Chapter 81: Befriending. Yes, how could they be so bad. ...

No matter how dissatisfied the Crown Prince was, the Fourth Prince was eventually released.

Perhaps it was because after this period of house arrest, the Fourth Prince had completely seen through Emperor An's true face and realized that the throne could no longer be passed on to him, so he was no longer as lazy as before and had completely abandoned his idle state.

Knowing that he was the designated candidate for the crown prince and would naturally become the emperor in the future, he always lived a carefree life, traveling around the mountains and rivers so that others would not be so wary of him. However, he did not expect that he would lose a group of supporters because of this.

It doesn't matter. As long as he is the one who ascends the throne in the future, all the court officials will naturally follow him!

But he didn't expect that more and more troubles would arise. His father took back the death squad he had given him, and even the Pei family no longer chose to support him. Now, he was isolated and helpless.

But it doesn't matter. As long as he can do his job well and win the favor of His Majesty, he will naturally have a place to stand.

As for the Crown Prince, his good third brother...

The emperor is ruthless, so how can there be any family affection or sibling love in the future?

"Just after being released from confinement, he's already inviting the rich and powerful to a gathering?" Song Yu gently shook the invitation in his hand. "Is he afraid others won't know what he's up to?"

Pei Ji sipped his tea and chuckled. Of course he was not afraid.

Speaking of which, the Fourth Prince is much smarter than the Crown Prince. He knows that he was released at this time because Emperor An did not want to see the Crown Prince dominate the world, and there still needed to be someone among the princes who could compete with him.

So he had to do something that would make the prince wary. At this time, no matter whether he openly tried to win over court officials or openly made things difficult for the prince, as long as it didn't get too ugly, Emperor An would not say much.

"I think he also wants to take this opportunity to see clearly which court officials are still willing to support him." Pei Ji took a sip of the cold tea, and the mellow aroma spread on the tip of his tongue, which made him feel much better.

"But what exactly does Your Majesty mean?" Yan Qi frowned. He was always too lazy to think about these twists and turns, but even he could tell something was amiss in the current situation. "From the looks of it, you look down on both of them?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yu and Pei Ji looked at him at the same time, with undisguised shock in their eyes.

Yan Qi felt a little creepy when they stared at him. He couldn't help but stretch out his muscular arms to protect himself. He shouted, "I won't obey!"

"Don't get mad..." Song Yu gave him a look of slight disdain. "Even you can sense this. Those officials who are on their own sides might also be able to sense it. It's just that they are in control of the situation and are probably unable to see it."

Pei Ji said: "It's best if we can't tell. Let them fight each other."

Song Yu laughed when he heard this. That's true.

Yan Qi didn't care much about these things. He shrugged and asked, "What about the invitation?"

Pei Ji raised his eyebrows. "He knows that you and I no longer support him, but he still sent the invitation. I think he just wants to take advantage of the situation. If you also go, those court officials who are still waiting and watching may be upset."

He said that the Fourth Prince was much smarter than the Third Prince. Even though many court officials had already turned against him, he should at least be invited openly. After all, everything was still undecided, and it was uncertain who would ascend the throne in the future. No one would offend all the princes at this time.

If it were the prince, he would only invite those who were truly on his side, and he would probably not even look at the rest.

That's why Emperor An was unwilling to give him even a concubine.

Song Yu couldn't help but narrow his eyes, "He is indeed much wiser than the Crown Prince, but his heart is different."

"Why did you suddenly change your mind? First of all, let me make it clear that our three families are tied together. I will not run away alone, but you should explain it to me clearly so that I know what happened!" Yan Qi raised his chin towards Pei Ji.

Pei Ji was stunned. "I didn't say that?"

Song Yu stopped waving his folding fan, and the jade-like young man actually rolled his eyes at him. What do you think?

Pei Ji wanted to laugh, but if he said that he had no feelings at all, he would be lying. Although they had known each other since childhood and often fought when they were young, they were willing to trust him in matters of life and death. How could he not feel relieved?

He didn't hide it anymore and told everyone everything about the letter he had found. There was really no need to hide such a thing, and he had indeed forgotten...

"It's such a big thing, and you are reluctant to tell us unless we ask?" Song Yu looked helpless and really didn't know what to say.

"Then I must thoroughly investigate my home when I go back, to avoid such messy things." Yan Qi was a little scared. It was okay for these princes to harm each other, but why did they want to harm them too?

Song Yu knew more than he thought. He took a sip of tea, gently twisting the teacup with his slender fingertips, and asked calmly, "After all this talk, does anyone know about this?"

This question hits the nail on the head.

Yan Qi also pricked up his ears instantly and looked at Pei Ji vigilantly.

Pei Ji smiled helplessly, "I really can't hide it from you."

He knew how smart Song Yu was. He had passed the imperial examination in his early years. At that time, he was really unrestrained. When he felt bored, he would just go home and hide, and he didn't even work as an official.

He once told him that he felt uncomfortable in the imperial court. At that time, Pei Ji thought he was born free and easy and didn't want to be bound by anything. Now it seems that he is clearly extremely intelligent.

Even though Song Yu had guessed something, he still didn't know what to say when he heard his affirmative answer.

Anyone who hears this will feel disheartened. Moreover, although they are not completely good people, they are also loyal ministers of Apocalypse.

Especially for a family of military generals who protect the country's borders, it is really sad that they are still suspected and framed to this extent.

"No wonder you haven't been attending court properly lately." Yan Qi couldn't help but sigh. "That person even demanded the release of the Fourth Prince right in front of you. In their eyes, is the loyalty of the aristocratic families really something that can be ignored?"

"It's useless to think about these things now, so let's just sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight." Pei Ji said that as long as he could ensure that the ninth prince became the crown prince when Emperor An passed away, that would be enough.

Of course, the premise is that all those princes are either dead or disabled.

If loyalty is given to the wrong person, it will inevitably become a worthless waste. Why should they think about it anymore? They just need to find a way to protect their lives.

Song Yu glanced at him and realized something was wrong. "You usually stay at home on your days off, but today you're acting strangely. You came out as soon as I called you? Where's Ah Zhi?"

"Qi Guan and I are entertaining the ladies at the Qi Family Restaurant." Pei Ji said this with some unhappiness in his voice. She had finally got a day off, and she was supposed to have a good rest at home with him.

This little cicada has now learned to draw lots with others while drinking tea.

Song Yu laughed, "Seeing you're so proud, I'm afraid you're just hoping he can leave on his own initiative."

Pei Ji just smiled and said nothing. He was happy to have Xiao Zhiliao at home with him, but he also had to go out from time to time, even if it was to go out and quarrel with others. At least he was not afraid of going out.

If I just stay at home, I'm afraid I'll get bored.

"I don't care what he does. As long as he is happy, that's all." Pei Ji raised his lips and chuckled.

Since ancient times, anyone who underestimates a man or woman will suffer. If they want to make friends with each other, it only takes a few words.

The relationship between wives will also affect men.

He Zhiliao did this in order to win over some ladies to form a united front with him so that he could side with the Pei family in the future. After all, the Pei family has a prince, so there is no harm in making friends with them.

What's more, since it was his invitation, any sober-minded ladies would not refuse.

He Zhiliao looked at the women who were talking to each other. He couldn't speak fluently yet, and there was no need to let others know too early. Fortunately, Qi Guan was there to accompany him. If he really spoke, his words would be quite pleasant to hear.

"We rarely came to this street before, but now we have another place to get together."

"Sister is right. It's also thanks to the invitation from the two Lords of the Pei family. We should get together more often in the future to avoid any estrangement."

"That's right. I heard Pei Sizhengjun say you wanted a complete set of jade masks. I have some left, I'll give them to you later!"

"Coincidentally, I also have something for my sister!"

Most wives of respectable families are sensible. They may not leave the house on weekdays, but if they are invited by a respectable person, they will go out. After all, wives also need to have friendships with each other.

They all knew about this gathering tacitly. Perhaps there would be a lady whom they could not reach, or there might be an exchange of interests, which would allow them to achieve their wishes at this time.

And they must be grateful to He Zhiliao and Qi Guan for bringing them together here.

Qi Guan smiled and said, "Don't be polite, everyone. We can meet often in the future."

"Mr. Sanzheng is right." All the ladies spoke in a cooperative manner. Everyone is willing to do something that is beneficial to themselves.

He Zhiliao just needed to smile at them. After all, his goal for today had been achieved. All the ladies who came to his party, if their husbands wanted to go to the Fourth Prince's party, should be cautious.

After all, between them there was the assassination of the Fourth Prince.

Time passed quickly. Everyone had important matters to attend to, and when they saw that the time was almost up, they all stood up and said goodbye.

When the ladies were leaving, the maids beside them were holding brocade boxes in their hands. These were the small gifts he had invited you to come today. Although the gifts were not expensive, they were all thoughtful.

As the Lord of the Pei Family, there was naturally no need for him to rush to send expensive items.

After sending them all away, Qi Guan slumped down in his chair without any image. "I've helped you a lot today. Have some tea."

He Zhiliao immediately poured tea and served it to him personally.

The reason for borrowing Qi Guan's land is to show it to outsiders. Qi's restaurant is Qi Guan's territory, and Qi Guan is the head of the Pei family. Coming here is naturally like coming to the Pei family.

They told others openly that they were all good friends with the Pei family.

"You have good taste!" Qi Guan praised him generously. Seeing his shy smile, he couldn't help but tease him, "You are so happy just by praising you. Doesn't Fourth Brother praise you often?"

"It's a compliment!" He Zhiliao said quickly.

I often praise it!

Seeing him protecting Pei Ji like this, Qi Guan didn't say anything and just smiled softly.

Who doesn’t like harmony in the family?

Qi Guan fanned himself with the fan in his hand, making a swish sound. He Zhiliao then quietly sat down beside him and secretly rubbed his breeze.

"I'm going to be tired after eating and drinking. You carry me downstairs." Qi Guan was very shameless.

"You carry me." He Zhiliao imitated him.

The two talked a few times about who would resist whom, but it would be against the rules no matter who resisted whom, so they gave up.

In fact, He Zhiliao forgot that Qi Guan's real identity is a man...

In the end, no one resisted the other, and the two went downstairs and left quietly. They originally wanted to walk back home, but the scorching sun made them completely give up the idea and they obediently returned to their respective carriages.

He Zhiliao was still thinking about returning home early. After all, when he came out today, Pei Ji's face was not very good, and he should go back to comfort him.

"Chun Jian, tell Brother Qi Guan that we will buy some things before going back, so let him go back first." He Zhiliao said, after all, you can't coax people with nothing in your hands!

"yes."

If you really stop the carriage, there will be nothing to buy.

Pei Ji wasn't interested in food. If he were to buy clothes, ordinary fabrics would be too plain. He did have purses and sachets, but he would have to wear them until next year...

It’s better to buy some things that he likes. If he is happy, Pei Ji will be happy too.

Chunjian knew his taste best, so he went to buy it immediately after receiving the order. However, Chunjian didn't come back for a long time, and He Zhiliao couldn't help feeling a little anxious.

Chunjian is very sensible. She will never run around without telling him first. Even if she wants to buy something somewhere else, she will tell him first. This was something they had agreed on when they were at the He family before.

"Yuhua, go look for her."

"yes--"

"Lord Pei Sizheng, our master invites you."

Suddenly, a stranger's voice was heard outside the carriage. He Zhiliao shuddered inexplicably and became even more resistant to him.

Xixin asked, "I wonder who your master is? Isn't it a bit unreasonable to ask our Lord Zheng to go like this?"

"If you want to retrieve that servant, you have no choice but to go."

He Zhiliao suddenly lifted the curtain on that side. He stared at the servant who came to deliver the message, and couldn't help feeling a bit more disgust and hatred towards him.

He had to go no matter what.

He stretched his hand out of the small window and made a few gestures. Xixin immediately understood that she was better at tracking than Yanhua. She took out a little cutie from her bag and put it into He Zhiliao's palm, then quietly retreated into the crowd.

He Zhiliao looked at the black poisonous scorpion lying quietly in his palm. It looked like a guard wearing colorful armor, with its tail curled up inside, and had no intention of attacking at all.

Mo Ming didn't feel scared, but he felt helpless that Xixin suddenly stuffed these things into his hands. He didn't ask in advance, so he really wasn't afraid of scaring him.

The scorpion seemed to particularly like him, and began to crawl along his open palm, sticking close to his skin...

He Zhiliao was somewhat helpless and whispered, "Keep your tail close and don't sting me."

A bite from such a venomous creature would likely destroy the entire arm. Fortunately, summer clothes were loose and comfortable, so the scorpion didn't bother him. It crawled out of his shoulder collar in no time.

She pressed tightly against his neck without moving, as if feeling his blood flow.

The carriage quickly turned and turned into an alley, and the man said softly, "Mr. Pei Sizheng, please get off the carriage."

Yanhua quickly helped him down. He Zhi looked around and could still hear some noise. He thought his master just wanted to find a quiet place to scare him.

The only ones who could bring him here in this way must be the princes. The Crown Prince is currently preoccupied with the appearance of the Fourth Prince, and presumably has no time to deal with him.

Then there is only——

"Greetings to the Fourth Prince." A flash of surprise flashed across Yanhua's eyes, and she saluted respectfully.

He Zhiliao also bowed to him and his eyes fell on Chun Jian who was forced to kneel beside him. There were no obvious injuries on him, so it seemed that they didn't intend to make things too ugly.

The Fourth Prince smiled. "Lord Pei Sizheng, you still remember me. It's been a long time since we last met. How are you these days?"

[Thank you for your concern, Fourth Prince. Everything is fine.]

He Zhiliao's lips moved slightly, not caring whether he could understand or not. After all, since he could speak now, it was better to keep the fact a secret for the time being. After all, the real antidote had not been found yet.

"I originally wanted to reminisce about the past with Lord Sizheng, but I never thought that my subordinates would resort to such despicable means. I think I disturbed you, and you should apologize." The Fourth Prince kept staring at him, trying to see some expression on his face.

He Zhiliao disagreed with this. If these people really wanted to be killed, what did it have to do with him?

[Your Highness, please speak frankly. Our statuses are different, so it's inappropriate for us to stay here for long.]

He Zhiliao didn't believe that he brought him here just to reminisce with him. There was nothing to talk about between them. If he really wanted to reminisce, he should go find Pei Ji.

Could it be that because he saw that I had taken the initiative, he wanted to get rid of him now?

He didn't think that the Fourth Prince had such courage at this moment.

The Fourth Prince seemed to be interested in what he said. He actually walked directly to him, pinched his chin, forced him to look up, and said with a smile: "I never realized that Si Zhengjun had such a pretty face before. Pei Si is really lucky."

"Zhengjun!" Yanhua wanted to step forward and stop him urgently, but the other party was the prince.

If he was outside the palace, she would definitely kill him!

"Don't be nervous. Your Highness won't do anything." The Fourth Prince sneered, "Even if we really want to do something, we should do it in front of Pei Si. Otherwise, where's the fun in that?"

It was directed at Pei Ji.

He Zhiliao looked at him without showing any weakness. He didn't believe that the Fourth Prince would really dare to do anything to him. He did all this as a warning and a threat.

The other party's real intention was Pei Ji, perhaps just revenge for putting him under house arrest.

What are you going to do?

"I just want to ask Si Zhengjun to convey a few words. I will make Pei Si regret not choosing me." The Fourth Prince sneered, and his hand gradually moved down to touch his slender neck. "I only need to gently pinch it, and you will lose your beauty and fragrance. It's the same for you and him."

After hearing what he said, He Zhiliao understood that the Fourth Prince seemed to be out of touch with the news during his confinement, and had no idea that they had found and destroyed the letters. Even the assassins who secretly placed the letters were found and dealt with by them.

It is really stupid to even think of using this as a threat.

He Zhiliao lowered his eyes slightly, anger and resistance gradually rising in his heart. To him, being touched by others was the most disgusting thing.

"hiss--"

"What the hell!"

The Fourth Prince abruptly withdrew his hand, and saw that his fingertips became inexplicably red, swollen, hot and painful, and in the blink of an eye, a bulge appeared, as if he had been bitten by a poisonous insect.

He Zhiliao looked around pretending to be ignorant, but the "culprit" had already secretly hidden in his clothes. No matter how crazy the Fourth Prince was, he didn't dare to pull his clothes.

"There are many snakes, insects, rats and ants in summer. The Fourth Prince might as well ask a doctor to take a look first." Yanhua knew at a glance that it was a bite from a poisonous insect left by Asarum, so she naturally wouldn't say anything.

It would be best if the Fourth Prince was bitten to death like this, but if he really died here, He Zhiliao would not be able to escape unscathed and would instead be criticized by the world.

The Fourth Prince had no time to care about them at this time. He immediately asked for a doctor to see him. Just as the attendant beside him was about to open the door, it was broken open by a huge force. The attendant flew directly into the room and smashed the tables and chairs.

"Pei Si!" The Fourth Prince's eyes were bloodshot. "How dare you act so wildly in front of me like this!"

"So it's the Fourth Prince. I haven't even asked the Fourth Prince why he kidnapped my legitimate wife and the wife of a court official. Is the Fourth Prince really not afraid of His Majesty's punishment?" Pei Ji's eyes were so gloomy that he couldn't even muster a sneer on his face.

He knew that these people would only behave themselves if they were put in coffins!

The Fourth Prince's fingertips were in great pain. Even if he was slow-witted, he knew that his hand was bitten by some poisonous creature. Naturally, he did not want to struggle with him at this time. Treatment was more important.

"This prince has no desire to waste time talking to you, get out of the way!" The fourth prince broke out in a cold sweat, and he felt so weak that he could hardly stand. He couldn't fall down at this moment!

"Your Highness wants to leave after doing such a thing? Isn't that a bit too much..." Pei Ji raised his eyelids and looked at him, with hatred in his eyes, as if he wanted to pull out his tendons and skin him alive. He took out a dagger from his waist and gradually approached.

The Fourth Prince's throat rolled, "What are you going to do? If you dare to kill this prince——Ah!!!"

Pei Ji raised his sword and slashed it, and a severed finger fell to the ground.

Soon the blood bubble on the severed finger burst, and smelly blood immediately flowed out.

The Fourth Prince looked at his hands in shock. He didn't know whether it was the pain from his fingers connecting to his heart, or the poison corroding his body, but he tilted his head back and fainted.

Pei Ji sneered and said that he would let Emperor An know that letting him out would be a mistake.

No matter how the people around the Fourth Prince called out to him, Pei Ji simply picked him up and carried him sideways, then left the place in a carefree manner.

Thanks to the quiet place found by the Fourth Prince, no one discovered that He Zhiliao had been alone with the Fourth Prince, otherwise he would definitely kill everyone.

Inside the carriage.

"Did he bully you?" Pei Ji asked softly.

He Zhiliao misunderstood his meaning and immediately shook her head like a rattle. "He didn't bully me, really. I wasn't..."

Pei Ji frowned at him and raised his hand to knock on his forehead, "What nonsense are you talking about? Is that what you're asking? Are you asking if he's bullying you?"

"He scared me..." He Zhiliao curled her lips, "He scared you too. He said you'd regret choosing him. He was really fierce!"

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid." Pei Ji quickly hugged him in his arms and gently comforted him, "It was right not to choose him. Now we have a grudge against each other. If we have to watch him ascend to the throne, the Pei family will be executed..."

Hearing his desolate words, He Zhiluo felt a sudden pain in his heart for some reason, as if he had witnessed an entire family being executed.

Pei Ji frowned, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

He Zhiliao took a deep breath, and the deep pain disappeared. He shook his head gently, nestled in Pei Ji's arms and said nothing more.

Pei Ji thought he was just scared, so he hugged him and comforted him softly. He would not let the Pei family repeat the same mistake. As long as he let the damned man die before them, it would be a revenge for his previous life.

"The Fourth Prince doesn't know yet that we've discovered what he's done. From what he said, I think he's going to take action..." He Zhiliao said softly, "How could they be so mean?"

Pei Ji tilted his head and kissed his forehead.

Yeah, how could they be so bad.

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The author has something to say: Little Zhiliao: "They are all bad guys!" [burst crying][burst crying][burst crying]

Pei Gouzi: "Kill, kill, kill!" [Angry][Angry][Angry]

Just ask for whatever you want, and you can give it to me as you see fit! [Haha laugh][Haha laugh][Haha laugh]