Chapter 779: Insecurities hidden
Jian Guozhi failed to convince Sheng Li to wait for a day. His wound still needed time to heal. However, Sheng Li didn"t listen to the First Prince. As soon as he learned about what happened in the Imperial Palace, it was impossible for him to stay behind in Changying.
Sheng Li was concerned more about Ying Lili and their soon-to-be-born twins than his wound. A minor one. In his eyes, it was a minor wound.
"Brother Jian, Luoyang is a few hours away from Changying. So, there is nothing to worry about me. Once I will be in the palace, I can take a rest as much as I want," Sheng Li explained to the First Prince, who could not help but agree with the Emperor"s decision.
However, he still asked the Royal Physician if Sheng Li would not fall sick during the journey.
"Your Highness, since the journey will be mostly in the carriage, so His Majesty doesn"t feel any major problem. However, because of the winters, the night temperature is not appropriate for travel," the Royal Physician pointed out his opinion. The drastic cold temperature of the night might make many of the soldiers sick and it would trouble them only.
"Then, I will leave. Rest can travel back in the early morning. My presence in Luoyang is mandatory. I need to be in the Palace. I do not know what Empress Dowager will do the next morning. If she can let her son eat the poison, then she can do anything," Sheng Li concluded and frowned.
"Then, the Emperor and I will leave for Luoyang with General Xiao and a piece of the army. The Royal Physician will also accompany us and Miss Wu Qinyang will return tomorrow along with the Commanders," Jian Guozhi stated. Sheng Li agreed with the First Prince"s suggestion and stood up.
"Xiao Zhan, is everything ready?" Sheng Li asked him.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Xiao Zhan said and bowed before him.
"Let"s have dinner first," Sheng Li said and walked ahead. The others followed him and they had their meals with an exquisite wine to keep their bodies warmer.
Before getting into the carriage, Sheng Li called Zhe Yan, who immediately came to him. "The offer is still valid. You can come with us to Luoyang. I need young men like you. I will be glad if you accept my offer," Sheng Li said.
"Zhe Yan, don"t refuse. It is a great opportunity which many wish for," Jian Guozhi suggested to him.
"I still need to pay my debts, Your Majesty. After repayment, I may come to Luoyang," Zhe Yan said. Sheng Li glanced at Commander Yao and asked him if he didn"t take care of that. Zhe Yan was bewildered to hear it.
"Your Majesty, I already paid the debt that Zhe Yan"s family owed," Commander Yao answered.
"Your Majesty," Zhe Yan murmured.
Sheng Li patted his shoulder. "You remind me of a very precious person to me. Unfortunately, he"s not with me anymore. But I do wish that you will come to Luoyang," Sheng Li turned a little emotional as he again recalled Hu Jingguo.
Sheng Li pulled his hand back and covered his ears
with woolen earm.u.f.fs. He got into the carriage, followed by Jian Guozhi.
Xiao Zhan closed the doors when Zhe Yan stopped him. Sheng Li looked outside, wondering if Zhe Yan would refuse again.
"Your Majesty, I will come to Luoyang. I am ready to serve you and the Empire," Zhe Yan told Sheng Li, who smiled.
"I will wait," Sheng Li said. Zhe Yan bowed ninety degrees while Xiao Zhan closed the doors. The chauffeur had worn a thick woolen overcoat, thick gloves, and woolen ear m.u.f.fs with a woolen headgear.
The chauffeur pulled the reins on the horses and the carriage moved forward. Xiao Zhan climbed on the horse and followed the carriage. Zhe Yan stepped back as another carriage pa.s.sed in front of him.
"Brother Sheng, our arrival will surprise the Empress Dowager. However, I am more anxious about the Fourth Brother"s reaction. He might start to hate himself," Jian Guozhi a.s.serted.
"For Brother Nianzu, I hid the truth, Brother Jian. However, if we keep a snake in our house, it will attack us instead of staying quiet. Also, Brother Jian had heard what Brother Nianzu demanded. He already knows what his wicked mother is up to," Sheng Li affirmed and placed his hand on his chest. Because of the movement of the carriage on the rough surface, his chest was getting more pressure than the rest of the body.
Jian Guozhi noticed that. "Brother Sheng should have listened to me. Because of the previous wound, it is hurting more," he opined.
Sheng Li smiled. "I never knew that the First Brother would be this caring. I am fine. Such pains are bearable." Sheng Li a.s.sured him that he was absolutely fine.
Sheng Li picked up the gourd-bottled wine and opened the lid over it. He drank from it and forwarded it to Jian Guozhi, who took it from him and drank the wine.
"The wine tastes good," Jian Guozhi said as he handed the bottle back to Sheng Li, who sipped a little more from it.
"Brother Sheng, you never trusted who betrayed you. Then, why did you let Mingze stay alive?" Jian Guozhi asked with curiosity.
"Because of Mingze"s wife. I am also going to become a father. I never valued relationships in my previous self. However, I do value them. Without parents life is tough. Brother Jian knows that well," Sheng Li explained in simple words.
Jian Guozhi nodded his head. "I miss my mother despite the wrong she did. I miss her more than my father. I wish she would have listened to me for the last time. I saw in her eyes that she was disappointed in me," he a.s.serted and sighed deeply.
"She hated me because I was the son of my Father"s beloved wife. That hatred could never have ended, Brother Jian. She wanted me to die. Only that would have made her happy," Sheng Li stated as he recalled Weng Wei"s last words to him. Deep pain was hidden behind those words which only Ying Lili was able to see in him. The others also saw that, but not the way Ying Lili did. Sheng Li sipped more wine before putting the lid over it.
"However, with her death, th
e hatred ended between us. I feel bad that Brother Sheng didn"t live his childhood well. I do wish that with the arrival of his kids, he will enjoy every moment of it," Jian Guozhi prayer for Sheng Li.
"I also wish the same for the First Brother. Now, I look back, and see even he had to suffer in his childhood. Fear of losing, fear of becoming a laughing stock, and many other insecurities he had kept within himself. We were taught, in a way, that the feeling of unhealthy compet.i.tiveness grew among us. We even lost a brother because of that," Sheng Li stated.
Jian Guozhi agreed with his words. "We won"t teach our kids these kinds of things," he said. Sheng Li hummed and nodded his head.