TPATTHU Chapter 12
by VolareChapter 12: This Prince Will Tell Mister a Secret
A path cleared as the crowd retreated to both sides, and the Wu Kun Emperor, clad in a dragon robe, slowly appeared, his footsteps rustling.
“Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!”
A chorus rang out.
The Wu Kun Emperor nodded, saying, “Rise, my subjects. This humble one was a step late to Shen Qing’s wedding banquet. Bring it up.”
As soon as his voice fell, two small eunuchs tremblingly carried a stretcher, and with a thud, a heavy wooden box was placed in the center of the hall.
The box lid flipped open, and golden light glittered.
It was filled with gold and silver jewelry.
The officials stirred in an uproar, never expecting His Majesty to treat Shen Zhejiang with such generosity.
Shen Zhejiang’s back was drenched in sweat, but he patted Xiao Zhinian’s hand in his sleeve to reassure him, not even glancing at the box, and took two steps towards the Wu Kun Emperor.
“Your Majesty’s presence is already my greatest fortune. How dare I ask for too much? Please, Your Majesty, take it back. Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace.”
The Wu Kun Emperor rarely smiled, saying, “Who said the person I wanted to give it to was you?”
Which meant that these were all rewards for Wang Xiuyi.
Shen Zhejiang’s whole heart was in his throat, but his face remained impassive as he said, “The rules in my residence are very strict. Since Miss Wang has entered my household, she should be diligent and thrifty, and not easily accumulate wealth.”
“This is not for you to answer.”
“Your subject…”
His sleeve was lightly tugged.
Xiao Zhinian, masquerading as Wang Xiuyi, had unknowingly walked to his side, hooked his arm through Shen Zhejiang’s, and whispered intimately into Shen Zhejiang’s ear in front of everyone.
Shen Zhejiang’s eyes flickered slightly, saying, “‘Miss Wang’ asked me to convey her gratitude to Your Majesty. She follows my wishes.”
Hai Sanqing, the attendant serving beside the Wu Kun Emperor, his pale eyebrows twitched, sternly said, “Bold! Wang Xiuyi, could it be that His Majesty cannot even hear your voice?”
Shen Zhejiang calmly replied, “It’s not that. My wife carelessly injured her throat while practicing martial arts the other day, and her voice is hoarse. I dare not defile Your Majesty’s ears.”
“You…”
Hai Sanqing wanted to rebuke him further, but was interrupted by the Wu Kun Emperor.
“Shen Qing excels in knowledge and is most adept at debate,” the Wu Kun Emperor waved his hand, and just as Shen Zhejiang thought he would no longer pursue this point, he suddenly changed the subject, “This Miss Wang is extremely similar to the Crown Prince in both figure and posture. Take off the veil and let this humble one see if you are him?”
Shen Zhejiang’s heart skipped a beat.
If the Wu Kun Emperor knew that it was Xiao Zhinian, not only would Xiao Zhinian be severely punished, but he and the people of the Ministry of War would also be charged with the crime of deceiving the emperor.
Thinking of this, Shen Zhejiang raised his hand in front of Xiao Zhinian, stopping the eunuch who wanted to remove the red silk from Xiao Zhinian’s head, and coldly said, “Wait.”
“What? Shen Zhejiang, are you defying the imperial decree?” The Wu Kun Emperor’s face was gloomy.
“Your Majesty, according to the wedding customs of our dynasty, the bride’s veil should be lifted by the groom himself, symbolizing a harmonious union,” Shen Zhejiang said with a slight frown, “Let me do it.”
The Wu Kun Emperor did not say anything, taking it as tacit consent.
Shen Zhejiang turned around, facing Xiao Zhinian, his heart filled with both sorrow and resentment. Lifting it would probably be the last time he saw him.
He never expected it would be like this.
His previous secret affection for Xiao Zhinian was now filling his heart and overflowing.
Since there would be no chance to meet again, Shen Zhejiang inevitably felt moved. The shackles imposed by the mundane world were loosened in an instant, and he wanted to say many things.
Thousands of words eventually turned into, he pressed his forehead against Xiao Zhinian’s forehead, and inadvertently touched Xiao Zhinian’s palm, and slipped down, his fingers interlacing with hers, forming interlocked fingers.
Xiao Zhinian couldn’t see anything through the red silk, let alone the expression on Shen Zhejiang’s face, with tenderness, reluctance, attachment, and deep affection, but he could clearly feel Shen Zhejiang’s actions, and couldn’t help but be surprised——
He had never received the slightest response from Shen Zhejiang.
“Xiao Zhinian, I like you too.”
A soft murmur, like a gentle dreamlike whisper.
Right next to his ear.
It was so soft that Xiao Zhinian almost thought he was hallucinating.
For a moment, Xiao Zhinian was so impulsive that he wanted to throw away this annoying red cloth and ask Shen Zhejiang if he had just said such a thing.
He wanted to confirm.
Shen Zhejiang raised his other hand, pinched the corner of the swaying red veil, and with a little force.
“Shoosh—clang!”
The metallic clash cut through the silence.
A sharp arrow grazed past the Wu Kun Emperor’s temples, the sharp arrowhead cutting off several strands of black and white hair, scattering in the air.
The Wu Kun Emperor’s body suddenly froze, his eyes widened in shock, reflecting two arrows simultaneously embedded in the wall.
A moment of deathly silence.
“Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!! Catch the assassin!”
It was unknown who was the first to burst out in a scream.
Everything was in chaos.
The life-fearing court officials fled outwards like startled sparrows, while the surging guards intercepted them in the opposite direction.
“Zhejiang!”
Han Zitang flashed to the direction of Shen Zhejiang to resist, but was repeatedly pushed away by the continuous crowd, like a chasm. He finally squeezed over there, only to find that someone was one step faster than him.
Amidst the chaos, Xiao Zhinian protected Shen Zhejiang behind him, while pulling him around, running towards the less crowded and empty backyard.
There was no one here, so Xiao Zhinian simply tore off the red veil, holding it in his hand.
The air flowed into his nose and mouth, and the stuffy atmosphere suddenly became refreshing.
His robe gently fluttered in the wind, and all he could hear was the whistling of the wind.
“Your Highness!”
Shen Zhejiang was calling him.
Xiao Zhinian turned back to smile at Shen Zhejiang, he looked very happy, smiling purely and warmly, and asked, “Mister, what’s wrong?”
Shen Zhejiang was running out of breath, the front hall was in a complete mess, seeing Xiao Zhinian was still smiling cheekily, without a proper appearance, he was even more annoyed.
“Your Highness…..what is this doing……”
Shen Zhejiang asked while panting.
Xiao Zhinian pulled him into the room, and closed the door, finally becoming quiet, he breathed in and laughed out loud.
“Hahaha! So much fun! Those ministers are more timid than voles, look at them, I’m dying of laughter!”
Shen Zhejiang covered his heaving chest, he had run too violently just now, and his face finally turned a little rosy: “…What nonsense are you talking about again, Your Highness?”
“I’m not just playing around, isn’t this helping Mister out of trouble?”
Xiao Zhinian blinked his eyes and looked at Shen Zhejiang, he said it innocently, and it seemed that Shen Zhejiang was the aggressive one.
Really!
“Reversing black and white,” Shen Zhejiang adopted the posture of a strict teacher, intending to interrogate Xiao Zhinian, “Everything today was planned by Your Highness and Miss Wang?”
“That’s right!” Xiao Zhinian generously admitted, “As for Wang Xiuyi, Mister, you can forget about her, she already has someone she likes! This is an agreement between me and her, and cannot be told to outsiders.”
Heh…
Shen Zhejiang sneered in his heart, after provoking others, he came to provoke him, saying it so intimately, what agreement or no agreement! Just go and live with Miss Wang!
Thinking so, his face turned three points colder.
“However,” Xiao Zhinian did not notice the change in his expression, and said frankly, “Mister is my person, so it’s okay to say it.”
After he finished speaking, he tiptoed and whispered two sentences in Shen Zhejiang’s ear, and Shen Zhejiang opened his eyes incredulously.
“What??”