would be talked about, receive strange looks, or even be ignored.
But Zhong Yansheng thought seriously that he was not familiar with these people, so how they viewed him had nothing to do with him.
In comparison, the matter of His Royal Highness Prince Ding worried him more. He stayed at home for ten days and just as he went out, he ran into him.
Even if Buddha doesn't bless us, the lunar calendar should work.
After confirming that the invitation was correct, Zhong Yansheng followed Zhong Sidu into the garden.
The others who had been waiting outside to watch the excitement also followed. The demeanor and appearance of the real young master of the Huai'an Marquis's Mansion was completely different from the timid country bumpkin they had imagined. Most of them put away their mocking and cold attitudes and greeted him with their own thoughts, intentionally or unintentionally ignoring Zhong Yansheng: "Master Zhong, I've heard of your great name for a long time."
"Master Zhong really shined in the college entrance examination. His writing was so brilliant that his essay was even sent to the capital! I had the honor of reading it and I admire him so much."
Zhong Sidu had anticipated everyone's probing reactions, and with a faint smile on his face, he dealt with the questions thrown at him in a humble and gentle manner, and his answers were flawless.
Although other people called Zhong Sidu "Young Master Zhong", it was obvious from their words that they regarded Zhong Sidu as the eldest son of the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion.
Instead, the young master Zhong Yansheng was left out.
Seeing that Zhong Yansheng was gradually being pushed to the edge and no one was paying attention to him, Yun Cheng became anxious and lowered his voice: "Master!"
Before setting off, he was waiting outside the carriage and heard the Marquis' wife quietly reminding Zhong Sidu that Zhong Yansheng used to have poor health, seldom went out, and was afraid of crowded places.
She also said that there would definitely be gossip from people at this banquet, and that they had invited Zhong Yansheng to attend out of selfish motives, so she asked him to take good care of Zhong Yansheng.
Zhong Sidu promised verbally, but once he arrived at Jinghua Garden, he completely forgot about their young master.
The young master clearly caught a cold and was not feeling well, but he was not allowed to report it to the Marquis and the Madam, and insisted on coming. Who was this for?
Zhong Yansheng was exhausted after walking for a while. Seeing Yun Cheng excited, he quickly raised his finger and put it to his lips: "Shh, shh! Stop shouting, or someone will notice you."
Normally when he went out, many eyes would be on him, and his palms would often sweat from nervousness. But now that no one was looking at him, he felt relieved and did not feel lonely as if he was being excluded.
Yun Cheng: “…”
I almost forgot that the young master is a little mushroom who doesn't like the crowds. Apart from painting, his other hobby is lying in the shade of flowers and reading some books.
If it weren't for the request of the Marquis's Mansion and his wife, the young master would probably not be willing to come to this flower-fighting banquet.
Thinking of this, although he still felt a little unfair, Yun Cheng forced himself to swallow his anger.
Zhong Sidu grew up in the countryside, but his literary talent is so outstanding that he was admitted to the first place of academician when he was not even eighteen years old, and he will take part in the autumn examination this year.
Among the children of aristocratic families, those who are so promising are rare, and most of them are able to get an official position thanks to their ancestors' influence.
Many famous scholars in the capital read Zhong Sidu's essays for the college entrance examination and praised them highly. They said that Zhong Sidu would surely make a big splash in the autumn examination and would surely be nominated in the spring examination next year.
Regardless of how Zhong Sidu will perform in the Autumn Examination, many people have already expressed their intention to make friends with him.
The children of the rich and powerful waiting outside were not all there to watch the fun. Many of them had been asked by their parents to get to know Zhong Sidu - this true young master had just returned to the capital and didn't know anyone, so now was the best time to make friends with him.
As for that fake young master, there is no need to mention him.
Who can tolerate a cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest? The relationship between these two must be bad. Being on good terms with Zhong Sidu is equivalent to being on bad terms with Zhong Yansheng.
It doesn't matter if you have a fake feud with someone.
Everyone was crowded together. Since that night, Zhong Yansheng particularly disliked being touched, so he took the initiative to move aside. Seeing that Zhong Sidu was calm and at ease in front of so many people, and quickly integrated into the surrounding atmosphere, he felt relieved and happy to be appreciated by others.
Today's trip was not in vain.
Because they encountered the carriage of Prince Ding's Mansion on the road and were delayed for a while, Zhong Yansheng and his companions did not arrive early.
Princess De had shown up before the two of them arrived. There were still many female relatives in Jinghua Garden today, so the princess went to meet them, and they didn't need to go and pay a special visit.
The servant in front bent over to lead the way, and everyone followed into Jinghua Garden, chatting and laughing.
Walking into the entrance, there are extremely wide lotus ponds on both sides. Among the endless green leaves of different depths, lotus flowers are already beginning to bloom, and the fragrance is refreshing.
Going further in, you will see bright red and purple flowers in full bloom. The exotic flowers and plants carefully cultivated by the gardeners are in full bloom, competing with each other for splendor, and the fragrance is overwhelming. It is so charming to look at them that it is difficult to tell things apart.
Everyone couldn't help but praise: "It seems that there are more colors of flowers in Jinghua Garden this year."
Jinghua Garden is the largest garden in the capital. The flowers here are not ordinary ones, but rare species picked from all over the place. They are both rich and gorgeous, fresh and elegant.
Zhong Yansheng listened to the admiration from all around him, but found it boring.
The scenery of Jinghua Garden is not as good as the garden in Changliu Villa.
He mistakenly thought that Xiao Nong was the person he was looking for, and asked uncle Wang, who took care of the garden, for a bag of flower seeds, intending to give it to Madam Hou in the name of the real young master in order to repair the mother-son relationship between her and the real young master.
As a result……
I can't think too deeply, because thinking too much will make me embarrassed and scared.
When he thought of the bag of flower seeds, Zhong Yansheng felt dispirited.
Just like the white gauze he brought back, he didn't dare to take it out again, for fear that once it was exposed to the light, His Royal Highness Prince Ding would smell the scent and come looking for it.
I didn't even have the chance to thank the kind uncle Wang again.
The surroundings were filled with a lot of noise and people were talking about all sorts of things.
Most of the people on the periphery have lower status than those inside, and they discuss other things.
For example, the hottest topic in Beijing recently.
"I don't know how that person offended His Royal Highness Prince Ding. I heard that Prince Ding was about to overturn the sky!"
Zhong Yansheng was thinking about Xiao Nong's matter. When he heard the word "Prince Ding", his heart skipped a beat. Since no one could see his face, he opened his eyes wide and pricked up his ears to eavesdrop.
There are many people here and they all talk a lot. Besides, it is impossible for Prince Ding to come to such a place. The people around are discussing without restraint.
"Isn't it? My father's secrets were almost exposed because he sent a few beauties to Prince Ding's private residence!"
"Haha, I heard that Prince Ding went straight to your house as soon as he returned to the capital. What happened? Tell me the details quickly."
"Who knows what that lunatic wants to do?"
The person who spoke had a face full of fear and hatred, and he was obviously more afraid. His chest kept rising and falling. "I have a younger brother, he is my father's adopted son, and he grew up with me. I named him 'Yuan Yuan', which means 'Far Away'. When he grew up, I found that he was good-looking, so I... My father was ashamed, so he sealed everyone's mouth and forbade anyone to speak about him."
The people following him: "..."
"Alright, alright, why are you looking at me like that?" The young master of the Anping Marquis mansion smacked his tongue impatiently. "That day when that lunatic came, he asked me to bring Yuan Yuan over. I said he was my roommate, and what did you want with him? His face instantly became so scary that it looked like he was going to chop me apart, as if I had kidnapped his wife! He almost scared my father to death!"
As he said this, he probably recalled Xiao Nong's expression and shuddered violently.
The people who were with him gasped: "What's going on?"
"Then what?"
"My father thought he wanted beauty, so he quickly brought Yuan Yuan over." The man paused, his face fascinating, "But when he saw him, he suddenly laughed weirdly, which made my hair stand on end, and scared my father so much that he almost fainted again!"
Everyone was so absorbed in listening that they didn't notice Zhong Yansheng, who was wearing a veil and acting suspiciously beside them. "And then what?"
"After he finished laughing, his face suddenly turned cold again, as if he had gone mad! He warned me to change Yuan Yuan's name, and then he left without any explanation."
The Prince of Anping was extremely depressed: "My Anping Marquis' Mansion is open to him as if no one is around. If I hadn't heard that His Royal Highness Prince Jing would also come to Jinghua Garden today, and my father had insisted that I come, I really wouldn't be in the mood to attend this flower-fighting banquet. This is simply too much!"
The others looked at each other and then echoed the words.
But the expression on his face means "You're lucky to be alive, be content."
Zhong Yansheng's fingertips trembled, and he almost plucked the flowers in front of him.
Those people were wondering and discussing what Prince Ding was crazy about, but only he knew clearly that Xiao Nong was not looking for "Yuan Yuan" but "Yuan Yuan".
It seems that Xiao Nong had mistaken his identity and went to the Anping Marquis' Mansion... Although he felt a little sorry, Zhong Yansheng still breathed a sigh of relief and apologized to himself.
The young master of the Anping Marquis' mansion wiped his sweat, and the anger he had just expressed when he was telling the story had dissipated. He probably felt that being alive was already good enough, and he concluded with a gloomy face: "I really don't know the rest, and you guys should stop asking. Anyway, it's no good to be associated with that evil spirit. I see that Prince Ding is going to eat that person alive when he finds him!"
His tone was firm and sinister, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to his back. Zhong Yansheng couldn't help but touch his neck quietly. Thinking of the bite he gave Xiao Nong, his face turned bitter.
I didn't expect that after so long, His Royal Highness Prince Ding not only didn't calm down, but became even angrier.
He was now very glad that when Xiao Nong asked him his name, he thought he was overthinking and did not tell his real name, otherwise he would have been caught long ago.
He heard that they were still discussing whether the word "Yuan Yuan" violated some taboo of His Royal Highness Prince Ding. During the discussion, they looked at him strangely, as if wondering why he was standing there for so long.
Zhong Yansheng moved aside guiltily.
He felt sorry for having implicated the Anping Marquis' Mansion, but there was nothing he could do.
Zhong Yansheng didn't dare to eavesdrop anymore. He coughed, pulled Yuncheng, and whispered, "Yuncheng, I'm going to hide for a while. You help me watch over here. If anything happens, come and let me know."
Yun Cheng knew that he was feeling unwell due to catching a cold, and he didn't like being in the presence of so many people. He hesitated for a moment and asked worriedly, "Master, can you do it alone?"
"This is Jinghua Garden, no one will cause trouble, and no one will pay attention to me." Zhong Yansheng rubbed the tip of his nose and slowly went to the path next to him. "I'm going to take a rest."
The cold made his bones feel a little sore and his mind felt dizzy and drowsy.
The flower-fighting banquet will last until the evening, and Zhong Yansheng plans to find a quiet corner to rest for a while. He will show up when he should, and hide when he shouldn't. After all, wearing a veil will attract attention.
From the fork in the road on the side, there are two streaks of red flowers. After walking for a while, you can see a stone pavilion for viewing flowers, standing among the towering flowers, quiet and undisturbed by anyone.
Zhong Yansheng walked in happily, sat down, took off his veil, and breathed a sigh of relief.
I have been worried about Prince Ding these past few days. I couldn't sleep well thinking about attending the flower-fighting banquet, and I felt even worse that I caught a cold.
After sitting for a while, Zhong Yansheng felt a little sleepy.
The surroundings were filled with pleasant fragrance of flowers, no human voices, and the breeze on his face was very comfortable. He lay on the stone table, squinting his eyes and feeling drowsy.
Zhong Yansheng was half asleep and half awake, and he didn't know how long he had been lying there. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from afar. He quickly grabbed the veil that was placed beside him and put it on. Just as he straightened himself, he saw three or five people walking down the path. When they saw him, their eyes lit up: "Ha, so he is here!"
The veil blocked his view. When those people came closer, Zhong Yansheng could see who was the leader and his heart tightened.
Meng Qiping? Why is he here too? He isn't on the list that Yun Cheng found out!
Zhong Yansheng had lived for almost eighteen years and had never strongly disliked anyone.
Meng Qiping was the first one.
That day, Zhong Yansheng was drugged and verbally insulted. He slapped Meng Qiping hard and jumped out of the window and ran away.
It is obviously not a good thing to run into Meng Qiping alone now.
Zhong Yansheng's heart tightened, he pursed his lips, stood up and wanted to leave the pavilion and return to the crowd.
But before he got close to the pavilion exit, Meng Qiping winked and the two people behind him blocked his way. Zhong Yansheng vaguely remembered that these people were the ones who had supported Meng Qiping in the restaurant that day, probably his lackeys.
Meng Qiping's eyes were glued to him, sliding up and down like hooks, wishing he could strip him of his clothes. His tone was still disgusting: "I came here specifically to find you, why are you running away? Long time no see, Yan Yan, aren't you happy to see me?"
Zhong Yansheng frowned, thinking that he wanted to avenge the slap, but he didn't expect to hear Meng Qiping lower his voice and ask hatefully the next second: "Who slept with you that day?!"
Zhong Yansheng's eyes widened, and he took two steps back in astonishment.
Meng Qiping's voice was filled with reluctance: "My medicine is very strong, there is only one way to relieve it."
He took another step closer and stretched out his hand to lift Zhong Yansheng's hat: "Tell me, who is it?"
The more Meng Qiping thought about it, the angrier he became.
After Zhong Yansheng jumped out of the window that night, he felt guilty and waited until the patrolling censor left before he sent people to explore the waterway to look for him. He was worried that the beauty he had captured with great difficulty would fall into the hands of others, and he was also worried that if Zhong Yansheng died in the river, he would be visited by the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion.
As a result, after searching for half the night, they still couldn't find Zhong Yansheng in the river.
Since Zhong Yansheng is still alive, it means that others have naturally taken advantage of it.
Zhong Yansheng had learned his lesson and was highly alert to Meng Qiping. When he saw him approaching, he nimbly dodged to the side and frowned to warn: "Third Young Master Meng, this is Princess De's Jinghua Garden. There are many people outside. You'd better behave yourself."
Unexpectedly, Meng Qiping did not hold back after hearing this. Instead, he smiled grimly: "Little bitch, do you still think you are the young master of Huai'an Marquis' Mansion? Even if I carry you away today, no one will say anything."
The lackeys behind him also laughed: "Young Master, you have a beautiful face, why are you covering it up? Show us."
"Tsk, tsk, this voice, hoarse and soft, who are you trying to seduce?"
Zhong Yansheng's heart sank when he thought of the rumors about Meng Qiping that Yun Cheng had told him.
Meng Qiping stretched out his hand and tried to grab Zhong Yansheng's veil again.
Zhong Yansheng had been staring at his movements, and like a slippery little fish, he dodged sideways with his slender body.
He looked frail, but his posture was extremely beautiful when he moved. His belt fluttered in the wind, and the pomegranate flowers on his veil were as bright as fire, like a bird holding a bunch of red fruits, moving lightly among the branches and leaves.
Meng Qiping was pleased but also furious: "Hold him down for me!"
Zhong Yansheng was frightened and reflexively kicked Meng Qiping on the knee. Meng Qiping had never expected that he would dare to resist. He was caught off guard and his knee went weak, and he fell to his knees in front of Zhong Yansheng.
When has the third young master of the Meng family ever done this? Even for such an ignominious thing as accidentally killing a young prostitute on the bed of a brothel, the Duke of Pei and his wife were reluctant to punish him by making him kneel.
For a moment, not only the lackeys following behind, but even Meng Qiping was stunned.
Zhong Yansheng was startled, and his eyes wandered for a moment, but then he reacted and took advantage of the moment when those people were stunned to quickly run out of the pavilion.
Meng Qiping came back to his senses and yelled in anger, "What are you doing? Catch him here! I'm going to kill him in this pavilion today!"
Zhong Yansheng stayed in the deep house all year round and didn't like to move. He usually spoke and did things slowly. He only ran a few steps before he was caught up and surrounded by several tall and strong lackeys.
Meng Qiping patted his hem, followed and sneered, "You ungrateful little bitch, you've offended me, and now you don't have the protection of being the young master of the Huai'an Marquisate, who do you think will back you up?"
Zhong Yansheng pursed his lips and said nothing, slowly backing away as they approached, until he encountered dense branches and leaves behind him. He had no way to retreat, so he stood still, trying to think.
Among the children of the powerful and wealthy who came today, Meng Qiping's family background is one of the best. He is also extremely arrogant and domineering, and generally no one dares to mess with him.
Even if he shouted Yuncheng's name, it would not have much effect, and it might even cause Yuncheng to get beaten.
Even if he attracts other people, they might not help him. After all, although he still had a title, everyone knew that he was no longer the prince of Huai'an Marquisate.
Zhong Sidu...
Zhong Yansheng skipped over Zhong Sidu in his mind.
Zhong Sidu didn't like him, and he didn't want to trouble Zhong Sidu with Meng Qiping’s matter.
If he wants to escape from this dog-skin plaster of Meng Qiping, he has to find someone who can intimidate him.
Seeing that Zhong Yansheng didn't move, Meng Qiping was very proud. He was already imagining how to teach this disobedient little beauty to behave. He slapped away the hands that others wanted to reach out to him and said, "I'll do it."
As he said that, he went to catch Zhong Yansheng.
Zhong Yansheng turned around and dodged easily again.
This really irritated Meng Qiping. He was furious and was about to call on everyone to take action when he heard Zhong Yansheng take a deep breath. It seemed that he had heard someone laugh at his Gusu accent before. This time he spoke clearly and in a low voice: "Who said that no one supports me?"
The voice, already hoarse from the cold, became even deeper, unlike its usual soft and gentle voice. At first glance, it sounded quite powerful.
Meng Qiping was startled by his intimidation, and then he couldn't stop sneering: "How funny, you have offended my Duke Pei Mansion, who do you think can protect you?"
A few lackeys followed suit and laughed.
Zhong Yansheng tried to remain calm: "Someone you are afraid of."
"Huh?" Meng Qiping found it even more amusing. "Then tell me, who is he?"
Zhong Yansheng stared at him and spoke word by word: "Your Highness Prince Ding."
Before, when they were at Changliu Villa, Xiao Nong had said that if there was anything, they could come to him.
Even though these words were probably not spoken sincerely, and now that he was at odds with Prince Ding, Zhong Yansheng still felt somewhat confident.
Upon hearing this name, everyone's face couldn't help but reveal a hint of fear and dread.
The lackeys stopped laughing, and even Meng Qiping fell silent, and the surroundings fell into dead silence.
They immediately looked at each other and realized that what Zhong Yansheng said was simply a fantasy. They suddenly burst into even crazier laughter: "Oh my god, young master Zhong, you really know how to tell jokes!"
"Prince Ding? Did I hear that correctly? Hahahaha!"
Meng Qiping came back to his senses and almost thought that Zhong Yansheng was cute for trying to talk nonsense. He sneered, "Prince Ding? How stupid you are! You can even say such a thing. That Prince Ding of yours has been biting people, like a mad dog, everywhere these days!"
The moment he finished speaking, he felt a chill on his neck.
A cold, thin blade, like a poisonous snake, silently stuck to the side of his neck.
Zhong Yansheng's pupils shrank.
A familiar smell wafted over from behind me, the bitter aroma of medicine and the cold breath, like a piece of snow falling on my eyelids in winter.
The person behind him came over in a low, magnetic voice, with a hint of smile, but more of a chilling coldness: "Who am I biting?"
Dead silence.
Even the sound of petals falling to the ground seemed audible.
The lackeys were so frightened that they fell to their knees, buried their heads and dared not make a sound.
Meng Qiping didn't even dare to kneel. The sword on his neck was almost in contact with his skin. The slightest movement would cut a wound. The cold iron gave him goose bumps all over his body. His body was so weak that he almost collapsed, but he was too stiff to move. His eyes were wide open, and he was breathing rapidly, like a dying frog.
Zhong Yansheng also froze.
The person behind him stepped out through the flowers. In the slightly blurred vision through the veil of his veil, a vague dark blue dress appeared. Silver embroidered patterns of mountains, rivers and flying cranes were faintly visible in the sunlight. He was wearing narrow sleeves and a jade belt. He walked leisurely in the garden, brushed past his shoulder slowly, and stopped in front of him.
Very tall and mighty.
He looked very tall when sitting in the wheelchair, and even taller than Zhong Yansheng had imagined when he stood up, almost a head taller than him, so he had to tilt his head slightly to see him.
The tall figure cast a shadow over Zhong Yansheng. It was unclear whether it was innate or the aura honed from years of conquest. Even with his back to him, he felt extremely oppressive. If they were facing each other, it would probably be even more suffocating.
He was back-facing Zhong Yansheng, and his neck was squarely in Zhong Yansheng's sight.
An ambiguous and erotic bite mark was clearly imprinted on the slender neck that no one dared to covet. Even with limited vision, it was extremely clear.
Zhong Yansheng's head buzzed, and in a place where no one could see, a heat like fire suddenly rushed from his neck to his face, hot as fire.
He swallowed hard.
Could it be that His Royal Highness Prince Ding's medicine was taken away by him, so there is no medicine to apply?
Are you going to walk around every day with such an indecent mark on your face?
Did he really bite so hard that night?
Zhong Yansheng's eyes were wandering, and he was also feeling guilt and fear.
I don't know how much Xiao Nong heard behind the leaves just now, but he obviously heard Meng Qiping's words very clearly.
Meng Qiping had already lost the arrogance he had at the beginning. Sweat continued to seep out, soaking his hair. His face was pale, and his lips were trembling. He didn't know how to explain: "Your Highness Prince Ding, Prince Ding... I..."
Xiao Nong took out a handkerchief, lowered his head and slowly wiped the flower juice on his fingers: "Jinghua Garden is full of romance and beauty, it is not appropriate to kill."
Hearing this, Meng Qiping's shrunken pupils relaxed slightly, and he forced a smile: "Thank you, Your Majesty..."
Then he said casually: "Just cut off a finger."
Zhan Rong stood behind Meng Qiping with a cold expression, holding his sword, and responded neatly, "Yes."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a slight-muffled sound of a sharp blade cutting through flesh and bones.
Almost at the same time, Meng Qiping let out a horrifying scream: "You dare, ah... ah ah ah ah!"
Several lackeys nearby were shaking so much, gasping in horror and almost fainting from fright. But before Meng Qiping could howl a few times, a relatively calm one saw Xiao Nong narrowing his eyes, as if he was annoyed by the noise. He immediately felt a chill and rushed over to cover Meng Qiping's mouth.
Everything became quiet again.
Zhong Yansheng has a good sense of smell.
Even though most of Xiao Nong's body blocked the bloody scene, he still smelled a faint smell of blood, which mixed with the fragrance of flowers in the garden, making him even more sickening.
He felt a chill on his back, so he took soft breaths and tried to sneak away through the bushes behind.
Just as he took a step, Xiao Nong turned around as if he had eyes behind him.
Without the white veil covering his eyes, Zhong Yansheng saw Xiao Nong's true face for the first time.
In the backlight, the face was still handsome and noble, with deep contour lines that were smooth and cold. The eyes were slightly narrow, and the pupils were extremely beautiful. The dark blue color was faintly visible in the deep black, like a priceless sapphire tribute by a foreign vassal. It was handsome with a bit of exotic style, and sharp and indifferent when looking at people.
Facing each other head on, the feeling of oppression is even stronger.
Zhong Yansheng's eyes swept across the thin lips that were slightly raised but did not seem to be smiling. His mind inappropriately flashed across the image of him biting those lips when he was confused. He also glanced at the faint bite marks on the side of his neck. His ears felt burning more and more. If he hadn't been wearing a veil, they would have almost smoked. He couldn't help but take another step back.
"How come I don't know that I'm protecting you?"
A familiar voice fell into my ears, clearer and closer than before in the carriage.
Zhong Yansheng felt a lump in his throat.
He just wanted to find a character that Meng Qiping would be afraid of, and the first person he thought of was Xiao Nong.
Little did he know that Xiao Nong was not far behind him.
But Xiao Nong didn't seem to need his answer.
Those beautiful dark blue eyes, just like in his memory, stared at him without blinking, very aggressively.
"You." Xiao Nong's tone carried a barely perceptible burning feeling as he slowly spoke, "Take off your veil."
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