Stealing the Pen: Kirin's Primordial Lotus

Chapter 575

After everything was settled, Gong Yuanzheng led Gong Shangjiao and Gong Zishang and slowly walked into the Zheng Palace. As soon as they entered the palace, their eyes were attracted by the figure in the outer corridor.

Xie Yuchen and Hua Yu sat side by side on a stone bench in the outer corridor, concentrating on a game of Go. Behind Hua Yu, Zhang Qiling stood quietly, clutching his familiar sword in his arms, looking somewhat lazy.

Zhang Qiling leaned slightly against a pillar, his gaze fixed on the chessboard, seemingly deeply interested in the game. However, when his gaze inadvertently swept over Gong Yuanzheng and the others, his body stiffened noticeably, and a subtle flash of surprise flashed in his eyes.

At this moment, Xie Yuchen happened to catch a glimpse of Gong Yuanzheng, Gong Shangjiao, and Gong Zishang walking in. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile, but the smile disappeared in an instant, as if it had never appeared.

Gong Zishang and Xie Yuchen's eyes met, and in that instant, a tacit understanding seemed to pass between the two, an agreement that only they could understand. However, this subtle exchange did not attract the attention of others, except Hua Yu and Zhang Qiling.

Hua Yu noticed this keenly. His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes moved back and forth between Gong Zishang and Xie Yuchen, as if trying to decipher the secret between them.

Zhang Qiling remained silent, his eyes always on Hua Yu, as if Hua Yu was the only focus of his attention in the world.

At this moment, Hua Yu suddenly whispered, "Yuan Zheng is back!"

These five simple words struck Gong Yuanzheng's heart like a heavy hammer. His eyes instantly became moist, tears welling up in them, threatening to fall.

Gong Yuanzheng seemed to be pushed by an invisible force. He suddenly left Gong Shangjiao and Gong Zishang behind, took a step forward, and ran towards Hua Yu like a gust of wind.

"Dad, Brother Xiaohua!" Gong Yuanzheng's cry echoed in the Zheng Palace, with a little sob.

Like a bird returning to its nest, he threw himself into Hua Yu's arms and hugged her tightly.

Hua Yu said softly, "Our Yuanzheng suffered a great injustice during his time away! Now that he's back, you can talk to us about it so we can avenge Yuanzheng!"

Gong Yuanzheng buried his head in Hua Yu's arms, shaking it but refusing to raise it. It wasn't until Gong Shangjiao and Gong Zishang reached the outer corridor that Gong Yuanzheng finally raised his head, but it was still bowed.

However, judging from the situation, it seems that the arrogant young Palace Master of Zheng Palace has red eyes and refuses to show weakness to others!

The group didn't stay in the outer corridor for long before returning to the main hall of Zheng Palace. Gong Yuanzheng was like a sticky candy, clinging tightly to Hua Yu, and no matter how many times Zhang Qiling glared at him, it was of no use.

Hua Yu gently stroked Gong Yuanzheng's hair, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. His voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. "Yuanzheng, you should have heard about this from your second brother, right?"

However, Gong Yuanzheng turned his head away like a sulky child, tightly shutting his lips and refusing to answer Hua Yu's question. Seeing this, Hua Yu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, but he didn't give up because he knew that Gong Yuanzheng had already known the truth for a long time, but was just having trouble accepting it.

"Yuanzheng, you have to know that Daddy really doesn't want to leave you!" Hua Yu's tone became increasingly gentle as he continued to patiently comfort Gong Yuanzheng, "But this time, Daddy and Brother Xiaohua really have something important to deal with, so we have no choice but to leave you."

He paused briefly, giving Gong Yuanzheng some time to digest what he had said, and then continued, "However, Dad can promise you that once we have dealt with everything over there, we will definitely come back to visit you!"

At this time, Xie Yuchen, who had been standing nearby, also interrupted, "Yes, Yuanzheng, this day won't be long! Brother Xiaohua can also assure you that as soon as we finish things over there, we will rush over here without stopping. No matter where you are, we will be by your side at the first opportunity!"

Gong Yuanzheng turned his head and looked at Hua Yu and Xie Yuchen with red eyes. "Really? Will you really come back to see me once you finish things over there?"

Xie Yuchen looked into Gong Yuanzheng's eyes and swore to the heavens, "I, Xie Yuchen, swear here that if I cannot return to Gong Yuanzheng on time, then let me..."

Before Xie Yuchen could finish his words, Gong Yuanzheng suddenly covered his mouth tightly with his hand. Gong Yuanzheng looked at him angrily and said coquettishly, "Brother Xiaohua! How could you swear so carelessly to the sky! This is not good. What if it really comes true?"

Xie Yuchen quickly pulled Gong Yuanzheng's hand away and explained, "But if we don't do this, how will Yuanzheng believe what we say?"

Gong Yuanzheng was silent for a long moment before he slowly spoke, "So, when do Father and Brother Xiaohua plan to leave here? I can prepare some medicine and other things for you in advance, just in case you encounter any unexpected situations along the way."

Hua Yu gently stroked Gong Yuanzheng's head and said with a smile, "We still have to accompany Yuanzheng down the mountain. Why are you leaving so soon?"

Gong Yuanzheng's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked excitedly, "Really? Well, I'd like Dad and Brother Xiaohua to stay with me all day tomorrow, is that okay?"

Hua Yu and Xie Yuchen exchanged a glance. Xie Yuchen smiled, reached out his hand, gently tapped Gong Yuanzheng's forehead, and said, "Okay! I'll listen to Yuanzheng! I'll trouble Yuanzheng to arrange our itinerary tomorrow!"

Hua Yu and Xie Yuchen had been waiting at the palace gates since Gong Yuanzheng's departure, their hearts filled with worry and uneasiness. They worried about this child embarking on such a dangerous undertaking for the first time, worried about him meeting with misfortune, and even more worried about him returning seriously injured. As the days passed, their hearts grew heavier.

Finally, Gong Yuanzheng appeared at the gate of Zheng Palace. He looked lively and unharmed. Seeing this, Hua Yu and Xie Yuchen felt relieved. They smiled at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.

Hua Yu brought Zhang Qiling back to their room. The reunited lovers had so much to say. They told each other about every little thing that had happened since they separated, shared each other's joys and sorrows, and their feelings were further warmed at this moment.

Xie Yuchen returned to his room to deal with Hua Yu and the others' property here. Because he had been worried about Gong Yuanzheng's safety, he had a backlog of matters that he hadn't dealt with. Now, he could finally deal with them with peace of mind.

After Hua Yu, Xie Yuchen and Zhang Qiling left one after another, Gong Shangjiao and Gong Zishang, two people who seemed to have never existed before, finally had time to review the encirclement and suppression plan with Gong Yuanzheng.

Gong Yuanzheng walked quickly to Gong Shangjiao's side, pinched the corner of his clothes tightly like a child, shook it gently, and said coquettishly: "Brother, you know! I have never been out alone. Even when I went to Tiandu, I always stayed in the back mountains of Zhuo Mansion or Hua Mansion. I really don't know much about the outside world!"

Gong Shangjiao was pestered by Gong Yuanzheng, wanting him to come up with a solution, "Okay Yuanzheng, I didn't say I wouldn't help you!"

After getting Gong Shangjiao's reply, Gong Yuanzheng sat beside him obediently, took out paper and pen to write down every word of Gong Shangjiao.

Gong Shangjiao first went over the idea in his mind based on his experiences of going out over the years and buying things for Gong Yuanzheng. When he felt that there was no problem, he spoke it out.

"Yuanzheng, thank you, Young Master, tomorrow Mr. Hua and Mr. Zhang will go with you to the Old Dust Valley at the foot of Gongmen Mountain. First of all, when do you plan to leave? Do you plan to have breakfast at Zheng Palace before leaving, or somewhere else?"

Gong Yuanzheng lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, "Let's set off at noon and have breakfast in the valley! The chef at Zheng Palace was originally sent by my father. I'm afraid my father and his family are already tired of the dishes he knows! Why not try the cooking skills of those outside in the valley?"

Gong Zishang used to sneak out of the palace with Gong Ziyu often, and he knew very well that the dishes in the restaurants in Jiuchen Valley were delicious, and those restaurants were specifically designed to cheat people.

"Brother Yuanzheng, I know which taverns in the valley have particularly delicious and affordable food!"

The reason why Gong Zishang would say this is actually related to her greedy nature. Gong Shangjiao is the God of Wealth of the palace, and the money in Gong Yuanzheng's hands is much more than the money accumulated by the previous palace masters of Jiao Palace.

If she could speak to Gong Yuanzheng's heart at this moment, would she still be afraid that the money would not fly into her pocket?

Gong Zishang was thinking this, and the look on her face made Gong Yuanzheng look disgusted. He couldn't help but remind her, "What kind of evil ideas are you thinking of, woman? Also, pay attention to your image! Although you have always had a bad image in front of me and my brother! But if your saliva drips on my carpet, I will make you pay for it!"

Gong Zishang recovered immediately after being reminded by Gong Yuanzheng. He wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand and looked down at the mat under his butt with an envious look. Gong Zishang couldn't help but reach out and touch the white fox fur mat on the ground.

"Good stuff! But it's not mine!"

Gong Yuanzheng looked at Gong Zishang, who was full of envy but also helpless, and rolled his eyes. "Gong Zishang, do you really like this carpet? If you can tell me what delicious and fun things there are in Jiuchen Valley, I have a few more carpets like this in my warehouse. I wouldn't mind giving them to you!"

Gong Zishang rushed forward, put his hands on the table, and approached Gong Yuanzheng with shining eyes, scaring Gong Yuanzheng so much that he fell back.

"Really? Are you really willing to give it to me?"

Gong Yuanzheng knew Gong Zishang had taken the bait when he saw her expression, "When have I ever lied to you?"

In order to win the heart of this white fox carpet without a single strand of stray hair, Gong Zishang listed the names of restaurants one after another as if he was reading out the menu. He was so thirsty that he grabbed the cup on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

"These are all things I've learned over the years by sneaking down the mountain and eating at every shop! We don't know how many times we've been scammed and how much money we've wasted on these delicious and fun things!"

Gong Yuanzheng and Gong Shangjiao exchanged glances. After getting Gong Shangjiao's approval, Gong Yuanzheng sent someone to the warehouse to get the white fox carpet.

"This is your reward, sister!" Gong Yuanzheng asked someone to place the carpet in front of Gong Zishang.

Gong Zishang pounced on it and stroked the soft and comfortable white fox carpet without a single strand of stray hair under his hands over and over again.

Gong Yuanzheng also gave a few extra things as a gift. "These are also for my sister. They are gifts that show her understanding of the current situation."

Gong Zishang looked at the gorgeous fabrics, boxes of jewelry, and a small box of gold bars at hand.

Gong Zishang's face immediately broke into a smile. "Oh! I understand the principle of choosing the right tree for roosting! Besides, following Brother Yuanzheng, my future is bright! Who wouldn't want money?"

Gong Zishang returned with a full load from Gong Yuanzheng's visit. He came happily and left happily.

Gong Shangjiao sipped his tea while watching Gong Yuanzheng fool Gong Zishang into a daze. "Brother Yuanzheng has really grown up! His methods of controlling his subordinates are becoming more and more sophisticated!"

Gong Yuanzheng smiled faintly, "Isn't this all thanks to my brother's teaching? Brother, why don't you stay at Zheng Palace today? It's getting late, and we've been through so much today!"

Gong Shangjiao did not refuse Gong Yuanzheng's invitation. That night, he and Gong Yuanzheng took a medicinal bath in the backyard of Zheng Palace and slept in their clothes.

Gong Yuanzheng got out of bed before dawn the next day. Gong Shangjiao listened to the tinkling of silver bells beside his ears and squinted his eyes to see Gong Yuanzheng trying on clothes one by one in front of the full-length mirror.

Gong Shangjiao noticed the pile of clothes at Gong Yuanzheng's feet, threw back the quilt, got out of bed, and stood behind Gong Yuanzheng. "Brother Yuanzheng, why are you up so early?"

Gong Yuanzheng looked at the clothes in the mirror and still felt that they were not good-looking enough. He frowned and was about to take them off. Suddenly he heard Gong Shangjiao's voice and was startled.

"Brother, this is not the first time I go out with Dad and Brother Xiaohua, so I want to dress nicely! But I have worn these clothes before, and I always feel that it is not right if I wear them again!" Gong Yuanzheng was wearing a moon-white peony lining embroidered with silver thread, standing in front of the wardrobe with his hands on his hips.

Gong Shangjiao looked at the few sets of clothes in the closet, and suddenly his eyes sharpened as he saw something and took it out of the closet.

"Brother, you probably haven't worn this set of clothes yet. Why don't you wear it when you go out with Mr. Hua and Young Master Xie?"

Gong Yuanzheng looked at the robe in Gong Shangjiao's hand. It was a moon-white robe with dark silver patterns. He seemed to be trying hard to recall when this robe appeared in his wardrobe.

However, Gong Yuanzheng didn't have the time to think about it at this time, because the time was almost up. With the help of Gong Shangjiao, he put on his clothes. Gong Shangjiao re-braided his hair and put on the accessories, then ran out in a hurry.

Gong Shangjiao looked at the hurried Gong Yuanzheng and just shook his head helplessly, then called the servants to help him change clothes and wash.

Following the advice and restaurants Gong Zishang gave him yesterday, Gong Yuanzheng took Hua Yu, Xie Yuchen and Zhang Qiling to spend a wonderful day at the foot of the mountain.

As night falls, the lights are dense and the scenery is pleasant. However, under the locust tree of Zheng Palace, there stands a person who is reluctant to leave.

Gong Shangjiao placed his hand on Gong Yuanzheng's shoulder and said, "Yuanzheng, thank you, Young Master, they've already left!"

Gong Yuanzheng looked up at the sky. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. This was the first time he had seen such a clear night sky from inside the palace gate.

The twinkling stars in the night sky illuminate the earth. "Dad told me that he would chat with me whenever he was free, so I wasn't really that afraid of parting."