good season

Chapter 295 Zhao something-moon (Two chapters combined)

Before long, the auspicious day for the retired emperor to enter the capital arrived. Not only the civil and military officials, but even Emperor Yongjia had not seen the retired emperor for many years.

Compared to twelve years ago, the Emperor Emeritus has aged, but his face is ruddy and he looks radiant. In particular, his eyes seem even more spirited than they were back then.

However, most people's attention was not on the retired emperor, but rather drawn to the two young men beside him.

One of them is Xiao Zhen, who is both familiar and unfamiliar to everyone. Everyone's last impression of Xiao Zhen is still the funeral with the entire mansion covered in white mourning clothes.

Xiao Zhen died before he was married. According to the customs of Liang, he could not be buried in the ancestral grave after his death. Therefore, Xiao Zhen was buried outside the capital in a lonely new grave. According to the customs of the capital, a tombstone can only be erected three years after burial. Therefore, Xiao Zhen's grave did not even have a tombstone, which made it seem even more desolate.

But now, Xiao Zhen stands there alive, his youthful naiveté gone. The young man who was once as green as bamboo has gone through life and death. Although he is still tall and handsome, his temperament is completely different. He is like an evergreen pine and cypress, calm and resolute. Especially his eyes, which are like deep pools, unfathomable.

In stark contrast to Xiao Zhen's coldness, the legendary Moon-Viewing Prince had a face like jade, lips like painted vermilion, and especially those smiling peach blossom eyes that shone brightly and radiantly.

Some were astonished that the Moon-Viewing Prince was even more beautiful than a woman, while others gasped in disbelief!
The last young man to be so handsome was Xiao Yue, the illegitimate son of the Princess's concubine!
And the one standing next to Xiao Zhen now, isn't that Xiao Yue?

Before the heir of the Marquis of Yongping could utter the words "Xiao Yue," his father covered his mouth, and the Marquis of Yongping's deep voice said in his ear: "Shut up, this is the first time you've seen him, the very first time!"

A cold sweat broke out on the back of the Marquis of Yongping's heir, his lips pressed tightly together, but his heart was screaming: Xiao Yue, it's Xiao Yue! Even if he were reduced to ashes, I would still recognize him! Back then at a party, he asked Xiao Yue to sing a song to entertain the guests, and Xiao Yue sang. Afterwards, Xiao Zhen found out about it and took advantage of him being alone to beat him up.

Just when he had finally recovered from his injuries and was about to take revenge, Xiao Zhen died.

Later, when he wanted to take revenge on Xiao Yue, Xiao Yue disappeared. Some said that Xiao Yue ran away because he owed money, while others said that he was killed by Zhu Yu. In short, in the heart of the Marquis of Yongping, the two brothers were both dead, dead beyond dead.

Previously, when he heard that Xiao Zhen had come back to life, the heir of the Marquis of Yongping was half-believing and half-doubting. He never expected that not only Xiao Zhen was alive, but Xiao Yue was also alive. Even more unexpectedly, the legendary fairy-like young master who looked like a celestial child was actually Xiao Yue.

Heavens above, earth below, who can tell him what's wrong with this world?
Marquis Yongping could not hide his son's expression from him. His heart was pounding. He knew about the feud between his son and the two brothers, but he didn't take it to heart. He thought it was just children playing around.

But now things have changed. Actually, it has nothing to do with them, but their son is a troublesome child. Marquis Yongping made up his mind to lock up the fool as soon as he returned to his mansion.

Many others shared the same idea as the Marquis of Yongping; they were all prepared to lock their children up as soon as they got home.

Song Jing, the young master of the Changping Marquis's mansion, even had his wrist bruised from being gripped by his own father, because he was even more excited than the heir of the Yongping Marquis.

He never bullied Xiao Yue, but he and Xiao Yue used to be playmates. For this, his father hung him up and beat him, and even sent two old servants to follow him, preventing him from playing with Xiao Yue anymore.

Ahhh, you guys used to say Xiao Yue was an illegitimate son and wouldn't let me play with him, but now that Xiao Yue has become the Emperor Emeritus's adopted grandson, can I play with him now?
Perhaps because Xiao Zhen and Zhao Guanyue's appearance had attracted all the attention, when Zhao Shiqing stepped down from the carriage and bowed to Emperor Yongjia, the crowd paid little attention to the retired emperor's goddaughter.

However, to everyone's surprise, the retired emperor did not return to the palace, but went to Wuji Temple after entering the city.

"I still need to cultivate, and living in the palace is quite inconvenient. Wuji Temple is more suitable. If you want to see me, come to Wuji Temple."

He was going to stay at Wuji Temple, and Zhao Guanyue and Zhao Shiqing were going to go with him. Only Xiao Zhen escorted them to Wuji Temple and then returned to the Princess's residence alone.

Emperor Yongjia accompanied the retired emperor to Wuji Temple, but the retired emperor was already tired and only gave him a few perfunctory words before sending him away.

When Emperor Yongjia returned to the palace, his face was ashen.

He looked at the Empress who had come with him and said, "Does that Zhao Guanyue look familiar to you?"

The Empress shook her head: "That is indeed a beautiful child, but this is probably the first time I have seen one."

Emperor Yongjia was also certain that this was the first time he had seen such a person. After all, someone with such outstanding appearance would be unforgettable at first sight. He was not an old man with declining memory; if he had seen such a person before, he would never forget him.

"But I feel like I've seen this somewhere before, but I can't quite place it."

The Empress smiled and said, "That child has a pair of peach blossom eyes. My nephew Baoru also has a pair of such eyes. Your Majesty, you met Baoru not long ago and praised him to me."

Emperor Yongjia was taken aback. "Really? It seems so. I do remember that the Empress had a handsome nephew. Could it be because of the same peach blossom eyes?"

At this moment, the Empress said, "I have just learned that Miss Shi Qing is actually the younger sister of the Prince of Liang. Alas, I had heard before that the old Prince of Liang's adopted daughter had lived on the mountain with her master since childhood, and I thought she was a nun. But today, I see that she is a beautiful and noble lady."

With people from the Imperial Clan Court accompanying her, the Empress learned of Zhao Shiqing's identity before she even returned to the palace.

Even without the status of being the adopted granddaughter of the retired emperor, she was still a member of the imperial clan.

Emperor Yongjia nodded: "Yes, a noblewoman of the royal family cannot simply become a nun whenever she wants. The Liang Prince's Mansion has already shown great open-mindedness by allowing her to live on the mountain. However, I heard that after Zhao Yuncai passed away, the old princess consort could not tolerate this adopted daughter and kicked her out of the mansion as soon as the forty-ninth day memorial service was over. Therefore, she is not close to the Liang Prince's Mansion."

The Zhao Yuncai mentioned by Emperor Yongjia was none other than the old Prince Liang.

The Empress understood the meaning behind Emperor Yongjia's words in an instant: "Then I will summon her to the palace tomorrow and have a private talk."

Emperor Yongjia was very satisfied. Although Zhao Shiqing came from the Liang Prince's Mansion, she was only an adopted daughter and had a strained relationship with the Liang Prince's Mansion. Such a person was far more useful than Zhao Yunnuan, the eldest princess of the Liang Prince's Mansion who was about to marry into the capital.

The Empress added, "That young master Guanyue is still young; I think he will get along well with the princes."

Emperor Yongjia remained silent. Before this, he had not taken Zhao Guanyue seriously. He was the adopted grandson of the retired emperor. If he was obedient, he would give him more wealth and honor; if he was disobedient, he would give him an accident.

However, upon seeing Zhao Guanyue in person today, Emperor Yongjia was unable to calm down for a long time.

Firstly, the retired emperor not only bestowed a surname upon him, but also registered him under the name of Emperor Xiaokang.

Secondly, there was Zhao Guanyue's appearance. Although the Empress said it was because he had the same eyes as Bao Ru, Emperor Yongjia's suspicions were not completely dispelled.

He was a suspicious person by nature.

Upon returning to his palace, he immediately sent someone to summon Lu Qian.

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lu Qian also went out of the city to welcome the retired emperor.

Emperor Yongjia said, "You have seen Zhao Guanyue. Go and investigate his background."

Shen Guanyue's original household registration was in Baihe Village, Liangdi. He, Niqiu, and Shen Wangxing were all registered in the same household.

However, the Emperor Emeritus felt that the Liang region's household registration might cause unnecessary trouble, so before leaving Tongzhou, he re-registered their household registrations in Tongzhou. Now, all three of them are registered residents of Tongzhou.

On the banks of the Tong River stood the He Xian Temple. Due to a flood, the temple was destroyed. Shen Guanyue, Niqiu, and Shen Wangxing were lay disciples of the He Xian Temple.

In this way, it would be understandable that the retired emperor encountered Shen Guanyue while he was managing the floods in Tongzhou.

Lu Qian quickly found out Shen Guanyue's background clearly. She was an orphan adopted by Hexian Temple and grew up in the temple. After the temple was destroyed, she and her fellow disciples went to Gaoping with kind hearts to help the government comfort the disaster victims.

As for the grain and silver that Shen Guanyue brought, they found their source after his relationship with the retired emperor became public.

Need I say more?

It was given to me by the retired emperor!
Lu Qian, who had served as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for many years, silently shook his head as he looked at the information he had uncovered.

This information is too easy to find, too clear, and too normal.

How did a boy who grew up in a Taoist temple manage to get to the Emperor Emeritus and gain his favor?
Furthermore, according to his knowledge, even before the Emperor Emeritus arrived in the capital, the reputation of Young Master Guanyue was already widely known throughout the city. Someone was actively promoting him!

Who has this ability?

Who else could it be? The retired emperor!

Why would the retired emperor value a godchild he had taken in halfway through his life so much?

Based on the unexpected observations of those纨绔 (sons of wealthy families) outside the city gates today, Lu Qian felt there must be something fishy going on.

Instead of reporting the information he had found to Emperor Yongjia, he sent people to investigate those纨绔 (playboys).

The first person to be investigated was the heir of the Marquis of Yongping.

But no one expected that the heir of the Yongping Marquis would get food poisoning, vomit and have diarrhea, and fall ill after returning to his residence. With elderly parents, young children, and two pregnant women in the household, the Yongping Marquis was worried that he would pass on his illness to others, so he ordered the courtyard where the heir was staying to be locked up.

Therefore, the people in the Yongping Marquis's mansion are now in a state of panic, all speculating that the heir may be suffering from an epidemic.

The second person investigated was Song Jing. Lu Qian saw it clearly; at that time, the Earl of Changping was holding his wrist tightly.

But Song Jing has disappeared without a trace!

The reason why his whereabouts are unknown is that Song Jing often skips school to go out and play. Sometimes he will be gone for several days. His family can't control him, so they don't care. Anyway, he has money on him and guards around him. He won't starve to death or get lost. When he runs out of money, he will go home.

The city's guards confirmed that around dusk, Song Jing and several纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) left the city with their guards, carrying bows on their backs, clearly going hunting.

The few playboys who left the city with Song Jing were all on the list that Lu Qian wanted to investigate!

In other words, apart from the heir of the Marquis of Yongping who was unable to leave due to illness, the others all left the city—no, their whereabouts are unknown.

After all, even their families didn't know where they had gone, and the flag bearers guarding the city gates only saw them leave the city and get onto the official road.

Unfortunately, these were all the youngest sons in the family who were not allowed to inherit the title and were just waiting to die.

Fortunately, there are two more people on the list.

Who is it? It's the Stone Breaker from the Prince Lu's Mansion!

These two are known for their elusive nature; it's not easy to catch a glimpse of them.

But this time, they all stayed in the manor and didn't go anywhere else.

The Imperial Guards came looking for them. The Prince of Lu said, "Those two unfilial sons have caused trouble again? I knew they couldn't stay still. Talk to the head of the road and tell him to keep them in the imperial prison. They'll be released when I die!"

The Broken Stone Brothers were summoned to the Imperial Guard. It was their first time in this place, and they touched and pinched everything with great curiosity.

Lu Qian already knew the names of these two brothers; after all, they were both capable of causing all sorts of trouble.

Have you met Zhao Guanyue before?

Lu Qian dealt with this kind of unruly child in a straightforward manner.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Zhao Guanyue!"

"Zhao Guan what?"

"Zhao Guanyue!"

"What moon-viewing?"

"Zhao Guanyue!"

"Zhao what Yue?"

Lu Qian closed his eyes. If these two weren't the prospective heir and the second young master of the Lu Prince's Mansion, he would have loved to slap them both to death!

"The Emperor Emeritus's adopted grandson, have you known him before?"

"What's a godchild? Little brother, do you know?"

"A godson is a adopted grandson."

"Then why not say 'adopted grandson' instead of 'godson'?"

"Perhaps it makes one appear knowledgeable."

"What's the use of being knowledgeable? Can you put food on the table?"

"It can't be eaten; it only makes you look stupid."

路乾
"You can go back now, everything's alright."

The Broken Stone Brothers shook their heads in unison: "We're not leaving. You promised to let us stay in the Imperial Prison, live in the Imperial Guard's quarters, and eat the Imperial Guard's food. You can't go back on your word, can you?"

"Who agreed to let you stay in the Imperial Prison? Do you think that's a place you can just stay wherever you want? Get out of here!"

"We won't leave! We just won't leave! If you're so capable, carry us out!"

So the two were carried out and left at the entrance of the Imperial Guards.

The two got up from the ground, cursing and swearing, and left. They told everyone they met that Lu Qian was unreliable and stingy, asking them for help but refusing to provide them with food.

Lu Qian was furious, but these two were legitimate members of the royal family, and notorious troublemakers in the capital. What could he do? He couldn't just arrest them.

He dared to say that if he really arrested those two, Prince Lu would be able to run around in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and there was nothing that that shameless prince wouldn't do.

Lu Qian regretted it; why did he provoke the people of the Prince Lu's mansion?

In short, despite his extraordinary abilities, Lu Qian was unable to extract any useful information from these spoiled brats.

On the contrary, at this very moment, a tense atmosphere pervaded the homes of these spoiled brats.

The brat was sent away, but the problem was left for them.

Zhao Guanyue is actually Xiao Yue!
Some of these fathers had met Xiao Yue, while others had not. Those who had met him, such as the Marquis of Yongping and the Earl of Changping, stopped their sons from speaking at the time. The others who had not met him learned about the matter after returning to their residences.

They had gone from disbelief to anxiety, mirroring the emotional journey of the Crown Prince of Lu.