Inspect the duck pen's hygiene?
With one sentence, Xiao Yunzhou left the King of Chu and King of Zhou stunned.
As the saying goes, family shame should not be aired, and national shame even less so. Why would Xiao Yunzhou check the condition of his own duck pens in front of the emperors of their two countries?
If it wasn't good, wouldn't that be exposing his shortcomings in front of them?
The two kings' expressions flickered.
What kind of confidence did Xiao Yunzhou have to be so certain that Jing Country's duck pens were spotlessly clean?
The two kings suddenly became intrigued, wanting to find some flaws to make Xiao Yunzhou ashamed.
But before they could act, they saw rows of neat duck houses before them! Just as they were marveling at how the duck houses not only had fences but roofs as well, a duck that was out for air quacked and dropped a pile of droppings right in front of King Zhou Ling.
King Zhou Ling's mouth twitched.
"Hahaha! Brother Zhou, you must have a special connection to this place." The King of Chu laughed heartily at seeing someone's misfortune.
This one sentence made Xiao Yunzhou, who had been hesitating on how to find an excuse, brighten up. He immediately started walking towards the east with his hands behind his back, shaking his head at the duck droppings in front of King Zhou Ling's feet.
"Ah, Brother Zhou, this... I'm not sure if I should say it or not."
King Zhou Ling was taken aback, "Hm?"
Xiao Yunzhou's mystical expression left him confused, but the King of Chu beside him suddenly thought of the matter with the secret plan, "What? Xiao Yunzhou, don't keep us in suspense. Does Jing Country's expert have some insights?"
King Zhou Ling was stunned, apparently having heard from the King of Chu about Jing Country's expert alleviating his death crisis. He immediately became hesitant to step forward.
"Hm? Xiao Yunzhou, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't put on airs." King Zhou Ling felt uneasy under Xiao Yunzhou's sympathetic gaze.
Xiao Yunzhou clicked his tongue, deciding not to waste any more time, "Brother Zhou, you've just arrived here and already encountered filth. Not good, not good at all."
"Misfortune is at hand, I fear there may be bloodshed."
King Zhou Ling was dumbfounded. It was just duck droppings, wasn't it?
It was unlucky, sure, that it didn't fall in front of anyone else but chose him.
But how did this equate to bloodshed?
"I've never heard of this. Is this a Jing Country folk belief? Whoever steps in droppings will face bloodshed?" King Zhou Ling didn't believe it.
Xiao Yunzhou coughed lightly, "It fell in front of your feet, not on you. It's not you, but someone of your blood."
King Zhou Ling's expression, which had been firmly disbelieving, wavered a bit.
Because Xiao Yunzhou, as the emperor of a country, was now speaking like a mystic charlatan, but his expression was one of firm confidence, as if his words were absolutely true.
As they say, a gentleman's word is his bond, let alone the word of an emperor.
"Is there anyone of your blood currently facing danger?" As Xiao Yunzhou spoke, he led the two kings who were intently listening to him, unconsciously passing through the duck houses and arriving in front of the last row of civilian houses.
The duck house workers and personal guards thought he wanted to discuss confidential matters with the two men beside him, which was why he had come to this remote corner of the duck houses, and did not voice any objections.
[Oh, it's this house!]
Xiao Chuchu's inner voice grew more urgent, [My old man's meditation wasn't in vain. He unconsciously, as if divinely guided, walked to the crime scene!]
[Quick, rush in!]
[That person is about to pour scalding soup down Princess Ronghua's throat to poison her mute!]
Xiao Yunzhou: "!"
He almost couldn't catch his breath, hurriedly quickening his pace and turning back to give a hand signal, calling for Wei Zheng to summon the guards to follow!
"My younger generation is in danger?" King Zhou Ling, still unaware of the tragedy about to unfold just beyond the wall, only heard Xiao Yunzhou's previous sentence and unhappily retorted, "The younger generation of my family are all safe and sound."
His royal juniors, the crown prince, princes, and princesses were all in the Zhou Xing Imperial Palace, and other royal descendants also had guards and eunuchs attending to them.
How could they be in danger when everything was fine? Where would bloodshed come from?
Let alone danger, even if they scraped a small piece of skin on their hands and bled a little, the guards and eunuchs would be punished.
The servants wouldn't dare to be careless.
If something happened, there would surely be secret guards sending messages to him.
King Zhou Ling said displeased, "What, Xiao Yunzhou, you've divined that my juniors are in trouble? If your spiritual cultivation is insufficient, don't spout such unpleasant nonsense. This king doesn't like it."
But just as he said this, King Zhou Ling vaguely heard a woman's desperate cry coming from the dilapidated house just beyond the wall in front of him!
The displeased and scolding expression on King Zhou Ling's face suddenly froze.
He couldn't help but prick up his ears.
"Kaizhi, don't—"
"Help—"
The woman's cries were very faint, as if weak and powerless. If the three kings hadn't unconsciously walked to the wall of the house, close enough to hear, they might not have heard it at all.
"What are you doing... I don't understand... I may not have borne children for you, but I've taken concubines for you..."
"I've used my dowry to support you, to help you raise children... why did you tie me up and bring me here to harm me..."
King Zhou Ling's face changed dramatically.
Wait, wait a minute, why did this woman's faint crying voice sound so much like his royal brother's daughter, the Princess Ronghua he had personally bestowed the title upon?
Years ago, his royal brother, accomplished in both civil and military affairs, was the undisputed choice for crown prince. But during an autumn hunt, in order to protect his young son who had fallen from a horse, his royal brother injured his legs, and thus could not ascend to the throne and inherit the royal lineage.
His royal brother then recommended him to the previous emperor, giving up his position as crown prince.
At that time, he swore to his royal brother that since his brother had sacrificed his claim to the throne to protect his young son, if he were to succeed to the throne, he would surely protect his brother's children as if they were his own!
This Zhou Xing Kingdom would be shared between him and his royal brother!
But after he ascended the throne, his royal brother requested to be stationed at the border of Zhou Xing, never to enter the imperial city for life.
King Zhou Ling could only place all his gratitude and respect for his royal brother onto his children.
"Kaizhi, you're not trying to harm me, are you..."
The woman's desperate and terrified low cries from inside the house seemed like a sharp blade, stabbing into King Zhou Ling's heart!
Kaizhi... the husband of his royal brother's daughter, Princess Ronghua?!
How did they end up here?!
"Hehe, Ronghua, let me make things clear before you die. I've given you bone-softening powder anyway, so you don't have the strength to escape. Soon your throat will be scalded, and you won't be able to speak either."
"I'll tell you clearly. Ten years ago when I entered Zhou Xing and saved you from a mad horse, it was all planned by my Yuan Mu Country. Men and women shouldn't have physical contact, but after I saved you, we had skin contact. No matter how much King Zhou Ling doted on you, his beloved niece, no matter how reluctant he was to let you marry far away to my Yuan State, he had no choice but to agree to our marriage."
"Moreover, I was your savior, and you fell for me at first sight, willingly following me back to Yuan."
"But you were nothing more than a pawn for my Yuan State. These ten years, marrying you, this arrogant and foolish woman, being gentle to you, it was all a scheme, all fake! It disgusted me to no end!"
"Now, it's finally time to deal with you!"
"If you die in Jing Country, after suffering humiliation and abuse before your death, guess what? King Zhou, who treats you like a precious pearl and your father like a benefactor, won't he fly into a rage and help my Yuan State destroy Jing!?"
The man's voice inside the house was full of hatred and triumphant arrogance.
But he still remembered not to be too loud before the deed was done, even suppressing his laughter.
"Haha, go ahead and scream, cry all you want. In Jing Country, no one will come to save you—"
But halfway through his laughter, he heard a loud shout from outside.
"Yuan Kaizhi, you bastard!"
"?!"
The vicious man inside the house, dressed in plain clothes but unable to conceal his noble air, froze in expression.
The next moment, with a bang, the door was kicked open.
The vicious man inside, holding a bowl of hot soup in one hand and grabbing the woman's hair with the other, turned his head and squinted to look. In an instant, he blinked!
How... how could it be King Zhou?!
No, impossible!
It must be a dream! Definitely a dream!
"A dream?" King Zhou Ling, furious beyond measure, rushed in and kicked him down, "I'll give you a dream, I'll give you a dream of death!"
[Ding, King Zhou's collection rate has reached 61%! King Zhou's favorability towards Yuan State has dropped to -50%!]
The system prompt rang out in Xiao Chuchu's mind the next moment.