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Chapter 143
Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse
Lord Xu and Yu Linglong returned to the mansion, and the mansion was suddenly busy . The maids who cleaned the room, prepared the food, prepared medicinal materials, and greeted them ran in and out lightly, afraid of making mistakes .
However, the two masters are obviously in a very good mood, and they were also pleasant to the people . They even gave red envelopes of money to everyone for no reason, making everyone confused . They only privately speculated that since the prince and the princess were newly married, although they were getting along, their lives were shallow, but their feelings were extremely deep, and this will benefit the subordinates . Anyway, the master was in a good mood, and everyone followed suit, and everyone was happy .
Lord Xu was injured on his leg, which gave him a good reason to shut the door, and even the guests who came to visit would not say anything back . After returning to the capital this time, Lord Xu only guarded the princess and lived in the palace . He drank wine and played chess in his room, thinking about all kinds of novel ideas, or making the kitchen cook strange food, or collecting fresh snow from the plum blossoms to make tea . Even at night, the two of them closed the doors and stayed inside . He babbled and laughed, and their intimate appearance made everyone envious .
After more than ten days of this fantasy, Lord Xu’s leg injury was almost healed, and he often went to the garden with Yu Linglong to enjoy the flowers and the scenery, recite poems, and paint . He had a very comfortable life .
It was rainy and the two of them had just gotten up from a nap, and they were a little bored . Yu Linglong suddenly had a new idea: “Why don’t we eat hot pot and ask someone to get green plum wine, which is refreshing and cold?”
Lord Xu immediately agreed: “Excellent, I’ve been thinking about this these days . Do you like plain broth or spicy broth?”
He didn’t wait for her to answer, and just said with a low laugh: “According to me, spicy broth will fit better with our status . ”
Yu Linglong smiled and pushed him away: “So shameless!”
Smoothing the loose hair at her temples, Yu Linglong said, “Those you mentioned are not delicious . I have an idea . Let’s ask the kitchen to boil the pheasant into soup, skim the oil, and add fresh bamboo shoots, goji berries, and wood ear, daylily, all kinds of wild mushrooms, and slowly simmer the umami flavor, make a soup base, and then eat it with vegetables, okay?”
Lord Xu praised her: “It sounds delicious when you say it, that’s it . ”
After finishing talking, he immediately called the maid to come in to follow Yu Linglong’s instructions, and smiled at her: “I don’t know where you have so many ideas . These days, what you have heard of and what you haven’t heard of is changing every day . It is so dazzling . The fried steak you suggested that day, and the fruit jam you taught the kitchen to make, are still dazzling when I think of it . ”
Yu Linglong pursed her lips and snickered . Of course, she wouldn’t say that these were all the methods she copied from modern western food . She had eaten so many flavors from various countries at the beginning, but now she can take out a few of them, and they are sure to be eaten and praised by the well-informed Lord Xu .
Now she is just showing a little bit of her skills . She would slowly expose her skills, and she still has to use these recipes to surprise him .
These days, the two masters were studying food all day long . The various ingredients in the kitchen in the palace were neatly prepared, and the next people were on standby at any time to handle the fresh ideas that the two masters come up with from time to time . It didn’t take long for Yu Linglong to order this . A pot of fragrant pheasant and mountain mushroom soup is ready .
The two of them gathered around the stove and put the lamb slices, tripe, meatb.a.l.l.s, greens, tofu, vermicelli, and other ingredients into the hot pot, watching the fragrant soup gurgle with bubbles, exuding bursts of aroma . They couldn’t help but feel in a good mood as if even the rainy weather outside was shining brightly .
Lord Xu raised the jug, poured the wine for Yu Linglong, and said with a smile: “In the past, no matter how delicious the dishes were, it would be better to face the window and drink weak wine to make you feel at ease . These days, I wouldn’t trade it for immortality . ”
Yu Linglong couldn’t help smiling . Just as she was about to say something, she heard a mellow male voice outside the window, saying: “Ninth Brother, have a good time!”
Upon hearing this voice, the smile on Lord Xu’s face seemed to be swept over by the tide, and instantly faded .
He reached out and took Yu Linglong’s hand, and whispered: “The prince is here . ”
The door opened . The prince was dressed in an apricot-yellow four-claw golden dragon brocade robe, with a gentle face, and walked in with a smile .
Butler Zhao followed in staggeringly, fell to his knees, and said with a trembling voice: “Prince, princess, the prince did not allow me to report, and I did not dare disobey . I deserve to die, please punish me!”
Lord Xu’s face reappeared with a faint smile and he waved his hand coolly: “Forget it, no one blames you . Leave . ”
As soon as Butler Zhao received an amnesty, he kowtowed and retreated .
Lord Xu deliberately held Yu Linglong’s hand, slowly stood up, and said: “When did your Highness return to the capital?”
Yu Linglong supported Lord Xu in her hand, only faintly bowed to the prince, then lowered her eyes to cover the sharpness in her eyes .
Although the two of them did not go out, they have been paying attention to the news from the outside . A few days ago, they heard that the spring hunt was over . The emperor took the princes and officials back to the capital . They calculated that it would be almost time to arrive this morning . The prince had just returned to the capital and came to the Xu Palace .
He was worried about what Lord Xu knew, so he came to find out what they were talking about . Did he still want to see Lord Xu’s condition and find out their details?
In any case, Yu Linglong can be sure that the prince’s trip was not good .
When he arrived at the Xu’s palace, he was not allowed to report . On the surface, the prince wanted to surprise Lord Xu and her, and show his brotherhood and close relationship with Lord Xu, but in fact, his true purpose should be to want to see Lord Xu’s injury with my own eyes, and he didn’t want them to have too much time to pretend, so he just came by surprise .
The prince sat on the head chair and motioned to Lord Xu and Yu Linglong to also sit down . Then he smiled and said, “I only came back this morning . I was thinking about Ninth Brother’s injury, so I was in a hurry to take a look . ”
Lord Xu smiled faintly: “Thank you for your concern . ”
The prince smiled gently and said: “It’s a pity that Ninth Brother couldn’t partic.i.p.ate in the spring hunt . I ordered two carts of wild animals to be kept for Ninth Brother and the younger siblings to try . ”
Lord Xu thanked the prince with a smile, and the two said a few things about the spring hunt, and the prince turned to the topic .
He looked at Lord Xu’s leg unconsciously, and asked with concern: “Is Ninth Brother’s injury better?”
Yu Linglong lowered her eyes to the side, but her heart was cold . The prince was finally about to reveal his true purpose .
It seemed that what she had previously expected was correct . The prince was indeed here to explore Lord Xu’s futility . Should Lord Xu continue to hide his powers and bide his time, or should he take this opportunity to attack?
She saw Lord Xu grinning helplessly . He patted his thigh lightly and said: “The imperial doctor said it’s okay, but I still can’t work hard . It’s raining today, and the bone hurts again . It is estimated that it will continue hurting for the rest of my life . ”
The prince sighed regretfully: “Ninth Brother is so young, how can the pain continue? There are still some medicinal materials for invigorating blood and removing blood clots in my house . I will send some to Ninth Brother . ”
Lord Xu didn’t refuse, saying: “Thank you, Your Highness . ”
The prince smiled heartily: “You are my brother, why should you be so polite? In the future, I will have to rely on Ninth Brother in many places!”
Lord Xu laughed loudly and said, “His Royal Highness really praises me too much . If it is a wine tasting, I can still do my best . If it’s other things, I don’t understand anything . ”
The prince smiled gently, as usual, seeming indifferent, and said: “Ninth Brother is really humble . I have long heard that Ninth Brother is very good, but he has never seen it . This time Ninth Brother was injured in his leg, he unfortunately encountered an avalanche, but he was able to survive unscathed . His skill is truly breathtaking . ”
Yu Linglong’s fingers hidden in her sleeves involuntarily squeezed, but the expression on her face remained unchanged as if she hadn’t heard the prince’s meaning at all .
The prince’s words could not be more clear . He had confirmed that Lord Xu is responsible for the martial arts, but he had been hiding it . Under such circ.u.mstances, his suspicion for Lord Xu will never be alleviated, it would only get stronger .
Even she could feel the murderous intent hidden in the Prince’s words . This time he was able to come in person for the purpose of ascertaining Lord Xu’s injuries . She was afraid he would take action next time .
Lord Xu smiled indifferently as if he hadn’t heard the meaning in the Prince’s words: “What do you mean, it’s just my luck . ”
The prince grunted, and a silver bell suddenly sounded from the side: “The prince can escape from death this time, thanks to the emperor and your luck . My wife is here to thank your highness . ”
The prince was startled, and raised his eyes to look at Yu Linglong who smiled: “What do you mean?”
Yu Linglong stepped forward slowly, with a faint smile on her face, as if she was sincerely grateful to the prince, and said softly: “The location of the spring hunting ground was chosen by the emperor . Although the snow valley is in danger of avalanches, fortunately, the mountain is not high . Even if the snow falls, it will only flow slowly, and it will not crash down in an instant . This leaves a ray of life for the prince . The prince came back and said to me that at the moment of the avalanche, he only thought of the emperor and yourself . You and the emperor would be upset at the thought that if something unexpected happened to him, he tried their best to escape with his life, so as not to worry the emperor and his majesty . This would be the only way to reduce the danger . The prince can save his life, even though heaven saves the worthy, but he also relied on the emperor and his highness’s great fortune . Your highness, do you think so?
There was clearly a soft voice in front of him, with a smile, but the prince seemed to move a little uneasily, and the smile on his face became a little stiff: “Well, it turned out to be like this . ”
For some reason, in the bright smile of the woman in front of him, there seemed to be a sharp knife hidden in her face, which made him shudder .
Thinking of Lord Xu’s heart “worrying” about his Highness, the prince felt his heart tense for no apparent reason . What did Lord Xu “worry” about? His brother, or the throne he was about to ascend?
The prince picked up his teacup, drank a sip of hot tea, stabilized his mind, and said again: “Ninth Brother, after your accident, Father was furious and ordered people to search everywhere in the hunting ground, but he never caught any suspicious people . Before you were injured, did you see the person who shot you? If you recognize him, you might as well tell me and I will do my best to help you catch the murderer, smash him into pieces, and avenge you . ”
Yu Linglong looked at the prince without blinking, trying to find a trace of guilty conscience in his face, but she did not find it at all . She couldn’t help but admire the prince in her heart .
It was clear that he himself ordered the killing of Lord Xu and Yu Linglong, but now he, the main envoy behind the scenes, was sitting in front of the victim, and he can still speak for himself . He looked awe-inspiring, and you did not see the guilty conscience of the thief shouting to catch the thief .
Perhaps the prince was further testing Lord Xu’s att.i.tude to see if they already knew the truth .
Feeling the prince’s inquiring gaze, Yu Linglong had a soft smile on her face, but she said nothing .
Lord Xu frowned, as if thinking hard, and then he said: “It’s too dark at night, and those people were too far away . I only heard someone say a few words, but I couldn’t see their looks at all . ”
There was a look of regret on the prince’s face: “It’s a pity, Ninth Brother . I’m afraid someone wants to harm you, so you have to be more careful in the future . ”
Lord Xu shook his head helplessly and said: “I don’t know who it is, but…forget it, don’t mention it . ”
Seeing Lord Xu looking like he was trying to catch him, Yu Linglong couldn’t help but laugh secretly . Sure enough, the prince couldn’t help but immediately ask: “Ninth Brother, do you know who wants to kill you? If you have any thoughts, please tell me, and I’ll see if I can help . ”
Lord Xu sighed and said, “Your Royal Highness, as you know, I lived in Mongolia for a period of time . During those years, I really offended many people . I guess that someone has been watching me and wanted to take the opportunity to take revenge . ”
Seeing that Lord Xu was suspicious of the Mongolians, the prince was obviously relieved, but his face was filled with indignation: “This group of people really don’t know what is good or bad, and they dared to chase you here . Could it be that they bullied you in East Chu? Don’t worry, Ninth Brother . I’ll tell my father when I go back, and ask him to send more people to protect you so that you won’t be harmed in any way!”
Yu Linglong’s heart shuddered . Protect? The prince wanted to add more manpower to monitor Lord Xu, right?
Lord Xu obviously thought of this and said with a smile: “His Royal Highness does not have to worry about me . Those people can’t make any trouble . This time it was my carelessness that allowed them to take advantage of the loopholes . Now I live in the palace very safely . They cannot fly in unless they have wings . If it’s just because of such trivial things, wouldn’t it make people say that I’m making a fuss and afraid of them? If this word spreads out, my face is still a trivial matter, but if it hurts Father, he and His Royal Highness would lose face, which is my sin . ”
It was about the face of the East Chu State . The prince couldn’t insist anymore, so he had to give up .
The prince sat for a while, then got up and left .
After sending the prince away, Lord Xu lost all smiles on his face, and for the first time a serious expression appeared on his face: “Linglong, what do you think?”
Yu Linglong stood on her tiptoes slightly, smoothed the wrinkles on his collar, and said softly: “I think he will do it soon . ”
A few complex emotions flashed in his inky eyes, turbulent and distressed, and Lord Xu whispered: “Could it be that he really refuses to care about the slightest brotherhood, and he must rush to kill before he will give up?”
Yu Linglong sighed lightly: “One emperor’s deeds can create ten thousand bones . As long as he can achieve hegemony, it is nothing more than a small effort . ”
She could understand Lord Xu’s feelings . He had used all methods to escape, pretend, and give in step by step, just to prevent the prince from being an enemy of him, but the prince still refused to believe him and must kill him . Now, he had no retreat, no escape, except to give it a go . He had no way to protect himself .
With a cheek close to his chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, Yu Linglong said softly: “Husband, you have done everything that should be done . Don’t feel guilty . If you and him can only live, I would rather you survive . ”
The big hand gently stroked her satin-like long hair, but cold and firm words came out from her thin lips: “I can’t avoid it forever . Now, I have to protect you, if I’m not here—”
Yu Linglong raised her face suddenly and took the initiative to block his lips, blocking his next words .
His mind was shaken . He couldn’t help but lower his face, and instantly turned his initiative into pa.s.siveness, biting her cherry lips lightly and hardly . His kisses were as fierce as a storm from time to time, and at other times as gentle as a gentle wind and the sun, like he wished to eat her up .
With her lips and tongue entwined in him, she muttered vaguely: “Don’t say anything like this anymore, even if you just think about it, I won’t allow it…”
After deciding to entrust herself to him, how could she allow herself to lose him? The heart-wrenching pain of losing him, she couldn’t bear it . She didn’t even dare to imagine the pain . Even if he just said it casually, she felt frightened .
Holding her slender waist with his big hands, he tightly embraced her, almost blending her into his body . Lord Xu whispered: “I will not leave you, and we will never separate . ”
Their two hearts beat in the same rhythm, turning into the most beautiful notes between the world and the earth, playing a beautiful movement . This feeling can only be experienced by two people who love each other deeply .
As long as they have each other, they will be fearless no matter whether they are faced with a sea of swords or a sea of hardships and dangers .
There was a gentle breeze and drizzle outside the window, and the two of them inside the house hugged each other . Time seemed to be reluctant to destroy this beautiful scene, and it was frozen in this moment .
Slightly calming her breath, Yu Linglong lifted her head from his arms and showed him a coquettish smile, and said, “Did you think of a way to deal with him?”
Lord Xu hugged her and sat on the couch, smoothed her sideburns for her, pondered for a moment, and said: “The best way is naturally if there is a fair and honest reason to let the father abolish the prince . As long as he loses his ident.i.ty and power, he will no longer pose a threat to us . ”
“Honorably?” Yu Linglong tilted her head, with a bit of agility and wisdom on her face . After thinking about it, she said: “What about rebellion, how about it, is it fair enough?”
Lord Xu was amused by her appearance and couldn’t help but gently peck the tip of her nose: “Of course this is a good reason, but how could he rebel?”
Yes, the prince was the one and only prince . After hundreds of years, the world was naturally his own . What he had to do was to wait patiently . What reason did he have to give up everything that can be obtained safely and securely, to take the risk of embarking on a path of no return and full of unknowns?
A cold smile appeared on Yu Linglong’s face: “If he doesn’t rebel, we will force him to rebel!”
Lord Xu’s eyes lit up suddenly: “You mean…”
Yu Linglong hugged his neck, smiled like a flower, and whispered softly as if talking about something that couldn’t be more ordinary, but every sentence, every word, sounded so thrilling in his ears .
“Husband, think about it: if you are a prince, why would you have to rebel?” Yu Linglong was so angry that she clinged to his ear like a spoiled child, whispering her own thoughts . “He has been a prince for more than 30 years . Although the emperor is over fifty, he is still strong and energetic . If he waits for the emperor to become a hundred years, I am afraid he will have to wait another ten or even twenty years . At that time, even if he becomes the emperor, he will be the emperor for a few years . Isn’t it because he is too suspicious now that he wants to get rid of these princes?”
If the prince was really to wait another ten or twenty years, he would be 40 or 50 years old by then, and these emperors were in their prime of life . If someone coveted his throne, how should he resist?
The reason why the prince was so afraid of others competing for his seat was because he was afraid that one day, these imperial brothers would pose a threat to him, so he wanted to start early and get rid of all these potential threats in order to be at ease .
Lord Xu nodded, kissed her lips heavily, and said, “Linglong, you are so smart . I have only vaguely guessed these truths, but never thought about them deeply . ”
Yu Linglong smiled lightly and continued: “In this way, the prince is not without reason for the rebellion, but he is still observing and still hesitating . At this time, as long as we push him, then he will rebel sooner or later . ”
After all, no one was willing to give up the benefits at hand and choose an adventurous path, especially when he had a position above the tens of thousands of people in the world . This choice will become extremely difficult .
Lord Xu’s eyes were deep, and his eyes looked at her with a bit of ridicule: “I heard what you said so eloquently, and I even thought that you had already planned something . ”
Yu Linglong couldn’t help but chuckle . She thumped him on his shoulder, and said, “I’m making plans for you . You still make fun of me . Be careful that I don’t care about you . ”
Lord Xu squeezed her hand, smiled, and pressed a hot kiss on the palm of her pink palm, and said: “I am your husband . If you don’t care about me, who will take care of me?”
Yu Linglong smiled and turned around, pretending to get up and leave: “You are shameless . I won’t tell you . ”
Lord Xu grabbed her, and the willow-yellow dark flower drape slipped down, revealing her white neck .
This fall also revealed the black gold-wrapped string on her neck .
In the past, when the two were intimate, it was after the lights were turned off at night, and Lord Xu never noticed the jade pendant on her neck . At this moment, when he saw it, he couldn’t help but feel a little strange: “Huh, what is this?”