Chapter 73: He’ll Have to Pay the Price For That

November 7, 2022Merchie

“If you have so much energy to spare, you should take a little more care of yourself. You needn’t concern yourself with my affairs.”

“I understand, Fourth Brother. I won’t say too much anymore.” Qi Changyi lowered his head and stared down at his toes.

Li Yu, who was standing beside him, couldn’t bear to listen any longer, and retorted indignantly on behalf of his master, “Fourth Royal Highness, Master just…”

Qi Changfeng looked toward Li Yu, a hint of warning in his gaze.

“When did I ask you to butt in? You’re just a servant, and this is the way you take care of your master? I haven’t even begun to list your other offenses.”

Qi Changyi quickly pulled Li Yu behind himself.

“Fourth Brother, please don’t blame Xiao Yuzi, he’s only doing this out of concern for me. Xiao Yuzi is very good to me, but he’s already suffered so much, all because-“

“Your Highness, don’t say that. Everything this servant has done, this servant has done so willingly.”

Qi Changfeng interrupted the two in a slightly impatient voice, “All right, your master-servant bond is deep and affectionate. Please wait until there’s no one here before putting on your lovey-dovey show.”

The moment he finished speaking, he took a closer look at Qi Changyi.

“Sometimes, I’m really curious: just what methods have you used in order to get so many people to treat you so well. Having this loyal servant by your side isn’t enough; even Zhao Litang will go against Pei Zheng if it’s for you.”

Qi Changyi suddenly became a bit nervous, and asked, “What happened to Brother Tang?”

Qi Changfeng was a little surprised.

“You didn’t know? His Majesty sent Zhao Litang to fight in an area beyond the Borderlands. General Zhao intends to infiltrate enemy lines, yet he only took a few soldiers with him, a dangerous move indeed.”

“Why would Royal Father make Brother Tang do something so dangerous?”

Qi Changfeng sneered, “Of course, this was all your Brother Pei’s doing; he was the one who pressured His Majesty. He won’t even tell you about something like this? Does he tell you anything else?”

“I… I haven’t seen Brother Pei for a few days now.” Qi Changyi’s fingers clenched lightly underneath his sleeves. “It seems like he’s been really busy lately…”

Qi Changfeng knew that he would never lie about something like this, “In that case, I don’t need to say anything more. When he returns, he can tell you everything himself. I’d like to see him try. Take care of yourself, I’ll be leaving now.”

Qi Changyi stared at Qi Changfeng’s back as he turned to leave, unwilling to part with his older brother so soon, “Fourth Brother, will you come visit me again?”

Qi Changfeng didn’t speak, but he suddenly stopped walking for a moment. Then, he walked away as if he hadn’t heard the small man, the sound of his footsteps disappearing at the end of the path.

Qi Changfeng walked at a swift pace the entire way back, but when he reached the gate to the back garden, there was a figure standing in front of it.

Pei Zheng didn’t seem shocked to see him at all. The corners of his lips curled into a cold smile, and he said blandly, “Fourth Royal Highness, you’ve come to my manor, yet no one informed me of your arrival. Please forgive this subject for his negligence.”

“There’s no one else here. There’s no need to fake politeness to me.”

Qi Changfeng averted his eyes. He didn’t expect to run into Pei Zheng, who had returned suddenly.

“This subject has the utmost respect for the Fourth Prince, how can you call it ‘fake politeness’?”

Pei Zheng deliberately stepped forward. He wanted to fully appreciate and bask in the utterly defeated expression of the person in front of him.

Qi Changfeng could hear the sarcasm and ridicule in his words, and he could no longer restrain his tense emotions.

He shouted loudly, “Pei Zheng! What the hell do you want? Why the hell do you have to treat me like this?! I am the dignified fourth prince, just how far are you going to force me before you finally leave me alone?!”

Qi Changfeng’s eyes were filled with red veins, “I’ve never needed to apologize for anything I’ve done to you. If anything, you and your Pei family should be the ones apologizing to me and Changyi!”

“The Pei family is the Pei family, I am myself. Don’t lump me in the same group as them.” Pei Zheng suddenly leaned close, and whispered into his ear, “If it wasn’t for you being the Fourth Prince, as well as his Fourth Brother, I would’ve made sure that you wouldn’t even be able to keep your title of ‘Prince’.”

Qi Changfeng was visibly shaken, “Impossible, you’re just a Prime Minister, you wouldn’t have the power or capability to do that. I am Royal Father’s son, how can he listen to the words of an outsider like you? Royal Father is just a little angry with me right now, he’ll definitely favor me again…”

“Really? If you’ve played any tricks in secret, I can’t guarantee that…”

Pei Zheng trailed off on purpose. He straightened his back and walked into the back garden.

Qi Changfeng wanted to grab his arm and continue questioning him, but he was abruptly blocked by Cheng Feng, who had rushed in from behind.

“Fourth Prince, please leave.”

Qi Changfeng stared deeply at Pei Zheng’s back, before he flicked his sleeves and left.

Pei Zheng walked in the direction of the little pavilion.

It had been so long; upon seeing how depressed and worn Qi Changfeng looked, he hadn’t felt that rush of vindictive pleasure.

Originally, Qi Changfeng had smoothly ascended to glory, and his status was secure and unshakable. But he was desperate for quick results and tried to pull all the officials of the court to his side – even forming an alliance with the Empress. Naturally, these activities wouldn’t go unnoticed by the Emperor.

When he walked into the little pavilion, there wasn’t a person in sight.

A maid hurried over and bowed, “My Lord must be looking for His Highness. His Highness went to the plum garden, this servant will have him return immediately.”

“No need.”

With those words, Pei Zheng set off in that direction.

From a distance, he could see the small man standing on the path, wrapped in a fluffy white overcoat. His thick, ink-black hair wasn’t tied up, but instead draped over his back. His complexion looked much healthier, and his lips had recovered their former scarlet hue.

“Xiao Yuzi, be careful, don’t fall off.”

Qi Changyi’s eyes were fixed at the top of the tree next to him.

A figure jumped out of the tree with a “bang”. Li Yu was holding a dark, fluffy ball in his arms.

“Ah, it’s so cute!”

Qi Changyi’s voice was full of childlike delight. He took the fluffy black ball from Li Yu’s arms. He hugged it to his chest, kissing and stroking, looking quite happy and content.

Only then could Pei Zheng tell what it was: a little kitten with a shiny black coat; the color of its fur was indeed pretty.

“Ah!”

Qi Changyi suddenly cried out in shock.

Pei Zheng quickly walked over, threw the small black ball back into Li Yu’s arms, and gently held Qi Changyi’s hand, examining it carefully.

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Two long, impressive claw marks were scratched into that tender, white hand. A few droplets of blood oozed from them, and Pei Zheng suddenly felt a little angry.

“Who let you come outside? Who let you hold that thing?”

Qi Changyi was startled with fright; when coupled with the intense pain from the wounds on his hand, his eyes became rimmed with red, his expression aggrieved.

“I-I saw that it was stuck on the tree, so I had Xiao Yuzi save it…”

“Throw it away.”

Li Yu, who was holding the languid little kitten, trembled slightly, and asked in a hesitant voice, “My Lord, you mean, you want to throw this away?”

“Are you not understanding me?” Pei Zheng’s tone was gloomy and terrifying.

“That’s…”

Li Yu looked to Qi Changyi for help; the kitten had a life of its own, he really couldn’t bear to do anything to it.

Qi Changyi hurriedly grabbed Pei Zheng’s hand, and jiggled it a few times.

“Brother Pei, don’t do this… Please let it go, I won’t hold it anymore, okay?”

Pei Zheng’s expression remained cold, and he didn’t speak.

Qi Changyi suddenly hugged Pei Zheng’s waist, and rested his chin upon the other’s chest.

“Brother Pei, I’m begging you…”

Every time Pei Zheng heard his soft pleading, the rage in his heart would transform into a different surging emotion.

He wordlessly clasped the small man’s slender waist. Even with so many layers of clothing covering it, that thin waist could still be held by a single arm.

Qi Changyi frantically called out to Li Yu, “Xiao Yuzi, quickly take it somewhere else to be raised.”

Li Yu hadn’t heard Pei Zheng agree yet, so he didn’t dare to move half a step, his eyes fixed on the tall man.

Seeing that Pei Zheng wasn’t opposing it, Li Yu hugged the little kitten, hurriedly bowed, and practically sprinted away.

“Huu,” Qi Changyi breathed a sigh of relief.

Pei Zheng touched his icy little hand, “Are you cold?”

Qi Changyi puffed a breath of hot air, “A-a little…”

Pei Zheng hugged him close and walked toward the pavilion, wrapping his wide cloak around Changyi.

When they returned to the little pavilion, Jiang Yubai was already waiting inside.

The moment he saw Qi Changyi’s hand dripping with blood, he hurriedly retrieved his medicine case, and pulled his patient closer. He took out some medicinal powder and sprinkled it over the wounds to stop the bleeding.

“How did this happen?! Did something scratch you?”

“Imperial Physician Jiang, there was a kitten in the back garden, it was super cute!”

Qi Changyi’s tone was still full of excitement. Suddenly, a stinging pain came from his wound, and he frowned before crying out.

“Ah…”

“So you do know what pain feels like. Feral cats are very ferocious; although this one was just a kitten, it can still hurt people.”

Jiang Yubai bandaged his hand, before saying, “Fortunately, the wound isn’t deep. For the next few days, you can’t get it wet. It will heal very soon.”

“Okay, Imperial Physician Jiang.”

Once Jiang Yubai finished cleaning up QI Changyi’s wound, he left the little pavilion. Just moments before, when someone called for him in a panic, he thought something terrible had happened to His Highness.

The servants threw a few more coals into the furnace, and the flames burning inside the little pavilion became brighter and hotter.

Pei Zheng dismissed all of the servants, leaving only him and Qi Changyi in the room.

He took off his overcoat, and sat beside the bed. The prince was standing beside the fireplace, an uneasy expression on his face. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. Pei Zheng deliberately ignored him, and acted as though he didn’t see the little prince. He laid down on the bed, facing the ceiling, and closed his eyes to rest.

The small man shifted toward the bed at a snail’s pace, and finally couldn’t stop himself, and asked sheepishly, “Brother Pei, do you know who I saw today?”

Pei Zheng’s eyelids fluttered open and he looked at the little prince, expecting him to continue.

“I saw Fourth Brother!”

Pei Zheng’s expression visibly darkened. He reached out and picked up the small man, placing him on the side of the bed, and stripping off his white overcoat.

“It seems like Fourth Brother has been punished by Royal Father, am I right?”

Pei Zheng turned the little prince’s body to face himself, and pinched his chin with one hand, “Just what did he say to you?”

“N-nothing.” Qi Changyi shrank back slightly.

Pei Zheng’s grip tightened, “You’re not going to tell me? I expected that, he’s your blood-related brother after all. No matter what, he’ll always be closer to you than I, an outsider, will ever be, right?”

His tone was sinister and quite terrifying. Qi Changyi couldn’t help but be frightened, and he answered obediently.

“F-Fourth Brother said that Brother Tang is in a very dangerous…uh…”

Before he could finish speaking, his lips were blocked by Pei Zheng’s. Immediately, he felt a sharp pain on the tip of his tongue, and the taste of blood filled his mouth.

Pei Zheng pinched his cheeks and stared into his eyes.

“And?”

“Fourth Brother also said… It was all you… You’re the one that convinced Royal Father…”

“So what if it was me?” Pei Zheng sneered, “Are you trying to beg on his behalf?”

“I… Brother Pei, did you target Brother Tang like this because of me? Brother Tang always helps me, is that why you have to deal with him?”

“Your Royal Highness, you think too highly of yourself. I dealt with Zhao Litang in order to strengthen my power in the court.”

Pei Zheng’s eyes flashed with hate, “He touched my things, so naturally, he’ll have to pay the price for that.”

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