The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 154 In Little Junior Brother’s Heart, Am I Not A Noble And Upright Gentleman?
In the study, a single candle flickered.
Tang Shen had never liked reading or writing at night because the poor lighting strained his eyes and could even affect his vision. After developing glass, he had Yao San and the workshop workers use glass-blowing techniques to create glass lampshades. Although the light from these kerosene lamps was still not as bright as in the modern world, it was much better than before.
At this moment, he was carefully reading a letter under the kerosene lamp. After finishing the letter, he opened the glass lampshade and held a corner of the letter close to the flame. With a soft snap, the letter began to burn from the bottom. The dim candlelight cast shadows on Tang Shen's face, making his expression unreadable.
Before long, the steward came to report, "Gongzi, daren has returned."
Tang Shen calmly cleaned up the ashes that had fallen on the table, but halfway through, he stopped, leaving a small pile of ashes on the table. He walked out and happened to meet Wang Zhen as he entered the courtyard. The two faced each other under the moonlight, both pausing for a moment, each with a hint of guilt.
Wang Zhen stepped forward and took Tang Shen's hand, "It's so late, and you're still up waiting for me, little Junior Brother?"
Tang Shen countered, "It's so late, and you're only just returning. Who else would I wait for if not you?"
Wang Zhen smiled leisurely and led his junior brother into the study.
As soon as they entered, Wang Zhen caught a faint whiff of burnt paper. His mind stirred, and he noticed the half-pile of ashes on the table. Tang Shen's act was too clever—the ashes were scattered unevenly on one side but formed a straight line on the other. Clearly, someone had started cleaning but stopped halfway.
How could Wang Zhen not understand Tang Shen's intention? His gaze shifted, and he said, "Little Junior Brother, have you ever seen a rooster crow at dawn?"
Tang Shen, "...Huh?"
"I haven't seen it, but back in Zhao Family Village, I heard the neighbor's rooster crow a couple of times." Tang Shen grew curious, "Why are you asking this?" This wasn't following the script!
Wang Zhen meaningfully uttered one word, "Guess."
Tang Shen: "..."
Guess my foot!
Tang Shen said irritably, "Always spouting sweet nothings and speaking in riddles. Is teasing me that fun?"
This time, Wang Zhen felt genuinely wronged, "It was you who started being cryptic, making me guess your intentions."
At first, Tang Shen didn't understand, but when he did, Wang Zhen pulled him into an embrace, pointing at the half-pile of ashes on the table, "Since you didn't mean to hide it from me, just say it directly. But if you think this is a game and insist on making me guess, I won't spoil your fun. I guess this is a letter."
Tang Shen snorted, "And then?"
"A letter from the Northwest."
"And?"
Wang Zhen paused for a moment, then said, "Written by Wang Daiyue?"
Tang Shen, "You guessed right, but no reward."
Wang Zhen suddenly laughed. He had only been thinking about how to keep Tang Shen from finding out about his visit to the Right Prime Minister's residence and what he had discussed with Wang Quan. Feeling guilty, he had forgotten to ask for a reward in advance. Minister Wang felt he had suffered a great loss. In his thirty-plus years of life, he had never been so thoroughly outplayed.
However, Wang Zifeng would never let his emotions show. He said calmly, "It's all because I love you too much. You see, the moment I see you, I forget everything else."
Tang Shen ignored him.
Although Tang Shen now held real power due to his control over the Ministry of Works, the emperor had removed his position as the Right Vice Imperial Censor of the Silver Pull Division to balance the court. But Tang Shen had been laying the groundwork in the Silver Pull Division for two years. How could his influence be so easily stripped away? He was no longer the Right Vice Imperial Censor, but his trusted subordinates, Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze, were still stationed at the Youzhou Silver Pull Division. On the surface, they acted as officials of the Silver Pull Division, but behind the scenes, they were engaged in "collaborating with Liao."
Both of them now reported to Su Wenyun, but they were firmly part of Tang Shen's faction.
Over the past six months, whenever something happened in the Silver Pull Division or Su Wenyun ordered them to do something, they wouldn't report every detail to Tang Shen. But when it came to major events, Wang Xiao would still write a letter and secretly send it to Shengjing.
"The Liao Emperor was injured during a hunt. Now, the second prince, Yelü Shege, and the third prince, Yelü Han, are at each other's throats, ready to explode at any moment." Tang Shen's expression was serious, "This is what Wang Xiao wrote to me about. In the past six months, besides the agent we planted near Yelü Shege, Su Wenyun and Li Jingde have also bribed a guard close to Yelü Han. Originally, the struggle for the throne had already set the two brothers against each other. Now, with an extra push, things are about to boil over. It won't be long before the perfect opportunity to counterattack Liao arises."
As the head of the Silver Pull Division, Wang Zhen didn't know everything Su Wenyun and Li Jingde were planning, but he had a general idea.
Hearing this, he was slightly surprised, but after some thought, he asked, "What about Yelü Ding?"
Tang Shen sighed, "That's exactly what worries me."
Grand Preceptor Yelü Ding, the true power behind the throne in the Liao court. With the Liao Emperor injured, Yelü Ding now controlled the government. He came from a noble tribe and supported the third prince, Yelü Han. Yelü Shege's only support in this struggle was the Liao Emperor himself.
Now that the Liao Emperor was injured, the most worried person wasn't someone else—it was the second prince, Yelü Shege.
If the Liao Emperor were to suddenly pass away, the throne would likely never fall to Yelü Shege. So, in this critical moment, Yelü Shege couldn't afford to sit still. Whether the Liao Emperor lived or died, before his death or recovery, the Liao State would inevitably face internal turmoil.
To secure the outside, one must first stabilize the inside.
The internal strife in Liao wouldn't last long; it would be resolved quickly.
Perhaps, just like the palace coup during the New Year in the Great Song, a storm would rise overnight, and by the next morning, everything would be calm again.
How to seize this opportunity, how to take advantage of it to attack Liao—that was what Su Wenyun and Li Jingde were working on.
Wang Zhen suddenly asked, "The Liao Emperor was injured during a hunt?"
Tang Shen blinked, "That was truly an accident."
Wang Zhen suddenly smiled.
How had the Liao Emperor been injured?
Aside from the still-unconscious Liao Emperor, no one knew the full story!
But there were many who wished for the Liao Emperor's death. The most obvious were the third prince, Yelü Han, and his supporter, Grand Preceptor Yelü Ding. And if we look further, Su Wenyun and Li Jingde—who wouldn't want the Liao Emperor to die immediately and for the Liao State to descend into chaos?
It was getting late, and after talking for a while longer, the two prepared to rest.
Tang Shen propped his chin on his hand, leaning on the table, watching as Wang Zhen closed the two windows in the bedroom. When Wang Zhen turned around, he saw Tang Shen staring at him unblinkingly under the candlelight. His heart stirred, and a wave of arousal arose. Wang Zhen didn't move, just stood by the window, smiling at him.
The two gazed at each other for a long time, and the atmosphere in the room grew warm.
Then Tang Shen suddenly spoke, "Senior Brother, what did you discuss at the Right Prime Minister's residence today? You were there for so long."
All the feelings of arousal in Wang Zhen's heart vanished instantly, but on the surface, he remained composed. He strode forward, stopping by the table, and reached out to pull Tang Shen into his arms, smiling as he said, "Just some family matters about Jinling Prefecture." But Tang Shen dodged his hand.
Wang Zhen's hand hung in mid-air.
Tang Shen, "Senior Brother, you once told me that you would never deceive me in this lifetime. If you did..."
Wang Zhen looked at him helplessly, leaned down, and gently kissed his lips. His gaze was deep, filled with utmost tenderness, "Yes, I will never deceive you in this lifetime."
Tang Shen: "..."
Could you not suddenly kiss me before saying that?!
Tang Shen was speechless for a long time. He snorted lightly, "In that case, I'll ask, and you answer."
Wang Zhen picked him up, "Alright."
Tang Shen, "When you went to the Right Prime Minister's residence today, were you discussing political matters?"
Wang Zhen kissed him, then said, "Of course not."
Tang Shen, "Was it related to the Silver Pull Division?"
"Not related." Another kiss.
"Did something go wrong with the Silver Pull Division?"
"Not that I know of..." Before he could finish, Wang Zhen quickly corrected himself, "No, something did go wrong." Then he leaned down and kissed Tang Shen again.
Tang Shen: "Wang Zifeng!"
Wang Zhen laughed heartily, "Haha, as agreed, if I lie to you, I'll kiss you first. Jing Ze, I didn't break my promise."
Tang Shen: "..."
Fine, I can't outtalk you!
Tang Shen pondered for a long time, then looked up and asked, "Then one last question. Are you planning to do something... to make the Silver Pull Division go wrong?"
Wang Zhen's joyful smile gradually faded. He looked at Tang Shen quietly, his gaze deep as water.
"You have no idea how much I adore your cleverness, but sometimes I wish you could be a little more dull!"
Tang Shen immediately understood, but after a long silence, his question was, "Why did you hide it from me?"
Wang Zhen scolded sternly, "How could I tell you about such filthy matters? If you knew, how would you see me?" With that, he put on a heartbroken expression, covering his face and falling silent.
Tang Shen pulled Wang Zhen's hand away from his face, and the two locked eyes. Wang Zhen's gaze was clear, filled with unconcealed amusement.
Tang Shen said expressionlessly, "Although it seems like I'm at a disadvantage, Senior Brother, as agreed, you're supposed to kiss me before lying."
Wang Zhen's eyes widened in surprise. The next moment, he burst into laughter, leaned over, and kissed those eloquent lips. After a passionate kiss, Tang Shen was left breathless, and Wang Zhen finally spoke the truth, asking, "In your heart, shouldn't I be a noble and upright gentleman?"
Tang Shen looked at him in surprise, "What gave you that impression?"
Wang Zhen said seriously, "But I still need toipay attention."
Tang Shen, "You hid it from me because you didn't want me to know you were about to engage in corruption and harm loyal officials again?"
Wang Zhen held him and sighed, "How could I ever want to do such a thing!"
Three days later, during the morning court in Zichen Hall.
A fourth-rank censor in official robes stepped forward from the crowd, holding a jade tablet high and pulling a memorial from his sleeve.
"Your subject, Fang Weitong, has a matter to report."
Zhao Fu looked at him, waved his hand, and signaled Ji Fu to bring the memorial to him. He asked, "What is it?"
Censor Fang lowered his head and remained silent, holding the memorial high above his head. When Ji Fu took the memorial and presented it to Zhao Fu, the emperor's expression shifted as he read it, his anger barely contained.
Zhao Fu's voice, heavy with suppressed rage, commanded, "Speak."
Only then did Fang Weitong loudly declare, "As a censor, it is my duty to oversee the court. I impeach Liu Ji, the governor of Xingzhou, for his grave crimes! Liu Ji's offenses are too numerous to list. I have hastily outlined seven major crimes. First, his conduct does not match his virtue; he abused his scholarly achievements, gaining fame at a young age, but there are suspicions of hidden misdeeds! Second, Xingzhou's lands lie barren..."