Chapter 46 Amusing
Zhuang Dongqing really wanted to see Li Yang.
There's no other reason than...
Accompanied by Liu Qi, Zhuang Dongqing met Li Yang and confirmed that it was indeed Li Yang. Zhuang Dongqing exclaimed in disbelief, "Brother Li, how come you... have become so thin?"
With so many people around and eyes cluttering the room, Zhuang Dongqing was unaware of Li Yang's purpose in leaving the palace. Therefore, calling him the Sixth Prince was not appropriate, so he only used his surname.
Yes, thin.
Compared to when Li Yang was at the hunting grounds, he has lost a lot of weight, and Zhuang Dongqing almost doesn't recognize him.
Li Yang seemed to only then notice Zhuang Dongqing, and slightly raised her head.
Looking at each other, Zhuang Dongqing felt that the other person had lost weight.
His cheekbones were prominent, and there were dark circles under his eyes. His eyes had lost their previous liveliness. He looked Zhuang Dongqing up and down for a moment before he seemed to suddenly recognize him and called out, "Oh, Brother Dongqing."
His voice was also low and hoarse, which was unpleasant to listen to.
"you……"
Zhuang Dongqing swallowed hard and asked with difficulty, "Are you alright?"
After asking, he realized it wasn't quite appropriate, so he quickly changed his tune and said, "Oh, the Prince's mansion has been quite busy lately. His Highness has finally recovered a bit from his illness, so we went out for a stroll, and unexpectedly, we ran into Brother Li."
"Brother Li, is there anything I can do for you here?"
If Li Yang didn't want to see him, she could easily use this opportunity to back down and say goodbye.
Li Yang took a moment to react before slowly turning her gaze to Liu Qi behind Zhuang Dongqing.
Liu Qi stepped forward, bowed, and greeted him. He then said without any hesitation, "Young Master Zhuang was previously made things difficult by your third brother. The Prince specifically asked me to come along. Please forgive me, Young Master Li."
"As you know, our prince is always extremely protective of his own."
Upon hearing the last few words, Li Yang seemed to have been touched on a sensitive spot, and her eyelashes trembled.
Liu Qi ignored him and said to himself, "Young Master Zhuang saw you sitting here and wanted to come out to say hello. Would you like to talk for a bit? I'll excuse myself for a moment?"
One faction naturally handed the choice over to Li Yang, clearly having noticed Li Yang's unusual behavior.
Li Yang then looked at Zhuang Dongqing, who tried to make conversation again: "Oh right, I've already obtained Liu Fu's indenture. I have to thank Brother Li for this."
After a moment of silence, Li Yang said, "Let's talk for a bit. It's been a long time."
Liu Qi understood and stepped back a little.
Li Yang's eunuch also walked a few steps away with Liu Qi.
Li Yang then spoke up, "I just came out for a walk today to clear my head."
"Nothing's wrong."
"As for whether it's good or bad..."
At this point, Li Yang gave a bitter smile. "Brother Dongqing probably already knows. You probably wouldn't believe me if I said it was good, but if I said it was bad... well, it's not that bad. It's just like this."
Feeling that Li Yang wasn't shutting herself off, Zhuang Dongqing tentatively said, "You've lost so much weight. I almost didn't recognize you when we were walking down the street. It was the Prince who noticed."
"Has the Prince come too?"
"Yes, we're having tea in a private room. We've come out to relax. There's been a lot going on at the Prince's residence lately, as you've probably heard, Brother Li."
When Zhuang Dongqing said this, both sides had gone through a turbulent period, and the distance between them suddenly narrowed.
As expected, Li Yang relaxed a lot and said slowly, "I've heard about what happened at the Prince's Mansion. You've had it tough too."
The male lead was always honest and sincere, and he answered almost all of Zhuang Dongqing's questions. So, Li Yang continued to answer the second half of the question, "Thin, right? Everyone says I've lost a lot of weight, but I don't think so. I just..." He lowered his head and gave a bitter smile, "...and I've gotten like this without even realizing it."
Zhuang Dongqing nodded repeatedly, "I know, I know. I'm a talkative person. If anything I say is offensive, Brother Li, you can just ignore it."
"It's not that I don't want to talk about it..."
Staring at Zhuang Dongqing in front of him, Li Yang's eyes slowly reddened. He said with difficulty, "It's strange, I've met so many people lately, and I'm fine with others, but when I see Brother Dongqing, so many things from my heart come to mind."
He quickly wiped his eyes and said, "Please excuse my poor appearance."
Zhuang Dongqing understood.
When his aunt passed away, he was about the same age as Li Yang.
then……
In short, Zhuang Dongqing understood all the difficulties involved, but Li Yang's situation was even more complicated. Consort Shu was the pawn the old emperor sacrificed to save the king, and although she was poisoned, he insisted on saying she died of illness. In ancient times, etiquette was paramount, and within the imperial palace, different methods of death might have different rituals and chanting. Li Yang was caught in the middle, which must have been extremely difficult for him.
Zhuang Dongqing also sat down and said gently, "It's nothing, it's alright."
“I…I wasn’t very old when my aunt passed away.”
"You don't need to pretend. With something this big happening, no one would not be heartbroken."
He then offered Li Yang a way out, saying, "I'll listen to whatever you want to say. If you don't want to say it, you don't have to. That's fine too."
"If Consort Shu were alive, she would be uneasy to see you so depressed."
I don't know which sentence touched Li Yang, but as soon as the words were spoken, I saw tears streaming down her face.
Zhuang Dongqing froze for a moment. Li Yang apologized again, then quickly turned around and wiped away her tears with her sleeve.
Zhuang Dongqing was somewhat at a loss. He glanced at Liu Qi from afar, but Liu Qi nodded at him and turned to walk away.
Before long, Liu Qi returned with a plate of something. Instead of delivering it himself, he handed it to Li Yang's eunuch. Only after the eunuch took it did Zhuang Dongqing realize that it was a hot towel for wiping her hands and face.
Large restaurants and teahouses in the capital city provide these cleaning supplies.
The eunuch served Li Yang, whispering words of advice.
Zhuang Dongqing patted Li Yang's back, wanting to comfort her and stop being sad, but then paused, gritted her teeth, and said simply, "If you want to cry, then cry for a while. We're outside the palace, and there's not much people around. Once we get back to the palace, you probably won't be able to have this tantrum anymore."
I don't know what's wrong with him today, every word he says sounds like it's blessed. After listening to him, Li Yang was even more heartbroken.
Zhuang Dongqing was still a little afraid that people around her would see her.
After comforting Li Yang for a while, he turned around and found that the few people around him had all left.
Liu Qi nodded to Zhuang Dongqing from a distance.
Zhuang Dongqing understood, inwardly admiring Liu Qi's cleverness, and then turned her attention to Li Yang.
She sobbed for a while, though not for very long. Perhaps because she had never vented her emotions in front of outsiders before, Li Yang felt a little embarrassed after she finished crying.
Zhuang Dongqing asked worriedly, "Are you doing alright in the palace?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yang's embarrassment quickly subsided, and after thinking for a moment, she shook her head slightly.
The voice was extremely low, only two people could hear it, "I want to perform a ritual for my mother, but my father will not allow it."
The dead old emperor.
He cursed inwardly, but could only offer words of advice: "The dead cannot be brought back to life. Consort Shu must be most concerned about you. If she could know this in the afterlife, taking good care of your health would be more important than any religious ceremony."
"Really?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.
Zhuang Dongqing nodded repeatedly, "Definitely."
Li Yang lowered her head again.
Zhuang Dongqing: "Now that the deposed crown prince has been executed, Consort Shu has finally gotten her revenge. Both are her flesh and blood, and your father is also heartbroken. When you return to the palace, don't argue with him."
“No, I just…” Li Yang said softly, “My father summoned me several times, but I didn’t go. I don’t know how to face him.”
"If you don't know, it's better not to meet, so as not to lose your composure and become estranged."
The old emperor is so cunning; if Li Yang doesn't hide his resentment well, he'll probably remain estranged when they meet.
Li Yang smiled wryly: "San De also advised me in the same way."
San De was his personal eunuch.
"Yes, don't worry, taking care of yourself is the most important thing."
Li Yang looked up at Zhuang Dongqing again.
It was truly pitiful, and Zhuang Dongqing felt distressed by the sight of her eyes.
With a complicated expression, he suddenly said, "The prince had criticized me before, and I was a little unconvinced at the time, thinking he was making a mountain out of a molehill. I never imagined that I was so naive."
"ah?"
Zhuang Dongqing knew nothing about this.
Li Yang didn't want to say more, only saying, "It's because after you were made difficult by Third Brother, we ran into each other at the hunting grounds. The Prince told me not to look for you lately, saying that I can't even protect myself, so I shouldn't drag others down with me."
Actually, what I said wasn't very pleasant to hear.
But Li Yang did bear some responsibility for that incident, so he held back.
Of course, he only said a few words; Cen Yan never wasted his energy on matters concerning strangers.
Unexpectedly, his words came true.
Since her mother's passing, Li Yang has truly come to understand the palace and witnessed the coldness of human nature and the fickleness of the world.
Li Yang wiped her face, feeling complicated, and said, "It's just a bit sad to think about it."
"I feel that sometimes what everyone says is bad may not actually be bad."
For example, Cen Yan and Zhuang Dongqing went to the Prince's Mansion and actually lived quite well, at least Cen Yan was willing to stand up for him.
"What everyone praises may not actually be good."
For example, his father, whom he used to see as kind and wise.
Zhuang Dongqing sighed, "You're starting to grow up."
And your story has only just begun.
*
Hao San entered the private room, bowed, and reported, "The spies lying in ambush around here have been cleared out."
"There are people from the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, as well as two people from other princes."
Cen Yan simply nodded.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Is this Li Yang's first time leaving the palace recently?"
"yes."
"His Majesty didn't send anyone to follow them?"
Hao San truthfully replied, "I haven't seen it."
Cen Yan raised his eyebrows, having made up his mind, and said no more.
After a while, Zhuang Dongqing returned, looking dejected, and sat down next to Cen Yan.
Cen Yan pushed a cup of flower-infused tea towards Zhuang Dongqing, who drank it. Then Cen Yan pushed two pieces of fruit over, which Zhuang Dongqing picked up and quickly bit into.
"Phew~"
With some tea and fruit, Zhuang Dongqing gulped down the rest of the tea and let out a long sigh.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Cen Yan asked him.
Zhuang Dongqing thought for a moment, "No, it's just that I feel a bit sentimental."
Cen Yan: "Without Consort Shu, he still has a long road ahead."
Zhuang Dongqing nodded, then, as if remembering something, asked Cen Yan, "When did you arrive in the capital?"
Cen Yan was surprised, thinking that Zhuang Dongqing would talk about Li Yang for a while, but the conversation turned to himself instead, "Twelve years old."
"It's so small."
Cen Yan: "No, the princes started their education at the age of three, and by eleven or twelve, they had already learned quite a lot."
Zhuang Dongqing: "You're not them, why are you comparing yourself to them and suffering those kinds of hardships?"
Cen Yan was stunned for a moment.
Zhuang Dongqing then looked at Cen Yan, her eyes clear and bright: "So, were you used to it back then?"
"Want the truth?"
Zhuang Dongqing nodded.
Cen Yan: "Of course not."
"In the capital, the rules are strict, and everyone is a nobleman. You have to go to the horse farm to ride horses. How can you get used to that?"
Zhuang Dongqing cupped her face and said naturally, "It must have been very difficult. In the fiefdom, the prince's mansion is the most important. Once you enter the palace, everyone has a background. The key is that with more people, there will be more trouble. People will speak in circles and it will be very tiring."
"Look at me, asking even though I already know the answer, just hitting a nerve."
“I just said something and Li Yang felt upset. I’m just bad at expressing myself.”
Cen Yan relaxed, not minding at all, "That's all in the past."
Zhuang Dongqing: "When you first entered the palace, did anyone bully you?"
Cen Yan thought for a moment and slowly said, "Li Zhuo is a scoundrel who often bullies other princes by taking advantage of his status. Don't be fooled by the fact that he is now on par with the fourth prince. When they were young, the fourth prince was no match for him in terms of scheming and tactics."
"When I first entered the palace, I forgot whether it was reciting texts or shooting arrows, I followed behind him and beat him first. He thought I deliberately stole his thunder."
Li Zhuo is the Third Prince, the madman Zhuang Dongqing met before.
"They deliberately caused trouble later. I didn't care about the minor troubles, but one time when Liu Qi disappeared, people around him said that he took Liu Qi to the Imperial Household Department, saying that men were not allowed in the palace and that Liu Qi was not a noble person. They said they had to take Liu Qi to be cleansed so that he could stay in the palace to serve me."
Zhuang Dongqing's mouth dropped open in disbelief as she turned to look at Liu Qi.
Liu Qi confirmed, "That is indeed the case."
Zhuang Dongqing: "And then what happened?"
Cen Yan: "Fortunately, I got back in time and turned around to follow the Imperial Household Department. Liu Qi was not obedient along the way and walked slowly. He only got some beatings and superficial injuries. He was not actually dragged into the castration room."
"After Hao San rescued Liu Qi, I dragged Li Zhuo inside."
Zhuang Dongqing's mouth formed an "O" shape as she urged, "And then what?"
"You didn't do anything to him, did you?"
Cen Yan said casually, "Nothing much, I just slowly shaved his bird's feathers off with a knife, shaving it bald."
"Huh?" Zhuang Dongqing, "Pfft—"
I couldn't hold it in any longer, "Hahaha, hahahahaha!"
Liu Qi added, "Hao San went in with him. He touched the Third Prince twice, making his legs numb. Then, seeing his master use a knife, the Third Prince thought he was really going to be executed. He cried and screamed inside, and everyone in the Imperial Household Department heard it."
Zhuang Dongqing couldn't stop laughing.
Cen Yan: "It's all because of him. I also became famous in one battle. We were both wrong. Your Majesty had no choice but to give both sides equal punishment and let it go."
"After that, once I was in the palace, no one dared to provoke me easily."
He added, "After the commotion, he hid in his palace for almost half a month."
Why?
Cen Yan blew on the tea and said calmly, "Perhaps he's afraid that if he comes to the Imperial Study and goes to the clean room halfway through, everyone will look at his hairless area."
"Pfft, hahahahaha!" Zhuang Dongqing laughed so hard he slapped the table.
After laughing, he came back to ask again.
Cen Yan glanced at him a few times, noticing that his face was red from smiling, but not wanting to spoil the mood, he answered the question.
He laughed for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then stopped. Zhuang Dongqing belatedly realized, "Were you trying to make me happy?"
Cen Yan replied calmly, "Besides you, is there anyone else in this whole room who's sighing and complaining?"
*
The teahouse was excellent, and the tales of the Third Prince's past embarrassing incidents made the fruit taste even sweeter.
Having eaten and drunk their fill, and even taking an extra portion of fruit, the Prince's carriage slowly returned to the mansion as the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the room.
After walking around all day and having dinner, Zhuang Dongqing sat on a recliner and enjoyed the breeze, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
When he woke up again, Liu Fu patted his face, reminding him that it was late and that he should wash up and go to bed.
Zhuang Dongqing nodded, then groggily washed up, insisting on washing his hair. Liu Fu then washed it for him and wrung it dry before he went into the inner room in his nightgown.
Upon entering the inner room, Zhuang Dongqing paused in his tracks.
There was a very handsome guy lying on his bed.
Wearing a white nightgown, her long hair cascaded down onto the pillow. She sat against the headboard, her robe slightly open, revealing a glimpse of her chest muscles. Hearing a sound, she looked up from the book she was holding.
His features were striking, his eyes were light-colored, and his pupils were like two pieces of amber, extremely beautiful.
Oh, it's Cen Yan.
Zhuang Dongqing's slow-witted mind finally matched the person's name.
"You're back, let's get into bed."
The man put down his book and pulled back the covers.
His clothes were a little loose, and the shape of his abdominal muscles could be vaguely seen as he moved.
With the blanket lifted, her nightgown clung to her body, revealing the exquisite lines of her long legs.
And so he invited himself in with open arms.
Zhuang Dongqing: "..."
I couldn't help but swallow.
Help! Mom, there's a male demon in his bed!
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