Chapter 69: The Little Mermaid is Kidnapped

Zong Zheng Lianxing ran back to the courtyard where the two brothers lived, entered his room and closed the door. He did not respond when Zong Zheng Lianjun knocked on the door.

Zong Zheng Lianjun could feel his brother behind the door. He reached out and gently pressed the door, saying, "Xingxing, let me in first. I'll explain everything to you slowly, okay?"

Zong Zheng Lianxing spoke this time, his voice tinged with tears: "I know I'm not smart, and I also know that you must be preparing for something big. You told me because you were afraid that I would leak it. I understand all this, but brother, I will still be very sad to be excluded by the family."

Since the death of his brother and sister-in-law, the Ning Palace has undergone earth-shaking changes.

Princess Ning pretended to be obsessed with Buddhism and Taoism, and did many absurd things in the eyes of outsiders. However, Zong Zheng Lianxing, who was with her every day, knew that his mother was not at all like what the outside world said.

Prince Ning spent his days reading books, and he was not as strict with the two brothers as before. Even if Zong Zheng Lianxing made a mistake, he would only reprimand him with a few words instead of using family rules as before.

His elder brother Zong Zheng Lianjun studied and practiced martial arts more diligently. Zong Zheng Lianxing often woke up in the middle of the night to find the candles in his room were still lit. When Zong Zheng Lianxing got up the next day, Zong Zheng Lianjun had already finished practicing a set of boxing.

Moreover, sometimes Zong Zheng Lianjun would have some items around him that Zong Zheng Lianxing had never seen before. Not all of them were extremely expensive, but they were obviously carefully selected gifts, and each one was very suitable for his brother.

In order to test his brother, Zong Zheng Lianxing once pretended to ask him for those things. Strangely, his brother, who always obeyed him in everything, was reluctant to give him any of them.

It is said that it was a gift from a noble person and cannot be given to others, even to one’s own brother.

Furthermore, Zong Zheng Lianxing had seen his brother seal up the policy papers he had written many times and have a servant take them out of the mansion and send them to an unknown place.

Zong Zheng Lianxing asked his brother who he would give the strategies to, but his brother did not answer, only saying that he wanted someone to review and give advice.

His parents and brother would get together secretly to discuss something, and every time they would send Zong Zheng Lianxing away, but they were still discovered by the sharp Zong Zheng Lianxing.

Zong Zheng Lianxing was not as smart as the other people in the family, but he could still sense that something was wrong with his parents and brother. The three of them must be hiding something from him.

Zong Zheng Lianxing felt very aggrieved. He was already a big boy of almost eleven years old, why didn't his family still trust him?

Listening to the sobbing coming from behind the door, Zong Zheng Lianjun sighed, "Xingxing, I'm sorry."

Zong Zheng Lianxing sobbed and said, "I don't want to hear it, sorry, I want to know the truth."

Zong Zheng Lianjun was silent.

After a while, he said, "Xingxing, calm down first. I'll come talk to you tomorrow."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards his room.

However, before he had taken a few steps, the door behind him opened. He turned around and found Zong Zheng Lianxing looking at him with tears in his eyes.

"Stars..." Zong Zheng Lianjun took a few steps forward.

“Bad brother!” Zongzheng Lianxing also rushed over, hugged Zongzheng Lianjun’s waist, buried his face in his arms and sobbed, “Not only did you not tell me the truth, but you don’t even want to comfort me? You are so bad! Give me back the good brother who used to be kind to me and cared about my feelings the most!”

Zongzheng Lianjun touched his head and said softly, "Xingxing, I have always been myself and have never changed."

Zong Zheng Lianxing continued to cry: "No, no, you are not the brother who treats me well."

Winter nights were even colder, and the wind had just started to blow. Zong Zheng Lianjun was afraid that his brother would catch a cold, so he could only bend over, pick him up, and bring him back to the room.

Zong Zheng Lianxing did not struggle, but just hung on his brother like a pendant. Zong Zheng Lianjun held him with one hand and lit candles with the other.

When the room became brighter, Zong Zheng Lianjun sat down with his brother in his arms and took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears.

Looking at his brother with red eyes, Zong Zheng Lianjun teased him: "You are so old and still crying. If your classmates knew about this, they would laugh at you to death."

Zong Zheng Lianxing said angrily: "If you dare to tell anyone, I will no longer acknowledge you as my brother."

Zong Zheng Lianjun smiled and said, "Are you really willing to disown me?"

Zong Zheng Lianxing lowered his head and said nothing, obviously reluctant to leave.

Zong Zheng Lianjun wiped the tears from his face and said, "We are indeed worried that you can't keep secrets, so we didn't tell you some things, but apart from that, we actually want you to live a carefree life. Sometimes knowing too much means you have to bear more things. You are still young, there is no need for us to worry about these things."

Zong Zheng Lianxing subconsciously retorted: "I'm not a child anymore."

Zong Zheng Lianjun smiled and said, "Well, our Xingxing is a big kid now."

"Look, you've already admitted that I've grown up, so why is there any need to hide it from me? I don't want to be a fool who knows nothing anymore." Zong Zheng Lianxing said aggrievedly.

Perhaps moved by his attitude, Zong Zheng Lianjun stared at him for a while, then suddenly asked in a serious tone, "You really don't regret it?"

Zong Zheng Lianxing understood what he meant, and his originally frustrated expression immediately turned into excitement. He quickly said: "I promise I won't regret it. If I regret it, I'm a pig."

Zong Zheng Lianjun laughed: "That little pig, why don't you turn your ears over here quickly?"

Zong Zheng Lianxing gave a small shout of joy and asked him to come closer. He wished he could stick his whole body to his brother.

Zong Zheng Lianjun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He helped him to stand still and whispered in his ear the general outline of the secret between himself and his parents.

As he finished speaking, Zong Zheng Lianxing's eyes widened. He looked at his brother and said in surprise: "You and B..."

"Tsk!" Zong Zheng Lianjun pressed his lips, and after he closed his mouth, he tapped him lightly on the forehead.

"Look at you, you almost said it."

Zong Zheng Lianxing quickly covered his mouth and said in a deep voice, "There will definitely not be a next time, brother, believe me."

"It would be better if it were just as you said." Zong Zheng Lianjun shook his head helplessly and sighed.

Zong Zheng Lian Xing chuckled: "I knew you were the best, brother."

Zong Zheng glanced at him, suppressed his laughter and said, "Now you won't let me return your good brother to you?"

"Oh, I was just anxious and confused just now. Don't take what I said seriously." Zong Zheng Lianxing also felt a little embarrassed.

He looked at his brother's face in the candlelight. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and was extremely handsome. When he faced him, there was always a smile on the corners of his lips, and his tone was as warm and pleasant as the spring breeze in March.

"Brother." Zong Zheng Lianxing called him.

"Well, what's wrong?"

Zong Zheng Lianxing said: "Do you think I'm too clingy? I'm not a good brother."

Zong Zheng Lianjun was puzzled: "What does being clingy have to do with being a good brother?"

Zong Zheng Lianxing said: "Among my classmates, there are older brothers and younger brothers. The younger brothers said that their older brothers often beat and scolded them. The older brothers said that they don't like to be close to their younger brothers and feel that their younger brothers are very annoying. They said that this is a normal brotherly relationship."

He looked very distressed: "But I'm with my brother every day, and I want to stick to him every day. Brother, do you think I'm annoying?"

Zong Zheng Lianjun rubbed his brother's head and comforted him: "Every pair of brothers has a different way of getting along. Others may be used to fighting and quarreling, thinking that is what true brothers are like, but big brother has never hit or scolded me, and I don't want to hit or scold you either. This is because we have a good relationship, which does not mean that we are not like real brothers. I also like you to stick to me, so Xingxing, don't worry, I won't abandon you and bother you."

The more his brother spoke, the more moved Zong Zheng Lianxing became.

He hugged Zongzheng Lianjun tightly, buried his face in his shoulder, and said in a muffled voice: "I will always love brother, and it will never change in my life."

Zongzheng Lianjun chuckled, as if he didn't take his brother's words seriously, but his arms around his brother tightened.

…

Today is New Year's Eve. Rong Yin learned how to cut paper-cuts from Lu'e. This time, he not only cut out paper-cuts of himself and Zong Zhengxiao, but also cut out paper-cuts of classmate Xiao Ai, and pasted them between the paper-cuts of him and Zong Zhengxiao.

Xiao Ai might have realized that the paper-cut was it, and she barked with joy. She stood up and threw herself at Rong Yin, almost knocking him down.

When it came to distributing red envelopes, Xiao Ai's red envelope was a large bone tied with red ribbon, with the meat shaved off, just for the dog to grind its teeth.

Rong Yin smiled and said, "If His Majesty gave you a red envelope of money, I could still say that Dad would keep it for you, but this bone, only you can use it."

"Woof woof!" Xiao Ai wagged his tail wildly.

After Rong Yin gave it the big bone, it immediately took it and hid it in its den, as if it was really afraid that someone would steal it.

Looking at its silly look, Rong Yin was amused and laughed.

Not long after the Chinese New Year, Zong Zhengxiao plunged into his busy government affairs again, while Rong Yin picked out some of the seeds sent by Ji Xie to make corn starch, and added other ingredients to make some light cream.

Because the quantity was limited, a five-inch cream cake was made for Ji Xie as a reward for finding the seeds, and the remaining cream was divided equally between Rong Yin and Zong Zhengxiao.

On the Lantern Festival, Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin went out of the palace to watch the lantern festival together, and delivered the cream cake to Ji Xie.

Of course, in order not to disturb the Ji family and to hide their whereabouts, the cake was delivered by the guards, and a sealed letter was also given to Ji Xie, telling him that if he hadn't found the corn seeds, Rong Yin would not have been able to make such delicious food.

After receiving the cake, Ji Xie did not suspect that Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin had left the palace. Instead, he was curious about how delicious the cake was that Rong Yin mentioned in the message.

He called the whole family over, then cut the cream cake into pieces and gave each person a piece.

Before eating, Ji Xie said proudly: "Besides your Majesty and that noble, we are the first to eat this thing called cream cake. This is all thanks to me finding the seeds!"

季家人自他回來以後，天天聽他念叨類似的話，已經聽得耳朵起繭子了。

本來剛開始心疼他在外面奔波找種子，黑了瘦了不少，家裏人都縱着他，但後來這小子越來越過分，只差蹬鼻子上臉了。

他爹煩了，給了他腦袋一巴掌，才讓他老實下來。

結果今天戎音送了蛋糕過來，他又開始原形畢露。

季國公道：“你小子說夠了沒，說夠了我就開吃了，這可是比面包還好吃的東西，我早就饞得不行了。”

其他家人也露出了同樣的表情，崔季燮快點。

季燮：“……”

感覺自己是撿來的。

“說完了說完了，大家都快吃吧。”

季燮話音未落，其他人就迫不及待地開吃了，季燮也不甘落後，插起一塊蛋糕就是一口。

等嘗到蛋糕的滋味後，季燮也後悔了，後悔自己剛才為什麽要廢話，不然就可以早點吃到蛋糕了。

這回他是真信了戎音的話了。

好吃！真的太好吃了！

季燮幾口吃完，擡頭看向桌上還剩的一點蛋糕，同時，季國公夫妻和季燮的其他兄弟姐妹也看了過去。

季國公站起來，輕咳一聲，看着幾個孩子道：“爹知道你們孝順，剩下的這點蛋糕，你們應該都願意留給我和你們娘吧。”

兄妹幾人看看爹，又看看娘。

爹厚臉皮，不跟他們對視，娘則裝沒看見。

他們能怎麽辦，不答應的話，下次訓練時爹的皮鞭肯定會抽得更兇。

所以，唯有舍棄這僅剩的一點美味了。

季燮作為大哥，站起來代表其他兄弟姐妹含淚道：“爹說的對，剩下的蛋糕，是該孝敬給您和娘。”

季國公樂颠颠地跟夫人把蛋糕分食了，在孩子們渴望又哀怨的注視下，吃到嘴裏的蛋糕似乎都更香甜了幾分。

吃完以後，季國公邊擦嘴邊道：“過兩天上朝，我偷偷跟陛下說一聲，讓他勞煩貴人早點把這個奶油蛋糕放在面包店裏賣，到時候我們就想吃多少就能吃多少了。”

幾個孩子聽見這話都雙眼放光，只有季燮唉聲嘆氣。

“爹，這個奶油蛋糕的其中一樣材料就是我這次帶回來的糧食種子，但種子不多，所以貴人才只做了那麽一點，剩下的種子得留到開春播種，但糧食至少要到七/八月份才能收獲，所以，想吃奶油蛋糕，還有得等呢。”

“什麽！”季國公怒了，“那你怎麽不多帶點種子回來，真沒用！”

季燮：“……爹，我不是回來以後就跟你說過了嗎，人家當地不準把金糧的種子賣給外人，我是剛巧救了當地的一個人，用救命之恩再加上重金酬謝，才得到了那麽點種子，你怎麽轉頭就忘了。”

季國公想起來了，但他選擇裝傻：“是嗎？你有說過嗎？我怎麽不記得了。”

季燮：“……”

爹，你知不知道你已經把“心虛”兩個字寫在臉上了？

戎音不知道自己送的奶油蛋糕在季家引發了多少啼笑皆非的故事，到達街上後，他們找地方停好馬車，見時間還早，燈會還沒完全熱鬧起來，就先沿街閑逛。

今天出來擺攤買東西補貼家用的小販尤其多，戎音買了些零嘴，又挑了幾個小玩意兒，像是如意結、草編螞蚱之類的，還給小艾同學選了個木制的磨牙棒。

到了面具攤前，戎音怕今天太熱鬧，被人認出自己和宗政逍的身份，招來麻煩，就出錢買了兩個面具。

攤子上沒有魚和龍樣式的面具，戎音就拿了一個白狐和一個黑狼的。

戎音把黑狼那個留給自己，然後讓宗政逍彎腰，給他戴上了白狐面具。

這就罷了，戴完他還要小聲撩撥人家：“小狐貍，要悄悄藏好哦，被大黑狼發現的話，可是會被吃掉的。”

宗政逍也不露怯，用扇子挑起戎音的下巴，唇角上揚：“狐貍再小也吃肉，大黑狼還是先擔心擔心自己吧。”

“切！早晚讓你知道我的厲害。”戎音沖宗政逍比劃了一下拳頭。

宗政逍失笑，将他的拳頭掰開，牽住了他的手。

“走吧，厲害的大黑狼，前面還沒逛完呢。”

戎音又眉開眼笑起來：“走走走，我好像聞到前面有糖炒栗子的味道，我們去買一袋。”

宗政逍笑道：“你這鼻子比小艾同學的還靈。”

戎音：“哼，我這是天賦異禀，你羨慕不來的。”

等他們吃完栗子，夜幕已然降臨，頭頂的花燈都被點亮了，街上行人也多了起來，後面都發展到了人擠人的地步。

兩人把這條街都逛完了，再擠下去可能會有踩踏危險不說，也沒什麽可看的了，于是他倆一拍即合，帶着侍衛找了家酒樓吃東西，順便休息一下。

元宵節當然得吃元宵，他倆各點了一份餡料不同的元宵，互相分享着吃完了。

兩人的位置靠窗，正好能看見樓下熱鬧的景象。

戎音趴在窗邊看了會兒花燈，忽然，吃得太飽的他肚子開始鬧騰起來。

“不行，我想如廁。”戎音邊說邊站起來。

宗政逍道：“我陪你去。”

戎音擺手，“不用不用，我這麽大個人了，哪好意思再讓家長陪着上廁所。”

宗政逍見他是真不樂意讓自己陪着，便說自己不去了，轉頭卻悄悄示意一個侍衛跟着，別讓戎音發現了。

侍衛點點頭，将自己隐藏在人群中追了上去。

廁所在一樓後面的位置，戎音向小二打聽到地方後，就快步朝那個方向跑去。

侍衛就在廁所不遠處守着，過了一會兒，親眼看見戎音出來了，等戎音走了幾步，他才跟上。

結果就在後院快要進大堂這段路上，一群勾肩搭背的醉鬼從戎音身邊路過，像是故意似的，直挺挺就朝侍衛撞了過去。

“你誰啊！別攔老子的道！走開走開！”

“就是就是，再不滾開，要你小命。”

“哈哈哈哈哈，大哥威武！”

一群人走得歪七扭八，還大聲笑鬧。

有那麽幾秒鐘，侍衛的視線和聽覺被這群人幹擾到了。

侍衛飛快繞過他們，等再展目看過去，已經見不到戎音的身影了。

他頓感不妙，立馬快步跑進去，大堂裏沒有戎音，他又趕緊回去二樓他們的位置。

當看見宗政逍對面空蕩蕩的椅子時，侍衛心都涼了半截。

戎音在他前面，就算走得慢，自己回來時也應該會在路上碰見他，而不是像現在這樣，連個影子都看不見。

盡管知道自己要完了，但侍衛還是第一時間奔向宗政逍，将情況彙報給了他。

“啪——”

聽見戎音失蹤了的那一刻，宗政逍捏碎了手裏的茶杯。

戎音頭暈，想吐。

他原本好好走着路，在與一群醉鬼擦肩而過後，旁邊忽然伸出一雙大手将他拽進黑暗的角落，他剛想反擊，口鼻就被捂上了一塊厚布巾，他下意識呼吸，在聞到一股奇怪的氣味後，腦袋就立即暈乎了起來。

他覺得自己并沒有失去意識太久，體感大概也就五六分鐘左右，如今雙眼被蒙住，嘴裏也塞着布，頭昏腦漲、四肢酸軟無力不說，好像手腳還被綁起來了。

那塊捂他口鼻的布巾上，應該是放了迷藥。

不知道是哪個不要命的敢綁架他，等他緩過來了，非得把他大卸八塊不可。

戎音一邊忍着嘔吐的沖動，一邊在心裏罵罵咧咧。

戎音被人扛在肩上，本來就暈的腦袋，又倒栽蔥着被颠了好幾下，他覺得此時自己比暈車還難受幾百倍。

終于，不知道要帶他去哪裏的那人停下了腳步，戎音聽見了敲門聲。

緊接着門“吱呀”一聲被拉開了，有人壓低着聲音道：“快點進來。”

扛着戎音的人兩步跨進屋，大門再一次被關上，來開門的那人又緊張地問：“人還活着嗎？沒被其他人發現吧？”

回答的這人嗓子很粗：“人聞了藥已經暈過去了，我藥量放得多，估計得一兩個時辰才醒，哥們做事你放心，辦得幹淨利索，沒叫人看見，也沒留下半點線索。”

“知道知道了，事成之後再把那一半錢給你，快把人送進屋，少爺等着呢。”

“好。”

又走了幾步後，戎音感覺自己進到了一間屋子裏。

方才那道門應該是院門，他被帶到了一座院子裏，他暈了沒多久，這個院子離酒樓應當不遠。

男人說他要一兩個時辰才醒，可他只迷糊了幾分鐘，也不知是男人的藥有問題，還是這種藥對他沒什麽作用？

不過不管是因為什麽，他們以為自己是昏迷的，肯定就會對自己放松警惕，等男人把自己放下來，松了手腳，他一定要這幫狗東西好看！

“少爺少爺，人帶來了。”方才問男人話的人叫了起來。

戎音聽見有腳步聲逐漸靠近，緊接着，一道熟悉的聲音響起：“真的是戎音！快把人給我！”

戎音差點沒忍住罵出聲。

原來是李傲這個王八蛋，他就說怎麽莫名其妙有人綁架他，這狗東西不會是想要劫色吧？

Rong Yin gritted his teeth secretly, if he dared to molest me, I would chop off the weapons he used to commit the crime!

Li Ao held Rong Yin in his arms and walked towards the house in a hurry. His servant reminded him, "Young Master, hurry up. We have to leave before they come. The wine shop is not far from here. They will search here soon."

"I know, I know, stop nagging." Li Ao kicked the door shut.