Chapter 20 Qi King Xiao Qiyu was so angry he felt dizzy.

At night, the moonlight bathed the ground, and a cool breeze brought relief from the heat.

Xiao Qiyu walked out of the main building of the Bodhi Hall, his tall shadow stretching long on the ground. His steps were steady and orderly. As he passed the Sal tree, he bumped into Xiao Heng who was coming from the opposite direction.

"Third Brother," Xiao Qiyu called out, stopping in his tracks.

Xiao Heng nodded and looked at the window of the main house: "How is Grandmother?"

Xiao Qiyu: "She's much better now. The imperial physician said to observe her first, and then she can drink water infused with salted citron every day. My grandmother's cough was caused by phlegm blocking her throat and lungs. As long as the phlegm can be cleared, not only will her life be saved, but her body will also recover its health."

Over the years, I've tried all sorts of miraculous remedies and prescriptions, but I never expected that in the end, it would be the unassuming salted citron that would come to the rescue.

Xiao Heng's tense expression relaxed somewhat. He closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and pinched his brow with his fingers, saying, "That's good."

He had just finished his shift and hadn't even changed out of his flying fish robes. He had only removed his gold-topped round hat and some accessories. Now, he had lost the imposing and aloof demeanor he had during the day and instead exuded the noble and carefree air of a young master from a prominent family.

“Grandmother had just finished resting when I came out, so she shouldn’t be asleep yet. Would you like to go in and visit her, Third Brother?” Xiao Qiyu asked.

Xiao Heng opened his eyes and quietly looked at the tall, upright young man in front of him, whose height had already surpassed his own.

It's strange, it seems like just yesterday he was a little kid chasing after him, and today he's grown into a towering man.

Xiao Heng shook his head and said, "It's late, I won't disturb Grandmother's rest. I've heard about what happened during the day. It was thanks to your and Third Sister's reasoned arguments that Grandmother's life was saved. As for my mother, what she did was indeed—"

Before Xiao Heng could finish blaming Qin Shi, Xiao Qiyu said, "It's my fault."

Xiao Qiyu spoke calmly, but a look of guilt appeared in his eyes. He paused and continued, "I shouldn't have disobeyed my second aunt, especially in front of the imperial physician and servants. I was wrong today, and I will personally apologize to my second aunt tomorrow."

Xiao Heng was speechless, seemingly not expecting his younger brother, who had been more stubborn than an ox since childhood, to bow his head so easily. His tone was both gratified and complicated as he said, "It's good to give my mother a way out, but I know her temperament. She's all bark and no bite, and she can't stand anyone disagreeing with her. She's been managing the household for so many years, and while she seems calm in the face of trouble, she's actually quick to anger. Apart from Grandmother, she doesn't listen to anyone. She brought this on herself, and it's time for her to wake up."

Xiao Qiyu remained silent.

Xiao Heng then asked him many more details about his grandmother. The two brothers talked as they left the Bodhi Hall together.

Somehow, the conversation on the way started about Zhao Dongsheng's case.

Xiao Heng said, "In the past, Consort Zhao used witchcraft to frame other concubines. His Majesty was furious, but considering their past relationship, he only demoted her to a commoner and sent her to the Cold Palace."

"When Zhao Dongsheng served as the Imperial Physician, he accepted bribes on a large scale and even allowed his subordinates to kill civilians. He also kept dancers at home to win over officials and use his beauty to gain power. His Majesty was furious and in the end, he could only confiscate his property and send him back to the Censorate as a minor clerk, keeping him away from power from then on."

"If this person has any brains, he should know to keep a low profile from now on. Although he may not be able to regain his former wealth and status, at least his life will be safe."

Xiao Heng frowned, his eyes filled with incomprehension at the fool: "This old scoundrel actually dares to harbor rebellious thoughts. Who is the Prince of Qi? The ministers in the court don't even dare to mention the Prince of Qi's name. How dare he instigate a rebellion? He really has a death wish."

Unlike the other vassal kings who remained in the capital and submitted to the emperor, the Prince of Qi was the only one with a fiefdom and the only one who held military power.

Twenty years ago, the late emperor was critically ill. It would have been natural for the crown prince to succeed him, but the crown prince was only three years old at the time and was still a child who could not even speak clearly. It was the Grand Princess who summoned the old ministers from all over the country to return to the capital and jointly wrote a letter to the late emperor, thinking of the country and the people, and established the benevolent and young Prince Heng as the new emperor.

Later, when the late emperor passed away, Prince Heng indeed ascended the throne. To demonstrate his benevolence, he granted the young crown prince the largest fiefdom and assigned him a military force to take with him to the fiefdom. The fiefdom was permitted to raise banners, establish a court, and follow the imperial system in all aspects.

The King of Qi was the young crown prince back then.

As they spoke, the two brothers passed by the lotus pond, where the evening breeze carried the fragrance of lotus flowers and the croaking of frogs filled the air.

Xiao Heng sighed: "Now that things have come to this, that old bastard Zhao Dongsheng is done for, but his wife and daughters have been implicated and sent to the brothel. Zhao Shuren kowtowed until his head broke in the cold palace, but it didn't get His Majesty to show leniency."

Although the imperial court had clearly stipulated that the families of disgraced officials in the Jiaofang (Imperial Music Bureau) were only to entertain officials with songs and dances and were not to serve them in bed, it was an indisputable fact that those who entered the Jiaofang became official prostitutes.

Under the moonlight, the pool water shimmered.

Listening to the croaking of frogs, Xiao Qiyu calmly said, "Third Brother, I don't think that's the case."

Xiao Heng paused, then looked at Xiao Qiyu.

Xiao Qiyu said, "Judging from Zhao Dongsheng's behavior, this man has a narrow vision and mediocre intelligence. He would never have thought of the Prince of Qi as a way out on his own, unless someone had told him beforehand."

Xiao Heng immediately perked up: "You mean to say that someone is taking advantage of the situation?"

“Or perhaps the Prince of Qi had long harbored rebellious intentions,” Xiao Qiyu said. “Zhao Dongsheng once served as the Imperial Physician, in charge of the Imperial Guards of the entire capital. Although he was utterly useless and unable to command respect, his reputation was renowned. It would be entirely beneficial for the Prince of Qi to associate with him, and it was precisely because of this that Zhao Dongsheng dared to do what he did later.”

"He wasn't instigating it at all; he was colluding with someone from within."

Xiao Heng listened silently, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.

He looked up and around to make sure no one was around, then said to his younger brother seriously, "Seventh Brother, remember this, you must never mention this to a second person."

Xiao Qiyu remained expressionless: "What did I just say? Didn't I only mention Grandmother's health?"

Xiao Heng was taken aback, then burst into laughter, raised his hand and patted his shoulder, saying, "You little devil! If you were a few years older, even five of my third brothers couldn't outmaneuver you!"

Xiao Qiyu looked up at the moon in the sky, and remembering that he hadn't settled the score with Cui Ying for the day, he said goodbye to Xiao Heng: "Third brother, it's late, I'll go back first."

It's late, that bastard Cui Ying should be asleep by now.

Xiao Heng nodded: "Let's go back, I should rest too."

The two brothers parted ways, each turning away; one faced Qiyun Pavilion, the other went to the outer study.

Xiao Heng took two steps, then suddenly turned around: "By the way, remember to ask my third sister where she bought the steamed buns she gave me this morning. They were really delicious. Several of my subordinates have asked me to find out."

Xiao Qiyu was stunned: "What xiaolongbao?"

Xiao Heng: "I ran into her on the street this morning, and she asked me if I had eaten breakfast... Oh well, you wouldn't understand anyway, just ask her directly."

Xiao Qiyu showed no sign of letting it go, her brows furrowing involuntarily: "Explain yourself clearly, did she give it to you first, or did you ask for it first?"

Is this the same Cui Ying he knows who can be so kind?

Xiao Heng almost laughed out of anger. The clever and cunning brat from just a moment ago had turned into a clueless idiot who couldn't understand human speech.

"We've already finished eating, does it matter who gave it to whom or who asked for it?" Xiao Heng deliberately provoked him. "You know that Third Sister has always loved sharing good food since she was little. When she first met you as a child, she even gave you some food, and you just fed it to the dog instead?"

Xiao Qiyu: "Brother, I was only four years old back then."

Xiao Heng: "You can tell what a person will be like at three years old."

Xiao Qiyu: "..."

This conversation just couldn't go on anymore.

Xiao Qiyu turned around, her shoes crunching on the fragrance of flowers and the moonlight, and walked quickly.

Qiyun Pavilion.

The air was filled with the fragrance of fruit. Cui Ying was munching on a peach that was almost as big as her face, lying on the couch reading a storybook, feeling quite content.

During the day, she was so worried about her grandmother's illness that she had no desire to play. The time she teased Xiao Qiyu was because the atmosphere was too tense. When Xiao Qiyu didn't speak, he was like an ice block, which was creepy to look at. If she didn't do something, she would feel suffocated. She hated that feeling.

Fortunately, my grandmother was saved.

Cui Ying flipped through the storybook, appearing carefree once again, not even noticing the door open.

As Xiao Qiyu watched Cui Ying leisurely munching on a peach, an unnamed fire suddenly ignited within him. When he closed the door, he deliberately made a loud noise.

Cui Ying chuckled as she stared at the storybook, completely ignoring him.

Xiao Qiyu took off his shoes, deliberately making a loud noise as he did so.

Cui Ying still ignored him.

Xiao Qiyu untied his leather belt and deliberately threw it under the bed, making a loud noise.

Cui Ying then raised her face, her lips glistening with peach juice, and looked at him, saying, "Oh, you're back."

And then that was it. He lowered his head and continued reading the storybook, his focused expression seemingly shutting out the outside world.

Xiao Qiyu walked over and picked up the leather belt, his face cold as he said, "I ran into Third Brother on my way back just now, and he asked me to ask you which store you bought the steamed buns for him this morning."

Without looking up, Cui Ying said, "Next to Bai Cui Lou on Xuanwu Street, there's a blacksmith shop across the street. You'll find it easily."

Xiao Qiyu said "Oh," put the leather belt back on the clothes rack, and said indifferently, "You eat at random fly restaurants all day long, aren't you afraid of getting an upset stomach?"

Cui Ying ignored him, engrossed in reading the storybook, her eyes shining.

Suppressing his inexplicable annoyance, Xiao Qiyu tried his best to speak in a calm tone: "Don't disbelieve me, maybe the boss didn't even wash his hands when he was mixing the filling, and then wrapped it up with sweaty hands."

"It's not just sweaty hands, there might also be bugs, hair, or rat droppings."

Cui Ying finally felt nauseous from his words, and rolled her eyes at him, saying, "Does your own home necessarily mean it's clean?"

She took a bite of the peach, savoring its sweet juice, and said in a serious tone, "Take your family for example. From cutting to cooking, to plating and eating a dish, it goes through at least a dozen servants. What if an old woman is being naughty and deliberately spits in it? How do you know if your breakfast contains any saliva from an old woman or a servant?"

"Shut up!"

Xiao Qiyu felt nauseous and dizzy with anger.

A note from the author:

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Vinegar makes me dizzy