CH 34

Ch 34 “Brother, please love me more.”

Early in the morning, when Xie Chaoling woke up, Xie Chaoyuan had already gone to court, and Wang Jin brought someone in to help him wash and change clothes.

Seeing Wang Jin lowering his head and becoming more cautious, Xie Chaoling glanced at him: “Your Highness didn’t throw you away?”

Wang Jin whispered: “This slave is useless and can’t do anything for your lord, so His Highness kept the slave. He said that everything in the house is all newly bought now, so he was afraid you won’t be used to it,… I went to see Lufu early in the morning, and she was not given any hard work in the back garden, thank you, sir, for pleading for her.”

Xie Chaoyuan being like this showed he was taking a step back. He drove away Lu Fu, but he helped him keep Wang Jin, who is lacking in competence, so he couldn’t say anything more.

Xie Chaoling nodded and said no more.

At the court meeting in the Palace of Political Affairs, Xie Chaoyuan took a seat forward. Xie Chaorong did not come today. After yesterday’s incident, the two of them were ordered by Emperor Qianming to go back to their mansion to contemplate their mistakes. They may not appear in the court hall again in a short time. The number one among the princes became Xie Chaohui.

The so-called fengshui turning around.

And Xie Chaoyi, who was only twelve years old, was also called by the emperor to listen to the court. Although Emperor Qianming guarded against the Zhao family, he gave Xie Chaoyi, who was also born to a daughter of the Zhao family, a chance. His old man’s thoughts are really hard to guess.

All the courtiers had their own ulterior motives, and from time to time they cast their gazes on the princes, all of them absent-minded, until the emperor suddenly mentioned the candidates for the new city guard army leader in the outer city: “The Xiao family has received the emperor’s favor, and the Xiao family has continued the Xiao family’s century-old family style, majestic and heroic appearance, is outstanding, and is worthy of this important task.” 

After the words fell, the officials were in an uproar, and immediately there were officials from the official department who wanted to raise different opinions, but Emperor Qianming didn’t give anyone a chance. He was not here to discuss with the courtiers but informing everyone that the edict issued by the official department had been sent to Xiao Wang’s mansion at this moment.

Later Emperor Qianming directly asked people to announce withdrawal of the court, leaving behind a group of officials to discuss. Xie Chaoyuan glanced at Xie Chaohui and Xie Chaoqi, both of them frowned, obviously this matter also surprised them.

Xie Chaoyuan thought that perhaps the only person who expected the emperor’s plan was his elder brother, the crown prince.

Xie Chaoyuan was asked to stay behind, and Emperor Qianming took him to Shouan Palace.

Empress Dowager Zhao looked ugly, turned a blind eye to Xie Chaoyuan’s invitation, and asked Emperor Qianming, “What does the emperor mean?

“Chaoyuan and Zhao Niangzi’s marriage matters, Zhen had previously agreed to Royal Mother’s wishes, but Zhao Niangzi’s older sister has now caused a ruckus in the Lin Residence. Some unpleasant things have happened, and there have been rumors outside. People have noses and eyes, and they have ruined the reputation of the daughter at home. After all, Chaoyuan is a royal prince. If Zhao Niangzi married into King Ke’s mansion, I am afraid that Chaoyuan’s reputation will be damaged. You can think about it again and choose someone else.” 

The Empress Dowager Zhao’s face became even darker when she heard the words: “The emperor’s words means that my girl from the Zhao family has a bad reputation and is not worthy of marrying into the palace?”

“I am not targeting the Zhao family. Royal Mother, do not misunderstand, Chaoyuan is my son after all, so I should think about him more.” Emperor Qianming said in a tough tone, making it clear that he would not give Empress Dowager Zhao any face.

“Is it targeting the Zhao family? You know it in your heart!” 

The Empress Dowager Zhao was sullen, but Emperor Qianming said indifferently: “Royal Mother, calm down, don’t hurt yourself.”

Xie Chaoyuan was a little surprised. This emperor who always acted filial seemed like a different person today?

But no matter how much the mother and son quarreled, Xie Chaoyuan didn’t take it to heart, anyways Emperor Qianming brought him here specially to the empress dowager to make it clear in person that he was determined not to let the Zhao daughter to marry him.

Later, Xie Chaoyuan took a step back and left. When the little eunuch next to Wang Qing came to hand him a cloak when he was leaving, Xie Chaoyuan walked out of the hall with an extra note in his hand.

His Majesty saw the wet nurse who left the palace in the early years the day before yesterday. The nanny said something to His Majesty. His Majesty did not have anyone to wait on her, but it should be related to the Empress Dowager and Concubine Shu.

Xie Chaoyuan understood in an instant that Concubine Shu was the biological mother of Emperor Qianming, who died in the early years. After Emperor Qianming ascended the throne, he always wanted to make Concubine Shu the empress dowager, but due to ancestral etiquette and the pressure from Empress Dowager Zhao, he was unable to do so. Concubine Shu died of illness, and then Emperor Qianming became the adopted son of Empress Dowager Zhao, who was still the empress at that time. If there was any secret between them that was only known to Emperor Qianming now, it is no wonder that he was uncharacteristically showing no false remarks to Empress Dowager Zhao .

This is interesting, Xie Chaoyuan thought about it, and casually threw the note into the brazier outside the hall.

The imperial guards who followed Emperor Qianming were waiting outside the hall, and one of them turned his head to look in Xie Chaoyuan’s direction. Xie Chaoyuan was also looking up, and when their four eyes met, the other party looked at him directly, without hesitation.

It was Li Huan.

This man climbed very fast after entering the imperial guards, and now he was working in front of the emperor. He was considered to be the most promising one among the juniors of the Li family, Xie Chaoyuan looked down on this man in the past.

Xie Chaoyuan ignored him and left.

When he walked past Li Huan, the kid suddenly called him: “King Ke.” Xie Chaoyuan tilted his head, and Li Huan looked at him with gloomy eyes and asked, “Aren’t you afraid of being discovered by Your Majesty when you do sneaky things in front of His Majesty?”

He knew that he had just seen his act of throwing the note into the brazier, but he didn’t take it seriously and smiled contemptuously: “Are you talking about yourself?”

“What His Royal Highness King Ke did, do you need someone to remind you?” Li Huan gritted his teeth.

“Oh, what did this king do?” Xie Chaoyuan asked with a smile, as if he didn’t understand what he meant.

After that, without waiting for this person to talk nonsense, Xie Chaoyuan withdrew his smile, flicked his sleeves, and left indifferently.

After leaving the palace, Xie Chaoyuan went back directly to the mansion. On the road across the street from the palace, a child rushed out to stop the carriage. Xie Chaoyuan opened the window and looked, as he expected, it was the boy Xie Huizhen.

“Sixth Uncle, I’ll go to your house to have some snacks and some tea.” Xie Huizhen was not polite at all, and climbed into the carriage by himself.

Xie Chaoyuan asked him with a smile: “You didn’t come back to the capital yesterday, did you?”

“Yes, I stayed at the inn for one night. The capital is very interesting. I plan to buy a house and stay there forever.” Xie Huizhen smiled and nodded.

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t say that he was whimsical, and said straightforwardly: “I have chosen a place and bought it for you.” 

What Xie Huizhen waited for was this sentence: “Thank you Sixth Uncle!”

Inside King Ke Residence, Xie Chaoling heard laughter from outside and looked up from the book inside his hand, Xie Chaoyuan was leading Xie Huizhen into the door.

Seeing Xie Chaoling, Xie Huizhen was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized and leaned over to greet Xie Chaoling: “Hello, Sixth Aunt, you look better than yesterday.”

Xie Chaoling asked him calmly, “How can you tell?”

“You are in Sixth Uncle’s Xile Hall. Obviously you are my Sixth Aunt. Why would it be strange that your appearance has changed? Everyone has secrets. I won’t talk too much. Don’t worry.” Xie Huizhen assured him with a smile .

Xie Chaoling said in his heart that this child was really clever. The former prince gave birth to such a good son, if his father knew about it, he would be very happy, but…

Xie Chaoyuan was standing behind Xie Huizhen, looking at him with a smile. Staring at it, Xie Chaoling knew that he had already guessed what he was thinking at the moment.

The existence of Xie Huizhen is indeed troublesome, but there are only a few. A b*stard son of the former prince is not enough to threaten his serious position as the crown prince of the Eastern Palace. However, he was not a narrow-minded person who couldn’t tolerate others. As long as the kid’s mind is not bad, he has no intention of treating him as an opponent at all.

Xie Chaoling ignored Xie Chaoyuan and gave Xie Huizhen some snacks.

While gobbling food, Xie Huizhen asked Xie Chaoyuan: “I just came from the other side of King Xiao’s mansion and saw the messenger in the palace pass by. Is there anything good?”

Xie Chaoyuan laughed and said: “How do you know it’s a good thing? Can’t it be a bad thing?”

“If it’s something bad, those who went to proclaim the decree would not have that expression. You can tell just by looking at it.” Xie Huizhen swallowed the snack in his mouth, and stretched out his hand to grab another piece.

“You are the only one who is smart.”

Xie Chaoyuan quickly recounted what happened at the court meeting just now. Xie Chaoling was not surprised at all, he had expected this to happen.

His father suddenly appointed Princess Leping to the Xiao’s, and ordered the Xiao’s high-profile birthday banquet to attract everyone’s attention, for this reason. Emperor Qianming needed a chess piece that was heavy enough and easy to handle, and the Xiao family was just right. The iron hat king at the founding of the country had no real power in his hands after a hundred years. The emperor tied them up with an awkward old princess of the East Palace, which was also beating them. In this way, the Xiao Family knowing to look after their own hide and able to adapt to the circumstances would offer themselves as sacrifice for the emperor.

Xie Huizhen said “Ah, Royal Grandpa is too bad. I am only a few years old, so he used me as a pawn and doesn’t feel sorry for me at all.”

Xie Chaoling: “…”

This kid also has a brain problem.

Xie Chaoyuan laughed out loud, and tapped Xie Huizhen on the head: “It’s fine for you to talk about it here with this king, but don’t talk nonsense when you go outside.”

Xie Chaoling heard this and felt strange, Xie Chaoyuan would actually tell people this? This is really not like him.

Later they left Xie Huizhen to have lunch at the mansion, and Xie Huizhen couldn’t help but go to the garden behind the palace to play alone.

The kid chattered away in the room. Xie Chaoling signaled Xie Chaoyuan to sit down, took his left arm and rolled up his sleeve.

The wound was bandaged by him last night, and the oozing blood had already stained the cotton cloth. Seeing this, Xie Chaoling couldn’t help but frown: “Your Highness didn’t ask someone to re-bandage you this morning? Did you go to see the imperial physician?”

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t care: “I don’t have time to go.”

He would rather keep these two wounds, allowing them to fester and fester, so that his crown prince brother will always see him, showing some concern for him and even guilt.

Xie Chaoling tore off the cotton cloth, stared at the two wounds that were still oozing blood for a while, and ordered: “Go and send the imperial physician.”

“No need.” Xie Chaoyuan said.

Xie Chaoling raised his eyes and looked at him coldly: “Your Highness, don’t you know that if a wound festers, even if it’s a small wound, it may kill you?”

“Will Linlang be sad when I die?”

Xie Chaoling frowned: “Whether I’m sad or not can only be spoken about after you die. But you won’t be able to see it after death, so what’s the point?”

“If I can see it, I really want to die for a try.” Xie Chaoyuan said calmly.

Xie Chaoling had nothing to say at all, it turned out that he was stupid to reason with the lunatic.

In any case, Xie Chaoling still insisted on getting someone to call over the imperial doctor.

Xie Chaoyuan’s wound already had probability to fester, and Imperial Physician Hu carefully picked out the pus and blood for him. Although Xie Chaoyuan didn’t say a word, the frowning showed it was clearly painful. Xie Chaoling was always staring at the side, and couldn’t help but slander, it really is self-inflicted.

After the wound was re-bandaged with medicine, the imperial physician retreated. Xie Chaoling said: “This is only one time, this time will not be an example.”

Xie Chaoyuan looked at him and said nothing.

Xie Chaoling said seriously: “Your Highness, don’t threaten me with such methods. I won’t take this kind of trick. I won’t stop you next time. Even if you stab yourself to death, it has nothing to do with me.”

Xie Chaoyuan remained silent. He bent down, took the finger that Xie Chaoling accidentally scratched last night, and kissed the scar lightly.

Xie Chaoling was baffled by his actions, and his heart trembled even more when he pressed his warm lips against his fingertips: “… What are you doing?”

Xie Chaoyuan held his hand without letting go, and pressed his forehead against his palm, quietly. After a long time, he said in a hoarse voice: “Brother, please love me more.”

Xie Chaoling was stunned, unable to speak any more.