CH 47
Thousand Miles of Heaven
Ch 47 âUnless you kill me, you canât escape.â
East Palace.
As soon as Xie Chaoling sat down, someone came in to report that King Ke had come to see him.
He got up, walked to the window, looked out, and could see Xie Chaoyuan standing at the steps outside the hall from a distance, and that person was also looking up at him. Xie Chaoling quickly dodged behind a wall to not let the outsider see.
âYour Highness?â Liao Zhi saw his reaction and asked hesitantly.
There was a fleeting embarrassment in Xie Chaolingâs expression, he coughed lightly, and ordered: âLet him in.â
Xie Chaoyuan entered the door, did not greet him, and stared straight into Xie Chaolingâs eyes: âI have something to say to His Royal Highness alone, please Your Highness ask these people to retreat.â
Xie Chaoling ordered people to come up with refreshments, and smiled lightly: âSixth Brother, sit down.â
Xie Chaoyuan did not move, and still said the same words bluntly: âPlease, Your Highness, ask all the people in this palace to retreat. â
Liao Zhi couldnât help frowning when he heard that. Sixth Highness was too rude, this is the East Palace, how can he be so presumptuous.
Xie Chaoyuan took a step forward, and his tone was even colder: âIf His Royal Highness doesnât mind being heard about things that canât be heard, I donât mind just saying it.â
Xie Chaoling finally signaled to Liao Zhi: âTake the people outside.â
There was no one else in the hall, but Xie Chaoling still had the standard spring breeze smile on his face: âSixth brother, sit down.â
Xie Chaoyuan looked at him coldly.
Xie Chaoling was helpless: âSixth brother, do you think that my East Palace doesnât treat guests well and refuse to show face?â
After a long while, Xie Chaoyuan stepped forward, lifted the lid of the teacup on the table, took a look, then picked up a piece of dimsum, threw it into his mouth and chewed it, all the while staring at the person in front of him: âThe ambergris incense that is in the palace, Your Royal Highness, is too pungent. Although this tea is good tea, it tastes bitter, and this dessert, whatâs the point of tasting it if itâs neither salty nor bland? Your Royal Highness really likes these?â
Xie Chaolingâs smile remained unchanged: âThatâs why sixth brother came here specially? To pick thorns?â
Xie Chaoyuan took out his jade pendant and put it down, and asked, âDoes Your Highness recognize this?â
Xie Chaoling glanced at it: âThank you, sixth brother, for helping me get it back.â
âThis is what this king found in the burnt tomb yesterday and picked it up.â Xie Chaoyuan reminded him.
Xie Chaoling said calmly: âI accidentally dropped this when I fled from the temple in a hurry. It must have been picked up by someone with bad intentions and deliberately placed in the mausoleum in order to frame sixth younger brother and King Xing. Fortunately, Royal father is wise enough to distinguish right from wrong to prevent them from succeeding.â
Xie Chaoyuan grabbed his wrist suddenly, grabbed him from the couch, breathed closely, and said hoarsely: âCrown Prince Older Brother is very capable, you are not guilty of talking nonsense with your eyes open. This king was too confident and underestimated you. â
He didnât sleep all night, his eye bags were black and blue, and his eyes were bloodshot.
Xie Chaoling frowned slightly: âKing Keâs words, I donât understand it very well? Could it be that King Ke is suffering from hysteria just like King Xun? I just returned to the palace yesterday, today King Xun made trouble, and now King Ke suddenly came to the East Palace to pick on me. You guys are so unreasonable.â
Xie Chaolingâs wrist was pinched with red marks. He lifted his chin lightly, and his tone was still calm: âSixth brother, let go. If I invite someone to come in, things will not be good now .â
âIs what King Xun said true or false?â Xie Chaoyuan insisted on asking.
Xie Chaolingâs eyes flickered: âKing Xun is crazy, talking nonsense and angering father, so itâs not true.â
âSo where did Your Highness the Crown Prince go these past few months?â
âI already said it before. I was chased and hid in a temple, and was almost burned to death. I just returned to the capital yesterday.â
Xie Chaoyuan gripped Xie Chaoling even tighter, and gritted his teeth: âSay it again.â
I have been fleeing for my life, and I just escaped back to the capital yesterday.â Xie Chaoling looked back at him calmly, âI have never been to King Keâs mansion, and if King Ke also suffers from hysteria, it is better to call the imperial doctor quickly.â
Xie Chaoyuan stared at him, eyes furious, his body was filled with uncontrollable hostility, and he stretched out his hand to push Xie Chaoling down on the couch. Xie Chaoling didnât have time to react, and was pressed down hard.
âWhat on earth do you want to do?â Xie Chaoling frowned, âThis is the East Palace, as long as I call someone in, you would be committing a crime and oppressing the crown prince, father will not let you go.â
Xie Chaoyuan sneered contemptuously: âCommitting a crime and bullying the crown prince has happened quite a few times, so I donât care about this one more time.â
â¦He was so angry that he vomited blood yesterday, but he still had the strength today.
Xie Chaoling closed his eyes and opened them again, raised his hand abruptly, his elbow hitting Xie Chaoyuanâs heart vigorously, and then he rolled to the side, avoiding Xie Chaoyuanâs shackles, immediately got up and shouted: âSomeone come here!â
Xie Chaoyuan was escorted by the guards of the East Palace to kneel. He raised his crimson eyes, and looked at Xie Chaoling who was looking down at him from a higher height in front of him.
âYouâve made enough trouble.â Xie Chaolingâs tone contained impatience.
Xie Chaoyuanâs eyes showed sarcasm, and he swallowed a hoarse voice: âCrown Prince Brother is really ruthless, impressive.â
This person said he would not lie to him, but he still lied to him.
In order to escape from him smoothly, he was given medicine to make him powerless to stop him, and even chose the cruelest way to burn his Linlang to death.
From the very beginning, he shouldnât be soft-hearted, and shouldnât ask for peopleâs hearts that he canât obtain.
âUnderstanding sixth brother is young and ignorant, I will not pick on todayâs matter regarding you, just withdraw.â
Xie Chaoling turned his eyes away and didnât look at him again.
The guard let go of him. Xie Chaoyuan got up slowly, looked at Xie Chaoling, and said every word: âUnless you kill me, you canât escape.â
Xie Chaoling was startled.
It wasnât until Xie Chaoyuan left that Xie Chaoling came back to his senses in a daze, rubbed his red wrist that was pinched, and let out a soft âhissâ.
You little b*stard, youâre so ruthless.
Liao Zhi, who was about to say something at the side, lowered his head silently. His Royal Highness being like this⦠seemed normal.
Xie Chaoyuan stood silently at the foot of the main hall of the East Palace for a long time, then walked out step by step.
When leaving the East Palace, he bumped into Li Huan who was about to enter.
Li Huan hastily made way, but Xie Chaoyuan didnât move, his dark eyes fell on his face.
Li Huan didnât look up, but secretly clenched his fists. When His Royal Highness King Ke finally stepped away, he slumped his shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief.
After entering the door, Li Huan greeted Xie Chaoling excitedly, but Xie Chaoling looked very cold when he saw him, there was no smile on his face. Li Huan leaned forward, Xie Chaoling didnât call him, and he didnât dare to move, cold sweat was faintly oozing from his forehead.
After waiting for a while, Xie Chaoling finally said in a cold voice: âFrom now on, donât come here again to the East Palace.â
Li Huan raised his head suddenly in disbelief: âYour Highness!â
Xie Chaolingâs expression was cold, and there was no warmth in his eyes. He was not joking.
Li Huan knelt down on both knees: âYour Highness, whyâ¦â
âYou know why in your heart,â Xie Chaoling said, âWhat did I tell you that day? I asked you to take care of Princess Shurou more, lest someone take advantage of Chief Shenâs death and the decline of the family to cause trouble.â
Li Huan argued anxiously: âIt is my fault that I failed His Highnessâs trust, but how can I have the power to deal with the Shen matter, Iâ¦â
âHow dare you argue!â
Xie Chaolingâs face turned sullen: âDo you really want me to make the case clear? For the Shen matter, those evidences were found out by myself in the past. I know the inside story better than anyone else, and how did those evidences come about to be in the hands of King Huai, do I need to speak for you?!â
Being exposed by Xie Chaoling face to face, and seeing the disgust and disappointment in Xie Chaolingâs eyes, Li Huan knelt and moved forward, his teeth trembling, speaking in a panic: âYour Highness, I did it for Your Highness, itâs all for Your Highness! Your Highness shouldnât stay in King Keâs mansion. Your Highness is a man of gold, how could you be forced by that scorpion! I just wanted Your Highness to come backâ¦â
âYou wanted me to come back, so you hurt my sisterâs family, destroying them?â
Xie Chaoling scolded: âI was wrong in the past, I never thought that you were such a dirty and despicable person, get out, for the sake of grandpa and uncle, I will not bother with you. Donât come to the East Palace again, get out.â
âWhat did I do wrong?!â Li Huan was furious and argued excitedly, âShen Zhongdao misappropriated military funds and caused the death of my grandfather, father and brother-in-law, he deserved to die! Itâs because Your Highness is partial to Shen that you think I did something wrong! Your Highness not only favors Shen family, but also King Ke! He committed a serious crime that should be punished by a death of a thousand cuts, why did Your Highness protect him and not report him to His Majesty?! â
Xie Chaoling sneered coldly: âYou donât have to make excuses for yourself. Shen Zhongdao diverted military expenses but he used his own private property to make up for it, you know it well. Also speaking all this, you just have a personal grudge with King Ke. You are narrow-minded and radical and do not put me, the crown prince, in your eyes. Moreover, you do not take my words seriously, I do not welcome you in this East Palace.â
âI just did one thing wrong but Your Highness will drive me away. What about King Ke? King Ke, doesnât he deserve to die for lying to the emperor and persecuting Your Highness?!â
After Li Huanâs shout came out, he gasped for breath while staring straight at him.
After that, he heard Xie Chaolingâs voice say indifferently: âSo what? I am willing to pamper King Ke.â
Li Huan was kicked out of the East Palace.
Liao Zhi raised his eyes and saw that Xie Chaoling was sitting on the couch, looking down and playing with a short knife in his hand.
Picking up the teacup and pouring the tea into his mouth, Xie Chaoling couldnât help but frown. His father liked using this Lingzhi tea to nourish the blood and nourish the qi the most. He was used to drinking it in the past, but now trying it again, it was so bitter that he couldnât swallow it. He twisted up a piece of dimsum and took a bite, it was really tasteless.
That little b*stard was right.
Liao Zhi stepped forward at the right time, and asked in a low voice: âYour Highness, are you not used to these?â
Xie Chaoling glanced at him: â⦠I just want to drink Yunwu tea, you can ask someone to change the dimsums to something more sweet, and this ambergris, get it out.â
He pushed himself too hard before, and thinking about it, it seemed unnecessary.
With the short knife out of its sheath in his hand, Xie Chaoling slowly stroked it with his fingers.
He couldnât help feeling sorry, but in the end he only took this one thing from Xie Chaoyuan.
Li Huan went out of the palace gate and got into the carriage in a daze. He had just walked two streets when he was stopped at a quiet street corner. Two long swords held him in front of Xie Chaoyuanâs carriage.
Xie Chaoyuan didnât even look at him, and said in a deep voice: âTake him away.â
Back at the villa outside the capital, Li Huan was escorted in, and knelt down in front of Xie Chaoyuan.
Xie Chaoyuan was looking at the comb in his hand. He begged him several times for ir and Xie Chaoling refused to give, now it was finally left here by that person.
In Xie Chaolingâs eyes, everything here was something that can be easily discarded and not worth mentioning, including him.
Li Huan struggled to get up, gritted his teeth and asked, âKing Ke brought me here forcibly, what exactly do you want to do? Even if you are a prince, you canât be so lawless!â
Xie Chaoyuan looked at him coldly: âThe matter of the Shen family is your fault. You wrote to King Huai?â
Li Huan sneered: âWhat? Even King Ke wants to settle this account with me? What does the matter of the Shen family have to do with you?!â
It is true that the matter of the Shen family has nothing to do with him, but this person deliberately used this to force Xie Chaoling away from him.
âHis Royal Highness is generous and kind. Since he went back to save the Shen family for Princess Shurou, he should also come to save you, the only remaining root of the Li family.â Xie Chaoyuan said slowly, with contempt in his eyes.
Li Huan gradually developed timid under his gaze as if being looked at like an ant, but he still insisted on his face: âYou should give up, I will not let you use me to threaten His Highness the Crown Princeâ¦â
âWhat are you?â Xie Chaoyuan said disdainfully, âYou should be glad that the Li family is dead, and you are the only thing left. Your only value is your surname, otherwise you think you can get out of the East Palace today?â
Xie Chaoyuanâs killing intent was undisguised. Li Huan swallowed subconsciously, and struggled harder, but was held down by Xie Chaoyuanâs guards and couldnât move at all: âYou, what do you want to do?â
Xie Chaoyuan probably didnât want to dirty his sword, so he casually slapped the guard beside him, slapped Li Huan on the face, and said viciously: âSince childhood how many times have you opposed this king, do you really think this king does not know what you have in mind?â
Li Huan clenched his teeth tightly: âYou are the most despicable and nasty person, you kidnapped His Highness and threatened him, you⦠ah!â
After a scream, Li Huanâs bloody left ear fell to the ground.
This person had a huge black mole on his left earlobe, which was very recognizable.
Li Huan, howling in pain, clutched his bloody head and rolled on the ground. Xie Chaoyuan didnât look at him again, and motioned to Wang Rang: âDrag him away, make sure he has at least one breath left. Pick up the thing, pack it up and send it to the East Palace.â
âEvery day that the crown Prince doesnât come to save the person, this king will send him something every day.â