Chapter 235 A Strange Sour Taste
Zhao Hong put his arm around Song Hui's shoulder, helped her sit down in a chair, and smiled slightly.
"Madam, think about it, if the eldest prince had just woken up and we were so eager to adopt him as our godson, what would he think?"
How can someone adopt a little beggar they rescued on the street as their godson before they've even spoken a word to him?
Regardless of what the eldest prince thinks, outsiders will perceive this as an act with ulterior motives.
Song Hui frowned, thought carefully about Zhao Hong's words, and felt that they made some sense.
"What do you think we should do, my husband?"
Zhao Hong poured himself a cup of tea, slowly sipped it, and had an idea in mind.
"Let's just consider it as if we rescued a little beggar on the street. We didn't know he was the eldest prince."
"Oh, this..."
Song Hui's expression changed slightly, and she whispered to Zhao Hong.
"The gods have indicated that this eldest prince will be the next emperor. Are we neglecting him by doing this?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hong was so excited that he could hardly sit still and wished he could rush to the palace to report to the emperor right away.
But he gritted his teeth and suppressed his inner impulse.
"Madam, if the eldest prince could stay with us for a while, he would be grateful. He has been wandering outside for many years, and now he has been rescued by us and treated with kindness."
Do you think he might feel grateful? If he stays with us for a while, might he develop a sense of attachment to our family?
“If His Majesty were to recognize him now, and he were to suddenly become the high and mighty Crown Prince, it would be a sign of gratitude from those in power to those in power.”
This kind of gratitude doesn't last long, but if it's heartfelt, genuine gratitude, do you think it's the same, Madam?"
The more Song Hui thought about it, the brighter her eyes became.
“My husband is so thoughtful. Let’s do as he says and let him recuperate at our home first. Once he’s recovered and plump up, we can let him reunite with His Majesty.”
Let's get back to Li Nanke's side.
After she and Wang Tongyun watched another play, Zisu returned.
She shook her head at her, "I've searched the whole area, but I haven't found the red hair ribbon that you lost, Miss."
Li Nanke was somewhat disappointed.
Wang Tongyun said, "There are so many people at the temple fair today, who knows who might have picked it up. Don't be sad, Ke'er, I still have a box of pearls."
Another day I'll give you half, and you can make ten or eight more hairbands to wear in turns."
Li Nanke was amused and felt a warm feeling in his heart, so he did not refuse Wang Tongyun's kindness.
"Then I'll be waiting at home for you to bring me the pearls."
"Don't worry, it will definitely be delivered."
The two chatted and laughed for a few more minutes, and as the sun rose higher, they each boarded their own carriages to go home.
After she got into the carriage, Zisu whispered, "When I went to that tent, the child inside was gone. I don't know if he was taken away by those people."
Nangong Qiang climbed into the carriage and happened to overhear a voice.
He said, "I found a little beggar and asked him to go find the group of people the girl mentioned. Judging by the time, they should have made it there by now."
Li Nanke was unaware that Song Hui had gone inside afterward, and thought to himself that it seemed unlikely that Shen Xu was still alive.
Recalling his earlier encounter with Marquis Anping, he asked, "Master Nangong, what did you find out when you followed my grandfather?"
Nangong Qiang shook her head.
"After leaving the opera troupe, he went to the treasure stalls and looked at the items on display one by one for almost an hour."
Finally, he took a fancy to a lotus petal porcelain bowl, but after haggling over the price for ten taels of silver for a long time without reaching an agreement, he left without buying anything!
For the first time, a look of disdain appeared in Nangong Qiang's cold eyes.
It's unclear whether he was annoyed by Marquis Anping's stinginess or frustrated that he hadn't gotten any useful information after following him around.
Finally, he uttered, "Your grandfather was a strange man!"
Li Nanke rested his chin on his hand and began to ponder.
Marquis Anping would go to the Desheng Opera House to listen to plays almost every two or three days. He was a regular at the opera house, so there was really no need for him to come to the temple fair to listen to plays.
If he doesn't listen to opera, what is he doing at the opera troupe?
Browsing through treasure stalls seems like a pointless activity; it doesn't matter whether you buy anything you like or not.
She tapped her head, becoming more and more confused, when she suddenly remembered the middle-aged woman in the navy blue brocade cloak she had bumped into at the opera troupe.
I felt that the woman looked somewhat familiar, but I just couldn't remember where I had seen her before.
"Master Nangong, could you please go back to the temple fair again? There was a middle-aged woman wearing a dark blue brocade cloak around noon..."
She described the woman's appearance.
"Master Nangong, please help me find out the woman's identity."
Nangong Qiang nodded and glanced out the car window.
"Shall I escort the young lady back to her residence first?"
Li Nanke thought for a moment and then shook his head.
"I need to go to Prince Xuan's residence."
She needed to tell Shen Cong about Shen Xu's appearance.
More importantly, she wanted to test Shen Cong's attitude towards Shen Xu.
Nangong Qiang nodded, escorted her to the northwest corner gate of the Xuanwang Mansion, and then left.
The guards at the side gate must have been instructed by Erfeng to quickly report to Li Nanke upon seeing him.
A moment later, Erfeng arrived and invited Li Nanke in with a smile.
Li Nanke glanced at the guards at the gate. "Uncle Erfeng, do the guards at the side gate recognize me?"
Erfeng chuckled.
"It was the prince who instructed me to tell the side gate that the young lady might come here often in the future, and that she should always use the northwest side gate."
Behind this place is a dark alley, with no houses or people, making it extremely secluded.
Li Nanke's heart stirred slightly.
No wonder Nangong Qiang sent her directly to the northwest corner gate; it seems she must have received instructions from Shen Cong.
Alas, it seems that her true loyalty to Master Nangong is still to Shen Cong.
Just as he was grumbling to himself, a bell rang, and Xueying rushed over, excitedly leaping into the air.
With its front paws on her body, Niu Fan kept rubbing against her, its furry face pressing against her hands.
Li Nanke rubbed its fluffy head, then chuckled and gently shook its face.
"Does Xueying miss me?"
"Woof woof!"
A soft snort echoed from inside the room. The snow eagle trembled almost imperceptibly and immediately lowered its claws.
Both the man and the dog looked into the house at the same time.
Shen Cong sat on the ground, his arms resting on the small square table in front of him. He looked tired, and a striking crimson stain appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Li Nanke immediately released Xueying and quickly walked into the house.
"Ninth Brother is vomiting blood again? Didn't you say he was much better after using the borneol incense?"
Shen Xu took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth without expression.
He said calmly, "It's alright, I won't die."
Li Nanke keenly sensed that he was in a bad mood today, and turned to wink at Erfeng.
Who offended him?
Erfeng scratched his head, looking equally bewildered.
Little did he know, the prince was perfectly fine just a moment ago.
Li Nanke didn't get any useful information from Erfeng, so he decided to ask himself.
"Is Ninth Brother in a bad mood today?"
Shen Cong's long, narrow eyes had slightly upturned corners.
"Which eye of yours saw that I was in a bad mood?"
Li Nanke sat down opposite him with a grin.
"I saw it with both eyes."
Shen Cong pursed his lips and gave another soft hum.
"It's certainly not as good as some people's morning of lively fun at the temple fair."
Li Nanke...
She swore she really detected a strange sour smell in her voice!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
