TPATTHU Chapter 85

Chapter 85: The Beauty and Filth He Brought, The Joy and Sin He Brought

The Grand Empress Dowager Liang said, “Nonsense! Do you know who Shen Zhejiang is? Being together with him will be punished by the heavens!”

……Punished by the heavens?

He and Shen Zhejiang were not related by blood or family. If there were taboos, could it be that they were the only ones in the world with such a taboo relationship?

He didn’t believe it.

Xiao Zhinian said, “Then let a lightning strike kill Us both.”

Grand Empress Dowager Liang had always doted on Xiao Zhinian, unwilling to even say harsh words, but at this moment, she was so angered by this grandson that she gasped for breath. “You… you are muddled! Shen Zhejiang is your royal uncle!! You—!”

Before she could finish speaking, she couldn’t catch her breath and almost fainted on the spot.

Lan Shu hurriedly stroked Grand Empress Dowager Liang’s back to help her breathe.

Xiao Zhinian was already frozen.

Wh-what? Royal uncle… what royal uncle?

How did he and Shen Zhejiang have this kind of relationship?

“Back then, this old one listened to slander and harmed Imperial Concubine Jing. Now, this retribution has finally fallen on this old one’s head…” Grand Empress Dowager Liang laboriously opened her eyelids to look at Xiao Zhinian standing opposite her. “When Shen Zhejiang passed the imperial examination, this old one saw him from afar. There was some resemblance to Imperial Concubine Jing in his features. This old one became suspicious and ordered people to investigate secretly, only to discover that Shen Zhejiang was also suffering from an illness, cough cough…”

So?

Xiao Zhinian suddenly thought of what Zhao Taiyi had said when examining Shen Zhejiang’s pulse that day: three identical pulse readings, the last two of which were Shen Zhejiang’s.

“That illness is exactly the same as Imperial Concubine Jing’s. It was something Imperial Concubine Jing had from the womb. It can’t be cured. She told this old one that it can only be maintained. Live for as long as you can,” Grand Empress Dowager Liang almost couldn’t make a sound at the end. “Nian’er, listen to your royal grandmother, don’t mess around with Shen Zhejiang anymore. It’s a karmic debt…”

“Even if it’s a karmic debt, We want to continue it with him! So what if he’s Our royal uncle? We don’t acknowledge it! There’s nothing in this world that We can’t decide!”

Xiao Zhinian suddenly stood up and blocked Shen Zhejiang, protectively, not allowing anyone to approach.

Grand Empress Dowager Liang was speechless for a moment, her tone filled with vicissitudes. “Are you really going to do this?”

“…Please forgive Us for being unfilial, Royal Grandmother.”

Xiao Zhinian said.

－

The long spear was unstoppable, rushing straight at Wang Chengming.

He narrowed his eyes and dodged to the side, the fierce cold light grazed his cheek, splashing a streak of blood.

Before he could dodge again, the long spear paused in mid-air and chased after Wang Chengming, stabbing straight at him.

Wang Chengming had no choice but to counter each move, but unfortunately, the opponent was relentlessly pursuing him, fierce and fast, and he was about to be unable to withstand it.

“Your Majesty! You promised not to hit my face! A few more scratches and I’ll be disfigured!! I admit defeat, can’t I admit defeat!!”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhinian suddenly retracted his long spear, standing not far from Wang Chengming, his voice low and as if suppressing some emotion. “No, again.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he simply dropped the weapon in his hand and fought with his bare hands.

Crazy.

Wang Chengming cursed inwardly.

He was originally going back to the North Borders today, but Xiao Zhinian didn’t know what madness he was up to, and directly dragged him to the training grounds, saying he wanted to spar.

But what he never expected was that he was completely here to be a punching bag.

Speaking of which, Your Majesty, even if you were frustrated with Master Shen, don’t take it out on me, okay!!

You really don’t care about my life or death!!

An hour passed, and Wang Chengming was lying on the training platform in a large character shape, acting like a rogue, with colorful marks on his face.

It was freezing cold, but he was sweating profusely.

Xiao Zhinian didn’t feel tired at all, kicked his leg, and coldly ordered, “Get up, continue.”

Wang Chengming felt that if this continued, it wouldn’t just be a few scars on his face. “If Your Majesty has any small disagreements with Master Shen, just discuss it directly. Why bother torturing yourself?”

He wanted to too, but how could he?

He couldn’t forgive himself.

Knowing that Shen Zhejiang was his royal uncle, yet he still imprisoned and manipulated Shen Zhejiang, holding down Shen Zhejiang and kissing him frantically. All sorts of details, the beauty and filth he brought to him, the joy and sin he brought to him.

It seemed that there was a rampant and hideous evil spirit desperately chasing after him, opening its bloody mouth to swallow him in one bite.

But he still refused to let go.

Was it a sense of guilt?

He roared and asked in his heart.

For a moment, Xiao Zhinian really wanted to rush to Shen Zhejiang, and with this contradictory feeling that violated human ethics, sink into depravity and die with him.

To hell with the heavenly punishment!

—But did he really not care?

If Shen Zhejiang knew, he would rather die than entangle with him again.

No, he absolutely could not let Shen Zhejiang know.

Xiao Zhinian also lay down on the other side of Wang Chengming, looking at the sky, the drifting white clouds flowing by, and the sunlight shining down, but it wasn’t warm.

Since the showdown with Grand Empress Dowager Liang that day, Shen Zhejiang had shown no signs of waking up. Xiao Zhinian was afraid that he was unwilling to wake up.

“What are you going to do with your sister after this?”

After a while, Xiao Zhinian asked.

Wang Chengming seemed to be thinking too. “Who knows, I’m going back to the North Borders. Whether my sister agrees or not, I have to make it clear to her.”

After a pause, he turned his face and muttered in a low voice, “Anyway, she’s not my biological sister.”

Wang Xiuyi was not Wang Shouchi’s biological daughter. Wang Chengming learned about this unintentionally. It was precisely because of this that he dared to be blatant, otherwise, he would probably hide this feeling forever.

Fortunately, she wasn’t.

In any case, he always had to try, at worst, he would be beaten up by his sister.

And Xiao Zhinian learned about this from Wang Chengming. At that time, Xiao Zhinian was still the Crown Prince.

He still remembered that he had ridiculed Wang Chengming for being timid at that time. Since he liked her, he should be more direct. Now, the tables had turned, and it was his turn to be tangled and unclear.

The two bitter men chatted like this, not caring about the relationship between ruler and subject at all.

“I still remember three years ago when Your Majesty and Master Shen had a joyous day. I didn’t even have time to drink a sip of wedding wine. I wonder if I can ask for a cup at the imperial concubine conferral ceremony?”

“Of course, We will wait for your good news in the Capital City.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Wang Chengming supported himself with his elbow and got up, smiling and saying, “I will first congratulate Your Majesty and Master Shen on a happy marriage and an early birth of a son.”

Xiao Zhinian grunted, stood up and said, “By the way, the Northern Barbarians intend to attack the city southward. When you return to the North Borders, remind Wang Xiuyi to pay attention to their movements. There will probably be more than one battle next year.”

He jumped off the training platform, threw the long spear in his hand towards the weapon rack, and steadily returned to its original position.

Speaking of serious matters, Wang Chengming’s expression immediately became serious, and he said behind Xiao Zhinian, “This subordinate will definitely guard the border and drive out the Northern Barbarians.”