Chapter 21
Li Wuting’s gaze remained fixed on the two hands clasped tightly together, his lips moving as if he wanted to speak but then deciding against it.
Ning Rushen was still by his side, leaning in to listen attentively, covering his ears.
De Quan sneakily stole a glance and saw Ning Rushen covering his ear to listen to the Emperor’s whispered words, his face beaming with a smile:
Before Li Wuting could speak, De Quan was about to turn his head to look, but then he felt a warm, ticklish sensation brush over the back of his hand. A deep voice, muffled by Li Wuting’s hand, spoke softly, shaking his eardrums:
He couldn’t help but correct, “It’s clearly Your Majesty—”
As he turned, he almost bumped into Li Wuting face to face.
His heart skipped a beat, so he quickly tilted his head back and leaned against the edge of the table, continuing, “You always consult my ears…”
“What?”
Li Wuting looked at him closely, his eyes deep.
Ning Rushen shivered, retracting the words “repeatedly” that were about to slip out of his mouth, “…repeatedly seeking advice.”
A snicker fell beside him:
“What, am I eager for your ears?”
“…”
Ning Rushen still felt the lingering sensation, finding the mention of eager and thirsty ears somewhat intriguing. Unfortunately, the speaker was serious and oblivious.
He quickly changed the subject, “Your Majesty, weren’t you going to answer my questions?”
Li Wuting hadn’t actually intended to tell the truth, but he was in a playful mood. Seeing Ning Rushen still looking alert, he simply said,
“It seems Minister Ning doesn’t want to hear, so I won’t say.”
Ning Rushen: …
Was he bargaining with him?
His throat moved. Between “a brief shiver” and “a lifetime of heartache,” he chose the former, resigning himself to it.
After all, he had shivered so many times before.
Ning Rushen thought deeply, closed his eyes, and offered up his already warming ears. “Your Majesty, please speak. I am ready.”
There was a moment of silence by his ears.
Then, a voice fell, “Ning Qing, you are truly…”
But the warm breath did not brush against his earlobe.
The next moment, a hand pressed on his shoulder, pushing him away slightly. Ning Rushen turned his head: ?
Li Wuting stood up, not answering the question, but also not teasing his ears again.
Ning Rushen was puzzled: …Is this a diversion?
Just as he was about to ask, a voice came from outside, announcing, “Your Majesty, Commander of Jin Yiwei, Yin Zhao, seeks an audience!”
Li Wuting nodded, “Let him in.”
Ning Rushen stopped and stepped aside.
Soon, Yin Zhao walked in briskly. His golden-red flowing fish-patterned robe was majestic, and his embroidered spring knife was cold and ruthless.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, there has been progress in the case.”
Li Wuting gestured, “Speak.”
“Yes, the Ministry of Revenue has obtained testimonies, leading to the discovery of a case involving the sale of fake examination papers. In addition, examinee Xie has identified the jade pendant presented by the seller. That jade pendant has been found in a room at the Moon Fairy Pavilion—”
Yin Zhao paused, “Due to the urgency of the matter, I temporarily seized the evidence from the Ministry of Revenue.”
Ning Rushen: …
Your Jin Yiwei is still so reckless.
Yin Zhao presented a jade pendant, “Please, Your Majesty, make a decision.”
The jade pendant was presented before the throne.
What difference would one more make?
Ning Rushen first felt that the texture was familiar. Upon closer inspection, he suddenly caught sight of a corner of a jade pendant: “Xuan.”
It was the token of King Xuan.
His heart suddenly skipped a beat, shocked: With King Xuan’s personality of being a wealthy salted fish, why would he sell fake imperial edicts???
Yin Zhao reported, “The Ministry of Revenue is in an uproar, demanding a fair and just disposal.”
Li Wuting frowned with a headache, “I said earlier to have him leave the capital as soon as possible…”
Ning Rushen observed his expression closely:
From the tone of his voice, Li Wuting seemed to know something. Moreover, there was no intention of questioning King Xuan.
“Relying solely on the jade pendant cannot serve as evidence of guilt. But to silence the crowd, I first order King Xuan to be confined to his residence.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Furthermore…” Li Wuting’s tone slowed down, “Jin Yiwei should guard King Xuan’s residence well, and none of the servants are allowed to go out.”
Yin Zhao’s eyes flashed with insight, seeming to understand, and withdrew.
Ning Rushen watched his departing figure.
The desk beside him was knocked with a “thud,” “What are you looking at, Ning Qing?”
Ning Rushen withdrew his gaze, “Another piece of star.”
Just now, it seemed that he had seen the wheels turning in Yin’s mind.
Li Wuting, “……”
Ning Rushen tentatively spoke, “Your Majesty, the minister does not believe it was King Xuan.”
He was too surprised just now to react.
Now thinking about it, that jade pendant was too deliberate.
Li Wuting did not respond directly to him.
He only tapped the jade pendant, as if he didn’t care much about this piece of evidence. “Regardless, we still need to detain him for a while until the situation calms down.”
Ning Rushen nodded in acknowledgment.
Li Wuting thought for a moment, then said to him, “Although he deserves it, King Xuan has also been wronged. It’s inconvenient for the palace to intervene, so I will give you a batch of rewards. Take half of it to King Xuan’s residence to offer condolences.”
Ning Rushen’s cheeks blushed slightly, “How can this be! The minister hasn’t done anything, so how can I still receive half of the rewards…”
“You’re getting too proud, Ning Qing.”
“…”
Ning Rushen awkwardly pursed his lips: indeed, happiness couldn’t be hidden.
He asked, “Which items should be given to King Xuan?”
Supplements, brocades, large coral?
Li Wuting had already started dealing with official business, “You choose, just pick some mediocre items to give to him.”
Ning Rushen admired greatly: your brotherly relationship is really good.
The fake imperial edict case was exposed, implicating King Xuan.
King Xuan, Li Yingtang, was ordered to be confined to his residence.
The court began to speculate secretly, watching the wind: suspecting whether His Majesty was going to deal with his brother.
Ning Rushen faced this wave of turmoil and brought the pile of mediocre gifts to King Xuan’s residence.
Outside the gate of King Xuan’s residence, Jin Yiwei greeted him warmly, “Long time no see, Master Ning.”
Ning Rushen hesitated, “Have we met before?”
“That night by the Huai Ming River, I watched your performance!”
“…”
He patted the man’s shoulder and entered the gate.
Jin Yiwei really liked to bring up old memories.
Inside King Xuan’s residence, it was still a leisurely scene.
When Ning Rushen found Li Yingtang among the servants in the residence, the latter was climbing a tree. Seeing him, Li Yingtang immediately came down, his sleeves fluttering like a large moth.
“Ning Daren is here, I should greet him from afar!”
Ning Rushen looked at the top of the tree he had just climbed with a complex expression. “…It’s okay, it’s far enough already.”
Any further, and he would be in another world.
Li Yingtang saw the gift on the stone table. “What’s this?”
Ning Rushen said, “The Emperor is not able to come personally, so he asked me to bring the gifts to Your Highness.”
Li Yingtang rubbed his hands. “It’s fine, it’s the same whether you come or not.”
Ning Rushen: ?
“It’s nothing.” Li Yingtang waved his hand, then happily went to dig through a pile of useless things, “Wow! A big agate!”
Ning Rushen looked at him with a heart as broad as the sky. “The prince is not worried at all?”
“As long as the Emperor is here, there is no problem.”
Li Yingtang said with a sigh, revealing some hidden worries, “I’m just afraid that things will be resolved too smoothly, and the Emperor will soon send me out of the capital again.”
Ning Rushen didn’t know what to say for a moment, so he could only squeeze out a comforting sentence, “The case is being handled by Jin Yiwei.”
“…” The two looked at each other.
They simultaneously stopped the conversation, ending it there.
Seeing the Crown Prince living more carefree and comfortable than anyone else, Ning Rushen was ready to return to the palace to report.
Li Yingtang saw him about to leave, but insisted on pulling him down to sit and chat.
He brewed tea again, and brought some snacks.
Ning Rushen hesitated for what felt like half a second, then shook his head and sat down, picking up a snack and munching on it. “Your Highness, are you bored because you can’t leave the mansion?”
Li Yingtang also munched on a snack, “Bored to death.”
“…I see, you’re climbing trees out of boredom.”
Ning Rushen thought to himself, then suddenly heard Li Yingtang say, “I can’t go to the palace these days, how about you and His Majesty, how have you been lately?”
What does he mean, how have you been with His Majesty?
Ning Rushen didn’t understand, “We’re both in good health?”
“…” Li Yingtang paused, “No, I mean, has His Majesty been up to anything lately?”
Although he didn’t understand, Ning Rushen instinctively touched his ear, “Up to what?”
Li Yingtang was quick-witted for a moment: Oh…
He was satisfied with his gossip, patting Ning Rushen, “Not bad.”
Ning Rushen: ?
After Li Yingtang finished speaking, he pondered for a moment, then warmly invited, “Ning Daren, please come to the mansion often in the future.”
Ning Rushen: …
Come often for what, so you can climb trees and I can hit walls?
He replied, “Hmm, I’ll definitely come next time.”
The false case involved a wide range of people, so it took some time to handle.
With the Crown Prince confined, it had been five or six days already.
Li Wuting finished processing the last batch of documents in the study that day and thought of his brother. Knowing Crown Prince Xuan’s restless nature, being confined for several days might cause him some issues.
Considering their brotherly relationship, he called for a Jin Yiwei guard and inquired, “How has the Crown Prince been lately?”
Jin Yiwei stationed at the palace reported, “His complexion is very good.”
Li Wuting frowned. “What has he been up to?”
“The prince has been writing feverishly, locked in his room for three days and nights without coming out.”
“…They say the Dragon has nine sons, each different.”
Among the late Emperor’s sons, Li Yingtang was the one least fond of studying.
Li Wuting suspected that Li Yingtang might have gone mad from being confined. “What is he writing?”
Jin Yiwei replied, “A thick stack, I’m not sure what it is about.”
“Find an opportunity to bring back a few pages for me to see.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Jin Yiwei was efficient.
That evening, a stack of papers was brought back and presented to him. “Your Majesty, I’ve taken a few pages from the middle. It should not be noticed by the prince.”
Li Wuting nodded and picked up the pages to read:
“Records of the Tenghai’s Rise and Fall”
“… Ning Lang leaned back against the desk (crossed out) bedpost, his face flushed red, angrily covering his ears and glaring at Ting (crossed out) Teng Jun: ‘We agreed you could just touch, why did you use your mouth?’
Teng Jun held his waist, whispering, ‘If you really don’t want to, why did you hug (crossed out) put your arm around me?’
Ning Lang blushed immediately: ‘I didn’t hug, my hand went up by itself.’
Teng Jun smiled: ‘Next time, I’ll tie your hands so they don’t go up by themselves, alright?’
The two whispered for a while, then quickly fell back onto the bedpost, the gauzy curtains hanging down fluttering.
The moon outside the window blushed too…”
Li Wuting, “…”
Perhaps out of fear of the imperial authority, pseudonyms were used throughout the text, with many hastily added deletion marks that almost revealed the characters’ identities.
The study fell silent.
After a long silence, Jin Yiwei kneeling before the throne finally heard a cold, unfeeling voice from above:
“Wrap up the case within three days and clear Crown Prince Xuan’s name.”
“Yes!”
Li Wuting tossed the stack of papers onto the desk. “Then, expel him from the capital as soon as possible.”
