Ch 68 “Brother, follow me to leave”
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Shen Shi. The carriage parked by the side entrance of King Ke’s mansion located deep in the alley. Dressed as a eunuch, Xie Chaoling got off the carriage without saying a word, and the door of the mansion opened to welcome him.
Without any delay, Xie Chaoling entered the mansion, which seemed to be calm and quiet as usual. Although someone was keeping an eye on the main entrance, the palace wouldn’t allow any disturbance to leak out before a thorough investigation was conducted, especially when it came to impersonating a royal prince.
Walking into Xile Hall, which he hadn’t visited for a long time, Xie Chaoling saw Xie Chaoyuan standing in the corridor, enjoying the flowers. For a moment, Xie Chaoling was stunned, as if he had traveled through time, and finally understood some things in a flash of insight.
Xie Chaoyuan had always been a madman. He used to be restrained and patient, but since the day he didn’t hesitate to burn down the Empress Dowager’s tomb and returned to the palace at all costs, he had gone completely crazy. He had no more scruples and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Xie Chaoyuan couldn’t afford to wait any longer because he was going to marry the crown princess. But could he really refuse to marry her? His father, the emperor, would not allow it. He was only the crown prince, and there was still an emperor above him. He didn’t have the qualifications to do as he pleased.
This was a very simple truth, but Xie Chaoyuan would not listen.
Xie Chaoyuan had already turned his gaze towards him and asked, “Why doesn’t Crown Prince Brother come over here?”
Xie Chaoling stepped forward, and Xie Chaoyuan casually plucked a flower and handed it to him. Xie Chaoling took it, held it between his fingers and turned it around, whispering, “Just say what you want to say. I cannot stay outside for too long.”
Today was the Autumn Equinox. Emperor Qianming was leading the crowd to the Moon Altar for worship, and Xie Chaoling had followed the worship procession before sneaking out of the palace. He had to return before the palace gates closed.
Xie Chaoyuan looked at him and said, “Does Crown Prince Brother still have to come see me as the Crown Prince in the end?”
Xie Chaoling lowered his head, stared at the flower for a long time in silence, then grabbed Xie Chaoyuan’s hand and returned the flower to him. “You have done something like this, and I should scold you or even beat you, but this is the last time, it’s fine.”
“Don’t you want the flower?” Xie Chaoyuan asked.
“I have nothing to give you. You keep the flower.”
Xie Chaoyuan refused, “But I am a dying man. What use do I have for this?”
Xie Chaoling insisted on stuffing the flower into his hand. “Just take it.”
“…You will not die. I will find a way to save you before then and arrange for someone to send you away. Leave Daliang, go anywhere, and don’t be so willful again in the future.”
Xie Chaoyuan understood: “So that’s how you think, Brother.”
Xie Chaoling’s heart was filled with complicated emotions and he wanted to say something, but Xie Chaoyuan took his hand and said, “Let’s go, this is the last time. Let’s wander around the estate together.”
Xie Chaoling held back his words and didn’t want to spoil the mood anymore. “Alright.”
The autumn scenery in the estate was somewhat desolate, with yellow leaves scattered all over the ground. They walked towards the back garden and Xie Chaoling suddenly remembered that it was this time last year when Xie Chaoyuan had first brought him back to the estate. It had been a whole year already.
They arrived at the pavilion on the hill and Xie Chaoling picked up some fish food, as he had done many times before, to feed the fish.
The fish were still wriggling and fighting for the food. Xie Chaoling watched for a while then suddenly laughed. “I told you before, your way of feeding the fish is wrong. Sooner or later, there will be a problem. Do you regret it now?”
Xie Chaoyuan threw a whole piece of green bean cake into the pond, just like he did every time. “No, I don’t regret it. I don’t want to regret it.”
Xie Chaoling’s smile faded slightly. “If I hadn’t lost my memory back then, where were you planning to hide me?”
Xie Chaoyuan didn’t answer. If Xie Chaoling hadn’t lost his memory, perhaps he could have hidden him for a longer time.
“You always act on impulse and make things difficult for others,” he said.
Xie Chaoyuan turned his head and smiled at him, “Brother just said we didn’t come here to accuse anyone.”
Xie Chaoling stopped talking and focused on throwing the fish food bit by bit.
After feeding the fish, they stood in the pavilion for a while. The wind picked up outside, and Xie Chaoyuan had someone bring a cloak and draped it over Xie Chaoling’s shoulders.
Xie Chaoling looked at him as he helped tighten it and whispered, “Let’s go back to our room. I’ll sit with you for a while before I leave.”
At four o’clock in the afternoon, the imperial carriage arrived at the Moon Altar.
There was still some time before nightfall, so Emperor Qianming and his entourage rested in the Jufu Hall after changing their clothes.
The Luanyi guards waited outside the hall, and General Chang Ke walked to the back of the team and called out a seemingly inconspicuous soldier. When they were in a secluded place, he lowered his voice and reminded him, “Second Prince, His Majesty is resting inside the hall. I have already spoken to the attendant in front of him, and he promised to take you in through the side door. Hurry up and go, be careful not to be seen.”
The soldier lifted his head, and it was none other than Xie Chaorong.
Xie Chaorong had survived a close brush with death and returned from the gates of h*ll. His body was thoroughly broken, and he knew that the mastermind behind his poisoning was Empress Dowager Zhao and Zhao Family. He was resentful and unwilling, so he bribed the soldiers who guarded him to pass a letter to Chang Ke. In the letter, he claimed that he was being mistreated and neglected by the servants who guarded him in the mansion, even the doctors who came to see him were not doing their best. He wanted an opportunity to plead with the emperor in person, hoping that his father-son relationship with the emperor would soften the emperor’s heart and let him out. In the future, he might have a chance to continue his ambitious plans, and if Chang Ke were willing to help, he would surely be rewarded.
The position of the commander-in-chief of the inner city garrison, Chang Ke, was taken by Zhao Shizi, which made the commander of the Luanyi Guards, who had no future prospects, very unwilling. He was persuaded by Xie Chaorong and decided to take a risk and help him this time. So, taking advantage of today’s sacrifice ceremony, Xie Chaorong managed to sneak into the palace and followed the Luanyi Guards here.
Xie Chaorong clenched his fist tightly and threw out the words “You did a good job,” then walked forward with a gloomy expression.
Chang Ke saw his expression and his heart jumped, suddenly feeling regretful, but he couldn’t stop Xie Chaorong anymore.
Xie Chaorong was brought into the hall and, in addition to Emperor Qianming, there were several old nobles, as well as Xie Chaoyi. Emperor Qianming only brought Xie Chaoyi, his youngest son, with him for this month’s sacrifice. This move was somewhat intriguing, considering the news of the crown prince’s collaboration with the enemy and treason. However, Emperor Qianming himself didn’t think too much about it. Except for Xie Chaohui, who was far away in the northwest, Xie Chaoyi was the only one who hadn’t caused any trouble for him. That’s why he brought him along.
The first to notice Xie Chaorong was an old noble, who was stunned at the sight of his face and blurted out, “You’re not…”
At this shout, everyone’s gaze fell on Xie Chaorong. He looked around the hall with a resentful expression and then locked his vicious eyes on Xie Chaoyi. Before anyone could react, he quickly rushed to Xie Chaoyi’s back, with a dagger in his hand, placed it horizontally on Xie Chaoyi’s neck, and fiercely grabbed his hair. Xie Chaoyi was instantly frightened, pale and screamed in terror.
“You wicked son! What are you doing!” Emperor Qianming scolded sternly.
Xie Chaorong pulled Xie Chaoyi back, sneering and triumphantly said, “No one come closer, or I’ll kill him!”
In the residence of King Ke, Xie Chaoling personally lit incense in Xie Chaoyuan’s room and said to him, “This scent is so fragrant, much better than the dragon’s saliva incense.”
Xie Chaoyuan’s lips curled up slightly, “It’s rare for you to speak the truth today.”
Xie Chaoling was not annoyed and asked him, “What about that comb? I purposely left it at your estate. Did you see it after you asked me a few times before?”
“Brother left it on purpose?” Xie Chaoyuan took out the comb from his embrace, “I thought you didn’t want it anymore.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Xie Chaoling took the comb, rubbed it in his palm for a moment, and then returned it to Xie Chaoyuan, “When you insisted on wanting this comb before, was it because of what the vendor said when I bought it, or did someone tell you?”
At that time, he heard someone say that buying a comb as a gift for one’s beloved would be meaningful, so Xie Chaoling bought it on a whim. Although it was not worth much, it seemed to be endowed with some special meaning between them, making it particularly valuable.
Xie Chaoyuan smiled, “Was it really left for me on purpose? Will brother give it to someone else in the future?”
“….no.”
Xie Chaoyuan took the comb back into his arms and said, “I’ll keep it.”
There was another moment of silence before Xie Chaoyuan asked, “Do you have anything else to say to me?”
Xie Chaoling pulled him to sit on the couch and reached out to touch his face. “When you go out, remove the Gu. I know you must have other ways.”
Xie Chaoyuan didn’t say yes or no and just stared at him silently. Xie Chaoling felt a bit helpless and said, “You really caused me a lot of trouble this time.”
He should be angry with Xie Chaoyuan. Before yesterday, he was really angry, but after receiving the message from Xie Chaoyuan and realizing that it was the last time, he couldn’t help but leave the palace to meet him. So now he couldn’t get angry anymore. At this point, no matter how angry he was, it was meaningless.
“I’m sorry,” Xie Chaoyuan suddenly said.
Xie Chaoling was stunned, as if it was the first time he had ever heard Xie Chaoyuan say those two words. He couldn’t react for a moment and asked, “You apologized to me?”
“I hurt you and made you feel upset. I should apologize,” Xie Chaoyuan spoke slowly, but the emotions in his eyes were hard to read.
Xie Chaoling forced a smile and said, “Never mind, I didn’t come here to demand an apology.”
“If you send me away, what about after that? Will you still think of me?” Xie Chaoyuan asked.
I won’t think about it anymore, Xie Chaoling thought to himself, if I keep thinking about it, it will be too uncomfortable.
Xie Chaoyuan saw the answer in Xie Chaoling’s eyes, so he didn’t insist on asking any further and hugged him.
“Be good and listen to me, don’t be willful anymore in the future,” Xie Chaoling leaned against him and reminded him again, worried.
After a while, Xie Chaoyuan chuckled meaningfully in his ear, “Would you still care about me even if I changed into someone else? Do you ever want me to return to Da Liang again in this lifetime?”
“Brother, if you want me to be obedient, I will be obedient,” Xie Chaoyuan leaned in and lightly touched his lips, lowering his voice, “Come with me.”
With the last unclear sound, Xie Chaoling’s lower lip was bitten, and he was momentarily blank. Xie Chaoyuan’s tongue slipped in, and before Xie Chaoling could react, something was fed into his mouth. He instinctively swallowed it, and when he tried to spit it out, it was already too late.
Xie Chaoling’s hand, which was resting on Xie Chaoyuan’s shoulder, tightened, and his expression turned cold. “What did you feed me?” he asked.
Xie Chaoyuan stroked his cheek and said again, “Brother, come with me.”
“What did you feed me?” Xie Chaoling raised his voice.
He had been careful enough today, not even drinking a sip of water in the King Ke Mansion, but he still fell into a trap. And even at this point, Xie Chaoyuan still couldn’t be content!
“Are you really insane? How are you going to take me away? Do you really think you can take me with you? You can’t even leave yourself. What are you trying to do?!”
“Fourth Brother will help me,” Xie Chaoyuan explained in a low voice. “I made a deal with him. He will help me take away the current Crown Prince, and in return, he will have all the intelligence networks I have in the capital. He will send people to cover us until we reach beyond the borders of the capital region. Moreover, there will surely be a big commotion at the Moon Altar today. Nobody will be paying attention to us, and we will definitely be able to escape.”
It was ridiculous!
But Xie Chaoyuan’s eyes told him that this was real. He had planned all of this for a long time, waiting for this day.
Xie Chaoling felt his strength gradually slipping away. He gritted his teeth and asked, “Even at this moment, you still won’t repent? You’ve schemed against me, ruined my reputation, just for this? You know that even if I don’t say anything, King Ding will eventually expose your identity. You’ve planned to leave all along, so you don’t care at all?”
Xie Chaoyuan did not deny it. He raised his hand and wiped the cold sweat from Xie Chaoling’s forehead.
Since the day Xie Chaoling found out about his identity, he had only one choice. He had burned his bridges and was determined to take Xie Chaoling with him. He couldn’t leave a way out for Xie Chaoling. Once Xie Chaoling was no longer the Crown Prince, he would no longer have a place in Da Liang.
Xie Chaoyuan’s voice was even softer. “This is the last time. I promise you, I’ll listen to you in everything from now on, and I won’t lie to you again.”
Xie Chaoling was so weak that he couldn’t even lift his fingers. Xie Chaoyuan held him in his arms, and he couldn’t push him away. His consciousness was also gradually fading. “Do you have to do this?”
Xie Chaoyuan’s kiss fell on his forehead, like a sigh. “Follow me to leave.”
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