Chapter 58
Chapter 58: After the red Luán’s call to the west (Part 2)
"Your Majesty, Emperor Cang please have some tea."
The palace maid carefully brought the teacup and placed it in front of Si Cang Qing, then quietly left.
Inside the house, the atmosphere was somewhat depressing. Si Cang Qing was completely unaware and sipped
his tea nonchalantly.
"Ahem..." The other person in the room, clenching his fist and lightly resting it under his nose, cleared his throat
to break the silence, signaling the formal start of the conversation. "Emperor Cang, I have taken the liberty to
invite you here today, as I have an ungracious request."
Si Cang Qing looked at Cheng Ce calmly, waiting for him to continue, vaguely aware of the purpose behind
Cheng Ce's visit.
As expected, Cheng Ce spoke solemnly, "I implore Emperor Cang to reject Tian Yang's willful request."
Raising his eyebrows, Si Cang Qing said coldly, "Please tell me in detail, Emperor Cheng."
Cheng Ce sighed softly, his face showing sorrow, "Tian Yang has come to you before, right?" Everyone kept
silent about what happened last night, "I owe this child..."
Without elaborating further on the secrets of the Hong Cheng royal family, Chengce simply said, "TianYang's
personality is willful and extreme. He harbors deep hatred for me, his father, and the royal family. However,
zhèn doesn't want to see him make mistakes repeatedly. Although this marriage was Tianyi's idea, I'm afraid
TianYang is more than happy to accept it."
Si Cang Qing listened to Cheng Ce's words in silence.
He said, "TianYang is zhèn’s biological son, and also... Xiang'er's child. Zhèn can't watch him being ruined."
Looking at Si Cang Qing, Cheng Ce's eyes were firm, "Emperor Cang, you should know the sincerity of zhèn’s
covenant, so please..."
Hearing this, Si Cang Qing refused indifferently, "Zhèn already promised him last night."
Cheng Ce's eyes were full of understanding, and his expression was sad. "Zhèn knew it, TianYang must have
done it willingly. He wanted to use you, Emperor Cang, to avenge the debt owed to the three of them by the royal
family of Hong Cheng! The fault is mine. Zhèn was confused and listened to one side. Xiang'er has passed away,
and TianBi has also followed his mother... Now, how can zhèn watch him go to eternal damnation."
Cheng TianYang, the twelfth prince of the Hong Cheng Kingdom, was supposed to be the most noble person.
How could he be made a pawn in a political marriage, becoming a male consort who serves others with his
beauty?
"Emperor Cang, zhèn knows you are an upright gentleman. As long as you agree to my request today, zhèn can
guarantee that my country Hong Cheng will never deliberately cause trouble, and the two countries will have
long-term friendship."
Si Cang Qing fell silent. Cheng Ce had ultimately grown old; even though he saw through everything, he could
no longer control those princes.
Cheng Ce also stopped speaking, silently waiting for Si Cang Qing's reply. After a long while, the young
emperor's cold voice was heard saying, “Zhèn never go back on my word."
Si Cang Qing stood up and looked down at Cheng Ce, who was in shock and anger, with indifference, "Zhèn will
propose marriage to all officials today. If you, Emperor Cheng, do not want to, you can refuse."
"Emperor Cang!" Cheng Ce couldn't help but shout, stopping Si Cang Qing from leaving. But before he could
say anything, there was a commotion outside the palace, and only the palace servants could be heard trying to
stop him, "Your Highness, the Emperor has ordered that no one is allowed to disturb him..."
When Cheng TianYang was in a stalemate with the guards, Cheng Ce's weathered and helpless voice was heard
from inside the hall.
"Let Twelve in."
Cheng TianYang rushed in without any courtesy like a whirlwind.
"Twelve," Cheng Ce frowned, "You..."
Before he could say anything, Cheng TianYang suddenly interrupted him, saying firmly, "Father, your son wants
to marry His Majesty the Emperor Cang."
Cheng Ce's face turned pale and blue, and his tone was cold and gloomy, "Nonsense!"
Not caring about Cheng Ce's rebuke, Cheng TianYang chuckled, walked gracefully to Si Cang Qing, and gazed at
him lovingly, "Father, you son and His Majesty Emperor Cang are in love with each other, how can you say it's
nonsense?" As he spoke, he leaned against Si Cang Qing's chest in front of Cheng Ce.
Si Cang Qing cooperated and took him into his arms.
Seeing that the two of them ignored his existence, Cheng Ce looked gloomy and looked back and forth between
Si Cang Qing and Cheng TianYang. Although Si Cang Qing had a faint expression, his hand movements were
very natural, while Cheng TianYang had a sweet look on his face, nestling in the other's arms like a little bird.
A dead silence filled the room between them.
After a long while, Cheng Ce sighed and looked at Cheng TianYang calmly, "TianYang, zhèn know you blame
me, but now zhèn really wants to make it up to you. Zhèn is willing to give you everything in Hong Cheng. Why
are you tying yourself up in knots now?"
After all, he was an emperor. How could he easily believe that these two people had such a deep affection for
each other in just one night? Cheng Ce knew something about Cheng TianYang's plan.
Cheng TianYang smiled charmingly, "Father, TianYang is willing to marry His Majesty Emperor Cang. This is
TianYang's blessing, how could it be a self-imposed bondage!"
Seeing that the other party was still unwilling to give in, Cheng Ce finally got angry, "Tian Yang, Hong Cheng is
your country, do you really want to be a traitor? If you still don't repent, all the military power in your hands will
be returned to zhèn!"
Although Cheng Ce was scolding Cheng TianYang, he glanced at Si Cang Qing out of the corner of his eye.
Cheng TianYang burst into laughter, looking somewhat amused, "Father, the military power does not belong to
me. If you want to take it back, just take it back! I don't care about the throne, so you should leave it to my third
brother who is the most promising one!"
Si Cang Qing seemed indifferent on the surface, just silently watching the father and son interacting with each
other. He suddenly realized that it seemed that Cheng Ce had finally found his conscience and was planning to let
Cheng TianYang inherit the throne, and even secretly handed over the military power to him. No wonder Cheng
TianYi was on guard against Cheng TianYang. And now, Cheng Ce thinks that he insists on marriage just for the
sake of military power, right?
◇Cang◇Huan◇Seven◇Palace◇
"As for me," Cheng TianYang continued, wrapping his arms around Si Cang Qing's neck, his eyes full of
tenderness, "I just want to be with His Majesty Emperor Cang. Whether my father agrees or not, I will not change
my mind. Your Majesty, you too, right?"
"Rebellious son!"
Cheng Ce was so angry that he stood up suddenly, shaking with anger, "Why did zhèn give birth to such a
rebellious son like you! In the past, you were already reckless, and zhèn chose not to pursue it; but now you are
entangled with other people and doing treasonous things!"
Cheng TianYang still maintained a smile. He slowly turned his head and looked at Cheng Ce, "It turns out that
Father only found out today that I am a rebellious son!"
The irony of the careless laughter was clear to both parties.
Always ignoring the conflict between the father and son, Si Cang Qing just raised his hand and lightly stroked
Cheng TianYang's long hair - although this man looked no different from ordinary people, he pressed close to his
body, but suddenly tensed up when Cheng Ce cursed.
Cheng TianYang was slightly startled, and felt a faint touch on his back. A comfortable airflow spread from that
place to the whole body, making him feel very relaxed and warm…
A little unexpected warmth makes people vulnerable all of a sudden. He entrusted his whole body to Si Cang
Qing. Although he had a smile on his face, his eyes were cold as he stared at the old man he called Father.
"Father, you are such a forgetful person! You said it yourself that you didn't have a bastard like me."
"You have long since stopped caring about my life or death, and you have allowed me to fall into depravity!"
"Now, why do you remember that I am a rebellious son? Oh, to be more precise, I am a bastard."
The light words were spoken in a playful manner, but the resentment contained in them could not be ignored.
Cheng Ce suddenly became depressed, his eyes were sad, "It's zhèn’s fault..."
"Oh," Cheng TianYang laughed, his voice choking with sobs, "Father is the Son of Heaven, the supreme ruler of
Hong Cheng State, how could he be wrong!"
"Haha," Cheng TianYang laughed a little crazily, breathing rapidly, pointing at himself, and speaking word by
word, "I have never told you, but I saw with my own eyes how my dear aunt killed her own relatives for the sake
of justice! She was really thoughtful, and it is said that she carefully selected many men for me according to your
wishes!"
"Stop talking!" Cheng Ce groaned in pain, suddenly interrupting Cheng TianYang's words. After calming down
from what happened back then, he realized something was amiss, but…
When he thought of the woman he loved and how she had been treated, he felt uncomfortable and guilty, but also
couldn't help feeling disgusted and dirty. That's why he has been ignoring the child. However, after so many
years, he could see many things clearly, but only then did he realize that the child left by Xiang'er was no longer
as innocent as before. If it was resentment at the beginning, then he felt ashamed later.
Cheng TianYang suddenly calmed down and said calmly: "Why can't I say it? You personally determined my
mother's crime, and you also forced my brother. When those people tortured my brother, didn't you know
everything clearly?"
"Now that my mother is gone and my brother is gone too, you are getting confused and actually saying that you
are wrong. You want me, a bastard, to be the emperor. Isn't this the biggest absurdity in the world?"
"TianYang, stop talking." Sorrow, regret, and annoyance were not enough to describe his feelings at the moment.
Cheng Ce spoke weakly, as if he had aged all of a sudden. "If you want to hate, then hate me. Why do you have to
insult your mother just to strike me down?"
He never knew about the dirty things Mu Lian Yu did, after all, she and Xiang'er were twin sisters. How could he
have expected that Mu Lian Yu would be so vicious!
Cheng TianYang turned his head abruptly and buried his head in Si Cang Qing's arms. He didn't look at the man
again. He said in a deep voice: "The person who insulted my mother was never me."
"Father, I don't want to talk about what happened back then. If you really want to compensate me," Cheng
TianYang tightened his arms around Si Cang Qing, "then you should agree to the marriage. I don't want military
power or the throne. I just want to leave this dirty place."
"Every inch of soil here feels extremely dirty to me!"
After saying that, Cheng TianYang leaned weakly in Si Cang Qing's arms, raised his head and gazed into Si Cang
Qing's cold eyes, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips, "Your Majesty, take me away!"
Si Cang Qing glanced at Cheng Ce who was sitting there dejectedly, then looked back at the expectant eyes of the
person in his arms and nodded slightly.
"Emperor Cheng, I'll take my leave first!"
On August 14th of the second year of Qianyuan, the Cang Huan Kingdom and the Hong Cheng Kingdom formed
an alliance. The twelfth prince of Hong Cheng, Cheng TianYang, married and was named Empress of the West
by Si Cang Qing, taking residence in the Tianluan West Palace.
Hmm…
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