Chapter 931: Chapter 928: Ambition
But as soon as King of Xihuai sat up straight, it pulled on his wound, causing him to grimace in pain.
It must be said, Xiao Rongyan possessed a composure that even someone of genuine royal blood like him lacked. He was elegant and steady⊠and now he could not hide the aura of authority and determination that clung to him.
Once, the King of Xihuai thought⊠as a businessman, Xiao Rongyan must have had certain means and abilities to become the worldâs richest merchant, but now, linking Xiao Rongyan with Murong Yan, the Ninth Prince of Yan, felt somewhat startling.
At this moment, King of Xihuai looked at Xiao Rongyan, and for a fleeting instant, he felt as if he were foolishly toyed with, not recognizing that Xiao Rongyan was the Ninth Prince of Yan.
âMy LordâŠâ Xiao Rongyan rushed forward, supporting the King of Xihuai, then looked at the official standing by, âDonât just stand there, find a way to stop the bleeding!â
Doubt lingered in the heart of the King of Xihuai. He wanted to test whether Xiao Rongyan was indeed the Ninth Prince of Yan and, finding the right spot, he grabbed Xiao Rongyanâs arm forcefully: âRong YanâŠâ
The King of Xihuai exerted almost all his strength, yet saw no expression of pain on Xiao Rongyanâs face. Instead, he merely turned his head to look at him, his gaze falling on the King of Xihuaiâs bloodstained hand.
âWhat does my lord wish to prove?â Xiao Rongyan lifted his deep, calm gaze to the King of Xihuai, rolling up his sleeves to reveal his strong, unscarred arm, âTo see if thereâs any wound on my arm?â
The King of Xihuai glanced at Xiao Rongyanâs unharmed arm, lifted his eyes to look at Xiao Rongyan, his eyes reddening as he chuckled softly, leaning against the red lacquered pillar with a sigh of relief, hurriedly saying, âQuick⊠quickly ask the official to stop the bleeding for me!â
The official quickly came forward, putting down the medicine box, kneeling beside the King of Xihuai to stop the bleeding. The King of Xihuai looked at Xiao Rongyan and said, âDonât blame me, Rong Yan, someone told me⊠you were indeed the Ninth Prince of Yan. But how could that be! Someone as clever as you⊠if you really were the Ninth Prince of Yan, how could you have given yourself such a name!â
As soon as the King of Xihuai finished speaking, he gasped in pain and said to Xiao Rongyan again, âYou hadnât come for so long, I thought⊠you were indeed Murong Yan, the Ninth Prince of Yan, busy nursing your wounds! Itâs good that itâs not you! Itâs good that itâs not youâŠâ
Xiao Rongyanâs lips moved slightly as he stared at the King of Xihuaiâs pale face: âToday, the Empress of Zhou returned to Dadu City, and I went outside the city to greet her, but before I saw her, I heard you were caught alive after attempting to assassinate the Ninth Prince of Yan.â
The King of Xihuai nodded: âDonât blame me for being suspicious. Some old noble from Wei told me that you were indeed Murong Yan, the Ninth Prince of Yan, and coincidentally, you came to Dadu City with the Ninth Prince of Yan this time. It was only natural for me to have doubts. I considered you a brother, so I wanted to see if this Ninth Prince of Yan was really you! But your and the Ninth Prince of Yanâs build and back silhouette are really quite similar; I was also taken aback when I first saw him! But later, when I noticed Yue Shi was absent, I knew it couldnât be you, as Yue Shi is never far from your side!â
Upon hearing this, Yue Shi lowered his head when he saw the King of Xihuai looking at him.
The King of Xihuai sighed: âI just donât know why the Ninth Prince of Yan wears a mask. Is he too ugly? Have you seen him?â
Xiao Rongyan shook his head: âThe Ninth Prince has never shown his true face. Itâs said his face was scarred in his early years! But these are just rumors. This time, I came with the Ninth Prince of YanâŠâ
Apparently worried that Xiao Rongyan might feel guilt or misunderstanding, the King of Xihuai hurriedly said, âNo need to explain, I know youâre a businessman. Many people depend on your Xiao familyâs business to live. I canât ask you, as a man of Wei, to hate Yan and help me kill the Ninth Prince of Yan! I also understand you need to maintain a good relationship with the Ninth Prince of Yan to have business convenience in the future. I donât blame you! Really! Youâve done a lot for the Bai family, and youâre the fiancĂ© of the Empress of Zhou. If I were the Ninth Prince of Yan, Iâd also bring you along!â
Xiao Rongyan pursed his lips and said nothing.
âI also donât know how the Ninth Prince of Yan plans to deal with meâŠâ The King of Xihuai dared not look at his wound, his throat rolling as he asked Xiao Rongyan, âRong Yan, how is your relationship with the Ninth Prince of Yan?â
âI will plead for you, my lord. Rest assured, focus on stopping the bleeding!â said Xiao Rongyan.
âYou truly are my good brother!â The King of Xihuai smiled at Xiao Rongyan, a bitter taste flashing in his eyes, âIâve come to this point, and others would avoid it, yet you still wish to plead for me. Be careful, you might end up implicated!â
When the King of Xihuai said this, his eyes turned red again, and he adjusted his position, his voice raspy: âRong Yan, do as much as you can, and donât offend the Ninth Prince of Yan for my sake. If you can secure a way for me to live, that would be best, if not⊠then ask for an intact body for me! But no white silk⊠being strangled to death would be too much for me to bear; opt for some kind of poison instead, the kind that acts very quickly! You should have a way!â
Xiao Rongyan pursed his thin lips and, after a long pause, said to the King of Xihuai: âThe Ninth Prince of Yan knows you were just a dissolute and idle prince before, and your reputation as a playboy is widely known. Even if youâre released⊠you wouldnât cause much of a stir, the Ninth Prince of Yan wonât care!â
King of Xihuai was amused by Xiao Rongyanâs words: âBeing a playboy⊠can actually save oneâs life!â
Xiao Rongyan looked at the King of Xihuai, gradually collecting the smile from his eyes, and said to him: âI will send someone to escort you away⊠to find you a prosperous and stable place to settle down, as a friend, this is the last thing I can do for you!â
âI canâtâŠâ The King of Xihuai spoke in an incredibly weak voice, glancing at the people gathered around him, showing a reluctance to speak openly. Seeing that the official had dressed his wound, he slowly wrapped himself in his clothes, intending to change the topic.
âYou all go out!â Xiao Rongyan instructed Yue Shi, âGuard the door, and donât let anyone come near!â
âUnderstood!â Yue Shi led the official and the guards inside the room out.
âYou can speak freely⊠as long as itâs not asking me to kill the Ninth Prince, I can handle anything for you!â Xiao Rongyan said sincerely. He felt guilty towards the King of Xihuai, and if he could make amends, he was willing to try his utmost.
âYou canât help me! I donât want to implicate you any further!â The King of Xihuaiâs bloody hand trembled as he tied the straps of his clothes. âWhen the Empress Dowager died, she entrusted my nephew to me, and that little one has grand ambitions! Moreover, Iâm already the little oneâs sole family member. If Iâm able to go back alive, I have to support him a bit to live up to the many years of care and tolerance my royal brother showed me.â
If it werenât for the fact that the little one is his royal brotherâs child, calling him uncle, he might have already run away on his own, but since he is his royal brotherâs child, he feels obliged to look after him for his royal brotherâs sakeâŠ