"Reeds are lush, white dew turns to frost. My beloved is on the other side of the water." Xiao Gang heard someone making noises from afar, frowned and dared not think any more, and pushed the door open. Xiao Lun came up to him and took his arm, smiling and said, "Third brother, you are here? Come on, let's recite poems for our father together, shall we?" He seemed to have drunk a lot of wine, smelling of alcohol, and was disheveled at the moment, which was extremely disobedient to the emperor.
Xiao Gang looked up and saw the rage hidden on his father's dark face, but it had not yet erupted. Xiao Lun, however, did not care at all, and smiled and chanted: "My hair is unpredictable, and my haggardness is for whom to see. If you want to know when I miss you, just look at how much my skirt is loosened..." It was just a song of "Reading Songs", and he continued to chant: "The spring breeze stirs my heart, and my eyes wander to the mountains and forests. The mountains and forests are full of wonders, and the sunbirds sing clear songs."
Xiao Lun smiled, so happy that he almost danced. Xiao Gang looked at his father's increasingly gloomy face with trepidation, and pulled him aside and said, "Sixth brother, that's enough. Stop making trouble. This is not your house."
"Third brother, let him make a fuss. I want to see how long he can make a fuss." The emperor suppressed his anger and spoke slowly, giving him a heavy feeling of oppression for no reason.
After hearing this, Xiao Lun actually stopped talking. After a long while, he stood up straight and replied in a serious tone, "It's really boring. I don't want to play anymore." This change made it seem as if the drunkard just now was not him, or that everything just now was just an act.
The emperor was irritated by him and slammed the table heavily: "You bastard, you call human life worthless and you say it's boring? Then what is your "have to go"?"
Xiao Gang was stunned and asked quickly, "You think human life is worthless?"
The emperor stared at Xiao Lun and called to the eunuch beside him: "Go and tell the Third Prince about this boy's deeds."
The eunuch secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead, lowered his head and said softly: "Yes. Sixth Prince, the Sixth Prince drank some wine and met an old man selling salted fish on the road. He asked him... asked him about the governor of Yangzhou. The old man talked back to the Sixth Prince. So the Sixth Prince..." The voice gradually faded. The emperor shouted: "Louder!"
"So the Sixth Prince made the old man swallow the fish eggs, causing his death." After the eunuch said this, he looked up at the emperor in fear.
Xiao Lun snorted coldly: "He is just an ignorant old man, his death is not a pity."
Xiao Gang was sweating and tried to stop him, "Sixth brother, say less." It seemed that he was really drunk. He dared to say such words in front of the emperor. Didn't he know that the emperor was a Buddhist and would not like such remarks
"How dare you! In your eyes, life is worthless?" The emperor said angrily, "It seems that I have spoiled you too much. You are so arrogant and spoiled. How can you be the governor of Yangzhou?"
Xiao Lun swayed slightly and replied with his arms folded: "Father, are you spoiling me? If that were the case, you would not have issued such an order. You knew that I was thinking about her in my heart, but you gave her to the seventh brother. What's the meaning of that?" He felt depressed and finally asked the question.
"Are you questioning me?" The man in dragon robe on the high platform asked faintly, but with full affirmation. "Do I need to ask for your opinion on my decision? You just need to obey. You don't need to worry about other things, and there is no need to say more."
"Father, do you really not care what I think? I refuse to accept! I absolutely refuse to accept. Even according to age, I should go first. Why is it the seventh brother?" Xiao Lun shook off Xiao Gang's hand and said angrily.
"When I asked you to choose a marriage partner, you refused. Now you blame me. Tell me, what are you dissatisfied with? I have made up my mind, and it will not change now. It is in vain for you to say anything. Just go back to your Yangzhou and be the governor." The emperor sighed lightly, and finally put away his anger, intending not to pursue the matter further.
Xiao Lun, perhaps still drunk or overwhelmed by indignation, blurted out, "I don't want the position of governor. Whoever wants to be the governor can take it."
After these words came out, everyone in the hall was stunned. Xiao Gang was shocked and hurriedly covered his mouth, scolding in a low voice: "Sixth brother?! Are you crazy?"
"You... say it again." An oppressive voice came.
Xiao Gang came to the rescue: "Father, my sixth brother was drunk and said it unintentionally. Don't take it seriously."
"Say it again!" The emperor ignored the persuasion and raised his voice, which was like a thunderclap that sobered Xiao Lun up halfway. However, he still stared at the emperor's burning eyes stubbornly and said word by word: "I don't accept it. If you insist on doing this, I would rather not be a governor. I would rather not be the King of Shaoling."
"Sixth brother!" Xiao Gang pulled him suspiciously, and Xiao Lun threw him away, staring straight at the emperor. Is the sixth brother so abnormal just because of Xu Zhaopei? Or something else? Such words are simply treasonous. He suddenly felt that things were getting worse and worse, and he could no longer control it.
The two of them confronted each other for a while, and the emperor smiled, but it was cold and indifferent. "It seems that Liu Zhen really doesn't want to be a prince. Do you think you can threaten me? Okay, I'll let you do it."
"Father!" Xiao Gang called him, and his sinister look frightened him.
The emperor raised his hand to signal him not to say anything more, and stared at Xiao Lun: "It seems that I can't keep you any longer. Well, let you go to accompany your mother, so that she won't be lonely."
Xiao Lun's body shook, and he sobered up completely. His eyes gradually became clear, but there was no regret in his eyes. He just confronted the emperor.
After a long while, the emperor frowned and looked at the eunuch beside him: "What? Are you deaf? Why don't you drag this evil boy away for me?" The eunuch stood in a dilemma. The emperor asked again: "Why, you can't bear to leave Shaoling King? Why don't you go and accompany him?"
The eunuch was startled and resolutely stepped down from the stage and walked towards Xiao Lun.
Xiao Lun just stood straight in the distance, staring at the emperor. No resentment, no hatred. No expression at all, just indifferent and blank. Oh, father. For my seventh brother, would you rather give up on me
That's all.
Xiao Lun smiled gently, not knowing the emotion behind his smile.
"Father!" An urgent voice came from the door. Xiao Lun turned around to look, but was blinded by the slanting sunlight and could not see anything. (To be continued)