20 Little Bunny
Huo Yan: That thing is very tough, it makes my teeth ache.
Early the next morning, Wei Qing led Huo Qubing and Huo Yan into the Weiyang Palace.
This was Huo Qubing's first visit to the Weiyang Palace. It was a huge palace and he found everything new and exciting.
But the scenery was the same over and over again. After looking at it for a long time, Huo Qubing, who often wandered around Chang'an, couldn't help but feel bored.
It's all high walls, not as fun as Ayan's hut.
He thought so and exchanged glances with Huo Yan.
Huo Yan followed beside him, yawned, and nodded listlessly at Huo Qubing to show his agreement.
He hasn't slept for two hours since yesterday, and now he feels sleepy all over, like a zombie in a barrel.
Seeing his expression, Huo Qubing estimated that he would not be able to muster up energy for a while, so he had to hold his hand to prevent him from falling.
Huo Yan hummed, held his hand, and closed his eyes to rest.
Then, while he was half asleep and half awake, Huo Qubing pinched his palm.
He suddenly woke up and looked at the card box in the main hall on the stairs.
Changle Palace.
"The Empress Dowager is seriously ill, so I'm sorry to hear that. Madam Wei is currently in Changle Palace. Upon hearing that Minister Wei and the two young masters were entering the palace today, the Empress Dowager specifically asked me to wait here, fearing that Minister Wei had run away."
Wei Qing picked up Huo Yan, took Huo Qubing by the hand, and nodded slightly to the maid leading the way.
Huo Qubing and Huo Yan didn't say anything, but just thanked him in unison in a baby voice.
The maid was suddenly surprised to see that the twins were well-behaved and cute, so she said a few more words as a reminder.
"Xiu Chengjun is here today too, and the Queen Mother seems to be in a bad mood."
Wei Qing thanked him and stepped onto the stairs.
When Huo Yan heard about Xiu Chengjun, his alarm bells rang.
This is what happened to them last time when my uncle successfully filed a complaint.
He begged Wei Qing to come down, and Wei Qing followed him.
Huo Qubing exchanged glances with him.
You didn't bring any poison needles with you!
Huo Yan shook his head.
He took them all off this morning.
Huo Qubing breathed a sigh of relief, then raised his eyebrows.
Huo Yan nodded.
Don't worry, I'll never admit it. I'll just follow the original plan and make up a lie to get away with it.
As soon as we entered Changle Palace, it was just as the maid had said. The whole room was filled with fragrance, and women were wearing silk and satin. The three women at the top were adorned with pearls, jade, gold ornaments, and glittering bells and pendants.
But the maids below all raised their brows and looked embarrassed, and dared not respond.
Huo Yan took a quick glance and saw Wei Zifu sitting below Empress Dowager Yu.
With her black hair tied in a bun, fair skin and rosy cheeks, she looked dignified and proper. She carefully agreed to the stern-looking Queen Mother and Xiu Chengjun, but her face was a little pale.
He knew in his heart that today he probably couldn't go to his aunt's palace to sit for a while and see the newborn child as his uncle had suggested. Then he could have a few words with Liu Che and leave it at that.
I think today, the matter of Xiuchengjun losing his son will be brought up again.
But when he looked at Wei Zifu's face, which still looked haggard even with heavy makeup on, he felt a sense of injustice.
While he was outside the palace, he still remembered that his aunt had given birth to a child less than three months ago and her body needed rest.
Would the Queen Mother not know?
There is no need to trouble my frail aunt for such a matter. They will enter the palace today, and the empress dowager only needs to summon them for questioning.
None of them dared to disobey the order.
But she didn't.
She just forced her aunt to stay here. If they were found to be the accusers, who knows what Xiu Chengjun would do given his madness!
They are not afraid, but their aunt will live in the palace for a long time. If she loses face, how will she live in the future?
She was either deliberately trying to embarrass her aunt, or she simply looked down on her aunt.
Wei Qing's face didn't look good either. He had thought of what Huo Yan had thought of.
I think it was because Your Majesty's rewards during that period were too eye-catching, which caught the Queen Mother's attention. In addition, Your Majesty intended to cultivate the Wei family to replace the Tian family as the new foreign relatives, and the Queen Mother Wang was using them to show her dissatisfaction with Your Majesty.
Sure enough, after the ceremony, the Queen Mother took the lead and shouted for Huo Yan to come to her side.
Huo Yan stood up and walked forward, raising his innocent face and shouting, "Long live the Empress Dowager."
The Queen Mother smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries before saying, "My son, look at this child too. He is so handsome."
Xiu Chengjun's eyes were gloomy. Upon hearing this, he reached out and grabbed Huo Yan's left hand, causing him to stagger.
Huo Yan retracted his hand and took advantage of the momentum to fall in front of Wei Zifu.
Wei Zifu was extremely worried and hurried to help him up, but Huo Yan whimpered, arched his body, and curled up into a ball. Big tears flowed down his face, and he cried out, "Uncle, it hurts, it hurts, she pushed me."
As soon as he said this, everyone's expression changed.
Everyone knew that Liu Che wanted to see him and Huo Qubing, but they were abducted by Queen Mother Wang on the way. Now that the child has gotten into trouble again, Queen Mother Wang is not in a good situation either.
Wei Qing apologized repeatedly, hugged Huo Yan in his arms, and comforted him in a low voice.
Huo Yan showed him his two palms, which were originally smooth and white but now red, and said that they hurt, and cried even louder.
Huo Qubing also started crying.
The Queen Mother listened to the duet and could no longer hold back the kindness on her face.
Wei Zifu glared at Xiuchengjun fiercely.
Xiu Chengjun stared at Huo Yan, or rather Huo Qubing, and muttered, "Impossible, His Majesty has only rewarded him during this period."
She pointed at Huo Yan, who was crying below, and screamed, "That's you! Tell me, who told you to tell Zhong'er!"
She was about to pull Huo Yan up, but Huo Yan was so frightened that he trembled and crawled back repeatedly, crying even louder and shouting, "Uncle, I'm scared."
Huo Qubing followed him and buried his face in Wei Qing's arms and howled.
For a moment, Changle Palace was in chaos, and the shrill questions and the crying of children filled the hall.
There was a flash of displeasure and coldness in Wang Tai's eyes. In the end, she just let Wei Zifu take Wei Qing and the others back first.
Wei Zifu responded, bowed slightly, and took her leave gently and softly.
Wei Qing also went out carrying the two crying children.
Xiu Chengjun roared and wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by the Queen Mother.
"You haven't seen clearly yet. The child's hand is uninjured. Besides, when has the Emperor ever left you any loopholes?" The Queen Mother took a sip of the fish soup, which had cooled, and the fishy smell filled her face. She placed it on the table, half-closed her eyes, and said impatiently, "Besides, even if we find the child who complained, what's the point? He's only a little kid, how could he have used poison? You should just investigate the guards in the palace. They are the culprits, and it is they who could have harmed Zhong'er."
In the Pilan Palace.
Huo Yan took the long rod he had prepared and caught a small rabbit doll to make Princess Wei Chang, who was sleeping in the cradle, look at him.
"Little rabbit, go to sleep."
Huo Qubing had a blank expression on his face. He took a piece of steamed bun specially prepared by Wei Zifu and silently stepped away.
Ah Yan's speech when accompanying the children was abnormal, with a choked tone.
Soon, Huo Yan played with the newborn Princess Wei Chang until she was sleepy. He walked to the side of Huo Qubing, and the little white rabbit doll hooked on a small wooden pole behind him swung back and forth, as if he himself had turned into a rabbit spirit.
He swung the long pole, making the rabbit circle around Huo Qubing, shouting, "Little rabbit, circle."
Huo Qubing took a bite of the cake, sighed resignedly, and moved his eyes as if to hit the rabbit on his pole.
Huo Yan smiled, his almond-shaped eyes half-blue, like black glass beads, and the small red mole under his lip was faintly visible. He said softly, "Little rabbit, be good."
Huo Qubing hummed, grabbed his rabbit, took it down, and smiled. His almond-shaped eyes, which were very similar to Huo Yan's, were like scattered stars.
"Little rabbit, shouldn't you just go to sleep?"
Huo Yan took a bite of the biscuit from his hand, and upon hearing what he said, he leaned against him, resting his face on his hands and dozing off.
Perhaps he was sound asleep, his chin was slightly lowered, and he muttered to Huo Qubing in a daze, "I'm not a rabbit. That thing has very tough meat. It hurts my teeth."
Huo Qubing didn't say anything, just patted him on the back. He was probably amused by Huo Yan's words.
His slender, introverted eyes were slightly upturned at the corners. Although he was still young and the outline was not very clear, his green hair, red lips, white skin and almond eyes were all inherited from his mother, who was considered the most beautiful among the Wei sisters.
"So you're saying I look like a rabbit, Ah Yan." He was smiling, his slightly longer right canine teeth half exposed, and he said softly, "Make a note of this. You'll need to compensate me someday."
The two of them were very quiet throughout the journey, even speaking in low tones, and there was no sign of them crying and wailing like they did in Changle Palace.
Wei Zifu was leaning on the bed, feeling extremely distressed, but then she found it funny to see the two of them like this.
“They play really well together.”
Wei Qing saw the two of them, one sleeping peacefully while the other played with a rabbit, and couldn't help but laugh. He whispered to Wei Zifu, "They're just good friends. Usually, when they're alone at home, they don't talk much. But when they're together, they talk a lot. Ah Yan must be sleepy today, otherwise they would chat for ages."
Wei Zifu smiled gently and lowered her voice, saying softly, "Then tell me frankly, is the matter of Xiucheng Zizhong really related to them?"
This was a big deal, and even the harem was buzzing with news.
Wei Qing took a bite of the cake. He knew he couldn't hide the truth, so he kept his mouth shut and stood up to pick up Huo Yan. When Huo Qubing heard this, he immediately turned his head to look outside.
"The more you keep quiet, the more I think something's up." Wei Zifu was amused by the uncle and nephew's identical actions. She reached out and hit Wei Qing on the head, shouting, "Go away!"
Huo Qubing did not dare to respond.
Wei Zifu snorted coldly, "Huo Qubing!"
Huo Qubing turned his head subconsciously, and when he realized what was happening, he smiled adorably, "Aunt, if you have anything to say to me, please come and talk to me. I'll pass it on!"
"You think I'm the same as the Queen Mother, and you don't know the difference between you two." Wei Zifu asked him to come over and flicked his head hard. "That little canine is so sharp, it seems like it wants to draw its name on itself."
Huo Qubing held her hand and said coquettishly, "Aunt~"
Wei Zifu didn't listen to him. She just looked at Wei Qing with her watery eyes, indicating that he should tell the truth.
Wei Qing was stunned, so he had to cover up part of the story and told everything, which made Wei Zifu exclaim in surprise and scared Huo Qubing so much that he kept making excuses.
Liu Che arrived at this time, with a large group of people around him. Everyone stood up and walked out of the hall. Only Wei Zifu was still holding the sleeping Huo Yan in her arms.
The emperor marched straight in and everyone bowed to him. He simply took Wei Zifu's hand and said a few words.
He turned his head and saw Huo Yan lying on his back, so he pointed at Huo Yan and asked Wei Qing with a smile, "How come my little boy, who can fight dogs, is sleeping?"
Wei Qing wanted to call Huo Yan, but was stopped by Liu Che.
"Forget it, I still like this one. Let him take a nap for another half a cup of tea."
[Good job, I just woke up and saw Piglet.]
[Fuck, the pig is so pretty.]
[A sunny and cheerful boy.]
[No wonder he is a big man succubus.]
[Handsome eyebrows and eyes, full forehead, rich in gold and stone, full of nobility.]
[As majestic as the rising morning glow.]
[But Ah Yan is still sleeping.]
[It's such a pity that Ah Yan can't play with Zhu Zhu anymore.]
[Go to sleep, baby~]
[When Liu Che saw Bingbing, his eyes lit up like a cat seeing catnip.]
[Bingbing is an advanced pig coaxer.]
[Bingbing has been a popular child since he was little.]
[Brother Yan, give him a punch! He actually despises you.]
[Piggy: I finally see you. Glad I didn’t give up.]
[Ayan: Your monarch is offline.]
[Ayan actually looks pretty good when he's sleeping.]
Why do you think I only scolded him for his bad temper and never scolded his face?
[Sister, he has the same face as Zhu Zhu, don’t be fooled. ]
…
Huo Qubing always felt that the emperor was not a good person.
It wasn't for any other reason, it was just that Ah Yan could memorize everything his uncle muttered when he looked at him.
According to Ayan, all emperors are bad people.
Ah Yan spoke with conviction, as if he had been an emperor, and spoke with confidence.
Brother, don't believe anything the emperor says. No matter how good he is to us, it's all superficial. They are all liars and cold-blooded political animals.
Ah Yan also said that he had an old friend who was the emperor's, barely a close minister. Ah Yan also said that the emperor only needed one look to be able to be obsessed with his old friend, who was even more obsessed than his uncle, and he thought about severing his soul every day. It can be seen that none of these emperors are good people.
You see, it is a fact that Ayan can communicate with spirits, otherwise how would he know the emperor's close ministers.
But my uncle was determined and hardened his heart. His eyes lit up when he spoke of the emperor. He said that His Majesty was a good man, an elder worthy of trust, the most perfect person in the world, and his benefactor.
My uncle also said that everything in the family originated from the emperor in the Weiyang Palace. My uncle introduced the emperor to them as if he were sharing a beloved toy, hoping that they could like the emperor as much as he did.
Whenever this happened, A Yan would sigh and then cover his ears skillfully.
He often heard about Ah Yan's indifference and his uncle's praise, and under the influence of it, Huo Qubing made a bold decision. He maintained a neutral attitude towards Liu Che since they were closest to each other.
He had a picture of an emperor in his mind.
Most likely, they are high and mighty, as cold as snow, without any emotions, rarely showing kindness, and therefore expect people to serve them with all their heart and soul.
Therefore, when Your Majesty's kindness has been bestowed, Huo Qubing, as one of the beneficiaries of this kindness, should be grateful.
At least you have to put in all your effort.
He understood these things, and Ayan knew them too.
He also stopped covering his ears and listened slowly with him, listening to his uncle talk about some small things. They would be good sons of the Han Dynasty and good sons of the Wei family.
But Ah Yan always read the Mencius with him and his uncle, and his favorite line was from the Li Lou Chapter 2: "If the ruler treats his subjects as his own hands and feet, then the subjects will treat the ruler as their own heart and soul; if the ruler treats his subjects as dogs and horses, then the subjects will treat the ruler as their fellow countrymen; if the ruler treats his subjects as dirt, then the subjects will treat the ruler as their enemy."
I was afraid that he and his uncle would become blindly loyal if they were not careful.
Ah Yan, his uncle taught him to be patriotic, and as a Han Chinese citizen, he should do so.
As for loyalty to the emperor, that is what a son of the Wei family should do.
As for loving the lord like his confidant, given his arrogance, he estimated that the lord must be much stronger than him, otherwise he would not be able to bear the grievance of being with a useless subordinate.
What did A Yan say at that time? He said, Brother, the current emperor will be very much in line with your wishes.
He suddenly raised his expectations.
What kind of king does he like?
Probably quite strong.
But who could tell him why this Majesty was completely different from what he had imagined? How could someone laugh so arrogantly?
Damn it, A Yan, you lied to me. I didn’t see how strong he is. This guy looks even more arrogant than me.
"After much begging, I finally saw it."
Liu Che said a few more words to Wei Zifu, then called Huo Qubing to his front. He had long eyebrows and a noble appearance, and especially since he was sitting at the top, even when he smiled he seemed very oppressive.
He picked up a piece of yellow tangerine that Wei Zifu had peeled and hooked his finger at Huo Qubing.
"Come here and I'll give it to you."
Huo Qubing strode forward, and then, as if teasing Liu Che, took the orange with both hands, bowed, and slowly retreated to Wei Qing's side, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."
He said these four words with a hint of gnashing of teeth.
You are trying to coax me like a dog. Who wants to be around you? Get away from me.
Liu Che was very powerful and was not liked by children. He was used to seeing children being afraid of him, but he didn't expect to meet someone who was not afraid this time.
That's how he likes it.
Like Wei Qing, he has bright eyes and pride in his bones.
What's the point of those who fear him like snakes and wolves?
So he picked another date from the plate, raised his eyebrows and said, "I have some sweet ones here, kid, come to me."
Huo Qubing frowned, his keen sense of danger making him retreat.
But he suddenly became stubborn and said, "Your Majesty, I don't like sweet things."
Wei Zifu was a little worried, but Wei Qing was not panicked and was still smiling.
Sure enough, Liu Che was not angry. Instead, he liked Huo Qubing more and more.
"Are you afraid of me, so you don't come?"
He said deliberately.
Huo Qubing stood up and bowed as soon as he came up, intending to repeat his old trick.
But this time he failed. Liu Che opened his eyes lazily, caught him and held him tightly in his arms.
Huo Qubing was shocked. Although his face was still tense, if the child had ears, they would probably stand up like airplane ears at this time.
He was angry and ashamed of his carelessness.
Liu Che looked at him sideways for a while before slowly reaching out his hand to pinch Huo Qubing's round little face and kneading it, as if he was kneading dough.
"You are a bit bigger. You are the one who said your grandfather was not born yet."
As soon as he opened his mouth, Huo Qubing knew that he was well prepared. He didn't know whether to pull his face away or leave it there and let him rub it.
Finally, he chose the latter in Wei Zifu's bright eyes and said reluctantly, "I am."
Liu Che laughed heartily and tapped his nose. "Then, Qubing, do you know what to call me?"
Huo Qubing nodded and deliberately called "Your Majesty" loudly in his ear.
Still pinching, am I the dough? It's all thanks to me. If it were Ah Yan, I'd be lucky not to have hemiplegia.
Liu Che rubbed his ears when he was yelled at, and the strength of pinching his face loosened. He lifted him up directly, with a smug look in the corners of his eyes, "Boy, think about it first."
Huo Qubing was lifted up with his feet off the ground. For some unknown reason, he seemed to understand Liu Che's teasing.
He shouted again, "Uncle."
Wei Zifu and Wei Qing couldn't help laughing.
Liu Che also raised the corner of his lips at this sound. He put him in his arms and shook him twice, "You are a real boy."
As he spoke, he peeled the dried longan on the table and gave it to him to eat.
Huo Qubing was not afraid of him and started eating in his arms.
It would be a waste if you don’t eat it, huh!
Liu Che laughed teasingly, lifted Huo Qubing up, and then said, "Doesn't Qubing dislike sweet food?"
Huo Qubing raised his head, his dark almond eyes met his phoenix eyes, and his eyebrows suddenly curved.
"Your Majesty's gift, I dare not refuse."
Liu Che liked him so much that he smiled, touched his little hair, and peeled another one for him.
Huo Qubing continued to eat quietly.
Wei Zifu looked at Liu Che, who was peeling longans slowly and feeding them to him because of his lack of skill, and Huo Qubing, who was eating happily, and a hint of amusement flashed in her eyes, along with Wei Qing.
Until the emperor pointed at Huo Yan, who was soundly asleep in his uncle's arms, and asked, "What happened to your little brother? It's completely different from what your uncle said."
Huo Qubing stopped eating longan and lied without blushing or beating his heart, "Your Majesty, Ah Yan was late studying last night."
Liu Che made a coy "oh" sound, propped up his chin and asked Huo Qubing in his arms, "Does Huo Qubing know what book your brother is reading?"
Huo Qubing shook his head. What a joke! Could he tell others that Ah Yan read medical books every night and stayed at home to give acupuncture to little stupid chickens during the day, and could paralyze three people with one acupuncture?
He can't. Ayan wants to save face, and he wants to save face too.
Liu Che's eyes flashed with interest, and he spoke casually, "I think Qubing has read military books."
Huo Qubing's eyes widened, wondering how he could change the subject so quickly. But his dark eyes darted around as he denied it again and again, "What book? I don't like reading."
There is no harm in not taking on this kind of unpredictable opponent.
Wei Zifu covered her face and laughed. Liu Che glanced at Wei Qing, the big-mouthed man who had betrayed his nephew, and stroked Huo Qubing's hair. He said slowly, "Under the circumstances of not knowing the enemy's strength, alerting them is a very bad strategy. What we need to do now is to know ourselves and the enemy, and to fortify our defenses and clear the countryside. My nephew, your uncle taught you military books, and you're quite good at them."
Upon hearing this, Huo Qubing turned his head silently and looked at Wei Qing.
Wei Qing lowered his head under his gaze.
Well, as your Majesty asked, I couldn't help myself.
Liu Che laughed heartily, and the air was filled with his own happiness.
[Piggy is playing sick!]
[He is really bad!]
[Every time my uncle meets Pig, it’s always a bummer.]
[Zhuzhu: Bing'er, you are good at reading military books.]
[This sentence shocked my little nephew three times.]
[No wonder Ah Yan calls his uncle a big sieve, saying whatever he wants.]
[You forgot Qingqing told Su Jian behind her back that she doesn’t like people keeping retainers, hhh]
[Piggy is really not angry.]
[I, Yanbao, am really sleepy.]
[Fuck, your Yandi is awake.]
[Awake, time to hunt.]
…
Huo Yan stood up at this moment. When he looked up, he was met with hundreds of barrages of comments.
He didn't sleep anymore, looked at Liu Che who was still smiling, but closed his eyes again.
I was still sleepy and saw a madman holding my brother, and my brother didn't resist.
Sleep a little longer.
etc.
Fuck, the comments said he was the Liu Che who would use the elixir to take my brother away because my brother supported the crown prince to succeed him.
I won't sleep anymore.
Ahhh, stab him to death!
He opened his eyes, slowly got up, and began to fiddle with his needle in his hand.
Oh, for fear of getting caught, I left them all at home.
Huo Qubing watched his face slowly stiffen, and watched Liu Che's gaze fall on Huo Yan, and silently lit a candle for him in his heart.
Ah Yan, run! This battle is impossible to win, there's a traitor around us!
My uncle gave the soles of our shoes to this man to clean.
Liu Che looked at Huo Yan's movements. He tried to be gentle as possible, handed Huo Yan a longan and motioned him to come over and take it.
Huo Yan subconsciously frowned, then thought of something, raised the corners of his lips, and said directly, "Your Majesty, I don't like sweet food."
When he was asleep, he looked and spoke like Huo Qubing, but when he opened his eyes, he was no longer the same.
At least Liu Che would not admit his mistake.
Although Qubing was unhappy about the teasing just now, he remained calm and composed, with his eyes burning with unyielding pride, just like fire in ice.
Although the shape and outline of this child's eyes are similar, they are not bright, but dark. He himself may not even notice it. The darkness under his eyes when he smiles is like a knife, as if it can kill with one blow, cold and emotionless.
But the emperor does not look at the appearance, he only looks at the bones.
They are two brothers who are alike, they are both like the wind and fire.
Liu Che couldn't help but smile, with a smile on his face.
Only then could he prove that his grandfather was never born, and only then could he wipe out the kidnappers' nest at the age of five, kill Xiucheng Zizhong, and exchange the little kid who deceived his mother.
For these two little kids, this seems to be the right thing to do.
Well, she looks pretty, I like her and want to tease her.
"Qubing just said that Ah Yan has been reading a book recently. Ah Yan, would you like to talk to your uncle about it?"
【Author’s words】
The difference between the twins: the one with the small canine tooth on the right is Bingbing, and the one with the small red mole under the lip is Ayan.
The one whose eyes are always bright is Bingbing, the one whose eyes are occasionally bright and occasionally half dead is Ayan.
The boss is Bingbing and the military advisor is Ayan.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
