Qianyuan Hall.
This is the place where successive Emperors of Yan Country handled state affairs.
This used to be the playground of Rong Heng during his childhood.
The forr Emperor was not particularly old, only forty-six when he passed away, but to the young Rong Heng, he seed very old.
And Xiao Ning was very young, so every day Xiao Ning mocked the forr Emperor for being an old bull eating young grass, and the forr Emperor just nodded with a smile in acknowledgnt.
Rong Heng once pulled the forr Emperor’s other hand while he was reviewing morials, tugging on his beard, and painted the Emperor’s five fingers black with an inkbrush.
The forr Emperor simply said, "Wu is really mischievous and adorable," and went to court the next day with blackened fingers.
At that ti, Rong Jing, as the Crown Prince, was kneeling on the ground of Qianyuan Hall, enduring the forr Emperor’s reprimands.
After the forr Emperor passed away, he never ca here again.
Rong Heng lowered his head, curling his lips in self-mockery, his fists involuntarily clenched tighter under his sleeves.
How ridiculous, Rong Jing actually still rembers what he looked like as a child.
Rong Heng had hated his younger self countless tis for caring about such a brother as Rong Jing, but now, he used that very fact to calculate against Rong Jing.
"What does the Emperor want to do? Brother will not refuse, even if it ans a thousand deaths."
He restrained his tone, every word heavy with a sense of pause, as if he hadn’t spoken for a long ti.
Since Rong Luo was "killed" by the palace maid Xia He, Rong Jing, seeing the child who personally killed Xia He in collapse, finally believed that Rong Heng was already heartbroken and completely tad.
He instilled in Rong Heng that in this world, only he could be trusted.
So for six years, Rong Heng portrayed himself as soone who detested won, devoid of emotions, a completely useless shadow, only obeying Rong Jing’s words, living in the palace like a walking corpse.
In the past, he had no other intention, just wanted to survive, wanted to lie low bit by bit until one day he could clear the grievances of the Xiao Family, go out and see the fierce winds of the Southern Border described by Xiao Lie, and gallop on the horses.
Now,
he has soone he likes.
He wants to proactively step into this ga,
he wants to accompany Gu Lan,
to see those sceneries together.
"Wu, you are still so clever." Rong Jing sighed, then his eyes suddenly sharpened, and he said sternly, "I want you to spy on Su Zixiao for , to eliminate the Su Family for !"
He guessed it right.
Rong Heng’s expression remained indifferent, his voice calm: "I do not know Su Zixiao."
Rong Jing lowered his head, looking down on the boy kneeling on the ground with an intoxicating gaze akin to peach blossoms, flashing with an unusual light:
"Not knowing is even better, Wu, you are the most suitable choice. I will make you a military advisor of the Dingyuan Army, and what you have to do is be my eyes, do not let Su Zixiao and the Su Family tarnish the Dingyuan Army, and then gradually gain control over the Dingyuan Army... As for the Dingyuan Marquis, I will explain to him, you should initially stay put, he will not make things difficult for you."
Rong Jing said, staring intently at Rong Heng’s face, trying to find any slight emotional fluctuation.
None.
The boy before him,
seed to have no heart anymore.
Rong Heng said, "I still do not understand, I do not understand military affairs, how can I act as a military advisor."
Rong Jing curled his lips and said, "You can learn if you do not know. Wu has been smart since young, I trust your abilities far surpass those of Gu Lan and Su Zixiao."
Rong Heng added, "I do not know martial arts, going to the battlefield is sending myself to death."
"I will have Zhang Fengcai send people to teach you martial arts, but, you are sowhat late to be learning martial arts at your age..." Rong Jing said, smiling ever more eerily, unhurriedly, "that’s what makes it interesting, isn’t it."
It was the prey he held in his hands for so many years,
but if it accidentally died, then...
Let it die.
Rong Jing’s mind involuntarily conjured another scene.
It was the forr Emperor lifting the young Rong Heng high, over his head, a smile of affection he had never seen before, he said:
"Only Wu resembles when I was young..."
He also said—
Rong Jing’s eyes suddenly turned cold, unwilling to recall further.
Though Rong Heng was the last remnant of warmth in his heart, whether that warmth was there or not, after so many years, he no longer cared.
Rong Heng shivered all over, seemingly filled with terror about going to war or joining the army, he said softly:
"Recklessly joining the Dingyuan Army, Su Zixiao may not trust ."
"Wu, have you forgotten you were the most endearing child when you were young, Zixiao is not much older than you, I’ve seen him, he is at the arrogant and frivolous age, carrying so rogue air from the world, you can make friends with him."
"I understand, Your Majesty," Rong Heng showed an expression of sudden realization, "I will strive to gain the trust of Su Zixiao."
"Alright, you may leave now."
Rong Jing waved his hand.
Rong Heng stood up, ready to leave.
At this mont, Rong Jing suddenly spoke:
"Back then, the reason the forr Emperor suspected Pingnan Marquis was due to Su Wenzhong’s instigation; the Su Family’s cousin Tian Xiuyue, after entering the palace, beca a female official in the Clothes Bureau, and her companion was the forr Chief Eunuch of Qianyuan Hall, Zhang Ruoshui—"
Rong Heng was taken aback, suddenly looking up at Rong Jing, his previously calm face suddenly froze, and his dark eyes were gradually stained with crimson.
"Did the Su Family buy off Zhang Ruoshui? Was it Su Wenzhong and Zhang Ruoshui who frad the Pingnan Marquis Mansion?" he asked hoarsely, his voice choked.
Rong Jing curved his lips into a smile and said:
"Zhang Ruoshui was originally the most trusted by the forr Emperor. When the forr Emperor suddenly fell ill, Zhang Ruoshui and Su Wenzhong together begged the forr Emperor to issue a secret investigation order. As for whether the evidence of Pingnan Marquis’s alleged treason was fabricated by them or if Marquis Nan truly had rebellious intentions, I am not sure."
His eyes watched Rong Heng’s clenched fist, as if he was amused by sothing, and the curve of his lips grew more pronounced.
Rong Heng’s dark eyes were as cold as frost, and he asked in a deep voice, "How did Your Majesty co to know of this matter?"
Rong Jing replied, "Zhang Fengcai is Zhang Ruoshui’s godson. I only found out afterward. I have already killed Zhang Ruoshui, this eunuch who dared to ddle in politics, but as for the Su Family now, it depends on how you handle it."
"I... thank Your Majesty for informing . I will certainly do my utmost not to disgrace my mission, keeping a watchful eye on the Su Family for Your Majesty."
Rong Heng’s eyes were filled with seething hatred, then, bowing his head, he completed his salute before turning to leave.
Rong Jing watched his retreating figure before settling comfortably into his chair, his expression relaxing sowhat.
After a long while, Rong Jing suddenly spoke quietly:
"Zhang Fengcai."
"I am here," Zhang Fengcai cautiously responded from the side.
"Do you hate ?" Rong Jing asked indifferently.
With a thud, Zhang Fengcai knelt to the ground:
"Why would Your Majesty say such a thing? I have followed Your Majesty since childhood, vowing to serve Your Majesty for a lifeti. If Your Majesty grows weary of , you may dispose of as you wish, but I am entirely devoted to Your Majesty, with no ulterior motives, ready to die a thousand deaths."
"Did you not hate for making you kill your godfather?" Rong Jing asked softly.
The forr Emperor had a greatly trusted Chief Eunuch nad Zhang Ruoshui.
Zhang Fengcai, who had followed him, the Crown Prince, from a young age, was one of Zhang Ruoshui’s godsons.
Later, he made Zhang Fengcai the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Supervision, and the Chief Eunuch of Qianyuan Hall, having Zhang Fengcai kill his godfather, and take his godfather’s place.
Zhang Fengcai trembled all over, then gritted his teeth, giving a sinister smile, his face distorted as he said:
"I wouldn’t dare, my godfather was just unlucky, unable to serve Your Majesty. Moreover, I wasn’t his only son. That old fool was stubborn, looking down on , killing him was a release for him."
Rong Jing smiled, then closed his eyes, feigning sleep.
Zhang Fengcai breathed a sigh of relief, knee-walking to discreetly retreat.
At this ti, leaving Qianyuan Hall, Rong Heng involuntarily quickened his pace.
His steps turned from heavy to light, and the hatred in his eyes gradually dissipated.
He knew the last words spoken by Rong Jing were telling him that the Su Family had hard the Pingnan Marquis Mansion.
Rong Jing was doing this to make him more focused, to be his weapon against the Su Family.
What Rong Jing didn’t know is,
When Su Wenzhong instigated the forr Emperor to secretly investigate the Pingnan Marquis Mansion, he had known since he was eight, as the old Marquis had casually told him;
As for the most trustworthy Chief Eunuch of the forr Emperor, Zhang Ruoshui being bought by the Su Family and having a relationship with the Su Family’s cousin, that was indeed the first ti he had heard of it.
Zhang Ruoshui was skilled in dicine, not only close to Du Changning, but when Xiao Ning had a difficult birth with him, it was Zhang Ruoshui who personally delivered him, ensuring the safety of both mother and child, to which Xiao Ning was very grateful, making nurous shredded chicken cold noodles for the old Chief Eunuch by hand.
The old Chief Eunuch always treated him as if he were his grandson, lavishing him with a blend of servitude and grandparental doting, always declaring that anyone who dared to disrespect the Fifth Prince would et his Flying Knife.
The forr Emperor once laughed, saying, Zhang Ruoshui, you like Rong Heng so much, do you intend to teach him your Flying Knife, dear eunuch?
Zhang Ruoshui quickly replied that he wouldn’t dare, and after that, he never displayed his Flying Knife in front of Rong Heng again.
The old Chief Eunuch even joked with Rong Heng, in his younger days, it was Pingnan Marquis Xiao Jing who had pulled him and the forr Emperor from a pile of corpses, the first ti he had seen the master who saved a servant.
Rong Heng preferred to believe it was the forr Emperor himself who believed Su Wenzhong’s slander against the Xiao Family, rather than the idea that Zhang Ruoshui would do such a thing.
Unfortunately,
Zhang Ruoshui had been dead for seven years.
It turned out the old Chief Eunuch was quite the romantic in his day.
Rong Heng laughed a little, his eyes faintly red.
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