Chapter 238 Going to a Brothel
Meng Yuande was shocked when he heard this.
When it comes to the emperor's indulgence of the princes, who can compare to Prince Zhaoning? But why did he never consider him when the throne was approaching?
As he was thinking, he heard Emperor Zhaowen sigh, "Yuan De, you have followed me for so many years, and you have seen a lot of things in and outside the palace. There are some things that I can only talk to you about."
Meng Yuande bowed hurriedly, "Your Majesty, I respectfully listen to your instructions."
Emperor Zhaowen's voice was shrouded in fatigue. "No matter how much I love him, he is ultimately not legitimate. Whoever inherits this throne doesn't solely depend on qualifications, but also on whether the people recognize him. If I really give him the throne, the court will be in turmoil, and the royal family will not tolerate him."
He paused, his gaze drifting outside. "I owe him, I owe Zhihe, and I'll never be able to repay them in this lifetime. I can only relax on these other matters and let him live a more comfortable life. That can be considered... making amends."
Meng Yuande lowered his head, a layer of cold sweat breaking out on his back.
No matter how much he loved her, he was unwilling to hand over the throne to the illegitimate King Zhaoning.
The so-called free life, after all, is just a reward under the balance of imperial power. It can protect him from temporary peace, but it cannot protect his peace for a lifetime. When the eldest prince ascends the throne, King Zhaoning will be in a difficult situation.
Meng Yuande clenched his whisk tightly, feeling that the incense in the hall was a little cold.
In the afternoon, Meng Yuande waited for Emperor Zhaowen to rest and left the bedroom. As he turned the jade steps, he saw the eldest prince Pei Yi coming towards him.
Meng Yuande hurried forward and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Prince Jing, you're here at an unfortunate time. The Emperor has just retired."
Pei Yi paused and said regretfully, "It seems that I have come at the wrong time."
Meng Yuande lowered his eyes, his heart as clear as a mirror.
Everyone in the palace knows that the emperor has the habit of taking a rest in the afternoon every day. The eldest prince chose to come at this time, so I'm afraid he is not here to see the emperor.
"If your Highness has nothing important to do, please wait a moment. The Emperor will get up after resting for half an hour."
Pei Yi waved his hand and said, "It's not a pressing matter. I can report this to my father later. I'll be leaving now. If Eunuch Meng has nothing else to do, would you be willing to give me a ride?"
Meng Yuande quickly responded, "Your Highness has given an order, how dare I disobey, Your Highness, please."
The wind was filled with chill, making the iron horses under the eaves clang. The two men walked one in front and one behind, neither saying a word for a while.
When they were almost at the corner gate, Pei Yi suddenly slowed down his pace and said casually, "Come to think of it, after the court was dismissed today, my father asked Prince Zhaoning to stay for a while longer. Prince Zhaoning has always been lazy about court affairs, so it's a bit surprising that he was willing to stay in front of the emperor today."
Meng Yuande remained calm, "It's not about discussing state affairs, it's just a casual chat."
"Oh?" Pei Yi raised his eyebrows slightly. "Prince Zhaoning is usually quiet, but he can actually talk to father for such a long time?"
Meng Yuande heard his inquiring intention and said, "It's nothing serious. The emperor was just chatting casually and mentioned the qualifications of several princes. Zhaoning must be..."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his eyes as if he had just reacted, and hurriedly added: "It is my fault for being too talkative, Your Highness, please don't take it to heart..."
The fake smile on Pei Yi's face disappeared immediately, and he clenched his sleeves tightly.
Pei Yi could guess with his toes what was left unsaid, which simply meant that Prince Zhaoning had the best qualifications, and Pei Jing had been the center of attention in front of the court officials these days, making the other princes look like straws.
His father left Pei Jing alone to talk, and he couldn't help but think about it.
The wind blew in from the corner door, making Pei Yi feel cold all over.
Pei Yi's mind raced. Meng Yuande had been with his father for so many years, and he knew better than anyone what to say and what to keep to himself.
It is impossible for Meng Yuande to let something slip. He must have revealed it intentionally to give me some advice and show his goodwill.
Pei Yi turned and looked at Meng Yuande. "Eunuch is the most capable person beside the emperor. You are the most clear about the emperor's wishes. You are a down-to-earth person, and I will not beat around the bush. If the emperor mentions Prince Zhaoning again, please be sure to let me know. As long as you are willing to help, if I get what I want in the future, I will never forget your kindness today."
After saying that, he took out a brocade box from his sleeve, stuffed it into Meng Yuande's hand, and turned to leave.
After Pei Yi disappeared, Meng Yuande opened the brocade box, took a look, and then put it back into his sleeve with a smile.
…
The night was getting late and the candles in the bedroom had already been extinguished.
The two people in the tent were sleeping soundly when suddenly there were two knocks outside the room.
Pei Jing slowly opened his eyes, still hazy with sleepiness. The person in his arms was breathing evenly, her hair rubbing against his neck, carrying a warm fragrance.
"Knock knock"
There were two more sounds, and Pei Jing carefully withdrew his hand, tucked the quilt corner for Jiang Fei, put on his cloak and went out.
Duan Jiu was standing in the corridor. When he saw him come out, he whispered, "Your Highness, there is an urgent letter. Someone is waiting outside."
Pei Jing's face darkened and he walked out holding his cloak. There was a figure standing in the shadow of the side door. It was indeed the young eunuch in the palace.
After a cup of tea, Pei Jing turned back and quietly got back into bed.
As soon as she lay down, Jiang Fei moved drowsily and snuggled into his arms out of habit.
She placed her hand on his waist, and her fingertips touched something cold, which made him suddenly sober up. "Where have you been? Why are you so cold?"
Pei Jing held her close to him, his voice sounding especially gentle in the night, "I went to the bathroom, and I caught a bit of a cold."
Jiang Fei said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions. She just buried her face in his neck and muttered, "Go to sleep quickly."
Pei Jing responded, feeling her body gradually warming up. The gloom in his eyes did not dissipate. Only when her breathing became even again, he sighed softly, hugged her and closed his eyes.
…
After a dreamless night, Jiang Fei opened her eyes again and it was already bright outside the window.
She habitually touched her side and found that the bedding was already cold. It was obvious that Pei Jing had left for a long time.
Suddenly, the long-lost voice of the system rang in my mind: "Hey, you've only been away for a while, and you're already groping around looking for something?"
Jiang Fei was stunned for a moment.
This is the first time the system has been online since it was suddenly offline on Chinese New Year's Day.
"You finally decided to come. Where have you been? Did you go back home for the New Year?"
The system's voice was a little unnatural: "I have something to ask the main system."
"Oh." Jiang Fei drawled out her words, her eyes clearly showing that she understood. "It took you so long to come back, it seems like the process was very intense. This is good progress."
The system replied unhappily, "I'm going to do some serious work, okay?"
"Have you collected a hundred yet?"
The system choked and said, "Stop interfering and take care of your own business first."
At this point, Jiang Fei frowned and paused in putting on her coat. "Speaking of which, Pei Jing has been acting a bit strange lately. He leaves early and comes back late every day, even taking a shower before returning."
System: "Oh, he went to a brothel."
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