Chapter 485: Bao Zhuzhu's Great Success Again

Chapter 485: Bao Zhuzhu's Great Success Again

The two of them pushed their light skills to the extreme, each trying to outdo the other.

Just as Chen Long caught up, he was soon left behind by Lu Yuan.

Chen Long sped up to catch up, and with a leap, he overtook Lu Yuan.

"If you want to chase after my sister, you're still far from good enough."

"Is that so?"

Lu Yuan gave a cold hum, and in an instant, he passed Chen Long, not forgetting to turn back and raise an eyebrow at him. "My grandmother's light skills are good, but you only learned the basics!"

Chen Long said coldly, "Even if it's just the basics, it's enough to beat you!"

By now, it was already deep into the night, but the bustling streets of the imperial city were still brightly lit.

Occasionally, a drunk commoner would look up, and in their drunken state, they would catch a glimpse of two fleeting shadows.

"Damn, I must be really drunk to see ghosts..."

The two of them ran wildly, and just as they were about to enter the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Lu Yuan hurriedly said, "There are guards, don't alert them!"

Chen Long came to an abrupt stop, nearly creating sparks as his shoes scraped against the bluestone path.

However, Lu Yuan's steps did not falter; with a leap, he landed on the wall.

He turned around, looking down at Chen Long with a playful expression, and said, "Warfare is about deception. I win!"

There were indeed guards, but they had already been 'cleared' by Shang Guan Ling in this area.

Shang Guan Ling, hiding in a large tree, heard that unmistakable voice and knew without a doubt that it was the Grand Marshal himself.

He quickly imitated a bird's call.

This was their secret signal.

Lu Yuan said indifferently, "Do you want me to look up at you while we talk?"

Shang Guan Ling shivered and quickly used his light skills to jump down, bowing to Lu Yuan, "Grand Marshal."

Lu Yuan said, "I am now the Crown Prince of the Liang Kingdom."

Is there a difference... Are you trying to be funny? Shang Guan Ling corrected himself, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

Lu Yuan was somewhat satisfied.

Shang Guan Ling asked respectfully, "Your Highness, why are you visiting the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion so late? May I ask what important matter brings you here?"

Chen Long, who had just climbed over the wall, frowned, "Can't you speak more politely?"

Shang Guan Ling bowed, "Brother Long..."

Chen Long: "..."

Lu Yuan said, "We're having a secret meeting, guard the door, and we'll leave from here later."

Shang Guan Ling, feeling like he had just been fed a mouthful of dog food: I shouldn't have asked!

The falcon circled in the sky, leading Lu Yuan and Chen Long away from the patrolling disciples and towards the small barn where Meng Qianqian was.

The two of them even argued about who should enter the room first.

"What are you two doing?"

Meng Qianqian asked curiously.

Lu Yuan glared at Chen Long, "He didn't want me to come find you."

Chen Long's body shook, "How can you be so direct?"

Meng Qianqian spoke softly, "Brother, I asked His Highness, the Crown Prince, to come. I have something important to ask him for help tonight."

Chen Long said, "Just tell me what it is, and if he can do it, I can too."

Meng Qianqian said, "I need to hide someone in the Crown Prince's Mansion."

Lu Yuan looked at Chen Long, "Come, come, you do it."

Chen Long remained silent.

Taking advantage of Chen Long's sullen mood, Lu Yuan squeezed past him and entered the room.

In Meng Qianqian's hand was the peony he had given her, and Tan'er was sleeping on her lap.

Hearing the movement, Tan'er's small ears twitched, recognizing the familiar and safe voices, and she continued sleeping.

Lu Yuan then looked towards Meng Qianqian's other side, where a man with eyes wide as copper bells was holding Meng Qianqian's wrist tightly, showing no reaction to their arrival.

"You called me here in the middle of the night, not for a secret meeting, but to hide this man for you?"

The Crown Prince's mood soured.

Meng Qianqian looked up, speaking calmly, "I'm in trouble, and the first person I thought of was Your Highness."

Lu Yuan's temper vanished in an instant.

He hooked a small stool with his foot and sat down opposite Meng Qianqian and the man, tapping the man's hand with his fingertips, "Let go."

The man didn't move.

Meng Qianqian said, "He might have been imprisoned for too long, and his mind is not clear."

Lu Yuan beckoned to Chen Long with his fingers.

Chen Long walked over, asking curiously, "What's going on?"

"I need to borrow your hand."

Lu Yuan grabbed Chen Long's wrist and held the man's other hand with his own.

Unexpectedly, the man grabbed Chen Long's wrist and immediately released Meng Qianqian's.

Meng Qianqian blinked, "Is this possible? Tan'er tried earlier but didn't succeed."

Lu Yuan pointed to the man's left hand that had grabbed Meng Qianqian's wrist, "Didn't Tan'er try with this hand?"

"Yes."

Meng Qianqian nodded.

Lu Yuan said indifferently, "He needs to grab one first to feel secure. Of course, he won't let go of the only one he has."

Meng Qianqian suddenly understood, "So that's it!"

She looked at the man with a blank expression, "In that case, he's not completely out of his mind."

"Do you know him?"

Lu Yuan asked.

Meng Qianqian shook her head, "No, I found him in the cellar basement where I drew the array symbols."

The first time they met, he grabbed her wrist, making Meng Qianqian almost think that he knew her.

But upon further thought, anyone related to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, even if they knew each other, could only be the previous life's Shang Jiu. She had already been reborn into the body of You Zhou Meng Shi.

He couldn't possibly recognize her as Shang Jiu based on a feeling.

He must have instinctively grabbed onto a straw of hope.

Lu Yuan pondered, "The Thousand Mechanism Pavilion keeps him alive, which means he still has value to them."

Meng Qianqian recalled, "The secret room where he was imprisoned, I stayed there too. I remember someone took my blood to complete the array."

Thinking of Meng Qianqian's experience, Lu Yuan and Chen Long's eyes simultaneously flashed with a hint of killing intent.

However, Chen Long sensed something amiss, looking at Lu Yuan and then at Meng Qianqian, "Sister..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Meng Qianqian understood his meaning and nodded.

Chen Long took a deep breath. The secret between him and his sister had been discovered by this despicable man.

Lu Yuan hummed, "Who was it that was shouting and fighting in the military governor's mansion back then, claiming not to recognize his own sister?"

Chen Long: "Draw your sword."

Lu Yuan turned to Meng Qianqian, "I won't be like him, blinded by jealousy."

Chen Long: "You're a real dog."

Chen Long suppressed the urge to slash Lu Yuan with his sword and said, "Let's get back to the point. He's imprisoned under a zhen fa, and it's possible that it's related to the zhen fa that took your destiny away."

Lu Yuan crossed his arms and casually said, "Maybe it's just to make him watch the Shang family suffer in hell, enduring endless torture and never seeing the light of day again."

Chen Long frowned, "What kind of nonsense is in your head? What's the point of doing this?"

Torturing someone shouldn't be about cutting off their hands and feet, gouging out their eyes, or cutting off their tongue, right?

Lu Yuan replied nonchalantly, "Just because you don't think of it doesn't mean others don't. There are people in this world who take pleasure in tormenting others. Torturing someone physically is one thing, but tormenting their mind is what truly dooms them to eternal suffering."

Both Chen Long and Lu Yuan had experienced troubled pasts.

The difference was that Chen Long's childhood was spent under the loving care of Shang Jue and Zhong Li Yuan. After the Shang family was massacred, he still had Shang Jiu and the Chu King's family.

On the other hand, Lu Yuan had witnessed the darkest side of human nature during his time at the Marquis's mansion.

Meng Qianqian stared at Lu Yuan in a daze.

Lu Yuan casually patted Chen Long, "Hey, do you know him?"

Chen Long: "No."

Lu Yuan brushed aside the hair that covered the man's face, "In this state, he probably wouldn't recognize his own son. Let's take him back to the Crown Prince's Mansion first."

Chen Long said to Lu Yuan, "Tell him to let go of you."

Lu Yuan: "I won't."

Chen Long: "..."

There were ways to make the man let go, like hitting his acupoints or using drugs, but the man was so badly injured that he couldn't withstand the effects of anesthesia or neili.

In the end, Chen Long couldn't escape the man's "restraint."

Fortunately, the man's hand was on his side, so Chen Long carried him on his back.

Just as they were about to leave, Chen Long thought of something and asked, "If the person is missing, will the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion suspect you?"

Meng Qianqian smiled, "It doesn't matter. They don't have any evidence anyway. Besides, they're currently busy with Lady Feng and Qilin's matters, so they shouldn't have time to wander around the cellar basement."

Speaking of Lady Feng, she remembered something, "Oh, by the way, Mao Tu appeared. He came to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion in the evening, cured Gongsun Yanming's poison, and also treated Gongsun Liuying."

Chen Long was shocked but felt that it was within his expectations.

The poison of Si She was difficult to cure, and only Yao Wang Valley could save a life.

He just didn't expect it to be so fast.

This meant that Mao Tu had arrived in Huang Cheng long ago and had been in secret contact with Gongsun Yanming.

Chen Long frowned, "Two more lives. Who did Gongsun Yanming trade with Yao Wang Valley this time?"

Meng Qianqian looked at Lieber.

Lieber's bird body shook!

The overlord doesn't know how to read!

Reading is a separate price!

Lu Yuan casually said, "Lady Feng, Qilin."

Chen Long asked, "How do you know?"

Chen Long's complex gaze fell on Lu Yuan's face.

Lu Yuan asked, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not Qilin, and I'm not worried about that girl!"

Chen Long's expression was indescribable.

This was what they called being wise all your life but foolish for a moment.

To fully enjoy the moment of someone's foolishness, Chen Long decided to keep quiet.

"Don't worry about me," Meng Qianqian said, "The Medicine King is in seclusion and won't come to Huang Cheng for the time being. Let's deal with the matter at hand first."

"As my sister says," Chen Long said to Lu Yuan, "Let's go."

Lu Yuan waved his hand, "You go ahead."

Chen Long asked, "You're not coming?"

Lu Yuan said indifferently, "If we leave together, we'll be an obvious target and easily noticed. It's better to split up."

Chen Long said coldly, "You just want me to leave, don't you?"

Lu Yuan confidently folded his arms, "Now that you know, why aren't you leaving?"

Chen Long had never seen such a shameless person. He was left to endure the abuse, feeling suffocated.

Meng Qianqian curved her lips, "Crown Prince and brother, let's go together. We can look out for each other, and we'll need the Crown Prince's help once we reach the Crown Prince's Mansion."

Lu Yuan's fur was smoothed, and he willingly followed his brother-in-law.

Meanwhile, Shang Guan Ling was pacing near the courtyard wall.

"It's been so long, and they still haven't come out. Has something happened?"

Just as he was about to risk his life to investigate, two people returned, no, three people, with Chen Long carrying someone on his back.

He leaned back in surprise and said, "What's going on? You guys came to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion to kidnap someone? Cough, that doesn't sound good. Who is he?"

Chen Long: "Don't know."

Shang Guan Ling opened his mouth, "Er... okay."

These guys had done even more outrageous things, so kidnapping an unknown person was nothing.

Shang Guan Ling escorted them out of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.

At the Crown Prince's Mansion.

Bao Zhuzhu, who had been wronged by his junkie dad, was furious.

Lu Zhaoyan tried his best to calm the little guy, and finally, he fell asleep, leaving Lu Zhaoyan exhausted.

"Finally, I can go see Xiao Bai."

Lu Zhaoyan took a deep breath and opened the door with a smile.

Bang! He closed the door.

He turned to climb out the window.

As he pushed open the window, he saw the "unscrupulous" son.

He looked at the door and then at Lu Yuan, "How did you do it?"

Lu Yuan: "Light skills."

Lu Zhaoyan's mouth twitched. He regretted not learning martial arts and suffering for it!

He said, "Zhao Zhao is asleep."

"Oh, I came to find you."

After Lu Yuan finished speaking calmly, he snapped his fingers, and with a clang, the door, secured with a thick bolt, was pushed open. The heavy bolt fell to the ground with a clatter, and Chen Long, carrying the man, walked in.

Lu Zhaoyan was dumbfounded.

Lu Yuan said, "Dad, I'll leave this person to you. Hide him well."

Lu Zhaoyan asked, "Where did you get him from?"

Lu Yuan replied, "I stole him from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion."

Lu Zhaoyan's body trembled. "You ungrateful child, say that again! What have you done?!"

You've learned to steal people, and from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, no less! You're trying to get your father killed!

Having a father is indeed a blessing.

Lu Yuan returned to his own courtyard, carefree, leaving Lu Zhaoyan to clean up the mess left by his ungrateful son while grumbling.

Among the common folk, the call to depose Lu Zhaoyan and install the Prince of Jin as the Crown Prince grew louder by the day.

Although the news about the true and false Lady Feng had caused a stir, with the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion's influence, the majority of the people still believed in Gongsun Liuying. Some even harbored a hint of dissatisfaction towards the Liang Emperor for 'sheltering' Yan Xiaojiu.

If the Crown Prince's position were to further stir up public anger at this time, it would undoubtedly cause instability in the Liang Empire.

On the court, the memorials impeaching Lu Zhaoyan piled up like mountains.

The Prince of Jin's background and prestige surpassed that of Lu Zhaoyan.

The reason Lu Zhaoyan had won the competition was because he had ensured the continuation of the Liang royal bloodline.

Now that the Qilin was with the Prince of Jin, the Crown Prince's position should rightfully be returned to him.

The Liang Emperor, tired of being urged by his ministers, summoned his uncle, the Prince of Wei, after the court session.

The Prince of Wei was of advanced age, one of the oldest among the royal family.

He was from the same mother as the previous emperor, and the two shared a deep bond. The Liang Emperor held great respect for this uncle.

The Liang Emperor sat beside the Prince of Wei and sighed, "My nephew has encountered a troubling matter recently, and I'm at a loss for what to do. I'd like to hear your advice, Royal Uncle."

The Prince of Wei smiled kindly, "It seems you're facing a dilemma."

In the Prince of Wei's eyes, the Liang Emperor had always been a decisive person, rarely swayed by others.

The Prince of Wei had heard more than once that his nephew was authoritarian, but he understood that while his nephew could be decisive, he wouldn't lose his rationality.

The Liang Emperor spoke of the court's recent events, "At its core, this is a dispute over the Qilin, but Master Ziwu and the National Teacher have differing opinions."

The Prince of Wei said, "If Yuan'er is the true Qilin, even if he doesn't inherit the throne in the future, the Prince of Jin will spare his life. If Yuan'er is the false Qilin, there's no need to worry. Zhaoyan has no ambition, nor does he have the backing of a rebellious maternal clan. He's not a concern. The Prince of Jin won't exterminate them, but to showcase his benevolence, he'll treat the father and son well."

He continued, "If Zhaoyan ascends the throne, the first to be eliminated will be the Prince of Jin, who poses a significant threat. Next would be the maternal clan of Empress Hu. At that time, too many people would be implicated, and the imperial city would be filled with blood."

In the Liang Emperor's mind, scenes of fratricide seemed to flash by.

The Prince of Wei smiled, "Your room is quite damp."

The Liang Emperor said, "I'll accompany Royal Uncle to the Imperial Garden for a walk."

Bao Zhuzhu had slept at the Crown Prince's Mansion and woke up early, insisting on returning to the palace because only there could she attend her mother's horse-riding lessons.

Bao Zhuzhu, holding her little horse, was on her way to find Nie'er in Jiang Huifei's palace.

Members of Empress Hu's family had come to visit her, including a young master of the Hu family, the same age as Nie'er.

As fate would have it, the two children met in the Imperial Garden and started fighting for some reason.

When Bao Zhuzhu saw her little brother being beaten, she couldn't bear it. She pounced and bit the young master of the Hu family! The young master cried out in pain.

By the time the Liang Emperor and the Prince of Wei heard the crying and walked over, the children had already been separated by their palace attendants.

The young master of the Hu family was furious, pointing at Bao Zhuzhu's nose and shouting arrogantly, "What's so great about you? My uncle is the Qilin who protects the country. When he and my uncle become emperors, they'll kill you and your father!"

The Liang Emperor's face darkened, "Who taught you to say such things?"

Everyone's faces changed upon hearing the Emperor's voice.

The wet nurse of the Hu family quickly covered the young master's mouth.

But it was too late.

How could a five or six-year-old child come up with such words out of thin air?

Unless someone had said them.

"Your Majesty!"

The wet nurse hurriedly knelt and pleaded, "Just now... Just now, Miss Zhao Zhao bit the young master, and he spoke in anger. Please forgive him, Your Majesty!"

The Liang Emperor ignored her and looked at the little girl.

Unlike usual, the little girl didn't rush over but stood there, head lowered, and seemed at a loss.

The Liang Emperor said to her, "Zhao Zhao, come here."

Bao Zhuzhu covered her buttocks.

The Liang Emperor said, "I won't spank you."

Only then did Bao Zhuzhu slowly, carefully, and step by step, move closer.

"Ta Ye Ye, don't dislike Zhao Zhao. Zhao Zhao won't bite people anymore. Zhao Zhao isn't a bad baby..."

As she spoke, large tears fell from her eyes.

The Liang Emperor's heart ached.

The little girl may look soft and tender, but she was as fierce as Jiang Huifei.

She needed a powerful father to back her up.

The thought of her being unprotected in the future made him feel like he wouldn't be able to rest in peace.

He bent his noble waist and picked up the little girl, "Let Ta Ye Ye have a look. Did your tooth fall out?"

Bao Zhuzhu obediently opened her mouth, "Ah—"

Indeed, one of her baby teeth was loose.

The Liang Emperor said tenderly, "Next time, don't bite yourself."

Bao Zhuzhu thought for a moment, "Can I let Dad bite?"

Lu Yuan, who had just arrived at the Imperial Garden, was stunned.

The Liang Emperor was both annoyed and amused, "I'll get you a little dog. If anyone bullies you, let the dog bite them."

Bao Zhuzhu's face turned serious, "Dad is fiercer than a dog."

Lu Yuan was speechless.

Was this joke going to be a recurring one?

Others let dogs out, but his daughter let her father out.

The Liang Emperor was amused by the little girl and rubbed her round head, "Zhao Zhao, do you want to be a princess?"

5000-character super chapter, requesting a baby ticket for Bao Zhuzhu!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end