Chapter 29 Three Questions about Livestock
The old master is hard to forget, the old feelings are hard to let go, and a forced relationship is never sweet, so why make yourself so humble? Lu Wensheng himself admitted that he knew this.
Suddenly overcome with inexplicable anger, Shen Hegui, his face dark, lifted the curtain and tried to jump out of the carriage, startling the imperial guard driving the carriage.
Looking down at the blue flying fish robe, Shen Hegui suddenly realized that this was his carriage, not Lu Wensheng's.
Shen Hegui stopped in his tracks, amused by his own actions: "Ha!"
Hearing the laughter, Lu Wensheng realized that Shen Hegui was angry. She quickly grabbed his belt and explained, "I am not upset because of His Highness Prince Su. This is His Highness's carriage. If anyone should leave, it should be me."
Shen Hegui dressed herself impeccably, without a single wrinkle. She was too embarrassed to grab her clothes, so she could only pull on the belt.
But she regretted it as soon as she pulled, because Shen Hegui was wearing a Ruyi Gou Palace Crimson Belt today, and when she pulled it, it must have been too tight.
Sure enough, a muffled groan reached my ears the next second.
Lu Wensheng swallowed hard, pretending not to hear, and forced himself to explain, "I know Your Highness's good intentions. I was just thinking about the older brother I grew up with when I was little... He is the son of one of my neighbors. That older brother treated me very well, and he looks a lot like His Highness Prince Su in some ways. Unfortunately, I haven't heard from him for a long time, so I was a little disappointed."
She couldn't say she was her biological brother, nor could she mention that she had dimples, otherwise Shen Hegui would easily discover her identity. If he continued to press her, she would have no choice but to keep making things up.
Shen He adjusted his crimson belt and sat down opposite Lu Wensheng with an extremely aloof air. His long arms and legs and tall stature made the space feel cramped.
The scalding heat penetrated the fabric and burned onto Lu Wensheng's calves. She tried to move her legs uncomfortably, but both sides were blocked by Shen Hegui's long legs.
Forget it, let it be. She and Shen Hegui are now of the same sex, so there's no need to be particular.
Shen Hegui didn't mind Lu Wensheng's disrespectful act of pulling on his belt: "You didn't lie?"
Lu Wensheng nodded vigorously without saying a word.
Shen Hegui was successfully appeased, but the displeasure still lingered in his heart. He couldn't help but compare himself to Shen Zhao: "If you could go back four years and choose again, would you choose me or Prince Su?"
Knowing that Shen Hegui was the male lead and destined to be the victor in the struggle for the throne, Lu Wensheng answered without hesitation: "Choose His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Shen Hegui: "Don't lie to me, I want to hear the truth. Do you think it's more suitable for me or Prince Su to sit on the throne? What are your reasons?"
Lu Wensheng: "His Highness the Crown Prince is more suitable. Prince Su is surrounded by a bunch of treacherous people who form their own cliques and scheme against each other, while His Highness the Crown Prince's side consists mostly of officials who get things done, and the infighting is not as intense."
Shen Hegui was very satisfied with Lu Wensheng's answer, and he asked the question he most wanted to ask: "If I really am a monster, what will you do?"
Three questions came crashing down on him, leaving no time for thought, so Lu Wensheng was successfully stumped by the last question.
Why would Shen Hegui ask such a question? He's not even a human being, so there's no point in asking!
Seeing her silence, Shen Hegui urged, "Is it hard to answer?"
"Ah!" Lu Wensheng hurriedly shook his head: "It's not difficult." It was just unexpected. In the current situation, it would be better to say some sweet words. Shen Hegui, with his dark face, felt uneasy and couldn't handle it.
"As long as Your Highness remains Your Highness, it doesn't matter if you become a demon someday. The demons in the stories are very powerful and have magic. If Your Highness really becomes a demon and still serves as the emperor of the human world, then I, as your subject, will definitely be very happy."
Shen Hegui asked in confusion, "Why would you be so happy if a demon became emperor?"
Lu Wensheng opened his eyes wide with affection and began to list the advantages: "The biggest advantage is of course that they are durable. Humans get sick from eating grains, but monsters don't. Humans have limited energy and need to sleep about once every seven hours, and each time they need to sleep for at least three or four hours. Monsters definitely don't need to. If a human is stabbed, he will most likely die, or if he doesn't die, he will need to recover for a long time. Monsters definitely won't be like that. And in a fight, even if it's a group fight, humans definitely can't beat monsters."
Lu Wensheng raised his hand and pressed his fingers together as he began to summarize: "He won't get sick easily, he has unlimited energy, he's resilient, he's not easy to die, and he can live a long time. Throughout history, such a good master is hard to find even with a lantern. How many capable ministers in history failed to realize their ambitions because their good masters died?"
Lu Wensheng looked up.
What was with that expression on her face? It was so strange!
Shen Hegui's gaze fell on Lu Wensheng's bright eyes. He moved his eyes and slowly said, "But from your description, it doesn't sound like you're talking about a good master. It sounds like you're talking about livestock."
Lu Wensheng said awkwardly, "That makes sense, but Your Highness doesn't need to be so blunt. Give the animals some face. Besides, animals only need to endure a few years before they die and are free. Monsters, on the other hand, have to endure hundreds or thousands of years before they are free. Thinking about it this way, it's rather pitiful for a monster to be an emperor. They spend their long lifespans entirely on court affairs. The human world is vibrant and wonderful, but a monster emperor who possesses the world has no life of his own and no time to leave the palace to see the free world that belongs to him."
Shen Hegui: "..." His lifespan is longer than that of a human, and official duties are indeed very tedious.
Silence spread.
Lu Wensheng: "Why isn't Your Highness speaking? Do you think there's something I said that's unreasonable?"
Shen Hegui took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down: Don't listen to Lu Wensheng's nonsense. He's not an animal, nor is he pitiful.
Shen Hegui looked at the street outside the carriage, and the displeasure in his heart completely dissipated: "Get out of the carriage, I'll take you to have lunch."
Although the breakfast was plentiful, the portions were small, and Lu Wensheng only ate until he was half full, even though he was already quite hungry.
Therefore, once Shen Hegui finished speaking, her attention was drawn to the word 'lunch'.
Lu Wensheng peeked out at the extremely ordinary restaurant and was very surprised.
The shop was truly inconspicuous; the edges of the dusty signboard were curled, and the lettering was quite faded. The storefront was narrow. Looking through the window, it seemed there was only enough room for four or five square tables inside, and the lighting was dim. This was far from the place she had imagined someone of Shen Hegui's status would frequent.
In the short time it took to look around, Shen Hegui had already gotten out of the car. Lu Wensheng gave him a thumbs up and quickly followed, grabbing the hem of his coat.
At the turn of noon, there were not many pedestrians on the street.
Shen Hegui lifted the worn blue cloth curtain, and the proprietress who was doing the accounts at the counter immediately lit up and greeted him familiarly: "Long time no see, you've gotten even more handsome, lad." She looked Shen Hegui up and down, "It's lunchtime, and it's noisy outside, so I'll take you to the backyard to eat."
"Okay." Although Shen Hegui was sparing with his words, Lu Wensheng could still sense a hint of closeness in his voice.
As Shen Hegui moved, Lu Wensheng was revealed behind him. Instantly, the proprietress's eyes lit up even more. She looked him over with goodwill: "Oh! Is this your friend? These eyes are beautiful. It's a pity they're not a girl, otherwise the child you have would definitely be very handsome." The proprietress's voice was clear and bright, with the warmth and generosity unique to the streets.
Shen Hegui stopped and changed the subject, "Well, I haven't been here for a long time. How are you?"
“Okay, no way.” The proprietress gestured outside. “Hire me a few strong men. They can do anything and are obedient. A few days ago, someone even came to ask where I hired them.”
The proprietress glanced curiously at Lu Wensheng: "This is the first time you've brought a friend here. Just like you, so handsome!"
Shen Hegui and Lu Wensheng's appearance and clothing were already out of place in this place, and coupled with the proprietress's loud voice, the two of them had become the focus of everyone's attention. With her ears turning red, she greeted the proprietress: "Hello, boss, my name is Lu Wensheng, I am eighteen years old this year, and I am not married yet." This was a bit too enthusiastic, and she felt quite embarrassed by the compliment.
Shen Hegui looked at Lu Wensheng, who was standing obediently beside him, and slightly curled the corners of his mouth.
So this is what Lu Wensheng looks like when she's being well-behaved, like a glutinous rice ball with red bean filling.
Shen Hegui kindly came to the rescue: "He's young and easily embarrassed."
The proprietress then noticed the stares coming from all directions. "My bad, I was so happy to see you. Let's go to the backyard."
It was called the backyard, but it was actually the landlady's own bedroom. It wasn't big, and it wasn't as bright as outside, so she thoughtfully lit an oil lamp before going out to prepare the meal. Before she left, Shen He specifically told her that a friend would be coming over later.
Lu Wensheng took a sip of hot orange peel tea and didn't ask who was coming. She was more curious about why Shen Hegui and the proprietress were so familiar with each other.
Lu Wensheng probed indirectly, his gossip-loving nature evident in his words: "Your Highness and the proprietress seem to know each other very well. Did you often come here to eat?"
The teacup was chipped. Shen Hegui turned the chipped side to the other side, took a sip with great elegance, and said, "I come occasionally. Coming too often in the past would have harmed her."
He smoothed the wrinkles in his sleeves and looked up: "Want to hear a story?"
Lu Wensheng nodded like a chick pecking at rice; she was just too curious.
From yesterday afternoon to this afternoon, for almost a whole day, Lu Wensheng and Shen Hegui were inseparable. They got caught in the rain together, cooked together, slept in the same room at night, and had breakfast together in the morning. In this short period of time, the estrangement caused by their different positions has quietly dissipated in their close interaction.
Shen Hegui: "Then don't keep me waiting too long. Set a deadline and I'll tell you." The imperial examination is in mid-March, which is less than a month and a half away.
"Okay." Unexpectedly, Shen Hegui agreed so readily. "How about mid-February then?"
"Can!"
Shen Hegui spoke in a calm tone, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him: "When I was young, I was impulsive and once ran away from the palace. But it was actually very difficult for a child who was just over ten years old, penniless and neither good at literature nor martial arts, to survive in the twelfth lunar month. I had nowhere to go, so I wandered aimlessly in the wind and snow for two days and finally found a dilapidated temple to wait for death."
Shen Hegui touched the rim of the teacup with his index finger.
"That night, the snow was falling in large, fluffy snowflakes, as dense as willow catkins. A woman came to the dilapidated temple with her two children who had long since died. The smell of the dead was not pleasant, so I went outside."
Shen Hegui lowered his eyes, concealing the emotions in them: "I thought I wouldn't live to see the next day, but when I woke up, I found myself being held in that woman's arms, warmed by her own body. She took me down the mountain and supported me by begging. After more than a month, people from the palace found me and wanted to take me back."
At this point, Shen Hegui didn't continue, but Lu Wensheng could guess the gist of it.
Lu Wensheng: "So that woman is the proprietress?"
The crane returned with its head bowed.
Lu Wensheng's heart skipped a beat: "That's good. She met a benefactor, and you escaped your fate and survived." This wasn't a story that would make anyone happy. Forcing a child to run away from home, something serious must have happened that day.
As Lu Wensheng was worrying about how to comfort Shen Hegui, the aroma of food wafted to his nose, and the landlady's hearty voice came from afar, "You came suddenly with your friend, so we can only make do with a simple meal."
Lu Wensheng looked grateful and stood up, saying, "You're too kind, ma'am." She then glanced down at the dishes, "These dishes look... excellent!"
Wow! It's all kinds of meat, only the scallions, ginger, and garlic inside are vegetarian.
Lu Wensheng's gaze shifted back and forth between Shen Hegui and the proprietress.
To be honest, even her own mother, Song Zhiyun, had never spoiled her like this, serving up so much meat at once. It's as if she's raising Shen Hegui as her own son.
Shen Hegui's expression was gentle: "It's alright, as long as there's food, that's fine."
"You two enjoy your meal, I still need to watch the shop," the proprietress said with a smile, patting Lu Wensheng on the shoulder before hurrying off.
After finishing his meal, Lu Wensheng rubbed his stomach to help him digest.
A woman in a tight-fitting outfit landed on the roof beam, quickly cleared the dishes and table, and then climbed out of the window.
Her appearance was so sudden that Lu Wensheng was startled and hiccuped: "These days, even how restaurants clean up dishes is so high-class?"
Shen Hegui raised an eyebrow: "Those are Jinyiwei in plain clothes."
"Oh, so the proprietress knows His Highness's identity?"
Perhaps because he was enjoying the meal, Shen Hegui exuded a rare sense of languor: "I know."
"Your Highness has come to take her away?"
Shen Hegui shook his head. "She wanted to live with her own hands. Why don't you guess why she became a beggar in the first place?"
Lu Wensheng guessed, "Widowed? And then had her family property stolen?" If she hadn't passed the imperial examination, her fate probably wouldn't have been much better; she might have really had to learn to beg for food.
Shen Hegui: "Her husband took a new lover and wanted to sell his wife and children. That very night, she overheard her husband talking to the matchmaker and immediately fled with her two children. She begged her way to the capital. In the first half of her life, she thought her husband was reliable, but she had misplaced her affections, which affected her children. In the second half of her life, she only wants to rely on herself."
This wasn't the first time Lu Wensheng had heard of tragedies unique to ordinary women. Poverty and greed have always been the breeding ground for evil. Men whose bestiality precedes their humanity, once they commit evil, will first harm their wives, then their children.
The truth of right and wrong in the world is hardest to discern. Lu Wensheng said lightly, "The boss lady is clear-headed. If you want to live well, you have to let go of the past and look forward. There is a distinction between good and evil in the world, and there are good and evil people. If I marry the person I love in the future, I will definitely cherish him and love him for the rest of my life!" The premise is that he must be obedient and well-behaved.
Looking at Lu Wensheng, who was full of vigor and sincerity, Shen Hegui felt a sudden stirring in his heart, and a hidden seed quietly fell into his heart.
Lu Wensheng lowered his head and blew on his thumb, which was beginning to ache slightly: "Humans are like the caterpillars on the tree; they are all animals. They must go through desperate situations to break free of their cocoons and become someone completely different from the first half of their lives..."
"Knock knock knock—" Three regular knocks on the door interrupted Lu Wensheng's second half of his sentence.
She looked in the direction of the voice and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this Zhang, the Imperial Physician? What brings him here?" Is he here to treat Shen Hegui's injuries?
Zhang Chanyi stepped over the threshold with a smile, "His Highness summoned me. I hope I didn't disturb you two?"
Shen Hegui, having shaken off his languid demeanor, said seriously, "You've come at the perfect time." He turned to look at Lu Wensheng, "Take Lu Qing's pulse. He often walks in a daze and leaves the outhouse with a gloomy expression. Let's see if he's hiding his illness and avoiding medical treatment, or if he has a hidden ailment."
Lu Wensheng: "?!" She's perfectly healthy!
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