Chapter 369 Provocation
Pei Lingyun's ascension to the throne was set at the beginning of the first month of spring.
Although a lot of the palace was destroyed by the fire, there are fewer people in the palace now, and there are fewer places that need to be used.
Several palaces that had suffered relatively minor damage were repaired at a rapid pace, and they are sufficient for now.
Just before Pei Lingyun was about to ascend the throne, some strange rumors spread in Chang'an City.
Su Zhizhi and Hua Erniang went to the reopened teahouse on the street to have tea.
I heard the storyteller in the teahouse excitedly telling:
"The King of Yue led his army north... and slaughtered the Hu people without a single survivor!"
"The King of Yue is the heir to the throne, his status is extraordinary, a rare talent. Having someone like the King of Yue is truly a blessing for all people..."
"Nowadays, there is no one in the world with the surname Murong anymore..."
Su Zhizhi and Hua Erniang looked at each other and saw a hint of suspicion in each other's eyes.
The villagers of Heifei Mountain all heard these rumors.
It seemed as if overnight, many supporters of Murong Di emerged in the city, all of whom were promoting Murong Di's achievements while lamenting that someone else had ascended the throne.
Pei Lingyun naturally also learned about this.
Wu Yingniang said to Pei Lingyun:
"Aren, is there someone trying to sow discord between you and Di'er?"
Pei Lingyun nodded:
"Di'er discussed this matter with me. The person behind this has been found. I'll leave it to Di'er to handle."
…
Prince of Yue's Palace.
In the study, a pot of tea was brewing on the coffee table.
The tea is boiling and the hot steam is rising before your eyes.
Murong Di slowly poured the brewed tea into the teacup, then said:
"Tea, please."
Sitting opposite Murong Di was Murong Qi.
Murong Di looked relaxed, and every move he made was full of elegance and grace.
In comparison, Murong Qi's posture of leaning on the couch seemed a little indecent.
Murong Qi actually wanted to sit upright today—
If his hands and feet weren't tied.
Murong Qi laughed jokingly:
"My third brother sent someone to my house to invite me for tea, but he had me tied up, hands and feet. What kind of hospitality is that?"
"How do you want me to drink tea?"
Murong Di's smile remained unchanged:
"You like to tamper with your body, so you should tie it up."
"As for how to drink tea, that's simple."
call out--!
A plum blossom dart popped out from Murong Di's hand and cut the rope on Murong Qi's hand.
The plum blossom dart cut through the rope and pierced into the wooden pillar next to it.
When Murong Qi saw the plum blossom dart flying out, his expression changed slightly:
"I knew Third Brother was intelligent, but I didn't know he had such a great skill. He's been hiding deep within the palace."
Murong Di took a sip of tea:
"Same here, don't you have a hidden trick as well? Otherwise, how could you have recruited so many men? How could you have emptied the Jiezhou salt depot?"
He lowered his voice and said:
"Why would you try to sow discord between me and my uncle at this time?"
Murong Qi stopped pretending and played with the teacup in his hand:
"How can you say you're trying to sow discord? I just feel sorry for my third brother. It's obvious that he's the rightful heir to the throne, so why would he give it to someone else?"
Murong Di curled his lips slightly and sneered:
"That's wrong. The previous dynasty has fallen. You and I are no longer heirs to the throne. How can we talk about legitimacy?"
Murong Qi put down the teacup without taking a sip:
"Third brother, stop pretending."
"You've been pretending to be stupid in the palace for so many years. Now that you've come to this point, don't you want anything?"
Murong Di nodded: "Of course there is something I want."
Murong Qi raised his eyebrows, a hint of pride in his eyes.
Murong Di continued:
"I want your life."
The smile on Murong Qi's face suddenly became a little stiff:
"Did Pei Lingyun send you to kill me? He just wants us brothers to kill each other to clear the way for him to ascend the throne.
I thought you were quite clever, but I never expected you to be exploited."
Murong Di took another sip of tea, his eyes calm:
"When you pushed me from behind, did you ever think you would die in my hands?"
The tea gradually cooled down and the heat dissipated.
Murong Qi's pupils dilated for a moment, and he opened his mouth for a long time but couldn't finish a sentence:
"You, you... who said..."
"No one else told me." Murong Di smiled.
"When you pushed me, there was no one around. You deliberately moved the people around me away, leaving no one around to testify. Then you pushed me into the lake when I wasn't paying attention."
Murong Di showed his intelligence when he was young, but was later pushed into the lake and hit a large rock protruding from the lake surface.
From then on, he pretended to be stupid to save his life.
No one found out who did it at the time. They just said that Murong Di accidentally fell and hit a rock.
In the end, the palace only punished the servants around Murong Di, saying that they were not responsible for taking care of their master.
Murong Di looked at Murong Qi's surprised expression and said slowly:
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
When Murong Di was pushed down by Murong Qi, he saw a piece of jade that Murong Qi often wore reflected on the lake surface.
He kept this matter in his heart and never told anyone except Pei Shu.
Murong Qi: "Since you knew, why didn't you tell me then?"
Murong Di shook his head: "Although your method is crude, it makes me realize that I am in danger. Even if I tell others, the Queen and the Du family will definitely protect you."
"But now no one can protect you."
Murong Qi swallowed his dry throat:
"When I was young and ignorant, I pushed you into trouble when I was naughty, not knowing the consequences. Moreover, when you left the palace and set up your own household, you secretly wanted to do something, and I even sent someone to you to help cover it up."
"Third brother, think carefully. Apart from my mischievous behavior when I was young, I never did anything to you afterwards. We share the same plight, both of us are not favored by our father. I wanted to help you before."
"Oh? Help me?"
Murong Di had a calm expression, and the cold corners of his eyes resembled those of Pei Shu and her brother.
"Speaking of which, I do want to thank my royal brother for tempering my character."
"During the Lihe Hall, weren't those royal family members who bullied me instigated by you? Murong Ming is naughty, but with the little courage he had just entered the palace, he didn't dare to touch the royal heir.
It was you who instigated them behind the scenes, telling them that I was not favored by the Emperor, and that my maternal family was guilty of a serious crime, allowing them to bully me with impunity."
"Brother, do you think I don't know? Or do you think that by giving me two singing girls, I will write off the past?"
After Murong Di finished speaking, the tea in front of Murong Qi was still untouched.
Murong Qi's face was stiff, and he forced a smile:
"Old Third, you've asked me so many questions. I think you already have the answers. I only have one question for you:
Is there any poison in the tea?"
Murong Di drank the tea in front of him and smiled harmlessly:
"Of course not in the one I'm drinking."
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