Adoption brings disaster

It all started from the restaurant by the lake. During this period of time, I was either worried to death or frightened. Later, I was infected with the Thousand Silk Gu, which tortured me greatly.

Right now, I am not only exhausted, but also mentally and physically drained. Fortunately, the deaths of Ah Si and Xiaochuan, as well as the fact that I was poisoned, have helped Prince Gong regain his dignity.

Prince Gong couldn't really kill me just for the brother of a concubine, so the matter came to an end.

I thought to myself that I could finally rest for two days to recuperate, but the Seventh Prince was restless and never had a moment's rest.

One day, Chunyu and the others had already set up the windproof curtain in the pavilion. The Taoist priest went to the mountains outside Beijing to get some wild game. The small kitchen removed the bones and cut it into thin slices. I couldn't wait to ask A'er to invite Liu Shuiqing to come to Qianqiu Pavilion for hot pot.

Seeing that I was in good health, Er was naturally happy. He took out a cloak and put it on me, then went to Baidai Pavilion to ask for Liushui.

But before Ah Er left Qianqiu Pavilion, he heard Ah Da wailing from outside as if his father had died, and he kept shouting, "Your Highness, Your Highness, something bad has happened."

Ah Er saw this and no longer had the heart to ask Liu Shui for help. He hurried over to me and also shouted: "Your Highness, Your Highness, something bad has happened."

My hearing is very good now, but when I heard Ada and Aer wailing like they were mourning, crying out the words "Your Highness", I felt extremely annoyed.

I rolled my eyes at him. In my haste, I lost my balance and tumbled to the ground. Ah Da said angrily, "Calling for the spirits! How dare you shout like that in broad daylight?"

Ah Da was really anxious now. He ignored my scolding and the rules of the palace. He just threw himself at my legs, hugged my legs and cried bitterly. His tears and snot were all over my clothes.

Seeing Ah Da's expression, I thought something must have happened. I was so shocked and suspicious that I didn't care about my clothes at all. I asked hurriedly, "What happened? Tell me quickly. What's the point of crying?"

"Seventh Prince, Seventh Prince." Ah Da choked and spoke, and continued to talk about Seventh Prince for a long time.

When I heard it was the Seventh Prince, I was naturally very panicked. Seeing Ada being so useless, I got angry and raised my hand to slap Ada twice.

Ah Da was beaten, and then he came to his senses. He grabbed my arm and said anxiously: "The Seventh Prince was beaten."

Because Ah Da was too anxious and unruly, he grabbed my arm too hard, leaving several finger marks on my arm.

"The Seventh Prince was beaten." I didn't react for a moment, and said subconsciously, "In this Beishang Kingdom, there are still people who dare to beat the Seventh Prince. Aren't you the ones who beat others?"

Ah Da was confused. Seeing me say that, he said, "Didn't the Seventh Prince get beaten?"

This confused me, so I asked, "What happened to the Seventh Prince?"

"The Seventh Prince was beaten."

Ah Da's words left me confused and a little annoyed. I said impatiently, "Did your Highness the Seventh Prince get beaten? Relax, take a deep breath, and speak slowly."

Under my guidance, Ah Da took several deep breaths before calming down and saying, "His Highness the Seventh Prince was punished by His Majesty with twenty lashes of cane. His buttocks are completely bruised."

When I heard that it was His Majesty who beat him, then there was nothing to worry about. It is natural for a father to beat his son. What does it have to do with me, a teacher?

I didn't care at all. I turned around and found a comfortable soft couch to lie down on. I also asked Er to quickly invite Liu Shuiqing to have hot pot.

"What did you say? How many times were you hit?" I asked after jumping up from the couch.

"Your Highness, the Seventh Prince has been punished with twenty strokes of the cane."

"What on earth did this child do wrong? He deserves twenty lashes of cane. Your Majesty is truly merciless."

I was so distressed that I didn't even put my shoes on properly. I kicked Ah Da and said, "Why are you still kneeling here? Go and bring the Seventh Prince back."

Ah Da obeyed the order and quickly stood up and followed me out of Qianqiu Pavilion. As soon as we left Qianqiu Pavilion, the Seventh Prince was sent back.

If I had been more observant, I would have known that the sedan chair used to bring His Majesty back was used by His Majesty. If I had known more about the palace rules, I would have known how great an honor it was for a minister to ride in an imperial sedan chair. But now I didn't pay any attention to this. I only saw His Majesty's swollen butt.

"Slow down, His Highness the Seventh Prince in the sedan chair will not be able to bear the shaking."

In the past, I couldn’t bear to hear such words of doting on a child, but now I can’t help but say them.

But I didn't pay attention to these words myself. Instead, I kept complaining that the servants were not serving me diligently. I felt very uncomfortable in my heart. I thought that when His Highness the Seventh Prince got better, I would find a reason to punish these servants.

Let’s not talk about small things anymore. The servants carried Chongguang into Qianqiu Pavilion. We were in a rush again and finally settled the Seventh Prince down.

I looked at the Seventh Prince lying on the bed and said distressedly, "What on earth have you done that has angered heaven and man to deserve such severe punishment from His Majesty?"

Seeing that I was about to cry, Chongguang patted my hand and said nonchalantly, "It's not a big deal. I just didn't do what my father asked me to do. Merits should be rewarded, and mistakes should be punished. This is just as it should be."

"But this is your first time on a mission, so it's normal to make some small mistakes. How can you beat a child for every mistake he makes?"

I paced back and forth in the room, feeling unhappy about everything I saw and thought about. I cursed, "Your grandfather is the same. He didn't even leave a capable person to help you. Is it possible that there is not even one capable person in the huge Zhenbei Army?"

"Qianqiu, stop walking around. I feel a little dizzy. Come over and talk to me."

"Don't look at me if you feel dizzy. You are also careless in doing things. Have you forgotten the four words "be cautious in what you say and do"?" I walked over to sit next to His Highness the Seventh Prince while scolding him.

"Qianqiu, don't be angry. This is just like the last time you got slapped. It looks terrible, but actually, there's no damage at all. You'll be fully healed by tomorrow at the latest."

After hearing this, I felt a little calmer, and my voice softened as I said, "What on earth have you done wrong that His Majesty wants to punish you like this? Although it won't hurt your body, it's too undignified."

"It's just killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. There are people in the royal family who are reselling weapons. Since it's difficult for the emperor to deal with them directly, he found a reason to beat me up so that these people will be more restrained."

After hearing this, I was a little suspicious, but money is the most tempting thing. Even a member of the royal family would not be scared by killing the chicken to scare the monkey. Could it be that His Majesty the Seventh Prince is hiding something from me?

I thought about it and asked, "You are not lying to me, are you? For example, you were beaten because you sent people to deal with Prince Gong?"

"Qianqiu, what are you thinking about? Even if I were to be extremely daring, I wouldn't dare to send anyone to deal with my great uncle."

"Really?"

"of course it's true."

Seeing that the Seventh Prince didn't seem to be lying, I believed him.

"Your Highness the Seventh Prince, Your Highness Qianqiu, Lord Liushui has sent an invitation, inviting Your Highness Qianqiu to enjoy the plum blossoms this afternoon."

Liu Shuiqing is a very rule-abiding person. We are so familiar with each other, but he would not call me directly if he asked someone to tell him. But every time he asked me out for something, he would post a message.

I grew up in the south and have never seen snow, let alone appreciate plum blossoms in the snow. Also, because of the Gu incident, I missed the recent heavy snowfalls. I still really want to accept Liu Shuiqing's invitation.

But looking at Chongguang lying in bed with a swollen bottom, I decided not to go. I said, "Reply to Liu Shuiqing and tell him that he has something to do in the pavilion today and can't leave. Invite him to Qianqiu Pavilion for hot pot tomorrow at noon."

Chongguang saw the thought in my eyes and said with a smile, "If you want to go, go ahead. It's the same as having A-da and the others waiting by your side."

"I have to act as a cheap father. I can't let my son be sick while he goes to appreciate plum blossoms with others." The Seventh Prince and I smiled at each other. He didn't refute me and let me sit next to him and read the storybook.

It is said that the servant who beat the Seventh Prince with a stick did have some skills. The next day, the Seventh Prince was fully recovered. He got up in the morning, practiced martial arts, and then went to school. We will not mention it anymore.

Seeing that the Seventh Prince was fine, I didn't care much about his beating. I went to pull the Sixth Water Lord over in the morning.

Before, Liu Shuiqing didn't dare to come with me, and the servants of Baidai Pavilion also didn't let me take Liu Shuiqing away. But after seeing that the prince didn't object several times, they didn't care and let me take Liu Shuiqing away.

We originally wanted to eat under the porch, but it started snowing heavily, so we had to move inside the house. However, there were several glazed tiles between the windows, so even with the windows closed we could still see the heavy snow falling outside. It was really the most pleasant thing to eat hot pot.

"Qianqiu, this venison is delicious. It must be a fawn that was killed this morning."

"I didn't realize Liu Shuiqing was also knowledgeable about food. The Zhenbei Palace has a hunting ground outside the capital. Chongguang Bian had the Zhenbei Palace's servants catch some fish. This morning, they killed them at a shop not far from the palace gate and sent them in immediately. Naturally, they are extremely delicious."

I looked at the boiling water on the stove and suddenly thought of the scene in the TV series where Cao Cao brought food to Guan Yu. I immediately said, "Come here, prepare a food box. I will personally boil some venison and send it to His Highness the Seventh Prince."

Soon the venison was ready. I handed the food box to Ah Da and said, "Hurry and send it to His Highness the Seventh Prince."

"The school is still quite far from here. Why not let Qianxi go? He's good at Qinggong."

After hearing this, Qianxi looked at Liu Shuiqing in horror, his eyes full of disbelief and rejection.

I found his expression a bit funny, so I teased him and said, "It's better for Qianxi to go and send him off. Let's let the people in the palace see that Qianxi is protected by His Highness the Seventh Prince. Let's see who dares to touch him in the future."

Qianxi's body was resisting, and she exuded an aura of despair, and was about to cry.

I found it even more amusing, so I chuckled and said, "I was just kidding. How could I bear to let a kid like you go there?"

Qianxi was naturally delighted to see that I spared him this task. After thanking me quickly, he hid behind a pillar, where Liushui Qing couldn't see him, for fear that Liushui Qing would arrange some good things for him.

"Qianqiu, what happened to you recently? I came several times, and you said you were sick and couldn't see guests."

I ate a piece of beef and said nonchalantly, "These slaves are talking nonsense. I've only been infected with the Thousand Silk Gu. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Qianqiu, I'm afraid you've been deceived. You must have been infected with the Thousand Grass Gu."

"Huh?" I looked at Liu Shuiqing in confusion.

"It's normal that Qianqiu didn't know. A hundred years ago, a genius in Gu magic invented the Thousand Silk Gu. It's difficult to defend against, and those who are afflicted often die in agony. The scene is horrific. Finally, everyone finally discovered that this Gu is related to fish. You didn't know there's a saying in the martial arts world now: 'The fish king loses his name, and the thousand silk threads take his life.'"

"The fish king lost his name and took his life with a thousand threads. This is quite interesting."

"It sounds interesting now, but a hundred years ago, so many people died to leave behind this sentence."

After Liu Shui finished speaking, he expressed regret for his predecessors in the martial arts world before continuing, "It's a pity that so many talents died young. That genius in Gu techniques ultimately died under his own Gu. The righteous martial artists were ultimately unable to kill him personally and avenge those who died in vain."

I didn't really care about these things, so I just casually said, "If you often walk by the river, you will get your feet wet. It's inevitable that such a person would end up like this."

"The Thousand Silk Gu also disappeared with his death. Later Gu practitioners tried to figure out how to make the Thousand Silk Gu. After going through untold hardships and countless deaths, they only managed to create a Thousand Grass Gu."

"What's the difference between Qiansi and Qiangusa?" I asked.

"The difference is huge. If you're hit by the Thousand Silk Gu, you're practically dead. But if you're hit by the Thousand Grass Gu, you only need to not use your Qi for a hundred days. After a hundred days, your meridians will ache. After that, other than a loss of power, nothing else will be a problem."

So that's how it is. It seems that Prince Gong just wanted to warn me, not really want to kill me.

"Prince Gong has gone too far. If someone who doesn't know about this Gu forces their Qi into them, they'll be in excruciating pain."

Liu Shuiqing and I chatted for a few more minutes, and suddenly I realized something was wrong. I asked, "How do you know it was Prince Gong who did this?"

"Now, all the dignitaries in the capital don't know that Prince Gong angered His Highness the Seventh Prince because of his twelve concubines. They just don't know that it was because he put a Gu on you."

Liu Shuiqing took a sip of wine and continued admiringly, "The Seventh Prince is also very brave. He actually led his men to rush into Prince Gong's mansion and killed his twelve concubines in front of Prince Gong."

It turned out that Chongguang was beaten because of this incident. No wonder he said with confidence that he did not send anyone, but he personally went to kill the twelve concubines.

"Prince Gong's actions were truly awful. He placed a curse in the inner court of the Imperial Palace, even in the pavilion where the Seventh Prince resides. No wonder the Prince of Zhenbei was so angry when he heard about it that he returned from the border. The Prince only has the Seventh Prince as his only child, so how could he tolerate having a knife at his neck?"

While Liu Shuiqing was still talking, I filled his glass with wine and poured myself a cup of tea. We clinked our glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

I put my arms around Liu Shuiqing's neck and whispered teasingly, "Liu Shuiqing, you know too much. I heard that the more you know in the palace, the faster you die. I don't know if it's true."

Liu Shuiqing was also a smart guy. He looked at me in horror for a long while, then suddenly became drunk and said drunkenly, "Qianqiu, this wine is so sinful that I can't even hear you clearly." After that, he fainted on the table.

I looked at the unconscious Liu Shuiqing and said calmly, "Liu Shuiqing has drunk too much. Ah Da, please prepare the sedan chair and take Liu Shuiqing back."

My actions this time are completely different from my usual meticulous care.

However, those serving in the palace all knew not to listen to what they shouldn't listen to, not to look at what they shouldn't look at, and not to ask what they shouldn't ask.

Therefore, although my actions this time were strange, I did not say anything and just followed orders. Soon, I sent Liu Shuiqing back to Baidai Pavilion.

Predict what will happen in the future, and listen to the next decomposition.