CH 32

Ch 32 “Brother, I planted such a Gu for you.”

After, the birthday banquet went on smoothly, and the guests offered cups and cups until the sun was setting.

After the show finally ended, Xie Chaoyuan and Xie Chaoling were about to go back to the mansion when someone from the palace delivered the emperor’s order to call him into the palace.

Shurou and the others have been in the palace for an entire afternoon, Emperor Qianming was personally asking about these bad things. Shurou insisted that the bracelet was from the East Palace. Liao Zhi, the chief eunuch of the East Palace, also said that it was indeed something lost in the warehouse of the East Palace. Xie Chaorong and Madam Lin yelled that they were wronged, and only said that they bought it from outside. The weeping Zhao Xiuniang insisted that the bracelet did not come from her own shop. Emperor Qianming sent someone to check outside the palace. The shop assistant said he had not seen it before and hadn’t sold the bracelet, so things were deadlocked.

Later, Xie Chaorong and Madam Lin, the couple, suddenly quarreled, because Madam Lin said that the bracelet was bought by a subordinate to please her, and this subordinate was the same man that Xie Chaoyuan sent to Xie Chaorong. The man was kept by Madam Lin’s side to serve her. Xie Chaorong and his Wangfei had always had their own lives. As long as Madam Lin did not go too far, he always turns a blind eye to this kind of thing, and he wouldn’t care about it. As a result, such a big incident happened this time. Feeling unbearable, he wanted to beat Madam Lin, but how could Madam Lin bear this anger, so the two of them were ready to fight in front of Emperor Qianming.

Emperor Qianming’s face was ashen, he endured his anger and scolded people to pull them away, and then sent the man they mentioned to ask questions. That person who could not stand on such a big stage just knelt on the ground and trembled for a long time before speaking. He didn’t pick that bracelet from the shop, but bought it privately for fifty taels from a clerk who claimed to be from that shop. As for what the clerk looked like, he couldn’t tell, anyway, all the clerks in Zhao Xiuniang’s shop didn’t match.

The matter was a bit intriguing at this point. No matter how stupid Xie Chaorong is, he knew that he had been tricked again. This matter can’t be explained clearly. Everyone has their own opinions. There is no evidence, but the bracelet is indeed here. He cannot, nor can Lin and Zhao be involved in the case of stealing from the East Palace warehouse. In desperation, Xie Chaorong stared at the gigolo who was still kneeling and shivering on the ground, and just like that, he implicated it to Xie Chaoyuan. It was said that Xie Chaoyuan sent that person to Xun Wang, this matter must have something to do with Xie Chaoyuan, so Xie Chaoyuan was also sent into the palace by Emperor Qianming for questioning.

Xie Chaoyuan quickly understood what happened. His expression was calm, and he bluntly said that he didn’t know these things. It was Xie Chaorong who begged for the man at the beginning, so it had nothing to do with him if he entered the mansion of Xun Wang.

He really didn’t tell a lie this time, those two people really had nothing to do with him. At that time when they came to him, it immediately changed hands to Xie Chaorong. He wanted nothing else but to make trouble for the couple, and to make things difficult for them, that’s all, so he was not at all afraid of being bitten back by Xie Chaorong.

How could Xie Chaorong let him shirk away so easily. He opened his mouth and said: “Why isn’t it your fault? You sent the person, who knows if he bought the bracelet or you gave it to him to deliberately frame Xun Wang’s residence. Okay, Old Six, I really underestimated you, it turns out that you are the mastermind behind the theft of the warehouse in the East Palace!”

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t even lift his eyelids: “Second brother needs to give evidence for what he said, why do I need to steal from the warehouse in the East Palace? I don’t have such great skill. According to what second brother said, I can also ask whether someone in your mansion bought the bracelet from outside, or was it stolen by Xun Wang?”

“How dare you slander this king with all kinds of lies!” Xie Chaorong was furious.

Xie Chaoyuan remained calm: “I’m just guessing. If second brother is not guilty, there is no need to get angry.” 

“You——!”

“That’s enough, shut up!” Emperor Qianming couldn’t bear it.

Outside the hall, Xie Chaoling pretended to be Xie Chaoyuan’s bodyguard, and waited outside with Wang Rang and the others. They couldn’t hear the movement inside, but they probably knew that there must be another disturbance.

When he was absent-minded, he saw the old eunuch Wang Qing gesticulating and ordering people to do things from a distance, Xie Chaoling paused slightly.

This person…

Reminding his father to choose a leader of the Dongshan camp from outside the capital was this old eunuch. What did Xie Chaoyuan mean when he said “I did what they asked me to do anyway” when he was asleep? If the new commander transferred from the Northwest Camp is a spy from Xirong, what about Wang Qing? Is he the one who repeatedly conveyed news from the palace to Xie Chaoyuan?

If these were true, Xie Chaoyuan had indeed colluded with the enemy. Xie Chaoling thought, even if he wanted to make excuses for that person… it would not be easy.

It was dusk when Xie Chaoyuan came out again. Xie Chaoling stood outside the door the entire time. He turned around when he heard footsteps. His eyes fell on Shurou who came out one step later than Xie Chaoyuan, and he lowered his head, he didn’t want Shurou to know about it for the time being.

Shurou really didn’t notice anything unusual, and left quickly.

Xie Chaoling breathed a sigh of relief, and asked Xie Chaoyuan: “Why did Your Highness and the princess come out?”

“Those people are still arguing inside. How could His Majesty let them go so easily? If you can’t explain the crime of stealing from the East Palace warehouse, you will get to carry the crime together.” Xie Chaoyuan said.

“So has His Majesty let Your Majesty off? I just heard that Your Majesty was also dragged into this matter.”

“It’s just a few words of reprimand. The mad dog second child is biting people indiscriminately, do you think His Majesty will believe it?” Xie Chaoyuan didn’t think so. Smiling contentedly, “Is Lin Lang particularly disappointed?”

Xie Chaoling turned his eyes to look forward: “I don’t know what Your Highness is talking about.”

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t expose him, and specially asked someone to bait the person he sent to Xun Wang’s mansion. It made him follow his unlucky thoughts. However, his image of not seeking to make progress was so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people that even the emperor did not doubt him.

It was already dark when they returned to the palace, and after dinner, Lu Fu brought hot tea. Xie Chaoyuan took a sip, looked up at the maidservant, and suddenly said: “From tomorrow onwards, go work in the garden at the back. There are enough people in Xile Hall.” 

Lu Fu was stunned, then panicked and knelt down.

Xie Chaoling frowned: “What does your Highness mean?”

Xie Chaoyuan glanced at him, with a smile on the corner of his mouth: “What is Lin Lang’s intention? Can’t bear losing her?”

“She is very diligent in doing things, I am used to her. Your Highness, please don’t change her.” Xie Chaoling said.

Xie Chaoyuan looked at him, neither saying yes nor no. After that he waved his hand, and all the servants in the room retreated.

Xie Chaoling didn’t say a word, he knew that this little b*stard would definitely turn bad when he came back.

After a moment of silence, Xie Chaoyuan got up: “Go and wash your body.”

Seeing that Xie Chaoling was not moving, Xie Chaoyuan turned to look at him: “Are you going to sit here forever?”

Xie Chaoling then got up and followed.

They went into the bathtub and sat down together. Xie Chaoling was wary of the person in front of him, Xie Chaoyuan didn’t say anything, but raised his chin at him: “Turn your back, I’ll wipe your back for you.”

Xie Chaoling watched him not move.

“Linglang’s behavior seems to have done something wrong.” Xie Chaoyuan smiled.

After hesitating, Xie Chaoling turned around and laid down on the edge of the bathtub. Under Xie Chaoyuan’s rubbing of the palm on the back of his shoulders, he quickly relaxed, yawned, and laid still on his stomach.

Xie Chaoyuan lifted his long hair, pinned it with a hairpin, and lowered his head to kiss him on the shoulder. Xie Chaoling still didn’t move, and closed his eyes as if falling asleep on his stomach.

Xie Chaoyuan rubbed his shoulders and neckline bit by bit with his fingers.

His elder brother, the crown prince, was willing to stay in Ke Wang’s mansion to cover up his identity was to trip up other people in the dark, it was never because of him.

Xie Chaoyuan’s voice was deceptive, and he asked in Xie Chaoling’s ear: “That Zhong Liang, when he went to Old Four’s mansion to ask for help, he said that he had stolen and sold tributes, but the things in the warehouse of the East Palace had not passed through his hands. If what he said was real, someone else must have planned the whole thing, tell me, what is the ultimate goal of this person?”

“Your Highness, don’t you know? Why do you ask me,” Xie Chaoling said lazily. He knew that Xie Chaoyuan was trying to test him on purpose. This person must have guessed that he had already remembered everything. If so, he would not admit it, but for other things, since he did it, he was not stingy to say it bluntly, “The purpose is the Guangchu Division, everything else is just extra.” 

His purpose was really the Guangchu Division. The Guanchu Division supervised the money from taxes that were handed over to various royal lands. There was also still a bad debt with the Ministry of Accounting. Before, Xie Chaoqi used the explosion of the firearms to make Emperor Qianming start to check the account of the Ministry of Accounting. He wanted to make the issue bigger and drag more people into troubled water, then he could take advantage of the situation. Therefore, Zhong Liang had to be taken down. Xie Chaoqi, in order to vent his anger, promised to save people on the face of it, but turned around and killed him, which made it easier for him to succeed. Those quarrels between them will be involved soon.

As for pulling out a few nails in the East Palace, or letting Xie Chaorong or even Xie Chaoyuan be unlucky, it is really a bonus. Getting involved in Zhao Xiuniang’s shop, publicizing the scandal of the Lin family, and helping Xie Chaoyuan settle the marriage, it can be getting multiple benefits.

Xie Chaoyuan stopped asking.

In fact, Xie Chaoling didn’t care about being seen through by him, that he had already remembered his identity. As long as Xie Chaoling didn’t say anything, he wouldn’t say anything, and they each pretended not to know, so they could continue singing the play.

After taking a bath and returning to the room, Xie Chaoling felt thirsty, and asked someone to pour a cup of warm water for himself. Lufu was no longer there, and the people serving in the room had changed into new faces. He didn’t want to have any more conflicts with Xie Chaoyuan because of this matter, so he just said : “Since Your Highness wants to transfer her away, I have nothing to say. She served me before, and she can only do what I asked her to do. If she really did something that made His Highness unhappy, then it is because of a lack of choice but Your Highness, it’s better not to be too harsh.”

Even though she was just a maid, Xie Chaoling didn’t want to see her die in vain.

Xie Chaoyuan stared at his throat sliding up and down while drinking water, and slowly said: “Okay.”

Xie Chaoling stopped talking, he was already sleepy. He put down his teacup and laid down on the bed, and was about to fall asleep.

Xie Chaoyuan sat down beside him, gently stroking his cheek. Xie Chaoling closed his eyes and waved his hand away impatiently: “Your Highness, let me have a rest today, I’m tired.”

After hearing no sound for a long time, Xie Chaoling finally opened his eyes in a daze. Xie Chaoyuan was still sitting beside him, watching him quietly.

There was fire in those black eyes, and he didn’t know what he was thinking. Xie Chaoling frowned: “Your Highness?”

Xie Chaoyuan caressed his hair, and asked in a low voice, “How much does Lin Lang know about Bailing Kingdom’s Gu Art?”

His heart thudded. In a flash, he was awake. Xie Chaoyuan’s eyes made him have a bad feeling. This person told him about this before, but he didn’t take it seriously at the time, but now… 

Xie Chaoling didn’t answer, and Xie Chaoyuan didn’t care, and continued: “When I was young, I only learned from my mother a little but but I learned the most useful kind. There is indeed no love Gu in this world, but there is a kind of Gu, which is nourished with blood essence and planted in the body of the beloved, which is equivalent to branding him. Being planted by this Gu, in the future, as long as a person is moved by emotion, his heart will feel hot. If the person who makes him emotional is not the person who planted Gu for him, this feeling will make him feel extremely uncomfortable.”

Xie Chaoling opened his eyes wide in surprise, Xie Chaoyuan lowered his voice: “Lin Lang, don’t be afraid, it’s just uncomfortable, it won’t hurt you.”

He bent down, and said the last sentence close to Xie Chaoling’s ear: “Older Brother, I planted such a Gu for you.”