The room was silent for a long time. Rong Tang looked at Mu Jingxu with a complicated look for a while, then spoke with difficulty and determination: "Resign."
Mu Jingxu was slightly startled and frowned slightly.
He looked at the two of them, stood up and said, "Let's go to the study."
Rong Tang knew that his proposal was somewhat rude. Mu Jingxu was not an impulsive person, he always acted cautiously.
Since he took the initiative to invite Sheng Chengli to the Dali Temple, he must have thought it over carefully and weighed the pros and cons, but...
Rong Tang followed behind him, looking at his tall and thin back, his heart tightened.
It's no use...
His careful consideration and his technique of checks and balances are not suitable for the current Sheng Chengli.
If Rong Tang's speculation was correct, and the timeline was indeed as he thought, the owner of the male protagonist's current shell was the person who existed after the death of Mu Jingxu in the previous life.
Since he had the confidence to let Mu Jingxu die, and did not die within a month after his death, he must have been detoxified, or even not been poisoned in the first place.
In this case, what's the point of Mu Jingxu controlling those poisons on him
From Mu Jingxu's perspective, Sheng Chengli is now at a disadvantage in front of him because of the drugs; but from Sheng Chengli's perspective, he clearly took advantage of a wonderful information gap, making Mu Jingxu think that he still has the possibility of restraining him, and thus unscrupulously making him relax his vigilance.
Rong Tang's lips were a little dry. After arriving at the study, Mu Jingxu poured each of them a cup of tea. He sat behind the desk and looked at Rong Tang with a gentle gaze, without any aggression in it.
Mu Jingxu asked: "Is there any reason, or is there any danger that I am not aware of?"
Rong Tang nodded slightly.
A flash of understanding flashed across Mu Jingxu's eyes, and his slightly tense nerves relaxed at this moment. He asked in a gentle voice, "What is it?"
Rong Tang couldn't directly say that Sheng Chengli had become a different person, but his experience of getting along with him for several lifetimes told him that if the information he provided was sufficient or pointed enough, it would only be a matter of time before they guessed it.
After a brief thought, Rong Tang said cryptically, "Even if Hua Tuo were reborn, if he wanted to replace a person's lost eyeball, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to do it perfectly without any flaws, right?"
Mu Jingxu nodded slightly, obviously agreeing with Rong Tang's words.
Rong Tang then said, "If it wasn't for medical skills, the palace had recruited sorcerers from all over the world at the beginning of the year. It's unknown if some unorthodox method was used to cure Sheng Chengli. But since you can put the eyes back on a living person, how can you guarantee that the poison in Sheng Chengli is still in his body?"
Mu Jingxu frowned, and Rong Tang took the opportunity to ask, "Has he continued to ask you for the antidote during this period?"
Mu Jingxu replied: "No different from usual."
Rong Tang's eyes flashed with a fierce look, and he took advantage of the situation to continue, "Sheng Chengli is a man of deep scheming and deep intentions. If he is no longer poisoned, but still contacts you month after month to ask for the antidote, and now he has come to the Dali Temple to work with you, brother, how can you be sure that he has no other plans?"
At this point, Rong Tang's tone had completely turned cold, with a hint of urgency that was not usually seen. He leaned forward slightly and spoke to Mu Jingxu in a strategic manner: "He was the one who killed Yue Rong, and he was the one who caused the death of Concubine Yi. Since the Dragon Boat Festival, Sheng Chengxing has gone from being at its peak to being in decline... Which of these things was not caused by him? How dare you trust him so easily, brother?!"
The autumn wind blows the fallen leaves, it is already completely dark outside, the insects and birds in the yard have passed through a season, and the migratory birds that are about to migrate south are temporarily resting on the tiles for the night.
Mu Jingxu's eyes flickered slightly, with an indescribable emotion. He stared at Rong Tang for a moment, then suddenly lowered his head and smiled.
Rong Tang was stunned for a moment. Mu Jingxu naturally took the teacup in front of him, poured it aside in a casual and leisurely manner, and poured him another cup: "The tea is cold. It's not good to drink it cold."
Rong Tang: “…?”
He blinked, and Mu Jingxu looked at him, with the corners of his lips raised in a beautiful arc, which fell on that exceptionally cold face, revealing a bit of indulgence that was rarely seen in normal times.
Rong Tang blushed inexplicably, looked away, picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Mu Jingxu said: "Tangtang is concerned about me?"
Su Huaijing sat aside for a long time, and when he heard this, he said unhappily: "Brother, why are you learning to address me?"
Mu Jingxu glanced at him and said, "Your Highness can call me by your name, but why can't I call me by your name?"
The villain was in the wrong and did not continue to refute.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room changed from the previous tense and exciting to peaceful and leisurely. Mu Jingxu said softly, seeming a little troubled: "But what can we do? The Holy Order has been issued, and the Fifth Prince will report to the Dali Temple tomorrow."
Rong Tang was subconsciously nervous at first, but then he understood his hidden meaning and was slightly stunned. Then he immediately reacted, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't wait to ask, "Brother, do you agree with my proposal?"
Mu Jingxu smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and only said: "It is true that I still feel that the situation is under my control, but when everyone except me opposes something, I think that maybe I can make some changes, so that you don't have to worry about me."
Su Huaijing raised his eyebrows, took out the badge he carried with him, and played the card game casually, trying to restrain his urge to confront his own brother.
What's going on? He said it doesn't work, and Ke Hongxue said it doesn't work either. He won't listen until one more person comes to complete the reunion, right
Su Huaijing said nothing, just like the dark little mushroom in his corner, complaining about his third brother in his heart in a treasonous way.
Mu Jingxu glanced at him, then turned to Rong Tang and said, "But if you want to resign, you must apply three times. If it takes a long time, I'm afraid it will take at least a year or two to leave."
"It's too long." Rong Tang frowned.
After a year or so, the plot line should have come to an end. Su Huaijing became the emperor. God knows whether Sheng Chengli will take action against Mu Jingxu during this period.
Mu Jingxu also nodded, and the study fell into silence for a moment.
After a moment, Mu Shaoqing shifted his gaze to Su Huaijing, smiled faintly, and asked in a gentle voice: "What do you think, Xiaoqi?"
Su Huaijing paused and glanced at him unhappily: "Brother, are you willing to listen to me now?"
Mu Jingxu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "I may not listen."
Su Huaijing sat up straight in an instant and stared at him with an unhappy expression.
Rong Tang was stunned for a second, then realized that this was just the brother teasing the younger brother, so he simply didn't get involved and just let them be.
The two stared at each other for a long time. Su Huaijing was the first to give in. He leaned back dejectedly and said in a gloomy tone: "There is no need to resign."
Mu Jingxu: "Oh? Then what should I do?"
"Just pretend to be sick." Su Huaijing said, "The old emperor has been depressed since he learned the cause of Concubine Shu's death, and his health has been getting worse. Brother, do you remember the play we performed in early autumn last year?"
Mu Jingxu: "The Imperial Astronomical Observatory said that my fate is complementary to your majesty's?"
Su Huaijing nodded: "In that case, if Sheng Xuyan is sick, it would not be appropriate for you not to get sick too. You might as well pretend to be sick and take a leave of absence for three to five months, and then you can just resign from your post."
Mu Jingxu was stunned. He originally thought that Su Huaijing would say "pretend for ten days or half a month", but he didn't expect that he would say three to five months. It was hard to say whether there was any selfish motive behind this.
But he did not expose it, instead he indulged his younger brother and asked with a smile: "When is the right time?"
Su Huaijing looked at him deeply and said, "Go to the Dali Temple as usual tomorrow and meet Sheng Chengli. The day after tomorrow, start coughing and pretend to be exhausted. On the third day, you can faint directly in the court."
Mu Jingxu immediately understood what he meant and asked, "Are you putting the blame on Sheng Chengli?"
Su Huaijing nodded. Mu Jingxu thought for a moment, frowned, and shook his head gently: "It's not safe. If I faint in the Golden Palace, His Majesty will definitely call in the imperial physician for diagnosis. Wouldn't he be able to tell that I'm faking illness by just taking my pulse?"
Su Huaijing said calmly, "I naturally have a way to prevent the imperial physician from finding out."
On the other hand, Rong Tang was a little confused from beginning to end, and he was still a little bewildered until Mu Jingxu nodded.
For no other reason than...
This trust made him feel unreal, and he always had a sense of déjà vu that "there might be some fraud waiting for him behind the scenes."
He began to recall what he had said to Mu Jingxu, but found that the other party actually only received one message: Sheng Chengli's trip was unusual and he was worried that he would be killed.
He did not provide any object with direct or indirect evidence, but Mu Jingxu believed him without any precautions. In a few words, the few of them decided on the back-up plan in this study room, without any... intrigue and mutual suspicion that he was used to.
Until they left the study, Rong Tang walked along the gravel road to the outside of the yard, looking at the moon above his head, still feeling a little unreal.
Su Huaijing remembered something halfway, asked him to stand there and wait for him for a while, then turned around and returned to the study.
Rong Tang looked up at the moonlight for a long time, then laughed softly.
He was used to being betrayed, and when he was suddenly trusted by someone, he actually began to doubt the authenticity. Does this mean that he was afraid of ropes for ten years after being bitten by a snake
bored to death.
He shook his head, complaining in his heart, but couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips. There were footsteps behind him, Su Huaijing had caught up.
Rong Tang glanced at him casually without saying a word, and continued to walk out naturally.
On the way, he met Yuanyuan and Ke Hongxue who were tired from playing. When the latter saw them coming out from the study, she looked calm, thought for a moment, and asked softly, "Did you convince your brother?"
Su Huaijing nodded, Ke Hongxue smiled and turned his gaze to Rong Tang: "Sure enough, the prince's reputation is greater than that of me and Xiao Su combined."
Rong Tang could tell he was joking, so he didn't refute and took Yuanyuan to play nearby.
Su Huaijing said: "Brother will probably need to rest for a few months, what are your plans?"
Ke Hongxue said without hesitation: "Of course I will accompany him."
Su Huaijing: "Why not go to Jiangnan?"
Ke Hongxue: “?”
Su Huaijing: "The south of the Yangtze River is a beautiful place, suitable for recuperation. Your ancestral home is also in the south, so it's natural for you to go back. It's not a bad thing to be far away from the capital."
Ke Hongxue frowned slightly, with a moment of hesitation and worry, then pretended to relax, waved his folding fan, and asked with a smile: "Do you want me to do something?"
Su Huaijing said calmly: "My mother is going to Jiangnan to open a school. I am worried about her being alone."
Ke Hongxue was happy: "Okay, I'll go help Madam Wang and be your mother-in-law's free bodyguard."
Su Huaijing emphasized: "And my brother."
Ke Hongxue raised his eyebrows: "Do I need you to remind me?"
Su Huaijing: "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Ke Hongxue said, and when they passed by, she reminded him seriously: "Be careful."
Su Huaijing paused for a moment and nodded slightly, "Yes."
Then they went their separate ways. Rong Tang said goodbye to Ke Hongxue and got on a carriage back to Yong'an Lane with Su Huaijing.
The space was sealed for a moment, and the two looked at each other and spoke at the same time:
"Did you poison your brother?"
"Did Sheng Chengli change his shell?"
After the words fell, both of them were stunned. Su Huaijing sighed softly, reached out and hugged Rong Tang, and couldn't tell whether he was angry or discouraged, and sighed softly: "It would be better if Tangtang was a little dumber, how come I can't hide anything from you?"
Rong Tang retorted: "I should return this to you."
Instead of leaving the uncertainty to Mu Jingxu's acting skills or the medical skills of the imperial physicians in the palace, it would be better to directly give Mu Jingxu medicine or acupuncture so that he can actually show the symptoms of these diseases, which will be foolproof.
And Sheng Chengli's shell...
Rong Tang shook his head, wondering how could he be so smart.
Su Huaijing hugged him for a while, then asked, "Tangtang, do you want to go to Jiangnan with your brother? Ke Hongxue's family is big and powerful in the south, so you can spend the winter there."
Rong Tang was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."
The hand around his waist tightened instantly, then quickly loosened. Su Huaijing pretended to be relaxed and said, "Then let Shuangfu and the others help you pack your luggage when you go back—"
Rong Tang interrupted him: "But we have to divorce first."
Su Huaijing's voice was instantly stuck in his throat, and he looked at Rong Tang in disbelief.
Rong Tang hesitated for a second and frowned, as if thinking about something: "Or I can write you a letter of divorce, and I can go to Jiangnan to have fun, and help my mother at the same time."
Su Huaijing was stunned for a long while, and finally realized that he was joking. He gritted his teeth and called out by his full name: "Rong, Tang."
Rong Tang was not afraid at all. He rolled his eyes at him and replied calmly, "There is something wrong with your thinking. Sleep in the study tonight and reflect on yourself."
First he sent his brother away, then asked Ke Hongxue to go to the south to help take care of Wang Xiuyu, and now he came to ask Rong Tang whether he wanted to leave.
If this wasn't a problem with his thinking, what was it? Rong Tang was too lazy to expose him.
Su Huaijing was so angry that his teeth were itching, but he felt he was in the wrong. He could not get close to Rong Tang until Shuangshou helped him spread out the bedding in the study with pity in his eyes.
The next day, Mu Jingxu began to pretend to be sick.
Everything went according to plan. The moment Mu Shaoqing fainted in the Golden Palace, the emperor on the dragon throne spat out blood almost at the same time.
The court suddenly became a mess, like a vegetable market.
Su Huaijing stood there and noticed a gaze. He looked up and saw a young prince in gorgeous clothes, staring at him from afar.
Sheng Chengli looked at him across the gold-painted red column.
I don't know how long it took, or maybe it was just a moment when their eyes met. The morning sun fell into the most majestic and solemn place in the entire imperial city. Su Huaijing bowed slightly, raised his hand to salute Sheng Chengli from a distance, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
It is the submission that a minister and a prince should show when they look at each other, and it is also the submission that the two sides should show before fighting throughout the ages.
Gentleman's etiquette.
Although Sheng Chengli is not really worthy.
(End of this chapter)