Chapter 168 Chapter 168 A King of a Different Surname
To be honest, Xu Yunfan washed very quickly just now, but Xiao Hengzhi could not help but notice that Xu Yunfan's hands, like his, were the result of a life of luxury.
But when Xu Yunfan chopped wood, he looked very skilled and smooth. You could tell at a glance that he had done it many times and was used to it.
He was also a prince at home, raised like a baby by his parents, and was pampered and protected by them. He treated Qin Run as his son, so he looked at Xu Yunfan with some scrutiny and criticism. But what about Xu Yunfan's elders? How did they look at Qin Run?
Xiao Hengzhi began to reflect on himself. Xu Yunfan, standing under the eaves, called out, "Uncle Xiao, you haven't finished washing yet? Hurry up, or the food will get cold."
"Well, here it comes."
At the dinner table, Qin An and Qin Mu were eating while shaking their heads, their little mouths full of grease. They were holding duck legs in their hands, taking bites of meat and slurping rice, without any need for adults to urge them.
Seeing them enjoying their meal, Qin Run felt very satisfied and did not forget to greet Xiao Hengzhi: "Uncle Xiao, come and eat. Take whatever you want. Don't be polite. Just treat it like home. Do these dishes suit your taste?"
"It's delicious." Xiao Hengzhi was not being perfunctory; what he said was indeed true.
Although the dishes Qin Run made were not as exquisite and beautiful as those made by the chefs in the inns in Beijing or in the mansions, they tasted very good.
Since being poisoned, Xiao Hengzhi's appetite has not been very good. He has no appetite for anything and usually drinks some precious supplements to nourish his body. Over time, Xiao Hengzhi's sense of taste seems to have degenerated, and everything he eats tastes bland to him.
Tonight, in this farmhouse which was considered a dilapidated one for him, he ate a bowl of rice for the first time. There was no need for any fancy words, as this was the best compliment to Qin Run's cooking skills.
"Uncle Xiao, are you full?" Qin An tilted his little head. He was holding a duck leg in his hand before, but now he had changed it to a chicken leg.
Xiao Hengzhi looked at his greasy little hands and face without any disdain. He took out the handkerchief he carried with him and wiped his face: "Well, uncle is full. Do you want uncle to help you?"
Qin An is already eight years old. Although he looks short, his age is there. It is time for him to change his teeth. Two of his teeth are already loose. The little guy is afraid that his teeth will fall out, so he dare not bite the meat too hard and eats very carefully.
"No need, Uncle Xiao, he can eat by himself." Qin Run said.
Xiao Hengzhi laughed and said, "It's okay. I'm full anyway." As he said that, he took the chicken leg from Qin An's hand, tore it into strips and put it in Qin An's bowl.
Every move she makes is filled with an elegance and nobility that cannot be ignored.
That kind of elegant temperament is not something that can be cultivated overnight. It is more like something that comes from the inside out. In layman's terms, it is innate.
Qin Run roughly guessed that Xiao Hengzhi's identity was not simple.
But he never thought about getting anything from Xiao Hengzhi. He made such rich preparations tonight not to curry favor with him, but simply wanted to be nice to this person.
As for why he had such inexplicable feelings for a stranger he had only met once, Qin Run couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it. He carefully picked out the fish bones in the bowl and then put it into Xu Yunfan's bowl.
Xu Yunfan didn't mind at all that the piece of fish came from Qin Run's bowl and ate it directly.
Seeing this, Xiao Hengzhi's expression did not change, but he was deeply moved in his heart.
Qin Run was busy "serving" Xu Yunfan and didn't have any fish to eat. Xiao Hengzhi picked up the chopsticks and picked up a piece of fish. Just as he picked out the fish bones and wanted to give it to Qin Run, he found that there were already two pieces of fish in Qin Run's bowl.
Those were all picked by Xu Yunfan, and he picked out all the fish bones.
The fish on Xiao Heng's chopsticks turned and fell into Qin An's bowl. He then picked out a piece of fish from which the bones had been removed and put it into Qin Mu's bowl, and tore off a few pieces of meat for him.
Xiao Hengzhi did not dote on Qin An more just because his appearance was too similar to Qin Feiyu's. He liked Qin Mu as well.
However, this kind of love is more complicated than the love for Qin An.
There was no way. The more Xiao Hengzhi looked at Qin Mu, the more he felt that this child was too similar to the prince in the capital.
Xiao Hengzhi was very curious about how the Qin family's parents gave birth to their child.
They just make their own sons look like other people.
It's okay if they look alike, but they just look like one person.
Qin Feiyu and Fu Qingxu, which one of them is not a well-known figure in the capital?
The former can be said to be Xiao Hengzhi's old lover, and the latter, although not incompatible with Xiao Hengzhi, the two of them dislike each other.
Fu Qingxu couldn't stand Xiao Hengzhi's playboy behavior of playing with the world, and Xiao Hengzhi couldn't stand Fu Qingxu's bootlicking style. Whenever the two met, they would always quarrel with each other.
In the past, Xiao Hengzhi had given him some leeway because of Fu Qingxu's physical condition, fearing that he would be so angry that he would die. After all, this second prince had fainted countless times in the palace back then.
Later, after the emperor ascended the throne, the eldest prince and the second prince's chronic illnesses were cured without treatment.
It's quite magical.
Xiao Hengzhi was even more ruthless towards Fu Qingxu, who was also a sharp-tongued person. The two almost came to blows several times.
Xiao Hengzhi looked down on Fu Qingxu for being Qin Qingfeng's bootlicker, but Fu Qingxu finally got the girl.
And what about him?
All I can say is that there is no harm without comparison.
Isn't it said that a dog licks another dog until he has nothing left? How come Fu Qingxu has everything?
Xiao Hengzhi was so envious and jealous!
Qin Mu looks like Fu Qingxu, but he is much cuter than Fu Qingxu. At least Qin Mu is very well-behaved and doesn't talk much.
Xiao Hengzhi would not hate a child because of this. What does the conflict between parents have to do with the child?
Not to mention, Qin Mu has nothing to do with Fu Qingxu. If Qin Mu had a face that looked exactly like Fu Qingxu and called himself father in a baby voice, Xiao Heng would be so happy just thinking about it.
"Uncle Xiao, stop picking up food. My third brother won't be able to finish it." Qin Mu was a quiet man. Looking at the pile of shredded chicken legs in the bowl, his delicate eyebrows slightly wrinkled. Seeing this, Qin An quickly spoke.
Xiao Heng was so happy that he tore the other two chicken wings without realizing it.
After dinner, Qin Run took Qin An and Qin Mu into the kitchen to work. Xu Yunfan did not go to help, but walked towards Xiao Hengzhi who was washing his hands by the well, "Want to go out for a walk?"
Xiao Hengzhi stood up and faced Xu Yunfan, "Okay."
Xu Yunfan turned around and said something to Qin Run and the others. When they reached the corner outside the courtyard, Xu Yunfan stopped pretending and said directly, "Uncle Xiao, you seem to be very interested in my brother-in-law."
This is not a question, but an affirmation.
Xiao Hengzhi heard it and raised his eyebrows, not seeming surprised, "You figured it out."
"I'm not blind." Xu Yunfan said a little irritably, "I don't care what you're up to. I advise you to stay away from my family. We're just ordinary farmers who rely on the weather for our livelihood. There's nothing you can do about us. So, you'd better not have any inappropriate thoughts. Otherwise, even if you're from the capital, I have plenty of ways to make you stay here forever without a sound."
It’s not that Xu Yunfan is too cruel, sometimes people can’t help but hate.
For them at the moment, it is indeed as Xiao Hengzhi said before. He is a teacher in Qingfeng Academy and is considered a well-known figure, but if he leaves Qinghe Town, he is nothing.
Not to mention places like the capital.
If Xiao Hengzhi really intended to do something to them, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Although Xu Yunfan has a nice attitude towards Xiao Hengzhi, this nice attitude must be based on the premise that Xiao Hengzhi will not bring them any danger.
Xu Yunfan saw and remembered the strange look in Xiao Hengzhi's eyes when he looked at Qin An tonight, or when he saw his two brothers-in-law before.
"hehe……"
Being threatened, Xiao Hengzhi did not get angry but laughed, "What do you think? What do you think I will do to your two brothers-in-law?"
"How should I know that?"
Xu Yunfan said with a hint of warning, "I know you're from the capital, but I'm really not afraid of you. You can go out and ask around. Qi Xiu Ze, Shen Ruxi, Lin Xiao Ran, and Xie Bai Zhou from Qinghe Academy are all my brothers. Believe it or not, I only need one word from you, and you'll be finished in the capital."
When it comes to taking advantage of situations to scare people, Xu Yunfan is now very good at it.
"Oh, I really don't believe it." Even though Xu Yunfan had exposed the four young masters of the capital, Xiao Hengzhi remained calm. "If they have that ability, you can let them try. In my eyes, the status of the four of them is just average. Don't you know that there are many first-rank and second-rank officials in the capital? I am not afraid of those people, so how can I look down on a few young masters who don't hold official positions?"
Xu Yunfan: “…”
Fuck, Xiao Hengzhi is so arrogant.
Damn it, when will he be as arrogant as Xiao Hengzhi?
I’m so envious!!
"Oh, Uncle Xiao, look at what you said. I call you Uncle Xiao, so we are family. How could I call others to deal with you? Wouldn't that make me a bad person?" Xu Yunfan is a flexible and thick-skinned person. He just warned someone, and now he calls him uncle.
The change in Xu Yunfan's attitude, like a man who changed his attitude according to the situation, made Xiao Heng laugh. "Where did your momentum go?"
"Momentum? What the hell is that? Can you eat it?" Xu Yunfan smiled sweetly. "Uncle Xiao will definitely not do anything to my two brothers-in-law, right?"
“Yes, but also no.”
Before Xu Yunfan could speak, Xiao Hengzhi continued, "I want to adopt them as my adopted sons. Xu Yunfan, I'm not bragging, but do you know what it means to be my adopted sons?"
Of course, it means that identity, connections, status, and power, things that we couldn’t even dream of before, are now readily available.
But to gain something, you must lose something, which is what we call paying.
Xu Yunfan only knew that everything is gained and lost. "But when they gain something, won't they also indirectly lose something?" He pointed at Xiao Hengzhi's out-of-season clothing. "Like safety or freedom, for example. Do you think that's possible?"
"Uncle Xiao, you know I'm from overseas and have been staying here all my life. The farthest I've been is Qingling County. The environment I've been in has greatly limited my knowledge and perspective. I don't know what the situation is like in the capital. From what you just said, even if you didn't explicitly tell me your identity, the fact that you don't take Qi Xiu Ze and the others seriously proves that you're not a simple person. If that's the case, and you've gotten into this mess, then as your adopted son, can you guarantee the safety of my husband and my two brothers-in-law?"
"I don't deny that if they acknowledge you as their adoptive father, they'll be able to ascend to heaven overnight and gain something that others might never achieve in their entire lives. But compared to these external things, I feel that safety and life are the most important. Identity, status, and power, I can strive for them in the future, but some things, once the arrow is shot, there's no turning back."
Xu Yunfan's words made Xiao Hengzhi silent for a long time, "You are right, but..."
Knowing that being associated with him would mean danger, Xiao Hengzhi still said, "But I'm sincere. You just asked me if I was targeting them? Yes, I can tell you clearly that I am indeed targeting them. I'm already over 30 years old and have seen many children, many of whom are better than Qin Run and his friends. They are proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy and painting. But I never give other children a second glance. But when I saw Run Ge'er, do you believe in rapport?"
"Run'er and An'er really look like my old lover, especially An'er. When I saw him, I..."
"Wait, stop, stop." Xu Yunfan's eyes widened in fear. "Uncle Xiao, what do you mean? Run'er is my husband, and An'er is only eight years old, he's still a child. Do you have any special fetishes, or are you still obsessed with your so-called old lover..."
Xiao Hengzhi couldn't bear to listen any longer, and held his forehead with his hand, angrily saying, "Shut up, who do you think I am? Put away those unhealthy speculations in your head."
"It was you who said it that caused misunderstanding and sparked speculation. Why are you blaming me?"
Xu Yunfan was tired of standing, so he simply squatted down. Xiao Hengzhi, who was even weaker than him, also squatted outside the courtyard wall. "I don't have the hobbies you mentioned."
Xiao Hengzhi sighed slowly, "I had a child before, but he was not born into this world."
"Ah? Uncle Xiao likes children very much?" Xu Yunfan wanted to slap himself in the face. Is this a normal question?
If he didn't like it, Xiao Hengzhi probably wouldn't have tears in his eyes when talking about the child.
Xiao Hengzhi: "When I was young, I didn't think that life was perfect only after getting married and having children, as the elders said. I actually don't like children. They are so little, and all they do is cry and make noises, which is very annoying. But when the person I love was pregnant with my own flesh and blood, I realized that it's not that I dislike children, I just hate naughty ones. You may find it difficult to understand how I felt when I found out I was going to have a child. Honestly, I was almost crazy with joy."
"It's a pity that he didn't make it into this world. I have no other flesh and blood besides him. When I saw Run Ge's childhood, I thought for a moment that my child was back. You won't understand that feeling. After all, you haven't been a father, so it's hard to understand the emotion of finding something after losing it."
"Uncle Xiao, Run'er is not anyone's substitute. He is him, he is just Qin Run, my husband, not your child." Xu Yunfan didn't like Xiao Hengzhi treating Qin Run as a substitute for anyone. It felt as if everything Qin Run got was just stolen by him or given as charity.
"Not a substitute." Xiao Hengzhi shook his head. "He's not a substitute, Xu Yunfan. I know you're a thoughtful person. Don't worry, I can adopt them as my adopted sons in private and won't let anyone know about our relationship. It won't be too late for us to recognize each other when you both arrive in the capital."
"Once we get to the capital, I will definitely be able to protect your safety. Because of me, if you embark on a career in government, with me around, others will at least give you some face."
Xiao Hengzhi said this with great confidence, but he didn't know that once Xu Yunfan really went to the capital, it would be hard to say who would benefit from whom.
Xu Yunfan pondered for a long time, "Uncle Xiao, what exactly is your identity? You can always tell me, right? Just tell me, and I won't tell anyone, okay?"
"People who say this are likely to tell all their 'secrets' to others in the blink of an eye. But even if I don't tell you, you will ask Qi Xiu Ze and the others."
Rather than letting Xu Yunfan learn his identity from other people, it would be better for him to say it himself, "I am King Xiao, and the only king of a different surname in the Great Yan Dynasty."
"What? Don't tell me that your Prince Xiao's Mansion still holds military power!" Xu Yunfan vaguely guessed Xiao Hengzhi's identity, but he didn't guess that he would be a king of a different surname.
It would be fine if he was an ordinary prince, but why did he have to be a king of a different surname?
You know, many emperors would regard these kings of different surnames as thorns in their eyes and thorns in their flesh.
Kings of different surnames are nobles. They are outsiders from the royal family who are crowned kings based on their merits. What kind of merits can be great enough to be crowned kings? They are either merits in saving the country or merits in founding the country. No matter which one, they are all meritorious officials with extremely high military merits, or they are powerful relatives, princes or powerful ministers. These people will more or less hold military power in their hands, but it is precisely because of this that kings of different surnames will be suspected and feared by the emperor.
It’s not that Xu Yunfan looks down on Xiao Hengzhi, but Xiao Hengzhi is in such a state and is still so young. What great achievements can he have made to be crowned king?
But he is the king of the opposite sex, which is enough to show that his kingship of a different surname is hereditary.
Whether one can inherit the title of king of the opposite sex is largely determined by the size of his merits.
"How do you know?" Xiao Hengzhi raised his eyebrows. The kings of different surnames enjoyed the right to lead and maintain troops. Their Xiao family did hold military power. Although it was not as much as the Qin family, it was enough.
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