Chapter 75

The words "good intentions" and the eerie look on his mother's face when she said them made Zong Zi Heng stand in the middle of the hall with no support. His mind replaying them over and over again. There was a sharp, cold seed that sprouted in his heart.

The investigation of this assassination eventually evolved into a protracted conflict.

The empress, who had lost her only son, became hysterical and no longer needed even the last veil of hypocrisy, insisting that it must have been Shen Shi Yao or Chu Ying Ruo who had poisoned Zong Zi Mo, and that they were the only ones who had wished her first son dead most.

Such accusations were too sensational and exaggerated, but the Empress had the support from Wuliang Sect, while Consort Shen and Consort Chu had no one to depend on, so Zong Ming He had to order a thorough investigation of the harem. A large number of guards entered the Qinghui Pavilion and the Bailu Pavilion, turning them inside and out, not even sparing their personal clothing.

Looking at his mother crying in pain from the humiliation, Zong Zi Heng was angry and heartbroken, regretting that he had actually doubted his mother. In fact, if he thought about it carefully, he should understand that such a thorough plan and meticulous action could not be done by a woman who was always in the deep palace. Although his mother's cultivation level was not bad among the imperial concubines, she could not even leave the Wuji Palace, so how could she get the poison and assassinate an imperial son under heavy defence?

Zong Zi Xiao was equally furious and trembling, and was about to have a fit when Zong Zi Heng yanked him aside.

"Let go of me." Zong Zi Xiao wrenched his big brother's hand away with force and fury, "They even want to touch my mother's bed! How dare they!"

"This is never the time to bring trouble to yourself and let the Empress hold something against you." Zong Zi Heng's hand pressed against the back of his brother's head, "Bear with it."

"We also want to find out who harmed Second Brother, but she suspects our mothers without any evidence!" Zong Zi Xiao said viciously.

"I know." Zong Zi Heng said in that calm, warm voice in his brother's ear, "Bear with it."

The guards went through Bailu Pavilion and again found nothing suspicious. As Chu Ying Ruo watched her boudoir in disarray, she sobbed in a small voice. That weeping beauty’s appearance made people take pity on her.

"Mother, don't cry." Zong Zi Xiao, who was already a little more than half a head taller than his own mother, put his arm around her and comforted her softly.

Shen Shi Yao also went to Chu Ying Ruo's side and said with red eyes, "Sister, don't be sad. If this can prove our innocence, we will acknowledge it. Sister will help you clean up."

Li Xiang Tong, however, refused to let the matter rest. In fact everyone knew that what she really wanted to investigate was Zong Zi Heng and Zong Zi Xiao, but because of their status, she could not brazenly rise in revolt, so she proposed her own father and brother to re-interrogate everyone who was in the Wuji Palace that day.

This angered Zong Ming He. He also wanted to find out who had poisoned his son, but he would never let the people of the Wuliang Sect run amok in his palace. In the end, with a compromise between the two sides, he allowed Li Bu Yu to be involved in the investigation.

And so, the whole winter, including the New Year, Daming City has passed time under the enveloping dark and gloomy clouds.

Zong Zi Xiao has always hated Li Bu Yu, and Li Bu Yu, who’s sad and haggard from the death of his cousin, did not bother to be falsely polite to Zong Zi Xiao. Even when he looked at him, his eyes seemed to have a deeper meaning.

During the investigation, Li Bu Yu also asked some meaningful questions from time to time. Even though he asked each of these questions, Zong Zi Xiao felt that Li Bu Yu was targeting him.

He told his big brother about this, but Zong Zi Heng did not believe him: "You always have many preconceptions about Bu Yu. Since Father has asked him to assist in the investigation, isn't it right for him to question everyone in the Wuji Palace?"

Zong Zi Xiao said coldly, "But when he asked me those questions, it was as if he treated me like a murderer."

"He also asked me the same questions. In order to find out the murderer, he naturally had to go into great detail." Zong Zi Heng said in a low voice, "Besides, the empress must have told him a lot of suspicions about us, and no matter what he thinks in his mind, we can only cooperate."

"Cooperate?" Zong Zi Xiao let out a cold laugh, "Father told people to search Bailu Pavilion, I can only 'cooperate'. Who the hell does Li Bu Yu think he is? Asking me to cooperate."

"Xiao Jiu."

"Big brother." Zong Zi Xiao grimaced, "What, just because he gave you a True Essence Jade Training Pill, are you going to speak for him instead? You saved his life, isn't it worth a mere pill? It's just what he returned to you."

Zong Zi Heng's face also sank. His brother was used to being arrogant and often spoke with a loose tongue when he was unhappy: "Suit yourself."

Seeing that his big brother was angry, Zong Zi Xiao coaxed hurriedly, "Alright, alright, I'll just listen to you. Don't be angry. You're so easily angry these days." At the end of the sentence, his voice became smaller and smaller, with some aggravation.

Zong Zi Heng was stunned for a moment.

"Big brother, it's been so long since it happened, and you still can't let it go?" Zong Zi Xiao looked at the light sorrow that seemed to have frozen on his big brother's face, thinking that he still missed Hua Yu Xin, his heart clogged up, "You used to love to smile, but now, I hardly see you smile anymore."

Zong Zi Heng subconsciously touched his face.

Was it? Had he not smiled for a long time?

Perhaps. How could a person who carried secrets all day long, living in worry, resentment, fear and confusion, smile?

Zong Zi Xiao's heart was filled with helpless jealousy as he said, lost in thought, "What do you have to do to change back to the big brother in the past?"

Zong Zi Heng stroked his brother's head, "People will change, you will understand when you are older."

Zong Zi Xiao was silent for a long time: "Will you still like other people in the future?"

"... I don't know."

"What's good about her? That she's pretty?"

"Zong Zi Xiao, I don't want to talk about this."

Zong Zi Xiao suddenly propped both hands on Zong Zi Heng's thighs and brought his face close to his eyes, "Big brother, am I prettier than her?"

At fourteen years old, he had fully inherited his mother's stunning beauty, and with his skeletal structure still intact, and the blending of yin and yang, and male and female, he had less of Chu Ying Ruo's inviting charm, and was even more outstanding.

Such an outstanding beauty cannot be encompassed by the mere word "beautiful".

When Zong Zi Heng met his brother's charming fox eyes, his heart trembled slightly and he turned his face away: "Listen to what you're saying. You want to compete with a girl's beauty? Are you mature or not?"

"I don't need to compare. I want you to answer me." Zong Zi Xiao used his hand to straighten Zong Zi Heng’s chin, "Am I better looking than Hua Yu Xin?"

"Xiao Jiu, what the hell are you …?"

"Would you like me?" Zong Zi Xiao stared intently into his big brother's eyes, "Do you like how pretty she is, that she is not a bad cultivator, or do you like something else?"

Zong Zi Heng didn’t know whether to cry or laugh, "What are you going crazy about again?"

Zong Zi Xiao asked relentlessly, "What is it that she has that I don't? Why can't big brother like me?"

Zong Zi Heng frowned at the person in front of him. He could no longer tell if Zong Zi Xiao was serious or teasing him. Such words sounded too bizarre and his scalp went numb.

"Big brother, I was serious when I said I wanted to marry you and for you to like me."

Zong Zi Heng pushed Zong Zi Xiao away and rebuked, "How old are you? You are not a small boy anymore. At your age, you should almost understand everything you should and shouldn't. How can you tease me with such nonsense?"

"Who's teasing you?" Zong Zi Xiao was furious, "I said I was serious."

"Nonsense." Zong Zi Heng took a deep breath. He wondered if he had protected Xiao Jiu too well. Afraid that he really knew nothing about men and women. Didn't he even understand that there was a big difference between liking and liking? He said patiently, "You are so big now, do you want me to tell you that we are blood brothers and that we are both men? If you don't understand, big brother can explain it to you, but you're not allowed to say these nonsense words again ... You haven't said it to anyone else, have you?"

Zong Zi Xiao watched his big brother get a little anxious. He wanted to use his loudest voice to tell his big brother that he understood everything, but he didn't dare. He didn't want to see more embarrassment from this face anymore.

Zong Zi Xiao lowered his head in defeat.

Zong Zi Heng said to his younger brother in a teaching tone, just like he had done countless times before, "What brothers like about each other are not the same as what men and women like about each other. Big brother also wants to be with you forever, but we don't need to be married. You should stop thinking nonsense. When you meet a girl you like, you will naturally understand."

Zong Zi Xiao turned his face away. Using a tight jaw line, he left an unclear answer for Zong Zi Heng.

Sooner or later, he would let big brother know that he didn't need a girl he liked, he just wanted big brother.

---

In the blink of an eye, winter turned to spring. A year had passed since the Jiaolong assembly, and the storm in the immortal cultivation world had never stopped.

The Huaying Sect and the Wuyun Sect fought endlessly. Yan Shu and the Chasing Mountain Whip were still missing. The Human Emperor announced at his birthday banquet that he had broken through to the eighth Chongtian of the Zongxuan Sword. And on the same day, the first son was poisoned and killed, and the murderer had not been found to date. Everything that has happened this year seems to be moving more and more out of control in the same direction. Everyone saw the water rippling caused by blowing wind, but they may not be able to glimpse at the hidden vortex beneath the surface of the water.

In order to lift this curtain of water and see the man-eating whirlpool, all it seemed to need was an opportunity.

That opportunity soon came --- Emperor Zong was about to quench a sword with Shen Nong Ding for the Emperor's Ninth Son, who had won the championship at the Jiaolong assembly.

Zong Zi Heng had thought that the death of his second brother would put the matter on hold indefinitely. After all, the empress’ feelings could not be disregarded, so even he felt that this action was not appropriate.

Naturally, this matter was strongly opposed by Li Xiang Tong, who even argued with Zong Ming He in front of the concubines. Leaving the entire harem in a state of pandemonium.

This time, Shen Shi Yao did not gloat over the incident. She talked about it as usual while working on the embroidery in her hands, but when Zong Zi Heng asked about the details of the argument, she said with a light smile, "What else can I do? The emperor's mind is now on Consort Chu and Xiao Jiu. He originally disliked Li Xiang Tong, and now that the child is gone, the two have not been cohabiting for a long time.”

Zong Zi Heng frowned as he pondered something.

"The emperor is going to quench the sword for Xiao Jiu with the Shen Nong Ding. Next, he’s probably going to make him the Crown Prince." Shen Shi Yao looked up at her son, her cherry lips slightly pursed, "If Xiao Jiu really becomes the Human Emperor in the future, as a big brother, how should you handle yourself? Should you be docile and obedient to him?"

"..."

"You are the eldest son of the emperor, and in terms of any qualifications, you are more deserving than him to be the Human Emperor. It's a pity ah." Shen Shi Yao lowered her head and continued embroidering the silk handkerchief in her hand, her tone indifferent and cold, "The sun and the moon cannot shine together."

----

Edited on 2 Apr. 21 (Emzie)

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