Chapter 73 Lao Ziran
The news of the incident at the hunting ground was transmitted back to the main tent of the palace as quickly as possible.
Emperor Liu Jin was discussing the final details of the negotiations with Beidi with Xiao Ziran. Upon hearing the news, his face turned pale and the teacup in his hand was crushed to pieces with a "snap"!
A cold, terrifying imperial pressure instantly swept through the entire tent!
"How's Xiao'er?! Where's Zong'er?!"
His voice was as cold as ice, and every word was filled with raging anger and a hint of barely perceptible panic.
Upon hearing that the prince was fine but Liu Zong was seriously injured and on the verge of death, his rage intensified!
Someone had actually left one of his sons injured and one on the verge of death during his autumn hunting ceremony! This was blatant provocation and murder!
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! All guards, animal trainers, and venue staff involved will be detained! The Neihang Factory and the Imperial City Bureau will intervene immediately!
I want to see who is so bold as to do such a rebellious thing under my nose!"
Liu Jin's roar almost blew the roof of the tent off.
At this moment, he was no longer the man who was affectionate with Xiao Ziran, but an emperor who was furious and controlled life and death.
Xiao Ziran's expression was also extremely solemn.
The first thing he thought of was not political conspiracy, but Liu Jin's feelings.
He clearly saw the deep fear and heartache in Liu Jin's eyes, which belonged to his father.
He immediately stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, please calm down. The emperor's health is paramount. The most urgent task is to ensure the absolute safety of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and to do our utmost to treat Prince Liu Zong. Regarding the investigation, perhaps..."
He paused, his eyes sharp.
"Perhaps we can ask my Nanyue Secret Guards to assist us. They are good at tracking down such treacherous tactics and may be able to find some unusual traces."
He put himself in the position of "assistance", expressing his concern while fully respecting Liu Jin's authority.
Liu Jin took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He glanced at Xiao Ziran, and seeing the sincerity and support in his eyes, the rage in his heart subsided slightly.
He nodded heavily. "Okay. Thank you, Ziran. Please find out the truth for me!"
He used the word "Zi Ran". At this moment, they were allies standing shoulder to shoulder, and they were also a "family" that cared about the child together.
The atmosphere inside Liu Zong's tent was completely different from the tense and solemn atmosphere outside.
Liu Zong was in a coma most of the time due to excessive blood loss and severe pain.
Liu Xiao stood by stubbornly, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a wet towel, his movements so gentle as if he was treating a rare treasure.
When Liu Zong occasionally woke up from his drowsiness, the first thing he saw was Liu Xiao's face full of worry and fatigue.
"Xiao...Your Highness..." When he was unconscious, he would always subconsciously look for Liu Xiao to confirm his safety.
"I'm here, Brother Zong, I'm here." Liu Xiao would always immediately hold the hand he unconsciously extended and respond in a low voice.
The call of "Brother Zong" and the warmth from his palm could calm Liu Zong down better than any medicine.
He would force a smile and then fall asleep again.
After a few times, Liu Xiao seemed to have gotten used to this intimacy.
He was no longer in a hurry to pull his hand back, and sometimes he would even take advantage of Liu Zong's sleep to look at him carefully.
Looking at the face that was pale due to blood loss, the eyes that were usually sharp and deep were now closed, and the long eyelashes cast a faint shadow, showing a rare fragility.
Liu Xiao's heart couldn't help but soften, mixed with indescribable heartache and... a strange throbbing.
He remembered Liu Zong's earth-shattering words "I love you" before he fell into a coma, and his cheeks began to feel hot again.
My heart was beating faster, but strangely I didn't feel disgusted, just extremely confused and overwhelmed with embarrassment.
This man loved and protected him with his life.
Once, Liu Zong woke up and felt his lips were dry, so he licked his lips subconsciously.
Seeing this, Liu Xiao immediately and carefully used a cotton swab dipped in warm water to gently moisten his lips.
That focused and gentle look made Liu Zong infatuated, and he couldn't help but call out softly:
"Xiao'er..."
Liu Xiao paused, his cheeks instantly turned red, and even his ears were stained crimson.
He quickly glanced at Liu Zong, and when he met those affectionate eyes, he immediately lowered his eyelids like a frightened deer, but his hands did not stop moving, and he responded in a mosquito-like voice:
"……Um."
No rebuke, no avoidance, just a shy, acquiescent response.
Liu Zong's heart was instantly filled with great ecstasy and hope, and even the severe pain in his back seemed to be alleviated a lot.
He didn't dare to do anything more, but just looked at Liu Xiao's shy profile greedily, as if he could never see enough.
After handling the emergency investigation and strengthening security, Liu Jin came to visit Liu Zong in person.
Xiao Ziran naturally accompanied him.
This is what they saw when they entered the tent.
Prince Liu Xiao was sitting beside the couch, carefully feeding water to the prone Liu Zong. His movements were clumsy but extremely serious.
Liu Zong's eyes were completely glued to Liu Xiao, and the emotions in them were so strong that they almost became tangible.
When Liu Xiao saw the emperor coming in, he was startled and hurriedly stood up to salute, with a blush still on his cheeks.
Liu Zong also struggled to salute, but was held down by Liu Jin:
"Since you are seriously injured, there is no need for courtesy."
Liu Jin's eyes swept between the two of them calmly.
What kind of person is he? How could Liu Zong's almost unconcealed eyes and his son's strange shyness and panic be hidden from his eyes?
A storm suddenly arose in his heart.
Zong'er actually has this kind of feeling towards Xiao'er?! And Xiao'er... doesn't seem to be completely opposed to it?
At this moment, Liu Jin's emotions were extremely complicated. On the one hand, he was shocked by this shocking emotion;
On the other hand, seeing Liu Zong almost sacrifice his life to save Liu Xiao, the depth and determination in his heart could not help but move him. His previous guess turned out to be correct...
He even felt a little scared. If Liu Zong hadn't been there today, the consequences would have been disastrous.
In the end, all those emotions dissolved into a single sigh.
He inquired about his injuries in detail and told him to rest and recuperate. He did not mention any rewards or honors, but Liu Zong understood the concern and complexity in his eyes.
"Your son thanks your Majesty for your concern." Liu Zong said in a low voice. He felt uneasy, but also had a kind of calmness that made him feel like he had given up.
Anyway, the person he cared about the most seemed to have known it and didn't push him away.
Xiao Ziran was standing by and took in everything.
A hint of understanding and amusement flashed in his eyes, and then turned into a faint sigh.
He patted Liu Jin's arm, silently conveying his support, and then smiled gently at Liu Xiao:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince has been frightened. You must rest well. While caring for the patient is important, don't exhaust yourself."
These words had a double meaning, and Liu Xiao's face, which had just returned to normal, turned red again.
The investigation quickly made progress.
Xiao Ziran's secret guards did play a role. They found that the black bear did not go crazy by accident, but was fed some kind of drug that could stimulate its manic animal nature in advance.
What is even more shocking is that one of the animal trainers disappeared mysteriously and was later found drowned in a nearby river. It seemed that he had fallen, but it was highly likely that he had committed murder to silence him.
All the clues once again vaguely point to the lingering organization - "Owl Feather"!
"It's them again!"
Liu Jin's face was so gloomy that it looked like water could drip out of it. This time it was no longer a political calculation, but a direct attack on his son's life!
This completely offended him.
"Their target is most likely the Crown Prince. We could kill two birds with one stone, eliminating the heir apparent while severely damaging or even eliminating the capable and trusted Prince Liu Zong, further weakening the imperial court."
Xiao Ziran analyzed calmly, his eyes cold
"It seems that our counterattack has forced them to take desperate measures."
The common enemy and the common concern for the children brought Liu Chen and Xiao Ziran closer together.
Liu Zong's injuries are gradually improving with careful care, but he still needs to stay in bed to recuperate.
Liu Xiao accompanied her almost every day, and the atmosphere between them became increasingly subtle.
Liu Xiao would still blush and still be at a loss, but he no longer avoided Liu Zong's gaze, and would even occasionally respond to his words, although his voice was always very low.
Liu Zong became even more "explosive".
He would use the excuse of a sore wound to ask Liu Xiao to help him adjust his posture; he would "accidentally" hold Liu Xiao's wrist and ask him to feed him medicine;
When Liu Xiao was reading to him, he would look at him gently until Liu Xiao felt uncomfortable all over and even read the wrong lines.
This silent pursuit and tacit closeness quietly spread in the small world of the injury tent.
Liu Jin and Xiao Ziran saw it and understood it tacitly.
Liu Jin chose to remain silent for the time being. He needed time to digest and weigh the pros and cons. More importantly, the biggest enemy at the moment was "Owl Feather".
Xiao Ziran would occasionally tease Liu Chenjin:
"It seems Your Majesty will soon have to worry not only about state affairs but also about the emotional affairs of your children."
In return, Liu Jin rolled his eyes helplessly, but his tense expression eased slightly.
A bloody assassination in the hunting ground is like a powerful catalyst. It not only makes the forbidden feelings between Liu Xiao and Liu Zong surface and heat up rapidly, but also makes the relationship between Liu Chen and Xiao Ziran closer as they jointly deal with the crisis.
However, the shadow of "Owl Feather" became increasingly darker, like a poisonous snake hiding in the dark, spitting out its tongue, waiting for the next more deadly attack.
The road ahead is destined to be bumpy.
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