The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 160 I Promise You My Entire Life
On the sixteenth day of the seventh month of the thirty-sixth year of the Kaiping era, Tang Shen, the Right Vice Minister of Works, submitted a memorial to Chuigong Hall, requesting imperial approval to construct a "cage box" through the Department of Construction and Reform.
The cage box was a peculiar iron container, resembling a carriage in shape but of immense size, large enough to hold three rooms. Emperor Zhao Fu did not fully understand what this cage box was. Tang Shen spent four hours explaining it in Chuigong Hall, but the emperor still could not grasp the concept of this novel device.
That day, the emperor summoned Yuan Mu, the Minister of Works, Li Yude, the Left Vice Minister of Works, and Ji Mengwen, the Director of the Department of Construction and Reform. It was not until dusk that Zhao Fu finally waved his hand and said, "Since that's the case, go ahead and complete the cage box. Bring it to me so I can see it."
Tang Shen bowed and replied, "As Your Majesty commands."
When they left Chuigong Hall, apart from Tang Shen and Ji Mengwen, the chief designer of the cage box, no one else understood the principles or purpose of the device.
Yuan Mu, the Minister of Works, frowned and said, "Tang daren, I have never interfered with the affairs of the Department of Construction and Reform, but this cage box has caught His Majesty's attention. How long will it take to complete the construction? Do you have an estimate?"
Tang Shen replied, "Minister, the cage box has already been built and tested. I never go into battle unprepared."
Yuan Mu had already guessed this answer. "If that's the case, why didn't you mention it in Chuigong Hall earlier? We could have gone to see the cage box today."
Tang Shen explained, "Although the cage box is functional, it has not yet reached its full potential. What I envision is to create a better machine to complement the cage box. Once that is done, His Majesty will immediately understand its brilliance."
The four men parted ways temporarily.
Yuan Mu sighed to his confidant Li Yude, "They say the waves of the Yangtze River push the waves ahead."
Li Yude responded, "That cage box may not be as useful as Tang Jingze claims."
Yuan Mu said, "But have you heard the news of the great victory in the Northwest that has reached the capital? Tang Jingze has arrived at an opportune time. Even if the cage box is not of great use, His Majesty will likely reward him anyway!"
Meanwhile, Ji Mengwen was still trembling, his spirit unsettled.
When they returned to the Department of Construction and Reform, Ji Mengwen suddenly knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Tang Shen. Tang Shen's expression tightened, and an official nearby immediately helped Ji Mengwen up. Tang Shen said, "Ji daren, officials of the Great Song do not perform kneeling rituals. Why are you acting this way?"
Ji Mengwen's voice was hoarse, "This lower official is merely a small craftsman. I never imagined that one day I would have the fortune to enter the palace and meet His Majesty. Thank you, Tang daren, for elevating me. You have given me a new lease on life!"
Tang Shen said, "Have you forgotten the new regulations of the Ministry of Works?"
"Ah?"
"Whether you are an official or a craftsman, your duty is to build what needs to be built, not to kneel to others everywhere."
Ji Mengwen was momentarily speechless. As he looked at Tang Shen's calm and composed face, he suddenly realized that he truly was an official now.
Tang Shen asked, "How is the progress on the cage box?"
Ji Mengwen no longer had time to dwell on his earlier emotions. He immediately led Tang Shen to the Department of Construction and Reform to inspect the cage box.
Ji Mengwen said, "The cage box is ready for use at any time. However, I do not understand the meaning behind the conversation you had with the Minister earlier."
Tang Shen said, "I recall that your ancestors were blacksmiths."
"That is correct."
"In that case, let us create a blacksmithing tool for the cage box!"
Throughout the seventh month, the court and the entire nation celebrated the great victory in the Northwest.
The Great Song had not achieved such a significant victory over the Liao before, let alone annihilated thirty thousand of the Black Wolf Army—the true elite force of the Liao. Emperor Zhao Fu was overjoyed and immediately rewarded the three armies. He promoted Li Jingde, the Marshal of the Western Expedition, to the first-ranked Duke Protector of the State, a hereditary title for three generations.
This battle greatly boosted the morale of the Song soldiers, while the Liao army was left in disarray.
The deputy general of the Black Wolf Army, Gunzha'er, was struck by a stray arrow and died in Zhanghu Peak. The military advisor Yelu Qin, however, managed to survive. He was shot in the right leg and, upon returning to Datong, had his entire leg amputated to save his life.
After this battle, the Song people rejoiced, while the Liao people were filled with fear.
In the capital of the Liao, Datong, the third prince Yelu Han said in disbelief, "Grand Preceptor, that was the Black Wolf Army! How could thirty thousand of our elite troops fall into a Song ambush and be annihilated? This is impossible! It must be Yelu Shege plotting behind the scenes!"
The Grand Preceptor Yelu Ding's expression was dark and uncertain.
Yelu Han cursed Yelu Shege, who was thousands of miles away, but Yelu Ding suddenly coldly shouted, "Enough, silence!"
Yelu Han immediately closed his mouth, though his eyes still showed dissatisfaction.
Yelu Ding said, "You may leave now."
Yelu Han gritted his teeth, bowed, and left the emperor's bedchamber.
On the dragon bed, the Liao Emperor lay pale and emaciated, having been unconscious for many days. The emperor's injury during a hunt was not caused by Yelu Ding or Yelu Han, but his prolonged unconsciousness was indeed Yelu Ding's doing.
The towering and majestic Grand Preceptor stood by the emperor's bed, looking down at the dying monarch. After a long while, he extended his hand and said, "Bring the medicine bowl."
A palace maid carefully handed a bowl of brown medicinal soup to Yelu Ding.
Yelu Ding looked at the dark brown liquid, sat by the bed, and ordered the palace maids and eunuchs in the room, "All of you, leave now."
Though he was only the Grand Preceptor, his command was obeyed without question, and all the palace maids left the bedchamber.
In the vast bedchamber of the Liao Emperor, only Yelu Ding and the unconscious emperor remained.
Yelu Ding spooned the medicine slowly, his voice deep and calm. "Your Majesty, how you were injured, I still do not know. That day, apart from the second prince's men, only my people had the opportunity to harm you. In this world, the person who most desires your death is me. But this time... it was not me. Which could only mean it was Yelu Shege."
"Your Majesty, you have been mighty and heroic all your life, but who would have thought that your most beloved son would want you dead?"
"Yelu Shege is cunning and treacherous. I cannot understand why he would do such a thing, but he did it nonetheless. Thirty thousand of the Black Wolf Army were also annihilated by him. I have never thought of usurping the throne or killing the monarch. I have never thought of poisoning you. This medicine only keeps you unconscious, but I truly never intended for you to die!"
His voice suddenly stopped, and the emperor's bedchamber fell into dead silence.
"Back then, you galloped across the battlefield, leading the expedition yourself. We, your subjects, were united, and the iron cavalry of the Liao swept across the grasslands."
"You were the eagle of the grasslands, the roaring wolf of the Liao."
"I have never forgotten!"
His voice, like a scream torn from his throat, echoed through the bedchamber.
Then, there was another long silence.
Suddenly, with a "clink," the white porcelain bowl was placed on the table beside the bed. The aged but still powerful Grand Preceptor walked back to the emperor's bed, looked down at the monarch, and calmly reached out to cover the emperor's mouth and nose. His movements were natural, as simple as breathing.
Half an hour later, the Grand Preceptor left the emperor's bedchamber and went to the third prince's palace.
Yelu Han hurried over and said, "Greetings, Grand Preceptor."
Yelu Ding dismissed the attendants and looked at Yelu Han, saying indifferently, "His Majesty has passed away."
Yelu Han was thunderstruck. He staggered back a step, and even though he was not the brightest, he instantly understood Yelu Ding's meaning. He looked up at the Grand Preceptor in disbelief.
Yelu Ding coldly said, "Do not announce this for now. Since the second prince wishes to accompany the Black Wolf Army to Datong, let him go. Naturally, there is no need for him to return."
At this moment, only the palace maids and eunuchs in the emperor's bedchamber knew of the emperor's death. Apart from them, only the Grand Preceptor Yelu Ding and the third prince Yelu Han were aware.
In the Great Song, the entire nation was celebrating the great victory in the northwest.
Grand Preceptor Zhou and Li Jingde were stationed in Youzhou and could not leave, so the emperor summoned Cavalry General Wei Lü and Imperial Inspector Yu Chaosheng back to the capital.
Though the winter in Youzhou in the Northwest was harsh, with heavy snow sealing the city and unbearable cold, by the eighth month, it was scorching heat with sandstorms raging. When Yu Chaosheng left his residence, he wore a headscarf to shield himself from the sand. He had received the imperial decree to return to the capital and was now on his way to the Northwest camp to report.
After meeting with Grand Preceptor Zhou, Yu Chaosheng returned to Youzhou city at night.
The night was silent, but a group of officials quickly rushed into various parts of the city and arrested several officials who were still asleep.
This operation was carried out swiftly and secretly, and almost no one reacted that night. The next day, Yu Chaosheng brought the arrested officials back to the capital in a grand procession.
Cavalry General Wei Lü was surprised to see that Yu Chaosheng had also arrested people. He asked, "Inspector Yu, who are these people?"
Yu Chaosheng replied, "General, they are all guilty officials."
Wei Lü, a military man who had risen through the ranks via the military exams, could not fathom the half-spoken, half-concealed thoughts of civil officials.
If they were in chains, they couldn't be meritorious officials, could they?
Wei Lü scratched his head and said bluntly, "Well, I know they're guilty officials, but what crimes have they committed? We've been in Youzhou for so long, and nothing has happened. Why did you arrest so many people without a word before leaving?"
Yu Chaosheng smiled and said, "Most of them are officials from the Silver Pull Division."
Wei Lü was stunned. He didn't quite understand. Yu Chaosheng was one of the leaders of the Silver Pull Division, so why was he so happy when his own people were arrested?
Yu Chaosheng's sudden arrest of a group of guilty officials was not reported to the court by special messengers. According to his plan, he intended to personally report the matter to the emperor after returning to the capital. However, in Youzhou city, Su Wenyun learned of the incident and investigated the identities of the arrested officials. His expression changed immediately.
Su Wenyun wrote a secret letter overnight and sent it to the capital by fast horse.
"You, Wang Zifeng, are not to be pitied if you die, but you must not ruin my plans!"
Yu Chaosheng's carriage moved slowly, and by the fourth day, Su Wenyun's secret letter had already reached the capital, while they were only halfway there.
The letter was delivered to Right Prime Minister Wang Quan. After reading it, Wang Quan's eyes showed sorrow. He pondered in his study for an afternoon, then summoned his confidant. The next day, Sun Shangde, a key figure in the Xingzhou case, committed suicide in his cell, unable to endure the torture and taking his own life.
This incident was reported to the emperor by the Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review during the morning court session the following day.
Due to the great victory in the Northwest, Zhao Fu had not been paying much attention to the Xingzhou case recently. Upon hearing this news, he paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the officials in the hall, as if trying to discern their true intentions.
The person who most desired Sun Shangde's death was undoubtedly the officials involved in the Xingzhou case.
Zhao Fu remained silent for a long time before softly asking, "What does the Left Prime Minister think?"
Left Prime Minister Xu Bi stepped forward and bowed, "The guilty official Sun Shangde committed suicide out of fear. I believe that although the mastermind has been executed, the case must continue to be investigated."
Zhao Fu stared at him for a moment, then asked, "What does the Right Prime Minister think?"
Right Prime Minister Wang Quan stepped forward and said, "This case is being jointly investigated by the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice. I believe the two ministries will have their own conclusions."
Zhao Fu said nothing more.
After the court session, Xu Bi and Wang Quan walked together. The two most powerful officials of the court, each holding their jade tablets, walked slowly and steadily toward the Xuanwu Gate.
Xu Bi sighed, "The torture in the Court of Judicial Review's prison is indeed unbearable for ordinary people. Who would have thought that Sun Shangde, after enduring three months, could not hold on any longer?"
Wang Quan also sighed with him, "Although I have never been to the Court of Judicial Review's prison, I have heard that anyone who enters there will be stripped of a layer of skin before coming out. More often than not, they never see the light of day again."
Xu Bi smiled slightly and saluted.
Wang Quan immediately returned the salute.
Xu Bi asked, "Where is the Right Prime Minister headed?"
"To Qinzheng Hall."
"Then we are not going the same way. Farewell here."
"Left Prime Minister, take care."
"Right Prime Minister, stay well."
After exchanging pleasantries, the two went their separate ways.
When Wang Quan arrived at Qinzheng Hall, he had just entered the courtyard of his Right Prime Minister's office when he saw a tall, straight figure standing in the yard, bending over to admire a rose in bloom. The deep red official robe, which looked ordinary on other officials, appeared particularly elegant and dignified on Wang Zifeng.
However, his nephew was naturally handsome, and no matter what he wore, he always looked refined.
Wang Quan asked, "Why are you here?"
Wang Zifeng turned and saluted, "This lower official greets the Right Prime Minister."
Wang Quan laughed, "What are you doing? You and I are both first-rank officials. If you bow to me today, should I return the bow?"
Wang Zifeng said seriously, "Today, it is the Minister of Revenue Wang Zifeng bowing to the Right Prime Minister."
Wang Quan raised an eyebrow, "Oh? What matter does the Minister of Revenue have to discuss with me?"
Wang Zifeng frowned, genuinely puzzled, "This lower official does have a matter that I cannot understand, no matter how much I think about it. I have no choice but to seek the Right Prime Minister's guidance."
"What is it?"
"Why did Sun Shangde die?"
Wang Quan's footsteps halted. He looked up at his nephew, "The person who most desires his disappearance in this world is Left Prime Minister Xu."
Wang Zifeng smiled, "The Right Prime Minister has not yet answered my question. Why did Sun Shangde die?"
Wang Quan looked at him quietly and said, "Could it not be Prime Minister Xu silencing him?"
Wang Zifeng sighed deeply, "Why would Uncle want Sun Shangde's life?"
Wang Quan knew he could no longer hide the truth from his shrewd and perceptive nephew. He sighed helplessly, "Let's go inside and talk."
Once inside, Wang Quan handed Su Wenyun's secret letter to Wang Zifeng. After reading it, Wang Zifeng was also stunned for a moment. He sighed, "So this is what happened. I understand Uncle's actions, but Uncle must realize that even so, it is of no use. Even if Sun Shangde is dead, what does it matter? If the Court of Judicial Review loses an important witness and wants to close the case, there are only two outcomes: either the case is hastily concluded due to lack of evidence, or the case remains unresolved due to lack of evidence!"
Wang Quan said, "Sun Shangde is dead. Isn't that enough?"
Wang Zifeng replied, "For ordinary people, that would be enough. It would show our sincerity. But for Prime Minister Xu, it is far from enough! How can Prime Minister Xu believe that Sun Shangde's death will lead to a hasty conclusion or an unresolved case?"
Wang Quan was well aware of this, but he had no other choice. He could only use this method to save Wang Zifeng.
But Wang Zifeng said, "Moreover, I never intended to hastily conclude the case." He smiled elegantly, "His death is actually a good thing. From now on, there will be no way to justify themselves, and no evidence to prove otherwise. The dead can't testify after all."
Wang Quan was stunned, "You..."
Meanwhile, Tang Shen had just finished testing the new use of the cage box. After a busy day, he hurried back to his residence from the Ministry of Works. As soon as he arrived at the Vice Minister Residence, Feng Bi handed him a letter. "It arrived this afternoon, from Youzhou."
Tang Shen was surprised, "Youzhou?"
Immediately, Tang Shen thought of Wang Xiao.
Since Tang Shen had stepped down as the Right Vice Censor of the Silver Pull Division, Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze occasionally sent him secret letters about the movements of the Liao. Tang Shen opened the letter and was shocked—
The letter was actually from Li Jingde!
As Tang Shen read the letter, his heart grew heavier.
After finishing the letter, he sat in his room for a long time, then held a corner of the letter to a candle, watching it turn to ash.
Tang Shen quickly changed into casual clothes and went to the Minister Residence.
Wang Zifeng had not yet returned.
It was not until past mao shi (7-9pm) that Wang Zifeng returned from outside. The steward informed him that Tang Shen had come, and he was slightly surprised. He smiled and entered the flower hall, asking, "Why had he come so suddenly? Didn't he say the Ministry of Works was busy recently and he wouldn't be coming for a while? Has he eaten dinner?"
The steward replied, "Gongzi arrived two hours ago."
Wang Zifeng frowned, "Then he hasn't eaten. How have you been serving him? Why haven't you served the food?"
The steward: "This humble servant is at fault."
Wang Zifeng: "Add a West Lake vinegar fish and vegetarian meatballs." Both were Tang Shen's favorite dishes.
Wang Zifeng took Tang Shen's hand, and the two sat together at the table.
Tang Shen looked at him, his mind in turmoil. He didn't know if Wang Zifeng was aware of what had happened. If he knew, Tang Shen would have to explain himself. If he didn't know, Tang Shen would have to explain differently.
After some thought, Tang Shen asked, "Where did you go, Senior Brother? Why are you only returning now?"
Wang Zifeng glanced at him and poured him tea, "I returned from Uncle's residence. How is the Ministry of Works these days?"
Tang Shen replied casually, "The cage box is ready. It can be presented to His Majesty tomorrow. You'll see it too."
Soon, a table of dishes was served.
Wang Zifeng picked up some fish meat for Tang Shen. "You've lost weight these past few days."
Tang Shen ate the fish, then propped his chin on his hand, waiting for Wang Zifeng to serve him. At first, Wang Zifeng didn't notice anything unusual, but after serving him several times, he put down his chopsticks and turned to Tang Shen. His eyes were smiling, his elegant and serene face appearing even more graceful and gentle in the candlelight.
"Are you waiting for me to serve you?"
Tang Shen said matter-of-factly, "A guest should be taken care of, shouldn't they?"
Wang Zifeng laughed, "Of course, absolutely." He turned to the steward and ordered, "Tang gongzi is a guest. Since he doesn't want to use his chopsticks, it must be because the kitchen's dishes are not good enough. Who cooked today? Fire them. The Right Prime Minister's chef is from the imperial kitchen. Go and invite him to prepare another table of dishes for Tang gongzi."
The steward wiped the sweat from his forehead but before he could speak, Tang Shen said, "You won't even serve some food for me?"
Wang Zifeng: "For my wife... ahem, for my husband, I would be happy to serve. But for a guest, I, Wang Zifeng, cannot do that."
Tang Shen retracted his cold gaze and said, "Then keep serving."
Wang Zifeng answered gently, "En, serving you for the rest of my life is of no consequence."
Tang Shen said casually, "It's hard enough to meet, let alone a lifetime."
Wang Zifeng's expression suddenly changed. He was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "I promise you my lifetime."
Tang Shen knew he had misspoken. His emotional intelligence had mostly been honed by Wang Zifeng and Zhao Fu, but it was still not as good as theirs. Occasionally, he would say the wrong thing unintentionally, especially with Wang Zifeng, because he was too relaxed and more easily blurted things out.
Tang Shen pulled at Wang Zifeng's sleeve. "Don't be angry, senior brother."
Wang Zifeng calmly ate a bite of food, "I'm not angry, just heartbroken. My old heartache is acting up again."
Tang Shen: "..."
You sound like I always make you angry!
Tang Shen hardened his heart and decided to be shameless. He rested his chin on Wang Zifeng's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "You're always heartbroken, and it hurts me too. Don't be angry. I'll do whatever you want."
Wang Zifeng's eyes flickered, but his expression remained indifferent. He casually said, "Don't say such things in the future. Little Junior Brother and I have a long life ahead of us. How do you know we won't meet often?"
Tang Shen's expression changed. After a moment, he didn't respond, but he quickly reacted, "Alright, I'll think twice before speaking from now on."
Wang Zifeng was momentarily surprised, noticing Tang Shen's brief shock.
The two looked at each other for a moment, then Wang Zifeng asked, "You know?"
Tang Shen: "..."
Wang Zifeng: "Since when are you so close with Su Wenyun?"
Tang Shen was surprised. "Su Wenyun? What does he have to do with this?"
"Then who told you?"
Tang Shen knew he couldn't hide it from Wang Zifeng, so he honestly replied. "Li Jingde sent someone to tell me. Li Jingde said that although I am no longer the Right Vice Censor of the Silver Pull Division and have stepped down from these duties, he knows I contributed greatly and nearly lost my life. So he feels he owes me a favor."
Wang Zifeng said self-deprecatingly, "Su Wenyun wrote to Uncle, and Li Jingde wrote to you. Why didn't anyone write to me, the person involved? It seems my connections in the court are really that poor."
Tang Shen replied speechlessly, "We're talking about serious matters. Ai, what do you plan to do, Senior Brother? Did you have something to do with Sun Shangde's death?"
Wang Zifeng spoke righteously, "In your heart, am I such a treacherous official?"
Tang Shen nodded vigorously. "Yes."
Wang Zifeng laughed and hugged him. "In this world, only you can scold me, and I will still say, 'You're right, well said.'"
Tang Shen had no mind for other topics. He asked again, "What do you plan to do, Senior Brother?"
"Things may not be as bad as you and Uncle think."
"En?"
"If I didn't know about this before you came today, what would you have done?"
Tang Shen didn't expect him to ask this. He was silent for a moment, then said, "Nothing."
Wang Zifeng: "Now that I think about it, every time I lie, I have to kiss you first. But when you lie, you don't have to do anything. It seems you always benefit, and I always lose out. From now on, if Jing Ze plans to deceive me, you should kiss me first, alright?"
Tang Shen rolled his eyes internally: Do I even need to kiss you? You, Wang Zifeng, are so perceptive. I only said three words, and you knew I was lying. Do I really need to kiss you?!
Wang Zifeng explained, "If you truly intended to do nothing, you wouldn't have probed me so much today. Instead, you would have told me from the start and worked with me to find a solution. But you didn't say anything and probed whether I knew, because if I didn't know, you planned to handle it yourself. How would you handle it?" Wang Zifeng paused, then suddenly widened his eyes and looked down at Tang Shen in surprise. "You were going to take the blame for me and accept the punishment?"
Tang Shen muttered, "The cage box is ready, and the Department of Construction and Reform is on track. What I can do is limited. Whether I stay in the Ministry of Works or not doesn't really matter. But you, Senior Brother, are different. The Silver Pull Division's work has just begun. The Silver Pull Division cannot do without you."
Wang Zifeng's heart trembled. He was speechless for a long time. Finally, he hugged Tang Shen tightly and said, "But I cannot do without you either!"
Tang Shen looked up at him.
Wang Zifeng smiled bitterly, "This happened because I was too greedy for power, overreaching and meddling in matters I shouldn't have. His Majesty is overly suspicious, unlike ordinary emperors. When Yu Chaosheng brings those people back to the capital, I don't know what will happen." As he spoke, Wang Zifeng kissed Tang Shen's brow. "These are troubled times, and I haven't found a solution yet. But with your heart, I, Wang Zifeng, have no regrets in this life."
"Jing Ze, I promise you my lifetime. Even if it's through thorns and knives, I don't need you to stand in front of me."
"Remember, do not act rashly."
Under the candlelight and moonlight, Wang Zifeng's expression was unusually solemn. He rarely showed such seriousness, and his words came from the heart. Tang Shen was deeply moved, but he also calculated that if it came to that, he would definitely take the blame for Wang Zifeng. The Ministry of Works' affairs did not necessarily require him, and besides, he had already set things in motion. How things developed depended not just on him, but on the countless craftsmen of this era.
Yu Chaosheng wanted to accuse Wang Zifeng of meddling in the Liao affair, placing his own people within the Liao.
This matter could be big or small, because the Liao affair was originally ordered by Zhao Fu, who sent Tang Shen and Su Wenyun to carry it out, with Zhao Fu's approval. But now, Zhao Fu was getting older and more suspicious. This emperor loved to balance the court and could not tolerate one faction dominating. Wang Zifeng's involvement, on the surface, was because he was the commander of the Silver Pull Division. Tang Shen and Su Wenyun had used the Silver Pull Division's personnel and operated under its name, making it difficult to hide from Wang Zifeng.
But if the emperor didn't order you to get involved, you shouldn't have.
This was ultimately a sign of Wang Zifeng's grasp on power.
He not only got involved in matters he shouldn't have, but also did so much.
How Zhao Fu would react was unknown. But without a doubt, this would have a significant impact on Wang Zifeng.
Tang Shen thought of taking the blame himself. Wang Xiao and Mei Shengze had been arrested by Yu Chaosheng and sent to the capital. Why couldn't it be that after Tang Shen stepped down, he secretly sent his confidants to stir the pot?
This might not result in severe punishment, but who would take the blame was a significant matter.
At this moment, Tang Shen was preoccupied and didn't notice that Wang Zifeng had kissed him halfway through his speech. The action was so natural, as if driven by emotion, but later Tang Shen would realize—
You really can't believe even a single punctuation mark from Wang Zifeng's mouth!
AN: Tang Shen: Back then, I believed Wang Zifeng's words, and then I... Don't ask, just regret, regret so much that my intestines are green.