Chapter 750
Extra 5
Chapter 750 Extra Five
Amidst the rumbling thunder, there was a faint rustling sound, as if someone was leaning against the door.
Lu Qing tiptoed to the door, then suddenly pulled it open. A slender figure outside the door lost its balance and fell backward to the ground, tumbling into the doorway.
Lu Chao, who had fallen flat on his face, hurriedly got up, glanced timidly at Lu Qing who was standing in front of him with a blank expression, moved his lips a few times, and called out "Royal Brother".
Lu Qing ignored his form of address and frowned when she saw that Lu Chao's clothes were half-wet from the rain: "Why aren't you resting in your room in the middle of the night? What are you doing at my door?"
"I'm really scared..." Lu Chao pursed his lips, initially ashamed to speak, but overwhelmed by his inner fear, he was forced to be honest, "The night my mother left... the thunder outside was this loud..."
Lu Qing's heart skipped a beat, and a faint soreness rose from deep within his nose. He remained silent for a moment, then reached out and pulled Lu Chao back into the doorway, closing it again.
"Then you'll sleep here tonight, and don't disturb me, or I'll send you back." He said coldly to Lu Chao.
Lu Chao's pale face instantly lit up with joy: "Thank you, Your Majesty..."
“This is not the palace, and I am not a royal heir.” Lu Qing raised his hand to stop him. “I am now just a monk at Shanqing Temple who still practices Buddhism. I really cannot bear the title of ‘royal brother’ that you have for me.”
Lu Chao opened his mouth, unable to understand Lu Qing's thoughts at first, but he could tell that Lu Qing disliked the title, so he immediately nodded in agreement: "I understand, I won't disturb your rest, brother, don't worry!"
Lu Qing felt a surge of indescribable melancholy and sadness.
Although Lu Chao was the only son of Emperor Jin and Empress Wang, he should have been the most favored prince in the capital and the most prominent prince in the city. If Empress Wang hadn't passed away, it would have been perfectly normal for him to be made crown prince as soon as he came of age.
But now, having lost his mother, he is on the brink of death just like me, filled with fear and uncertainty about the future and his surroundings.
The two of them were not so different, just like blades of grass swaying in the wind and rain on this stormy night.
Thinking of this, Lu Qing's awkward feelings quietly dissipated. He didn't want to say too much to Lu Chao, so he just sighed softly: "Here's my set of dry clothes for you, then go to sleep."
It's unclear whether it was the "protection" Lu Qing provided that night that helped Lu Chao find his anchor from his state of confusion. Not only did he sleep exceptionally well in Lu Qing's room that night, but he also became much more proactive in recuperating afterward.
Although the hermit of Qiyun Mountain would not teach Lu Chao any martial arts, he did not restrict him from going to study with Lu Qing and the others.
Originally, Lu Chao was hesitant to approach Lu Qing because of his cold demeanor. However, after being taken in by his brother on that rainy night, he realized that his brother was only cold on the surface but actually friendly to him. So he stopped worrying and started going to study with Lu Qing and Yan Daoxin every day after taking his medicine.
He would watch Lu Qing and the others practice martial arts, and he would also try to imitate their movements.
Lu Qing and Yan Daoxin were, in the end, just two children. Regardless of their initial mindset that led them to deliberately keep their distance from Lu Chao, the barrier gradually disappeared, and the three of them became more and more familiar with each other. Lu Chao followed Lu Qing like a little tail, clearly regarding his older brother as a source of emotional support.
Lu Qing didn't say it, but he felt a secret sense of relief. From childhood to adulthood, he had always seemed to be a burden that everyone in the harem avoided like the plague, and he had never been needed by anyone.
This was the first time he had been so needed and relied upon.
Just like between family members.
Two or three months passed in this way. One day, a visitor came to Shanqing Temple, saying that he had been ordered to take Lu Chao back. Lu Chao was reluctant to leave, but there was nothing he could do. He could only go back to his room with a long face to pack his clothes.
Perhaps it was because the previous memories were too painful that Lu Qing had a knot in his heart. As soon as he heard that someone was going to take Lu Chao back to the palace, he felt a strange unease. He quickly slipped over and hid under the corridor to observe the person coming from a distance. He was shocked to find that he actually knew the person who came.
Before Consort Zhao found a pretext to beat him half to death and then fed him poisoned chicken soup, Lu Qing had seen this person once in Consort Zhao's palace.
It happened to be a festive day, and Emperor Jin granted special permission for the parents and blood relatives of the concubines to enter the palace to visit them, making the harem exceptionally lively that day.
The guests from Consort Zhao's side were Duke Yan and his wife, accompanied by a person dressed as a servant.
Consort Zhao had always ignored Lu Qing, and Duke Yan gave him no kind look either. So when they arrived, the sensible old nanny quickly led Lu Qing away so as not to get in the way of the noble ladies.
Just as Lu Qing was leaving with the old nanny, he saw the servant who was following the Duke of Yan.
That person had an ordinary-looking face, but his eyes were like those of a wolf in the dark, carrying a sinister glint.
Lu Qing was terrified, and this left a deep impression on her.
He was quite certain that the person who had come to supposedly take Lu Chao back on imperial orders was the same "servant" he had seen that day.
Thinking of this, he disregarded everything else and hurriedly ran to find his master, pouring out all his worries.
After hearing what he said, Qiyun Shanren had no doubts and immediately ordered his men to throw the man out.
"Does the Taoist priest intend to defy the imperial decree and detain the prince?" The man was furious after being driven out of the gate. "Are you Taoist priests so audacious that you don't even want your heads?!" The hermit of Qiyun Mountain simply stood at the door with a calm expression, too lazy to say anything more to him, and had the door closed directly.
Disobeying an imperial edict? He could casually throw Emperor Jin's handwritten letter on the ground, so what's so serious about disobeying an imperial edict?
Another month passed, and people came from the capital to pick up Lu Chao again. This time, it was a group of imperial guards. Although they were dressed in ordinary clothes, the ones in the lead were the same ones who had brought Lu Qing here before.
They also brought a letter from Emperor Jin, politely requesting that it be given to the hermit of Qiyun Mountain.
Qiyun Shanren took the letter, glanced at it a few times, and casually handed it to Lu Qing.
Lu Qing took it and looked at it. In addition to instructing Qiyun Shanren to hand Lu Chao over to these guards to escort him back to the palace, the letter also asked him to continue to take in Lu Qing and let him stay in Shanqing Temple to copy scriptures and pray for blessings. It also said that people would be sent to collect the scriptures that Lu Qing had copied from time to time.
"Master, will you grant him this request?" Lu Qing asked somewhat nervously.
He knew that his master had never shown any respect for the powerful and wealthy, not even the Emperor Jin.
Qiyun Shanren looked at him and said, "Whether my own little apprentice stays or goes is none of anyone else's business."
Hearing this, Lu Qing felt immediately at ease.
However, he could stay, but Lu Chao had to go back.
Lu Chao was not a disciple of Qiyun Mountain Man, but merely a prince whom he had agreed to take in for treatment and recuperation on a whim. So now that he had recovered, it was only natural for him to return to the palace.
That's why Lu Chao didn't want to leave, but he had no choice.
Lu Qing never said whether he hoped or didn't want Lu Chao to go back, but in the days before Lu Chao set off, he followed him closely like a little tail, and Lu Qing never said a word of displeasure.
Before they knew it, it was the eve of their departure, and Lu Chao went to stay with Lu Qing again.
Contrary to his usual self, Lu Qing sat up straight and instructed him with an unusually serious expression: "After you return to the palace this time, you must be more vigilant."
There shouldn't be so many people serving in the palace. With so many people, it's easy for things to get complicated. If someone has ulterior motives, it's not only easier to take advantage of the chaos, but it will also be very difficult to find out who it is afterward.
Keep your wet nurse and other trusted nannies by your side, and have the Emperor assign the guards who came to pick you up this time to your side. Don't bother with anyone else.
Having fewer people around you actually makes it less likely for the other side to find an opportunity to harm you.
"Also, you've been on the verge of death this time. If you face danger again next time, you might not be so lucky to survive until you're brought to my master."
So when you go back, you don't need to be obedient in everything, or think about being polite and kind to others.
You are the legitimate son of the Empress and the Emperor. Even though your mother is no longer alive, this status remains unchanged. Therefore, you do not need to curry favor with any concubines or outsiders, nor do you need to accept their advances.
While living in solitude may be lonely and isolating, it's also the safest approach.
"Unless you are dining with His Majesty, do not eat any chicken soup or snacks sent by outsiders, except for the food from your own small kitchen."
Besides studying hard, remember to practice diligently to maintain your physical strength. Be alert at night as well. No matter what, you must survive until you grow up, become a king, and establish your own kingdom. Do you understand?
Lu Chao nodded repeatedly, pursed his lips, and his eyes were slightly red.
The harrowing experience he had just gone through left him with lingering fears, but his brother's heartfelt advice gave him a sense of reassurance.
“I’m doing well here, and I will take care of myself as you said when I get back.” He said solemnly to Lu Qing, “I will write to my brother.”
"Don't write it." Lu Qing shook his head. "Don't let anyone know that you and I are close. We are both already in a precarious situation. If people find out that we are close, it will only bring more danger."
Lu Chao was somewhat disappointed, but he felt that his brother's words made sense, so he could only nod in agreement.
The next day, Lu Chao left Shanqing Temple with the guards.
In the years that followed, he came to stay intermittently for a period of time. Each time he came, he would bring Lu Qing some books that were not available in Shanqing Temple. Lu Qing would also read and practice martial arts with him. The two children gradually grew into handsome young men.
Their kinship and friendship became even stronger because of their unique backgrounds and circumstances.
However, at that time, neither of them knew that their friendship would rewrite the fate of Da Jin, and even the entire world.