Chapter 699 - 700: Please
Chapter 699: Chapter 700: Please
From the moment he was escorted from the Duke Zhongyong Mansion, Xie Anjun had been on pins and needles.
Gazing at the majestic and solemn Qiyuan Hall standing in the distance, the unease in his heart intensified.
’Why has His Majesty suddenly summoned me?’
’Could it be... that last night’s plan failed?’
He wanted to ask about the situation, but the surrounding Imperial Army guards were all cold and stern. They didn’t say a single word to him.
So he didn’t dare ask any more questions and could only pray silently in his heart.
However, when he saw the rather familiar back of a figure kneeling before Qiyuan Hall, he froze in his tracks!
’Xie... Xie Anbai!’
Although he couldn’t see his face, there was no mistaking that figure!
Xie Anbai, who had been missing from the Capital City for so long, was now kneeling here with his back ramrod straight!
Xie Anjun’s mind went completely blank!
He stopped dead, his face a mask of disbelief.
’How could Xie Anbai be here!?’
’What is he trying to do!?’
’I thought that after the last blow, he had become demoralized and left the Capital City, but now—’
Xie Anjun only snapped back to his senses when an Imperial Army guard behind him prompted him to move.
He took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the churning emotions in his heart, but the closer he got, the weaker his legs felt.
Xie Anbai seemed to hear the movement behind him as well. He paused slightly, then turned to look.
Their eyes met.
For two brothers who had torn all pretense to shreds, reuniting in such an absurd fashion was truly laughable.
At this thought, Xie Anbai did indeed laugh.
The corners of his lips quirked up as he spoke. "Long time no see. I trust you’ve been well, big brother."
His voice was light and dismissive. Though he called him "big brother," it was laced with unconcealed frivolity and mockery.
Rage instantly flared in Xie Anjun’s heart, and he cursed furiously, "Who’s your big brother!? The Xie Family has long since cast out an unfilial and disloyal person like you!"
Xie Anbai’s eyebrow arched slightly.
"That ’big brother’ just now was the last time I’ll call you that, so you don’t have to be so flustered."
He had no desire to have anything to do with Xie Anjun anymore anyway.
Listening to him, Xie Anjun vaguely felt that something was not right.
He glanced at the tightly shut main doors, then turned his scrutiny back to Xie Anbai and cursed coldly, "This is not a place you should be! Scram!"
Xie Anbai lazily turned back around, lifted his chin, and said, word by word, "I am here today to seek an audience with His Majesty. He has not yet dismissed me. Why? Is the Marquis Zhongyong’s word now law, superior even to His Majesty’s?"
"You!"
Xie Anjun was instantly seething with rage.
"Don’t you spout such slander!"
How could he have forgotten? This younger brother of his had always been glib, with a silver tongue!
’If those words were to actually reach His Majesty’s ears, then he—’
But Xie Anbai just let out a soft laugh and said nothing more.
Just as Xie Anjun was about to hurl a few more curses, the main doors before them finally swung open slowly.
CREAK—
Xie Anjun’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly fell silent and looked forward.
Eunuch Li stepped out from within, flicking his horsetail whisk.
"By His Majesty’s decree, Marquis Zhongyong and Xie Anbai are to enter the hall together!"
Xie Anjun’s eyes widened in shock, almost thinking he had misheard.
But in the next moment, Xie Anbai reacted faster. He was the first to kowtow respectfully. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Then, Xie Anbai rose to his feet, casually brushing the morning dew from his shoulder.
Only then did Xie Anjun notice that Xie Anbai was wearing... night clothes!?
However, before he could think it through, Xie Anbai looked back at him again, his expression a mixture of mockery and sarcasm.
"Marquis, after you?"
A breath caught in Xie Anjun’s chest.
He flung his sleeves in anger and strode past Xie Anbai, heading straight for Qiyuan Hall!