Chapter 113 Want

In the palace.

Duan Mingchong came to the Empress' palace to pay his respects every day. Today, he was delayed for a while at the Ministry of Justice, so when he arrived at the Empress' palace, it was already dark.

When Duan Mingchong was led in by the palace servants, he caught a glimpse of the old eunuch waiting on the side, and his eyes moved slightly.

As expected, after Duan Mingchong nodded and went in, he saw Emperor Beilan who was having a very pleasant conversation with the Empress.

Duan Mingchong knelt down respectfully and saluted: "Greetings to the Emperor, Father, and the Empress."

As soon as he came in, the emperor's face suddenly darkened. He looked at him coldly, neither letting him stand up nor asking him any questions. Instead, he lowered his head and picked up the teacup.

The atmosphere in the palace was somewhat solemn. The empress smiled at Duan Mingchong and raised her hand, saying, "It's cold down there. Get up quickly."

Duan Mingchong lowered his head, still kneeling, and said calmly: "I dare not."

The queen raised her head and glanced at the emperor obscurely, then said hesitantly, "Your Majesty."

The emperor said calmly, "You dare to publicize such a treasonous act. What else can you not dare to do? If you want to kneel, then kneel. Do you think I will beg you to get up?"

Duan Mingchong said nothing, but knelt straight.

The Queen felt a little reluctant and said, "Your Majesty, Ming Chong is young and ignorant, and was confused for a moment. He came to pay his respects now, and he must have known that he was wrong. Ming Chong, quickly admit your mistake to your father."

Duan Mingchong was very obedient, kowtowed and said, "I admit my fault."

The Queen breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Ming Chong has always listened to Your Majesty. If you think about it carefully, it is unlikely that he spread the rumor. Your father and I were just discussing your marriage. Do you have any favorite young lady? Your mother will decide for you."

Duan Mingchong's eyes softened a little, and he said softly, "I forgot to return home."

Queen: “…”

The emperor threw the cup lid away with a crisp "click" sound, and said coldly: "Do you think he looks like he is repentant?!"

The queen had been trying to smooth things over, but now she was a little embarrassed. She took a deep breath and said, "Ming Chong, you should be sensible when you are making a fuss. Sui Wanggui is still a man after all, no matter how beautiful he is. As the crown prince, do you really have to marry a man as your concubine?"

Duan Mingchong said: "Why not?"

Why not...

The emperor was already troubled by the rumors all over the city. Seeing Duan Mingchong's unrepentant look, he flew into a rage and threw the unfinished tea in his hand directly next to Duan Mingchong.

With a crisp sound, the porcelain cup broke into pieces, and the scalding hot tea spilled onto the back of Duan Mingchong's hand that touched the ground, turning it red in an instant.

Duan Mingchong didn't even look at him, but bowed respectfully and said calmly, "Father, please calm down. I know I was wrong."

The emperor was so angry that his face turned pale. He pointed at him and cursed, "Asshole! Even though you admit your mistakes, you refuse to repent. Are you trying to piss me off on purpose?"

The Queen hurriedly stepped forward and patted the Emperor on the back to calm him down, and anxiously said, "Your Majesty, calm down. Ming Chong did not do it on purpose."

The emperor covered his chest and trembled, "Look at him now, addicted to beauty, obsessed with a man, how can he still be a heir apparent?!"

These words sounded a bit serious, and the empress turned pale with fright.

Duan Mingchong seemed to do it on purpose and said, "Your Majesty, calm down."

He didn't even call him father anymore.

The emperor held his chest, feeling extremely angry and heartbroken.

The palace maids on the side cleverly ran to call the imperial physician. The empress was anxious to calm him down while glaring at Duan Mingchong and said sternly, "If you make your father sick due to your anger, I will never forgive you! Don't kneel here anymore. Go outside and kneel if you want to."

Duan Mingchong nodded in agreement, stood up, walked to the outside of the bedroom, and knelt down upright.

The old eunuch guarding the door saw the crown prince kneeling in the freezing night, and hurriedly bowed and walked over, whispering, "Your Highness, what are you doing..."

Duan Mingchong said: "I was reckless and offended Your Majesty. I voluntarily accept the punishment."

The old eunuch had watched Duan Mingchong grow up since he was a child, and she felt so distressed that she said, "Your Highness, kneeling here will not only harm your health, but there will be rumors tomorrow that your Highness and His Majesty are not getting along. If someone with ulterior motives hears it, who knows what trouble will arise. What are you doing... Alas..."

This incident is what Duan Mingchong wanted to discuss.

He lowered his head and smiled softly, saying, "Don't worry, sir. I know what I am doing."

After a while, Doctor Yu came hurriedly, examined the emperor, and prescribed some medicine for him to take.

After struggling for more than an hour, it was already late.

After the emperor fell asleep, the empress hurried out of the palace. Seeing Duan Mingchong still kneeling, she hurried forward and helped him up.

Duan Mingchong stood up and smiled on his pale face: "Mother."

The Queen was so heartbroken that her eyes were about to burst into tears. Duan Mingchong had grown up in her arms and had never suffered such pain.

She reached out and touched Duan Mingchong's face, only to feel her palms were cold, so she hurriedly pulled Duan Mingchong into the hall.

After a while, Duan Mingchong sat on a soft chair, drinking the ginger tea that had been prepared long ago. His face, which had been frozen pale, finally regained some color.

The queen combed up a strand of Duan Mingchong's hair and said distressedly, "Why did you deliberately anger your father? Is it worth it for a man?"

Duan Mingchong smiled gently and said, "Even though I knew I was trying to anger my father, my mother is still willing to help me. I am very grateful."

The queen's hand paused, a look of helplessness emerged on her beautiful face. She gently grasped Duan Mingchong's hand, and the tears that had been welling up in her eyes slowly slid down as she blinked lightly.

Duan Mingchong stepped forward to wipe her tears, his voice softer: "Why are you crying, mother?"

The Queen tilted her head slightly, wiped away her tears, and said softly with sobs: "Mother is just... from childhood to adulthood, I have never seen you so obsessed with something..."

Duan Mingchong was stunned and smiled helplessly and gently.

Duan Mingchong was named the crown prince since he was born, and his entire life had been arranged by the emperor since he could remember - it would be more accurate to say it was controlled rather than arranged.

When he was young, he either studied literature and martial arts with the palace tutor, or learned the art of governing the country from the emperor. He read countless books and never had any free time throughout the year.

Fortunately, Duan Mingchong is a quiet person and has been able to keep calm and get through these boring days for so many years.

Over the years, the emperor praised him endlessly for his obedience and gentleness, which sometimes made people feel that he did not want to cultivate a prince, but rather a puppet.

Duan Mingchong has been a well-behaved person since he was young. He never fights or competes for anything. He never says what he wants, and everything seems to be dispensable to him.

The queen watched him grow up little by little, and his temperament gradually became calmer and more stable, but she felt that her child had never had the vitality and popularity that an ordinary child should have.

This was the first time she saw Duan Mingchong so persistent in wanting someone that he even resorted to risky tactics and angered the emperor.

Duan Mingchong helped her wipe away her tears and said softly, "I thought my mother would blame me..."

After all, not everyone can accept that their son falls in love with a man, which is against family ethics.

The Queen choked up and said, "Mother can't control you, nor do I want to restrict you. If this matter is over, you can bring Wang Gui into the palace so that I can take a look."

Duan Mingchong smiled and said, "Okay, the Queen Mother will definitely like him."

Duan Mingchong knelt outside the Queen's bedroom for an hour, and before midnight the news spread quietly throughout the palace. Together with the previous rumors, the rumors of an ambiguous relationship between the Crown Prince and Sui'an Hou became even more rampant. Many people even lamented that the Crown Prince was so infatuated that he openly disobeyed His Majesty for Sui'an Hou.

He walked out of the Queen's bedroom. His burned hand had been treated by the Queen herself. Although the best medicine was used, it still hurt.

Duan Mingchong walked back to the East Palace with a pale face. When he passed by Duan Liushu's bedroom, he saw a figure under the plum tree at the door from a distance.

It's as clear as hope.

He was wearing a cloak, standing alone under a tree holding a carved lantern, looking up at the closed palace gate with his head slightly tilted, wondering what he was thinking.

Duan Mingchong looked at him from a distance, asked the people accompanying him to wait where they were, and walked forward slowly.

A thin layer of frost had already fallen on Duan Ruwang's shoulders and the hem of his clothes. He didn't know how long he had been waiting.

Seeing Duan Mingchong coming over, Duan Ruwang tilted his head slightly, his eyes a little dazed, as if covered with a layer of mist that took a long time to dissipate.

Duan Mingchong walked forward and said calmly, "You came to see the fence, why don't you go in?"

Duan Ruwang did not answer.

Duan Mingchong chuckled and said, "It's better not to go in, so as not to upset Lan Shu. Besides, she doesn't want to see you."

Duan Ruwang, who had always been indifferent, trembled slightly with his frozen hands in his sleeves upon hearing this. He looked at Duan Mingchong sharply with his lifeless eyes and said gloomily, "Shut up."

Duan Mingchong said calmly, "Why shut up? Since you dare to use the cage to plot against me, have you really not considered the consequences?"

Duan Ruwang clenched his fists and looked at Duan Mingchong with some resentment.

"She is free from restraints and has tolerated the life-and-death struggle between you and me. She just pretends not to know. She treats you the same as she did when we were young." Duan Mingchong said, "She is my biological sister. She has never been jealous or alienated from you. She treasures the things you give her. She also writes down every folk story you tell her, fearing that she will forget it. Duan Ruwang, second brother, are you worthy of her?"

Duan Ruwang's lips moved slightly, but his eyes were still cold: "I, I don't care, I don't care about anything... That's just her own wish. In the royal family, there is no such thing as right or wrong. The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit..."

Duan Mingchong asked, "If you don't care, why are you waiting here in the middle of the night?"

Duan Ruwang was stunned.

Duan Mingchong finished speaking lightly, lowered his eyes to look at the candle in Duan Ruwang's hand that was about to burn out, and took a step back.

"You can fight me as much as you want. As you said, the victors win and the losers lose." Duan Mingchong retreated into the darkness, looked at Duan Ruwang coldly, and said softly, "But you are wrong. You shouldn't have dragged Wanggui and Lu Shu into this."

Duan Ruwang raised his head and looked at the red-painted door of Duan Lushu's bedroom in a daze. The lantern in his hand cast a beam of warm light diagonally from the side.

Duan Mingchong had left without knowing when.

The light was clearly extinguished, and the remaining candle was curling up with its last tear, struggling to wrap around the half-inch black wick.

The candle flame flickered, illuminating Duan Ruwang's cold and pale face. The sound of being restrained in the cage a few days ago could be vaguely heard in his ears.

"Second brother..."

"Second brother!"

"I heard that the prince doesn't allow you to eat outside food, why do you always pester me to bring it to you?"

She was as clear as a nightingale, her eyes slightly bent, shaking his arm and saying coquettishly, "It's delicious. Third brother is just like the crown prince. He never brings me anything no matter how dirty it is. Only second brother loves me the most. Who else can he pester if not you?"

Duan Ruwang handed the thing in his hand over and said with a smile: "Here, this is well hidden. If your brother, the crown prince, finds out, he will probably scold you."

Duan Lu Shu pointed to his chest and said sternly: "Even if I am scolded to death, I will never betray my second brother!"

Duan Ruwang was amused by her: "You, your mouth is so sweet even before you even eat the honey fried buns. If you eat more, my brother won't be able to resist."

Duan Lushu gave him a wink and happily opened the pot of honey mixed with medicine.

When she was about to eat, Duan Ruwang seemed to regret it. He reached out and grabbed Duan Lushu's hand, and said softly: "Lushu, this... this doesn't seem clean. How about my brother bring it to you again tomorrow?"

Duan Lushu tilted his head and looked at him in confusion: "It's not that it's not clean, Second Brother, why are you learning to be so long-winded like the Crown Prince now?"

Duan Ruwang wanted to persuade him again, but Duan Lushu simply waved his hand away and started eating with his eyes narrowed.

The candle flickered twice, and Duan Ruwang's eyes turned slightly red. The scene in front of him dissipated like smoke, and the pretty girl disappeared along with her.

Duan Ruwang stared absentmindedly at the candle in his hand that was clearly going out, and gently reached out to press his aching heart.

"I..." he murmured softly, "I took advantage of the only person in the world who was willing to treat me sincerely."

The candle in the carved lampshade suddenly flashed with a flame, then quickly faded away.

Duan Ruwang's expression quickly dimmed, and what was left was only his returned indifferent expression.

In the darkness, the wind and snow were howling.