Perhaps because he was too surprised, Li Er forgot to hide his emotions. Although Zhao Mian was furious, he still had some rationality left and was able to catch the strangeness in his expression.
Li Er didn't seem to be entirely surprised by his appearance. There was an indescribable, uncertain confusion in his eyes, as if... he was trying hard to recall something.
Could it be that Li Er had really seen him somewhere
As Li Er was in a daze, the strength in his hands also unconsciously weakened. Zhao Mian didn't have time to think about it, so he seized the opportunity and suddenly hit Li Er's waist with his left elbow.
Li Er's eyelashes trembled as the pain came, and he came back to his senses from his trance, but it was too late.
Zhao Mian took the opportunity to break free from him, then raised his right hand violently—
Snapped.
Zhao Mian gave Li Er a loud slap in the face.
Zhao Mian used all his strength in this slap, which made Li Er a little dazed. His face tilted to the side and his cheeks were burning.
Zhao Mian stared at Li Er as if he was facing a formidable enemy. The black-skinned fishmonger went from one shock to another, motionless, as if his soul had left his body.
It would be better if Li Er died of heart palpitations, Zhao Mian thought viciously.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The sun sets, no longer shining brightly. The reeds standing in the twilight have a rustling sound, and the sounds of other people fighting not far away seem to become blurred.
After a while, Li Er slowly turned his head.
"A slap in the face, are you serious?" He had a dark face and laughed in anger, "Why slap me anywhere else? How can I slap you back?"
Zhao Mian could see that Li Er seemed to be carefree, but in fact he was also a vengeful person. He had always remembered the grudge that he had made him kneel down to speak, and he had been feeling aggrieved until today when he found an opportunity to take revenge. Li Er must have wanted to slap back the slap he had just given him.
Zhao Mian said coldly: "Why, you don't slap people?"
Li Er said: "I really don't like fighting."
"That's great. I love fighting."
After Zhao Mian finished speaking, he raised his hand again quickly, accurately and ruthlessly.
Li Er, who had been prepared, would naturally not let him succeed a second time.
Zhao Mian's movements were forced to stop in mid-air. His sleeves were wide and made of high-quality fabric, as smooth as water. When he raised his hand, the sleeves also slid down, revealing a white wrist that was firmly held in Li Er's hand. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move it.
Seeing that Zhao Mian's slap was not enough and wanted to slap him a second time, Li Er also got angry and frowned, saying, "Don't push your luck."
Even if he was restrained, Zhao Mian would never lose his momentum and ordered, "Let go."
I don’t know whether Li Er recognizes his face. Assuming that Li Er has really seen him in Nanping, why does he dare to disrespect him at this time
Li Er probably thought that since he had already offended someone, it seemed there was no way to make amends, so he simply followed his heart and made himself happy first.
"I won't slap you," Li Er held Zhao Mian's wrist, and they faced each other. Zhao Mian's long hair was blowing, making his neck itchy. On a whim, he said half-seriously, "How about this, let me pull a handful of your hair, as a way of returning the slap."
Pulling hair? Or a bunch? Boom—
The rage almost burned out Zhao Mian's rationality. Fortunately, his eighteen years of etiquette and education made him not lose his composure like a desperate madman even at this time: "You dare?! Li Er, if you dare to touch me, I will make everything behind you cry with you and regret what you did today!"
Li Er smiled and said, "When you act pretentiously, you should also look at your own situation first..." Before he finished speaking, Li Er suddenly raised his head and looked outside the reed marsh.
Zhao Mian then noticed that the noise of fighting outside had become much quieter since some time. Shen Buci's voice came at the right time: "Young Master?!"
Zhao Mian opened his eyes wide in surprise.
Li Er looked in the direction of the voice and said, "Hey, your people are here to see you." He leaned close to Zhao Mian's ear and threatened Zhao Mian softly, just like Zhao Mian threatened him not long ago, "Tell me, how would they feel if they saw that their high and mighty son could not defeat a black-skinned fishmonger?"
Zhao Mian: “…!”
Shen Buci and his subordinates must not be allowed to see their respected Crown Prince suffer a loss in front of a black-skinned fishmonger.
Absolutely not.
Zhao Mian could no longer control his manners. He couldn't shout for help. Just as he was about to struggle desperately, he suddenly felt a lightness on his wrist.
Li Er let go of him just before Shen Buci saw them.
Shen Buci rushed into the reed marsh and saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Li Er standing together. There were no injuries on their bodies, but their faces were extremely ugly - much uglier than any time he had lost his temper before.
Zhao Mian and Shen Buci's eyes met, and Shen Buci called out "Young Master" worriedly.
Zhao Mian's fingertips trembled as he said word by word, "Kill him."
Shen Buci's eyes were stern, and murderous aura surged around him: "Yes."
Under the condition of trying his best to protect himself from injury, Shen Buci's skills might be on par with Li Er. But once His Royal Highness gave an order, he didn't have to worry about anything else but to complete His Royal Highness's order, even if it meant his death.
However, Li Er stopped fighting at this time. After exchanging a few moves with Shen Buci, he said "I can't beat you" in a cowardly manner and turned around and ran away.
Li Er and his companions were extremely skilled in lightness skills. They leaped up into the air and landed outside the reed marsh in the blink of an eye.
Zhao Mian said decisively: "Chase."
At this time, Yun Yong and Hua Ju also escaped with the help of reinforcements. Seeing their master appear, they hurried to greet him.
"Owner?"
"Master, are you okay?" Hua Ju seemed very surprised. "What happened to your mouth? Is it injured?"
Zhao Mian and Shen Buci followed Li Er out of the reed marsh.
Yun Yong and Hua Ju were both stunned when they saw Zhao Mian without his veil, especially since Zhao Mian looked safe and sound while their master's mouth was broken. It was clear who was stronger and who was weaker. But they were only stunned for a short moment before they immediately drew their swords to meet the enemy.
Li Er stopped the two men in time: "Stop fighting, retreat."
Yun Yong asked: "Why?"
"He is..." Li Er paused for a moment and changed his words: "He is from Nanjing, and at least the son of a high-ranking official. Don't mess with him."
Yun Yong and Hua Ju knew very well that given their current situation, it was definitely not the time to come into conflict with Nanjing, but how did the master know that the other person was from Nanjing
Yun Yong asked: "Master, have you seen him when you were in Nanjing?"
Hua Ju said: "It can't be that just because he looks good, the master thinks he is from Nanjing."
Li Er said succinctly: "Dian Chunzhi."
Yun Yong and Hua Ju looked at each other and saw their doubts in each other's eyes.
"He smells a bit like Chunzhi. Only the rich and powerful in Nanjing can drink this precious tea." Li Er said halfway, and the corner of his mouth pulled unexpectedly. He hissed in pain, touched the place where he was slapped, and actually felt a little blood stain. He couldn't help but said angrily: "He was really cruel."
Li Erling's orders came out like a mountain. The reinforcements fought and retreated. Each of them had good martial arts skills. Soon they disappeared without a trace.
A shadow guard asked, "Your Highness, are you still chasing?"
Although no one died in this battle, both sides suffered losses. Shen Buci was in a hurry to return to His Highness and once killed several of Li Er's reinforcements. In comparison, they only had superficial injuries.
Zhao Mian stared at the direction where Li Er and the others disappeared. Now he was 100% sure that Li Er's identity was definitely not simple. Whether Li Er was from Dongling, Beiyuan, or even the remnant of the lost Xixia country, he must be a figure in his own country, and it is possible that he had seen him before.
Even if he cannot kill such a dangerous character for the time being, he must hang him up and beat him to vent his hatred.
At the same time, Zhao Mian kept reminding himself to stay calm and not lose his temper. Everything has its priorities, and adults should put the overall situation first.
It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.
"Of course we have to chase him, but not now. Let's find a place to rest and get ready first." Zhao Mian looked back at Zhou Huairang who was still lying on the ground, "You're just going to let him lie there?"
It was completely dark. A light was lit in the carriage, which was particularly eye-catching on the deep and dark path, and drove away many mountain beasts and birds.
It was at least a day's drive from Dongling Kyoto, so it was too late to stay in Kyoto. According to the shadow guards who were exploring the way, there was a village ahead, and you could stay there temporarily after taking care of the villagers, but the environment was a bit shabby, so Your Highness might have to put up with it for one night.
Zhao Mian looked down at Zhou Huairang who was still in a coma and said, "Let's go there."
Zhou Huairang had been lying on the ground for so long that his face was gray.
Zhao Mian recalled the scene where Zhou Huairang resolutely stood in front of him, and gradually calmed down.
He couldn't just think about how hateful Li Er was and forget the kindness others had shown him.
Zhao Mian ordered someone to bring some hot water, and used the handkerchief he carried with him to wipe the dust off Zhou Huairang's face, and gently scolded him, "You don't know martial arts, why are you standing in front of me?"
Zhou Huairang's appearance can only be described as delicate and handsome. Although he has some talent, there are many talented and handsome men in Nanjing and Shangjing. Many people don't understand why Zhou Huairang was chosen to be the prince's companion.
In the dim candlelight, Zhao Mian looked at Zhou Huairen's harmless face and couldn't help but think of the scene when they first met.
The prime minister was busy with government affairs, so Zhao Mian was raised by his father before he was five years old.
His father was a soft-hearted person, and even softer when he was with him. He was totally unlike an emperor who ruled over a vast territory and had the power of life and death. As a result, he also developed a soft personality. He would cry when he was wronged, laugh non-stop when he saw someone he liked, and would even reach out for a hug when he met someone he particularly liked.
After his fifth birthday, he had to go to school, and his studies were arranged by the prime minister. He spent less and less time with his father and more and more time with the prime minister.
The emperor had some minor objections to the prime minister's arrangements. For example, he thought there were too many classes and it was not something a five-year-old child could handle. Another thing was that there was only one day a month for rest, and even a donkey at the mill didn't work that hard.
But the prime minister finally convinced the emperor to agree to his arrangement, and the emperor reluctantly said, "Then I will choose a study companion for Mian Mian."
All the civil and military officials in the capital who had children of similar age to the Crown Prince had to enter the palace for selection. The selection of a companion for the Crown Prince was turned into a beauty pageant.
After several rounds of selection, no one expected that the emperor would not choose the prodigy of the Rong family who could recite poems and compose couplets at the age of four, nor the nephew of the prime minister who looked a bit like the prime minister when he was young. In the end, the one chosen by the emperor was the youngest son of an unknown sixth-rank civil servant.
After the news spread, the five-year-old Zhao Mian hid behind a big pillar and witnessed the argument between his father and the prime minister for the first time.
"Your Majesty wishes Zhou Huairang to be Mianmian's study partner?" The Prime Minister frowned slightly and said disapprovingly, "Although this boy has decent talent, he is too naive. He doesn't know how to read people's expressions and has no sophistication at all."
"Isn't it good to be a little naive? Other children are too obedient and don't have the vitality they should have at their age." The father said, "I hope my child is kind and pure, isn't that right?"
The Prime Minister said: "Your child is the future king of a country. Purity and kindness will only harm him. Mianmian likes to act like a spoiled child and cling to you now. Do you think such a prince can become a decisive emperor in the future?"
The father said angrily: "Mianmian is only five years old now. He is so young that he doesn't need to be decisive in killing. He needs a friend who is sincere to him!"
The Prime Minister patiently reasoned with his father: "Compared to 'sincerity', what he needs more is 'loyalty'."
"Prime Minister, you only know that he is the crown prince, the future emperor. Have you ever thought that the crown prince and the emperor are also human beings?" The father felt more and more distressed as he spoke, his eyes gradually turned red, and then he simply gave up, "Forget it, forget it. When it comes to educating children, you and I will never agree. Go away. I don't want to talk to you for the time being."
The Prime Minister looked at his father's red eyes, sighed softly, and compromised helplessly: "Okay, I'll listen to you, don't be angry."
Zhao Mian was too young at the time, and he didn't quite understand the dispute between his father and the prime minister. He only knew that they seemed to be quarreling because of him. He was a little distressed, not knowing where he had done wrong. If he knew, he would definitely change.
The next day, his father brought the bean-sized Zhou Huairang to him and said with a smile, "Mianmian, how about being friends with him?"
The five-year-old Zhou Huairang had a pair of big round eyes, looking at him expectantly and nervously: "Your Highness, I hope you are well. My name is Zhou Huairang, and Your Highness can call me 'Xiao Rang'."
Little Zhao Mian looked up at his father, and when he saw his father smiling at him encouragingly, he said shyly, "Okay."
Later, the prime minister carefully selected several teachers for him. He personally inquired about every class he attended, every article he studied, and every book he read.
Later, he moved out of his father's palace and no longer lived with his father. He began to learn the way of governing the country from the prime minister, and he went back and forth between the school and the Qinzheng Palace every day.
His father wanted to take him and his younger brother out of the palace to play, but he didn't have time.
His temperament, character, words and deeds gradually changed from being like his father to being exactly like the prime minister.
—At least on the surface.
But Zhou Huairang has not changed. He has not become smarter, nor has he become more thoughtful. He is still as ignorant of people's words and expressions as when he was a child.
Most of Zhao Mian's affairs were arranged by the Prime Minister, but his first friend was chosen by his father.
Although he didn't want to admit it, Zhou Huairang was indeed one of the few innocent things he had left after going to school when he was a child.
Zhao Mian and his group traveled for half an hour in the dark and arrived at the village that the shadow guard had scouted out in advance.
The village was called Chenjia Village, and there were about ten people with the surname Chen living there. Shen Buci found the best house, cleaned it himself, and let His Royal Highness stay there temporarily.
However, this place is after all the countryside of Dongling. No matter how clean it is, it is still a humble home for sparrows and is not worthy of being your highness' residence.
Zhao Mian looked around the room and saw only a rough wooden table and a simple stone bed in the room, his eyes were gloomy.
Shen Buci couldn't guess the emperor's intention, so he tried to test him: "If Your Highness is not used to living here, I will find another place."
Zhao Mian said, "No need." He was already forced to kneel before the black-skinned fishmonger, and he had a good place to live, so he had no right to be picky. "Prepare some water, I need to take a bath."
Zhou Huairang in the next room finally woke up after a long sleep. As soon as he woke up, he ran to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince without even having time to tidy up his appearance.
At that time, His Highness had just taken off the jade crown that bound her hair, letting her long black hair fall loosely down her back. She glanced at him from the side and asked, "Awake?"
Zhou Huairang staggered to Zhao Mian and asked nervously, "Your Highness, are you okay? Were you not hurt by Li Er?"
Zhao Mian paused and said, "No."
This was the truth. Li Er had only hurt him by scratching him, but he had even slapped the corner of Li Er's mouth so hard that the skin was broken.
In terms of injuries alone, he is slightly better.
Zhou Huairang clapped his hands in celebration: "Your Highness is amazing! I was so worried when I saw that Li Er could fight Old Shen to a draw."
Zhao Mian turned his head away and hummed uncomfortably.
Just because of the five words "Your Highness is so awesome", he will face off against Li Er next time. If he fails to beat Li Er, he will not be able to face his childhood sweetheart, the naive and foolish Zhou Huairang in the future.
Zhao Mian was thinking when Shen Buci walked in: "Your Highness, the hot water is ready."
He was too ashamed to face Shen Buci, who was strong, quiet, and could cook and boil water.
Late at night, Zhao Mian sat in the bathtub, the mist moistened his eyelashes.
Zhao Mian didn't like to have other people around when he was bathing. Shen Buci and Zhou Huairang stood outside the room so that he could give orders at any time.
The silhouettes of the two people were cast between the paper-covered windows. Zhao Mian heard Zhou Huairang talking angrily again. From time to time, there was the sound of a dog barking through the wooden door. He couldn't make out what he was mumbling about.
The night was cold, and the makeshift bathroom could not withstand the penetrating autumn wind. Zhao Mian wanted to order people to close the doors and windows, but then he thought, forget it, he had knelt before the beast, he deserved to be blown by the cold wind.
Zhao Mian gave up and immersed himself in the hot water, leaving only his head exposed. He lowered his eyes and saw his wrist through the water.
The bright red line was still glaringly red, and there were more bruises around it. If you looked closely, you could see that it was the shape of a fingerprint.
It's not good to have too white skin, because it will leave marks if you are exposed to a little force. On the other hand, Li Er is as dark as a desert native, and no one would notice if his lips were broken.
Thinking of this, Zhao Mian raised his hand and touched the back of his neck.
This place had been touched by the black-skinned fishmonger and needed to be cleaned, and the wrist had also been grabbed several times. The arms, arms, and even the entire back could not escape Li Er's vicious hands, even through the clothes he could not tolerate.
Wash it clean, wash it clean, wash it all clean, wash it all clean.
(End of this chapter)