Ch. 74 - Zhong Yansheng: You can come, but I can't?

When the door was pushed open, Pei Hong rushed in quickly and saw Zhong Yansheng lying on the table. He raised his head dazedly as if he had just been woken up.

Unexpectedly, the person was just across the door. Pei Hong was relieved. After all the hustle and bustle, he didn't blame him. His tone was still gentle: "Xiao Sheng, why are you in this room? Didn't you hear the noise outside just now?"

Zhong Yansheng rubbed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice: "I... didn't sleep well last night. I walked into the wrong room and fell asleep on the table."

The light in the room was dim. He lowered his head, his eye circles and nose tip were red, and his lips were also bright red, as if they were a crushed petal, exuding a thick, moist fragrance that made people dare not look at him any longer.

Pei Hong froze for a moment, glanced at the half-open window in the room, not knowing whether to believe his words or not. After a slight pause, he nodded: "Then wash your face and wake up. I'll eat something with you, and then we'll go back to the palace."

Zhong Yansheng grumbled, hesitated for a while, then stood up and obediently went to wash his face. His clothes rustled as he moved, and he breathed in a cool breath.

Even though his clothes were the softest, the red and swollen areas from being sucked still felt uncomfortable from the friction.

The feeling of being bitten and sucked still remains, his scalp is still tingling, and his hands and feet are weak.

Just before Pei Hong came in, Xiao Nong pushed him to the table and kissed him while tying his belt. He was so bold that his heart almost jumped out of his throat.

His breathing is still disordered.

Xiao Nong always looked like he wished he could die on him. He was too aggressive. When he was with Xiao Nong, all other emotions would fade away.

Zhong Yansheng was actually in a very bad mood these days. He had been in a bad mood since he returned to the palace and heard that Concubine Zhuang had passed away.

Xiao Nong had been keeping an eye on the news from the palace. He must have known his condition and tricked him out on purpose. Although it was a bit unreasonable... it did comfort him in another weird way.

Now that stuffy feeling seemed to be squeezed out of my chest.

So shameful.

It was as if Xiao had sucked away all my troubles...

When Zhong Yansheng thought of this, he felt like his brain was about to explode. He wiped his face twice, suspecting that he had been fooled by Xiao Nong.

It's necrotic.

He cursed Xiao Nong again in his heart, and when he went out again, he bent his waist slightly to avoid the pain of friction from the clothes.

Pei Hong had already called everyone outside back and was waiting outside alone.

When Zhong Yansheng saw him, he remembered what had just happened in the room. He really didn't dare to look at him and apologized quietly: "Your Highness Prince Jing, I'm sorry."

Pei Hong was distracted for some reason. When he heard his voice, he came back to his senses. He shook his fan and smiled, "What are you talking about? I'm glad you're okay. I thought you were kidnapped just now."

Zhong Yansheng was too guilty to say a word.

Perhaps Pei Hong had given the order, and Zhong Yansheng's current status was different, so he could not be discussed casually as before. After returning to the private room next door, no one asked any more questions.

Only Xiao Wenlan, who was not very tactful, came over like a puppy and asked anxiously: "My little prince, where did you go just now?"

Zhong Yansheng: “…”

I was taken away by your cousin.

Pei Hong saw Xiao Wenlan approaching again, and raised his hand impatiently and knocked Xiao Wenlan's head with his fan: "That's enough, Second Young Master Xiao, why are you talking so much? I can't even get a word in. Xiao Sheng, try these two dishes. I asked the chef from Gusu to cook them specially."

His Royal Highness Prince Jing spoke, and Xiao Wenlan had to shrink back and sighed regretfully.

It's a rare occasion that his brother gives him a task, and he hasn't shown enough performance yet.

Although he didn't know why his brother asked him to say these things, what his brother said was definitely right.

Xiao Wenlan stopped talking, and Zhong Yansheng also quietly lowered his head to eat. The discomfort of the others gradually subsided, and they started chatting with Pei Hong.

This group of people are all second-generation rich kids in their families. They have a deep relationship with Pei Hong, and they all stand on Pei Hong's side.

The news of the Prince of De and Pei Hong's fiancée's affair last time was spread, which completely offended everyone. Everyone was indignant for Pei Hong. After a few drinks, they talked about the Prince of De: "I heard that the Prince of De was punished again a few days ago?"

"Hey, hasn't Prince De been very honest these past two months? He has changed his past behavior. What did he do to be punished?"

"I don't know, but His Majesty has always been lenient towards the King De. He was punished for two days and then released."

Zhong Yansheng thought about the blame he had pushed onto Prince De, smiled secretly with his eyes curved, and then returned to his innocent and harmless look.

"I heard from my father that His Majesty's old illness recurred in the autumn, and he has been unable to attend court these days. Your Highness, Prince Jing, how about I ask my uncle to find some prescriptions for you and present them to Your Majesty? We can't let Prince De take all the credit!"

Hearing this, Pei Hong knocked on the table with his fan, signaling them to shut up: "Okay, what are you talking about."

Everyone then remembered that Zhong Yansheng was also a competitive prince, and was being brought by His Majesty, so they all shut up immediately.

Pei Hong's fingers twirled the wine glass skillfully, and he said leisurely, "I know you all have good intentions, but I just want to be a good person."

Be a good person?

Everyone was still a little confused. Pei Hong drank the wine in his glass, turned around and asked Zhong Yansheng with a smile: "Xiao Sheng, are you full?"

Zhong Yansheng had already put down his bamboo chopsticks, and like the chick pecked at the rice nodded its head.

"Then let's go back."

Pei Hong was like a good brother who doted on his younger brother. He stood up when he heard the voice and said, "I will send Xiao Sheng back to the palace first, and then come back to accompany you."

Everyone responded, only Xiao Wenlan was reluctant to leave: "Your Highness, please come out and play more often. It's so boring in the palace."

Zhong Yansheng thought about it, and before he stood up, he leaned close to Xiao Wenlan and whispered, "Second Young Master Xiao, can the big cat you took us to the other courtyard to see last time do a backflip?"

Xiao Wenlan: “Ah?”

Zhong Yansheng gritted his teeth and said, "If it can't do it, I won't go to Prince Ding's Mansion anymore."

Xiao Wenlan was horrified.

Before Xiao Wenlan could react, Zhong Yansheng stood up and followed Pei Hong out of the house.

"Xiao Sheng, what do you think of the food in this restaurant? Are they to your taste?"

Zhong Yansheng's mind was full of Xiao Nong just now, and he didn't pay any attention to the dishes. When he heard Pei Hong's question, he nodded hesitantly: "It's good."

Pei Hong did not ask any further questions about Zhong Yansheng's sudden disappearance. Hearing this, he smiled and said**, "It's good that it suits your taste. I'll pack some for you when I go to the palace next time."**

Zhong Yansheng didn't expect that he still remembered all this. He was stunned for a moment, and felt both apologetic and grateful in his heart: "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Jing."

His Royal Highness Prince Jing was such a nice person, he specially brought him out to relax, but he ended up secretly running off to hang out with Xiao Nong.

Hearing his unfamiliar name, Pei Hong pretended to sigh sadly and said resentfully: "When will you be willing to call brother King Jing, Xiao Sheng?"

Zhong Yansheng suddenly paused, his eyes drawn to someone not far away: "Who is that?"

Not far away, a familiar figure followed two people into another restaurant opposite. The figure flashed by, but Zhong Yansheng still recognized it.

Pei Hong followed his line of sight and looked over: "Hmm? What? Did you see someone you know? Do you want me to take you over to see him?"

Zhong Yansheng hesitated and said, "Your Highness Prince Jing, I think I saw Zhong Sidu just now."

Why did Zhong Sidu come to the restaurant? He used to study and practice calligraphy at home, and he strongly disapproved of wasting time, so he looked down on Xiao Wenlan.

Apart from Mr. Zhou, Zhong Yansheng had never met anyone who loved reading so much.

"Oh? The son of the Marquis of Huai'an." Pei Hong didn't care much**. "Now that he is very famous, many people want to make friends with him."**

Zhong Yansheng thought about it and still didn't go over to find Zhong Sidu.

He had already brought enough trouble to the Marquis' Mansion, and Zhong Sidu had also suffered a lot because of him as he was stranded outside.

If the old emperor noticed that he was getting close to the Zhong family, he would definitely do something to punish him.

However, he has asked Xiao Nong to send someone to look after the Marquis' Mansion. With Xiao Nong looking after it, nothing should go wrong.

The two of them got on the carriage. Zhong Yansheng remembered that a young man had mentioned "Your Majesty's old illness" at the banquet just now, so he pretended to be curious and asked, "Your Highness Prince Jing, does Your Majesty have any old illness?"

Pei Hong temporarily gave up on asking him to call brother King Jing. Hearing this, he thought for a moment and said, "This question really stumps me. In fact, everyone knows that His Majesty has an old problem, but no one knows what it is."

Zhong Yansheng: “Oh?”

Pei Hong lowered his voice and pretended to be mysterious: "Every time His Majesty takes medicine, the people in Yangxin Palace will be cleared out."

Zhong Yansheng nodded thoughtfully.

Pei Hong watched him thinking with his black eyelashes drooping, not noticing that his clothes were still a little messy, and his round collar was turned up a little, revealing a faint red mark on the side of his neck.

Like someone was possessively rubbing and sucking on it with his lips repeatedly, leaving traces.

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Pei Hong didn't know what he felt. He stared at his neck for a long time before reminding him, "Xiao Sheng."

Zhong Yansheng looked at him blankly, his black eyes were clear and pure, and it was easy to soften one's heart when meeting such eyes.

"…The collar is crooked."

Zhong Yansheng quickly straightened his collar and secretly glanced at Pei Hong's expression. Seeing that there was no strange expression on his face, he felt relieved.

It seems that nothing was found.

He had been spoiled since he was a child, and his skin was delicate and tender. A bump would easily leave bruises, which would take a long time to disappear. But Xiao Nong was very mean. After discovering this, he liked to leave marks on him even more, and every time he would bite from his neck to his toes.

These marks were left on the ship, and are much lighter now. They were much more dense before.

Fortunately, no one was discovered.

Pei Hong sighed silently and reminded casually: "Why is the belt crooked? Did it hit you when you were sleeping?"

Zhong Yansheng adjusted his belt with a blushing face.

It was noon when he returned to the palace.

Zhong Yansheng originally thought that Pei Hong would send him to the palace gate and leave, but he didn't expect Pei Hong to send him to the end and even accompany him into the palace.

As soon as they arrived near the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the two were invited to go there to meet the old emperor.

The two men met the old emperor in the bedroom. Today the old emperor looked even worse, like a shriveled dead tree, with sunken eye sockets. If it weren't for his eyeballs still moving, he would have looked like a dead corpse.

The old emperor is always in this state. Sometimes he is very energetic, and sometimes he becomes lifeless again, which is very creepy.

No one knew what kind of soul-soothing incense was lit in the bedroom, it was so sweet and sticky that Zhong Yansheng felt uncomfortable every time he came. Being stared at by the old emperor made his back crawl. "...Greetings, Your Majesty."

The old emperor coughed a few times in a dull voice, and said in a hoarse voice: "Little Eleven, I heard that you disappeared in the restaurant just now?"

Zhong Yansheng brought Huo Shuang and others with him when he went out. Huo Shuang also brought his own people, but he didn't expect that the old emperor's sight was also in the restaurant.

If it's not the one next to him, then it must be the one next to Pei Hong.

Is even Pei Hong being monitored?

Zhong Yansheng felt nauseous and was about to reply when Pei Hong spoke before him, revealing a bit of shame on his face: "Father, my eleventh brother has been overworked recently because of Concubine Zhuang's affairs. He was in a trance and went to the wrong room and took a break. It's also my fault that I was anxious and only wanted to take my eleventh brother out to relax, so I didn't notice that he was unwell."

Zhong Yansheng didn't expect Pei Hong to speak for him. Pei Hong's words were more credible than those coming from his own mouth. The old emperor listened, and his gaze fell on Zhong Yansheng's face again.

He didn't eat or sleep well in the palace, and his complexion indeed looked much more haggard than when he was being carefully cared for by Xiao Nong's side.

When he looked closely, he couldn't help but notice more.

Zhong Yansheng was also wearing a white dress with gold edges today. The boy had grown a lot taller, and in the dimly-lit bedroom, the remaining childishness on his face was hidden.

Noticing his gaze, Zhong Yansheng looked over calmly, and in a trance, he seemed...

The old emperor's pupils shrank, and he suddenly started coughing violently.

Tian Xi quickly stepped forward and gently stroked the old emperor's back, hoping to make him feel more comfortable and then served him medicinal tea, but the old emperor coughed more and more severely, as if he was going to vomit out his lungs, which frightened Zhong Yansheng and Pei Hong.

Seeing that the old emperor was almost out of breath from coughing, Tian Xi said in a serious tone, "Your Highnesses, His Majesty needs to take medicine. You two should leave first."

Zhong Yansheng and Pei Hong looked at each other and walked out together.

Isn't the medicinal tea that the old emperor usually drinks medicine? In the past, every time he drank the medicinal tea, the old emperor would feel sleepy after a while and send everyone away.

Could it be that the medicine actually refers to something else, and the old emperor doesn’t want people to see it?

Zhong Yansheng's heart was pounding, and he wanted to look back, but he was surrounded by the old emperor's palace servants and guards.

This opportunity is rare. The old emperor is coughing like that, and he definitely doesn't have the time to take care of them. If I don't look at it now, I don't know when I will have the chance next time.

In a state of panic, Zhong Yansheng silently apologized in his heart and stepped forward decisively.

Pei Hong tripped and fell to the ground face first, and Zhong Yansheng was startled when he heard him shout**, "Your Highness Prince Jing!"**

Pei Hong was shocked and looked at Zhong Yansheng in disbelief. He gritted his teeth, as if he wanted to call out his name, but restrained himself from doing so.

The eyes of the palace maids around were numb, and the faces of the guards were also indifferent, as if they did not see that King Jing fell, and no one came to help him.

Zhong Yansheng quickly squatted down and reached out to help Pei Hong: "Your Highness, Prince Jing, you should be more careful. You are disrespectful in front of the emperor."

Pei Hong: “…”

The moment he squatted down, Zhong Yansheng's eyes quickly swept towards the bed behind him.

The old emperor was still coughing heavily, with blood foam coming out of his mouth. Tian Xi was busy taking care of the old emperor and had no time to care about what they were doing. He skillfully opened the secret compartment beside the bed and took out a medicine bottle from it with swift movements. He carefully poured out a pill and put it to the old emperor's lips: "Your Majesty, it's time to use the medicine."

Zhong Yansheng sensitively smelled that the sweet fragrance in the room seemed to be getting stronger.

The old emperor also smelled the strong smell, opened his gray eyes, and let Tian Xi stuff the pill into his mouth.

he couldn’t see any more than that.

Zhong Yansheng risked a glance, lowered his eyes, and helped Pei Hong up.

No one knew what kind of pills Tian Xi fed the old emperor, but it took effect incredibly quickly. When the two of them stepped out of the threshold, the coughing behind them that was so violent that it made one's throat sore had stopped.

Zhong Yansheng felt strange. He followed Pei Hong who didn't say a word and left Yangxin Palace. When he returned to Minghui Palace, he heard a faint sigh from beside him: "Xiao Sheng."

Zhong Yansheng immediately lowered his head in shame: "I'm sorry, Your Highness Prince Jing."

Pei Hong was tripped by him suddenly and fell hard. He even limped a little. He touched the painful corner of his mouth depressedly**: "My teeth were almost knocked out. Xiao Sheng, next time before you trip me, can you remind me first so that I can be prepared."**

Pei Hong had a very good temper, so no one scolded him.

Instead of being blamed by Pei Hong, Zhong Yansheng felt even more ashamed: "I'm really sorry, I... was careless."

Pei Hong said sincerely: "Then you are really too careless."

Zhong Yansheng shrank his neck, not knowing how to explain.

The opportunity just now was really rare, and he, he was too anxious.

If Xiao Nong was next to him, he would trip Xiao Nong without hesitation. He really didn't mean to trip Pei Hong.

Pei Hong was just helped by him to slowly get up from the ground. He was the person closest to him, with an inexplicable smile in his eyes: "Have you seen the medicine His Majesty used?"

Zhong Yansheng's heart skipped a beat, and he opened his eyes wide without saying a word.

"I heard that it was a tribute ‘medicine’ from Siam last year. I don't know what it is exactly, but it looks very effective. Prince De is still looking for medicine for Your Majesty everywhere, but in vain."

Pei Hong's tone was ambiguous: "If Xiao Sheng wants to know what it is, he may have to ask someone who knows more about the foreign vassal states."

Zhong Yansheng felt that Pei Hong seemed to have discovered something, but also seemed not to have discovered it. He was worried: "Your Highness Prince Jing..."

"Why are you looking at me like that? You said I'm a good person."

Pei Hong's mouth was blue from the fall, and his smile was not as carefree as before. He hissed and touched his mouth again: "Xiao Sheng, do you have any medicine in the palace?"

Seeing that he had taken the initiative to reveal the secret, Zhong Yansheng was very active. He ran into the room, took out the ointment Xiao Nong had given him from the gauze curtain, and ran back, as brisk as a little bird, offering a treasure: "This is very useful!"

Pei Hong joked: "Just hand it to me, why don't you help me apply the medicine?"

Zhong Yansheng thought about it, turned around and called out, "Feng Ji, go get a clean brush."

Pei Hong paused: "Okay, just kidding, I'll do it myself."

Pei Hong's mentality and temper were quite good. After applying the medicine, he saw Zhong Yansheng still looking at him eagerly, looking extremely guilty, so he knocked him on the head with a fan: "Okay, we are even now, don't look at me like that. I should go back to the restaurant. It's not good to leave the guests for too long."

Zhong Yansheng said honestly: "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Jing."

Pei Hong shook his head: "I'm leaving, no need to see me off."

The old emperor should be asleep by now. The Yangxin Palace is in its most tightly guarded state, so the Minghui Palace can relax a bit.

Zhong Yansheng thought of the pill with a strange fragrance. He returned to the study and quickly wrote down the shape, color and smell of the pill. He folded it and called Huo Shuang in: "Huo Shuang, take this letter to Prince Ding's mansion."

With Huo Shuang, Wei Ling and others secretly cooperating with Xiao Nong, the obstacles were not as great as before, and the speed of information transmission was much faster. In the afternoon, Zhong Yansheng received a reply from Xiao Nong.

It is most likely Wuxiang Pills.

There was also a detailed letter about Wuxiang Pills tucked underneath.

Zhong Yansheng opened it and read it carefully, then he understood why Tian Xi was so eager to give the old emperor this medicine when he was coughing so badly.

This thing is as valuable as gold and extremely precious. It has the effect of calming the nerves, relieving pain and relieving cough. After eating it, your whole body will feel light and your health and complexion will be restored.

It looks like a miracle drug, but it is actually not a good thing. Once you use it, you will become addicted, and it is extremely difficult to quit. Using it for a long time will make people thinner and more tired.

If no medication is used, one will feel as if ants are crawling all over the body, and will be in a trance and have hallucinations in extreme pain.

Zhong Yansheng thought about the old emperor’s usual state and felt that it was very similar to the late emperor’s usual state, so he continued to read on.

The last emperor of the previous dynasty was a man who had been eating black incense for a long time. He was in a daze all day and did not attend court. He indulged in pleasure in the harem and was extremely licentious, which led to riots among the people. This gave the ancestors of the Pei family the opportunity to rise up in rebellion.

At that time, Wuxiang Pills were still called Fushou Paste. Taizu had witnessed the horror of this thing and hated and feared it, so he established ancestral precepts to prohibit the appearance of this thing in the palace. Unexpectedly, after only a few generations, the vassal state changed the name and offered it to the emperor, and the old emperor was still taking it in secret.

Zhong Yansheng walked around the room holding the note and the newspaper.

Wuxiang Pills, Prince Kangwen.

These are the old emperor’s weaknesses.

An idea came to his mind. He folded up Xiao Nong's small note and put it into the sachet. He then burned the letter and called Huo Shuang in. "Huo Shuang, contact Wei Ling and ask him to find someone to make a replica of the pill and send it in."

Wei Ling and his men followed him into the capital, but their identities were special and secretive, and everyone in the palace was under the old emperor's attention, so for the time being they just waited outside the palace and served Zhong Yansheng.

Zhong Yansheng described the shape and smell, and Huo Shuang did not ask any more questions. He just responded and went out to pass on the message.

In order to confirm the old emperor's condition, Zhong Yansheng thought for a while, asked someone to boil a cup of medicine, and personally brought it to him, saying, "Feng Ji, accompany me to deliver the medicine to the Yangxin Palace."

Unexpectedly, when he went out and reached the outside of the Yangxin Palace, he ran into Prince De who also came to deliver medicine.

Prince De had just been inexplicably demoted by the old emperor a few days ago. In order to win the old emperor's favor, he heard that the emperor's cough had recurred, so he rushed into the palace to show his courtesy. When he saw Zhong Yansheng, his face suddenly changed, and he snorted coldly: "Why are you here too?"

Zhong Yansheng was puzzled: "You can come, but I can't?"

Prince De looked at his face strangely and said, "Ha, you still don't know what you are, do you?"

Xiao Nong spent most of his childhood in Mobei. When he returned to Beijing, it had been two years since the palace coup. Pei Hong was also sent out of the palace when he was young, so he had never seen the former crown prince.

But Prince De must have seen it.

Zhong Yansheng already understood why Prince De and Prince An looked at him with such subtle eyes.

However, Prince De should not know his true identity, otherwise his attitude would be mostly terrified. He probably did not expect his father to be so perverted. He probably thought that he was brought into the palace only because he looked similar to the former crown prince.

Zhong Yansheng pretended not to hear what Prince De said. Now the old emperor seemed to be still asleep, and both of them were stopped outside. After Prince De finished mocking Zhong Yansheng, he saw Tian Xi coming out of the house, and his expression immediately changed, turning into that of a filial son: "How is Father's health? I'll have someone boil some medicine and send it to you!"

Tian Xi smiled and nodded to Zhong Yansheng, and his attitude towards King De became much calmer: "His Majesty has just woken up, let me take the two princes into the house to talk."

Zhong Yansheng pursed his lips and followed Tian Xi into the bedroom. After entering the room, the sweet fragrance in the room was covered up by another strong smell of medicine. The old emperor was leaning against the head of the bed. Compared with his previous look with one foot half in the coffin, he seemed to be reborn. His complexion was rosier and he no longer coughed.

Seeing the old emperor like this, Zhong Yansheng was almost immediately certain in his heart.

Judging from this, what the old emperor used must be the Wuxiang Pills mentioned in Xiao Nong's letter.

And it's become an addiction.

NOTE: Wuxiang Pills and Fushou Paste are opium.