Chapter 60

When Zong Zi Xiao arrived, he caught a glimpse of the yellow talisman taped to the window. He tore off the talisman and jumped through the window, shouting anxiously, "Big brother?!"

A suppressed, ragged gasp came from the corner.

The scent of flowers still lingered inside the house, and Zong Zi Xiao held his breath as he cautiously walked over.

Through the hazy moonlight, Zong Zi Xiao saw a soft, unkempt white figure huddled in a corner. His white clothes and snowy skin were indistinguishable from the autumn scenery. The night was so bleak, and he was so bright that he seemed to have captured all the light in the world. Looking up at the moon in the sky, the new moon is like a hook, looking down at the man on the ground, the beauty and the person deeply attached to each other, like a pair of couplet written with gorgeous ornate phrases, hanging between heaven and earth, the banner is written - Qinghui Pavilion enjoys clear and bright light.

Zong Zi Xiao only felt that his heart was like a running horse, running wildly without stopping. Many years later, he was certain that it was at this moment that he realized that his feelings for Zong Zi Heng were out of the ordinary.

Zong Zi Xiao came back to his senses and busily helped Zong Zi Heng up, "Big brother, what's wrong?"

"Don't ... don't smell ..." Zong Zi Heng's eyes were misty, his face was flushed, sweat was soaked through his lapel, his chest was mostly bare, he looked extremely embarrassed.

Zong Zi Xiao's Adam's apple had roughly just grown, like a tiny bean sliding under the skin. He forced himself to take his gaze away from Zong Zi Heng's jade-like chest and gather his loose clothes: "Big brother, what's wrong? Have you been poisoned?"

"Take me out, quick."

Zong Zi Xiao carried Zong Zi Heng on his back and jumped out of the window nimbly. With the cold wind blowing, Zong Zi Heng was instantly awake in just a few moments.

"Big brother, what has poisoned you? Was it that scent?" Zong Zi Xiao had a slight guess in his mind, even though he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, after all, he had read the book before.

"..." Zong Zi Heng was ashamed to say it. Not that he was shameful about the love potion, but that the person who had poisoned him was actually his own mother!

"Big brother?"

"You go in, take my clothes ... and cover Miss Hua up and bring her out."

"What? Hua, Hua Yu Xin is in there?" This completely solidified his suspicions, and once the cause and effect were connected, Zong Zi Xiao understood it all, and he said sternly, "Who did this? Was it... "

"Shhh, lower your voice. You go quickly. It's better not attract anyone here." Zong Zi Heng anxiously gave him a push.

Zong Zi Xiao was surprised to find blood on the floor. He opened Zong Zi Heng's hand and saw that his palm was a bloody mess, full of blood marks left by nails embedded deep in it. His eyes were red with shock and anger.

"Go on!" Zong Zi Heng urged in a weak voice.

Zong Zi Xiao gritted his teeth and turned to walk away.

Zong Zi Heng fell to the ground on his back without any regard for decency, allowing his hot body to press against the cold ground as much as possible to ease the pain. He ramped up his spiritual energy to excrete the drug. If he hadn't been resisting and the drug hadn't excrete along with his sweat, he didn't know what irrevocable things he would have done by now.

All the torment, humiliation and anger were no match for the pain of being set up by his own mother. He couldn't understand why she had done such a reckless and stupid thing!

The sound of footsteps and chatter came from the distance, and Zong Zi Heng struggled to get up from the ground, thinking about how to settle this matter.

At that moment, Zong Zi Xiao came out with Hua Yu Xin in his arms: "Big brother, what should we do with her?"

Zong Zi Heng was simply in a terrible fix as he listened to the approaching noises, but he knew for sure that he could not leave Hua Yu Xin here, nor could he just send her back, so he gritted his teeth, "Sword flight out of the palace."

Sword flight is not allowed in the entire Daming City, but recently the city was full of foreign guests, and every day there were those who forgot the rules and flew around in the sky. Since the superiors did not pursue them, the guards turned a blind eye, so the two of them successfully took Hua Yu Xin and flew out of Wuji Palace to a carriage station outside the city, where they had agreed to meet with Xu Zhi Nan and Qi Meng Sheng.

Zong Zi Heng was an hour late, but when they saw the three of them running in embarrassingly, Xu Zhi Nan and Qi Meng Sheng both tensed up.

"Zi Heng, what happened to you guys? Have you run into any danger?"

Zong Zi Heng waved his hand and was helped to sit down on a chair by Zong Zi Xiao, who took the tea on the table and drank it down in one go.

Everyone in the room looked at him, and then at Hua Yu Xin, who was unconscious, dishevelled and wrapped up tightly.

Zong Zi Heng wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, lost in thought, "Talking about this matter, it is really...shameful."

Qi Meng Sheng scowled with a cold eye and said nonchalantly, "Could it be you did something to Miss Hua?"

The murderous intent in Zong Zi Xiao's eyes boiled over, "How could my big brother have done anything to her!? Don’t spout nonsense!”

Qi Meng Sheng, neither haughty nor humble said, "Then let's hear Your Highness explain."

Zong Zi Heng took a deep breath, "I will explain later. Flying Plume Ambassador, please help Miss Hua force out the residual drug in her body and tidy her up."

Qi Meng Sheng glanced at Hua Yu Xin and said to Xu Zhi Nan, "Go and ask the innkeeper to open two other guest rooms. Your Highness, you should also tidy up a bit."

The innkeeper quickly prepared a bathtub and a new set of clothes for Zong Zi Heng.

Zong Zi Heng was so weak and feeble that he even shook while walking, but he insisted on not letting Zong Zi Xiao help him bathe, "Hurry up and get out, I can wash myself."

"I'm afraid you'll pass out." Zong Zi Xiao said angrily, "Wouldn't it be a joke for the Eldest Prince of the Daming Zong clan to drown in the bath?"

Zong Zi Heng said in a loud voice, "I said I'm fine, get out!" How could he let his younger brother see his embarrassing state?

Zong Zi Xiao grunted in dissatisfaction and slammed the door to leave.

Only then did Zong Zi Heng undress and climb into the tub. He was humiliated by the embarrassing sight of his lower body, but now that he was finally alone to ‘tidy’ himself up. In the quiet environment, surrounded by warm water, his heart, which had been tense for half the night, relaxed a little. He leaned back against the edge of the tub, closed his eyes and soothed his restless agitation.

What he didn't know was that Zong Zi Xiao hadn't gone far, and merely listened to the movements inside through a door sheet, using his spiritual power to enhance his hearing.

Zong Zi Xiao was genuinely afraid that Zong Zi Heng would pass out from physical exhaustion, but when he heard the odd and low moan coming from inside, he froze for a moment until he understood, and his whole body turned almost red from head to toe as he diffidently touched his boiling face and quietly left.

---

"Consort Shen did this?!" Xu Zhi Nan's jaw dropped, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Zong Zi Heng's expression was extremely unsightly. He lowered his head and said in a deep voice: "It is said that family shame must not be disclosed. I really can't help it, and I still hope you two will keep it a secret for me."

Qi Meng Sheng snorted coldly, "Obscene."

The end of Zong Zi Heng's ears turned red, as if the word "obscene" had been put directly on his head. After all, a child shares their parents' honors and losses together.

Zong Zi Xiao glared at Qi Meng Sheng, but in his heart he actually agreed with her words.

He simply could not believe that Shen Shi Yao would do such a foolish thing. When he was young, he also liked Consort Shen very much. Thinking that she was gentle and beautiful, just like his big brother, and when he grew up, he could see Shen Shi Yao's scruples about his cultivation level. Although he was not as close to her as before, he still loved her. But what had happened tonight had almost destroyed his respect and love for Shen Shi Yao.

She had actually used such underhanded tactics to set up her son and an innocent girl? The thought that if he hadn't arrived in time and Zong Zi Heng lost control under the drug and really done something, he would never be able to forgive Shen Shi Yao for the rest of his life.

"My mother wants me to tie the knot with the Huaying Sect." Zong Zi Heng held his forehead, his temples throbbing with pain, "But I didn't expect that she would do something so ridiculous."

"So, after she saw that the Empress wanted Miss Hua to be her daughter-in-law as well, she took the desperate step of trying to cook the raw rice*." Xu Zhi Nan sighed, "It's really ... absurd." Since it was Zong Zi Heng's mother, he could not say unpleasant words, and could only sigh.

Qi Meng Sheng said, "Your Highness was able to have some perseverance and is worthy of being a modest gentleman. It’s just that we believe Your Highness, but outsiders may not. When Miss Hua wakes up, how can we explain it to her?"

Zong Zi Heng said in a weak voice, "I don't know."

Xu Zhi Nan said warmly, "Zi Heng, if Miss Hua learns the truth, and refuses to forgive and the matter becomes too big, the Zong clan will have to give an explanation to the Huaying Sect. When that happens, not only will you and Consort Shen's reputations be ruined, you will also surely be punished."

"... I know."

"But how should this be rounded off?"

"Do you know how Miss Hua appeared in Qinghui Pavilion?"

Zong Zi Heng shook his head again.

Xu Zhi Nan analyzed, "I think it is likely that she was invited there by Consort Shen. If she was taken captive, not to mention whether or not Consort Shen has the ability to do so, the Huaying Sect would have been in chaos by this time, and it would be impossible to not come looking for her."

"That makes sense, but even if she was invited to Qinghui Pavilion by Consort Shen, if she hasn't returned by this hour, her elder brother should be worried." Qi Meng Sheng said.

"So it's imperative that we send her back as soon as possible. If we let Hua Jun Cheng make a scene in Wuji Palace at this hour, everyone will know about it."

Clutching his sword, Zong Zi Xiao paced back and forth in the room. His concern for Zong Zi Heng's reputation and safety made it impossible for him to calm down and think.

Zong Zi Heng was equally at a loss as to how he was going to cover up his mother's wrongdoing and make Hua Yu Xin understand at the same time.

Xu Zhi Nan thought for a moment, "I do have a plan."

"Then say it quickly." Qi Meng Sheng urged in an unpleasant manner.

Everyone knows that Xu Zhi Nan is wise beyond his years. If only one’s cultivation level is high, one may not be able to lead a sect. There are too many lonely talents with high level cultivation  but a temperament that others cannot tolerate. Xu Zhi Nan has been appointed as the next head of the sect at a young age, he naturally was exceptional compared to others.

Therefore, if he said he had a plan, then it must be a real plan.

Xu Zhi Nan said, "I just smelled the scent of wine on Miss Hua's body, in addition to the love potion. Did she drink wine?”

"She drank at the banquet. I don't know how much she drank."

"We can set up a trap to make her think she was close to being victimized and we saved her, so we can kill two birds with one stone."

"Where's the other bird?" Zong Zi Xiao said in confusion.

Xu Zhi Nan said coldly, "Yan Shu. Exploit Miss Hua a little and lead him into a trap."

 

 ----

cook the raw rice*[生米煮成熟饭]--- What is done cannot be undone

 

Edited on 28 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

 

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