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Chapter 24 - Xiao Nong: Peaceful And Clear Night
Xiao Nong's attitude couldn't be said to be unfriendly, but it wasn't very kind either, so he didn't know what his intention was.
If other people had asked, Marquis Huai'an would have probably already forced a smile on his face, said with a hint of pride that it was his son who gave it to him, and then showed it off with a smile.
But the person who asked was Xiao Nong.
Xiao Nong has the title of 'prince', and is considered half a royal family member. His Royal Highness Prince Ding has unclear intentions and controls numerous troops.
For some hidden reasons, Huai'an Marquis was a little wary, but his expression remained unchanged: "I didn't expect that Your Highness would be interested in such a small seal? Although the Tian Huang stone seal is expensive, it should be no different from dirt in Your Highness' eyes."
Xiao Nong slowly stroked the seal twice and lowered his eyes.
Huai'an Marquis did not answer the question directly, but changed the subject.
The moment he saw this jade seal, he lost his composure.
After days of stroking the seal that Xiao Nong carried with him, almost every pattern on it was engraved in his heart. The moment he got the seal, he was almost certain that the Tian Huang stone seal of Huai'an Marquis was made of the same material as his, and was even carved by the same carver.
Although this cannot directly prove anything, every single thing is related to Zhong Yansheng.
Too many coincidences are no longer coincidences.
Thinking of the strange face under the veil...
If Yuan Yuan was good at painting, it would not be surprising that he could paint his face like that.
Xiao Nong put the Tian Huang stone seal back on the desk very naturally. When he looked up again, there was a smile on the corner of his mouth. The charming glimmer in his eyes had been completely restrained. There was no trace of the toughness and indifference a few breaths ago. He said in a casual tone: "It just so happens that I want to carve a casual seal recently. There is not much good quality Tian Huang stone in the warehouse. The seal of the Marquis is of good quality. I just like it a little."
Really?
Huai'an Marquis's eyes were full of suspicion. He had heard that Xiao Nong had been looking for someone very seriously recently, and the person's name was the same as Yuan Yuan's.
The Marquis of Huai'an naturally trusted Zhong Yansheng very much. His youngest son was always quiet and well-behaved, gentle and shy. He never caused trouble, let alone trouble Prince Ding. The person Xiao Nong was looking for could not be him.
Marquis Huai'an thought slowly in his heart, but still didn't want to mention Zhong Yansheng in front of Xiao Nong.
But before this, he brought his private seal to the office and was seen and questioned by his colleagues. He also mentioned that it was given by his son. Xiao Nong could find out from other people without having to check.
Huai'an Marquis thought about it and vaguely mentioned the key point with a look of regret: "So that's how it is. The seal was given by my son. It's a pity that the seal has a private seal, otherwise I would have given it to you."
Xiao Nong didn't expect that he would say such polite words. He looked at Huai'an Marquis with interest. After all, Huai'an Marquis was famous for being solemn and serious and not good at talking.
Thinking of this, Xiao Nong suddenly remembered that when he was reviewing the case files related to the late crown prince yesterday, he saw the name of Marquis Huai'an, as well as another name by which Marquis Huai'an was revealed after the incident of the late crown prince.
Treachery.
—More than 20 years ago, the Huai'an Marquis Mansion was involved in a disturbance and was convicted of smuggling salt, raising private soldiers, and having rebellious intentions. The evidence was enough to implicate all nine generations of the family.
The entire family, including the Marquis of Huai'an and his wife, was imprisoned.
The old Marquis of Huai'an died suddenly in prison due to shock and illness. If the late crown prince had not found evidence at the critical moment and overturned the case for the Zhong family on the execution ground, the Marquis of Huai'an would have long been killed by the executioner.
The late Crown Prince saved the lives of more than a hundred people in the Zhong family.
But when the late crown prince got into trouble, the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion decisively drew a line, kept silent, and stayed away from all right and wrong - it was right to protect oneself, after all, until now, no one dared to mention the late crown prince's name, but the behavior of the Huai'an Marquis' Mansion made people feel somewhat subtle.
This was probably the reason why the remnants of the former crown prince fled the capital and headed straight for Jinfu Temple, holding the marquis' wife and her newborn son hostage.
Xiao Nong raised his hand, glanced at the tactless official beside him, and gestured for a chair to be brought over. He looked as calm as if this was his palace, not the Dali Temple, and he was not here to cooperate with the investigation, but was the master of the Dali Temple.
The minor official next to him was startled when he saw him. Even though he had seen many ferocious criminals, none of them were as frightening as the rumored murderous Prince Ding. He quickly moved a chair over.
Xiao Nong sat leisurely, his arrogance slightly restrained, but his fierce and noble aura was still hard to ignore: "Sit down."
Huai'an Marquis: "..."
Marquis Huai'an was unsure of what the Prince Ding, who always behaved strangely, wanted to do. He remained silent for a moment and sat down as he was told.
Knowing that his previous misbehavior had aroused the Marquis of Huai'an vigilance, Xiao Nong's eyes were dark, and with a smile on his face, he started to gossip: "I have recently heard about the turmoil in the Marquis of Huai'an mansion. It is really a pity that the family has been separated for many years."
Huai'an Marquis was not sure what this person meant, and he couldn't understand how Huai'an Marquis' Mansion could arouse his interest, so he became more cautious: "Such a trivial matter actually fell into the ears of His Highness."
"The two young masters are very handsome." Xiao Nong sat as steady as a mountain and smiled slightly, "I also met with the young master."
It would have been better if he didn't say anything. As soon as he mentioned this, Marquis Huai'an remembered the news from the day of the Flower Fighting Banquet - Prince Ding showed up in Jinghua Garden and not only ordered people to cut off one of Meng Qiping's fingers, but he also used a sword to pick the flower on his youngest son's veil and snatched it away!
The flowers in the flower-fighting banquet have special meanings, so how can they be picked casually?
However, Xiao Nong's sudden act of cutting off someone's fingers that day was terrifying, and the victim was Meng Qiping from the Duke of Pei's Mansion. In comparison, snatching the flowers was a trivial matter. The Marquis of Huai'an and his wife were more worried about Zhong Yansheng's safety and did not ask about the matter in detail.
Huai'an Marquis's face suddenly turned a little dark, and his eyes changed when he looked at Xiao Nong.
Originally, I had only heard that His Royal Highness Prince Ding had a fickle temperament, acted treacherously and unruly, and was quite arrogant, but I didn't expect him to be so frivolous and reckless!
Fortunately, Yuan'er is a boy and no one gossips about him. If he were a girl, what would happen if the news got out?
Xiao Nong was suddenly glared at by the Marquis of Huai'an. His back stiffened for no apparent reason, and he could not help but sit straighter. His tone was still casual: "The eldest son is good at poetry and calligraphy, and the youngest son is good at painting. The Marquis is very blessed."
His Royal Highness Prince Ding always does things as he pleases wherever he goes, and has never been so polite to others.
Marquis Huai'an was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and just wanted to end the topic quickly, so he reluctantly said a few polite words: "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Ding. They are just humble young boys, and it is a great honor for them to be praised by Your Highness. Your Highness came to the Dali Temple, probably for the matter of the Third Young Master Meng. Please!"
After saying this, there was no response for a while.
Marquis Huai'an frowned secretly, and when he looked up, he met Xiao Nong's eyes, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
How to describe Prince Ding's eyes?
It's icy cold, scorching hot, undercurrents are surging, and extremely dangerous.
Marquis Huai'an shuddered for no reason, and subconsciously felt a little flustered as if he had said something wrong.
But after thinking it over, he didn't realize that there was anything wrong with what he said - Huai'an Marquis' Mansion had nothing to do with Prince Ding, and he also avoided talking about Zhong Yansheng.
In just a moment, Xiao Nong's expression returned to normal, as if it was just Huai'an Marquis' dazzle.
I don't know if it's an illusion, but the sharp edge around His Royal Highness Prince Ding seemed to have been restrained a lot, and the smile on the corners of his lips seemed much kinder, and his attitude was more than a little better: "Please."
Originally, everyone in the Dali Temple was so worried about how they could ask this gentleman to cooperate with them without offending him, to at least fool the Duke's wife and the Duke of Pei who were about to faint from tears.
Unexpectedly, His Royal Highness Prince Ding not only came today by himself, but also cooperated with their investigation.
While the officials of the Dali Temple were secretly rejoicing, Zhong Yansheng also returned to the Huai'an Marquis Mansion.
When he left, he took Xiao Wenlan's carriage, but when he came back, he took Xiao Nong's carriage.
Zhong Yansheng was sweating nervously all the way. He secretly lifted the curtain to look outside and found that the carriage had returned to the Marquis' Mansion instead of going to Prince Ding's Mansion. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiao Nong gave him a wheelchair and sent a carriage to take him back. His attitude was strange, and he thought he was discovered.
As Zhong Yansheng stood up from the wheelchair, lifted the curtain and carefully got off the carriage, he thought quietly, it seems that His Royal Highness Prince Ding still has a conscience. When his pet hurt him, he sent medicine and rescued him.
Maybe I misunderstood him before. He should be a good person.
The secret guard driving the carriage made sure that Zhong Yansheng was safe, then he bowed respectfully and prepared to leave.
Even his subordinates are so polite.
Zhong Yansheng called out obediently: "Thank you for sending me back. Please go back safely and thank His Highness for me."
This familiar sense of being well-behaved and polite is quite similar to the young master from some time ago.
The secret guard was stunned for a moment, then responded respectfully: "Yes!"
After watching the secret guards get back on the carriage, Zhong Yansheng slowly entered the Marquis' mansion.
He left home at noon and came back when it was almost dark. There were holes in his veil and knees. Zhong Yansheng was afraid that the marquis' wife would see it and cause her to worry, so he deliberately told the doorman not to say anything and took a long and less crowded route to Chunwuyuan.
The sky was getting dark, and it was quiet all around. In the past, when Zhong Yansheng walked this road, Yun Cheng always accompanied him and he was not afraid. But today, Yun Cheng took sick leave and he was alone. As he walked, he felt uneasy.
The wind swayed the tree shadows, and there were many ghostly shadows. He felt a little nervous and could not help but quicken his pace.
When he was almost halfway there, he caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye.
Zhong Yansheng's hair stood on end and goose bumps appeared all over his body, and he noticed that the figure was quite familiar.
It's Zhong Sidu.
The latter stood with his hands behind his back in front of the rockery in the yard, not knowing what he was doing.
Although Zhong Sidu hated himself, it was better to see a human being than a ghost.
Zhong Yansheng was scared all the way, and hurried over there, his voice trembling: "Zhong Sidu?"
The shadow paused, turned around, and had familiar features. It was indeed Zhong Sidu.
When the latter saw him, he looked at him with a look that was either cold or annoyed. His brows knitted together, and he looked him up and down: "What are you doing here like this?"
Zhong Yansheng was puzzled. He hadn't even asked yet, so why did Zhong Sidu ask him first?
However, Zhong Yansheng was not used to arguing with others, so he answered honestly: "My clothes were torn, and I was afraid that mother would find out, if I walked back through the front yard."
Zhong Sidu: "Wouldn't it be nice to let mother know?"
It seemed how worried his mother was about Zhong Yansheng when he came back from the flower-fighting banquet.
He didn't even have time to look at his own son a few more times, and was only concerned about asking Zhong Yansheng's well-being.
Zhong Yansheng didn't seem to notice his sarcasm, and said in a serious tone: "If mother knows, she will be worried. I am already grown up, and I shouldn't make her worry."
When he was a child, he suffered from many illnesses, both serious and minor, which made the Marquis of Huai'an and his wife worried for a long time. When he grew up, Zhong Yansheng didn't want to make them worry about him anymore.
His tone was sincere, without any falsehood in his voice, and there was no one else around, so there was no need to tell lies.
Therefore, it seemed that Zhong Sidu, who mocked him, was particularly inhuman.
Zhong Sidu seemed to be choked, turned around and left.
Zhong Yansheng managed to hold on for half of the way, but he didn't dare to walk the rest of the way by himself. When he saw him walking away, he hurriedly chased after him: "Slow down."
Zhong Sidu originally wanted to shake off Zhong Yansheng and leave alone, but when he saw him following him, he got inexplicably angry**: "Why are you following me? Can't you just walk away on your own?"**
Zhong Yansheng hesitated for a moment, and said timidly but honestly: "I'm afraid."
Zhong Sidu: “…”
Are you so timid as to walk on this deserted path?
Just to prevent the Marquis' wife from worrying?
Zhong Sidu wanted to find evidence that Zhong Yansheng had lied, but he couldn't.
This road is so secluded, Zhong Yansheng couldn't have known that he would be here and come to him specifically to put on a show.
He silently glanced at Zhong Yansheng who was following closely behind him.
The boy was shorter than him and had a slender stature. He followed him quietly, as if afraid of being left behind. Even though he couldn't see his face, he could imagine the expression on that beautiful face.
With a hint of pure ignorance, it is like a bird that always lives in a warm nest and will not be disturbed by any wind or waves. It quietly looks at the people coming and going. It looks so fragile, yet so flexible, and will not be easily destroyed.
Zhong Sidu clenched his fist silently, and suddenly said coldly: "I will never like you."
Zhong Yansheng's vision was blocked by the veil, and it was dark, so he couldn't see the road clearly. He was trying to find the way when he heard this voice. He was startled for a moment and nodded: "Okay."
After saying that, he asked back: "Then do you like the Marquis Mansion?"
Zhong Sidu paused for a moment and didn't say yes or no.
Zhong Yansheng glanced at him secretly and figured out that the answer was probably leaning towards yes.
If this is the case, then the fate of the Marquis' Mansion being destroyed by the real young master in the dream story should have changed.
Everyone in the Marquis' Mansion will be fine, and Yun Cheng will not die.
He smiled with relief: "That's good."
Then he said nothing more.
……That's all?
Zhong Sidu's brows knitted tighter**: "Don't you have anything else to say?"**
Zhong Yansheng didn't know what else to say. After thinking for a while, his voice became soft and gentle. The tune that fell into his ears was very comfortable. Every word he said was very considerate: "You don't like me, and you have your reasons. No one in the world can force you to let go of your grudges and accept me. I just know this. Don't worry, I won't be in front of you often."
Zhong Sidu became more and more annoyed as he listened.
He only understood one meaning.
Zhong Yansheng actually didn't care whether he liked him or disliked him.
After walking for such a distance, Chunwuyuan was not far ahead. Zhong Yansheng wanted to continue talking to Zhong Sidu and tell him that he was going to make things clear with Huai'an Marquis and let Zhong Sidu return to his ancestral home and restore his identity as soon as possible.
Before he could finish his words, Zhong Sidu's steps suddenly became much faster. In just three or two steps, he left the slow-moving Zhong Yansheng behind and left without saying a word.
Zhong Yansheng was stunned and felt a little aggrieved.
It's fine if you don't like him, but why don't you even want to talk to him?
Forget it. If I tell it out loud, it will probably be misunderstood. I should wait for Marquis Huai'an to come back and explain it clearly as soon as possible.
Zhong Yansheng turned towards Chunwuyuan, preparing to go back to his room first to wash off the messy paintings on his face and then change into clean clothes.
The sky grew darker, and it passed the time when Huai'an Marquis returned to the mansion in the past.
Zhong Yansheng first went to have dinner with the Marquis' wife. For some reason Zhong Sidu didn't come, so he went to visit Yun Cheng, but was driven out by Yun Cheng for fear of infecting him. He returned to the room bored, holding his chin and waiting. He yawned all the time before he heard a report from downstairs that the Marquis of Huai'an had returned.
Not only did he come back, he also asked him to go to the study in the main courtyard.
Zhong Yansheng was cheered up and immediately went there. When he arrived at Huai'an Marquis' study, he found that Huai'an Marquis looked tired and had not even changed out of his official uniform. It was obvious that he had been busy all day and was rubbing his forehead with a headache.
Hearing him coming, he looked up and said, "Everyone else, step back."
Seeing that he seemed to have a headache, Zhong Yansheng approached and rubbed Huai'an Marquis's head intimately: "Dad, what's the matter with you calling me over?"
After rubbing for a while, Huai'an Marquis waved his hands and looked at him seriously, as if he was considering how to start the conversation.
The last time the father and son had such a serious conversation in the study... was when Zhong Yansheng advised the Marquis of Huai'an not to engage in corruption.
He felt guilty for a moment, and his eyes wandered. Then he heard Huai'an Marquis ask, "Yuan Yuan, do you know Prince Ding?"
Zhong Yansheng's hair almost exploded, but fortunately he had been through a lot today and was not easily startled. He tried to stay calm and said, "I don't know him, what's wrong, Dad?"
Fortunately, the Marquis of Huai'an was probably just asking casually, and he didn't think he knew Xiao Nong. He frowned and shook his head, saying, "Nothing. Today, Prince Ding went to the Dali Temple to cooperate with the investigation. I met him and I felt that his temperament was a bit strange."
Zhong Yansheng thought to himself, you haven't seen enough. His Royal Highness Prince Ding's temper is more than just a little weird.
That's pretty weird.
Marquis Huai'an pondered for a while, looked at his youngest son who had black hair hanging down and looked exceptionally soft and quiet, and did not continue to talk about Xiao Nong's strangeness.
This child is so fragile that he should not be involved with a person like Prince Ding.
"Go back." Huai'an Marquis suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and solemnly reminded him, "Stop playing around and study hard with your brother."
Zhong Sidu had just said "I won't like you" half an hour ago, and Zhong Yansheng had also promised not to hang around him, so how could he agree to this? He hummed vaguely, and his face became serious: "Dad, I have something to tell you too."
Huai'an Marquis: "Go on."
"I want to discuss with you to let my brother recognize his ancestral roots as soon as possible and return his status as the heir of the Marquis of Huai'an."
Zhong Yansheng raised his eyes, his dark eyes were bright and clear, filled with a gentle and transparent sincerity: "I know you and mother are worried about me, so you haven't mentioned this matter yet, but brother has suffered much more than me. Things that should have belonged to him have been kept with me, so he can't help but feel uncomfortable, and I am also uneasy."
At the beginning, Zhong Yansheng was naturally sad and upset, unlike now, when he could accept everything calmly.
But he was lucky because he knew everything in advance in his dream, so he slowly adjusted his mood and tried to think about how to take each path.
...Although the path of building a good relationship with the real young master is going in the wrong direction.
Marquis Huai'an did not expect Zhong Yansheng to take the initiative to talk about these things. Looking at those eyes, he felt a sense of long-lost familiarity.
He was stunned for a moment and sighed silently.
Zhong Yansheng was still thinking: "I looked at the almanac. The end of next month is my brother's birthday, which is also an auspicious day. Choosing that time should be just right... Dad?"
[Almanac = a book containing a calendar of days, weeks, and months and usually facts about the rising and setting of the sun and moon, changes in the tides, and information of general interest.]
Huai'an Marquis came back to his senses and said in a deep voice: "Father will arrange this matter."
The two were talking and didn't notice the figure who stayed outside the door for a long time and then left in a hurry.
As the night deepens, the moonlight becomes more like water.
When Xiao Nong returned to Prince Ding's Mansion and stepped into the study, the secret guard who had been gathering information had already returned.
Xiao Nong took out the Tian Huang stone seal that had become increasingly smooth after being fiddled with, and examined it against the light: "What's the news?"
The more you look at it, the more it looks like it's made from the same material.
He almost had the answer in his mind, all he lacked was direct evidence.
I still feel a little unhappy deep down.
He actually gave away two identical Tian Huang stone seals.
It wasn't sent just for him.
The secret guard kneeling behind him lowered his head and began to report: "Before the age of seven, Young Master Zhong had only left the palace once, which was the time when he met King Jing. No news has been received from Gusu yet, and the spies will not be back for another two days. However, most of the news after Young Master Zhong returned to the capital was false and superficial, and no one knew where he came from."
Xiao Nong narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who spread the news?"
"Your Highness, we haven't found out yet, but we can be sure that they are not the same group of people who spread the rumor that Young Master Zhong was a fake a few days ago."
The false news started spreading as soon as Zhong Yansheng returned to Beijing, and it had no impact on him personally.
What is the purpose of these people?
Xiao Nong tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips: "Continue investigating."
"Yes." The secret guard lowered his head and said, "There is one more thing, which is related to the Second Young Master."
Hearing Xiao Wenlan, Xiao Nong was not very interested: "Go ahead."
"In the middle of last month, the Second Young Master and a few friends met Young Master Zhong in the East Market." The secret guard didn't know about the Tian Huang stone seal, so he put it off until later. While speaking, he paid attention to Xiao Nong's expression, fearing that he might get impatient. "Young Master Zhong was in a jade shop at the time. After being pulled out by the Second Young Master, he bumped into your carriage."
Xiao Nong paused as his fingertips touched the chapter, and some forgotten memories suddenly flashed back into his mind.
In the middle of last month…the day when Yuan Yuan failed to show up despite breaking his promise.
There was an urgent imperial edict from the capital, so he went to the capital to handle the affairs. He met Xiao Wenlan who was about to go drinking with his friends.
The poison in his eyes had not yet cleared up, and they were blocked by the gauze. In his blurred vision, he could see the soft black hair kneeling beside Xiao Wenlan...
Xiao Nong's breathing became heavy: "Jade shop?"
"Yes," the secret guard didn't expect Xiao Nong to care about this. He was flustered by being stared at and quickly added, "I questioned the shop assistants. They were very impressed by Young Master Zhong. They said that Young Master Zhong was handsome and wealthy..."
"He just bought two Tian Huang stone seals and carved a casual seal on one of them."
It was hard to tell whether Xiao Nong was happy or angry on his face. He suddenly looked at the seal in his hand, and the four words "Peaceful And Clear Night" were clearly visible.
The choking powder, the conspicuous veil, the sallow complexion that didn't match the snow-white, slender neck, the contradictory statements...
The little bird's disguise is actually very poor.
It's just that you chose the wrong direction at the beginning, so you were deceived by these disguises full of flaws.
Too naughty.
The secret guard was waiting for Xiao Nong's response, but after a long time without receiving any response, he raised his eyes slightly and happened to see his eyes, and was shocked.
It was just like a cheetah that had been hungry for a long time. After searching for a long time, it suddenly found the hiding place of its prey at this moment, and its eyes were full of ferocity.
Determined to win, hungry and greedy.
Xiao Nong untied the red forehead band on his wrist and slowly tied it on the transparent seal.
Young Master Zhong.
Should he grab his exposed tail and tell him that naughty children will be punished?
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