Chapter 13 Where would it resemble that fake skin?

The newcomer, dressed in flowing black robes, used the momentum to leap onto the roof and sat down beside Seventeen.

"Brother Yue, I didn't see you earlier. His Majesty said he sent you out on an errand."

Seventeen moved to the side to make room for Mingyue.

Mingyue smiled and sat down next to Seventeen. The chill of the autumn night clung to Seventeen, and he wrapped his outer robe tighter around himself.

"Hmm, everything's resolved?"

"Yes, His Majesty has arrested Wei Xing."

Seventeen, resting her chin on her hand, recounted to Mingyue the events that had transpired since her abduction, and at the end, she couldn't help but praise, "Your Majesty is truly amazing."

“You’re lucky. His Majesty’s original plan was that if you were kidnapped, he could use that as an excuse to force his way into the Wei residence. He just didn’t expect that you would actually be able to find the evidence.”

Seventeen tilted his head and thought for a moment: "His Majesty has not told me about this yet."

"I was just worried you wouldn't act well."

Mingyue smiled and looked up at the starry sky, saying, "Seventeen is truly a lucky star."

"It's just a coincidence. You and His Majesty both said I was lucky, but there's no such thing."

Seventeen never believed she was lucky. If she was lucky, why did she lose her parents?

Seeing that Seventeen looked at her with disapproval, Mingyue didn't say anything more, but simply said, "Your appearance is a blessing for His Majesty."

"Huh?" Seventeen was puzzled. Wasn't his appearance all arranged by His Majesty? What was this all about?

But Mingyue clearly had no intention of continuing the conversation. She simply ruffled Seventeen's hair, causing his fluffy black hair to stand on end, making him look like a little black cat with a messy face.

"Forget it, I don't understand you mystical people. Anyway, I only know one thing."

Seventeen looked at Mingyue with a serious expression and said, "I want to stay by His Majesty's side forever."

The sudden words startled Mingyue. He seemed to have not heard such a vow-like statement in a long time, but Seventeen's expression was extremely serious.

"...If His Majesty knew, he would be very happy."

Seventeen smiled but didn't say anything. She just glanced at Mingyue several times, and seemed a little uncomfortable with her.

"What's wrong?"

"I always felt... that Brother Yue and His Majesty were somewhat similar..."

Seventeen's eyes held a hint of doubt, but Mingyue was startled by his words and raised an eyebrow. After a moment, she tried to explain, "Perhaps it's because I've been by His Majesty's side for too long that some similarities are normal, right?"

"It's not just her demeanor, her appearance is also somewhat..."

They even look alike? Mingyue touched her face, feeling a sense of collapse. Her face was so ordinary, could it really be that similar?

He felt that his real appearance wasn't even that... ordinary...

Mingyue's mind was in turmoil, and he knew nothing about Seventeen. He just frowned and continued to look at Mingyue, but couldn't figure it out.

He wasn't very sensitive to appearances, or perhaps because he hadn't received professional training, so he couldn't pinpoint the specific similarities between Mingyue and His Majesty.

He was quite clear about his own face. His eyes resembled his mother's, while his nose and mouth resembled his father's. Overall, he resembled his mother more, which gave him a beautiful and gentle appearance.

And the bright moon...

A thought flashed through Seventeen's mind. Things in the palace were always chaotic, and Yue-ge had been by His Majesty's side for so long, and the two were so similar... Could it be...?

Are they brothers?

Upon closer examination, this possibility does seem not to be out of the question. He had heard many stories of the late emperor's romantic affairs, and it was said that several princesses and princes were born out of wedlock before being brought into the palace.

On second thought, most of the mothers of these illegitimate children born outside the palace did not have illustrious backgrounds, and some had even passed away, so the children certainly did not live a comfortable and happy life in the palace.

In that case, it wouldn't be impossible to seek help and find a legitimate prince to rely on!

The more Seventeen thought about it, the more he felt that he had guessed correctly. Although he did not know what His Majesty's birth mother looked like, he had heard that the late Emperor was handsome. Moreover, most of the women who could enter the palace would not be ordinary or ugly, so they could have given birth to His Majesty so handsome.

On the other hand, Mingyue's face is not bad at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it has lost a lot of charm, which is very much in line with the result of the handsome late emperor's philandering with ordinary women!

Seventeen stroked his chin, his gaze towards Mingyue seemingly carrying some meaning. Mingyue was puzzled, and asked with a forced smile, "I'm not... very similar to His Majesty, am I?"

Mingyue's hesitant attitude further solidified Seventeen's thoughts.

Imagine you are the child of a king and an ordinary woman. You want to live a good life in the palace, but you find that you are only slightly better off than the palace servants, or perhaps not much better off.

In such a situation, being forced to seek refuge with kind-hearted half-siblings and live under an assumed name, only to have one's identity revealed, can indeed be quite distressing.

Seventeen smacked her lips, thinking to herself, "No wonder it's the imperial palace; it really lives up to its name as a chaotic place!"

I just wonder if His Majesty will continue like this when he has a large harem in the future?

Seeing that Mingyue was a little uncomfortable, Seventeen coughed lightly and said, "Perhaps it's because you and His Majesty have been together for many years, and you have a similar temperament. But as for appearance, you don't seem to look that alike."

Hearing Seventeen say this, Mingyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's too late, I'm going back to rest now. See you later, Yue-ge."

Seventeen jumped off the roof and waved to the bright moon, which responded to him before going inside.

Mingyue watched as the candlelight flickered on in the seventeenth room, and heard the rustling of bedding amidst the shadowy figures, before the candlelight went out.

After a moment of silence, Mingyue returned to her residence. Yuanfu was sleeping soundly outside the courtyard, and without waking him, he quietly entered the palace.

After removing the disguise from her face, Long Langyue looked at herself in the mirror for a long time, and then picked up the disguise skin and put it on her face to look at it for a while.

"It doesn't seem like it either..."

Seventeen was unaware of the immense harm he had caused to the heart of the emperor. At this moment, he was fast asleep, wolfing down his food on that exquisite table.

The person sleeping on the bed smacked their lips, almost drooling.

......

It had been raining in Yejing for several days in a row. The rain wasn't heavy, but it was fine and misty, which was annoying.

Seventeen has been by His Majesty's side these past few days, accompanying him to the morning court and having meals. In the afternoon, while His Majesty reviews memorials, he dozes off on the roof beams, and then goes back to his room to sleep when it's time to finish his shift.

Although it was a bit boring, it was a rare period of peace and happiness for Seventeen.

He was still dozing off inside, listening to the sound of the rain, while the news outside was already spreading like wildfire.

Most people are speculating about His Majesty's intention in bringing out a secret guard that day. Was it to expose the secret guard battalion to the light of day, just like the Imperial Guard?

But no matter how much they guessed, they still didn't know what Emperor Jing was really thinking.

Some of the more cunning individuals secretly sought out Chen Jing to inquire, but he remained silent with a cold expression.

Then, a rumor spread from who knows where, that the bodyguard named Seventeen by His Majesty's side was not actually a real bodyguard. It was said that His Majesty had picked him up from outside in his early years and put him in the bodyguard camp for training, but he did not achieve much, so His Majesty brought him back to his side.

But no one really believed this rumor. How could His Majesty, such a wise and powerful man, have a useless guard with him?

But the rumors were so detailed and convincing, saying that His Majesty was kind-hearted and that although the Seventeenth Prince was not very skilled, he was loyal!

A ruler of a country always prefers someone who is absolutely loyal to him.

The ministers' first reaction upon hearing the rumors was disbelief, but later, when they went to court or entered the palace, they could see the seventeenth prince following the emperor, clearly indicating that he was very favored.

This made them believe the rumor to some extent.

"People actually believe such rumors?"

The man in black snorted coldly, picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and said, "Does Long Langyue think that everything will be fine once he has dealt with Wei Xing?"

"Who knows...maybe he really thinks Wei Xing is his only enemy?"

The man in red sitting in front of the man in black smiled and poured him a cup of tea.

"Oh dear, Your Highness, you're shortening my lifespan!"

"What are you saying? Hahahaha..."

The jade pendant at the waist of the man in red swayed with his laughter, and the two characters "Zhaoming" were clearly engraved on it.

The two drank tea instead of wine, their laughter carried on the sound of rain, dissipating into mist, and drifting leisurely into the palace.

"It's been raining for a long time."

Seventeen lifted the curtain and glanced outside. After half a month of continuous rain, the entire city of Ye was shrouded in gloom, making people feel depressed.

Eunuch Yuanfu stepped forward and closed the window, looking somewhat worried. "Yejing has never had such a long rain in previous years."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Seventeen had a bad feeling. Was it really okay for this continuous rain to keep going like this?

As the rain started, the temperature dropped considerably. Seventeen was wrapped in a thick outer robe, but fortunately he was thin, so even with layers upon layers, he didn't look fat and still maintained his agile figure.

Emperor Jing and Eunuch Yuanfu also changed into thick clothes. At this time, Eunuch Yuanfu squatted by a small stove and fanned himself.

When the weather gets cold, the stoves need to be lit. Yuanfu never entrusted these matters to others; he personally prepared them for Emperor Jing.

With the crackling sound of burning, the room gradually became warmer.

Seventeen's cheeks flushed slightly without her noticing, making her fair and pretty face look even more radiant.

It was white with a pinkish tinge, like a fresh fruit.

Emperor Jing couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. Even though he had seen many beauties, he rarely saw one as beautiful as Seventeen. He really wondered what kind of stunning beauty her parents must have been to give birth to such an exquisite child.

"Seventeen guards, come and warm up here."

Yuanfu waved to Seventeen, whose hands and feet were a little cold. Seeing that His Majesty did not stop him, Seventeen squatted down next to Yuanfu and warmed his hands by the stove.

"Today is the Winter Solstice, so Your Majesty and the Seventeen Guards should eat plenty of dumplings later."

Yuanfu Gonggong said cheerfully, and Emperor Jing, hearing this, also smiled and put down his pen: "It's the winter solstice again so soon, and the end of the year is approaching."

"Yes, another year has passed."

The three were enjoying themselves inside when suddenly a palace servant announced from outside: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Huainan requests an audience."

The Prince of Huainan? Seventeen thought for a moment. He seemed to be His Majesty's younger brother, the kind who shares the same father and mother, but he had never met him.

"He's back so early? Let him in."

"yes."

Eunuch Yuanfu stood up and said, "Oh dear, Your Highness has returned so early. This old servant will go and greet you."

Emperor Jing waved his hand at him, indicating that he could go if he wanted to.

After a while, Grandpa Yuanfu returned, following behind a man.

"Brother!"

The Prince of Huainan was dressed in red, with something jingling around his waist. The sound reached Seventeen's ears from a distance. When he saw someone enter, he quickly stood up and bowed.

"I have met the King of Huainan."

"Oh, no need for such formalities."

The Prince of Huainan swaggered in, fanning himself with a fan. When Seventeen looked up, he was momentarily dazzled by the emerald jade pendant at his waist. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the pendant was engraved with the two characters "Zhaoming".

This must be the name of the King of Huainan, Seventeen thought to himself.

"This is Seventeen?"

I don't know why the Prince of Huainan is still fanning himself with a fan on such a cold day, but Seventeen thinks that perhaps these princes are just a bit unconventional.

"Yes, Seventeen greets Your Highness."

"Why did you return to the capital so early?" Emperor Jing put down his pen again and looked up at his younger brother.

I do look alike with my younger brother; I certainly don't resemble that fake skin...

"It's been too hot in Jiangnan lately. I heard it's been raining for half a month in Yejing, so I came back to escape the heat."

The Prince of Huainan sat on a mahogany chair to the side without any regard for his image. Emperor Jing glanced at him indifferently, and the prince immediately straightened up and sat properly.

"It's hot in Jiangnan, but cold in Yejing. The weather is different."

"Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to you about this when I returned." The Prince of Huainan put his fan aside, his face serious, as if he wanted to discuss serious matters.

"Tell me about it."

"Your Majesty, after consulting ancient texts, discovered that such abnormal weather is rare and can easily lead to natural disasters."

The King of Huainan had a serious expression and did not shy away from Yuanfu and the Seventeenth Prince.

Emperor Jing leaned back in his chair and pondered for a while before saying, "I have not yet received any reports of disasters occurring in any particular place."

"Hmph, doesn't Your Majesty know about those useless fools from the previous dynasty?"

A note from the author:

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