TV Series: When the Villain Chooses to Stand by

Chapter 197 Yixiu 66

Hongshi had a good impression of his younger brother and came happily with gifts.

"It was clearly my younger brother who asked for the treat, so why did my third brother bring anything?"

"It's been so long since you returned to the palace and we haven't had a good chat together. This is just a small token of my appreciation, please don't despise it."

Hongli pretended to be dissatisfied and greeted Hongshi, and the two soon sat down at the dinner table.

One talked about the interesting things that happened in the Old Summer Palace, and the other talked about his nostalgic childhood.

If Hongli didn't know Hongshi's character, he would probably think he was showing off on purpose.

Before they knew it, both of them were a little drunk.

"Fourth brother, have you ever blamed the Emperor?"

Hongli's drunkenness was mostly dissipated by Hongshi's sudden words. His eyes were still dazed, and he pretended not to hear clearly in order to fool people.

Unexpectedly, without waiting for him to speak, Hongshi picked up the wine glass in his hand and drank it all.

Then he said to himself: "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, I'm just complaining."

"Every time I see my mother sad, I can't help but blame him for being cold and indifferent. But my mother says that my father is the emperor, the ruler of the world, and I should grow up to be a man like him."

"Master also said that we should be filial and respect our king and father."

Hongshi seemed to be very drunk. He held his forehead and swayed from side to side. He had to think for a while before saying anything.

Hongli's eyes changed from astonishment to calmness, and then he quietly picked up the food on the table and put it into his mouth. Earning money is not easy and should not be wasted.

While quietly waiting for the other person to finish speaking.

Hongshi talked a lot, and became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he had completely forgotten how embarrassed he was at the time.

When he was happy, he clapped his hands on the table excitedly, and his eyes were a little red.

"You know what? I stood up, without asking the Emperor's permission, and I stood in front of him and told him that he was also responsible for my stupidity!"

"Yeah~"

"You don't know how ugly the emperor's face was at that time."

There was an unconcealable admiration in Hongli's eyes. He had never felt such family affection before, so it was naturally much easier to let it go.

But Hongshi was different. He knew clearly that everything he had came from the emperor, but he still chose to stand on the side of Concubine Qi.

Even if it means losing divine grace.

"Third brother is very good, and you study very hard. I admire you very much."

"What did you say?"

Hongshi looked up in surprise, and after hearing so much, he began to sober up a little.

"Third brother is very capable. My disciples should be filial at home and respectful to their elders outside. They should be cautious and trustworthy, love all people, and be close to the benevolent. If they have spare time, they should study literature."

"Moral education is the foundation, and literary studies are secondary. Third brother had the courage to defend Concubine Qi when facing the Emperor, and he is also very good to his younger brothers. Several sisters like him very much. He respects teachers and is willing to study hard..."

"All of this is enough to prove that Third Brother has noble character. There's no need to belittle yourself by calling him stupid."

After saying this, Hongli raised his glass and toasted, then drank it and bowed properly to Hongshi.

Such serious praise left Hongshi stunned for a moment.

He couldn't suppress the laughter, so he just burst out laughing.

"Thank you for the compliment, Fourth Brother. With your words, I will definitely be determined to be a true gentleman in the future!"

He has experienced too much during this time, being pulled down from a high place and then thrown into the mud.

This was the first objective compliment he had received, not the euphemistic words of his master, nor the blind trust of his mother.

The two brothers chatted until very late and were both late the next day.

The two smiled at each other while being punished together, and agreed to have a roast duck delivered for lunch to eat together.

Hongshi thought that without his competitor, Hongli could take a break, or at least not work as hard as before.

But seeing that he is still as hardworking as ever, I can't help but admire him.

No wonder they are so powerful.

After being confined to her house, Concubine Qi asked the palace maids to plead with the Queen. She was reluctant to see Hongshi continue to suffer, so she had to let her personal maid go on her behalf.

After hearing Cuiguo's tearful plea, Yixiu also understood what Concubine Qi meant.

Naturally, she could not hide what happened in the Imperial Study that day, so she readily agreed to Concubine Qi's request and transferred the young eunuch back.

In the blink of an eye, it was early spring. After Xia Dongchun's unremitting efforts, she finally qualified to leave the palace.

A cold allowed Xia Dongchun to rest and recuperate smoothly.

An Lingrong lived in the same palace with her and was also assigned the task of covering for her by Yixiu.

Before leaving, An Lingrong prepared various sachets for Xia Dongchun, and she felt very uncomfortable seeing her excited look.

The two have been together since entering the palace and have never been separated.

I thought they would accompany each other for the rest of their lives, but who knew that the other party would actually accompany Tuanzi to the mountains.

"Sister, once you get there, your safety is paramount. You must not act rashly. There are snakes, insects, rats, and ants deep in the mountains, and there are all kinds of wild beasts..."

Xia Dongchun's ears were almost callused from hearing these words, but she still responded with a smile.

"I understand. I have arranged a lot of guards at home. Besides, I am only on the outskirts. How can I really live in the mountains? Don't worry."

"Just be careful."

An Lingrong sighed and said no more. In fact, she could not understand Xia Dongchun.

Tuanzi is very cute and she likes him very much, but she doesn’t understand why she has to follow Tuanzi when he goes to the wild to find a mate, and what will happen even if he goes.

Can you still help Tuanzi?

Xia Dongchun had no choice but to insist. Seeing that she wanted to exercise even in the middle of winter, An Lingrong had no choice but to support her.

Seeing that An Lingrong was not in a good mood, Xia Dongchun quickly pulled her arm to comfort her.

"Don't look so sad, smile!"

An Lingrong clicked her tongue and tilted her head back to avoid the other person's fingers that were lifting her chin. She had no idea where he had learned this frivolous gesture.

"I'll bring you some delicious food and a gift from Yu'an when I come back. Just wait and see."

"By the way, after I leave, don't go near that place anymore. Just treat me as if I'm recuperating, so that you won't be implicated if something happens."

An Lingrong quickly patted her a few times.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You won't be discovered. Since the Queen has given you permission to behave yourself, no one will come looking for you. Don't worry."

Xia Dongchun covered his mouth with a wry smile, repeatedly saying that he was wrong.

Due to the huge size of Tuanzi, Yixiu specially arranged for people to travel at night in order not to cause panic among the people in the capital.

This way you don't have to trap Tuanzi in the dark car. You can just wait until daytime and cover the car with a cloth and the same thing will happen.

The emperor couldn't understand why the queen was so concerned about a wild beast. Since the Imperial Household Department didn't have to pay for it, he couldn't say much about this remaining hobby of the queen.

The moment she walked out of the palace, Xia Dongchun felt relieved and she couldn't help but look back.

The towering palace walls were cold and majestic, the dim palace lanterns swayed in the wind, and the palace gates slowly closed with a dull sound.

In the dead of night, the imperial city looked like a giant beast with a bloody mouth, devouring everything inside.

Before she knew it, she had been in the palace for so many years. When she first entered the palace, she was a reckless and ignorant fool, and her heart was full of joy.

She felt that she would definitely become a favorite concubine in the Forbidden City.

The guard beside him whispered, "Master, we have to set off quickly."

Xia Dongchun suddenly came back to her senses and headed out of the city with a smile. Her family was already waiting there.

Tuanzi has a strong ability to adapt, and the shaking does not prevent it from sleeping.

This season is when bamboo shoots grow most vigorously. As long as you pay attention, Tuanzi can eat the freshest food.

"What is this? Bamboo rice?"

"Just roast it like this? Pheasant tastes so good!"

"Yueyue, it's a good time to take a break. That bunch of wild flowers is so beautiful. Let's go pick some for Tuanzi to play with."

Xia Dongchun had just left the capital and found everything new to her. Following her was a maid carefully trained by the Xia family, who was not only skilled in martial arts but also had some medical skills.

The two quickly became friends. Shen Yue was happy to meet such an unpretentious master and played with her.

Unfortunately, the good times are not long.

Since they were carrying dumplings, they had to hurry and did not deliberately look for an inn.

Most of the time we set up camp in the wild and only go to resupply after a while.

Xia Dongchun has worked hard for so long. She said she would not fall behind, and now she has persisted, but she is a little depressed.

For the first time, she experienced the hardship of traveling in the wild.

"Yueyue, how long will it take us to get there?"

"Master, please take a rest. We will stay at the post station today, and you can rest well then."

Xia Dongchun leaned on Shen Yue's shoulder, chewing the snack in his mouth weakly.

"I want to eat roasted lamb, crystal cake, and cherry meat..."

"Master, bear with me a little longer, we are almost there."

"Never mind, it's still fun."

After a long time, they finally arrived at their destination, which was a village at the foot of the mountain. Tuanzi was found on a mountain not far away.

The arrival of this group of people instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the village.

But seeing their murderous looks, he knew he couldn't afford to offend them, so he simply stayed away from them.

The scenery here is very beautiful, and the mountains and water are particularly pleasing to the eye.

Seeing them walking towards the villa at the foot of the mountain, the villagers started talking.

"These nobles are really strange. They just have some rocks and trees, and they even built a courtyard specifically for it. What's so interesting about it?"

"Aunt, you don't understand. My son is studying in town. He said this is called elegance."

"You're the only one who understands! I don't know if the noble this time likes these wild vegetables. I have to go find more."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the surrounding villagers lit up and they scattered into the distance.

Since the villa was built here, their lives have become much better.

The tastes of those nobles are really weird. They don't like greasy fatty meat, but prefer these tasteless things.

As long as there are people living here, there will be managers looking for these new things. As long as the things are good, they can make a lot of money.

Xia Dongchun got out of the car and looked at the courtyard in front of him. It was not a big place but very quiet.

This was the place where the Fucha family lived, and now it has become Yixiu's property.

"So there's a place to stay. I thought we had to stay in tents."

"Master, what are you talking about? We have to stay here for a long time. How can we not have a place to stay? Go and rest. I have servants here to watch over us."

"Okay, I'll go check on Tuanzi."

Xia Dongchun pounced on Tuanzi and rubbed its big furry head.

"Tuanzi, you're exhausted too, right? Let's have something delicious to eat and then I'll take you into the mountains later, okay?"

Tuanzi had a lot of trouble along the way, and he was now a free little bear in the palace.

I was suddenly restrained and got angry for a few days, but then I gradually got better.

Xia Dongchun gave Tuanzi a lot of instructions when sending him away.

"Tuanzi, remember to come back. Go home, okay? Protect yourself..."

Tuanzi seemed to understand what he was going to do. He called out softly a few times, rubbed against Xia Dongchun affectionately, and then turned and walked into the forest.

Xia Dongchun stayed there and watched for a long time, watching Tuanzi's black and white figure gradually being submerged in the rich green.

She suddenly felt very lost.

Tuanzi is very smart and powerful. All the beasts in the tiger enclosure of the Old Summer Palace are no match for him.

But Xia Dongchun still couldn't control his worry.

She was depressed for the next few days until Tuanzi appeared in the distance.

The little guy seemed to be afraid that she would be anxious waiting, so he came back for a walk, ate a belly full of fruit, and left leisurely.

Xia Dongchun was much happier knowing that Tuanzi would come back.

From time to time, he would take people into the mountains to look for traces of Tuanzi, and they also saw various animals here.

Unlike Xia Dongchun's comfortable life, Zhen Huan in the capital received the first bad news in her life.

"Oh!"

The teacup in her hand fell to the ground, and Zhen Huan rushed out in disbelief, turning around to ask Xiao Yunzi what had happened.

"My father has always been loyal to the Emperor. How could he have spoken so carelessly after drinking? Especially in a place like a restaurant?"

Huanbi, who was standing by, was also extremely anxious and stood up to prepare the sedan chair.

Xiao Yunzi quickly stopped the man.

"Don't be impatient, Your Majesty. The matter has not been concluded yet. The Emperor is very angry right now. If you go now, you will only add fuel to the fire."

Not long after, Jinxi got the latest news from Su Peisheng.

Zhen's father was invited to a social event outside, but after getting drunk, he directly talked about royal affairs and said that he wanted to find a secret recipe for his daughter to have a child.

It happened to be heard by the censor and he was directly impeached.

No prince was born after the emperor ascended the throne. Even the newborn princess had already walked, but there was still no new good news.

There had long been rumors circulating privately that the emperor was too harsh on his brothers.

God couldn't bear it, so he brought down the punishment.

Both the royal family and ordinary people have always valued having many children. Compared with the sons of the previous emperor, the current emperor's children can indeed be described as empty.

The emperor knew who was behind this. Lao Ba and the others had been imprisoned, but they just wanted to disgust the emperor.

Without evidence, even the emperor could not deal with them at will.

This kind of thing was a great humiliation for him, and Zhen Huan's father happened to run into him at this time.

After hearing this, Zhen Huan fell back onto the couch. After a little thought, she realized that something was wrong.

"What about the man sitting at the table with my father? Who was he? Has he ever been impeached?"

Jin Xi shook her head. "They are all Lord Zhen's colleagues in the Dali Temple. One of them just had a baby boy, so he invited his colleagues to celebrate."

"Except for Lord Zhen, the others were all drunk and were not impeached."

"Youngest son..."

Zhen Huan quickly realized that someone was deliberately setting a trap for her father. As for the purpose?

She had never made enemies in the harem, so this incident could only be directed at the emperor.