Thousand Miles of Heaven - Chapter 7

Three days later, the emperor returned to the capital.

Before dawn, Ting Song Zhai was already busy. The servants were busy packing things and loading the carriage. Xie Chaoling, who woke up too early, was exhausted. After eating his breakfast, he hugged his teacup and stared blankly while lying on the couch.

After Xie Chaoyuan returned from his morning greetings, he still had this sullen look.

Xie Chaoyuan fed a piece of sweet cake to his mouth: “Unfortable?”

Xie Chaoling yawned: “When can I leave? How long will it take to return to the capital from here?”

“The Empress Dowager and the ladies in the harem are too slow. It is estimated that they will not be able to go on the road until after Chen Shi (7-9am). We should be able to reach the capital at dusk. You will have to endure it on the road, but can relax once we arrive at this King’s palace.”

Xie Chaoling nodded irrevocably, he couldn’t go out anyway.

An outsider came in and reported that the carriage was ready, and His Majesty had just sent someone to urge them.

“His Majesty can’t wait to return to the capital.”

After Xie Chaoyuan finished speaking, he helped Xie Chaoling put on a hat and fasten the ribbon, and then stretched out his hand to pick up the man.

Xie Chaoling was startled, and hurriedly hugged his neck, for fear that Xie Chaoyuan would throw himself. 

“…Your Highness, are you strong enough? I can go by myself.”

Xie Chaoyuan ignored him and strode out with him in his arms.

Xie Chaoling quietly breathed a sigh of relief, this little highness was really strong, and walking with him was not difficult at all.

The prince’s carriage was parked in the backyard, and Xie Chaoyuan had ordered someone to put a soft fur mattress inside so that Xie Chaoling could be more fortable on the way.

“My Highness and I are in the same carriage?” Xie Chaoling asked.

“Then where else do you want to be?”

Xie Chaoyuan put the man down, got into the carriage himself, stretched out his hand and touched his face: “Go to sleep if you are sleepy, no one will disturb you when this king is here.”

Chen Shi, the mighty motorcade followed the imperial carriage in a long line, unable to see the end at a glance.

The Crown Prince’s carriage was just behind the imperial carriage, the doors and windows of the carriage were closed, and heavy felt cloths were hung up to block the light. If one got close, one wouldn’t be able to see anything inside, not to mention that there were three layers of imperial guards surrounding the carriage.

Xie Chaorong opened the carriage door, glanced forward, and sneered: “Royal Father would rather deceive himself and others to keep the position of crown prince, even Old Fourth is guarded, how did this king displease the old man?”

Zhao Changming, who came to talk to him, reminded in a low voice, “Your Highness must speak carefully.”

Xie Chaorong squinted his eyes over: “Uncle, this time we were clearly tricked. In the end we didn’t get good results with Royal Father, you even brought cousin to plead guilty and resigned, don’t you feel aggrieved?”

Zhao Changming said indifferently: “His Majesty does not trust me, one surnamed Zhao, I am afraid making the Zhaos’ a suspect is the goal in planning this assassination, and the previous self-defilement was also to remove suspicion. Now there is no evidence, there is nothing they can do to us, in addition, with Empress Dowager’s pressure, this is why we were lightly caught and released. After all, the Crown Prince was in the Dongshan hunting grounds when the matter occurred, and the Dongshan Camp cannot shirk the responsibility. Wenqing and I are suspicious of negligence, so rather than have His Majesty spurn us, it is better for us to take the initiative to resign and retire in advance instead.”

Xie Chaorong was extremely unwilling. Although Zhao Changming and his son resigned from their posts, Dongshan Camp was still in their pockets, but being swindled and failing to fish up anything was really frustrating.

“Since this was done by Old Fourth and only his bodyguard died, Royal Father did not pursue it; how could he be so partial?” Xie Chaorong grumbled.

Zhao Changming didn’t answer any further, he looked out through the half-closed carriage window, his shrewd eyes moving with deep meaning.

It really wasn’t his Zhao Clan’s actions, so was it King Huai’s doing? Not necessarily.

After Zhao Changming left, Xie Chaorong was really flustered, opened the door again, and asked the people outside impatiently, “What time is it, and when will we leave?”

“Your Highness, don’t be impatient, just wait for His Majesty’s order to set off.” The servant replied cautiously.

Xie Chaorong snorted, and saw Xie Chaoyuan’s carriage approaching in a blink of an eye, changed his mind, and ordered someone: “Go and call King Ke for this king.”

Xie Chaoyuan arrived late for a long time, and greeted him lazily: “Is there something wrong with Second Brother?”

Xie Chaorong sat in the carriage without moving, raised his chin and sneered: “Old Sixth, your carriage is as sealed as the carriage of the East Palace, what’s the matter, what is hidden in your carriage? “

Xie Chaoyuan lifted his eyelids and said indifferently, “Second Brother is joking, it’s just younger brother’s beauty is weak and can’t stand the cold.”

Xie Chaorong wanted to ask again, but Xie Chaoyuan cupped his hands: “If Second Brother has nothing urgent, then excuse younger brother first.”

After that, without waiting for Xie Chaorong to agree, he went back to his own carriage.

Xie Chaorong gritted his teeth, none of these b*stards attached importance to this eldest brother!

Xie Chaoyuan got in the carriage. Xie Chaoling was reading a book, but Xie Chaoyuan took the book and threw it aside: “Don’t read it. We’ll set off in a while and it’ll bee unfortable, why don’t you sleep?”

Xie Chaoling frowned, feeling that this little Highness was too domineering; but being stared at by Xie Chaoyuan, he thought that he should not provoke him, so he turned to his side and changed into a fortable position, closed his eyes and laid down halfway.

Xie Chaoyuan approached and stretched out his hand to take the person into his arms.

After the carriage started to move, Xie Chaoling really felt unfortable. Fortunately, with Xie Chaoyuan’s flesh pad, he could barely bear it and he fell asleep with the constant bumps.

Until noon, Emperor Qianming ordered everyone to stop and rest for thirty minutes.

Before Xie Chaoling woke up, Xie Chaoyuan got out of the carriage and told the people to prepare the meals.

Seeing the carriage from King Huai’s mansion ing to the convoy in a low-key manner from a distance, Xie Chaoyuan narrowed his eyes and asked Wang Rang, “Why did King Huai e at this time?”

Wang Rang said in a low voice, “His Royal Highness King Huai went to bury his bodyguard in person early in the morning, so he was delayed.”

Xie Chaoyuan smiled contemptuously when he heard the words: “He’s getting more courageous now.”

The case of the prince’s assassination cannot be investigated. All the evidence pointed to Jiang Shi, Xie Chaoqi’s bodyguard, so Jiang Shi died. He wrote a blood letter in the prison admitting he assassinated the crown prince and mitted suicide. Indignant about King Huai not being selected as crown prince, he planned this incident on his own accord, and King Huai didn’t know about it.

No matter how persuasive this blood letter confession was, at least Emperor Qianming approved it. One, he could resist the pressure from the Empress Dowager and Zhao’s henchmen, and second, he could protect Xie Chaoqi.

The death of an orphan, Jiang Shi, was insignificant. He had no background at all, and he was the only one who died, no one would be sorry.

Xie Chaoqi collected his corpse and buried it, but he couldn’t do anything else.

The maid sent hot tea to the carriage, but Xie Chaoqi didn’t respond in his daze. The maid whispered to him: “My Highness, condolences, the future is long and there will be ample time for that later.”

Xie Chaoqi’s eyelashes moved slowly, and he said hoarsely: “No, there is no future, Jiang Shi is dead. The ones who should die didn’t, only my Jiang Shi died…”

Jiang Shi did it for him, to protect him, he had to bear the trumped-up charges at the behest of his Father.

Xie Chaorong and the Zhao family, from now on, he will not share this sky with them!

Xie Chaoling slept and woke up smelling the smell of food. When he got up, he felt a little stuffy, but the window could not be moved. Through the blurred window paper, Xie Chaoyuan could be seen talking to someone outside the carriage.

He stared at Xie Chaoyuan’s face for a while, and secretly thought that His Royal Highness King Ke was not good at anything else, but his face was indeed a great beauty. He smiled again, then his eyes fell on the other person on the opposite side, and he was stunned.

It should be an official, but for some reason Xie Chaoling thought he looked very familiar, but he couldn’t find the answer in his blank memory.

Xie Chaoyuan didn’t expect that Li Huan would take the initiative to talk to him, although looking at this man’s face, he must be here to find faults.

“Your Royal Highness King Ke is very interesting. I heard that Your Highness has recently received a beauty and likes them a lot. Even returning to the capital, Your Highness has to personally watch over this beauty.”

When the other party spoke, he stared at Xie Chaoyuan’s carriage, as if he was searching for something, without being polite or showing any respect.

Xie Chaoyuan leaned on the side of the carriage, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes: “Why does this King need to to explain to you about this king’s matters?”

This Li Huan was the cousin of Xie Chaoling’s maternal family, and Xie Chaoling’s study panion.

The Li family was a family of military generals, but unfortunately, most of the capable family members went on the battlefield and died of illness three years ago. If the crown prince has any shortings, the Li family will be pletely in decline so Li Huan’s descendants would also have their good days end.

Xie Chaoyuan never even placed such a person in his eyes.

He had a fight with Li Huan several years ago, when Xie Chaoling had just bee the crown prince.

He sent a plete silver fox skin that he hunted to Xie Chaoling. The thing entered the East Palace, but before it reached Xie Chaoling, it was deliberately destroyed by Li Huan. At that time, he didn’t know how to hide his temper and anger and beat Li Huan until he vomited blood and could not stand up.

He was punished by Emperor Qianming to kneeling confinement. He didn’t care. The only thing he cared about was that Xie Chaoling frowned and said: “Sixth Brother is so young, how can he be so violent.”

Since then, he had bee an unwele guest in the East Palace, and he had drifted away from his crown prince brother.

Li Huan’s face sank and he wanted to say something, but the unsheathed sword in Xie Chaoyuan’s hand caught him off guard against his shoulder.

Xie Chaoyuan still looked like he didn’t want to smile. He didn’t seem to exert any strength in his hands, but Li Huan clearly felt the heavy force on his shoulders. Feeling the cold killing intent in Xie Chaoyuan’s eyes, a chill suddenly rose from the soles of Li Huan’s feet, … Xie Chaoyuan really wanted to kill him.

Xie Chaoyuan looked at the person in front of him coldly, and his thin lips said lightly, “Get lost.”

Xie Chaoling watched the entire event in the carriage. When Xie Chaoyuan came to the carriage with his meal in person, smiling and asking him if he was hungry, then did he rub his face and regain his senses.

“Your Royal Highness just quarreled with someone? Who is that person?”

“Irrelevant people.” Xie Chaoyuan whispered, motioning Xie Chaoling to eat.

“If it’s an irrelevant person, why does His Highness need to get angry and even use his sword?”

Xie Chaoyuan looked up at him: “Then what does Linlang think I should do?”

Xie Chaoling thought for a while and said, “If he offends you, then teach him a lesson and Your Highness will be happy.”

“What if I kill him? Will Linlang feel that I am too violent?”

Xie Chaoling put a chopstick to his mouth and chewed it slowly: “It depends on how he provoked you. If he is wrong, kill him, but the premise of killing is that you can protect yourself. If you indemnify yourself for killing him, then the loss will outweigh the gain.”

Xie Chaoyuan smiled: “Linlang is correct.”