Chapter 72 The Active Little Mermaid
Rong Yin said that she wanted to listen to his singing to put her to sleep, Zong Zheng Xiaosi did not hesitate and just hummed the song.
As a result, Rong Yin was laughing so hard because of the emotionless singing style and the out-of-tune voice. Instead of falling asleep, he became more energetic.
Rong Yin also said that he used to feel sleepy when listening to the teacher's lectures at school, so Zong Zhengxiao picked up a book and read it to him, and he specially chose a book with obscure and difficult-to-understand language.
Rong Yin did indeed doze off while listening, but he would wake up as soon as Zong Zheng Xiao stopped. Rong Yin was reluctant to let him recite all night, so he gave up this plan.
Later I heard from Si Xi that in his hometown, if children are troubled by nightmares, they can put a pair of scissors under their pillow.
Afraid that the scissors were too small to be useful, Zong Zhengxiao simply gave his sword to Rong Yin to hold while sleeping, but it was still useless and Rong Yin would still be woken up.
Later, Zong Zhengxiao accompanied Rong Yin to run around the Silver Shark Park for more than ten laps. Rong Yin was so tired that he couldn't even lift his arms. But the effect was obvious. Rong Yin fell asleep in seconds and didn't wake up halfway. However, he was still troubled by nightmares and didn't sleep well.
Until the end, the old lady who came to check their pulse said to Zong Zhengxiao: "Heart disease needs heart medicine."
Zong Zhengxiao suddenly realized that the reason why Rong Yin dreamed about what happened that night every night was because the shock was too great for him to digest.
It seems that only by letting him feel relieved can he finally get rid of the nightmare.
But when she was sober, Rong Yin didn't want to talk about what happened that night, so Zong Zhengxiao specially brought a pot of wine to find Rong Yin. Under the anesthesia of alcohol, Rong Yin slowly let down his guard.
Looking at the drunken Rong Yin, Zong Zhengxiao asked him, "Ayin, are you afraid that the dead person will come to you in your dream?"
Rong Yin clutched the wine glass and shook his head: "I'm not afraid of him. He wanted to kill me. I was just defending myself. I just felt disgusted."
"Disgusting?" Zong Zheng Xiao asked.
Rong Yin raised his head and drank another glass of wine. With red eyes, he looked at Zong Zheng Xiao and said, "Your Majesty, this is the first time I have killed someone in my life. His blood was still hot when it splashed on my face. He twitched for a long time under my feet before he died. I don't regret killing him. I just feel disgusted to kill someone."
Zong Zheng Xiao was startled, and heard Rong Yin continue: "These nights, what I dreamed about most was not him coming to seek revenge on me, but the process of me killing him over and over again. I even fantasized about killing the other two people. The feeling of killing makes me hate it, but at the same time it also gives me a sense of security. This feeling is very contradictory and makes me very uncomfortable, so I don't want to sleep and don't want to dream."
Seeing Rong Yin's painful expression, Zong Zhengxiao reached out and held his hand, stared into his eyes, and asked, "You think you will become a bad guy, right? Because only bad people like to kill."
His words hit the most confusing point of Rong Yin, making him wake up all of a sudden.
Yes, what he was actually afraid of was himself, or more precisely, the dark side of his heart.
Rong Yin lowered his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, do you think I am too cowardly? I was so frightened by such a small matter that I couldn't even sleep."
Zong Zhengxiao shook his head: "Ayin, this is not cowardice, this is human nature. The first time I killed someone, I didn't perform as well as you."
Rong Yin raised his eyes and looked at Zong Zhengxiao. Zong Zhengxiao continued, "I was just fifteen years old at that time. My father's rebel army was small and insignificant at first, but it was still besieged by the government of the previous dynasty. My brothers and I were forced to separate from our parents. When facing the siege, I drew my knife and slashed a pursuer in the chest. He screamed in pain and fell in front of me."
"Before this, I had been practicing martial arts diligently, but the only living creatures I had killed were pheasants and rabbits in the mountains. It was the first time that I attacked a person who could speak and think like me. I took a person's life with just one swing of the knife."
"I was so frightened that I froze and felt numb all over. If my second brother hadn't pulled me back in time, I would have been killed by someone else."
"On the same day, in order to survive, after I killed the first person, I went on to kill so many pursuers that I couldn't even remember how many I killed. But the one that left the deepest impression on me was still the first one I killed."
"After we got to a safe place, I ran to the side and vomited until I was dizzy. For a long time afterwards, I couldn't eat meat or sleep because my dreams were filled with the people I killed. They came to take my life and I was often awakened."
"So..." Zong Zhengxiao's smile was extremely gentle. He touched Rong Yin's head and said, "You see, you are much more powerful than me."
Rong Yin shook her head: "You were younger than me at that time, so it's normal that you were more scared than me."
"In fact, no matter what age, people will feel afraid of killing people." Zong Zhengxiao held Rong Yin in his arms and continued, "Later, I told my father about this incident. He quietly told me that he was almost scared to death when he killed the first person, but after so many times, he became numb."
"The number of people who died in my hands could probably form a small mountain. Every time I came back from the battlefield, I would ask myself, was I killing for the sake of survival, or just for the sake of killing?"
"The answer I gave myself was that I killed people in order to live. If I were given the opportunity to choose, I would rather live a stable and peaceful life with my family like I did in the beginning, rather than thinking about how to kill people and how not to be killed all the time..."
He held Rong Yin's face, stroked his cheek, and said, "Real bad people don't reflect on whether they are bad people or not. They regard killing as normal as eating and sleeping. Killing makes them excited, not feel safe and disgusted. So, don't be too hard on yourself, Ayin, you didn't do anything wrong."
After Zong Zhengxiao said the last sentence, Rong Yin could no longer hold back and buried her face in his arms, sobbing.
"Wuwuwu, I'm not a bad person. I was once named a three-good student. I just wanted to escape, but they wanted to kill me. I just wanted to live. I don't want to be separated from you, wuwuwu..."
Zong Zhengxiao gently stroked Rong Yin's back and soothed him softly, "Our A Yin is the best person in the world, not a bad guy who has committed ten unforgivable crimes. Don't blame yourself in the future. In this matter, there are others who should be blamed."
Rong Yin wiped her tears and said in a sobbing voice: "You are right. As a victim, why should I feel remorseful or blame myself? They have suffered such a fate because of their own actions."
Zong Zhengxiao laughed: "I should have thought of this earlier."
Rong Yin also burst into laughter. The tears on his face were not yet dry, and the smile on his lips looked a little silly.
Zong Zhengxiao wiped his tears, Rong Yin held his hand, and suddenly said: "Your Majesty, you are so kind, I want to kiss you."
Zong Zheng Xiao picked him up and held him against his chest, making a gesture of letting him be picked, "Come on, you can kiss me as long as you want."
Rong Yin chuckled, lowered his head and kissed him.
In normal kisses, Zong Zhengxiao usually took the lead, either coaxing or forcing, gradually going deeper with the sound of military force.
But this time, Rong Yin seized the leadership, like a serious explorer. He was cautious at first, eliminating all possible dangers, then tested with restraint, expecting a response from the other side, and then launched a massive attack, conquering cities and territories, and finally ran rampant, so ferocious that there was a smell of blood.
When the two separated, there was an embarrassing sound of water. Zong Zhengxiao's hand had already lifted the hem of Rong Yin's clothes, touched his waist, and kept moving up.
Rong Yin held his hand, lowered her eyes and rubbed his forehead, and said hoarsely: "I'm sleepy, can you sleep with me?"
Zong Zhengxiao paused for a second, looked at Rong Yin's pitiful expression, and finally softened his heart.
He took a deep breath, tried his best to suppress the surging desire, and softly agreed: "Okay."
After saying that, Zong Zhengxiao picked up Rong Yin and walked towards the bed.
He originally just wanted to put Rong Yin on the bed, but as soon as Rong Yin's body touched the bed, she lifted her legs and hooked them around Zong Zheng Xiao's waist, almost causing him to fall on him.
Zong Zhengxiao placed his hands on both sides of his head and looked at him in confusion: "Ayin?"
Rong Yin showed a mischievous smile, "I just lied to you, I don't want to sleep, I want to do it."
He hooked onto Zong Zheng Xiao's collar and smiled seductively: "Fuck me to death, Zong Zheng Xiao."
Zong Zhengxiao's breath was choked, and the desire that had not yet subsided swept over him with unstoppable force, quickly engulfing his reason.
Rong Yin was terribly crazy tonight. Normally, even if she was very comfortable, her shy nature would still make her stubborn and she would rarely cooperate actively or express her true feelings. It was common for her to shout that she didn't want to continue.
But this time he seemed like a different person. He let Zong Zheng Xiao do whatever he wanted and devoted himself to the act. He no longer cried or complained about being tired. He changed positions more frequently than Zong Zheng Xiao and talked non-stop.
For example: "If I say stop later, you should pretend you didn't hear me and don't do what I say."
Another example: "If I can get out of bed the next day, Zong Zheng Xiao, you are not a man."
Another example: "If you keep digging like this, will the well water run dry? Will I die of lack of water?"
Before, even if he didn't tease Zong Zheng Xiao, Zong Zheng Xiao would be as ferocious as a wolf or a tiger. But this time, he teased him again and again, and Zong Zheng Xiao couldn't stand it at all. He wanted to use his ultimate move ten times in one minute.
The palace maids who were on guard tonight were also surprised. Although the young master loved to joke with His Majesty during the day, he was actually a very shy person when it came to actual actions.
Before, Rong Yin would never make a sound for outsiders to hear unless he couldn't help it. But tonight he seemed to have completely let go of himself, and his movements were louder than His Majesty's, causing several eunuchs to blush and think that he had a good voice, and could do more than just sing.
At the end of the commotion, Rong Yin lost consciousness. It was unclear whether he fell asleep or fainted.
He didn't wake up when Zong Zhengxiao carried him to take a bath, like a doll being manipulated by others.
While cleaning him, looking at the marks on his body, Zong Zhengxiao, the instigator, actually had the thought that what they were doing tonight seemed a bit ridiculous.
While washing himself, Zong Zhengxiao felt a slight sting on his back and thought: Not just a little, this is ridiculous!
The mattress was in a completely disrepairable state, and Zong Zhengxiao was too lazy to change it, so he carried Rong Yin to another smaller bed and fell asleep.
In fact, Zong Zhengxiao could understand the reason why Rong Yin's temperament changed drastically tonight. Although Rong Yin had untied the knot in his heart, he needed an outlet to vent the fear and worry he had been experiencing in these days.
Plus, Rong Yin loves him and wants to get a sense of security from him.
So choosing to have sex with him is the best way to relax.
Because of Rong Yin's provocation last night, Zong Zhengxiao didn't spare any strength at all. The next day, Rong Yin really couldn't get out of bed. He was in so much pain all over his body that he thought he was disabled. Even when he was eating, Zong Zhengxiao had to help him get up and feed him one spoonful at a time.
At a very young age, Rong Yin started living a decadent life of having everything provided for him.
The bed they rolled on last night was simply a horrible sight. Not only did the bedding need to be replaced, but the bedposts also seemed loose and looked like they were about to fall apart.
Si Xi wanted to laugh a little, but he was more full of admiration. He turned around and notified the Ministry of Internal Affairs to replace the bed with a bigger and stronger one, and also strictly instructed them to make sure it was of the best quality.
Otherwise, if the two masters fell, these palace maids would be punished.
After a night of debauchery, it took Rong Yin half a month to recover.
Fortunately, from that night on, he never had nightmares again. Zong Zheng Xiao coaxed him to sleep every night and he woke up peacefully the next day.
Later, he heard from Zong Zhengxiao that in order to protect their own interests, the aristocratic family was ready to give up saving Li Ao and let him bear all the blame.
This was not the first time the noble family had used this trick, and Rong Yin was not surprised.
He was just a little curious: "Isn't Li Ao the son that Old Man Li loves the most? How could he be willing to abandon Li Ao?"
Zong Zhengxiao sat behind Rong Yin and combed his hair. "Who told Li Ao to do such evil things? He wanted to kill himself, but Li was unwilling to do so. He went to visit the prison a few days ago and cried like a baby in front of Li Ao. He fell ill after he came back and has not returned to work until today."
Rong Yin asked, "What about Li Ao? How did he react when he knew he was finished? I heard that he was very arrogant at first and kept scolding me."
Zong Zhengxiao said: "He cries and begs his father to save him every day, saying that he doesn't want to die. The wounds on his body have recurred. It's terrible."
Rong Yin was surprised: "He still refuses to admit his mistake?"
Zong Zhengxiao: "He is the real bad guy I mentioned before. He never realizes that he is wrong. He only blames his family for not being powerful enough to cover up all his sins."
"Refusing to admit your mistakes, isn't that another form of courage?" Rong Yin sneered mercilessly.
Zong Zhengxiao tied his hair up and said with a smile, "Ayin is still the best at speaking."
Rong Yin tilted her head left and right in front of the bronze mirror, with a smile as sweet as honey on her face, "Zong Zhengxiao, your hair-tying skills are getting better and better."
Because Lu'e was busy with business, she hadn't helped Rongyin with a new hairstyle for a long time. Rongyin also had no time to care about her image recently, so she just tied her hair into a high ponytail every day.
It was Zong Zhengxiao who took the initiative to offer to comb Rong Yin's hair, and he even taught himself many hairstyles suitable for Rong Yin. However, he did not comb his hair every day, and would only try it when he had time.
After all, Zong Zhengxiao is the emperor and should focus on government affairs.
Zong Zhengxiao hugged Rong Yin from behind, looked at Rong Yin and himself in the mirror, and smiled, "Because Ayin was willing to give me a chance to try, I was able to practice such a good skill. This is all thanks to you, Ayin."
Rong Yin turned her head to look at him, "You are so sweet, are you secretly eating candy without telling me? Let me taste it."
As he said that, he hooked his arms around Zong Zheng Xiao's neck and kissed him. Zong Zheng Xiao hugged his waist tightly with a smile in his eyes and responded enthusiastically.
…
As the New Year approached and people were busy farming, the result of Li Ao's trial was announced.
After the head of the Li family ran around, made connections everywhere, and actively compensated the victims in order to gain their forgiveness, and also volunteered to resign and admitted defeat to Zong Zhengxiao, the Li family finally saved Li Ao's life.
But he was finally sentenced to exile to a bitter and cold place. For a young man like him, not to mention whether he could endure the horrible environment and climate of the frontier, the mere fact of walking thousands of miles might be enough to cost him his life.
In just over a month, Li Ao's identity changed dramatically. He used to be an arrogant and domineering young man from a noble family, but now he is just a down-and-out prisoner who deserves his fate.
Because of the serious injury and despair and depression, Li Ao quickly became unrecognizable with weight loss. Although he looked weak before, at least he was clean. But now, he looks no different from a beggar on the street.
Before Li Ao was escorted out of Beijing, the head of the Li family found a way to let him meet his entire family.
When seeing her emaciated son, Li Ao's mother almost fainted from crying. She hadn't seen her beloved son for more than a month, so how could he become like this?
The aunt hugged Li Ao and cried. She had not had a good time these days. After confirming that the head of the Li family would not help Li Ao, all she had left in her heart was grief and regret.
If she had been stricter with Li Ao at the beginning and had not allowed him to indulge in sensual pleasures, would she not have offended so many people and would not have provoked the emperor?
But there is no medicine for regret in the world. No matter how sad my aunt is, the matter is irreversible.
The head of the Li family stood by, looking at Li Ao, who was crying in his aunt's arms but was as indifferent as a stone. His eyes were full of helplessness and guilt, and his fists hanging at his sides were clenched tightly together.
Of course he knew why Li Ao became like this.
He was too embarrassed to face Li Ao's pleading that day and fled in a hurry. Later, news came from the prison that Li Ao was crying and shouting for to see him, and had even gone on a hunger strike for several days.
But knowing that he could not save his son, the head of the Li family never went to spy again, pretending that he knew nothing about it, because he could no longer bear his son's incredulous and terrified look.
He knew that his son hated him, and he hated himself too, hating himself for being powerless and not standing at the highest point of power to provide inviolable protection for his family.
Li Chu and Li Chu's mother saw all the pain that the head of the Li family and Li Ao's mother and son were suffering. The sadder they were, the happier they were.
It turns out that the feeling of seeing your enemies suffer and your loved ones happy is so wonderful.
But after pretending for more than a decade, they couldn't possibly show their true colors at this moment, so they also acted out expressions of reluctance and helplessness.
Li Ao knew that the matter was a done deal and could not be changed, so he did not waste time asking his father and brother for help.
He just looked at his father and said in a hoarse voice that seemed to have been rubbed by sand and stones: "Dad, I'm leaving soon. We may not see each other again in this lifetime. After I leave, you should take good care of Mom, so that she can at least enjoy her old age."
Hearing him say this, my aunt cried even louder, and kept shouting "My son, my son", as if she would faint from crying any moment.
Patriarch Li nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, Ao'er. As long as I live, I will protect your mother."
After getting the answer he wanted, Li Ao no longer paid attention to his father and turned to look at his older brother Li Chu.
Li Chu stepped forward, holding Li Ao's hand, his eyes reddened: "Ao'er, I'm sorry, it's my fault that I'm useless. I can't help you."
Li Ao shook his head: "I know you tried your best."
Li Chu was about to say something else, but Li Ao immediately continued, "But I still hate you very much."
Li Chu was stunned. Li Ao looked at himself and said, "I don't want to die, nor do I want to be exiled. It was you and Dad who told me that I was the young master of the Li family and that you could help me settle any trouble. But last time at the brothel, and this time, you didn't help me at all."
Until this point, Li Ao still did not realize his own problem and still habitually pushed the responsibility onto others.
Patriarch Li's face turned pale as he closed his eyes and sighed, as if he was disappointed and helpless.
Li Chu lowered his head and said sorry, but he was laughing in his heart.
In fact, Li Ao was not completely wrong. It was indeed he who had spoiled Li Ao. It was all thanks to him that Li Ao had ended up like this today.
He, Li Chu, personally killed his younger brother.
Li Chu raised his eyes and looked at Li Ao with a complicated expression. At first glance, his face was full of regret and guilt, but after a closer look, he found that his eyes were full of unconcealable pride.
Li Ao also noticed that there was something wrong with his brother's eyes, but he couldn't tell what was wrong.
He didn't like his brother looking at him like that, as if he was laughing at him.
In a hurry, Li Ao pushed Li Chu away and said coldly: "Stay away from me!"
Li Chu staggered back a few steps, revealing a sad look: "Xiao Ao..."
Seeing this scene, even the head of the Li family, who had always disliked his eldest son, felt a little distressed.
This time when Li Ao got into trouble, not only Li Ao was affected, but Li Chu was also fired.
But Li Chu never complained about it. He even followed him and ran around, trying every possible way to save Li Ao's life.
However, considering that Li Ao was in a bad mood at the time, it was normal for him to lose his temper. Even though the head of the Li family felt sorry for Li Chu, he did not stand up to speak for him.
Li Chu seemed not to notice the favoritism of the head of the Li family, or even if he noticed it, he didn't really care.
He continued to play his role as a good brother until Li Ao was taken away by the jailers.
This last meeting ended in a bad mood.
After Li Ao was taken to the border, the head of the Li family and Li Ao's mother fell seriously ill at the same time. Li Ao's departure seemed to have taken away their souls, turning them into lifeless walking corpses.
When Li Chu was "fulfilling his filial duty" at his father's bedside, he also specifically told him that he had spent a lot of money to ask the escorting officers and soldiers to take good care of Li Ao. He believed that Li Ao would be able to reach the place of exile safely, and he would also find a way to help him live a normal life there.
The sickly head of the Li family patted Li Chu's hand, praising him for valuing brotherhood and being a good boy.
Li Chu said: "Xiaoao is my most beloved brother, how could I really abandon him?"
Patriarch Li looked pleased.
But before Mr. Li could feel relieved for long, a piece of bad news reached his ears - Li Ao was dead.
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