Chapter 439: Strangeness Everywhere
Prince Xiao's face turned green, and he declined politely on the grounds of his deep love for the princess. However, Lord Zhuang said that he only wanted a one-night stand. Prince Xiao was unwilling, and the two sides were deadlocked for a while. Prince Li stepped forward to mediate and reluctantly let the matter go.
That night, the group stayed at the city lord's mansion.
The Lord of Zhuang knocked on King Xiao's door in the middle of the night, wanting to get close to him. After being coldly rejected by King Xiao, he became angry and left in anger.
The next day, King Xiao and his entourage left Guiyun City, but encountered bandits ten miles away. In the chaos, Chu Shangming was kidnapped.
Prince Li discovered that the bandits were related to the City Lord's Mansion and ordered people to go and question them.
Not only did the City Lord of Zhuang admit that she was the one who kidnapped the people, she also invited King Xiao and his entourage to attend her wedding banquet with Chu Shangming in half a month. She would take Chu Shangming as her twelfth male concubine.
King Xiao sent people to negotiate, but the City Lord Zhuang declared that if she wanted him to let Chu Shangming go, she would have to exchange King Xiao himself for him.
Prince Li was so angry that he started cursing on the spot, and Prince Xiao was so angry that his old illness flared up. Not only did he have an unbearable headache, but even his legs hurt as if thousands of ants were biting his heart, and he couldn't move forward.
The group had to temporarily stay in a Buddhist temple outside the city and make further plans after King Xiao recovered.
During this period, Ren Qingxia relied on his martial arts skills to sneak into the City Lord's Mansion to rescue Chu Shangming, but was unfortunately caught.
Pei Yunjian was extremely worried and wanted to find out some information in Guiyun City, but he was accused of plotting against the city lord and was taken to the city lord's mansion by patrolling soldiers, where he never came out again.
Yan Chengtao was waiting outside the city anxiously, wanting to go in and take a look. However, as soon as he entered the city, he was recognized as Pei Yunjian's accomplice, and was also taken to the city lord's mansion by the patrolling soldiers, and never came out again.
On the second day, the Lord of Zhuang City sent three invitations to King Xiao. Four happy events were held in one wedding banquet, four joys coming together.
King Xiao was nearly mad with anger. His head hurt so much that he couldn't even get out of bed.
Because Prince Xiao had a headache and couldn't hold a pen, the task of delivering the message was given to Prince Li. Now the message Xiao Jingfan received was written by Prince Li himself.
Chu Liuzheng flipped through the small scroll again and again, making sure he hadn't missed a single word before looking up at the stern-faced emperor. "Your Majesty, do you find this a little strange?"
"Hmm." Xiao Jingfan put the chess piece back into the box. "What do you think is strange?"
"Everything about it is strange." Chu Liuzheng pointed at the scroll with his fingertips. "With His Royal Highness Prince Xiao's temperament, even if he is angry, he would never let such a thing cause his old illness to relapse, to the point where he can't even get out of bed."
Xiao Jingfan: "He really doesn't look like the Third Emperor."
Chu Liuzheng: "Rumor has it that City Lord Zhuang has long admired His Royal Highness Prince Li and fell in love with him at first sight. But why is he suddenly professing his love for His Royal Highness Prince Xiao? And even using eighteen love poems? Isn't this deliberately trying to embarrass His Royal Highness Prince Li? This is not the way to treat your beloved."
"Perhaps she has fallen in love with someone else," Xiao Jingfan said. "Besides, Prince Li has always been rude to her, so it's possible that she intends revenge."
"Well, that's a possibility, but don't you think it's too unlikely?" Chu Liuzheng said, "Everyone knows that Prince Xiao and his wife are deeply in love, and he only has the princess in his heart. Even if the Lord of Zhuang City is so beautiful, Prince Xiao won't be easily tempted."
"Lord Zhuang is the lord of a city after all. Why didn't he test the attitude of His Royal Highness Prince Xiao before making a proposal at the banquet, which might damage his reputation?" If he was rejected in public, wouldn't he become a laughing stock in the future?
"That makes sense." Xiao Jingfan nodded slightly, motioning Chu Liuzheng to continue.
Chu Liuzheng said, "Knocking on the door in the middle of the night is also very strange. Since His Royal Highness Prince Xiao already refused at the banquet, why did Lord Zhuang go again in the middle of the night?"
As I said, he is the lord of a city after all. Even if he is lustful, he will not let people step on his face, right?
There are so many men in the world, why do you have to find a married man who has someone he loves?
It can’t be that the ones you snatched away smell better, right?
Xiao Jingfan: "Maybe she thought that it was late at night and everyone was asleep, so the Third Prince would be more easily moved."
Chu Liuzheng looked at him, as if to say, Are you joking?
Xiao Jingfan raised the corner of his lips, "Go on."
[Tsk tsk, you clearly saw it, and you still want me to tell you? So you're not the one wasting your saliva, are you?]
Chu Liuzheng cleared his throat and continued, "The timing of the arrest is also very strange. If City Lord Zhuang really wanted to arrest people, why didn't she arrest His Royal Highness Prince Xiao and the others when they were in Guiyun City? She had to wait until they left the city to send people disguised as bandits to arrest them, and then arrested the wrong person. Afterwards, she even admitted to being the one who did it. Isn't this... ahem, unnecessary?"
[That was a close call. I almost said I took off my pants to fart. The tyrant would definitely frown and punish me by making me recite the book.]
Xiao Jingfan had no choice but to punish her that time, but the woman remembered it well.
He said, "If Prince Li's recognition of the bandits was an accident, and arresting the wrong person was also an accident, then this is not a superfluous move."
[Haha, surprise after surprise. After all, I am the ruler of a city. I can manage a city to prosperity. How could I be so careless in my work?]
Chu Liuzheng had figured out that the emperor had done this on purpose. She snorted twice and ordered someone to bring in some iced sour plum soup.
Xiao Jingfan ordered the chessboard to be removed, then reached out to pull Chu Liuzheng over and pinched her face, "Why don't you say anything?"
Chu Liuzheng put on a fake smile and said, "Your mind is as clear as a mirror. How dare I show off my little tricks in front of you?"
"I want to hear you say it." Xiao Jingfan admitted it very straightforwardly. He reached out to take the sour plum soup, but when Chu Liuzheng raised his hand to take it, he stepped back. "There's one more thing you didn't say."
Chu Liuzheng: "...Also, although the affairs of Guiyun City are not under the jurisdiction of Dasheng, no matter how prosperous Guiyun City is, it is only a city. How can it compare with the entire Dasheng Kingdom? City Lord Zhuang even sent people to openly call out to His Royal Highness Prince Xiao, demanding that His Royal Highness use him in exchange. With such arrogance, aren't you afraid that you will destroy the entire Guiyun City in a rage?"
Although there is an imperial edict from Emperor Shouchang, that is only if Guiyun City behaves well and does not cause trouble. If Guiyun City takes the initiative to provoke Dasheng, the imperial edict will be nothing but waste paper.
Xiao Jingfan: "So?"
"So... City Lord Zhuang did it on purpose. There must be another hidden story behind this." Chu Liuzheng finally got the sour plum soup he wanted from the emperor. He lowered his head and took a sip. He immediately felt his mouth water and secretly praised Moxiang's good craftsmanship.
"Is it delicious?" Xiao Jingfan leaned over. Just as Chu Liuzheng was about to feed him a sip, his lips suddenly felt hot and two thin lips covered him.
Chu Liuzheng: “…”
Although the kiss was a bit pleasant, but hadn't we just kissed? It wasn't spring yet!
If this continues, won’t the palace maids serving in the palace get cervical spondylosis?
She was lost in thought when her tongue was suddenly bitten. Xiao Jingfan looked up at her with a hint of dissatisfaction, picked her up and carried her behind the screen.
[Hmm~ My sour plum soup!!]
*
In Wenhua Palace, Feng Jing was urgently summoned.
"Going to Guiyun City?" Feng Jing looked surprised. "Why are we going there?"
Xiao Jingfan said, "Prince Xiao has suddenly fallen ill with an old illness and is in unbearable pain. I have sent someone to escort you and two imperial physicians there. We will act accordingly."
Feng Jing heard something was wrong and immediately asked, "Can I not go?"
Xiao Jingfan looked at him and without a pause, he recited a list of medicinal herbs. All of them were expensive and hard to find, and were also the ones Feng Jing had spent on researching new medicines these days. Then he added, "Doctor Qin will go too."
Doctor Feng, who is flexible and adaptable, said: "I'll go!"
(End of this chapter)
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