Chapter 89 has arrived

Not long after Duan Mingchong left, Sui Xun came over.

He held a bright yellow imperial edict in his hand, and walked in with his brows furrowed. He first sat down on the edge of the couch and touched Sui Yan's forehead before saying, "An imperial edict has arrived from the palace."

Sui Yan asked, "What?"

Sui Xun looked a little unhappy: "You want me to be the Minister of War."

Sui Yan's face was still somewhat sickly pale. He tilted his head and coughed, saying, "The ministers in the court actually recommended you for the position. Are they crazy?"

Most of the officials in the court who were immersed in officialdom were civil officials, and most of them looked down on Sui Xun who only knew how to fight wars.

Sui Xun said: "It's not them, it's the prince."

Sui Yan said: "Ah!"

Sui Xun glanced at him coldly: "Shut up."

Sui Yan had no choice but to take back the words that he wanted to blurt out, and said, "Then isn't my brother happy? I heard that the court had been arguing for many days because of the Ministry of War, and it was finally settled before the New Year, so it can be considered a matter of closure."

Sui Xun said, "The affairs of the court are too troublesome, I don't want to get involved."

Sui Xun had discussed this issue with Duan Mingchong before, but Duan Mingchong, who seemed gentle and kind, was stubborn in his approach and made the decision without waiting for him to refuse.

Sui Yan looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Really?"

Sui Xun then frowned: "Besides, I have already promised Jiang Ning to go to Jiangnan after the year. If there is an important matter in the court, I will break my promise."

Sui Yan: “…”

After all, it’s all because of Jiang Ning.

Sui Yan said, "Since you've been postponing it for a year or so, Sister Jiang Ning won't blame you, right?"

Sui Xun said coldly: "This is not a question of blame or not, it's a promise! Since I promised her, and then broke my promise, how is this different from being a treacherous villain?!"

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan didn't expect his brother to think so much, and asked dryly: "Then...what do you want?"

Sui Xun was also a little annoyed. He threw the imperial edict onto the couch and said, "I don't know. Isn't this just thinking of a solution?"

Sui Yan pulled the quilt and shrank back, whispering, "Then you take your time to think about it, I'll sleep a little longer."

Sui Xun saw that he still looked sick, and nodded gently: "Go to sleep, I'll stay here with you for a while."

Sui Yan nodded.

He closed his eyes and tried to get sleepy. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he was suddenly awakened by the sound of firecrackers outside.

He opened his eyes tiredly, pressed his hand on his beating chest, and said weakly: "Brother..."

Sui Xun was sitting by the window, sharpening a hairpin with a knife. She frowned when she heard his call.

"Haitang?"

Soon, Haitang ran in and said, "Second Young Master, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Sui Xun asked, "Didn't I tell you not to make noise in the mansion these days? Who is setting off firecrackers outside now, making such a noise?"

Haitang said, "Maybe they are kids from the street. Today is New Year's Eve. The long street is full of people, and there are even dragon and lion dances. It's really lively."

Sui Yan, who was lying under the quilt with only his head sticking out, wanted to go out and play but couldn't move, so he could only show a jealous look.

Sui Xun put down the half-shaved hairpin, picked up the small carving knife as if it were a machete, and walked out with a murderous look on his face.

After a while, the sound of firecrackers outside stopped abruptly, and there was no sound for a long time.

Sui Yan: “…”

He really couldn't imagine how his ferocious brother could hold a knife and scold those naughty kids to stop playing with firecrackers.

Soon, the ferocious Sui Xun came back wrapped in cold air.

He sat back by the window and continued carving the hairpin. He said to Sui Yan as if nothing had happened, "It's okay, go to sleep. I'll have someone guard the street outside. No one will come."

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan didn't know what to say for a moment, and could only say dryly, "Thank you, thank you, brother."

Sui Xun: "Don't be sentimental, go to sleep."

Sui Yan then curled up in the quilt without saying anything.

On New Year's Eve, the sound of firecrackers rang out throughout the capital from morning until the first day of the new year. The long street outside the mansion was silent, and only the faint sound of crackling could be heard in the distance.

When Siu Yan was ill, he always felt easily tired and fell asleep in a short while.

In the palace, Duan Mingchong got off the carriage, and a palace maid came over and said respectfully: "Your Highness, the emperor has ordered that if you come back, you should go directly to the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

Duan Mingchong nodded and said, "I'll go change my clothes and then I'll be there. Sorry for the trouble."

The palace maid hurriedly said she dared not, and after giving a few more instructions, she turned around and left.

Duan Mingchong went back and changed the medicine on the wound on his arm, and then changed into a dragon robe, and then led his men towards the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

There was a palace banquet today, and many court officials arrived early. Before Duan Mingchong even reached the palace corridor of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he ran into Duan Zhisu head-on.

Duan Mingchong had no hatred towards Duan Zhisu, but he still had some grudges because Sui Yan was indirectly poisoned by him. He walked forward without changing his expression, nodded slightly, and said, "Third brother."

Duan Zhisu nodded: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is well."

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Duan Mingchong and Duan Ruwang were competing with each other in the court. Although Duan Zhisu appeared to be uncooperative, no one knew what he was planning in secret. Moreover, since the death of Duan Xichen, he had become even more elusive. Sometimes he even skipped court and was sick all day long.

As long as Duan Zhisu doesn't provoke him, Duan Mingchong will not treat him harshly. However, if Duan Zhisu really can't understand the situation, according to Duan Mingchong's current temperament, he will probably not show mercy.

The two men greeted each other coldly. Duan Mingchong was about to leave, but Duan Zhisu stopped him with an attitude of wanting to say something but was hesitant.

"Your Highness."

Duan Mingchong stopped and looked at him: "What's the matter?"

Duan Zhisu felt a little regretful for calling Duan Mingchong. After struggling for a while, he whispered, "Wang Gui, are you okay?"

Duan Mingchong frowned slightly.

Perhaps it was because he had asked the first question that Duan Zhisu spoke more smoothly: "I heard that he was seriously ill these days. Is he better now?"

Duan Mingchong said calmly: "I am much better now. Thank you for your concern, Third Brother."

Duan Zhisu was stunned, and a strange feeling emerged in his heart again - just like the other day in the hunting ground outside the city, when Duan Mingchong held Sui Yan in his arms so intimately and said an inexplicable thank you when he handed the clothes back to him.

Duan Zhisu glanced at Duan Mingchong, and in an instant seemed to have figured something out. His pupils shrank dramatically, and he looked at him in shock.

Song Xian's words at that time echoed in my ears: "Why do these two people seem so strange to me?"

"you……"

Duan Zhisu's lips trembled slightly, and just as he was about to speak, he saw Duan Mingchong leaning aside and saying, "Second brother."

Duan Ruwang arrived at some point in time. He was wearing a dark green brocade robe that trailed on the ground. He was looking at the two of them with a half-smile, and no one knew what he was thinking about.

"Prince, please help me. It's so cold. What important things are you talking about here?"

Duan Zhisu swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth and lowered his head slightly: "Second brother."

Duan Ming Chongkuan lowered his sleeves to cover the tightly clasped hands, his face still showing a casual and elegant look: "Nothing, just a few casual greetings."

Duan Ruwang didn't know whether there was a letter or not, and he looked at Duan Zhisu with interest, as if he was thinking about how to involve his third brother who was oblivious to what was happening outside.

When it comes to smoothing things over and muddying the waters, Duan Ruwang can be said to be extremely hard-working.

The three of them entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony one after another. Duan Mingchong ignored the others and was led to his seat and sat down.

A palace maid stood behind him on his right with her head lowered and a wine cup in her hand.

After Duan Mingchong sat down, he casually exchanged a few words with the ministers beside him, then he tilted his head slightly to look at the palace maid and said indifferently: "Are you new to the Hall of Supreme Harmony? I seem to have never seen you before."

The palace servant shuddered and said hesitantly, "To answer your Highness, I was transferred to serve in the Hall of Supreme Harmony a few days ago."

Duan Mingchong chuckled: "Really?"

Having said that, he stopped talking.

Palace maid - Wu Mo gnashed his teeth secretly, thinking that the blind marquis wants me to protect the prince. There is not even a fly able to fly out of the entire East Palace, where does he need me to protect? I am really just full and have nothing to do.

Even so, he still changed various identities and ran around the palace cautiously, fearing that the prince would be killed by someone if he was not careful. If that happened, it would be strange if Sui Yan did not fight him to the death.

Wu Mo lowered his head and used his peripheral vision to watch Duan Mingchong, who was drinking elegantly. After much thought, he still couldn't figure out whether this seemingly extremely shrewd prince was really as weak as Sui Yan said?

He began to suspect that the prince Sui Yan was talking about and the prince he was seeing now were two different people.

While he was daydreaming, the emperor had been helped to sit on the dragon throne, and then everyone knelt on the ground and shouted "Long live the emperor".

After night fell, in the side courtyard of the Marquis' Mansion, Sui Yan was sitting on a soft couch in front of the window frame wearing a thick cloak, slightly tilting his head and looking at the dark sky outside.

Because Sui Yan was ill, there was not much excitement in the mansion on New Year's Eve. They just casually set up a banquet and had a quick meal before leaving.

Sui Xun was not into romance, so naturally he wouldn't take care of other things. He even forbade people in the mansion to set off firecrackers and fireworks.

Haitang was originally very excited to set off fireworks, but after being ordered by Sui Xun, she had to put it away reluctantly and went to boil the medicine obediently.

On New Year's Eve, Jun Jingxing returned to Yin Mansion to celebrate the New Year with Yin Shenqiu. Only Sui Xun was left in the side courtyard to accompany Sui Yan.

Sui Xun could only hold a sword to kill enemies, so holding a small carving knife was very difficult for him. He had been accompanying Sui Yan in his yard the whole day, frowning as he carved a peach wood hairpin. A lot of the peach wood was destroyed, but he didn't even carve a decent hairpin.

Sui Xun shook off the sawdust on the hem of the clothes, took out another piece of peach wood, and planned to carve it again.

Without even looking up, he said, "Don't stand there in the wind for too long. Do you want to get sick again?"

Sui Yan held onto the window frame with both hands. There was a charcoal basin burning brightly beside him, so he didn't feel the cold at all. He said, "Wait a little longer."

Sui Xun then raised his head and frowned, "What are you waiting for?"

Sui Yan did not answer, and just when Sui Xun wanted to stand up and scold him for lying down, a sharp roar suddenly came from the dark sky, followed by bursts of fireworks rising into the air, suddenly exploding with flames.

Sui Yan's eyes narrowed and he said, "Wait for the fireworks."

Sui Xun couldn't understand his interest, so he walked forward sternly and said, "Claws."

Sui Yan immediately retracted his hand, and Sui Xun then slammed the window shut and said, "Go lie down and sleep."

Sui Yan curled his lips and said, "Brother is so boring."

Sui Xun admitted it: "I know, you don't need to tell me."

As he spoke, he carried Sui Yan back to the couch, pulled up the quilt, and said, "You don't need to stay up late this year. You should go to bed early. There will be many people coming to the mansion tomorrow morning, and it might be a little noisy."

Sui Yan leaned on the pillow and said, "I've slept too much these days, and now I'm not sleepy."

Sui Xun said, "I'll go ask if the Haitang medicine is ready?"

Sui Yan: “…”

"Okay, okay, I'll go to sleep now! Right now."

He reluctantly shrank back under the quilt, thought for a moment, and poked his head out again: "Brother, when are you coming back?"

Sui Xun: “Wait until you fall asleep.”

Sui Yan said "Oh" and tossed and turned in the quilt for a long time, but still didn't feel sleepy.

After a while, Sui Xun walked forward and lifted the quilt a little, and said coldly: "It's good that you can't sleep. The medicine is ready. Drink it and go to sleep."

Sui Yan immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be dead.

But it was still in vain. Sui Xun force-fed him half a bowl of medicine, and his face turned green.

Sui Xun took the medicine bowl away and said, "Go to sleep."

Sui Yan didn't have the strength to struggle anymore. He glared at him angrily before shrinking into the quilt.

I don’t know if it was the effect of the medicine, but I felt sleepy very quickly and fell asleep in a short while.

Sui Yan thought it would be New Year's Day when he woke up, but he suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.

He opened his eyes vaguely, looked out through the layers of bed curtains, and vaguely saw a figure lighting a lamp beside the table.

Sui Yan stared blankly, "Brother?"

The people outside were stunned, then walked towards him.

Sui Yan asked again: "Yue Jian, are you back?"

The man walked to the couch and gently lifted the bed curtain, revealing Duan Mingchong's handsome face.

Sui Yan was stunned for a moment, and then he came to his senses.

Duan Mingchong looked at him with a smile and asked, "Who did you call just now?"

As soon as he saw Duan Mingchong, Sui Yan couldn't remember Yue Jian's last name anymore. His face was full of joy. He opened his arms towards Duan Mingchong, his eyes curved: "Your Highness!"

When Duan Mingchong saw how happy he was, he no longer cared about the fact that he had called the wrong person just now.

He walked forward, gently grasped Sui Yan's hand, and sat on the couch.

Sui Yan was very curious and asked, "Didn't His Highness say that he would come again tomorrow?"

Duan Mingchong chuckled, put a finger against Sui Yan's lips, and said, "Hush."

Sui Yan closed his mouth, took a light breath and waited for Duan Mingchong to speak.

Unexpectedly, Duan Mingchong did not speak immediately, but seemed to be waiting for something.

After a while, in the silence, the sound of the New Year's bell at midnight on New Year's Eve could be heard from the capital city.

The candlelight shone obliquely through the bed curtain, illuminating half of Duan Mingchong's face with a soft and warm feeling.

Sui Yan stared at him blankly.

Duan Mingchong listened to the bell ringing and then chuckled, "Tomorrow has come, I am here."