Chapter 118: Deposed Emperor Becomes a Slave (9)
9
Why was Xiao Cheng'an in the emperor's tent?
Why is there more than one voice in it?
Why are things different from the previous life?
It was drizzling and Yuwen Zan could no longer hold on and fell into the mud.
Chu Yunyang stood in front of him with a weapon in hand and asked sternly, "Who are you? What are you doing sneaking around outside the tent?"
Seeing that no one answered, Chu Yunyang shouted again: "Speak!"
The noise was so loud that the imperial guards arranged by Zhu Qingchen rushed over quickly, and Eunuch Cheng also came over with his attendants.
Eunuch Cheng got caught in the rain, and Xiao Cheng'an, considering his old age, asked him to go back and rest and not to serve him tonight. However, he only gave him one night off and something like this happened.
Eunuch Cheng stood in front of the children, and the imperial guards surrounded Yuwen Zan with weapons, fearing that he would suddenly attack.
"Your Majesty, Master Chu and Master Wei, please go in quickly. This person may be an assassin. Let the imperial guards take him away for interrogation."
Where had the three of them ever seen such a scene?
When he heard that it was an assassin, he was not afraid but a little excited.
Chu Yunyang stepped forward bravely, holding his sword, picked up the man on the ground and turned him over.
The rain washed away the yellow mud on his face. Wei Yuan took a torch and moved closer to illuminate it.
After seeing his face clearly, everyone was stunned.
"Your Highness, Northern Friday?"
At this time, the guards that Yuwen Shu had sent to keep an eye on him finally caught up with him: "Your Highness..."
Everyone was standing, except Yuwen Zan, who was lying on the ground with his eyes open, looking at the dark sky, and slowly coming back to his senses.
Those memories that belong to this life slowly come back.
He remembered that this life was different from his previous life.
Xiao Chengan's elder brother died of illness three years earlier, and Xiao Chengan ascended the throne, and -
There was another person beside Xiao Chengan, that person——
"What happened?"
A clear and bright voice came from the rain, and it seemed a little hoarse.
Yuwen Zan got up from the ground and looked back suddenly.
There is one more person, Xiao Chengan’s tutor, Tutor Zhu, Zhu Qingchen!
After getting caught in the rain in the afternoon, Zhu Qingchen seemed to have caught a cold. His cheeks were unnaturally flushed and he was wrapped up tightly.
He was wearing a wolfskin cloak, the same one that Yuwen Shu had worn. The fur was pure black and shiny, and raindrops would slide down the fur.
The wolf's head was hollowed out and it lay on Zhu Qingchen's shoulder like a docile big black dog.
Yuwen Shu walked beside him, holding a large umbrella that covered both of them.
Zhu Qingchen clasped his hands together, walked forward slowly, glanced at Yuwen Zan, and said in a calm tone: "Why is the Fifth Prince lying on the ground? Did he fall? Hurry up and help him up."
"Yes." Two guards stepped forward, held his arms on the left and right, and pulled him out of the mud.
It was still raining outside and the air was very cold. Zhu Qingchen glanced at him and walked into the tent.
There was a charcoal brazier lit in the tent, which made it much warmer.
Xiao Cheng'an sat in the main seat, while Zhu Qingchen and Yuwen Shu sat side by side at the bottom.
The rest of the people stood in the tent. Yuwen Zan was covered in mud and was pressed into a corner.
Zhu Qingchen clasped his hands together, looked around, scanned everyone, and asked again: "What happened?"
Eunuch Cheng bowed and saluted: "My Lord, I was resting in my tent when I heard a commotion near the emperor's tent, so I brought someone out to check it out."
Zhu Qingchen looked at Chu Yunyang: "What happened in the imperial tent?"
Chu Yunyang clasped his fists and said, "In reply to the teacher's question, Wei Yuan and I were chatting with His Majesty in the tent when we suddenly heard a strange noise outside and saw a figure outside the tent door, so we came out to take a look and saw His Majesty the Fifth Prince lying in the mud."
Zhu Qingchen deliberately asked, "It rained heavily this afternoon, soaking everyone. I remember that the Fifth Prince was also soaked and was unconscious for the whole afternoon. How did he suddenly run to the vicinity of the imperial tent?"
Yuwen Shu glanced at the personal guards he had sent to keep an eye on the matter, and the personal guards immediately stepped out to report back.
"In reply to the young master, the Fifth Prince was originally unconscious, but suddenly woke up in the night. As soon as he woke up, he strangled the servant by the neck and almost strangled him to death."
"I shouted, and His Highness finally let go. As a result, I failed to stop His Highness, and he escaped, all the way to the front of the emperor's tent."
"I failed to guard properly, please punish me, young master."
Zhu Qingchen said calmly, "It happened suddenly, and you couldn't predict it. It's not your fault." He paused, then asked, "Where is the attendant who was almost strangled to death? Bring him here."
"yes."
The guards retreated, and no one said a word. There was dead silence in the tent.
Zhu Qingchen turned his head and looked at Yuwen Zan in the corner. He was covered in mud, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, staring at Xiao Chengan closely.
It was a sticky, disgusting, possessive look.
It's like looking at your own possessions.
Xiao Cheng'an also felt it and unconsciously moved to the side, trying to avoid his gaze.
The system said: "This is the evil and domineering gaze of the protagonist. Maybe he will even lick his lips."
Zhu Qingchen frowned: "His face is covered with mud, and he's still licking his lips? Isn't it dirty?"
Zhu Qingchen would never allow his students to be bullied under his nose.
So he cleared his throat and called out, "Fifth Prince?"
Yuwen Zan seemed to have not yet adapted to his new identity after his rebirth. He just stared at Xiao Chengan and had no reaction to Zhu Qingchen's words.
Zhu Qingchen lowered his tone and called out again, "Fifth Prince."
He still didn't respond.
"Fifth Prince."
The imperial guard behind Yuwen Zan said sternly, "Fifth Prince, Grand Tutor Zhu is talking to you."
Only then did he come to his senses and finally took his eyes off Xiao Chengan.
Yuwen Zan was still obsessed with his dream of killing the regent, seizing the throne and counterattacking the Xia Kingdom. He was the emperor, the emperor of two countries!
Therefore, when he looked at Zhu Qingchen now, his heart was filled with disdain.
Although this person has never appeared in the previous life, what does it matter?
He's just a weak scholar, what's there to be afraid of?
He and the regent beside him will be killed sooner or later.
Just now, Yuwen Zan had already thought it through.
Even if things are different from his previous life, the fact that he can become emperor must be the same as in his previous life.
He could even rely on his memories from his past life to complete the task of unifying the two countries more quickly.
He would keep Xiao Cheng'an and make her his queen. He would govern the former dynasty while Xiao Cheng'an would govern the harem, and they would enjoy the world together.
Yuwen Zan looked at Zhu Qingchen and saluted: "Grandmaster Zhu."
Zhu Qingchen asked calmly, "I wonder why the Fifth Prince came to the imperial tent so late at night? What's his purpose? Is he planning to assassinate me?"
"I..." Yuwen Zan woke up from his sweet dream.
He needs to pass this level first before he has the chance to use his memories of his past life.
Yuwen Zan rolled his eyes and said, "Today I fell off my horse in the mountains and passed out. Your Majesty saved my life. So, after I woke up, I wanted to come and thank Your Majesty, but I fell in front of the door and disturbed Your Majesty."
As he said this, his eyes glanced at Xiao Chengan from time to time, as if he wanted to exchange some secret signals with him.
Zhu Qingchen understood, smiled, and asked, "Your Highness was unconscious at that time, and no one responded when they called you. How did Your Highness know that it was His Majesty who saved you?"
"I……"
Yuwen Zan couldn't remember the specific scenes, but he still remembered -
"I was in a trance and asked who the person who saved me was. He said that he was the 'young heir of Changqiu Palace' and his majesty's name was..."
Before he could finish, Eunuch Cheng shouted angrily, "How dare you! How dare you call His Majesty by his name! Shut up!"
really.
Zhu Qingchen raised his hand to dismiss Eunuch Cheng and told him to stay calm.
"Your Highness did not hear it wrongly. The person who saved you was indeed 'Little Chengzi of Changqiu Palace'."
Yuwen Zan's eyes lit up, and he looked at Xiao Cheng'an: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for saving me. I am willing to give you a gift of grass and a ring, and I will give you my life..."
Xiao Chengan and his fellow students were all stunned.
The teacher was right.
How can he have the nerve to say such a thing?
Zhu Qingchen coughed and interrupted him: "Your Highness, you are wrong to thank me."
Yuwen Zan turned his head: "What?"
Zhu Qingchen raised his hand and said to Eunuch Cheng: "This is the young Chengzi from Changqiu Palace."
Eunuch Cheng understood, walked up to Yuwen Zan, stood in front of him, bowed, and said with a smile: "Hello, Your Highness. My last name is Cheng, and I am Chengzi from Changqiu Palace."
"how……"
Seeing Eunuch Cheng's old face full of wrinkles from smiling, Yuwen Zan almost couldn't stand.
How could he be such an old eunuch?
Even if he recognized the wrong person in his previous life, the person he recognized was Chen Xun.
Apart from anything else, although Chen Xun is spoiled, he is about the same age as Xiao Chengan, a teenager in his teens, and has a decent appearance, so he has been able to dote on Chen Xun for so many years.
But now, who is this old eunuch? Is his last name Cheng too?
What did he just say? To tie a grass ring and pledge one's life?
Wrong, wrong! It shouldn't be like this!
Yuwen Zan was so frightened that he blurted out, "Impossible, he's so old, how could he be called Little Chengzi?"
Eunuch Cheng smiled shyly: "Don't ask, in Changqiu Palace, this old slave is Little Chengzi, everyone calls this old slave Little Chengzi."
Yuwen Zan added: "I...I gave my savior a jade pendant at that time."
Eunuch Cheng took out the jade pendant from his arms, held it in both hands, and handed it to him: "Do you think this is it?"
At that time, so many people came together to rescue Yuwen Zan, but Yuwen Zan just kept biting the emperor of Daxia and refused to let go. Anyone could see that there was something fishy going on.
By now, Eunuch Cheng also understood why the young master had specifically asked him to put this thing away.
The young master is guarding against this very thing.
The prince of the enemy country was arguing with the Emperor of Daxia, and he even accepted a jade pendant. What would happen if this were told to others?
Yuwen Zan stretched out his hand and tried to snatch the jade pendant.
Eunuch Cheng retracted his hand and immediately took the jade pendant back.
"This jade is of average quality and its workmanship is also average. If it wasn't given by His Highness, I would have thrown it away long ago."
"you……"
Yuwen Zan could never have imagined that his savior would turn into an old eunuch who looked like an orange peel.
What should he do now? He couldn't repay the old eunuch, could he?
But the old eunuch was still looking at him with a smile on his face, as if waiting for him to speak.
Zhu Qingchen couldn't help himself, he raised his hands to cover his face and turned his head away to laugh.
Eunuch Cheng is very much in his heart and is also good at handling things.
If we replace him with a stupid eunuch and don’t know how to cooperate with him, it would be boring.
Zhu Qingchen laughed enough, adjusted his expression, and turned back.
Eunuch Cheng stood in front of Yuwen Zan holding the jade pendant, looking at him attentively and eagerly, still waiting for his return of favor.
Yuwen Zan's face turned pale. He wanted to distance himself from him, but he didn't want to do it too obviously.
He took a step back and Eunuch Cheng took a step forward.
Every time he took a step back, Eunuch Cheng took another step forward.
He was almost forced out of the tent.
Zhu Qingchen cleared his throat and continued, "Didn't the Fifth Prince say that he wanted to express his gratitude? Why? Now that the savior is right in front of you, Your Highness is hiding away?"
Yuwen Zan clenched his fists. Before he could say anything, Zhu Qingchen put the teacup heavily on the table and said in a serious tone, "Or is it that Your Highness is only willing to let the Emperor of Daxia be your savior? If it were someone else, it wouldn't work?"
Zhu Qingchen held onto the table, gathered his cloak, and stood up.
"When you thought that the Great Xia Emperor was your savior, you rushed to the emperor's tent in the middle of the night to thank him when you woke up from your coma. Now that the evidence is irrefutable and someone else has been named your savior, you are trying to avoid him and are unwilling to even perform a single courtesy?"
"What? Your Highness's life is at stake and he is unconscious in the mountains. No one except the nobles of Daxia can save His Highness? If His Highness is in danger in Daxia in the future, we will have to gather all the nobles and select the one who is most qualified to rescue His Highness, so as not to defile His Highness's body?"
"Your Highness, you are so generous! You are so pure and innocent!"
Inside the tent, someone burst out laughing, but quickly calmed down.
But when this person smiled, everyone else couldn't help it.
As if there was a leak, everyone laughed quietly.
Even Xiao Chengan pursed his lips, punched Chu Yunyang and Wei Yuan who were laughing happily beside him, and whispered: "Stop laughing, I want to laugh too."
Yuwen Zan didn't expect Zhu Qingchen to be so rude and sarcastic in front of everyone.
Even though it's embarrassing, I still have to do the superficial work.
Yuwen Zan said quickly, "No, no, no, Master Zhu misunderstood. I was just shocked for a moment and didn't react. I will now thank Young Master Cheng...Eunuch Cheng."
He took two steps back and saluted Eunuch Cheng: "Thank you very much... Eunuch Cheng for saving my life. I will repay you with a gift of grass and a ring."
Chu Yunyang laughed and said casually, "There is still one sentence missing."
What about the phrase "I will pledge my love to you"? Where did it go?
Thinking that it was the young emperor who saved him, he was willing to pledge himself to the emperor and came close to him eagerly.
Now that the old eunuch had saved him, he just had to pay his respects and that was all.
Tie a grass ring, he didn't really think it was a bracelet made of wild grass, did he?
"Yun Yang, don't be rude." Zhu Qingchen looked at him and made a reprimanding gesture, but there was a smile in his eyes.
Chu Yunyang naturally knew that the teacher was not really scolding him, so he pretended to be aggrieved and said, "Yes, teacher."
Yuwen Zan had no choice but to say to Eunuch Cheng: "If you have any difficulties, please come to me at any time, and I will definitely repay you."
Eunuch Cheng smiled and replied, "I dare not."
Yuwen Zan gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, I am a grateful person and I will not treat you unfairly."
"Then thank you in advance, Your Highness."
"You're welcome."
Yuwen Zan's eyes rolled, and he raised his head and said to Zhu Qingchen, "Master Zhu, since Eunuch Cheng is my lifesaver, I can't bear to see him working hard in the palace. Can you give him to me as a reward?"
He is not stupid.
He suspected that there was something fishy about the rescue, so he simply took Eunuch Cheng back and questioned him carefully.
In addition, through Eunuch Cheng, you can also get close to Xiao Cheng'an.
Zhu Qingchen smiled and said, "That depends on what Eunuch Cheng wants."
Eunuch Cheng smiled and said, "I have served Your Majesty very well. Your Highness has already taken away the criminal slave Chen Xun from Your Majesty. Now you want to take me away too. If you don't know, you might think I have committed some serious crime. I don't want to be with such a criminal slave."
Yuwen Zan looked a little embarrassed: "Yes..."
As soon as Chen Xun was mentioned, Yuwen Zan turned around and saw the personal guards bringing Chen Xun up.
Why is he here?
Just as Yuwen Zan was about to ask, Eunuch Cheng said, "Oh, he's here just as I mentioned it."
Chen Xun lowered his head and seemed to be in low spirits. He was carried up by his personal guards, holding his arms.
Zhu Qingchen winked at Eunuch Cheng, who understood and immediately asked loudly, "Why did you bring him up here? Wasn't he serving in the prince's tent? How did he end up like this?"
The guard replied, "The young master asked me to bring up the servant that His Highness had strangled. This is him."
Eunuch Cheng stepped forward and lifted up Chen Xun's head.
There were several purple pinch marks on Chen Xun's neck, which were very obvious.
It is precisely because of this that Chen Xun has not recovered yet and looks like he has lost his soul.
Eunuch Cheng looked at Chen Xun, then at Yuwen Zan, pretending to be shocked: "How could this be? Your Highness, I have no grudge against you. Your Highness wants to take me away. Could it be that..."
Oh my God!
Could it be that Yuwen Zan wanted to repay kindness with enmity? If he was taken back, he would also want to kill him!
No matter what Yuwen Zan thought, everyone thought so now.
For a moment, the eyes looking at Yu Wenzan were either inquiring or surprised.
Yuwen Zan didn't know how to refute for a moment.
He regrets it so much.
He could either strangle Chen Xun to death or simply not strangle him. Now Chen Xun was half dead, how could he explain it?
He shouldn't have said that nonsense about taking Eunuch Cheng away just now, but now it's his turn.
Zhu Qingchen clasped his hands and said calmly, "I still remember that when His Highness wanted Chen Xun to go, he was so affectionate and loyal that he wanted no one but you. How come you are fighting with him today?"
Yuwen Zan said nothing, so Zhu Qingchen looked at Chen Xun and said, "Chen Xun, you speak?"
Chen Xun lowered his head and opened his mouth, only to make a hoarse sound.
Yuwen Zan saw that the situation was not good, and hurried forward, saying loudly: "Young Master, you don't know, I was deceived by this evil slave before, and today I fainted in the mountains, and he actually abandoned me. So when I woke up, I was angry for a while, so I took action."
Zhu Qingchen said calmly: "That makes sense."
Yuwen Zan breathed a sigh of relief, and the next second, Chen Xun knelt on the ground, crawled to Zhu Qingchen's feet, and grabbed his clothes.
"Young Master, Young Master, I am innocent!"
His voice was hoarse and husky, and as small as a mouse's.
But he knew in his heart that this was his last chance to survive.
It's rare that so many people are here, people with higher status than Yuwen Zan are here. If he lets Yuwen Zan fool him and take him away, then he really has no life to live.
So he immediately grabbed Zhu Qingchen who was closest to him.
"I didn't abandon His Highness, but it was difficult for me to rescue His Highness alone, so I thought about going back to the camp to call for help. However, before I could even bring anyone there, His Highness had already been rescued by His Majesty... no, by Eunuch Cheng."
"I was concerned about Your Highness, and I served You without taking off my clothes. It was after Your Highness woke up that He suddenly got up and grabbed my neck, trying to strangle me to death. How could Your Highness slander me like this?"
"You have a point." Zhu Qingchen seemed to have suddenly become a little fool who knew nothing, and deliberately said, "What should I do?"
Chen Xun grabbed Zhu Qingchen's clothes tightly and said, "Young Master, please understand. Young Master, please understand... I have become like this. I dare not joke with my life."
He was so sincere that Yuwen Zan had no choice but to pretend.
"Master Zhu, it was indeed a wicked servant who harmed his master. I was so angry that I did this. However, since Chen Xun has been given to me, Master Zhu does not need to care about so many things."
Zhu Qingchen said sternly, "That's wrong. Since I was the one who gave Chen Xun to Your Highness, if the servant is doing harm to the master, then it is also my responsibility. I naturally cannot stand idly by and help Your Highness to find out the truth."
"Chen Xun, tell me what happened in detail."
"At that time..." Chen Xun lowered his head, his eyes darting around.
"Just tell the truth, don't lie."
"Yes." Chen Xun's brain was no longer working, so he could only tell everything in detail, "At that time, His Highness and I were strolling in the forest. Suddenly, His Highness covered his head with his hands, with a horrified expression. I..."
"I wanted to pull His Highness, but the horse got scared and His Highness fell off. I also wanted to jump down to save His Highness, but His Highness fell to the bottom of the hillside, rolling on the ground with his head covered. I couldn't save His Highness by myself, so I thought, I should hurry back to find someone."
"I'm going back to look for someone." Chen Xun nodded, but the wound on his neck was affected again, and his voice became even quieter, so that only he could hear it. "Yes, I'm going back to look for someone."
He could tell the truth about everything else, but he had to stick to this one point.
Yuwen Zan had to stick to this point: "Nonsense, it's clearly you who abandoned the master and left, and you still talk about going back to find someone."
"So." Zhu Qingchen closed his eyes, turned around and returned to his seat.
He gathered his cloak, sat down on the cushion, picked up the tea and took a sip.
Tie together all the things that have happened recently.
Yuwen Zan had a headache, Chen Xun threw him into the woods, and Yuwen Zan was reborn.
Zhu Qingchen suddenly had an idea and his eyes lit up.
Got it, he thought of a way to break the impasse!
Zhu Qingchen deliberately asked: "Chen Xun, when did your prince start to have headaches? How many times has it happened?"
He specifically reminded Chen Xun: "Answer truthfully."
"Three... three times." Chen Xun said, "At noon and at night when I first came to the hunting ground, and also in the hunting ground. I asked the imperial physician for the first two times, but after the imperial physician came to see me, he couldn't find any clues."
Zhu Qingchen asked again: "Did the disease occur after coming to the hunting ground, or did it happen before?"
"It's only available in the hunting grounds. It wasn't available before."
"Is it the same behavior every time?"
"Yes, Your Highness always has a headache, covers his head, and has a scary expression."
"That……"
Yuwen Zan was a little anxious, fearing that Zhu Qingchen would see through the fact that he was reborn, so he quickly interrupted: "Master Zhu, you are worrying too much, I am all right now."
Zhu Qingchen looked at him and sighed, "Your Highness, you don't know that this wilderness is the easiest place for evil spirits to enter the body. I am also thinking about your Highness. Since your Highness had a headache and fell ill in my Great Xia Hunting Ground, we should also be responsible to the end, ok?"
Yuwen Zan suddenly felt something was wrong, but he couldn't guess what Zhu Qingchen was going to do.
Zhu Qingchen waved his sleeves and said loudly: "Come here! Call the imperial physician! And——"
"Please call the alchemist!"!
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