Chapter 95 Fireworks

Song Xian looked at him in horror: "What did you say..."

At the same time, Duan Mingchong stumbled and his shoulder hit the screen beside him, making a loud noise.

Sui Yan and Song Xian looked in the direction of the sound.

Duan Ming Chongxu covered his right arm and struggled to maintain a gentle smile on his face.

Sui Yan: “…”

Song Xian was so frightened that he almost choked on his own saliva. He looked at the prince in horror, then looked at Sui Yan, with a few clear words in his eyes - you are going to be dealt with!

Sui Yan also felt a little guilty. This was the first time he felt scared when facing Duan Mingchong.

He laughed dryly and was about to put his legs down from the table, but because he was wearing too many clothes today, his legs wouldn't come down.

Song Xian stood up, gave Sui Yan a look that told him to take care of himself, and said, "I've met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Duan Mingchong put down his hand and smiled gently: "No need to be polite."

Sui Yan couldn't put his legs down for a moment, so he could only smile at Duan Mingchong obediently: "Your Highness is well."

Duan Mingchong said "hmm" lightly, walked forward slowly, and under Song Xian's horrified gaze, he raised his hand to lift Sui Yan's calf and gently put it down.

After Sui Yan came down, he stood up quickly and whispered, "Didn't Your Highness say that he was still busy with palace affairs? How did he have time to come here?"

Duan Mingchong said nothing and just looked at him calmly.

The atmosphere between the two was so strange that Song Xian didn't want to stay any longer and said hurriedly, "Your Highness and the Marquis are busy first, Chonghui will take her leave now."

Duan Mingchong tilted his head and looked at him coldly.

Song Xian actually felt frightened when being stared at by someone who was a few years younger than him.

Soon, Duan Mingchong slowly withdrew his gaze, as if the person who had just given Song Xian a death stare was not him.

"Um."

Song Xian was so busy that he wanted to run away.

Duan Mingchong suddenly said, "That's right."

Song Xiandun stayed where he was: "Your Highness, is there anything else you want to ask?"

Duan Mingchong chuckled and said, "It's not an order, I just want you to tell your master a message."

Song Xian was stunned.

Duan Mingchong said: "It's best not to interfere in matters that are not his business."

Song Xianhun's body froze for a moment before he bowed and said yes, then turned and left.

Sui Yan was just sitting there with his legs crossed and daydreaming like the eldest master, but when Duan Mingchong arrived, he immediately lowered his head like a quail and kept staring at the crabapple flower pattern on the hem of his clothes.

Duan Mingchong asked everyone who had come with him to leave. The secret guards of the East Palace also heard the horrifying words that Lord Sui had just said, and they did not dare to stay any longer. They went out trembling with fear - and they even closed the door considerately.

The door closed with a creaky sound, and Sui Yan's shoulders trembled slightly, feeling inexplicably frightened.

Duan Mingchong sat elegantly on the soft chair, looking at Sui Yan twirling his hands nervously and not daring to sit down, and said with a smile: "Sit down."

Sui Yan raised his eyes and glanced at him, then said cautiously: "You won't... punish me, right?"

Duan Mingchong said: "Oh? What did you do wrong? I want to punish you?"

Duan Mingchong's calm demeanor made Sui Yan feel even more guilty. He walked over slowly, sat opposite Duan Mingchong, and whispered, "I... just spoke without restraint... and offended Your Highness."

Duan Mingchong did not feel offended at all, but rather found it novel.

He was of noble status, and sometimes people would feel offended if they just looked at him, but Sui Yanke was so good that she said she wanted to marry him in front of so many people.

Duan Mingchong asked someone to bring a new pot of hot tea, poured a cup and pushed it in front of Sui Yan, saying lightly: "I don't blame you."

Sui Yan said "Oh", lowered his eyes to look at the cup of hot tea, pursed his lips and looked at it for a long time before whispering: "There won't be any medicine in it, right?"

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong laughed: "What are you afraid of? Even if I really want to punish you, what kind of punishment do you think you can withstand?"

I couldn't bear to beat or scold him, let alone anything more serious.

Sometimes Duan Mingchong began to doubt that if one day Sui Yan did something that could make him furious, he would probably explode with rage and would never say a single harsh word to Sui Yan.

Sui Yan thought about it carefully and realized that he really didn't need to be punished, so he immediately felt relieved.

He picked up the cup and took a sip with his eyes narrowed.

Duan Mingchong rested his chin on the back of his hand, looked at Sui Yan with tender eyes, and suddenly asked: "But do you really want to marry me?"

Sui Yan: “Ahem…”

He almost spit out the water, but at the critical moment he remembered that the person in front of him was Duan Mingchong, who was as handsome as an immortal, and he immediately forced himself to hold it back.

Sui Yan coughed twice, his face flushed: "Your Highness..."

He didn't expect that Duan Mingchong heard what he said. Instead of getting angry, he asked him back with interest.

Duan Mingchong smiled and said, "Okay, stop making trouble. I'll take you out to play after we finish our tea."

Sui Yan put the cup down, frowned and said, "But my brother asked me to return home before dark."

Duan Mingchong said: "It's okay, I'll take you back then."

Sui Yan thought about it and decided that things were different now. If Duan Mingchong sent him back, his brother would definitely not make things difficult for him.

Thinking of this, he nodded.

The two of them drank another half cup of tea in silence. Sui Yan also wrapped a few pieces of rose cake in oil paper and put them in his bag, then went out with Duan Mingchong.

It was slowly getting dark outside, the lights were on all around, people were coming and going, it was very lively.

Duan Mingchong and Sui Yan walked side by side into the crowd. Because the crowd was too crowded, they bumped into others from time to time.

Sui Yan frowned and followed Duan Mingchong closely, saying, "Dan...Mingchong, where are we going?"

Duan Mingchong heard the voice and turned slightly to look at him. He was about to speak when suddenly the crowd surged. The person behind him suddenly pushed Sui Yan forward and he staggered a step. Duan Mingchong happened to catch Sui Yan in his arms.

Sui Yan frowned and looked back.

Duan Mingchong put his hands on his sides to protect him and said, "Maybe they're going to set off fireworks."

Sui Yan said: "Will the fireworks be set off so early? It's just getting dark now."

Duan Mingchong smiled, said nothing, put his hand on Sui Yan's shoulder, walked through the crowd and into a side alley.

Sui Yan followed Duan Mingchong forward. There were few people in the alley, but they would always see a man and a woman walking hand in hand, each holding an exquisite lantern.

Sui Yan looked at it and suddenly recalled the first time he and Duan Mingchong went out to visit the Lantern Festival.

The young and youthful prince read the folk customs he found among the people under the lamp at night, and then, under the lanterns all over the ground, he shyly and solemnly asked about his birthday.

"Do you know that only lovers who love each other go to Minghe to release lanterns?"

Sui Yan thought about it and suddenly laughed out loud.

Duan Mingchong looked at him in confusion: "What's wrong?"

Sui Yan smiled at him and said, "Your Highness, when are we going to Ming River to release lanterns together?"

Duan Mingchong was stunned for a moment, then he thought of the embarrassment he had made a few years ago. He coughed unnaturally and whispered, "Wait... wait until the ice melts and then... we'll talk about it."

Sui Yan said: "Okay."

The two of them walked through several side alleys and stopped beside a Ming pagoda on Tianshui Lane.

This Ming pagoda had been abandoned for many years and was only renovated in recent years. After the renovation, ordinary people are not allowed to visit it. Only people in high positions and positions of power can go there once or twice a year.

Sui Yan is a little afraid of heights and doesn't think there's anything interesting about high places, so he has never been there once.

Duan Mingchong said: "We will watch the fireworks on the rooftop tonight."

Sui Yan: “Ah?”

Fireworks?

Duan Mingchong took him into the Ming Tower, and as soon as he entered, someone came to greet him respectfully.

The walls of the Ming Tower were covered with densely packed candles, illuminating the entire tower, and the glazed windows were illuminated by the flickering candlelight, making them shine brightly.

It was Sui Yan's first time to come to the Ming Tower. He looked around curiously and then Duan Mingchong pulled him by the wrist and led him up to the top floor on the glazed stone steps.

There is a warm pavilion on the top floor with bamboo curtains hanging on all sides and a charcoal basin inside, making the place feel as warm as spring.

After Duan Mingchong sat down with Sui Yan, he raised his hand and pointed to a place, saying, "In another quarter of an hour, there will be fireworks there for about half an hour. I will take you back after you watch them."

Sui Yan tilted his head to take a look. Originally, he was a little afraid of heights, but when he looked down at the Tianshui Lane that looked like a fire dragon from a high place, he was surprisingly no longer afraid.

"About half an hour? Is it that long?" Sui Yan opened his eyes wide, "I remember that in the past few years it only took about a quarter of an hour to finish."

Duan Mingchong said: "It will be longer this year."

Sui Yan looked at him in confusion, but didn't think much about it. He tilted his head and stared at the place where Duan Mingchong pointed, looking a little expectant.

Duan Mingchong was originally sitting opposite him, but when he saw Sui Yan's sparkling eyes, he suddenly felt moved for some reason.

He sat on the soft chair, and kept wanting to stretch out his toes, as if he wanted to walk out and sit next to Sui Yan, but every time he would shyly retract his toes and put them down quietly.

But after a while, he became restless again and stretched his toes tentatively out again.

Sui Yan suddenly turned his head and said, "Your Highness, I've thought about it carefully again. Could it be that you arranged the fireworks?"

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong was startled and immediately retracted his toes. He did not show it on his face and said calmly, "Did you guess it?"

Sui Yan laughed: "No, I lied to you."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong lowered his head slightly, his ears burning, and said softly: "A few days ago you told me that you wanted to watch the fireworks on New Year's Eve but were stopped by General Sui, so I thought... to give you something to make you happy."

Plus... Sui Yan didn't seem to like the jade ring he gave her.

Duan Mingchong thought so and began to stretch his toes out again.

At the same time, a sharp roar suddenly came from the horizon not far away, and then countless fireworks rose into the sky, exploding abruptly into broken lights at the highest point, making a crackling sound.

The fireworks were colorful, dazzling and sparkling, and it seemed that there were more varieties than in previous years.

Sui Yan was startled, and when he turned his head, he saw fireworks all over the sky, like falling into the Milky Way, exploding in front of him.

He looked at her with some astonishment, his eyes filled with fragments of light.

Duan Mingchong didn't pay any attention to the fireworks exploding in the sky. His heart and eyes were filled with Sui Yan, who was smiling and talking.

There is a reason why some people admire light and would rather be burned than let it go.

Duan Mingchong thought so, suddenly stood up from the soft chair, and walked quickly to Sui Yan's side.

Sui Yan was looking happy when he was suddenly stopped. He looked up at Duan Mingchong in surprise.

"Your Highness?"

Duan Mingchong took a deep breath, then suddenly leaned over and placed a kiss on Sui Yan's forehead that was as light as a dragonfly touching the water.

Sui Yan was stunned and looked at him in astonishment.

They separate as soon as they are touched.

Duan Mingchong's heartbeat quickened, but he still forced himself to hold it together, saying, "Ayan, if I ascend the throne one day, I will definitely not marry another woman."

Sui Yan looked at him blankly, not reacting for a moment.

Duan Mingchong bent down slightly, rested his forehead on Sui Yan's brow, grasped Sui Yan's somewhat cold hand and held it in his palm, his gesture was a little too intimate.

Sui Yan didn't even blink, and seemed to have a premonition that Duan Mingchong would say something very important, and even his breathing slowed down.

Duan Mingchong gently rubbed his forehead, his voice low and solemn.

"If one day I have to choose between the throne and you, I will only choose you."

Sui Yan's pupils suddenly shrank and he looked at him in astonishment.

Duan Mingchong's eyes were full of soft light, as quiet as the breeze.

"I only want you."

.

Song Xian came out of Tianshui Lane in a daze and ran into Duan Zhisu who had been waiting for a long time.

Duan Su was holding a lantern given to him by a little girl in his hand and was looking at it casually. When he saw Song Xian's expression, his eyes darkened: "So, it is true?"

Song Xian nodded with difficulty: "It is said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is of noble status and unattainable, but just now he actually went to hold Wang Gui's leg in person..."

If someone else did this it would be nothing, but that person was the prince who was second only to the emperor.

Duan Mingchong unconsciously twirled the lantern in his hand, glancing at the five-pointed red tassels spinning slightly.

"Wang Gui... He should know what he is doing."

Hearing this, Song Xian looked even paler. He repeated all of Sui Yan's treasonous words just now, and emphasized how strange the prince's expression was, perhaps because he was angry.

"If the prince is not serious about him, just this sentence alone is enough to send him to jail many times."

Duan Mingchong listened in silence until the fireworks exploded in the distant sky. He then sighed and said, "Forget it. We don't need to worry about him anymore."

No matter how anxious they were, Sui Yan wouldn't care at all.

After figuring this out, Duan Zhisu seemed to have let go of his worries. He rubbed his brows and whispered, "Let's go back."

Song Xian looked at the sky and said, "Are we going back now? It's just getting dark."

Duan Zhisu looked a little tired. Ever since his birthday a few years ago, he began to have nightmares every night. However, after waking up, he could not remember what he dreamed about. He just felt tired and sad. Sometimes when he touched his face, he could feel a handful of tears.

Duan Zhisu: "Well, go back."

There was nothing fun for Song Xian to do alone, so he nodded and followed Duan Zhisu back.

Song Xian was a very noisy person. Whenever he was with Duan Zhisu, he would always chatter incessantly. Duan Zhisu would just respond from time to time and he didn't feel annoyed.

There was still some time on the way back, and Song Xian made small talk, saying, "Wanggui seems to have lost a lot of weight. I don't know how his doctor treated him. I heard that when he was seriously ill and almost died a few years ago, His Majesty gave him a lot of precious things..."

Duan Zhisu, who was rubbing his eyebrows, suddenly stopped.

"How can I let my kingdom fall into the hands of an outsider like him?"

"My son, my son... I can only trust you. He, ahem, he is too ambitious to return home. You must not... you must not..."

"I have already asked someone to prepare the 'stigma'. As long as you give the order to give it to him, the throne..."

Duan Zhisu's pupils shrank dramatically, and he suddenly pressed his chest. His body staggered and he almost fell to the ground.

Song Xian was startled, and quickly supported him: "Your Highness!"

Duan Zhisu's eyes went dark and his ears were buzzing, which intertwined with the sound of fireworks bursting in the distance, making his head dizzy.

"…It's yours."

Duan Zhisu's knees hit the ground heavily, and Song Xian supported him by pressing his chest. His pupils dilated, and he couldn't tell whether he was dreaming or in reality.

"Your second brother died at his hands, and so did your fifth brother..." The old emperor's face was sickly gray, and his lips were a little purple, as if he was poisoned. He used his remaining strength to hold the stubborn hand tightly, and spoke each word with difficulty, "Your fifth brother did not commit any major mistakes. On the way to his fiefdom, he... did not let Xichen go..."

Duan Zhisu, who was kneeling beside the couch, heard this, raised his head slightly, and looked at the emperor who was like a candle in the wind, his eyes full of depth.

"The people who went with him only said that Xichen... died of a serious illness when he arrived at his fiefdom..." the emperor said, "But everyone knows that there was no one from the palace among those people..."

However, Sui Yan had already colluded with some important officials in the court. Even if the emperor wanted to punish him, he had no evidence. He could not punish the prince who was personally appointed by the emperor.

"You must kill him... or he won't let you go."

Hearing this, Duan Zhisu smiled softly.

The years of imprisonment in his previous life had worn away the last bit of edge in this man. Although he was smiling, his eyes were gloomy and cold.

"Father," Duan Zhisu said softly, "You are wrong."

The emperor looked at him in amazement.

Duan Zhisu said: "It was not Wang Gui who killed the fifth brother, it was me."

The emperor was stunned for a moment, seemingly unresponsive. After a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked at him in shock.

Duan Zhisu was still kneeling on the ground, but there was no trace of sadness or respect on his face.

"The Canglin Temple in Yongcheng is not too far from my fifth brother's fiefdom, but one side is poor and the other side is rich because of the Shangluo Mountains." Duan Zhisu said softly, "Duan Xichen has been held in your palm since he was a child. He is heartless and does not understand the ways of the world. It is easy to harm him."

The emperor grasped Duan Zhisu's hand tightly, his nails digging into his arm and blood oozing out.

However, Duan Zhisu's expression did not change at all, and he continued to look at the emperor mockingly.

"You...are extremely rebellious..."

Duan Zhisu said: "Father, you are right. This is all taught by you."

He slowly pried the emperor's hands apart, stood up, looked down at him, and said softly, "The blood of the royal family is cold, and only a heartless and emotionless person can inherit the throne."

After Duan Mingchong was born, the emperor made him the crown prince and taught him to be friendly to his brothers, respectful to his younger brothers and to value his teachers. However, the emperor did not pay such attention to other princes. Some of them were spoiled like Duan Xichen, or they were simply ignored.

In the eyes of the emperor, the prince must be gentle, modest and courteous. In this way, when he inherits the throne one day, he will not suffer from fratricide and can also provide a way out for other emperors.

But he didn't think about whether other people were willing to give the gentle prince a chance to live.

In his previous life, the young prince obeyed the emperor's orders in everything, but ended up dying a violent death.

Duan Zhisu didn't have much affection for the emperor to begin with, and even if he did, it was completely consumed by the years he spent in Canglin Temple.

He glanced coldly at the dying emperor who was still staring at him with his eyes wide open, without a trace of sympathy.

All the people in the Hall of Supreme Harmony were sent out by the attendant. He walked out slowly, lifting the bed curtain and said, "Chonghui."

The men who had been following him all these years came forward and clasped their fists and said, "Your Highness, Lord Song has just left the palace."

Duan Zhisu frowned: "What is he doing outside the palace?"

The subordinate said, "Just now you seemed to have sent someone to give Lord Song a glass of wine and let him leave the palace."

Duan Zhisu's eyes turned cold.

liquor?

He suddenly turned around and went back into the inner room.

"You make people..."

Before he could say anything, the emperor laughed hoarsely. Even though he was so weak, he still had the strength to laugh out loud.

"Slander...slander! Seven years ago he...was lucky enough to survive, but now..."

Duan Zhisu: "You..."

"…Is he still going to survive?"

Duan Zhisu looked at him almost with gritted teeth.

The emperor smiled with satisfaction, perhaps a flash of inspiration. He struggled to reach out his hand and grabbed Duan Zhisu's sleeve again, saying hoarsely, "I don't blame you for harming Xichen. As long as you... don't go looking for him, the throne will still be yours, and no one can take it away."

Duan Zhisu sneered and said, "You only have me to trust, but you don't want to let the world fall into Wangui's hands, so you have to compromise."

The emperor said, "You are not suspecting that... he escaped the disaster because he betrayed you, and I conferred him the title of prince because of his merits, right?"

He remained silent, which was considered as his tacit agreement.

The emperor coughed twice before he said hoarsely, "My son, do you believe him?"

Duan Zhisu: "I..."

He hesitated to speak.

The emperor smiled and said, "You are right not to believe him. He won't live long anyway. Wait here for an hour, and I will order someone to bring the imperial edict that has been prepared long ago. Otherwise, even if you ascend the throne, it will be illegitimate..."

Duan Zhisu lowered his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

"Zhi Su, think about it carefully. Is a traitor worth exchanging your throne for?"

"Stay, don't go looking for him."

"Is that okay?"

At the Lantern Festival in his new life, Duan Zhisu knelt on the bluestone street, holding his chest, as if awakened from a nightmare. He waved away Song Xian's hand that was supporting him, and said in a hoarse voice: "No..."

Song Xian was frightened. The two of them were just walking together, but something seemed amiss. He knelt on the ground for a long time, holding his chest, as if he had lost his soul, and muttered incomprehensible words in a low voice.

When I finally managed to say something normal, I uttered a nonsensical "no".

Song Xian was afraid that he would fall, so he held him up again: "Your Highness, Your Highness! What happened?"

Duan Zhisu's eyes were red, and he didn't know whether he was awake or not. He struggled to walk back.

He murmured, "I want to... go find Wang Gui..."