Chapter 79 I'm Afraid That Ayin Hates Me

Ning Yue's hand that was touching the strings of the zither trembled, and she subconsciously looked at Li Chu with shock in her eyes.

Li Chu seemed to not understand what she was surprised about, and smiled and said, "Is there any problem?"

"No..." Ning Yue forced a smile, she was so nervous that she stuttered, "This song was composed by a washerwoman, and later spread by Rong, Rong Gongzi. I am lucky to be able to sing it, and I would like to thank you two gentlemen here."

After saying that, Ning Yue took a deep breath, pretended to be calm, started playing, and then started singing.

But because of her fear, she was unable to remain calm and her song got stuck in the middle of singing, which made her even more uneasy.

Li Chu seemed not to notice her mistake. He propped up one leg and drank tea leisurely with his eyes closed. Occasionally, he hummed a few times, feeling very comfortable.

Finally, when the song was over, Ning Yue broke out in sweat on her back. She clenched her trembling hands, suppressed her rapid breathing, and looked up at Li Chu.

Li Chu also opened his eyes and looked back at Ning Yue with a smile.

"Ms. Ningyue, I am your old customer after all. Why do you look at me like a ghost? I don't eat people. It really makes me sad."

Ning Yue curled her lips and said, "Master Li, you are joking. Ning Yue has no opinion about you. I just feel a little uncomfortable today."

"Not feeling well." Li Chu seemed to be thinking, then chuckled and said, "Are you sick? Do you need a friend to visit you? For example, Mr. Rong."

Ning Yue was silent for a while, but finally compromised: "Master Li, why did you come to my place today? Just tell me."

Li Chu spun the teacup, drank the tea in it, and then put the cup back on the low table with a "thump".

He turned to face Ning Yue, squinting his eyes and smiling: "Alas, it would have been better if you had said no earlier. If Miss Ning Yue hadn't asked, I would have been too embarrassed to speak up."

Ning Yue: “…”

hehe.

Li Chu continued with a smile, "It's nothing, actually. I just want to borrow your place and identity, Miss Ningyue, to help me cover up so that I can meet with Boss Rong."

Ning Yue was surprised. He really came here for Rong Yin.

Ning Yue: "I wonder why Master Li is looking for Boss Rong?"

She had not forgotten that when Li Chu first met Rong Yin, he planned to use him to plot against his own brother, and he even succeeded in the end.

How could Ning Yue let such a scheming and scheming person get close to Rong Yin easily?

Li Chu did not hide the truth from her and said, "This is about His Majesty and the noble family. Miss Ningyue, are you sure you want to listen?"

Ning Yue was silent.

Given her status and position, knowing too many secrets would be tantamount to seeking her own death.

Li Chu said: "Don't worry, what I want to discuss with him will not cause any harm to him or His Majesty."

Ning Yue thought for a while and said, "I will convey Master Li's intention to Boss Rong for you. As for whether he will agree to come, I can't guarantee it."

"Of course." Li Chu still had a smiling face. "The time is set for three days later. Whether Boss Rong agrees or not, I will come to support you, Miss Ningyue."

After Li Chu left, Ning Yue absentmindedly received the remaining guests, and then asked her confidant to go to the milk tea shop to find Miss Lu'e and ask her to tell Rong Yin that she wanted to see him for something.

The next day, Ning Yue turned down all the guests on the grounds of illness and waited anxiously for Rong Yin to arrive.

After receiving the message from Lu'e, Rong Yin realized that Ning Yue might really have something urgent, otherwise she would not have said she wanted to see him, so she left the palace early the next day and went to Qingqiu Pavilion.

In Ningyue's room, after listening to Ningyue's words, Rongyin fell into deep thought.

Li Chu is a member of the Li family, and the Li family is one of the aristocratic families that specifically opposes Zong Zhengxiao. Why does he want to find me?

Ning Yue saw Rong Yin was puzzled, so she said, "Boss Rong, do you remember that I once told you that when we first met, Young Master Li wanted to give you to his brother Li Ao?"

Rong Yin nodded, "I remember."

Ning Yue asked again: "What do you think, Boss Rong, is the relationship between Li Ao's death and Li Chu?"

The reason why Li Ao was so arrogant and domineering, committed many evil things, and even dared to scold the emperor, was because he was spoiled by his father and brothers when he was growing up, which led to his disregard for the law and ultimately his own destruction.

Therefore, most of the reasons why Li Ao fell into his current situation can be attributed to his father and brother.

This is a truth that everyone understands, so Rong Yin doesn't think the answer to Ning Yue's question would be this.

Rong Yin recalled carefully that Li Chu and Li Ao were half brothers. Li Chu's grandfather's family died in the rebellion. He and his mother had been unloved since childhood. Everyone in the capital knew that the head of the Li family loved his youngest son Li Ao and his mother the most.

Logically speaking, Li Chu, if not hated Li Ao and his mother to the core, at least would have harbored some resentment towards them. However, he was surprisingly good to Li Ao, so good that he was as famous in the capital as his father for doting on Li Ao.

This is a very abnormal thing.

So either Li Chu is really crazy and wants to get his father's approval by doting on his brother like his father does, or he is just forbearing and letting Li Ao do evil and covering up for his evil deeds just for...

Rong Yin suddenly realized: "He praised Li Ao to death."

Ning Yue nodded: "That's right, I only figured it out after Li Ao died. Li Chu is a man with deep thoughts. I don't know whether it is good or bad to have an intersection with him."

Rong Yin thought differently: "Whether a sharp sword hurts the enemy or me depends on who wields the sword."

Ning Yue vaguely understood what he meant: "Boss Rong wants to see him?"

"See you." Rong Yin said firmly, "But I have to go home and discuss this with my husband. I'm not very smart and I'm afraid I can't beat him. If you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have noticed the things between the two Li brothers."

Ning Yue said: "Boss Rong, you are being modest. You just didn't think of it for a moment. How can you be stupid?"

"Hey, Ningyue, you don't need to comfort me. I am still very self-aware."

Ning Yue looked at his indifferent expression and said nothing more.

When Rong Yin returned to the palace, Zong Zhengxiao was still busy in Yu's study and it was estimated that he would be back later.

Classmate Xiao Ai came over with a sepak ball in his mouth and asked Rong Yin to play with it. Rong Yin didn't bother to be polite with him. He rounded his arms and threw it far away. Classmate Xiao Ai shouted happily, then rushed out like the wind.

Rong Yin sat down, drinking an ice drink while waiting for Xiao Ai to come back. However, after she finished her ice drink, Xiao Ai showed up while playing with a sepak takraw ball.

"Hey, this is not your usual speed. Tell me, did you go somewhere else to play during the trip?" Rong Yin rubbed Xiao Ai's head with both hands. He was just playing around, but he actually found a feather in its fur.

"Is this a bird feather?" Rong Yin opened the dog's mouth to check, and sure enough, he found a few bird feathers and small pieces of eggshell in its mouth.

Rong Yin had a bad feeling: "You wouldn't eat the whole bird family, would you?"

"Awoo?" Xiao Ai didn't understand what Rong Yin said and could only tilt her head to act cute.

Fearing that Xiao Ai might have eaten something else she shouldn't have, Rong Yin asked a palace maid to check near where the rattan ball had fallen. The maid only brought back an empty bird's nest that had fallen on the ground.

Rong Yin looked at the bird's nest without any feathers left, and couldn't help but rub Xiao Ai's head again: "I don't know what kind of bird it is. Fortunately, it's not in my world. Otherwise, if it was found to be a protected bird, I, your father, would have to go to jail instead of you."

"Woof woof!" Xiao Ai called out excitedly. He didn't understand anything else, but the word "rice" (food) was understood.

Rong Yin laughed: "You, you really take after your dad, a little foodie."

Xiao Ai was taken outside by the palace maid to play with the ball in her mouth, while Rong Yin played with the empty bird's nest out of boredom, muttering softly: "Poor bird, a dog killed all the birds..."

Before he finished speaking, an idea suddenly flashed through Rong Yin's mind.

He stared at the bird's nest in a daze.

As the saying goes, when the nest is overturned, no egg can remain intact. Since your enemies have killed you, how can they let your family go?

Since Li Chu killed Li Ao, he couldn't just hate Li Ao, he must also hate the head of the Li family and Li Ao's mother.

Now that he has dealt with Li Ao, the next one should be the head of the Li family or that concubine.

If the head of the Li family dies, Li Chu will definitely be the head of the Li family. Will he choose to continue to unite with the aristocratic family, or withdraw from the dispute, or switch to someone else?

So, is the reason why he wants to meet me this time...

"Ayin, why are you staring at a bird's nest?" A familiar voice sounded above his head. Rong Yin looked up and found that it was Zong Zheng Xiao who was leaning over to look at him.

Rong Yin said happily, "You're back. Come sit down and try the fruit tea I just made."

Zong Zhengxiao sat down opposite Rong Yin, took a sip of fruit tea, and praised him before asking, "What does the person from Qingqiu Pavilion want to talk to you about?"

Zong Zhengxiao knew that Rong Yin often went out of the palace to look for Ning Yue. Although he knew that they were just soulmates and Rong Yin was simply popular with the girl, Zong Zhengxiao still felt a little uncomfortable.

His way of showing jealousy was that he would not call people by their names, but instead say "the one from Qingqiu Pavilion".

A little bit irritable, but not much.

After Lu'e reported Ningyue's request to Rongyin last night, Rongyin told Zongzhengxiao about it.

Every time he went to see Ning Yue, he would report to Zong Zheng Xiao. He was afraid that Zong Zheng Xiao would become jealous and his position would be in danger.

Rong Yin put down her ice drink and did not answer his question. Instead, she stared at Zong Zheng Xiao and asked, "Did you know about Li Chu's plan to kill Li Ao?"

Zong Zhengxiao didn't expect him to talk about this. He was stunned for a moment, but still nodded: "Well, I guessed it after we went to Qingqiu Pavilion on your birthday."

Rong Yin was curious: "Why didn't you tell me? I don't think this is a secret that can't be told to me, right?"

宗政逍沉默了一會兒，看向戎音的眼神很是複雜，像是糾結，又像是不安。

他道：“阿音可還記得，我是怎麽坐上這個皇位的。”

與兄奪權，弑殺兄長。

戎音抿了抿唇，突然明白了宗政逍的想法。

宗政逍繼續道：“或許是觸景生情吧，看見李家兄弟倆的争端，我就想起了我和幾位兄長，我沒跟阿音說這些，就是怕你想起我是怎麽登上皇位的，我怕你厭惡我，厭惡我的殘忍。”

“對不起，怪我沒考慮到你的感受。”戎音握住宗政逍的手，道完歉後，他語氣變得堅定起來，“不過你什麽都可以擔心，唯獨不能擔心我厭惡你，笨蛋宗政逍，我們又不是第一天認識，你的過往我一清二楚，要嫌棄你的過去的話我早嫌棄了，怎麽會留到現在！”

宗政逍回握住他的手，臉上重新綻放開笑容，“我也要跟你說對不起，是我誤會你了。”

戎音笑道：“好了，我原諒你了。”

宗政逍微笑，轉回了之前的話題，“阿音忽然說起李家兄弟，難不成清秋閣那位找你的原因，跟李家的李楚有關？”

“你猜對了。”戎音道：“李楚找到寧月，是想借清秋閣跟我秘密見一面。”

宗政逍推測：“你跟李家沒什麽牽扯，所以他找你，應該是想通過你，跟我傳達什麽內容。”

“你又猜對了，跟聰明人說話就是不費勁。”戎音将寧月跟他說的話轉述給了宗政逍。

事關宗政逍和世家，聽起來來意就不簡單。

戎音又把自己剛才的推測都告訴了宗政逍，問他：“你說他有沒有可能是想從世家轉投到我們陣營裏？他爹肯定是不願意的，所以他肯定會先除掉他爹，你最近有沒有查到什麽有用的信息？”

宗政逍想起暗衛傳遞過來的李家的消息，道：“李老頭天天跟自己妾室們厮混，李楚逐步掌權，算有用的信息嗎？”

“那可太有用了。”戎音激動道：“看來我猜的沒錯，李楚是真的想把自己讨厭的人都幹掉，哪怕那是他親爹。”

宗政逍道：“子不教，父之過，李傲客死他鄉，李楚處心積慮報複他們三人，都是李老頭自己做下的孽，怪不得李楚恨他。”

戎音喝了口果茶，捧着臉，問道：“假如我跟他見面，他說要投靠我們，你覺得他是真心實意的，還是這只是世家的計謀，目的是為了在咱們身邊安插眼線？”

宗政逍反問：“阿音覺得，李楚這樣精于算計的人，會有真心嗎？”

戎音想了想，道：“李楚像是個只追逐利益不在意感情的人，他要是把李家主整死了，他年紀輕輕上位，說不得會被其它世家趁機打壓，他獨自一人肯定是鬥不過其它幾家的，所以他見我們這邊逐漸勢大，才有了投靠的心思。”

宗政逍接道：“但如果未來世家強勢起來了，說不定他又會轉頭回去，背刺我們。”

戎音總結：“這不就是牆頭草。”

“的确是。”宗政逍被他逗笑，道：“他有意投靠的話，肯定會帶給我們一份重要的投誠禮，阿音你看着辦吧，要是覺得那份禮物還成，就答應他的投靠，後續我會跟他談。”

“好。”戎音點頭，宗政逍滿臉寵溺地揉了揉他的頭發。

到了見面那天，戎音按時到了清秋閣，一進門老板就笑着跑過來，說寧月把今天一整天的客人都推掉了，只為了見他一人。

看着老板肉疼的表情，戎音道：“半個月後的奶油蛋糕名額給老板你了，是要自己用還是轉贈別人，都随老板你。”

說是轉贈，其實也包含轉賣的意思，京城想要名額的人那麽多，無論老板是賣出去還是借此攀高枝兒，獲得的利益都遠要比寧月今天接一天客多得多。

老板聞言，立即眉開眼笑起來：“哎喲，戎老板你太客氣了，即便沒有這個名額，我們清秋閣都是很歡迎你的，您快上樓吧，寧月呀等你好久了。”

等戎音走後，老板立即火急火燎地招來心腹，一邊讓人去面包店把自己的名字登記上，一邊又叫人将自己手裏有預約名額的消息散播出去，期待着貴客上門。

上了二樓，戎音發現寧月的門口有幾個丫鬟模樣的人來回走動，看似是在各忙各的，但眼神始終圍繞着寧月房門口附近，看起來更像是守門的護衛。

戎音心想李楚果然細心，為了不讓世家發現自己轉投其它陣營了，可謂是小心翼翼。

他假裝沒看出那幾人的身份，徑直走進寧月房間，他進去後，門口的丫鬟就關上了房門。

屋裏點着香，戎音進去時，寧月剛把香爐的蓋子放回去。

“戎老板。”寧月起身，看了戎音一眼，而後将視線轉到了戎音身後的屏風上。

屏風後還有空間，他要見的人就在裏面。

戎音對寧月點了點頭，道：“麻煩寧月你給我撫琴一曲了。”

演戲要演全套，如果他進來了寧月卻出去了，這不平白惹人懷疑。

但他和李楚要談的那些內容，對寧月來說沒聽見才是好事，是以就讓她撫琴，一方面為他和李楚打掩護，一方面也是為了幹擾寧月的聽力，讓她聽不清兩人的談話。

“是。”寧月福身，然後坐到了琴凳上。

随着琴聲響起，戎音也走到屏風後，看見了矮幾後正襟危坐的李楚。

戎音在他對面坐下，李楚親自給戎音倒了一杯茶。

戎音率先開口：“百聞不如一見，李少爺比我想象中更英俊不凡。”

李楚笑容和煦：“多謝戎老板誇獎，戎老板倒還是一如既往地俊美。”

戎音端起茶杯也不喝，而是笑嘻嘻地看着李楚：“也不知李少爺和令弟，誰對我的相貌印象更深？我覺得應該是李少爺你吧，畢竟要同時了解我和令弟，才能更好地布局策劃，實現自己的目的。”

自己從前的陰謀詭計被拆穿，李楚不慌張也不氣惱，神情一如既往的平靜。

他道：“很抱歉曾經利用了戎老板您，不知您能否給我一個求得您原諒的機會。”

戎音挑眉：“你不否認算計了自己弟弟，就不怕我把這個消息傳出去？畢竟你我可是敵人，讓你身敗名裂，給你們世家添麻煩，也算我們贏。”

“自然是怕的。”李楚嘴上這樣說着，但臉上卻不見一點慌張的情緒，“所以求求戎老板，千萬不要說出去。”

戎音：“……你能不能演得認真點？你看着哪裏像害怕的樣子。”

“哦，我演的還不夠好嗎？”李楚像是懵懂不解。

戎音喝了口茶，嘆氣：“看來你不是演得不好，而且不屑于在我面前演，你一點不怕被拆穿，是因為李家已經落入你手裏了吧，你打算什麽時候像弄死你弟一樣，弄死你爹和那個姨娘？”

李楚笑着給戎音添茶：“戎老板太高看我了，我雖是嫡系一脈，可身邊還有旁系垂涎我的位置呢，想要徹底掌控整個李家，談何容易？我爹暫時還不能死，有他在，那些旁系才不敢放肆，我也才有時間慢慢掌權，當然，我爹除了活着，也只能活着了。”

那藥不致命，但足夠廢掉一個人。

戎音懂了他的意思，道：“告訴我你家的私密事，這就是你用來求我原諒的條件？”

“是，但不完全是。”李楚看着戎音，道：“戎老板，我可是個很真誠的人，怎麽會用這點小粥小菜就将你打發了，至少得有一盤硬菜，你說是吧？”

“你說的那盤硬菜有多硬？”

“曾經貴為四世家之一的賀家，算不算硬菜？”

戎音：“說說。”

李楚開始讨價還價：“我說了你就原諒我。”

兩人都清楚，原諒既是指之前李楚利用戎音的事一筆勾銷，也是指戎音答應了李楚的投靠。

戎音白他一眼：“你不說我怎麽知道你給的條件值不值得我原諒。”

李楚确認似地問：“你能代表你背後那位的意思吧？”

“……”戎音有點無語，“既然你不信任我，那為什麽約我見面，直接去找他，不是一步到位了。”

說到底宗政逍才是皇室一派的掌權人，要不要接受李楚的投誠，戎音都是要跟宗政逍商量的，所以李楚找他，根本就是多此一舉。

李楚端起茶杯，笑眯眯道：“我這不是害怕嘛，那位的心計太恐怖了，我可鬥不過他，要是跟他談，我非得被啃得連骨頭渣子都不剩。”

“他哪有這麽可怕，還有……”戎音瞪他，“你的意思是我單純好騙，你才選擇跟我見面的咯。”

“誤會誤會，我不是這個意思。”李楚道：“我只是覺得戎老板你善良，比較好說話而已。”

戎音不解：“你一個連自己爹和弟弟都算計，而且算計成功的人，是怎麽好意思說他恐怖的？”

Li Chu had a look that said, "I'm so wronged." "Boss Rong, you are the one who gets all his love, so of course you can't see the suffering of the outside world. You only heard about the fight between him and our family, but he and I were both participants in it. He was able to beat us back step by step, so his methods must be extraordinary. It's normal for us to be afraid of him."

"And..." Li Chu added in a low voice: "Let me tell you a little secret. When the late emperor had not yet entered the capital, he was planning to give the position of crown prince to Zong Zheng the Second."