Chapter 22: The party lasted until late at night...
The banquet did not end until late at night. Xiao Wangshu said goodbye to his host and walked out of the mansion. The host had already prepared a carriage and took him back to the house leisurely.
As soon as he entered the house, he saw Nian Yue who had been waiting outside the yard for who knows how long. Warm yellow candlelight shone in the room, and Eunuch Wei was guarding the door. Xiao Wangshu knew that it was the Crown Prince who had arrived.
His Highness might be here to call for punishment, Xiao Wangshu thought, feeling half helpless and half headache.
He first persuaded the little girl to go back and rest. Before entering the door, Xiao Wangshu tested the attitude of His Highness with Eunuch Wei. Naturally, Eunuch Wei refused to elaborate.
Not too surprised, Xiao Wangshu lifted the curtain and entered the room.
Perhaps because His Highness has been afraid of the cold lately, a little charcoal was burned in the room. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the room warm. Mixed with the warm candlelight, it made people feel soft in their hearts.
There was no one else in the room except His Highness and him.
His Highness took off his outer clothes and covered himself with a thin blanket, half lying casually on the couch, as if he was in the East Palace. His long black hair was draped behind his shoulders, tied up with only a jade hairpin, but his complexion was not good, and was a little pale.
Although he was the one who proposed the self-torture trick, His Highness's current appearance only made him regret it.
Seeing him come in, Xie Xuanhui raised his eyelids slightly, opened his thin lips and said coldly:
"Kneel down."
Without thinking much, Xiao Wangshu was about to kneel down, but was interrupted by an angry voice, and then he was pulled up by the prince who came running over.
"Xiao Wangshu, you just want to make me angry, don't you?"
Even Xiao Wangshu was stunned for a moment. He knew the prince's temper and knew that the prince would not really punish him. Kneeling down in accordance with the prince's order was a sign of submission. However, he never expected that the prince would be so anxious and flustered to stop him.
Your Highness is the crown prince of a country, he should kneel.
The palms and wrists of the person flying towards him felt cold. Xiao Wangshu suddenly thought of his previous life, the prince's closed eyes under the pear tree reflecting the silvery moonlight, the long sword he could not stop that day, and the splashing blood that almost burned his soul.
My heart can't stop hurting.
Without time to ponder this emotion, he used his strength to stand up straight and carried the person horizontally. This was really against the rules and etiquette, but Xiao Wangshu did it anyway.
As if frightened by his actions, Xie Xuanhui grabbed his collar tightly, pursed his thin lips, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes. The moment he realized that he was now in Xiao Wangshu's arms, even his breathing became cautious.
He carried the person back to the couch steadily and covered him tightly with a blanket. Xiao Wangshu lowered his head and surrendered.
He was wrong in this matter, and it is reasonable for His Highness to be angry. It's not that I didn't want to discuss it with His Highness in advance, but I was afraid that His Highness would not agree, so I could only act first and report it later.
He lowered his voice, his tone gentle and sticky.
"Your Highness, can you forgive me this time?"
Half-kneeling in front of the couch, she unconsciously clasped His Highness's hands together in her palms, just wanting to warm up His Highness's cold hands.
He still remembered that since his death in the previous life, His Highness had been in poor health. Although he was by His Highness's side, he could not do anything in that state. The feeling of powerlessness made him particularly uncomfortable.
His actions and words made Xie Xuanhui soften completely. Before Xiao Wangshu entered the house, the violent emotions that were brewing were enveloped by an unknown feeling, and those emotions turned into clouds and dissipated.
However, Xie Xuanhui thought again that Xiao Wangshu should not have run away, so he turned his face halfway to avoid Xiao Wangshu's gaze. He just wanted an explanation.
However, in front of Xiao Wangshu, Xie Xuanhui knew how to soften his heart. He said aggrievedly like a child begging for candy:
"You clearly promised to choose me this time, so why did you secretly go to those counties to serve as an official?"
"Your Highness, do you really not know?"
After stuffing Xie Xuanhui's hand back into the blanket, Xiao Wangshu sighed with some tentativeness and disapproval.
How could His Highness not know? The experience of his previous life was still vivid in his mind. The people of a city disappeared inexplicably, and their whereabouts and fate were unknown. Now that the incident has not yet happened, he must go and take a look.
"It's just a small county town, why would you personally…"
"Your Highness! There are a whole city of people in that county!"
This time, Xiao Wangshu was really angry. He knew that His Highness had an extraordinary desire to control him, but His Highness should not turn a blind eye to the lives and deaths of the people. This was not the behavior of a wise monarch, and he could not do it even if he wanted to.
He had told His Highness this truth a long time ago, but His Highness had never listened to him. He thought that after experiencing all kinds of things in the previous life, His Highness should be clear and understand that the people are the foundation of the country, and he should not act so condescendingly and treat the people as ants.
But he was wrong, His Highness was still His Highness.
Perhaps it was his gaze, or perhaps it was his tone, but a nameless rage burst out from the depths of Xie Xuanhui's heart. He almost trembled as he roared:
"But so what! You always keep harping on about how the people are the foundation of the country, how a boat can carry you but can also capsize you. It's just some common sense truisms that only people on the internet know. I've said it before, I don't care!
Since my mother passed away, I have been bullied and humiliated. I have never had a full meal and never worn fine clothes. The people did not save me at that time. It was you, my grandfather, who saved me from the dire straits.
In my previous life, I was imprisoned. What were those people doing? They were mocking and laughing at me. They were easily fooled and instigated for money and profit. They were dirty, filthy and ignorant.
And you, in your last life, you were truly devoted to the people, even abandoning me, but you ended up like that. After your death, the people didn't think anything of you, but only of you as a topic of conversation after dinner. No one collected your body in the mass grave!"
Later, Xie Xuanhui's eyes turned bloodshot. He hated these "common people" so much. He had never even seen Ashu for the last time, and those common people were instigated and easily deceived. Ashu suffered countless insults and abuses on the way to the execution ground. After his death, those so-called common people were proud of throwing away Ashu's rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs. How could Xie Xuanhui have a good impression of these people?
If Ashu had not left him a letter before his death, he would have even wanted to kill all the people in the city to bury Ashu with him.
"Your Highness, everything I do is never for the sake of a few words from the people. Heaven and earth will judge everything. I just follow my own will and my heart. So there is no need to be angry with them, and there is no need to feel sorry for me.
Your Highness, I am only doing what I want to do, and there are good people among the people."
His hand was tightly grasped, and meeting Xiao Wangshu's gaze, Xie Xuanhui suddenly understood the meaning of Xiao Wangshu's words, but how could he be willing to accept it? Ah Shu said that he should follow his heart and his original intention, so he had to do the same.
He wants Ashu to stay with him forever.
"Your Highness, please don't be angry with me. I said I would stay by your side and help you become the king of Zhongshan Kingdom.
Your Highness, I will never break my promise. In this life, I will be loyal only to you."
Such sincere words happened to touch Xie Xuanhui's heart. He could not care about the people, but he still had to listen to Xiao Wangshu's words.
"good."
He still compromised, but he was unwilling to let people go just like that.
His words made Xiao Wangshu feel relieved. The affairs of the counties this time were of great importance, and Xiao Wangshu had to go there in person. As for Bian Jing, His Majesty was in good health, and the princes would not be able to cause any big trouble even if they jumped around.
Thinking of the scene in the hall, although he knew that all this was just their scheme, Xiao Wangshu still couldn't help but ask with concern:
"Your Highness, that medicine must not be used again. The self-torture trick has worked. Now we just have to wait and see what happens.
As for my assignment to the counties, I will leave early tomorrow morning. Your Highness, I promise you that once the affairs of the counties are settled, I will return as soon as possible."
"So urgent?"
Looking at him with a heavy gaze, Xiao Wangshu suddenly felt as if he was being stared at by a wild beast, but it disappeared in just a moment, as if it was his illusion.
"Well, the counties are a long way from Bianjing. To prevent any unforeseen events, I have no choice but to set off early."
"good."
Seeing that the other person agreed, Xiao Wangshu's last trace of worry was completely put aside. He just smiled and asked as if coaxing a child:
"It's already late, and the palace gates have already been locked. Your Highness, would you like to rest here?"
The candlelight flickered, the light and shadow changed, Xie Xuanhui glanced at him with a strange look, and before Xiao Wangshu could ask again, he heard Xie Xuanhui say:
"Go to bed first. I still have things to do, Xiao Weizi."
Eunuch Wei, who had been guarding outside the door for who knows how long, lifted the curtain and walked into the house. Needless to say, Eunuch Wei knew why his master called him with just one gesture. Xiao Wangshu did not intervene and just waited by the side.
After everything was packed up, Xie Xuanhui spoke in the direction of Xiao Wangshu:
"I'm going back to the East Palace today. You should get some rest early. I won't come to see you off tomorrow."
After saying this, without waiting for Xiao Wangshu to reply, he raised his voice to the window:
"dark."
As he finished speaking, a black shadow quickly climbed into the house through the window and knelt in front of Xie Xuanhui in an instant.
"exist."
The man was wrapped tightly from head to toe, leaving only a pair of ferocious eyes visible. He spoke briefly and his movements were humble and gentle.
Xiao Wangshu recognized this man. He was His Highness's right-hand man, a man with an extremely sharp knife.
"Return to the palace."
With an almost indifferent tone, Xie Xuanhui turned around without any hesitation and led his men out of the house, leaving Xiao Wangshu standing there, feeling both amused and helpless.
At this time, Xiao Wangshu might have noticed Xie Xuanhui's strange attitude, but he just thought that His Highness was still angry. He didn't know that it was his contempt that would put him in a crisis tomorrow.
But that’s another story.
Now Xiao Wangshu just shook his head and turned into the inner room. He had already prepared his luggage in the past two days and met the people he was going to meet before leaving. He would be ready to set off early tomorrow morning.
The author has something to say:
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Some issues have been adjusted.
Hehe, what is His Royal Highness going to do?
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