Rong Tang was not completely unpredictable about the system leaving.
Perhaps after completing the mission, it will go to assist the next host, or perhaps it will be recalled by the main brain for not completing the mission.
Anything is possible. The fact that the system is getting weaker day by day and the dormancy time is getting longer day by day is the most powerful proof. However, Rong Tang did not expect that it would happen on New Year's Eve, the day after Sheng Chengli's eyes were dug out.
The time he realized something was wrong was when Su Huaijing started to make dirty jokes to him without restraint.
He was so excited at the time that he didn't notice it, but when he reacted, the system didn't pop up to complain, so Rong Tang became suspicious.
From the moment Sheng Chengli's eyeballs were opened in the wooden box, the system fell silent and he didn't know why.
His little idiot couldn't even contact the main brain, Rong Tang really didn't know where it could go after it disappeared. Even if it returned to the main system space by chance, it was a system that couldn't even make the host do the task properly, who knew if it would be punished.
Days passed one by one, winter clothes were replaced by spring clothes, willow catkins from Yujing City were floating over the imperial city again, and Sheng Chengxing began to prepare for the new flower-picking party.
Rong Tang would occasionally sit in the yard and read storybooks, staring blankly at the drifting clouds in the sky.
The light penetrated the treetops and clouds and scattered into this world. He called upon the system from time to time, and entered the system space where he could not see the face clearly, and stared blankly.
Then, after Su Huaijing returned home and had dinner, we took a walk along the streets of the capital, watching the willow trees sprout new buds day by day and the pear blossoms blooming in the yard.
Zhang Baoshan's case inevitably affected Sheng Chengxing. Xia Jingyi lost his right-hand man, and Sheng Chengli naturally became a thorn in the side of the entire Third Prince's party.
But since he never shows up, naturally no one can hurt him.
As for how Su Huaijing scratched Sheng Chengli and dug out one of his eyes, he never said anything and Rong Tang did not ask any more questions.
On the day of Jingzhe, Rong Tang and Su Huaijing went to the outskirts of Beijing to have dinner with the Princess and Wang Xiuyu.
The eldest princess's habits have changed a little, and she has started to have meals in the evening. The villa still has no name. Su Huaijing half-jokingly says that the eldest princess's mansion on Xuanwu Avenue has been renovated, and asks Duanyi when she plans to move back.
The princess glanced at him indifferently, put down her chopsticks, folded up a handkerchief and wiped her mouth, then asked calmly, "The white tiger in the zoo has grown up. When are you going to release it back to the mountains?"
Su Huaijing chuckled and said nothing more. Ren Duanyi and Wang Xiu Yu continued to live in the villa.
After dinner, Su Huaijing and Duanyi went to the study, while Wang Xiuyu and Rongtang talked together. Wang Xiuyu looked much better than when she was in Ningxuan Palace. She was still in charge of the household affairs of the other courtyard, but without the grievances from her husband and the anger from her aunt, she and the eldest princess could get along harmoniously.
Wang Xiuyu's expression seemed a little hesitant, as if she had made some preparations but was unable to make a decision and could not get past the last hurdle.
Rong Tang poured her a cup of tea and asked gently, "Mom, do you have anything to tell me?"
Wang Xiuyu hesitated for a moment and asked tentatively: "If the prince and I separate, what impact will it have on you and Huai Jing?"
Rong Tang was slightly startled, but after he reacted, his heart couldn't help but soften.
He always knew that Wang Xiuyu loved her son, but he never thought that her love as a mother would make her consider Su Huaijing while fighting for her own freedom.
Yu Rongtang will not be affected at all. Regardless of his average reputation, the title of "Foolish Prince" has not hurt him for so many years. Even if Wang Xiuyu divorces Rong Mingyu, it cannot change the fact that Rongtang is the legitimate son of Prince Ningxuan and the nephew of Queen Wang.
His position was secure—no one cared whether a sickly kid's parents got along.
Wang Xiuyu asked this question mainly because Su Huaijing was now an official in the court, and he met Rong Mingyu every day. His official rank was lower than that of King Ning Xuan. If she offended Rong Mingyu, she didn't know whether Su Huaijing would be implicated.
Rong Tang did not answer immediately, but asked: "Mother, have you made up your mind?"
There were some things that Wang Xiu Yu was not comfortable telling Rong Tang directly, but after thinking about it, she probably realized that Rong Mingyu's action of asking his wife to leave the house because of the birth of their youngest son deeply hurt Wang Xiu Yu's heart.
She struggled for a moment and said, "The palace has many complicated relationships and affairs. Mother is used to a leisurely life in the other courtyard. She returned to the palace for a month during the Spring Festival and felt very tired."
Rong Tang smiled and asked, "If that's the case, why don't you get a divorce?"
Wang Xiuyu was obviously not prepared. She opened her eyes wide when she heard it and looked at Rong Tang in disbelief: "Divorce?"
Rong Tang said softly, "Mother and father have been married for more than 20 years. They have always been well behaved and well-mannered. I think you have already endured the extreme of leaving father's side. Why should we continue to maintain the last bit of face and affection? It would be better to just divorce directly."
Wang Xiu Yu was slightly shocked, and there was a hint of surprise in her eyes when she looked at Rong Tang.
She was silent for a long time, then asked, "You don't even ask me why I am asking, but you are telling me to divorce your father?"
Rong Tang asked back, "Doesn't mother feel tired?"
Wang Xiuyu nodded, and Rong Tang said, "That's enough."
He said, "Mom, just do whatever you want. Don't worry about me and Huai Jing. We have already moved out of the palace. Why should you worry too much?"
Wang Xiuyu was stunned and murmured, "So it's because of this?"
"Not entirely." Rong Tang said.
Wang Xiuyu looked at him with a puzzled expression. Rong Tang whispered, "I always suspect that my father will do something irreversible one day. If I am gone by then and my mother is implicated, Tang'er will not be at peace even in his grave. That's why I want to persuade my mother."
Wang Xiuyu was shocked and quickly grabbed his hand to stop him from talking. After a long pause, she said with difficulty, "Let me think about it again."
Rong Tang didn't urge her, but he noticed something and his eyes flickered slightly.
—Wang Xiuyu did not refute him.
What he said was not too subtle, and Wang Xiu Yu was a smart person. She should have understood immediately that for the prince who was second only to the emperor, everything that was irreversible was written at the very beginning of the Dali Temple's laws.
That was a capital crime punishable by death just thinking about it, but after Rong Tang said it, Wang Xiuyu did not refute it. The reason she stopped him was just to stop him from saying that he wanted to die.
Now it is the eleventh year of the Qingzheng period, and most of the old friends and acquaintances died in this year.
Wang Xiuyu, Mu Jingxu, Li Changfu…
When Rong Tang thought of this possibility, a hint of coldness flashed across his eyes. His brain, which had not calculated for a long time, began to work, wondering what leverage Rong Mingyu had that would allow him to kill him with one blow without hurting any innocent people.
Mother and son were speechless for a while. Wang Xiuyu pulled his hand and changed the subject: "How do you get along with Huai Jing?"
Rong Tang was stunned for a moment, separated from those conspiracies and said truthfully: "Very good."
Wang Xiuyu looked at him, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Rong Tang was puzzled: "What does mother want to say?"
Wang Xiuyu: "Did Huai Jing say he wanted to have children?"
Rong Tang was stunned for two seconds, then smiled and shook his head gently: "No."
Wang Xiuyu was still a little worried, and whispered: "Huai Jing married you because he didn't have a good life at his uncle's house, and he just wanted to seek protection. Now he has entered the court as an official, and mother has heard that the Chief Censor Su is in his prime and is gradually becoming a popular person around His Majesty..."
She paused and Rong Tang looked at her patiently, waiting for her to continue.
Wang Xiuyu: "After all, he is in good health and still a young man. If he wants to have children—"
Rong Tang felt that something was not right and interrupted her: "Mom, do you want to say that it's excusable?"
He was a little afraid that Wang Xiuyu had really been assimilated by the inherent ideas instilled in this era, and felt that it was normal for men to have children and to be indecisive.
Rong Tang frowned slightly, Wang Xiuyu was startled, and refuted flatly: "How could it be? Mother wanted to say that you said at the time that he was your sweetheart, that you fell in love with him when you were young, and admired him for many years, so you wanted to marry him back home at all costs. This was originally a love between a young man and Ai, but if he really wants to have children and his mind changes, you must not wrong yourself."
Rong Tang was stunned: "What does mother want me to do?"
Wang Xiuyu: "Divorce him."
Young Master Rong was immediately amused and nodded with a smile: "My son will learn from your teaching."
Wang Xiuyu breathed a sigh of relief, but Rong Tang changed the subject and said, "But he won't."
"In Huai Jing's heart, I will always be the first. There is absolutely no way that he would be separated from me just because he wants an heir."
Whenever Yuanyuan would occasionally get together with Rongtang to read storybooks and play with toys, Su Huaijing would get jealous and send someone to find Ke Hongxue, asking him why he hadn't taken his nephew back home and why he was pestering his husband at Tangjing's house every day.
Not a word was mentioned about kinship, but this child was clearly the closest to him.
No wonder Yuanyuan is not close to his seventh uncle.
How could someone who said he wanted to be buried with Rong Tang betray him for the sake of his offspring
Rong Tang had been deceived so many times before, and now he could tell which ones were just words and which ones were sincere.
But Wang Xiuyu was still worried. Maybe it was because she had experienced this before or she knew that people’s hearts were the most fickle. She reminded him again, “It’s never a bad thing to be more cautious.”
Rong Tang didn't argue with her and joked, "I know, but if Huai Jing really wants to get married and have children one day, I won't divorce him."
Wang Xiu Yu frowned, genuinely worried that her son would become an enemy of his lover.
Rong Tang said, "I will divorce him."
“…!”
Rong Tang remained calm and said, "Have him return the house and carriage to me, and then hire the best lawyer to fight the case with him, so that he can't take a penny away. I will take the assets and take care of my mother in peace in her old age."
The young master smiled so hard that his dimples appeared. Wang Xiuyu recovered from her initial shock and glared at him: "You are so grown up, but you are so frivolous when you talk."
"Who said that? I am the most serious person in the world. What's wrong with wanting to take care of my mother in her old age?" Rong Tang retorted sweetly.
Wang Xiuyu coaxed him so much that all her wrinkles came out smiling. They chatted for a while, and when it was getting dark, she sent everyone back into the city to avoid being stopped by the Jinwu Guards who were under curfew.
Rong Tang said goodbye to everyone and got on the carriage at the door. As soon as he sat down, Su Huaijing pressed on him, untied his belt with one hand, pressed his lips against his cheek, and asked ambiguously: "Tangtang fell in love with me when he was young, and admired me for many years?"
Rong Tang was still distracted trying to grab his rebellious hand, and his whole body froze when he heard the words.
He felt justified when he lied to Wang Xiuyu, but when these words were heard by the real person, anyone would be ashamed.
He swallowed and pretended to rebuke: "Are you eavesdropping?"
"I listened openly, Tangtang just didn't notice me." Su Huaijing argued.
Rong Tang was a little annoyed and asked, "How much have you heard?"
"I heard everything." Su Huaijing rubbed him, his hand already reaching into his clothes. The road in the suburbs was bumpy and the carriage collided from time to time, and Rong Tang was hurt a little by him.
So he put a soft pillow behind him, and Su Huaijing kissed him in the ear, whispering, "I heard Tangtang say she wanted to divorce me."
The sound was slow and soft, like a delicate dodder, but it was nibbling away at the host's trunk and nerves bit by bit, wishing to devour even the flesh and blood.
Rong Tang was forced to retreat until his back hit the car board.
The car door was pulled down, and a little moonlight occasionally seeped into the car through the gaps in the wood. The sandalwood in the incense burner was still pious and holy.
Su Huaijing kissed him slowly, reached out to untie Rong Tang's hairband, pressed a few acupuncture points with his fingers, and then tied it somewhere else, laughing softly and asking, "How dare you, huh?"
"Tangtang said the wrong thing, she deserves some punishment." Su Huaijing whispered, his eyes full of joy.
(End of this chapter)