Chapter 69: Double Haunt 3: Is a kiss a scandal?
The weather was cold, and Meng Xiaohe was worried that Zhu Fu would get cold, so since the beginning of winter, Zhu Fu's doghouse had been moved to Meng Xiaohe and Zhu Jingchen's bedroom.
Zhu Song knocked on the door and called out anxiously, "Mom. Mom."
Meng Xiaohe hadn't been able to sleep well recently because of the epidemic. She woke up at the slightest sound. When she heard Zhu Song's voice, she quickly nudged Zhu Jingchen beside her and said, "Go open the door."
Zhu Jingchen was soundly asleep and was still half asleep when he was woken up. When he opened the door, he was instantly awakened by the cold wind. He frowned at Zhu Song, who was sweating profusely from anxiety, and asked, "What happened so late at night?"
"I'm looking for Zhufu." Zhu Song said as he pushed him away. Zhu Jingchen frowned even more tightly. Following Zhu Song, he saw him rush into the house and pick up Zhufu. Although Zhufu was old, he was chubby and had soft fur, and he felt heavy when he was held.
Seeing this, Meng Xiaohe quickly asked, "Who's sick? Be careful not to let the blessings get frozen."
"I understand." Zhu Song picked up Zhu and was about to leave. Meng Xiaohe quickly said, "Wrap Zhu with your father's clothes on the screen."
Zhu Song took the cloak and wrapped Zhufu up, then hurried out.
Meng Xiaohe was worried and asked Zhu Jingchen to go and check it out. "Go and see what's going on. It's late at night, and they've snatched up all the blessings."
Zhu Jingchen had wanted to go, but when he reached the door, he was blown back by the cold wind. There was no other cloak in the house, so he said, "The boss knows what to do. Don't worry."
"Okay." The wind outside blew into the inner room, and it was indeed very cold.
Zhu Song hurried back to the courtyard with his child in his arms. Wen Fengxuan lay on the bed with his eyes closed, his face red as if blood was about to drip. When he heard the voice, he opened his eyes and met a pair of beautiful black eyes. "Is this... a blessing?"
Zhu Song came up to Wen Fengxuan with Zhufu in his arms and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, do you know him?"
Wen Fengxuan replied, "I've heard a little bit about it."
Zhu Song was afraid that he would feel something was wrong, so he explained, "Zhu Fu is very good at treating illnesses. I was cured of my illness before by Zhu Fu."
Seeing his worry, Wen Fengxuan pursed his lips and smiled, then reached out and gently stroked Zhufu's back, "Thank you for your help, Zhufu."
Zhufu wagged its tail at him, then struggled to jump to the ground, shook its clothes off twice, and ran out the door.
"Blessings." Zhu Song quickly chased after him.
Wen Fengxuan looked at the backs of the dog and the man running away, his eyebrows slightly curved.
Zhu Song moved quickly and followed him to Xia Yunqing's yard. Xia Yunqing lived in Zhu Song's yard for five or six days before moving out. Now he lives alone in Qingfeng Courtyard.
Zhufu ran to Xia Yunqing's door and started knocking frantically. Zhu Song was surprised how he found Xia Yunqing, but he trusted Zhufu, so he knocked on the door as well, "Yunqing."
"I'm here." Xia Yunqing's voice rang out, and then the door opened. He was sitting in a wheelchair with his clothes barely put on. It was obvious that he had just gotten out of bed.
"What's wrong?" Before Xia Yunqing could finish his words, Zhufu pounced on him. Xia Yunqing quickly caught him. Because he was too heavy, he cried out "ouch".
Zhufu stretched out his claws and grabbed the black pendant on Xia Yunqing's neck, then turned his head and wagged his tail at Zhusong.
This blessing is familiar, and it is done every time when blessing for finding healing herbs.
Zhu Song brought Zhufu back and said to Xia Yunqing, "Let me see your pendant."
"Oh, okay." Xia Yunqing took off the pendant and handed it to Zhu Song. "Is there anything wrong with this pendant?"
Zhu Song did not hide it from him, "It is very likely related to this epidemic."
"What?" Xia Yunqing widened his eyes in shock.
Zhu Song said, "I'll tell you the result, but there's a chance I won't be able to get the pendant back."
Xia Yunqing was extremely worried. "If it's really related to the epidemic, will it cause trouble for you?"
Zhu Song said: "Don't worry about this matter, go back and rest."
Seeing that Zhu Song was busy leaving, Xia Yunqing didn't ask any more questions.
Zhu Song carried Zhu Fu away. When they returned to Fengya Courtyard, Li Qiutong had already arrived and was checking Wen Fengxuan's pulse. Zhu Lingye stood at the door, stunned. Seeing Zhu Song, he quickly came forward and eagerly asked, "Why is the emperor here?"
Zhu Song patted his shoulder, and the meaning was very clear: I’ll tell you later.
Li Qiutong looked troubled at this moment. "It is indeed an epidemic."
The antidote to the epidemic has not yet been developed, and Li Qiuting's worry is beyond words.
Zhu Song handed over the black pendant and said, "Take a look at this."
Li Qiuting looked at him in surprise, but took the thing without saying anything.
Wen Fengxuan asked, "Did Zhufu find it?"
Zhu Song nodded, and Wen Fengxuan stretched out his hand, "Let me see."
Li Qiuting handed the pendant to Wen Fengxuan. When Wen Fengxuan took it in his hand, he felt a refreshing fragrance hitting his nose. He took it closer and smelled it carefully. It was like a cold current flowing into his body, relieving the heat in his body.
Everyone was surprised to see the red on Wen Fengxuan's face fade away at a visible speed. Zhu Lingye was so frightened that he pulled hard on Zhu Song's sleeve, but Zhu Song glared at him, and Zhu Lingye finally gave up.
After smelling it for a while, Wen Fengxuan handed the pendant to Li Qiutong. "I feel much better." He then held out his hand. Li Qiutong felt his pulse and was very surprised. "The poison has been detoxified."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and Zhu Song's heavy expression also lightened up. That was great.
"Hmm?" Li Qiutong's expression suddenly changed again, and everyone's heart was lifted. Zhu Song quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
Li Qiutong looked at Wen Fengxuan, who understood what she meant. "Is it done?"
Li Qiutong replied ambiguously, "There are differences, but the time is too short to be sure."
Zhu Song and Zhu Lingye were confused. Zhu Song subconsciously thought that Wen Fengxuan had taken poison again, but he couldn't ask directly because there were so many people around.
Wen Fengxuan saw that he had something to say, so he sent Li Qiutong away and said, "Since there is an antidote, spread it out quickly."
Zhu Song also hurriedly said: "Ling Ye, go and help."
Zhu Lingye quickly pulled Zhu Song over and said, "You should come with us."
Zhu Song knew that he had something to ask, so he exchanged glances with Wen Fengxuan and went out with Zhu Lingye.
Zhu Lingye pulled him over and asked in a low voice, "What's going on? Why is the emperor in your bed so late at night?"
Zhu Song was now able to speak fluently, "His Majesty has a fever and is worried about the spread of the disease in the palace, so he left the palace to find Li Qiutong. I am the person in charge of this matter, so he must have come to see me."
Zhu Lingye still felt something was wrong, "Then why is he lying on your bed?"
Zhu Song said: "You are all sick, are you going to sit down?"
That’s right, Zhu Lingye was convinced by him.
At the same time in the house, Wen Fengxuan was also whispering with Li Qiuting.
Wen Fengxuan asked, "How confident are you?"
Li Qiutong said, "Ninety percent."
Wen Fengxuan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, which meant it was stable.
Li Qiutong advised with a heavy face, "A man becoming pregnant is unheard of from ancient times to the present day. Your Majesty has already ascended to a high position, so why take such a risk?"
Wen Fengxuan sighed, "Apart from this method, I really don't know how to keep him."
Li Qiutong asked, "The emperor has issued an edict. Could it be that he still wants to disobey it?"
Wen Fengxuan looked at him and said, "Do you think I haven't thought about it? I even thought about building a golden cage in the palace to lock him up so that he can only see me in this life."
Li Qiutong thought this was a great idea and asked, "Why not?"
Wen Fengxuan lowered his eyes and smiled, "I can't bear to do that."
At this time, Zhu Song and Zhu Lingye had finished their conversation and came in. Li Qiutong didn't say much, but stood up and said to Zhu Song meaningfully, "Your Majesty is not feeling well. Lord Zhu must take good care of him."
Zhu Song agreed, "Don't worry, Doctor Li."
Li Qiuting looked at Zhu Song deeply, then left in a hurry with Zhu Lingye.
After the two left, Zhu Song walked over to the bed and sat down before asking, "Li Qiutong just said your pulse was unusual. What's going on?"
Wen Fengxuan placed his hand on his lower abdomen, leaned against the headboard, and looked at him with a smile, "I'll tell you when this is over."
Zhu Song couldn't understand his expression, but he was still worried. "Did you take some poison again?"
"Why should I take poison?" Wen Fengxuan looked at him in surprise, as if he was puzzled as to why he would think so.
Zhu Song pursed his lips and asked, "What did you just say about not wanting to part with it?"
Since Wen Fengxuan had no intention of telling him the truth right now, he lied and said, "I can't bear to leave Master Zhu's warm bed."
Zhu Song knew that he was not telling the truth, and did not force him to speak. He just said: "Don't do stupid things in the future. You are the king of a country. Your health is the most important thing."
Wen Fengxuan pursed his lips and smiled, "I understand. Come up and lie down with me for a while."
Zhu Song shook his head. "No, I have to go and see if I find the antidote. You should get some sleep. I'll be back before dawn to take you back to the palace."
Wen Fengxuan knew that he cared about the people, so he didn't force him to stay. "I'll just lie down for a while and then leave on my own. Don't run back and forth."
Zhu Song said, "It's freezing cold, and the roads are slippery. I'm worried about you going back alone."
Wen Fengxuan's smile grew higher and higher as he listened. "Master, will you stop saying things that go beyond your rights now?"
Zhu Song looked at him in silence for a while before saying, "Your Majesty, please have a good rest. I will take my leave now."
After Zhu Song finished speaking, he bowed and turned away.
"Blessings."
Wen Fengxuan called out to him, and Zhu Song turned around and asked, "Your Majesty, is there anything else?"
Wen Fengxuan said, "Come here."
Zhu Song walked up to him as he was told. Wen Fengxuan looked up at him and said bluntly, "Kiss me."
Zhu Song's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, and the tips of his ears turned red. He quickly said, "Your Majesty, this is against the rules."
"I have something even more inappropriate to do." Wen Fengxuan said as he grabbed Zhu Song's collar and knelt on the bed to kiss his lips.
Warm, fragrant, soft, and just as tempting as before, but things were different now. Zhu Song didn't accept the kiss. Afraid that he would fall, he reached out and hugged his shoulders, while quickly backing away.
"Your Majesty, as the king of a country, cannot have such a lowly scandal." Zhu Song said and turned away.
Wen Fengxuan looked at his back and raised his eyebrows slightly.
Is a kiss a scandal?
After the Imperial Hospital conducted research overnight, it was finally confirmed that the black pendant did contain the antidote to the plague.
The problem of the antidote was different; someone must be behind the scenes. The detoxification task was assigned to Qu Zhoubai, while Zhu Song began investigating the cause of the epidemic.
When Zhu Song returned to the Zhu Mansion, Wen Fengxuan had already left. The bed was still warm, so he must have been gone not long ago. Zhu Song lay in bed for a while, patted his face to refresh himself, and went to find Xia Yunqing.
Xia Yunqing had already woken up and was eating breakfast. His leg injury made it difficult for him to move, so he had his meals delivered to his room. Seeing Zhu Song coming, he anxiously asked, "Brother, how are you?"
Zhu Song sat down and ate breakfast with him while talking about the matter, "The antidote is hidden in that pendant."
Xia Yunqing frowned fiercely upon hearing this, "How could it be?"
Zhu Song asked him, "Did you think of anything else?"
Xia Yunqing shook his head, "No."
Zhu Song did not force him, but simply said to him: "Don't go out of the mansion during this period. If you think of anything, tell me immediately."
Xia Yunqing replied: "I will try my best to remember it."
"Yeah." Zhu Song didn't stay long and left after having breakfast.
Zhu Song came to the Dali Temple, wrote a letter and gave it to the yamen runner to deliver it to Lingyang County in Beimo, and escort all the people from Yuling Sect to Beijing.
The capital was a thousand miles from the Northern Desert, and the fastest round trip would take seven or eight days, so there was no need to rush. Zhu Song went to Jingzhao Prefecture again. Today, the emperor had ordered a large number of personnel to be dispatched from various places to assist. Zhu Song could not help, so he returned to his palace and went to sleep.
He slept until almost evening when Gu Huaiyu came to visit him. He also brought a pot of antidote. Seeing that Zhu Song was fine, he smiled and said, "I was worried that you might be sick, so I have prepared the antidote for you."
Zhu Song explained, "No, I didn't sleep well last night, so I needed to catch up. Now that you're here, let's have dinner together."
Gu Huaiyu agreed, "Okay."
Zhu Song suggested, "The mansion is a mess, let's go to Furong Pavilion to eat."
Gu Huaiyu also agreed, "Okay."
Zhu Song said again: "I'll get two jugs of wine."
Gu Huaiyu stopped him, "No need, Furong Pavilion has wine."
"Okay."
The two of them arrived at Furong Pavilion. Since Furong Pavilion was basically uninhabited, there was no fire in the house. The cold wind made it extremely cold. Gu Huaiyu ordered the servants to light a fire, and while they were doing so, he called out to Zhu Song, "Let's go get some wine."
Zhu Song casually asked, "Where can we dig?"
Gu Huaiyu looked at the Albizia Julibrissin tree in the yard and said, "We buried it when we were kids."
Oh, Zhu Song remembered that at that time, Mrs. Hou had just bought this yard, and in order to bring good luck, she sealed a few jars of wine and buried them under the tree.
Zhu Song took a shovel and dug, and Gu Huaiyu squatted beside him and watched.
The snow fell down, swirling in the air, and fell into the pit dug by Zhu Song.
Zhusong worked quickly, and soon he had dug two jars. "That's all, that's enough."
Gu Huaiyu said: "Since we have already dug it up, let's finish it."
Zhu Song replied, "I remember when we buried it, your mother said she would dig it up and celebrate on your wedding day. What's the point of digging it up now?"
Gu Huaiyu said, "I just said it casually, but you really believe it. If you don't want to dig, give me the shovel and I'll dig."
Zhu Song handed him the shovel and said, "Come on, dig."
The two people's positions were reversed, Gu Huaiyu took the shovel to dig, and Zhu Song squatted beside him and watched.
The shovel mixed the newly fallen snow with the soil, making it impossible to distinguish between snow and mud.
Soon, all six jars of wine were dug up, and Gu Huaiyu asked the servants to wash the dirt off the jars.
When they returned to the house, the fire had already been lit. However, after stretching their muscles, they no longer felt cold. As soon as they entered the house, they were suffocated by the heat and felt sticky with heat.
The two took off their cloaks and just as they sat down, Zhu Song couldn't wait to urge Gu Huaiyu to open the envelope, "Open it and see how it goes."
Gu Huaiyu opened the jar, and instantly a strong aroma of wine hit his nose. The whole room was filled with the strong aroma of wine, which made people's mouths water.
Zhu Song gave a thumbs up, "The Marquis' Mansion is indeed generous."
"You only know now?" Gu Huaiyu joked and was about to pour wine for Zhu Song. Zhu Song took it quickly and said, "I don't want to trouble you, young marquis. Let me do it."
Gu Huaiyu handed him the wine jar, sat down and joked with him, "You don't usually treat me like this when you ask me to make tea."
Zhu Song chuckled and handed him the poured wine. "Don't bring up the past now. Come on, try it."
Gu Huaiyu took it and took a sip, "The wine poured by Master Zhu is different."
Zhu Song sat down and took a sip. The flavor lingered in his mouth without any harshness to his throat. "Haha, the young marquis's wine is still the best."
After three rounds of drinks and a full meal, the two of them were in high spirits and took their wine to the pavilion on the pond to admire the snow. The pond was frozen, covered with a thick layer of snow, and even in the dark, it looked like a vast expanse of white.
Zhu Song leaned against the pillar. The snow was getting heavier and heavier, falling in the dim candlelight, which made people feel peaceful.
Zhu Song took another sip from the wine jar. Gu Huaiyu sat across from him and looked at him. Perhaps because of the wine, his voice sounded a little heavy. "Why have you been in a bad mood recently?"
Zhu Song looked at him, "Is it so obvious?"
Gu Huaiyu said, "It's not obvious, but we've known each other since you were four years old. We've been together three hundred days a year. I've been waiting for you to tell me, but you didn't, so I had to ask."
Zhu Song lowered his head and chuckled, then sighed, "Now that this matter is over, I plan to request a transfer out of the capital, or resign from my position."
Gu Huaiyu immediately sat up straight and asked in confusion, "Why? Did you break up with His Majesty?"
Zhu Song shook his head, and Gu Huaiyu became even more confused. "Why is that?"
Zhu Song sighed again, "I don't know what to say."
Gu Huaiyu said: "Isn't it just that you like him? What's there to be ashamed of?"
Zhu Song's eyes widened. "Is it so obvious?"
Gu Huaiyu still said the same thing, "It's not obvious, but I know you too well."
Yes, Zhu Song leaned back again. If there was anyone in this world who understood him best, it would be Gu Huaiyu.
"That's why I'm leaving."
Gu Huaiyu was confused. "You like him, and he likes you too. Why are you leaving?"
Zhu Song's eyes lit up for a moment, "Do you think he likes me?"
Gu Huaiyu frowned slightly. "He's already living in your house, and whenever you're around, he's always looking at you. Don't you think you can't tell that he likes you?"
Zhu Song was extremely happy for a moment, but soon felt disappointed again. "He's only eighteen years old. Let's not talk about whether he understands what love is at his age. He is the emperor, and he will eventually have three thousand beauties in his harem. Gu Er, if I think about the possibility of fawning and competing for favor in the harem in the future, I feel like I've been struck by lightning."
Gu Huaiyu showed disdain on his face, "I feel like I've been struck by lightning." After a pause, he continued, "What if he's deeply in love with you and leaves his harem empty for you?"
Zhu Song laughed self-deprecatingly, "To be honest, I've thought about it before. If he really has to have me, he'll only have me in his life."
Gu Huaiyu said: "I think it's very likely."
Zhu Song asked, "What about the child? He was able to resist the pressure and not have a child when he was eighteen, but what about twenty-eight, thirty-eight, forty-eight, fifty-eight? By then, the censors would be so full of gossip about him, and how would future generations view him?"
Gu Huaiyu said: "He didn't care about his afterlife. Perhaps future generations will praise him for his deep love and loyalty."
Zhu Song asked him back, "Do you think it's possible?"
Gu Huaiyu was speechless because this was simply impossible. As a king, one should serve the country. How could he shake the foundation of the country and undermine its very foundation because of his children's personal affairs?
Gu Huaiyu turned and asked, "Where do you want to go?"
Zhu Song looked up at the sky and said, "I haven't decided yet. The farther away from the capital, the better."
Gu Huaiyu asked, "To control the yellow sand?"
"That won't work." Zhu Song still feels a lingering fear when he thinks of those two months. "I'd rather grow lychees."
Gu Huaiyu smiled and said, "I also want to grow lychees."
Zhu Song waved his hand and said, "No, the sun in Beimo is very strong. A delicate young man like you would be tanned like charcoal in just two days. It's a complete waste of natural resources."
"Just kidding."
Zhu Song said to him seriously, "I'm leaving now. When you get married, please send me a letter in advance. I will rush back to attend your wedding no matter how far away I am."
Gu Huaiyu said: "It's still early. Maybe I will still be single when you have a child."
Zhu Song was a little curious. "Isn't your mother actively trying to find you a date? I heard you've been dating all the girls in the capital, but you haven't found anyone you like?"
Meeting Zhu Song's inquiring gaze, Gu Huaiyu replied, "Yes, I've liked it. I've liked it for a long time."
Zhu Song was surprised, "Who is it? Why have I never heard you say that?"
Gu Huaiyu smiled slightly, his tone carrying some relief, "It's just a little youthful throbbing, but it can't really be considered love."
Zhu Song was even more surprised, "Who is it?"
Gu Huaiyu said, "It's all in the past. It's bad for their reputation if you bring it up."
"Holy crap." Zhu Song was shocked. "Is there a woman that Young Marquis Gu can't handle?"
Gu Huaiyu shrugged, raised his head and took a sip of wine, sighing: "Everything is fate, and we have no control over it."
Zhu Song had never seen Gu Huaiyu like this before, and he sat up straight in an instant, "Who is it? Tell me, I will snatch her away from you if she gets married."
Gu Huaiyu looked at his anxious expression and smiled, "A forced melon is not sweet. Besides, she is already taken."
Zhu Song said, "Let's see whether it's sweet or not first. Besides, there are a lot of divorces these days. Don't be discouraged. You never know when they might get divorced. We definitely have a chance."
Compared to Zhu Song's excitement, Gu Huaiyu seemed much calmer. "Forget it, I can't do such a thing."
Zhu Song said: "What's wrong with this? As long as she likes you, it's worth getting hurt."
Gu Huaiyu said: "If you want to grab it, you should have grabbed it earlier. Isn't this just for the sake of protecting the Marquis's mansion?"
"Ah!" Zhu Song sighed deeply and sat back down. He now understood this concern all too well. "We used to be good brothers, but now we're in trouble. Why do we have to deal with everything?"
Gu Huaiyu echoed: "Who says it's not?"
"Drink, drink."
There were six jars of wine, and Zhu Song drank five of them by himself. He was so drunk that he felt dizzy and couldn't even stand up. "Gu Er, come and help me."
A slender, white hand stretched out in front of him. It looked even more delicate than snow, with a warm peach fragrance. Zhu Song looked up, and it took him a while to see the face clearly. He was a little bit incredulous, "Wen Fengxuan?"
Zhu Song turned his head to look, but Gu Huaiyu had disappeared. He muttered, "Am I dreaming?" He stretched out his hand and pinched his arm with all his strength, but it didn't hurt at all. "I'm really dreaming."
Xie Ningyuan, who was being twisted next to him, clenched his teeth, but quickly restrained his expression after being lightly glanced at by Wen Fengxuan.
Since it was a dream, Zhu Song didn't hesitate and pounced on Wen Fengxuan. Wen Fengxuan staggered back a step, which frightened Li Qiuting so much that she quickly grabbed Zhu Song. Xie Ningyuan also hurried forward, and the two of them carried Zhu Song on the left and right and walked away.
Wen Fengxuan walked behind, looking towards the main room from afar. When he met Gu Huaiyu's gaze, he nodded and walked away.
After a long time, the newly fallen snow completely covered the footprints in the snow. Gu Huaiyu looked at the white snow and said softly: "Meeting you is already a good omen. I wish you a long and peaceful life."
The heat was blown away by the cold wind and disappeared in an instant, as if it had never appeared.
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